2008/2009 Hockey Thread v2.0

[Reddaye]

I care. This season has been pretty bad for him on the injury front, but before he was clobbered by Koustopolous, Van Ryn was playing great.

Agreed. Hopefully he can stay healthy for the rest of the season and beyond. Seems like after you get that first concussion it's a lot easier to get more.

Finger is supposed to be back fairly soon too, I think. Maybe another week or two.

Not that I'm in a big rush to see Finger back. He's not as horrible as some people make him out to be...but considering his salary I'd like to see a much steadier and consistent season out of him. He's like -27 right now I believe. >_<

[Toe]

Another reason why Ovechkin is awesome...

[Toe]

That game was not very fun.

[Reddaye]

Yeah...can you say slaughter? I'd say Pogge still needs a bit more work before he's ready to start for the big club. There were moments that he really showed some great skill (that quick round of about four saves in a row) though. He wasn't moving very fast across the paint, dropping to his knees too quickly, and got caught out of position a few times. That being said I think it was a good experience for him and hopefully they'll call him up a bit more. When you have to face about three break away chances in a night it's gotta be tough,

I really hope Brian Burke gets us at least one goal scoring forward. I know Backstrom is hot right now, but lately it doesn't matter who's in net, we just can't score.

It was more like watching the Senators last night...and not the Leafs.

[Toe]

Some of the goals were not Pogge's fault. Minnesota had a lot of 2 on 1 breaks and breakaways. Still, while his positioning was good he just seemed too eager to drop down and as you said, was a little slow moving across the crease.

I know we need a goal scorer in the line-up desperately, but expect Brian Burke to build from the net out.

[Toe]

Someone please explain this to me: Zetterberg signs 12 year extension with Wings.

[Guest Lt Gen Potato Head]

I don't care that we knew this was going to be a bad year at the beginning of the season, I don't care that trading our three best players made us that much worse, I don't care that we were up against John Tavares - a 9-0 loss is still embarrassing.

[Clawson]

Once again, it is only talk. For two games I was asking him to fight. I even came out from the bench [to fight]. He tried to get involved with [Maxim Lapierre] Why would you challenge Lapierre? Lapierre would have killed him if he was out there on the ice. I came out on the ice, but he hid behind the referee and said: "Let's fight." But how is it possible?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...maining-content

So yeah, there is Sergei admitting that he came off the bench to try and fight Grabs in that game. So, why didn't he get 10 games?

Pretty good interview there, too.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Then the league and refs missed it. Doesn't change the fact that Grabs is a fucking embarrassment, but it was a good read.

Montreal dropped their third straight, I think some of it has to do with players returning and sort of upsetting the balance a little, but really, 2 of the 3 games we lost are against teams that we should be easily, and against NJ is a team we NEED to beat since it's a very possible scenario that we meet them in the playoffs.

If we lose 4 in a row I'll cry . I've got my tix for the 7th

[Reddaye]

Speaking of Grabovski...upon going back and reviewing last night's game: he needs to stop playing with the "me against the world" attitude. Pulling off some fancy moves is all well and good, but it ain't cutting the mustard right now. I've liked the guy's play this year overall but his team game could use a bit more work.

[Clawson]

Plus Schenner taught him how you dangle properly last night.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Yeah last nights game, the Kostitsyn line, which had been dynamite recently had a really bad game. Hopefully they'll pick it back up in their next.

[Lowerdeck]

Someone please explain this to me: Zetterberg signs 12 year extension with Wings.

Didn't the Islanders goalie get a 15 year contract?

There's no reason for any deal longer than a decade, or even really more than 6-7 years.

[Toe]

Someone please explain this to me: Zetterberg signs 12 year extension with Wings.

Didn't the Islanders goalie get a 15 year contract?

There's no reason for any deal longer than a decade, or even really more than 6-7 years.

Rick DiPietro did get the monster deal, and that contract was also criticized.

I don't see why you would commit so much to a play who will be 40 when the contract expires and has a history of back problems. He is a great player, for sure, but the length on that deal is stupid.

[Lowerdeck]

I can see wanting to keep a guy around for a while if he's going to be good. But you never know if he'll get injury problems, or will suck that far down the road. I can see the Isles regretting the deal towards the end, if not sooner.

As for the other day, I was at the AHL ASG the other day. It ended 14-11, and the non-Canadian team scored nine goals in the third period. You'd go maybe 2-3 minutes without a goal, then see 3-4 in the span of a minute or so. Never seen anything like it.

Did get to see the Stanley Cup too, from about five feet away.

[Guest Lt Gen Potato Head]

Did get to see the Stanley Cup too, from about five feet away.

I've held it over my head.

[Lowerdeck]

Did get to see the Stanley Cup too, from about five feet away.

I've held it over my head.

Meh. I figured someone probably did better, but it was worthy of a mention.

[Guest Lt Gen Potato Head]

I know, I just like being a dick.

[Clawson]

I had sex with it. A winner is me.

[Enter Blue Guy]

Sloppy seconds. Consolation winner.

I actually work right beside the Cup's house. He never calls anymore and the few times we've bumped into each into each other, it was just plain awkward.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy