The Hockey Thread

[Cactus Drags]

HOLY FUCK DUCHENE :D

Super Stas played a blinder as well. If we're ridiculously lucky, we can move all the way up to 6th, I'm not counting on LA and Detroit losing out though.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Hah! Ron Wilson was talking about how since the Leafs have nothing to play for they're hoping to play spoiler on the Habs. That means he's gonna have to throw the game tonight because anything other than a Rangers regulation win locks up the playoffs for the Habs.

[Clawson]

I was more thinking he was hoping to spoil the Habs so they'll be swept by the Devils/Penguins instead of being swept by the Sabres.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Right, I forgot that this time of year Clawson tries to explain that losing in the playoffs is worse than not coming close for 5 years.

If the first 21 seconds of the game are any indicator, Toronto is 1) willing to throw games and 2) desperately wants Boston to get Taylor Hall, because if Toronto can't catch Montreal, at least Boston should.

Huh, last time a team finished last in both PP and PK which Toronto threatens to do this year, was 94 in Anaheim, coached by Ron Wilson.

Edited April 7, 2010 by The Sultan of Swank

[TGWL]

I love Colton Orr, but serious when shit like that happens... you should be thrown out of the fucking game.

[Clawson]

I forgot Basha can't take a joke about the Habs but has no problem with laying into other teams.

[Toe]

Right, I forgot that this time of year Clawson tries to explain that losing in the playoffs is worse than not coming close for 5 years.

If the first 21 seconds of the game are any indicator, Toronto is 1) willing to throw games and 2) desperately wants Boston to get Taylor Hall, because if Toronto can't catch Montreal, at least Boston should.

Huh, last time a team finished last in both PP and PK which Toronto threatens to do this year, was 94 in Anaheim, coached by Ron Wilson.

Basha, we came within a point of the playoffs in two of those five seasons.

[Plubby]

Right, I forgot that this time of year Clawson tries to explain that losing in the playoffs is worse than not coming close for 5 years.

If the first 21 seconds of the game are any indicator, Toronto is 1) willing to throw games and 2) desperately wants Boston to get Taylor Hall, because if Toronto can't catch Montreal, at least Boston should.

Huh, last time a team finished last in both PP and PK which Toronto threatens to do this year, was 94 in Anaheim, coached by Ron Wilson.

I know I should maybe shoot from the perimeter a bit more, but Basha keeps giving me the layup:

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

[Toe]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=317058

Keith Tkachuk has decided to call it a career. He scored over 500 goals and a 1000 points and is one of the best American to play the game.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Basha's being a dick again. Day must end with a "y".

Anyway. EHM update in spoilers so not to stretch the thread too much.

2011 saw Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup, sweeping then-champions Chicago in the Finals. As I mentioned, Dustin Brown, Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla finished in the top three for scoring - Brown walking away with the Hart and Art Ross, Iginla with the Rocket Richard as a result - but were upset in the second round by Detroit. Despite having an awful -36, Keith Aulie was the highest-scoring rookie defenseman and was nominated for the Calder. It was an abject season, finished when we took goaltender Maxime Toupin in the draft - both Gus and Niemi are getting older, after all.

2012, on the other hand? MUCH different. The season started badly but, about fifteen games in, something changed and half the team thought "hold on, we're the fucking maple leafs, we deserve better than this" and fucking EXPLODED. Phil Kessel was shifted to centre and replied with by far his best season - 33 goals and 69 assists for 102 points in all, enough to win him the Hart and Art Ross - and Aaron Regan finished #4 in overall scoring, tallying 40-54-94. Curiously, Jiri Tlusty finished joint top in powerplay goals with nine.

As far as the league went, we fought Ottawa for the division lead almost all of the way and, though it ended up with them on top, 99 points was not an embarrassing total. It left us seeded fifth and facing Washington in the first round, which I felt uneasy about for all of one game - they won the opener but we took four straight to dump the Caps out of the playoffs yet again. They've yet to make it past the second round. The second round was against Ottawa and bejesus. They won the first three games and I was praying with all my might to avoid being swept...we won the next three to set up a game 7 at Scotiabank, which would have been a frighteningly awesome game to attend. Ottawa won, sadly, but only after three periods of overtime with the score tied at 4-4.

It was good.

