2015-16 NHL Season Thread

[RPS]

On February 9, 2016 at 13:02, damshow said:

Looks like during our vacation in Montreal my girlfriend and I will be able to go to the Canadiens-Red Wings game. Any people familiar with Bell Centre and if there are some sections I should avoid sitting in, or are sightlines good throughout?

It's a pretty great arena, I don't think there are any terrible spots. 

Also, if you need any recommendations on things to do in Montreal, let me know. It is my favorite city in the world and I've visited at least 20 times. 

[Draevyn]

This Rangers/Philly game is going to be a fight-fest as opposed to a hockey game.

[gunnar hendershow]

On 2/13/2016 at 10:42, RPS said:

It's a pretty great arena, I don't think there are any terrible spots. 

Also, if you need any recommendations on things to do in Montreal, let me know. It is my favorite city in the world and I've visited at least 20 times. 

My girlfriend is from there actually. She loves it so I'm pretty stoked.

[Toe]

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/957821

 

[Hewey]

On 2/19/2016 at 11:18, Toe said:

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/957821

 

I doubt that does happen, they can't be that stupid to trade Subban because of Therien, can they?

[Ruki]

Both the GM and coach in Montreal need to be fired. They aren't THIS bad of a team.

[Hewey]

NHL officials are seriously the worse. Pens deserved a loss, but Jesus Christ, Tampa got away with so much it's ridiculous. Hope Fleury plays tomorrow and it wasn't a serious issue that didn't let him play today.

[Draevyn]

57 minutes ago, Hewey said:

NHL officials are seriously the worse. Pens deserved a loss, but Jesus Christ, Tampa got away with so much it's ridiculous. Hope Fleury plays tomorrow and it wasn't a serious issue that didn't let him play today.

It was just the flu I think. That's what it seemed like when they were discussing it. 

[Toe]

As a Leafs fan, I hope Michael Therrien and Marc Bergevin are in Montreal for a loooooong time. Their strategy for building a winning team seems to be "let the best goaltender in the league win games for us with no help".

[Draevyn]

The Leafs appear to be going for a full rebuild with their acquisition of all those draft picks.

[Toe]

I love the Polak deal. A second round pick for Polak, and another for Nick Spaling, is pretty good return for players that didn't really fit into the Leafs future plans. Taking on the salary of Torres this seasons means nothing to the future, too.

[Ruki]

I would have been happy with a 3rd for Polak and a 5th for Spaling...so this is basically the best.

Plus it means Leipsic and Percy can come up and show their stuff.

[Mr. X]

Andrew Ladd is back in Chicago. 

[Ruki]

Give Chicago the cup already.

[Draevyn]

There hasn't been as much action as I expected this year. I know we've still got a few days left but I just figured this week would see a bit of movement. Phaneuf and Ladd are the two biggest so far.

[Hewey]

11 hours ago, Forky Fork's Forky Bunch said:

There hasn't been as much action as I expected this year. I know we've still got a few days left but I just figured this week would see a bit of movement. Phaneuf and Ladd are the two biggest so far.

I guess nobody wants to give up too much for rentals anymore. 

[Gabriel]

14 minutes ago, Hewey said:

I guess nobody wants to give up too much for rentals anymore. 

The problem isn't that teams don't want to shell out for rentals, so much as the three point games are creating such parity that even this late into the season, it's not unrealistic for most teams outside of the playoffs to go on a hot run and wind up making it. Because of that, there are less full blown sellers out there, making it harder to deal. Teams that are outside, but possibly able to make the post-season now have to find a way to move out those players for players that can help them now, making it a difficult sell. Why would a team give up a roster player with term for a roster player who will probably walk on July 1st? There are those buyers out there, like Chicago, who feel they are one piece away from securing themselves a cup, or a long post-season run... and those teams can afford to do that. Ladd to Winnipeg for a 1st this year AND Marko Dano? Steep price to pay, but because of Chicago's build and record, they have no reason to not be all-in this year.

The NHL needs to push the deadline back more, get rid of three point games, or make every game worth three points. Those are the only ways that they can change things to send us back to a point where the buyers and sellers at the deadline were obvious to everybody except for the four or five teams sitting outside who feel like they still have a chance. Instead of just having four or five teams who've given up on the season.

[Draevyn]

Wait, apparently I haven't kept up with the rule changes. What games are worth 3 points?

[Gabriel]

2 minutes ago, Forky Fork's Forky Bunch said:

Wait, apparently I haven't kept up with the rule changes. What games are worth 3 points?

Any game that goes to overtime provides both teams with 1 point, and the winning team gets the additional point. Those games are worth 3 points total.

Games that do not reach extra time only award out 2 points.

Using the Pacific Division as an example... the current standings are this:

Los Angeles - 76 Pts (72 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

Anaheim - 72 Pts (64 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

San Jose - 70 Pts (64 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

Vancouver - 60 Pts (48 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

Arizona - 60 Pts (54 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

Calgary - 56 Pts (52 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

Edmonton - 50 Pts (44 Pts w/ no point for OT loss)

 

10 points separate 4th from the playoffs currently. The only two teams currently in that division that are legitimate sellers are Calgary and Edmonton. Both Vancouver and Arizona are looking to move out contracts, but need something tangible back that they can use this year because they haven't thrown in the towel yet.

The gap stays at 10 points between 3rd and 4th without the bitch point, but without the bitch point, 10 points separation with about 20 games left is probably enough for that additional team to throw in the towel prior to the deadline... because they would be forced to win those games to get those points. 5 wins gets 10 points, but realistically at the 60 game mark, you'd need to play at least .500 hockey just to stay competitive. The only caveat here are the wildcard spots, but it still creates more separation and more clearly labels those who are buying, those who have an outside shot, and those who should be selling.

[Draevyn]

Ohhhh I thought something had happened where it switched to the whole 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an OT/Shootout win and 1 for a loss in OT/Shootout. This has been talked about over the last couple years and I thought maybe they had decided to try it for certain things and I'd just missed it.