Alfndrate wrote: Jesus the Senators played terribly on Thursday.
Now that was a good ole fashioned ass wuppin.
That enforcer of yours is making himself look like a major ass though. Franzen has never been a fighter, never fought once in his entire career, and he just got back after a HUGE concussion injury, and he's talking gak because Franzen refused to fight him. What a punk.
Thankfully I didn't catch the game (and probably won't catch tonight or tomorrow's games because they're west coast games). I'm assuming that you're talking about Chris Neil. I can't confirm or deny whether or not he's looking like an ass. Neiler has gotten 100 goals in his career? He's really only good at provoking people.
Quick googling on the situation:
Franzen wrote:“He usually shows up when the game’s over and tries to be the hero, puts his cape on and goes and flies out there,” Franzen said of Neil. “He doesn’t like to take heat from fans and coaches, I think. He usually steps up when the game is over and shows everyone that he really fights hard.”
These are all pretty much things I agree with about Chris Neil, though there are plenty of games where he's put on the cape and whoops some arse early on. In a 6-1 game at home, Neiler was probably just looking to give the home crowd something to cheer about, because their performance on the ice wasn't doing feth all.
HUGE deals today. Luongo going to Florida surprised the hell out of me. St. Louis and Callahan trading teams was a big deal as well. Detroit picked up a good center who will be instrumental in our chances of getting into the play offs. All 4 of our veteran Centers are sidelined with injuries right now, we definitely struck gold with the Legwand deal.
djones520 wrote: HUGE deals today. Luongo going to Florida surprised the hell out of me. St. Louis and Callahan trading teams was a big deal as well. Detroit picked up a good center who will be instrumental in our chances of getting into the play offs. All 4 of our veteran Centers are sidelined with injuries right now, we definitely struck gold with the Legwand deal.
Devils disappointed me, Loktionov sent to Carolina in exchange for Ruutu... because another 30-something year old coming off an injury and having a bad season is what this team needs...
Nicklas Lidstroms #5 Jersey will be retired tonight.
Wish the NHL would have played the game on something other then the NHL network. Such an event for the NHL, retiring the Jersey of possibly the greatest defenseman to ever play the game, and they're making it so that even most Detroit fans can't watch the game.
Nicklas Lidstrom #5 is a weird way to spell Scott Stevens #4, you know, if we're talking about the greatest defenseman to ever play the game and all... ;P
But yeah, no the NHL broadcast rules, or whoever it is that makes those dumb rules with the local markets and the blackouts and all that nonsense, are the worst.
Saw the Red Wings get shut out by the Rangers, so that was a good afternoon. And djones, I don't want to hear anything about Franzen and his big concussion injury. When you hip check a guy, lock his stick under your arm, and tumble down to the ice with him it certainly doesn't say "injury avoidance."
The remaining schedule is just to nasty. Kills me to say it. 22 year streak gonna be broken this year.
It's okay, I got really excited to be rooting for a team that actually made it to the playoffs last year, and I'm fairly certain the Sens aren't making it either. But they didn't have a 22 year streak.
Senators gave up 3 unanswered goals in the third period, sending it to overtime, and then letting another one get by in OT...
That's 2 OT losses in their past 2 games. I'm going to throw this out there, but I'm quickly losing faith in the goaltending abilities of Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson.
Fleury has been benched for the Penguins with 6:12 left in the the 1st. Pittsburgh are 3-0 down but Fleury has been their best player and couldn't really do much about the goals (2 being PP goals). The problem is the Penguins skaters are trying to out-hit and be more physical than the Flyers which is just not working
Saw that first period, time to watch the sens fail miserably. Used to think Robin Lehner was a solid goaltender, but I'm fairly certain he's not recorded a win in a long while...
Amazingly the Penguins made a great comeback and Crosby hit the post with a second left in the game. Ultimately it was the 2 PP goals that sunk them
EDIT: Blackhawks destroy Detroit 4-1 at the UC Marian Hossa returns from injury to get the 1st star with 1 G 2 A +2 rating and nearly 20 mins on the ice, Crawford also put in a good performance between the sticks
whembly wrote: Ugh... ugly loss for the Blues last night... blanked out by the 'Hawks 0-4.
Worst defensive performance all year. Kudos for 'Hawks for taking advantage.
T'was a beautiful sight to behold. Must also point out that it was coach Q's 700th win as a coach as well
Anyone know how long Kane is out? Twinge is knee I think.
