Official NHL 2015-2016 Thread

[TAC]

Leafs got the #1 pick.

Seriously, was this ever in doubt? No way they weren't not getting the #1. The league was not going to let that happen.

[jingle.boy]

Leafs got the #1 pick.

Seriously, was this ever in doubt? No way they weren't not getting the #1. The league was not going to let that happen.

Well, we came damned close last year (had the best odds going into the final phase of the lottery), but Edmonton got it, and McDavid.

As for whether we need Matthews, it's a good question.  We do have some quality young centers, so that gives Shanny/Lou lots of options to wheel and deal.  Bozak/Kadri are our top 2 today - and they shouldn't be Top 2 anywhere.  Imagine a roster with Nylander and Matthews as 1-2 in a few years.  That could end up being as good as any tandem in the league.

[Dark Castle]

Kadri's locked up and he should be a 2c, not the 1c he was forced to be this season. Asked this question on Reddit and Leafs fans are tearing me a new asshole. Leafs really don't have much depth after JVR and he seems on the way out. Y'all got Kapenen though and that's always rad.

[KevShmev]

Hoping for a better game from the Blues today. 

[gmillerdrake]

Hoping for a better game from the Blues today. 

Well, they can't possibly play any worse than they did Friday night. I expect them to win this game today if they play their game.

[Hyperplex]

Hell of start to this game.

[Jarlaxle]

Big win for Pittsburgh last night. Loving the way they are playing right now, and as the old adage goes, you aren't in trouble until you lose a game at home, so they've got a bit of an advantage so far.

Also, I love Orpik, but that was a pretty bad hit. It was super late and only made contact with the head. I don't think he has a track record, so I'd say a 1-2 game suspension would be plenty, but I hope Maata is okay, that man has had horrible luck in his young career.

Kris Letang is a beast.

[gmillerdrake]

Horse sh%t call off the face off. If there was ever a dive that'd have been it.

[gmillerdrake]

 

[gmillerdrake]

Whew. That'd have been a tough loss to take.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Big OT win for St. Louis. Going home for the next two games tied 1-1 is completely different than going home down 2-0.

[gmillerdrake]

Big OT win for St. Louis. Going home for the next two games tied 1-1 is completely different than going home down 2-0.

Yep. I was worried even when we were up 3-1 because we'd missed several golden chances to make it 4 or 5 to 1. That always comes back to bite you .... they came out strong in OT though and got it done.

[KevShmev]

I'll take a win after that performance today. Very lucky to win. And I feel like we've seen the best of Dallas already, while the Blues' best has yet to come.

[gmillerdrake]

I'll take a win after that performance today. Very lucky to win. And I feel like we've seen the best of Dallas already, while the Blues' best has yet to come.

Agreed. Although like I mentioned to you via text....despite allowing Dallas to score (2) in the third I still think StL played a better game and definitely deserved the 'W'. I don't think we 'stole' that game at all....we just won it.

[KevShmev]

True. The 3rd period was pretty ugly, but like you said, the resolve in OT was nice to see.  Both Dallas penalties in OT were blatant ones that had to be called, and the second led to the winner. 

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Pretty much agree with the above.  McGuire is creepy as shit sometimes, and I can never think of him without remembering this gem

I can give you that. That was just too weird. Almost forgot about it.

[jingle.boy]

Pretty much agree with the above.  McGuire is creepy as shit sometimes, and I can never think of him without remembering this gem

I can give you that. That was just too weird. Almost forgot about it.

I wish I could!!!  Though, I'm sure Dutch still has nightmares about it.

[mikeyd23]

Big win for Pittsburgh last night. Loving the way they are playing right now, and as the old adage goes, you aren't in trouble until you lose a game at home, so they've got a bit of an advantage so far.

Also, I love Orpik, but that was a pretty bad hit. It was super late and only made contact with the head. I don't think he has a track record, so I'd say a 1-2 game suspension would be plenty, but I hope Maata is okay, that man has had horrible luck in his young career.

Kris Letang is a beast.

I'll echo all that. If you would have told me going into this series the Pens would steal one from the Caps at home and would be coming back to Pittsburgh with the series tied, I would have been happy with that.

More importantly, in both games I felt the Pens played well. The Caps are definitely a really good team, but I'd say the Pens overall have carried the majority of the play.

Oh and also, this will help the Pens:

https://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/15442589/washington-capitals-d-brooks-orpik-suspended-3-games-hit-pittsburgh-penguins-d-olli-maatta

Orpik out for 3 games for that dangerous hit on Maatta. Good decision by the NHL.

[Hyperplex]

My brotastic macabroni and cheese brother in law was over for this game and it was a trip. He put his 3-month-old daughter into her yet unwashed Capitals onesie because she was "2-0" while wearing it, then woke her at least 3 times during the game with outbursts. I heard about the disallowed goal and penalty for about 15 minutes afterwards, and the idea that the refs were bought was thrown around. And his ire was raised at the notion that Orpik would be suspended.

I really don't want to watch another hockey game with him. He took the fun out of it.

And yes, now he can wash the onesie.

