The 2005/2006 Hockey Season Thread

[Dogbert]

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.

Edited January 15, 2006 by Dogbert

[SeanDMan]

I guess I shouldn't expect any more than that from a Canucks fan. You know, the team that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to speak of on the blueline

Besides three national team starters, same as your three, one of which plays for the horrible Americans and another for the also ran Czechs.

and between the pipes,

With the exception of a guy who put up absolutely rediculous performances night in and night out handcuffed by an arrogant and overrated team coming up and a guy who, in his first season he'll finish with over 10 games played, is pitching a post .900 save percentage and has a winning percentage over 50. Flukko Kiprusoff, by comparison, finished his first NHL season with more then 10 games played an unspectacular 7-6-3, pretty much dead on at 50, and with a save percentage marginally better then Auld. By the way, Kiprusoff is now 30, heading for thirty one. Alex Auld? 26.

and whose entire gameplan hinges on one good line

With a coach who has shown willingness to spread the love and double team what is, perhaps outside of Ottawa and Phillys supertandems, the most dominant one two punch in a decade?

And this coming from a Calgary Flames fan is beyond riotous, since you boast two good players. You couldn't even make one good line, unless Kipper learns how to take draws and Iginla can play from both boards.

and a pair of soft Euro twins?

I wouldn't want to talk about soft euros, since you're the team who jumped at the chance to pick up Kristan Useless. You also boast Marcus "The Nail Broke" Nillson, one of the dodgiest players in the league. Also, I'd love for you to point to another set of soft players who've never in a season played less then 75 games, or one who voluntarily asked for a piece of his finger to be amputated so he could return to the ice faster. I'd also challenge you to find a season where Nilson and Useless combined for ninety points, as the Sedins did last NHL season.

The team whose coach and GM likely give the greatest blowjobs known to man,

Comapred to a guy who got a job with a franchise desperately in need of experienced leadership despite having basically done nothing in his previous managerial experience and having been a marginal, completely one dimensional hockey player? Darryl Sutter takes anal, man, no condom and unlubed. Either that or he has a really awesome camera.

because that's the only way to explain how the refs suck up to them in the Garage and hand them enough wins to get them into the playoffs year after year after year?

They skirt in on penalties? Then explain how Marek Malik managed to be the league's best plus minus players, which primarily factors in on even strength only? Or how the Canucks managed to have a team plus minus of almost 20 goals higher then the Flames, despite their "all-star defense" and "awesome goalie".

I could continue to go in and refute your points but if I haven't passed it I'm close to the quote limit right now, and suffice to say with the amount of homeristic shit you have put out, the chances of your future statements holding any weight are probably about the same as another cling fest Calgary cup run in our lifetime: fucking zero.

Watch hockey for more then two years, then argue with me.

[Dogbert]

Besides three national team starters, same as your three, one of which plays for the horrible Americans and another for the also ran Czechs.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Dogbert

[SeanDMan]

Why not? I'm having fun watching you squirm.

Squirm? You wish. You give yourself far too much credit; you're grasping at straws. I normally don't like to argue with the mentally challenged, however I believe in this case I may have grossly overestimated your cerebral faculties.

Damn right, they skirt on penalties. Don't believe me? Check it out. That's why the Canucks are 16-3-3 at home, and only 9-12-2 on the road.

I didn't respond to it before and I won't respond to it now because it's a secondary source. If you've been through high school, which I'm guessing you probably haven't, you're taught that taking a source from an obviously biased party, such as a fan message board, and using it as fact is both lazy and incorrect. While all sources have a natural source of bias, tying to find at least a moderately partisan statician or journalist to use as a source is preferable to just pulling shit anyone could have made up from a source that makes no effort to hide an obvious percieved bias.

Assuming that his stats are compiled, accurately and up to date, from NHL.com (did you check? my guess is no), there are lots of reasons why teams get less powerplays and take more penalties on the road. Teams at home are well rested and energized by a home crowd that gets behind them and encourages them to play free flowing offensive hockey, which draws penalties against and allows for powerplays. On the road, teams are playing in a hostile environment and are tired from jet lag, the change of conditions and unfamilar surroundings, timezone differences, you name it. They play sloppy and take bad penalties resultant fromt that.

The Canucks are better at home then on the road? HOLY SHIT, SO IS HALF OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE. Why do you think teams want home ice advantage in the playoffs, because they're all bribing the refs? Your points are statistics leading nowhere with heavy basis on exageration and outright imagination. Unless you're suggesting a massive Orca Bay/NHL Officiating/Mafia RICO scandal, then get that weak shit out of my house.

Darryl Sutter got the job because he had the style that the Flames' management was looking for. The team was lazy and unmotivated before he came to town, and look at them now. The Stanley Cup Finals in his first full season behind the bench; that doesn't look like "basically doing nothing" to me.