Initial estimates put him out 2-3 weeks, so no more regular season for Kaner but he'll be back for the playoffs which right now for Chicago is home ice advantage against Colarado
At this rate, I'll be happy if the Devils make it to the first round, 10 games left, pretty easy schedule coming up, including a couple games with teams that are also fighting us for a playoff berth, if we can get some 'help' from unfortunate results for other teams in the league (which thus far has been the case with Toronto at least) I think we can just squeak in.
Aaaaaaaaand... Toronto is officially slamming that panic button so hard it's just about broke. Much like their entire team right now!
The blue & white banners lining Young St are coming down (yet again), and the Stanley Cup parade has been put on hold for the 47th year in a row.
The joys of being a Habs fan living in the heart of Loafs Nation!
Experiment 626 wrote: Aaaaaaaaand... Toronto is officially slamming that panic button so hard it's just about broke. Much like their entire team right now!
The blue & white banners lining Young St are coming down (yet again), and the Stanley Cup parade has been put on hold for the 47th year in a row.
The joys of being a Habs fan living in the heart of Loafs Nation!
As a Detroit fan, I'll raise a glass to these sentiments.
And I will also do so in hopes of a St. Louis victory today. Now excuse me while I go flog myself for such thoughts...
Looks like the Senators are pretty much done now. I hope Toronto can keep this skid up. Really wish Detroit could have gotten a point out of tonight, but Columbus has just had our number the last couple of seasons, which is really weird.
Holy batman guys... the Blues dominated this game. The Leaf's defense was non-existent.
Leaf's goalie Jonathan Bernier stood on his fething head all game long (even earned the 2nd star of the game... on the losing team!).
Toronto is only where they are in the standings because of their goaltending... It's considered a great game defensively when they hold the opposing team to only 25-30 shots on goal!lol.
They've had more games than any other team this season IIRC, where they've allowed 40+ shots on goal.
Their defense has been non-existent for 10+ years.
But right now the big debate in Loafs Nation is that James Reimer is the main reason they suck.
djones520 wrote: Toronto is dead last in the league in SA/G. 36.2 per game. Next worst team is Buffalo at 34.7.
New Jersey is at the top of the heap at 25.5 per game.
Ouch! I knew they were bad, but I didn't think they were actually worse than Buffalo bad...
Cool fact; if the play-offs were to start today, Montreal would be the only Canadian team to make it in. The last time only 1 of 7 Canadian teams made the play-offs was 40+ years ago, and it was Montreal!
djones520 wrote: Looks like the Senators are pretty much done now. I hope Toronto can keep this skid up. Really wish Detroit could have gotten a point out of tonight, but Columbus has just had our number the last couple of seasons, which is really weird.
Oh well, onto other games.
Senators are pretty much done, I don't even think winning out the season could get them in :-\ The brightside is they won Monday night and got a point Tuesday night.
Oh well, I can sit back and "root" for whichever team I want to in the playoffs.
djones520 wrote: Looks like the Senators are pretty much done now. I hope Toronto can keep this skid up. Really wish Detroit could have gotten a point out of tonight, but Columbus has just had our number the last couple of seasons, which is really weird.
Oh well, onto other games.
Senators are pretty much done, I don't even think winning out the season could get them in :-\ The brightside is they won Monday night and got a point Tuesday night.
Oh well, I can sit back and "root" for whichever team I want to in the playoffs.
You guys still have a chance to close the Loafs' coffin in your final game of the season - something every real Sens fan should take vindictive glee in due to the whole Toronto "we're the center of the universe itself" vs. Ottawa "we're the capital of the freaking country!" rivalry.
That and Sens fans are real hockey fans and not just a bunch of corporate stooges pouring stupid amounts of money into a barely mediocre product, while bemoaning how bad their team is...
That did cheer me up, I think you posted it in last year's thread
And I do enjoy seeing the Sens stick it to any Canadian team (as well as Pittsburgh and Detroit for personal reasons)
It just sucks that the Sens held some decent promise this year, and just lost all their drive after Sochi. No worries, Hockey will be well over by the time Football starts, so I can enjoy the playoffs for the hockey and not just the team
I don't think I could honestly root for anyone from the East, so uh... Go Hawks (are dems fightin' werds?)
Alfndrate wrote: That did cheer me up, I think you posted it in last year's thread
And I do enjoy seeing the Sens stick it to any Canadian team (as well as Pittsburgh and Detroit for personal reasons)
It just sucks that the Sens held some decent promise this year, and just lost all their drive after Sochi. No worries, Hockey will be well over by the time Football starts, so I can enjoy the playoffs for the hockey and not just the team
I don't think I could honestly root for anyone from the East, so uh... Go Hawks (are dems fightin' werds?)
