Official '19-'20 NHL Thread - v. Hedman is a cupman.

[black_biff_stadler]

I don't know hockey from my own asshole but can someone explain to me the ethics and level of trust necessary involving the emergency goalie? It just seems like such a recipe for sabotage having a dude affiliated with the opposition minding your team's net. Was there ever an instance of a dude going rogue and intentionally fucking over the other team cuz he knew he could help his other team win and then he received such severe backlash that now emergency goalies are afraid of that wrath and play honestly when called upon by the visiting team?

[jingle.boy]

Jingle, is there a lack of leadership on the team? Auston seems to dodge questions when the team is struggling, Marner seems pretty vocal in the media, but Tavares is the only one I see blurbs from the most. There just doesn’t seem to be accountability on the team, and Dubas is starting to look like an idiot. Is he on the hot seat?

Leadership... yeah.  Tavares has been largely unimpressive as *the* leader / Captain.  Keep in mind Marner/Matthews are still only 22.  Shit, they've got a lot of maturing (both mentally, and game-smarts) to do.  It's not like Stamkos, Ovi, O'Reilly, Sid were the leaders that they are now when they were 22 (well, Sid maybe).  There's a lot of growing still to do.  The main rub is that they demanded to (and got) paid like they were ready to make the leap.  The team has regressed in a lot of ways this year.  Is Dubas an idiot... hard to say.  I'm not buying in to the vision of constructing a team mostly designed to out-skill the competition... and trading for a guy like Clifford seems to suggest he realizes that too. 

I think everyone is on the hot seat, but primarily it's on the players right now - it's not like Dubas can solve anything in the next 9 hours - it's on the players, and to some extent, the coach.  They say all the same cliched things (have to up our game, look at ourselves in the mirror, compete harder... yada yada), but at this point, it's just words.  The frustrating thing is that they ARE capable - the games against Dallas, Nashville, and Pitt over the past 2 weeks demonstrate that.  They just lapse into this fits where they rely too much on their skill.  Watching Marner and Matthews play like it's a shinny game, constantly trying to dangle and puck-handle their way thru the defense is maddening. Nylander is fancy-shmancy when he gets the puck, but his work ethic without the puck is atrocious.  When it works, they look like geniuses.  But, when they're so regularly poke-checked, physically knocked off the puck, or simply lose control.... they look like clowns.  That was a big part of what I saw against Carolina - relying almost exclusively on their skill.  The Canes showed the blueprint on how to school this team - hound and forecheck the shit out of them. There was no situation where I didn't see at least one if not two or more white shirts on top of a Leaf player within 1-2 seconds of anyone getting the puck - even on the PP... the Canes were relentless, and the Leafs had no answer.

Add to that two of their younger d-pair have very much regressed, Barrie has not performed as advertised, Reilly and Ceci have been out a month now, and a 19-year old rookie (Sandin) is being put in the position of having to be a Top 3 d-man.... well, the blue line is a train-wreck.  Regardless of all of that, for a team built to be an offensive juggernaught, and not get a single goal on an emerg goalie is ludicrous.  That's on the players.

Until they put a string of good games together, they give me no faith at all.  19 games to go... I figure they need at least 12 wins (that would put them at 96 points... which was the floor for the East playoffs last year iirc).  More realistically, they need 14-15 to show that they might have any kind of chance of proving they can elevate themselves to the level of Boston/TB.

They've shown nothing to suggest they can do either.  As I said before, the only saving grace is that Florida isn't doing much either.  Now... I was at the Buffalo game yesterday, and boy do they look like they might be getting their shit together (their loss to Ottawa notwithstanding).  They're only 6 points back of the Leafs, with a game in hand.  But, the Sabres have the 2nd hardest schedule in the league ahead of them.

