The Hockey Thread

[The Sultan of Swank]

It's really great to get that monkey off our back. It was a game that Montreal absolutely DOMINATED end to end. Kovalchuk was invisible, our top like took like 19 shots on net, but we ran into an absolute stud in nets. That Pavelec was pretty amazing. Excellent game all around, and way to go Lapierre and Gomez. Gomez took a dirty, dirty, dirty fucking hit, you'd have thought Grabovsky threw it, it was so bad. Gomez came up swinging and made that asshole pay though, and then he scores in the shootout as well. Atlanta got Halak Attack'd and the Bell Centre faithful get their first win on home ice. A good night... now all I gotta do is kill 5 more hours on the megabus back to Montreal and then work at 7.

[Clawson]

Oh Basha....it happened last year, it was clean, everybody but Habs fans and those refs said it was clean. Leaf fans aren't still harping on Kostopolous ending Mike Van Ryn's career, are we?

[Gabriel]

The Flames have been agitating to watch this season. Dominate... Let Up... Take Bad Penalties or Penalties That Shouldn't Have Been Called In The First Place... Give Up Some Goals... Dominate the End of the Game or Look Barely Competent... and repeat.

Seriously though, 8 of the last 9 penalties heading into the 3rd were against Calgary, and I'd argue that 2 of them were bullshit calls, and at least 2 more were questionable. I didn't realize that if some guy is coming at you full speed, if you stand your ground and he ends up on his ass, that it's interference.

Aaron Johnson looks good on defense... but that gives us 8 NHL Defensemen, and makes the sixth spot a revolving door of Johnson, Adam Pardy and Staffan Kronwall. I expect Sutter to make a move involving one of our d-men at some point in the season to free up cap space for either a backup goaltender down the stretch, or a missing piece on forward.

[The Sultan of Swank]

hah, players who give clean hits, don't get ejected.

[Clawson]

Oh my God, I can't believe we're having this discussion 6 FUCKING MONTHS AFTER IT HAPPENED. I've shown the replays numerous times, everybody in here has called it a clean hit, when CBC was commentating the game they said "wow there is really nothing there", and everybody except for you and the Habs have mentioned that it wasn't dirty. Get over it, stop being a bitch about it and take off the rose coloured glasses for once in your life. It was a clean hit on his shoulder, I'm done making this point.

Edited October 21, 2009 by Clawson

[The Sultan of Swank]

haha, you seriously gotta calm down there Clawson... I'd like to think I've managed to become a much better hockey fan in the offseason... maybe you should cool it and recognize that I'm allowed to agree with the refs and common sense that it was a dirty hit, you disagree, don't pull a Be cause we disagree and cause I'm a Habs fan. It's not very becomming.

Anyone think there's any legs to Quebec getting their team back. I'd love for it to happen, and with the announcement of a new 400 Million dollar arena it is very encouraging. I also believe that Quebec would have a far better chance than Hamilton could ever hope for because it's not between two markets and the new arena is on its way, but still... I just don't see it happening.

[Guest Spongebob Weinstein]

Once the arena gets built, I'd like to see them get a team. But I'd rather see teams in Hamilton and especially Winnipeg first. I get the feeling it was more a PR move on Bettman's part so he could say "see, Canada? I'm willing to listen!" but then there won't be any real ownership willing to pony up the costs.

[Clawson]

You do know that Grabovski didn't get a major on that play, right? He got thrown out for the stuff that happened after the hit. It wasn't dirty, you're allowed to hit the player in the shoulder away from the boards, it's not his fault that Markov spun in the boards face first from the hit and it's not his fault that Markov injured his knee on the play. If it was a dirty hit then wouldn't his head have been hurt?

Prove to me you have ears and can hear what the announcers are saying

It was a hard, clean shoulder-to-shoulder check.

[The Sultan of Swank]

haha, you seriously gotta calm down there Clawson... I'd like to think I've managed to become a much better hockey fan in the offseason... maybe you should cool it and recognize that I'm allowed to agree with the refs and common sense that it was a dirty hit, you disagree, don't pull a Be cause we disagree and cause I'm a Habs fan. It's not very becomming.

Anyone think there's any legs to Quebec getting their team back. I'd love for it to happen, and with the announcement of a new 400 Million dollar arena it is very encouraging. I also believe that Quebec would have a far better chance than Hamilton could ever hope for because it's not between two markets and the new arena is on its way, but still... I just don't see it happening.

[Clawson]

I'm not disagreeing because you're a Habs fan, I'm disagreeing because I'm sitting here trying to provide an argument about why you're wrong and I'm right and you're sitting there like a stubborn 6 year old refusing to say anything but "noooooooo I'm right". You haven't given any evidence or anything that proves it was as dirty as you said or anything like that. So if you can't prove it, stop bitching about it. Boston was sweeping you anyways last year.

[Gabriel]

In regard to the Grabovski hit... there are plenty of instances where referees make decisions based on the outcome of the play, rather than the play itself. So to say "The refs called it and they are right" is a valid opinion, but it's far from a concrete statement based on a fact. Officials are fallible and make many mistakes and reactionary calls. Coming from a neutral party, who enjoyed both teams last season, it was a clean hit.