You do understand the meaning of the word "previous", right?

Yeah, they've never played less than 75 games in a season. Why is that? Oh, right, because they don't do anything more physical than making accidental contact with members of the opposition on the odd occasion.

This arguement might hold weight except that the Sedins kill penalties too, and quite efficently actually. While Naslund doesn't (because he doesn't have the checking prowess) and Bertuzzi doesn't (he takes too many penalties for five on threes), the Sedins can and will take shifts on the penalty kill and get in shooting lanes and play the boards. Lindros brothers they are not, but they aren't the whiners they are made out to be. They play in their own zone.

And again, how many fingertips has Kristan Huselles willingly severed from his body to get off the injured reserve?

By the way, saying "no one plays two ways" on Vancouver is an obvious sign that you are grossly exagerating your knowlege as a hockey fan. While Naslund is strictly a one way guy, Morrison and Bertuzzi can both backcheck, Morrison with a stick and Bertuzzi with the body, and the Sedins are both good checkers if unspectacular hitters. While Richard Park is never going to be known as a Selke trophy winner, he has great speed when caught deep and can break up rushes with his speed and stick, and Matt Cooke and Jarkko Ruutu LOVE to get in the trenches, and Trevor Linden is built to play two way hockey. I defy you to tell Anson Carter to his face he's a one way player (while you're at it, mention how soft the Sedin's are. I heard those guys are on the outs), and while we're missing great defensive players from seasons past like Artem Chubarov, Brad May, and MAREK F'N MALIK, guys like Wade Brookbank have come up to play on the man and Ryan Kesler has shown he likes to play in the blue paint. So of fourteen Canucks forwards who dress on a regular basis... two only play one way? Maybe three, since Kesler... hell, what the fuck. Take the Sedins too, why not. You've still got nine out of fourteen guys all over the ice. Blinders off.

As to the "depth" at forward, it's non-existant. You have Iginla... and nothing. Most of the awesome players you name like Landcow and Nilson and the list goes on are cast offs from other teams that recognized they were, for the most part, useless. Amonte is past his prime and no where near the performer he once was... his days are numbered. One of the reasons Calgary was so commended for their Stanley Cup run was their ability to battle through injury. When your whole team is AHL quality, it's not hard to fill bodies. You can have a team full of scrubs and a hot goalie and have great sucess. Montreal did it, riding Roy to two cups and a ton of straight playoff appearances, Roy jumps ship and the team goes in the toilet for a decade. New Jersey rode Brodeur for YEARS, he has a year off and struggles (and their Iginla is laid up with The Aids) and the team hits the shits, he finds his stride, things start to slowly turn around. So don't try and marvel anyone by listing off a list of marginal never weres. Two players. That's your team.

[Dogbert]

I didn't respond to it before and I won't respond to it now because it's a secondary source. If you've been through high school, which I'm guessing you probably haven't, you're taught that taking a source from an obviously biased party, such as a fan message board, and using it as fact is both lazy and incorrect. While all sources have a natural source of bias, tying to find at least a moderately partisan statician or journalist to use as a source is preferable to just pulling shit anyone could have made up from a source that makes no effort to hide an obvious percieved bias.

Assuming that his stats are compiled, accurately and up to date, from NHL.com (did you check? my guess is no), there are lots of reasons why teams get less powerplays and take more penalties on the road. Teams at home are well rested and energized by a home crowd that gets behind them and encourages them to play free flowing offensive hockey, which draws penalties against and allows for powerplays. On the road, teams are playing in a hostile environment and are tired from jet lag, the change of conditions and unfamilar surroundings, timezone differences, you name it. They play sloppy and take bad penalties resultant fromt that.

[Guest Grapehead]

Just want to point something out to Dogbert, Calgary may have the best defense in the west, maybe not, but they certainly fall second when compared to Ottawa. Redden, Chara, Phillips, Meszaros, Pothier, and Volchenkov aren't comparable to any other combination.

[Dogbert]

Just want to point something out to Dogbert, Calgary may have the best defense in the west, maybe not, but they certainly fall second when compared to Ottawa. Redden, Chara, Phillips, Meszaros, Pothier, and Volchenkov aren't comparable to any other combination.

[Clawson]

Just want to point something out to Dogbert, Calgary may have the best defense in the west, maybe not, but they certainly fall second when compared to Ottawa. Redden, Chara, Phillips, Meszaros, Pothier, and Volchenkov aren't comparable to any other combination.

[Guest Grapehead]

Just want to point something out to Dogbert, Calgary may have the best defense in the west, maybe not, but they certainly fall second when compared to Ottawa. Redden, Chara, Phillips, Meszaros, Pothier, and Volchenkov aren't comparable to any other combination.