[SchecterShredder]

I don't know hockey from my own asshole but can someone explain to me the ethics and level of trust necessary involving the emergency goalie? It just seems like such a recipe for sabotage having a dude affiliated with the opposition minding your team's net. Was there ever an instance of a dude going rogue and intentionally fucking over the other team cuz he knew he could help his other team win and then he received such severe backlash that now emergency goalies are afraid of that wrath and play honestly when called upon by the visiting team?

I don't know the exact number, but i want to say there's been fewer than 10 times in the NHLs history that the emergency goalie saw game action, and the 29min the back up saw in the Carolina/Toronto game was probably the most game time. A team can only dress 20 players for a game and only have 23 on the active roster. It wouldn't make sense to use a roster spot for a 3rd goalie. It would be like an NFL team dressing 4 QBs for a game. Just wouldn't make sense.

It's probably not ideal, but it's also probably the best solution.

[jingle.boy]

Yeah... there's been about 15 instances of the EBUG in the last 10 years.  Here's the rule:

If both of a team's listed goalkeepers are incapacitated for regular-season or playoff games, the team can dress and play any available eligible goalie. In the event that the two regular goalkeepers are injured in quick succession during a game, the third goalie gets a reasonable amount of time to dress, as well as a two-minute warm-up (except when he enters the game to defend against a penalty shot).

It's so rare, that no one really thinks about it ... until a cluster-fuck like this situation comes up.  The league will definitely be making some big changes, as this could've been a disaster - Carolina in a tight race for a playoff spot, and if Ayers had let in a bunch of goals leading to the loss??  Yeah, that would've been a real bad look on the league.

Here's an article outlining a bunch of them up to 2016... and there's been at least two (Scott Fletcher and Ayers this weekend) since then.

[romdrums]

Oil acquire Mike Greene for basically a handwritten I.O.U for  a box of Girl Guide cookies. I realize he's not the same player he was when he was scoring 30 for Washington, but he was basically free.

You could also see it as Ken Holland finally making a trade involving Mike Green at the deadline. 

[jingle.boy]

Trade day is off to a start:

JG Pageau to Isles - Isles paid pretty big for him.
Namestikov to the Avs

[Luoto]

Canes traded Haula, Wallmark, Luostarinen and Priskie for Vinnie Trocheck from the Panthers.

[black_biff_stadler]

Maybe I didn't phrase my question clearly cuz no one addressed the trust issue thing. I meant it seems weird that if Ayres was a Toronto guy that he was put into action against the team he presumably roots for. Unless I missed something, that is. But as far as I've been able to tell the game was played in Toronto and he was the in-house EBUG so I assume he'd be a Leafs fan that just had to play against them. If so, it seems like if the game were close and you had a real homer in the net that he could easily "miss" a shot on goal in a tied game to help the team he pulls for win.

[jingle.boy]

Maybe that's the way ya'll think in the south, but we Canuck's have morals and ethics.   

[gmillerdrake]

Been wondering 'where' to post this because I just need to vent a bit more....it's hockey related so I figured this is the best spot.

I Coach two of my kiddos Hockey teams and last weekend was the start of the 'Blue Note Playoffs' My youngest's team got smoked the first game so they were out pretty quick. (9) of the (14) kids on the team this was their first year playing so the season was all in all 'rough' because they were just learning. It was fun and my son had a blast....they just weren't very 'good'.

But, my middle sons team is pretty good. Came in 4th place....but only (6) pts out of first.....and the teams before us we'd beat two of the three. Only the top team had we lost to twice...both times by a goal. Games that were 'winnable' and that we were leading in but just didn't get the job done. Anyway, our first playoff game last Saturday morning was intense. If anyone can recall the Blues vs Coyotes game last week....that's pretty much what it was. In that game the Blues had 47 shots on goal...the Coyotes 10 yet it was 0-0 until the last part of the game.

We were all over this team (they were the 5th seed) but just could not freaking score. Played in their end of the ice the entire game....shot after shot....chance after chance....just nothing going in. Then, with under three minutes to go in the game they get a clean break away    Just their player and our goalie.....and our goalie came up HUGE!!! She made a great butterfly pad save and the next thing you know we're in OT. It was so intense!!! Sudden death OT for 12 year olds.....of which.....we ended up finally scoring and winning 1-0 about 2 minutes in to it. It was a great win...the team was jacked.....my middle son on the drive home says to me "I think this is the happiest I've ever been".