Now, about new teams in Canada... I'm not even sure. Hamilton, Winnipeg and Quebec City have got to be as attractive, if not more-so, as Kansas City and Las Vegas. Maybe Bettman would rather have teams in the latter two places first, but the league as a whole must realize that it's a better financial decision to place a team in Canada than in an unproven market.

So let's say those are the top 5 potential destinations right now. Expansion would be a terrible idea with so many teams seemingly struggling, so we'll assume that for the forseeable future, relocation is the only option. Florida, Nashville, Long Island, Phoenix and Tampa Bay have all been reported as being in trouble for one reason or another.

The Islanders played a game in Kansas City and drew about the same number that they do on the Island, if I recall correctly. Because an Islanders move wouldn't be for lack of financial opportunities in New York, a larger crowd isn't necessary anyways. If Kansas City gets a team, it will be the Islanders. Bettman would be crazy to take a team with no fanbase and move them to KC, but like I said, the Islanders would probably be fine there.

Las Vegas may be an attractive relocation option for the NHL and the Coyotes. I'm not sure how close Phoenix and Vegas are, but if it's reasonable, then some kind of tickets/transportation package offered by the team to bring groups from Phoenix to Vegas for a weekend of games and entertainment might be a good way to ease the transition for the fifteen Phoenix hockey fans and their spouses.

That leaves Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay for the Canadian cities, and that's a real easy one to sort out. Florida to Winnipeg, where their team actually resembles the last team iced by the Winnipeg Jets... Nashville goes to Hamilton, where a rivalry can erupt with the Leafs over which Ontario team has the best young players... and Tampa Bay to Quebec City, where they have a built-in draw with three or four big name French Canadien players already on the team. Lecavalier, St. Louis, Tanguay and Veilleux.

This obviously won't happen... but 1 or 2 of those teams will PROBABLY end up moving within the next 10 years, and I can almost guarantee that it will be to one of the 5 cities I listed.

[SeanDMan]

Just because it bears repeating: Basha, Clawson, you guys are the worst fucking hockey fans around. Worst of the worst. [copy and paste 2000 word rant here]

In terms of frustrating teams to watch, how about a team that leads the leagues in shots on goal but isn't even top ten in goals? That shouldn't even be possible.

[Plubby]

I'd like to think I've managed to become a much better hockey fan in the offseason

I'm sure you would, but

maybe you should cool it and recognize that I'm allowed to agree with the refs and common sense that it was a dirty hit

The facts say otherwise.

Basically, what Sean said, but at Basha. The Leafs fans are OK until they clash with the Habs fans, who I am convinced are the worst fans in sports.

[Toe]

I don't want to see a bunch of teams moving. I do think Phoenix will relocate eventually and Nashville is still struggling to find an audience. I also think hockey can be successful in Florida and Tampa Bay. I also think the NHL wants 32 teams.

[Clawson]

Just because it bears repeating: Basha, Clawson, you guys are the worst fucking hockey fans around. Worst of the worst. [copy and paste 2000 word rant here]

You're not all sunshine and roses yourself Sean. In this thread there is basically Gabe and Toe then everyone else. I've avoided discussing actually hockey here for a while because my team sucks right now and we get dumbass statements like the one you just made.

[SeanDMan]

That's your problem; if your team isn't doing well, you aren't a hockey fan.

You are what we call a homer.

Now you can trot along back to the MLB OH WAIT THE BLUE JAYS SUCK TOO. Soz.

[Clawson]

I don't have anything good to say right now because the team is sucking away the hope I had at the beginning of the season. I don't want to come in here and be negative about what is going on. The only bright spot has been Ian White so far and that is it. There is nothing to talk about when it comes to this Leafs team except for the fact that they suck.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Just because it bears repeating: Basha, Clawson, you guys are the worst fucking hockey fans around. Worst of the worst. [copy and paste 2000 word rant here]

You're not all sunshine and roses yourself Sean. In this thread there is basically Gabe and Toe then everyone else. I've avoided discussing actually hockey here for a while because my team sucks right now and we get dumbass statements like the one you just made.

C'mon Sean, c'mon Plubs, we know when we're not wanted.

[Clawson]

Just because it bears repeating: Basha, Clawson, you guys are the worst fucking hockey fans around. Worst of the worst. [copy and paste 2000 word rant here]

You're not all sunshine and roses yourself Sean. In this thread there is basically Gabe and Toe then everyone else. I've avoided discussing actually hockey here for a while because my team sucks right now and we get dumbass statements like the one you just made.

C'mon Sean, c'mon Plubs, we know when we're not wanted.

I was making the point that Sean is accusing me and Basha of being homers when all he is is Canucks homerism and shitty Leaf jokes. The only guys on here that regularly discuss teams other than their own is Gabe and Toe, so he has no right to criticize two people for faults that he also shares along with many others on here.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Yeah, but he's at least funny with it. Lighten up a bit, all y'all.