It's hard to get up for supposed "fightin' werds" when you've got a full team set of cups to drink from!
Alfndrate wrote: That did cheer me up, I think you posted it in last year's thread
And I do enjoy seeing the Sens stick it to any Canadian team (as well as Pittsburgh and Detroit for personal reasons)
It just sucks that the Sens held some decent promise this year, and just lost all their drive after Sochi. No worries, Hockey will be well over by the time Football starts, so I can enjoy the playoffs for the hockey and not just the team
I don't think I could honestly root for anyone from the East, so uh... Go Hawks (are dems fightin' werds?)
It's hard to get up for supposed "fightin' werds" when you've got a full team set of cups to drink from!
Haha, the fightin' words was more for people like djones, Whembly, and Mega_Bassist who aren't too fond of the Hawks, especially Whembly and M_B because they're both in the West.
Alfndrate wrote: That did cheer me up, I think you posted it in last year's thread
And I do enjoy seeing the Sens stick it to any Canadian team (as well as Pittsburgh and Detroit for personal reasons)
It just sucks that the Sens held some decent promise this year, and just lost all their drive after Sochi. No worries, Hockey will be well over by the time Football starts, so I can enjoy the playoffs for the hockey and not just the team
I don't think I could honestly root for anyone from the East, so uh... Go Hawks (are dems fightin' werds?)
It's hard to get up for supposed "fightin' werds" when you've got a full team set of cups to drink from!
Haha, the fightin' words was more for people like djones, Whembly, and Mega_Bassist who aren't too fond of the Hawks, especially Whembly and M_B because they're both in the West.
Yep.
Blues are winning by the way agains the Wild 2-zip in 2nd.
I'm an Easterner now, so the Hawks aren't my mortal blood enemies anymore. Still, feth the Blues.
Anyways, I'll be pulling for Chicago to do a repeat this year if the Wings don't manage to make it. Might as well be an Original Six team, and feth those guys in the East.
mega_bassist wrote: As long as the 'Hawks or any California team doesn't win the Cup, I'll be happy
I have a feeling this is the year they give the cup to the Blues.
I simply dread the day that Little Hitler and his cronies set things up for the Loafs to break their (likely) 60+ year drought and also become the first Canadian team since Montreal in '93 to bring the cup back to Canada.
It will be like living in a nightmare!
Leaf fans honestly don't deserve to ever win anything outside of mockery for their continued stupidity of paying through the nose to blindly support a crap product...
Personally, I'd like to see the Ducks win it (despite how stupid their team name is!) for Salane as a fitting end to his career. Olympic bronze + Stanley Cup would be a pretty sweet Cinderella story for a guy who's stayed pretty classy his entire career!
Experiment 626 wrote: Personally, I'd like to see the Ducks win it (despite how stupid their team name is!) for Salane as a fitting end to his career. Olympic bronze + Stanley Cup would be a pretty sweet Cinderella story for a guy who's stayed pretty classy his entire career!
Personally, I'd like the Blues to win their first ever Cup this year.
Experiment 626 wrote: Personally, I'd like to see the Ducks win it (despite how stupid their team name is!) for Salane as a fitting end to his career. Olympic bronze + Stanley Cup would be a pretty sweet Cinderella story for a guy who's stayed pretty classy his entire career!
The Sharks need their first cup... but more importantly, I want the Devils to win so I can see Brodeur/Jagr hoist the cup one last time/in a Devils sweater!
The Blues need their first cup more than anyone! Going to the playoffs Twenty five seasons in a row (on top of the three playoffs since the streak was broken) without a Cup is the worst!
*shrug* I don't like the Blues though, whereas I am a fan of the Sharks. Besides that, 16 playoff appearances with 3 goes at the finals is nothing to sneeze at either.
chaos0xomega wrote: *shrug* I don't like the Blues though, whereas I am a fan of the Sharks. Besides that, 16 playoff appearances with 3 goes at the finals is nothing to sneeze at either.
Its not that I dislike the Blues, I just don't like them, as in I don't care for them, the team means nothing to me, its just another one of the 25 teams I dont have any opinion on (as opposed to the two teams - Rangers and Flyers - who I loathe, and the three teams - Devils, Sharks, and Penguins - which I support).
Alpharius wrote: Plus the Bruins won the Cup in '11, and had a chance last year as well...