So, that moved us on to the second round on Sunday where we had to play the #1 Seed team. Like I said, we'd lost to them twice but both times we had the chance to win the game....just couldn't do it.

So, we start off and we score a minute into the game!! Great start! Then, they tied it near the end of the first period. In the second period they take the lead 2-1 on a goal that must have hit three or four different skates before it found it's way into the net....was a bummer but that happens.

We have a kid who I am not kidding has a shot that is as hard as a lot of the men I play hockey with on Sundays. Just a friggin' wicked shot.....and he let one rip from the top of the circle....hits the crossbar and goes straight down to the back of the net....hits the bottom bar....and back out....all in a flash. We all celebrate....fans jumping up and down as we just tied it.....yet, the Ref and Two officials call it 'no goal'. They said it was crossbar only!!!

Now, keep in mind these officials might be 13 or 14....they aren't grown men....it's just kids....so I get that they're learning but it was a huge bummer to have a goal not counted. But, nonetheless....they didn't count it. BUT...no worries......we end up tying it up with minutes to go in the second period so we enter the third knotted 2-2

This period was intense. Both teams battling hard.....great saves being made on both sides....great defense....just a good game. Then, with under 4 minutes to play we get a Power Play! Puck drops....a scrum happens along the boards at Center Ice and they emerge with the puck and move to enter our zone....but one of their players goes offside by about three foot. Really obvious....so obvious the players kind of stop for a second waiting for the whistle......THAT NEVER CAME!!!!

After a second or two the players kind of re-engage but by that point all momentum  had been lost....they carry it in and rip a shot and score 

We are livid!!!! we call the Ref over and plead with him to consult the other officials and get this right. He won't budge. The Missouri Hockey Representative that is in the penalty box (has to be one rep at each game) tells us that it was clearly offside but that there's nothing he can really do about it....it's the officials call.

We calm our kids down because clearly we are all ticked off. It gets down to a little under two minutes to go in the game.....we get our goalie pulled and spend the last minute and a half in their zone just firing away trying to tie it but to no avail.

We lose 3-2.....season over.....chance to compete for the Championship next weekend gone.      I'm still not over it. I'm so heartbroken for the kiddos that their season ended like that. I spent all day yesterday scouring the rules to see if there was a way to protest the game since the Mo. Hockey official saw it all. But, there isn't.

Anyway.....for those of you who read this whole thing.....sorry about that....it's just that I'm sure my friends and family are sick of hearing me whine about this so now you do 

[jingle.boy]

Need us to call you a Wahmbulance?     Sorry dude, I couldn't resist.

Yeah, that absolutely blows.  Tough break for them .. TWICE.  Now you know what it's like to be Lindy Ruff in 1999.  Two words.... "no goal".

I know it doesn't help the kids, but you know they were the better team, and they'll all learn and grow from the experience.  Life ain't fair.

[gmillerdrake]

Yeah. We let our kids know how proud we were/are of them. We had such amazing growth as a team and as individual players......my son included. From where he started this year to where he is now is really cool to see and that was the case with the majority of the kids.

Like I said.....Im just bummed for them that it ended the way it did. Not to say we don’t lose in OT or even we don’t get scored on later in the period.....but that goal was a tough one to have go against ya.

Oh well. The Spring 4 v 4 season starts March 10th so it’ll be back at it soon enough.

[KevShmev]

Sounds like you should have slipped some money to those officials, Gary.

That seriously blows, though.

[jingle.boy]

And right on cue, the Leafs play another solid game against a Top 5 team, inclusive of losing Muzzin for the 3rd period. Hopefully it’s not a broken hand.

$20 says they lay a steaming turd against Florida on Thursday.

