NHL 2010/2011

[The Sultan of Swank]

Habs managed to take down the 'Nucks the other night. I thought it was going to be a blowout considering the issues the Habs have with scoring and the Issues the Canucks have with not being able to stop scoring. It was an exciting game that's for sure, but in a 7 game series.... haha. Boston tonight, that'll be a tough matchup. Boston is outstanding this year, and their offense has been scary with gusts to monstrous. A win would be great, an OT/SO loss acceptable and a loss predictable.

I think Wilson has to go. I know he's the coach and he's just doing the best with what he's given, but at the same time. He's possibly the worst special teams coach in the league. And by possibly I mean definitely. I know I'm saying this as the Habs have the worst PP in the league right now, but at least they have a top 5 PK, and I would not at all fool myself into thinking that the Habs can stay in the top half of the playoff picture with a 7% PP. Wilson's Leafs were the worst team on the PP and the PK last season, the last time that happened was about 15 years ago when Wilson coached the expansion Ducks. Special teams are way too important to be that awful at them. Maybe he doesn't need to go, but they definitely need to bring someone in to help work on that.

I've heard so many times that if your PP and PK % added up are at or over 100, you know your team is going to be doing okay. Teams like TB, Boston and Vancouver are all well over 100. And they're also some of the better teams in the league. While Toronto is far from the worst team in the league, their combined total is only 87. Which is the worst in the league, and I think that reflects in their current tailspin. I'm not saying that they're doomed, but they need to do something, because in their last 11, they have the same record as their first 11 games last season.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

I'm trying to prove a point to Plubby.

+1 this post if you liked the Hartford Whalers.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Alternatively, +1 this post if you disliked the Hartford Whalers.

[Meacon Keaton]

I clicked dislike, but actually, I can't say I disliked them. Thanks for Ron Francis, jackasses.

As an aside, DJ Ice wasn't even born when they were still the Whalers.

[SeanDMan]

What point are you trying to prove? That EWB is more negative than positive? Plus one this post if you hate stuff.

[Plubby]

I love you, Sean

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

What point are you trying to prove? That EWB is more negative than positive? Plus one this post if you hate stuff.

That the Whalers were disproportionately liked.

I know people resent the Canes because of the whole Sun Belt thing, but everybody liked the Whalers. One of my best friends growing up even had a Sean Burke jersey.

[TGWL]

I just like +1'ing random things. Makes me feel positive and gives me that good feeling about myself.

Edited November 14, 2010 by thisgamewelose

[NobBe Nobbs]

I liked the Whalers, but I refuse to give Potato Head more points. +1 this post if you want him to stop posting awful comics.

[SeanDMan]

+1 this post if the main reason you dislike the Whalers is because they obviously used time travel to steal the awesome Canucks Jerseys of today.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

I liked the Whalers, but I refuse to give Potato Head more points. +1 this post if you want him to stop posting awful comics.

SEE PLUBBY

EVEN BE LIKES THEM

AND BE LIKES NOTHING!

I don't know why I'm even bothering arguing this, Plubby thought they were a Canadian team.

[TGWL]

....I thought they were the minor league team.

Oh, that's wolfpack. My bad. >_<

I take my +1 back.

Edited November 14, 2010 by thisgamewelose

[SeanDMan]

You goddamned homer.

[The Sultan of Swank]

7-2 thrashing of the Hurricanes by the Habs, but RDS is reporting Andrei Markov is gone 3 months. Same knee as the one he injured and had surgery on this past spring. He'll be 33 this year. He's done. When he plays he's the best on our team, but this is getting ridiculous. When he got injured last season, people called him injury prone, I disagreed. He had sliced his tendon in a freak accident to start the year, that was hardly fair judgement. Now he's turning into Bobby Orr but not even a tenth of the talent. A guy like Orr (read: a generational player who falls into the what if category when talking about the greatest players... see also Bossy, M) you keep because he's the best. Markov, if out for 3 months, will either not be a Hab next season, or will have a pretty good salary reduction from the 5.75 he's currently making. I'm banking on a struggling team offering him the money he wants and taking a chance on his re-injuring. Markov missed 38 games last season, I believe 11 in the playoffs and 10 already this season, 3 months would be another 25-30 games... the only positive in this is that at least without Markov the Habs were 7-2-1 to start the year.... just effing cock. Why couldn't Gomez have eaten it, at least then we'd get serious cap relief and not lose a top tier player.

Interesting yet meaningless factoid, Montreal is the only team to have not given up more than 3 regulation goals in a game this season. That changes once Philly comes to town and wipes the floor with us on tuesday.

I know it's not his fault, because he hasn't been given great players to work with, but fuck it. Dump Wilson. 1-11 start to last season, in a 1-12 slide now. Imagine if Toronto had only started 2-1-1 instead of 4-0. They're better than their record says, maybe the coach has lost the room.

How good is Stamkos. I believe that if he keeps up his torrid pace this season, it's not the Crosby-Ovechkin era, its the Crosby-Ovechkin-Stamkos era. He's a star.

Also, as much as I hate his attitude, I think it's possible that Crosby is actually even better than previously thought. Last season he cracked 50 showing he can score almost as well as he can pass. This year even with a slow start for the Pens he's putting up huge points.

[TGWL]

Stamkos is gunning for 65 goals this year.

And I agree, If I'm montreal, the only way I keep Markov next season is if I'm getting him for 2.7-3 million...or he comes back and puts up Mike Green points during the playoffs.

Edited November 15, 2010 by thisgamewelose

[Plubby]

http://vote.nhl.com/

Normally All-star voting is a bit meh. I'll vote for all the Avs and be done with it. This year though, we have a quest. Vote early, vote often, vote Paul Bissonnette.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

What does everyone think of the new All-Star Game format? It seems kind of hokey to me, but maybe it'll turn out better than I expect.

[Meacon Keaton]

I'll agree on the hokey part. But I always liked the North Amerca vs. World all-star games, so what do I know?

[Cactus Drags]

http://vote.nhl.com/

Normally All-star voting is a bit meh. I'll vote for all the Avs and be done with it. This year though, we have a quest. Vote early, vote often, vote Paul Bissonnette.

Why?

I'm not a fan of the concept. Especially when it was sold on On The Fly as the only time you could see Ovie and Crosby on the same side. Other than, y'know, the normal All-Star concept, right?

[The Sultan of Swank]

I think they should choose all the All-Stars, put all the forwards sticks in one pile, the D in another and the goalies in a third, all at center ice, and have one of the players just start tossing sticks to either side of the ice. Boom. Issue solved.