And I hate to break this to you but the Bruins look really good right now too!
I know... Blues vs Bruins would be an EPIC Stanly Cup Series.
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chaos0xomega wrote: Its not that I dislike the Blues, I just don't like them, as in I don't care for them, the team means nothing to me, its just another one of the 25 teams I dont have any opinion on (as opposed to the two teams - Rangers and Flyers - who I loathe, and the three teams - Devils, Sharks, and Penguins - which I support).
I'm just clarifying, I realized after the fact that the english language is so imprecise that saying "I don't like the Blues" can be understood to mean "I dislike the Blues."
Two of my favorite things mixed into one article? I'm okay with this.
And Chaos, I'm just grinding your gears. It's not that you don't *like* them, you just don't care/you're neutral. I feel the same about plenty of teams. No biggie
Alfndrate wrote: I got to listen to the last 7 minutes of the Sens game, I enjoy when Craig Anderson is in top form.
Also tweeting with HLaine during the game was enjoyable as well..
Also, wtf is spearing in hockey?
That was a weird sequence, they also only got roughing penalties despite it being what I though was clear cut fighting
Keith was -4 on the night I think and had horrendous game, Ranta wasn't much better
Alfndrate wrote: I got to listen to the last 7 minutes of the Sens game, I enjoy when Craig Anderson is in top form.
Also tweeting with HLaine during the game was enjoyable as well..
Also, wtf is spearing in hockey?
As defined by Hockey Canada in the 2003/04 case book, under Rule 49(g);
A Match penalty shall be assessed any player or team official who deliberately spears or deliberately attempts to spear and opponent by jabbing him/her forcefully with the toe of the blade of the stick, or who injures an opponent by any spearing action.
A double Minor penalty shall be assessed any player who pokes or jabs or attempts to jab an opposing player with the toe of the blade of the stick. A double Minor penalty and a Gross Misconduct shall be assessed any team official who pokes or jabs or attempts to jab an opposing player with the toe of the blade of the stick.
So basically, think of it as a mild case of attempted evisceration!
If it gets to the shoulders or above, it's simply high sticking. (and likely a Match penalty for intent to injure)
Called a few of those myself back in the day, but never had to Match anyone for it thank god.
The lack of a penalty on the Toews hit...not to mention the crosscheck on Shaw.
Incompetent officiating, and an indecisive league.
You cannot tell me that Toews' head was not the principle point of contact. Not to mention the fact that Orpik left his feet while delivering the check, which should end in a charging call; minimally.
Coach Q said day to day with an undisclosed upper-body injury I think. Hawks have been poor on offense with Kane and Bickell already, losing Toews is going to be tough
But you are correct, that should have been called all day long, with a disciplinary hearing to boot.
I think what irritates me even more was Keith Jones' weak attempt at justifying the hit. Specifically, he claimed that Toews' head couldn't have been the principle point of contact because he came off the ice holding his shoulder.
Clearly this is a man that has never heard of a stinger.
Seriously, since when has the officiating NOT been a total joke over the past 15+ years?
Worst thing they ever did was to put the 4th official on the ice - now they have a chance to get totally confused over the whole, "am I calling that or are you supposed to call it?", alongside the ever faceplam inducing 'ref at the opposite end calls the phantom penalty' shenanigans...
whembly wrote: I think we need to get to the point that any headshots like this need to be reviewed and discipline accordingly.
There was no reason for that.
And yet, when Shanny has flexed his disciplinary muscles - such as the 15 game suspension he handed down to Raffie Torres, a known repeat offender, Mr.Donkeycave Betman over-rules him as being overly harsh and knocks a bunch of games off said suspension.
I agree whole heartedly that Orpik should get at least 3-4 games for a glaringly obvious check to the head, but really, would it make much difference when the league brass has basically undermined their disciplinary branch at every turn on much worse offenses?
I honestly feel sorry for Shanny because he's really nothing more than a puppet head with no real power. (because the ownership will go over his head the second they think he's being overly harsh on their glorified goons)
And yet, when Shanny has flexed his disciplinary muscles - such as the 15 game suspension he handed down to Raffie Torres, a known repeat offender, Mr.Donkeycave Betman over-rules him as being overly harsh and knocks a bunch of games off said suspension.
The original suspension was 25 games, Bettman cut 4 games off the remaining 12.
But still, you're right, why even have a disciplinary committee if it's decisions can be undercut at any time?
Oh, wait, I know why, because the NHL wants to pay lip service to the notion that it is interested in protecting players.