[jingle.boy]

Nick... what's the deal with Philly?  I hadn't been paying attention to them all year, but they've nicely crept up in the standings and are now just a point behind Pitt.   

Nashville has fought their way back into the WC race, while Arizona is dropping like a stone.  Their offense must be truly shit - and Hall is proving his Hart Trophy year was a flash in the pan.  I'm not sure how anyone can consider him an "elite" player.

Man I feel bad for Winnipeg... so much adversity with their D, injuries out the wazoo, and they are still clinging to playoff hope.  Couple of tough losses recently.  Looking at their results, going 3-8-1 in Jan (including a 1-7-0 stretch) really killed them; 3-4-1 in the last 8 isn't helping either... 3 of the losses by 1 goal though.

Vancouver looking solid, but Markstrom being injured is gonna hurt them.

Love this time of year ... jockeying for position, fighting for the playoffs.  It's amazing to see 7 Metro teams all playing playoff-worthy hockey - though Columbus seems to have blown their load, and are gradually playing themselves out of contention.

[KevShmev]

Meanwhile, the Blues and Hawks played a really fun game last night, as the Blues turned a 3-1 deficit into a 6-5 win by outscoring them 4-2 in a crazy 3rd period. 

[gmillerdrake]

Man I feel bad for Winnipeg...

Nope. Not at all. You get what you give.....

[jingle.boy]

Man I feel bad for Winnipeg...

Nope. Not at all. You get what you give.....

Not sure what this means.

And Muzzin's hand is broken - out 3-4 weeks.  That's 3 of the top 4 D-men out for the Leafs; 3 of their D are rookies with less than 50 games of NHL experience between the three of them; 2 others are only in their 1st and 2nd year of being full-time roster players.  Barrie is the only dressed player that has more than 2 years experience.  Ceci and Reilly are still 2-3 weeks away.

Gonna have to play some very strong team defense now. 

[gmillerdrake]

Man I feel bad for Winnipeg...

Nope. Not at all. You get what you give.....

Not sure what this means.

Just saying I don't feel sorry for them. I recall last year as the Blues were beating them and afterwards....their coach and players refused to give any credit at all to the Blues for taking them out. Used the word 'lucky' several times in interviews and that they weren't all that impressed. Just basically were sour pusses about being eliminated and scoffed at the idea that the Blues were 'better' than them.

So...they get no sympathy from me for their tribulations this year. Seems deserved.....

[Nick]

Nick... what's the deal with Philly?  I hadn't been paying attention to them all year, but they've nicely crept up in the standings and are now just a point behind Pitt.   

A lot of little things coming together. It has to start with goaltending and the confidence that brings them. Carter Hart has a really weird thing right now where his home stats are light years ahead of his away stats, but having Brian Elliott as a backup or 1b has made that a minor issue. They've been mostly healthy and mostly rock solid all year, and that's not something we're overly used to.

An part of that can be credited to the defense, which again is a lot of little pieces coming together. We got Niskanen and he has shown no decline in play this year, and has really been stellar for us. Justin Braun was thought of as a 7th defenseman when we also got him, but he has played up to a really solid defenseman. Provorov had some struggles early but is back to being an awesome workhorse, and Sanheim and Myers took huge strides this year to be an amazing 2nd pair for the last 15 or so games. Gostisbehere is still struggling, and Hagg is still not great, but everyone else has been good so it's not been a problem. And we're 2nd in goals from the D-core in the league.

We knew that the goalie situation should be better this year, and are very happy the defense situation played out on the upper end of expectations, but credit to the forward core as a whole for overcoming some big issues. Oskar Lindblom getting cancer just as he was really breaking out was tough, and really added to the hurt of former #2 pick Nolan Patrick, who was already not coming along quite as quickly as most would have liked, being out all season with a migraine disorder. But a couple of things went in our favor. Firstly, people need to give Giroux, the 2nd or 3rd most prolific point producer over the past years his fucking credit and realize he has absolutely always made those around him better. Couturier has become an absolute beast, and is probably among the best value contracts in the league right now (he's like 5m/yr). He should finally get his Selke and is also pouring on points. Konecny has continued to bloom and was an all-star this year for good reason. Kevin Hayes has fully adjusted and has been a beast. He along with some depth players have really improved our penalty kill. Finally, our 3rd and 4th line has more skill and consistency than ever before, and got added to at the trade deadline. In general we just have a solid forward core, that distributes points pretty evenly, so it might lack some big name flash, but they are all getting the job done.