Holy shit can you be anymore of a fanboy? Ottawa could put a piece of dog shit on the ice and you'd praise it as the next Gretzky. Calgary also doesn't have one of the best defensive units in the league, and the Leafs are probably in the bottom half before you try to throw that out there. Personally I like Edmonton's defense core: Pronger, Smith, Bergeron and company are a very solid job and if the team had some solid goaltending then they would be a threat in the playoffs.

Edited January 16, 2006 by Grapehead

[Green Demon]

It has finally been good to be a Blue Jackets fan lately, with tonights win against the Rangers, they have won four in a row. They are no means contending for the playoffs yet but they are atleast heading in the right direction. Since Nash has returned everyone really has been playing better including Federov even starting to get involved and become more of a leader. Vyborny has been surprising me lately also extending his point streak to five games with another goal tonight and five in the last five games. They got a nice homestand coming up so I am just hoping that they can countiue winning at home and who knows what will happen. I may be getting a little to optomistic but it is nice to see the team winning lately.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Then we're in the same boat Demon, Gainey's Habs beat the Stars tonight getting their first back to back wins since early november.

[Guest Grapehead]

Ovechkin wins the Calder trophy after that crazy goal tonight, if you haven't seen it yet, you will, that will be all over every highlight reel forever.

[prime time]

That Ovechkin goal was without a doubt the best goal of the year so far.

[SeanDMan]

That Ovechkin goal was simply not right. He isn't human. He can't really be human; he must be like a Terminator or something sent back in time to kill someone and he's just wasting time playing hockey.

Not to beat a dead horse, and I know Clawson will disagree with me because if I said Keith Primeau was the better Primeau he'd say Wayne, and I know he prefers Marcel Hossa so I won't even go there, but Ottawa has the leagues best defense without any question in my mind. If I had to pick a second and wasn't allowed to pick the Canucks, I might say Edmonton, but a team with a real underlooked defense is Boston. Boston has all the tools, a shut down guy in Hal Gill, one of the greats of the game and a future hall of famer in Brian Leetch, up and coming guys like Jurcina and Tanabe who could still be good players and guys who are young and already a force like Nick Boynton and Brad Stuart, one of the league's true underrated defensemen. Sure, they also play Jiri Slegr, but Boston management won't win any awards this year.

Sami Salo is more then just a slapshot. His slapshot is so feared that he draws people out of position to prevent it, opening ice and allowing him to make plays. Sami Salo has 20 assists on the year, more then double his number of goals, and even if you consider that a quarter of those are probably rebounds, he's still not a one dimensional player.

As to the Sedins not being able to check; they did a pretty good job on the penalty kill against Crosby tonight. His goal on the night was a five on three for the Pens when both Sedins were off the ice.

And to the guy who asked about the hockey "elitists" turning against Crosby; it's spreading. The guys in his own locker room are turning against him and he's also losing support with the fans. He takes too many stupid penalties and was ready to drop the gloves tonight with Kevin Bieksa. You're willing to take yourself, the only cog the team has in the hopes of a successful game, out of it for five minutes for Kevin fucking Bieksa?

[oldskool]

Sweet merciful Jesus, that Ovechkin goal was nuts. People used to say Crosby was the next Gretzky, but if this shit keeps up 20 years from now prospects will be touted as the next Ovechkin.

[SeanDMan]

Alexander Ovechkin is Pavel Bure with a bodycheck. He's the best Russian player since the Russians sent Federov/Bure/Mogilny as a line to the World Juniors. For that matter, could you imagine if Mogilny wound up in Washington with Ovechkin? That could set the world on fire.

[naiwf]

That Ovechkin goal was simply not right. He isn't human. He can't really be human; he must be like a Terminator or something sent back in time to kill someone and he's just wasting time playing hockey.

Edited January 17, 2006 by naiwf27

[NobBe Nobbs]

Every time there's a great goal, you rave about it and I have to wait. I hate being English (well, actually that's a lie. I love being English because it means I'm great by default </rampant 'England - FUCK YEAH!'-isms>).

One thing before I toddle off looking for said Ovechkin goal, to naiwf - is it just me, or would you mark like a little girl to see Mirko and Fedor fight?

[gunnar hendershow]

I need to get to some Capitals games just to see Ovechkin. He's inhuman. What a goal.

[naiwf]

Every time there's a great goal, you rave about it and I have to wait. I hate being English (well, actually that's a lie. I love being English because it means I'm great by default </rampant 'England - FUCK YEAH!'-isms>).

One thing before I toddle off looking for said Ovechkin goal, to naiwf - is it just me, or would you mark like a little girl to see Mirko and Fedor fight?