In a better note, I believe the Sens have earned 9 points over then last 5 games.
Either way, they're trying to play meaningful hockey in March/April, so I'm glad of that
They'd need to win out on the season and hope for a miracle to make the playoffs, but when you're used to the crapfest that is the Cleveland Browns, anything sniffing the playoffs is a great time.
Devils lost to the Sabers (arguably the worst team in the league right now) in a shootout... first time in god knows how long that we actually scored in one (twice to boot), and yet we still lost... Went 9 rounds, couldnt put it in past their goaltender... mind you this is like their fourth string goaltender. This is their backups backups backup pressed into service after injuries and selling off their goaltending talent.
Loafs barely squeaked by the Flames, so the parade is back into the planning stages.
Columbus managed to choke last night, giving up a 2-0 lead and then losing in the OT/shootout to the Avalanche, so they only picked up a single point. (now 2pts up on TO)
Detroit was inactive last night, but still 2pts up on the Leafs + games in hand... and Dats is probable to return vs. Boston... and 2 of their remaining games are vs. Buffalo!
Washington is done like dinner honestly, now a single point behind the Leafs, but they still have a game in hand.
Basically, Toronto needs to win their remaining 5 games, and then still get outside help from two of the other three teams their racing for a wildcard spot!
Toews is to miss the rest of the regular season along with Kane. Feth you Orpik
At least Brian Bickell is set to return against the Wild tomorrow night
It's was an ugly weekend for the Blues, especially that Avs game. I saw some nasty arguments over that game, but I'm sorry, both teams were certainly not acting very professionally. Also, Miller REALLY needs to keep an eye on the puck. He's good at making the first stop, but it's like he loses track of it, and they always get it in on a rebound shot.
Alfndrate wrote: Dakka says there's a new post, but I don't see it...
Sens are pretty much done for the season after a loss this weekend. We basically needed to win out for a chance at the playoffs.
Look on the bright side of things though, the Sens are a good team that just underachieved this year.
Toronto on the other hand was sitting in 3rd place in the division after the Olympic break, fell so far into the basement they popped out in China, and are now working on polishing their well-used golf clubs!
I mean, 1 play-off appearance in 10 years makes them look like the Browns of the NHL! (and honestly, they only made the play-offs last year due to only playing half a season!)
The Sens still have a chance to leapfrog the Loafs actually, and doing so would at least provide a 'moral win' of sorts in terms of the team rivalries.
djones520 wrote: Well this is being weird... I see Alf posted, but the lastest post I'm seeing is one from Whembly days ago.
I saw that too. Glad it's fixed.
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mega_bassist wrote: It's was an ugly weekend for the Blues, especially that Avs game. I saw some nasty arguments over that game, but I'm sorry, both teams were certainly not acting very professionally. Also, Miller REALLY needs to keep an eye on the puck. He's good at making the first stop, but it's like he loses track of it, and they always get it in on a rebound shot.
Very brutal weekend for the Blues.
I'm hoping that this serves as a wakeup call for the rest of the Team with 4 games to go.
It's looking like the team is missing Taransenko and Steen.
djones520 wrote: Looks like the Wings are close to clinching. If NJ can lose a game or two, and we can win a game or two, it's done and we're in for year number 23.
Actually, you guys only to score 5/8 remaining possible pts and you clinch a birth, no matter what the Devils or Make-ya-Laughs do.
djones520 wrote: Looks like the Wings are close to clinching. If NJ can lose a game or two, and we can win a game or two, it's done and we're in for year number 23.
Actually, you guys only to score 5/8 remaining possible pts and you clinch a birth, no matter what the Devils or Make-ya-Laughs do.
Yeah, but the Devil's losing makes it easier for us. Since they lost last night, now we only need to get 3 points. Hopefully we'll sweep Buffalo tonight, and cut it down to 1.
djones520 wrote: Looks like the Wings are close to clinching. If NJ can lose a game or two, and we can win a game or two, it's done and we're in for year number 23.
Actually, you guys only to score 5/8 remaining possible pts and you clinch a birth, no matter what the Devils or Make-ya-Laughs do.
Yeah, but the Devil's losing makes it easier for us. Since they lost last night, now we only need to get 3 points. Hopefully we'll sweep Buffalo tonight, and cut it down to 1.
There ya go!
Looks like it'll definitely be 23 strait years now, baring any last minute Toronto'esque epic implosion by the entire team!