At this point I absolutely see us making the playoffs, and where we go from there will be interesting to watch, it's been like 10 years since we've gotten out of the first round. I will say if we continue to play this well as a team we're going to be tough to match up against, and even if we lose I don't think anyone will want to play against us. Biggest weakness remains the occasional period off, or especially a slow start, but even that has gotten better recently. We have a pair of games against the Rangers next, we win those and we'll be looking good ahead of a tougher stretch.

[TAC]

They're rallying around Gritty being cleared.

[Nick]

They're rallying around Gritty being cleared.

Fuck that.

If there was a patreon to give Gritty $5 every time he punches a child I'd be the first to enter my credit card information.

[jingle.boy]

I’m still pissed with Ghost - picking him as the top D-man in my pool last year cost me 1st place over 4th .... otherwise known as $1200.

I’d seen Hayes performing well, and yeah ... Giroux and Couterier are legitimate stars. I’m surprised the tandem of Hart and Elliot are performing so well.

Lose the two coming up with NYR, and they’re right on top of you!

Love this time of year.

[SchecterShredder]

A few years ago, maybe 2016, i suggested in here Draisaitl and the Oil's first round pick for PKSubban. I was told by member, who I'm to lazy to look up in the old thread, that i was over valuing Draisaitl. Turns out, i was heavily under valuing him. He looks unstoppable in the race for the Art Ross, and he should rightfully be in the mix for the Hart, too. Hell, a few more games like tonight and he'll be taking home the Rocket, as well 

[TAC]

A few years ago, maybe 2016, i suggested in here Draisaitl and the Oil's first round pick for PKSubban. I was told by member, who I'm to lazy to look up in the old thread, that i was over valuing Draisaitl. Turns out, i was heavily under valuing him.

Especially when you compare him to Subban now, who looks like a shell of himself.

[SystematicThought]

And man did the Oilers get a bargain with his contract as well. 8 million a year until 2026.

[TAC]

So Bergevin says Clude Julien will return next season. Now I love Claude, but I have a question....WHY?

Not that I'm looking for the Habs to improve, but they've done nothing but flounder under Claude.

[jingle.boy]

So Bergevin says Clude Julien will return next season. Now I love Claude, but I have a question....WHY?

Not that I'm looking for the Habs to improve, but they've done nothing but flounder under Claude.

IMO, Bergevin is the problem.  The team is not built for success - trying to be a contender while developing youth like Suzuki and Kotkaniemi, while holding on to Weber/Price/Petry as the foundation of the team.  Of course, injuries this year didn't help them.

[TAC]

Petry blows!

[TAC]

I really try not to post after a Bruins win, but holy shit, that was a big boy hockey game tonight in Tampa. I'd have posted either way. Fucking intense.


Oh, and it is so clear that Scott Hartnell hates the Bruins. I love watching him squirm trying to say nice things about the B's.

[King Postwhore]

Tampa stepped it up x Infinity in the 3rd.

[TAC]

That game might have had the most speed I've seen all year. It was like having 10 Connor McDavids on the ice.

[King Postwhore]

So much speed and distribution. 

[TheCountOfNYC]

Went to the Rangers game last night. Great game until the refs stopped doing their jobs in the third period. Rough stretch of losses for my Blueshirts this past week after clawing their way back into playoff contention, but I’m proud of how they’ve played these past few weeks. And hey, at least I saw them lose to a team I can actually stomach in the Blues.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Holy shit Zibanejad.