NHL (2020-2021) v. Draft, sign, & trade.

[T-ski]

I don’t  really follow the NHL but I’m just checking in to say I went to high school with Canadiens super rookie Cole Caufields mom.

As you were.

[Dittomist]

Yeah, tonight's game should be very exciting, although probably not as epic as Vegas' previous Game 7. It would be funny to see the Wild finagle a 5-minute major

[Anguyen92]

Oh yeah, that would be really ugly for the Golden Knights if they get another 5-minute major penalty in a game 7, three years in a row and whether or not the Wild would capitalized like the Sharks did or didn't do anything at all, with little effort, like the Canucks did.

[gmillerdrake]

Well, at least the Canes got 'er done.  jingle.son went to bed happy (they're his 2nd fave team).

Yeah, that was nice to watch the Preds lose in front of their fans. That fan base irks me to no end.....and that being my brother in laws team makes it that much sweeter that they lost at home.

The real reason.

Rite??  I'm sure there wasn't a text or anything offering false condolences.   

   He texted my youngest son after the Blues lost and asked him to start trooping for the Predators since the Blues were out and my son told him ‘not a chance’ 

I texted him and just said that at least the playoffs will be fun to watch now and not so stressful. We both knew our teams had no shot at a deep run. I’ll save the real ribbing for a better time.

[jingle.boy]

Well, at least the Canes got 'er done.  jingle.son went to bed happy (they're his 2nd fave team).

Yeah, that was nice to watch the Preds lose in front of their fans. That fan base irks me to no end.....and that being my brother in laws team makes it that much sweeter that they lost at home.

The real reason.

Rite??  I'm sure there wasn't a text or anything offering false condolences.   

   He texted my youngest son after the Blues lost and asked him to start trooping for the Predators since the Blues were out and my son told him ‘not a chance’ 

Your fathering skills deserve a medal.

[KevShmev]

Well, at least the Canes got 'er done.  jingle.son went to bed happy (they're his 2nd fave team).

Yeah, that was nice to watch the Preds lose in front of their fans. That fan base irks me to no end.....and that being my brother in laws team makes it that much sweeter that they lost at home.

Their announcers are even worse.  Sure, all home team announcers are biased, but theirs are particularly atrocious.  Check out the feed of Carolina's winning OT game the other night.  "Score, and the series is over," said in the most boring and subdued tone ever.  Just awful.

[gmillerdrake]

Was hoping the Wild could pull out a win but Vegas showed up to take care of business.

[SchecterShredder]

It'll be interesting to see if Seattle is as competitive out of the gate. Vegas has to be the best example of successful expansion.

[jingle.boy]

It'll be interesting to see if Seattle is as competitive out of the gate. Vegas has to be the best example of successful expansion.

Agreed.  If they are, then it's almost entirely the loose draft rules that expose a lot of good players (I read that Oshie is potentially going to be up for grabs?).  I always thought McPhee was pretty saavy with some of this moves, but we'll see if the Kraken / Francis are just as good.

[Anguyen92]

Yep, we'll see.  Vegas did some good trades prior to the expansion draft where they got certain players that was pretty darn good for their system in their first year.  Vegas got Fleury, because the Penguins gave them a second round pick in 2020 to pick the guy (which I think I can understand from the Penguins' view at the time, but still).  I presume GMs won't make the same mistakes again in the Seattle draft, but it's hard to tell when it comes to GMs and the pressure they have to get under cap and to get rid of some bad contracts.



Edit: Also, that Penguins' second round pick Vegas got was part of a trade package to get Robin Lehner. 

[Nick]

Look at anyone's outlook at Vegas prior to the draft/trades or even after the team was put together. No one expected them to be this good. All accolades should go to the front office and staff in managing what they have. I really can't stand all the people after the fact acting like Vegas was ordained for greatness. The league is more in tune to the draft now, and while I don't doubt Seattle could be good, there is a next to zero chance they will be able to replicate what Vegas did, or even close to it.

[TAC]

I really can't stand all the people after the fact acting like Vegas was ordained for greatness.

I agree. What superstar, besides Fleury, did they grab in the expansion draft? I know..ZERO!
But they drafted a bunch of 2nd to 3rd line tweeners and a bunch of #4 d-men who jelled incredibly and were extremely well coached.

[jingle.boy]

Well damn again.  That loss hurts a bit more, because the Leafs dominated that OT.  They got what they deserved though, for not showing up for the first 50 minutes of the game.  Campbell is the only reason they got to OT (on the heels of a couple of lucky deflections).

If they don't play a full 60 minutes, they're gonna choke away this series.  Time for Marner and Matthews to show up as Top 5 players in the league.  How do players like Dannault and Gallagher shut them down - it's not like they're the second coming of Gainey and Carbonneau!

[King Postwhore]

They seem to do this all the time in the playoff Chad. Beat teams they shouldn't. 

[jingle.boy]

If the Leafs can just put in a complete effort for a full 60 minutes, they should have no problem.  The Habs had 10 shots in the first 5 minutes; 15 by the 10 minute mark - then 14 the rest of the game.  I joked when it was 2-0 that they were playing more like the Marlies (AHL affiliate) than an NHL team, and jingle.son reminded me that even the Marlies got 2 past Price (on a conditioning stint Price did 3 days before the playoffs started).

They just haven't show that killer instinct, and other than game 2, Matthews and Marner haven't fulfilled on $11M AAV expectations.  The Habs are punching out of their weight class for sure, but the Leafs have to get their heads out of their asses.  Losing Muzzin is not going to be insignificant if he can't go for Game 7 - and groin injuries usually don't clear up in 48 hours.