The Hawks improved to 4-0 since Toews went out injured, this time it took OT to beat the Canadiens. Both Goaltenders played really well and it took it to the 3rd before any goals were scored.
Also the Canucks let go of their GM, if Tortorella still has his job after the season ends that'll would really shock me
Now let the finger pointing & bemoaning begin in Loafs Nation...
I honestly don't think there's a team that's more completely F-up right now than Toronto. I mean, how the hell do you "improve" on a team that's saddled with;
- Phanuef's 7-year/$49 million + Clarkson's nearly $38 million long-term contract.
Add to this 5-year deals to the likes of injury-prone Lupul or the great invisible-when-it-matters Kessel just to name a few.
Speaking of Kessel, that deal's getting worse & worse every minute...
- A defense that seems built around letting your opponents wear themselves out by taking all the shots on goal they want to!
Coupled alongside a penalty kill that's plan is to simply let the other team score as fast as possible so you can back to full strength ASAP.
- No leadership anywhere.
Well, except Bolland who's spent most of the seaon injured with a severed tendon in his foot... but the Leafs won't likely be able to afford to keep him as they've got no cap room to play with, and Bolland's likely looking for around $5 mil/season. (and if Clarkson is worth roughly $6 mil/year while only producing 11 points for the season, who can blame Bolland for wanting almost the same when he's got 2 Cups to his name?!)
- An offense that's basically resting on the shoulders of just the top line of Bozak-Kessel-JvR.
Maybe that's how you win in minor peewee hockey, but it doesn't cut it in Junior, and certainly gets you nowhere fast at the NHL level. The 2nd/3rd lines are too inconsistent, while the Leafs don't actually have a 4th line.
- No draft picks of note and no real farm system developing good young talent.
Leafs have Morgan Rilley, Jake Gardner and then what? Oh, and watch the idiots win their final 2 games in order to royally screw over their 1st round pick, and they still won't have any 2nd round picks for another 2 freaking years!!!
It's getting to the point I honestly feel sorry for Leafs fans...
As a Habs fan I love it when we finish above the Leafs in the standings, but it's to the point that it's like kicking a blind & deaf, legless puppy. And there's no light at the end of the tunnel for at least another 5 years for them either.
Alfndrate wrote: Well... Blue Jackets are in, Red Wings are in, Senators are not
Just gotta do...
:slow clapping: for the the Wings to make it in the playoffs. In the years past, it's like some old fogeys limping into the playoff by muscle memory. This year? Look at all the new, young players (not to mention the snakebitten injuries). Babcocks deserves the coach of the year.
I'm just saying...
Blues are in a major funk... if they don't snap out, they'll be blown out of the first round again.
Alfndrate wrote: Well... Blue Jackets are in, Red Wings are in, Senators are not
Just gotta do...
:slow clapping: for the the Wings to make it in the playoffs. In the years past, it's like some old fogeys limping into the playoff by muscle memory. This year? Look at all the new, young players (not to mention the snakebitten injuries). Babcocks deserves the coach of the year.
I'm just saying...
Blues are in a major funk... if they don't snap out, they'll be blown out of the first round again.
I've seen it argued that Babcock does. Couple that with ANOTHER Olympic Gold Medal that he's brought to Canada, you'd think he'd be a strong contender. Seems Roy is a shoe in though.
Azza007 wrote: Bruins threw the game away in the last few minutes, some shocking plays. Least we got a point.
Aren't they a lock for home ice? If so, they have no reason to try until the playoffs
There's still the President's Cup race though!
Habs need to stop their skid - they looked tired and lazy last night losing to the Islanders of all teams... They play like that against the Bolts and they'll soon be joining the Loafs & Sens in the post-season golf tournament.
Also, Shanny is confirmed as the new President of Hockey Operations in Toronto!
mega_bassist wrote: Well, Blues are no longer leading the West. What the feth.
And Oshie got clobbered in the head a vicious head shot by the Wild’s Mike Rupp...
Miller had an "off night" here... but, the Blues actually played pretty good. The Wild's journey man goalie was standing on his head (and Wild's defender were actually good this game).
In true, "Toronto sucks" fashion, last night some fan through a Maple Leafs jersey onto the ice and Hockey Night in Canada tweeted out a vine of it. Senators replied with the link to their team shop .
On to the final game of the season. It's been bittersweet, especially not making the playoffs this year :(
The Blues couldn't buy a goal down the stretch, much less a win, and now we're stuck with the hardest first round opponent we could've gotten. Here's why none of that matters.
