The 2005/2006 Hockey Season Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

The Guerin hit was pretty fucking massive too.

I hope you don't me using that as an avatar.

[Clawson]

Not at all since I kind of swiped the Bertuzzi one in a way.

[gunnar hendershow]

Nevermind, it's too big a file to use.

[naiwf]

Ovechkin is a fucking beast. That is all. I'm amazed the Rangers might actually make the playoffs for the first time this millenium!

[Clawson]

Nevermind, it's too big a file to use.

[naiwf]

Nevermind, it's too big a file to use.

That's odd. It works for me.

And naiwf if Ovech doesn't win the Calder then we now it's because Crosby is fellating every member of the voting staff.

[prime time]

The thing about Crosby is that he really has to work his way out of contention due to the fact that he's such a marketable player. There is still a very good chance that he will win the Calder, something that so far belongs to Ovechkin as he's third in goals (in the league) on a terrible team. No other rookie has produced the results that he has, and all the others in contention have players around them to contribute.

[Dogbert]

I have Crosby fourth.

1) Ovechkin (and it isn't even close)

2) Phaneuf

3) Lundqvist

4) Crosby

5) Svatos

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

I haven't been following hockey much this year, is there now an anti-Crosby backlash from the hockey elitists due to all the pub he's getting?

[The Sultan of Swank]

Claude Julien and Rick Green(I think) was fired this afternoon. Bob Gainey(The GM) took over as head coach for the rest of the season and Guy Carbonneau will take over next season.

In other news Montreal scored 6 goals in the second period tonight.

[Clawson]

I haven't been following hockey much this year, is there now an anti-Crosby backlash from the hockey elitists due to all the pub he's getting?

[Jerichoholic23]

Everybody makes such a big deal about the Leafs and yet they blow another game. Good Job Boys. But once again the Sabres win. 10-1 over L.A. No respect for them ever. They are only 4 points behind the Sens for first. Yet all anyone talks about is Philly and Ottawa. When are we going to get respect from the rest of the league.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Jerichoholic does bring up a good point. While yeah, it's great to talk about your favourite team, myself with Montreal, a bunch of losers with Toronto

But it does seem like all hockey talk is constantly centered around the Leafs, Sens and to a lesser extent the Flyers.

Buffalo is one of the hottest teams in the league. And is probably the only team in the Northeast which'll give Ottawa a run for the top spot, which is more that Montreal or Toronto can say.

[Jerichoholic23]

Everyone will see how good they are when they make the playoffs and go on a long run. Lets Go Buffalo. and Blow Leafs Blow

[SeanDMan]

Buffalo's not going to make a long run on heart and a streaky goaltender.

While the Calgary Flames are evidence that you can have have a third of a line, a hot goaltender on a fluke run, and a bunch of fucking superscrubs trap the shit out of arenas to bore fans to sleep and make a long and fiscally damaging playoff run leading to a long lockout and possibly permanent and irreversable damage to the game just because one fucking asshole couldn't let the fucking trap die and at least try to once in a while play for more then clutch and grab and flukely, more often then not reviewable goals and rely on a goaltender who never was before, isn't now, and never will be again as good as he just happened to be at the time that the boringest team in hockey managed to cheat their way into the playoffs to the abject terror of anyone and everyone who likes entertaining hockey, I simply can't see the Sabers doing the same.

They're just too young. They're a team without much of a real, true leadership intangible and with young, flakey goaltending, I just can't see them continuing on the way they're goping. They might make an upste or two, and maybe in the west, they could even win a division, but against some of the powerhouse teams in the east, not a chance they make it to the conference finals.

[Jerichoholic23]

We all know they do will far better than the Leafs. As long as the Leafs miss the playoffs I will be happy. The CBC won't be cause their highest ratings are when the Leafs play. The Leafs are the only team in Canada according to them.

[prime time]

Looks like someone really hates the Flames. Anyways, as far as Buffalo goes, I guess the reason they don't get that much respect is because teams like Philly and Ottawa were huge favorite going into the season and so far have been doing pretty well. However, whenever the subject of the surprise team comes up Buffalo is never overlooked. The reason that they are not really discussed here is because everyone here discusses there own team (myself included). You are pretty much the only Buffalo die hard on this board, which there's nothing wrong with, but they are just not what everyone else here is focussed on. Are they better then Toronto? So far the answer is a definate yes. But since Toronto has such a huge market you know they'll be a lot more talk about them then the Sabres. You may not like it, I know I don't, but there's really nothing that can be done about it.

And as far as the anti-Crosby thing goes, people do hate him for the publicity. While there is not doubt that he is already on the path to greatness, there are other rookies who are better than him. Now when you look at Ovechkin, this is a guy who has been overlooked by the media due to Crosby and the fact that he is in a small market city. But there is no ignoring what he has done thus far. If he had a legitimate linemate he would probably be leading the league in goals, and even as it is isn't very far behind. While Crosby has been the hype machine, this guy has been the real deal.

[Clawson]

We all know they do will far better than the Leafs. As long as the Leafs miss the playoffs I will be happy. The CBC won't be cause their highest ratings are when the Leafs play. The Leafs are the only team in Canada according to them.

[Jerichoholic23]

I hate the Leafs. I love it when they lose. The people running their team have no idea what they are doing. Bringing old has-been players won't win you a cup. The good teams draft good and have a good mixture of young and old players. The Leafs have mostly old players except for a couple. What annoys me most about them is they think that there is no other team in Canada but them. When they don't make the playoffs and the rest of the candian teams do maybe then Laff fans will realize that there are 5 other teams in this country. BLOW LEAFS BLOW

[grind your soul]

At the mid-way point:

Team of the Year: Ottawa Senators [runner-up: Philly]

Pleasant Surprise of the Year: Carolina Hurricanes [runner-up: Buffalo]

Disappointment of the Year: Pittsburgh Penguins [runner-up: Boston]

I Called That Shit: Nashville Predators [runner-up: Los Angeles]

Hart Trophy [MVP]: Daniel Alfredsson, OTT [runner-up: Peter Forsberg, PHI]

Calder Trophy: Alex Ovechkin, WSH [runner-up: Sidney Crosby, PIT]

Norris Trophy [best d-man]: Bryan McCabe, TOR [runner-up: Wade Redden, OTT]

And I'm bored so that's what you get for now.

Expanded Calder voting:

1 - Ovechkin

2 - Crosby

3 - Lundqvist

4 - Phaneuf

5 - Svatos

6 - Meszaros