[KevShmev]

Price won that game for Montreal in OT. Dude was nails. I was watching thinking, "This is going to be one of those games where one team dominates OT and then the other team scores on one of their rare chances," and right on cue it happened.  Game 7 ought to be fun.

[jingle.boy]

Price won that game for Montreal in OT. Dude was nails. I was watching thinking, "This is going to be one of those games where one team dominates OT and then the other team scores on one of their rare chances," and right on cue it happened.  Game 7 ought to be fun.

In OT, you're right.  But the Leafs really had no business getting it to OT.  As good as Price was in the extra frame, Campbell was all that and a bag of chips in the first period, and a good chunk of the second while the Leafs did their hockey impression of the Washington Generals.  Plus, he also had 2 remarkable saves right after the Habs made it 2-0 that gave the Leafs that chance to tie it up.

[TAC]

The Canes have to be disappointed and frustrated. Vasielevskiy played out of his tits in the first period. The Canes stormed him and it easily could've been 4-0 ten minutes in.

[TAC]

I was wondering why Fleury wasn't playing tonight. Now I'm really wondering. Poor move by the coach. Another guy who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

[Anguyen92]

I switched off the game for a bit.  Am I reading this right?  The Avs are on a 9 minute power play? 

[pg1067]

I switched off the game for a bit.  Am I reading this right?  The Avs are on a 9 minute power play?

I have no idea.  I can't read the graphic NBC is using this year.  The SOG are microscopic.  I can tell whether it's the second or third period (unless I've been closely following the game, which I haven't with most of these games).  And I can't tell how much time is on the penalty clock (and the game close is barely better).  I did hear one of the announcers say Ryan Reeves had nine minutes of timed penalties, in addition to his match penalty.

And now the PBP guy confirmed the 9 minute PP!  Dude really needs to sit a game for that crap.

[KevShmev]

Reaves cross checked a guy from behind in G7 the other day into the goal post and got away with it.  We'll see if the league actually cares this time about him trying to injure someone.  Do not hold your breath.

[jingle.boy]

Reaves cross checked a guy from behind in G7 the other day into the goal post and got away with it.  We'll see if the league actually cares this time about him trying to injure someone.  Do not hold your breath.

Well, when you get an "intent to injure" match penalty, I think it's guaranteed he's getting something pretty beefy in terms of suspension.

Deboer is an absolute douche for even trying to defend him.  I know as a coach you don't throw your players under the bus, but to look for the 'good' in what he did ("his gloves never came off and no one was hurt in the play") is classless.  I'm starting to join Gary on the Anti-DeBoer train.

[gmillerdrake]

I liked Reaves when he was on the Blues and always thought he was a pretty solid player and good team mate. But, that was pretty classless and I hope that he gets the book and then some thrown at  him. He's already one of the toughest guys on the ice....you don't have to be a POS and kneel on someone's face or take cheap shots at a goalie.

I'd like to see the AV's steamroll Vegas now just for that......and so their F'n whiney D-Bag of a Coach gets ousted again from the playoffs.

I'm starting to join Gary on the Anti-DeBoer train.

Always room on this wagon for more. Dudes a nimrod

[TAC]

I liked Reaves when he was on the Blues

Of course you did. 

......and so their F'n whiney D-Bag of a Coach gets ousted again from the playoffs.

I'm starting to join Gary on the Anti-DeBoer train.

Always room on this wagon for more. Dudes a nimrod

I can't stand the guy. He's a bald Kevin Spacey.

[pg1067]

Reaves cross checked a guy from behind in G7 the other day into the goal post and got away with it.  We'll see if the league actually cares this time about him trying to injure someone.  Do not hold your breath.

Well, when you get an "intent to injure" match penalty, I think it's guaranteed he's getting something pretty beefy in terms of suspension.

Two games - https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31543600/vegas-golden-knights-defend-ryan-reaves-one-cleanest-tough-guys-nhl-calls-hearing-weigh-suspension

[Anguyen92]

^^ Boy, the NHL higher-ups must really hate Nazem Kadri if he gets 8, but this Reaves incident gets only two games.

[KevShmev]

Oof, that was soft (x2).

The suspension Reaves got, and the goal Campbell just allowed.

[SchecterShredder]

^^ Boy, the NHL higher-ups must really hate Nazem Kadri if he gets 8, but this Reaves incident gets only two games.

Yeah, but Kadri is a repeat piece of shit. I'm sure that's what added games.

[TAC]

Yeah, but Kadri is a repeat piece of shit.

Yeah, I'd like to repeat, Kadri is a piece of shit.

[TAC]

OK, I just now saw the Reeves penalty. You guys think he should've gotten MORE than two games for that??

And Campbell cannot let that goal in.

[SchecterShredder]

Bye-bye Leafs

[TheCountOfNYC]

The Maple Leafs are a joke. How many first round playoff chokes are you going to put your fan base through? They are the most devoted, loyal, passionate fans in the league and they deserve so much better than this.

[Anguyen92]

Whistles....., I don't even know how the heck you can fix this Leafs' team to show some form of progress other than have your top 2 players in the line-up show up on the score card in the playoffs when it's most needed.  That's a tough one to take in.  Sorry, Jingle.

[XeRocks81]

Go Habs Go! 

lol, I don't follow hockey that much but living in quebec the Canadiens are in the playoffs I'm surrounded by it 24/7.  I fully expect they will choke as well in round 2 if it makes any diffrerence to leafs fans