I's no secret that the Blues didn't end the regular season particularly strong. 6 straight losses, 2 straight shutouts, and only 4 even strength goals the entire month of April (2 of which came against Buffalo). The severe slide in play took a team that at one point had a 54% chance at the President's Trophy and dropped them all the way down to 2nd place in the Central Division, into the path of the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. To say that Scottrade Center is suffering a crisis of confidence is like saying you should RSVP "no" to a Game of Thrones-themed wedding. (Nerd translation: an understatement)
Many of you have been searching for even a single reason why you should be optimistic about the postseason chances. And I'm here to tell you that in fact no, I do not have a single reason you should think the Blues stand a chance against the Hawks.
I have five.
1. The regular season never meant jack in the first place. Yes, Ken Hitchcock made a point of saying the Blues were actively pursuing the President's Trophy, and no one wants to head into postseason play on as sour a note as the Note has. But let's get one thing perfectly clear: it never mattered whether the Blues had clinched the top spot in the league by 15 points or sneaked into the playoffs on the last day as the second wild card. Like all other teams - in fact perhaps more so, given both the recent and ancient history of the franchise - this squad was always going to be judged by what they did in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As far as this roster was concerned, the regular season was nothing more than an extended try-out for their respective Olympic teams (which 10 of them took full advantage of), followed by a 7 week warm-up for the real test.
6 straight losses to end the regular season? As of tomorrow night, that means just as much as those 11 goals in 2 games against the Florida Panthers. I shouldn't have to tell you guys this - as Blues fans we know all too well. No one outside of St. Louis could tell you that the Blues won the President's Trophy in 1999-2000, but they sure as hell can tell you how the LA Kings sneaked into the playoffs as an 8-seed and won the whole damn thing.
2. Reinforcements are on the way - they even brought a Tank.
While it is true the Blues were struggling before their extreme injury situation, the fact is that 8 key players were missing from action in the regular season finale: David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Barret Jackman, & Brenden Morrow. That's 40% of the roster, mostly right from the top of the depth chart. And according to Hitch, none of them would have been able to go had Sunday been the first game of the playoffs (though whether or not you believed the coach is another matter). Sure, "everyone goes through injuries," but rarely are teams missing the top 40% of their roster all at once.
But what's that? Is that a bugle I hear?
Hitch says that every injured #stlblues would play before the first-round series is over.
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) April 15, 2014
Not only is Tarasenko skating on a regular line, he is doing everything ... looks terrific. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) April 16, 2014
That's right folks, the cavalry is on the way. That Backes, Oshie, and many of the others should be a go for game one is not too surprising, and Berglund does still look unlikely off the bat, but getting Tarasenko back is monumental.
The Blues current down-ward trend in PDO began after the March 15th game against the Predators when Frank the Tank went down with a mystery hand injury. The Blues offense has been sliding downhill ever since, so getting 91 and his team-leading 58.7% corsi rating is quite a get for a team desperate secondary primary scoring.
3. The Blackhawks aren't exactly tearing it up, either.
Again, no team in the league has limped into the postseason as much as the Blues. However, the Hawks have been pretty hot and cold lately as well. They've gone 5-6-0 in their last 11 games, including having lost their last 2 games of the year 4-0 to the Capitals and 7-5 (!) to the Preds (!!!). And have a look at their PDO chart lately:
That sharp slide comes with the obvious caveat that Chicago has been missing Jonathan Toews since April 1st and Patrick Kane since Morrow was shoved onto his knee on March 19th. However, don't assume simply adding those two means the Hawks will steamroll through the series. Especially because...
4. Home-ice advantage means better matchups.
Have a look at Rocky & Bullwinkle's possession numbers in the four games they played against us this year, along with our team numbers in that same game:
October 9th in St. Louis (3-2 OT win): Toews 46.2% CF; Kane 39.3% CF; Blues 52.1% EV FF October 17th in Chicago (3-2 SO win): Toews 69.2% CF; Kane 47.6% CF; Blues 51.7% EV FF December 28th in St. Louis (6-5 SO win): Toews 51.4% (+13.1% CF relative); Kane 37.4% CF (w/ 1g, 2a); Blues 53.8% EV FF March 19th in Chicago (4-0 loss): Toews 66.7% CF; Kane* 72.7% CF; Blues 43.1% EV FF (37.5% at EV close)
*Kandy Kane played less than 8 minutes before he left the game.