[mikeyd23]

My brotastic macabroni and cheese brother in law was over for this game and it was a trip. He put his 3-month-old daughter into her yet unwashed Capitals onesie because she was "2-0" while wearing it, then woke her at least 3 times during the game with outbursts. I heard about the disallowed goal and penalty for about 15 minutes afterwards, and the idea that the refs were bought was thrown around. And his ire was raised at the notion that Orpik would be suspended.

I really don't want to watch another hockey game with him. He took the fun out of it.

And yes, now he can wash the onesie.

Haha well that's all pretty ridiculous.

[Hyperplex]

Yes, yes it is. He was sitting to my right and his wife to my left when the Penguins scored their first goal, so he then demanded he and his wife switch positions. Enough time passed and the Caps tied it, so he maintained that they had to keep the new positions for the rest of the game. When the Pens took the lead again, he just threw his hands in the air, cursed loudly several times and then said she could sit anywhere she wanted.

He also had to "knock on wood" every time a damning or jinxing stat was mentioned.

Even when I supremely die-hard, I never did anything remotely like that.

[axeman90210]

Oh man, I'd actually like to watch a game with him (especially if the Caps were losing)

[Hyperplex]

I suppose it it would actually have been more entertaining had he not kept waking his daughter and I hadn't been as tired as I was.
When he watches the Ravens, every time something good happens he has to stand up and high five everyone near him who is willing, sometimes those who aren't willing. It's an experience. He is the main reason I am pulling against the Caps; I can't handle the thought of him for a year if they do, in fact, win the Cup.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I come from an extremely superstitious family and have been guilty of being like that myself, but I would never put my child's health at risk by not washing their clothes due to superstition. That's completely ridiculous and irresponsible. I'm pulling for the Caps in this series because the Penguins (who are already my least favorite team) eliminated my Rangers, but if they get eliminated, I won't mind that either so that you don't have to deal with your brother-in-law anymore.

[Hyperplex]

Haha, thanks for the sentiment. In all honestly I am completely detached from most of the outcomes and am just enjoying the hockey.

[jingle.boy]

Haha, thanks for the sentiment. In all honestly I am completely detached from most of the outcomes and am just enjoying the hockey.

Ditto... I'm just a fan of good hockey.  I'm personally rooting for the Blues (for Gary's benefit), but otherwise, I have no horses in this race.

[gmillerdrake]

Ditto... I'm just a fan of good hockey.  I'm personally rooting for the Blues (for Gary's benefit)

[Jarlaxle]

Respect to Orpik for his words on his suspension. Less respect for Barry Trotz.

[mikeyd23]

Respect to Orpik for his words on his suspension. Less respect for Barry Trotz.

Yeah seriously, Brooks handled it perfectly. Barry, not so much...

[TAC]

Why are we respecting Orpik? Because he owned it? WTF??
What's he going to say? He buried a guy high and late, and got caught.

His selfishness has really hurt his team.


And I'm not sure what Trotz is smoking.

[mikeyd23]

Why are we respecting Orpik? Because he owned it? WTF??
What's he going to say? He buried a guy high and late, and got caught.

His selfishness has really hurt his team.


And I'm not sure what Trotz is smoking.

Honestly, it was a dirty hit against my favorite team. But he owned up to it, which is more than a lot of players would do. I don't respect the hit, but I do respect him owning up to it.

[SchecterShredder]

Why are we respecting Orpik? Because he owned it? WTF??
What's he going to say? He buried a guy high and late, and got caught.

His selfishness has really hurt his team.


And I'm not sure what Trotz is smoking.

Can someone post a link to Trotz's comments? Or is it just his "Matta was leaning over" comments?

[mikeyd23]

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/barry-trotz-hints-nhl-favored-penguins-on-orpik-suspension-173424765.html

“I’m disappointed in the length more than anything else. That injury to [Dmitry] Orlov in the previous season [could have been] career-ending,” said Trotz, of the hit by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare that earned the Flyers player one game. “I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised based on who we’re playing and all that. So we’ll just move forward.”

When asked to clarify those comments, Trotz said: “Take it for whatever you want.”

[SchecterShredder]

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/barry-trotz-hints-nhl-favored-penguins-on-orpik-suspension-173424765.html

“I’m disappointed in the length more than anything else. That injury to [Dmitry] Orlov in the previous season [could have been] career-ending,” said Trotz, of the hit by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare that earned the Flyers player one game. “I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised based on who we’re playing and all that. So we’ll just move forward.”

When asked to clarify those comments, Trotz said: “Take it for whatever you want.”

 

Silly Barry. And to think I thought it was Washington STATE that legalized it, not Washington DC.

[Hyperplex]

Hey my sister in law was complaining that the disallowed goal shouldn't have resulted in a goalie interference penalty because losing the goal was punishment enough. By disallowing the goal AND giving Pittsburgh the PP, they were penalizing Washington twice, she said, and therefore playing favorites. There was no way I could explain that sequence of events that would give her any inkling of proper rules interpretation, so I let it go. She enables her husband sometimes.