So far, 2013 is looking promising. For a start, we went 10-1-0-1 over the first twelve games and currently sit atop the entire league with a .733 winning percentage (43 games played, 28-8-2-5 for 63 points) and the league's best road record as well. Both Kessel and Regan are dueling Alex Ovechkin for the scoring title, while Gus clearly wants some hardware of his own because he's been a machine, playing 37 of our 43 games. The only fly in the ointment is losing Rick Nash, an acquisition in 2012 from Columbus who I paid two future first-round picks, a past first-round pick (2nd overall Alexander Yeremeev) and Devin Setoguchi for, so it's not like I fleeced them. He's out for five months with a knee injury, so I've lost him for the season.

The current lineup (pre-injury):

Adam Verbeek (drafted in 2010 like Regan, #8) - Aaron Regan - Phil Kessel

Jiri Tlusty (surprisingly good for somebody with only mediocre offensive skills, I can't bring myself to move him) - Tyler Bozak (THE best faceoff man in the league) - Rick Nash

Ben Eager - Kyle Beach (both trades from Chicago. Eager for Matt Stajan, who came back to us from Columbus in the Nash trade; Beach for two good prospects, also because he was in the minors) - Colton Gillies (this is my favourite line)

Colton Orr - David Clarkson - Nazem Kadri (the guys I don't know what to do with)

Luke Schenn - Yaroslav Zharinov

Dion Phaneuf - Stephen Johns (third round pick in 2010, good value)

Devin Van Hout (fourth round pick in 2010, good value) - Branko Palach (FIFTH round pick in 2010, amazing value and easily my favourite player. He was a potential booster who jumped from 5X to 7X and became a really useful second or third-pairing guy. I didn't scout using the players file, I was curious)

Jonas Gustavsson - Antti Niemi

[Guest Mr. Murray Head]

Amazing game between Kitchener and London last night, Kitchener won 8-7 in overtime to even the series at 2-2. This is junior hockey at its best, which is amazing because I didn't think Kitchener would be competitive.

[TGWL]

I did a fantasy Draft in EHM2007 and drafted Jeff Carter. Well I couldn't work out a good price for him 3 years later so he left my team. Nobody picked him up and I was hoping to get him back the next year with Prucha and Scott Hannan's contract expiring, but 10 months later he retired at age 23/24. So mad!

[Plubby]

It's all on you, Toronto, Philly and NYR. Let's get the Habs out of the playoffs!

[The Sultan of Swank]

Goddamnit Montreal. What is it about non-playoff teams that you can't handle. Sure you'll get 5 of 8 points from the Caps in a season, but you can't handle the Isles or Canes?!

For Montreal to get eliminated these are the parameters.

Montreal must lose in regulation on Saturday against Toronto (possible, Toronto's a non-playoff team.)

Boston must win both of their last 2 games.

New York must beat Philly twice to end the season, but one of those wins needs to be in OT or SO. (this'll be the hard one to connect)

[Toe]

I don't see New York beating the Rangers twice, so I think Montreal is getting in. Still, it's always fun to watch Toronto / Montreal and if something is on the line, then it will be even more entertaining.

[Clawson]

If Montreal loses tomorrow then Boston only needs 1 point to be past them in the standings.

[Toe]

If Montreal loses tomorrow then Boston only needs 1 point to be past them in the standings.

Boston doesn't matter. Only the New York Rangers. As long as the Canadiens can stay ahead of the Rangers, they are in.

[Clawson]

Basha said Boston needed to win both games for Montreal to be eliminated.

[TGWL]

- Boston sits in 6th. and can only be eliminated by losing 2 straight and Canadiens win, and Rangers win both.

- Flyers sit in 8th and can only be eliminated if the rangers with both games.

- Canadiens sit in 7th. They can only be eliminated if the rangers win both games and flyers still get a point.

- Rangers are in 9th.

(1)They need to get 4 points without flyers getting a point

(2)If they beat the flyers in OT, they need the Canadiens to lose

(3)If Canadiens win, they need Boston to lose 2 straight and get 4 points from the flyers.

Hopefully I didn't miss any.

EDT: Changed spelling.

Edited April 9, 2010 by thisgamewelose

[Guest Mr. Murray Head]

You misspelled 'Canadiens' every time