As you can see, the Blues had significantly more success against Laurel & Hardy when they had last change and could match the SOB line against them. It's also worth noting that in the 12/28 game, the following Blues all had CF of 60% or greater: Backes, Tarasenko, Magnus Paarjarvi, Jaden Schwartz, and Pietrangelo. In the game in March, when Hitchcock couldn't get the exact matchups he wanted, the team suffered greatly. There were other reasons for that debacle, but having the last line change will make quite a difference.
If the Blues can take full advantage of favorable match-ups, this will be a significantly more competitive series than we first thought. Which is good, because...
5. If the Blues can beat the Blackhawks, they can seriously win The Stanley Cup.
All year long as the Blues tore through the league, that one question was in the back of our mind: "Is this team a legitimate Stanley Cup contender?"
Well, we get to find out right away.
Despite the Blackhawks 3rd place finish in the division (propped up by 15 charity points, BTW), Chicago is arguably the biggest Cup favorite. No one else the Blues could face in the West would be a bigger challenge than the Hawks. San Jose? Merely the Hawks without the winning pedigree or 20-Cent. The Ducks? They're as doomed to fail as the NHL Guardian Project. You wanna talk about goal scoring trouble? The Hurricanes scored more goals than the Kings. The Avalanche? Heh, please.
If the Blues can beat the Blackhawks, they'll have as good of a shot to make the Cup Finals as they've had since 1986. What more reason do you need to believe this could happen?
They might be one of the youngest teams, but (at least in Cleveland) Fox Sports Ohio will always show in market sports before out of market. So last night there was a Cleveland Indians game AND a Cleveland Cavaliers game. So that's probably why it was blacked out. Columbus wasn't blacked out from what I've gathered from friends, but head north and it's like NOPE!
Dumb penalty conceded there by Sharpie to send the Blues to the PP Also it seems you're only allowed to score tonight if:
A) You never scored in the play-offs before
or
B) You're a Hawks denfenseman
Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote: Dumb penalty conceded there by Sharpie to send the Blues to the PP Also it seems you're only allowed to score tonight if:
A) You never scored in the play-offs before
or
B) You're a Hawks denfenseman
Dammit KANE!
You need to start sucking...
the score is going to be like 10-9 when it's over...
That 5 minute stretch was scary and I was surprised to not see a 6th goal in the 2nd. It's some great hockey on show though so I can't get too upset Hawks outshot the blues 8-3 in the 2nd as well
This gotta suck for you... damn... what time is it in UK? (it's 9:52pm here).
Right now its 4:40 am At least it's Easter weekend so I don't have classes tomorrow
I just want to know if the Hawks are determined to top the amount of OT they played last year, when we had the double OT Game 6 win against LA I already had had breakfast that day
And has anyone else noticed the Avs are down 4-2 to the Wild after 2
This gotta suck for you... damn... what time is it in UK? (it's 9:52pm here).
Right now its 4:40 am At least it's Easter weekend so I don't have classes tomorrow
I just want to know if the Hawks are determined to top the amount of OT they played last year, when we had the double OT Game 6 win against LA I already had had breakfast that day
And has anyone else noticed the Avs are down 4-2 to the Wild after 2
Well consider me a Blues fan for the time being Whembly, the team is 14.28% ex-Sabres anyway and the next meaningful game in Buffalo will be... Hmmm... 2047? We can't even win a draft lottery.
rabidguineapig wrote: Well consider me a Blues fan for the time being Whembly, the team is 14.28% ex-Sabres anyway and the next meaningful game in Buffalo will be... Hmmm... 2047? We can't even win a draft lottery.
There's always room in the Blues wagon.
Miller was awesome after the 1st period. My heart bottom'ed out when Sharp has his breakway... then Miller is "Nope".
Oh... I gotta post this.. .this is hysterical... Livid Coach Q "dressed up":
EDIT: here's the original:
Spoiler:
Still laughing...
Automatically Appended Next Post: EDIT#2: Here's the save of the game by not-Miller:
Yeah there was some really great goaltending last night, don't know how neither of them got at least one of the stars of the game
I also got to bed at 5:30 am
djones520 wrote: That's gonna be a 2 game suspension at least for Seabrook...
Who knows? Guys that legitimately intend to injure other players behind the play only get fined for 5k*, and head shots along the boards are only occasionally penalties.
What's even more hilarious to me is that Backes was falling as he got hit, a fact which many professional commentators used to justify the hit on Toews; something not done here.
All that said, I agree with the call on the ice, and think Seabrook should be suspended.
*And what in the feth is the backside official doing if he couldn't see that. Gross incompetence.
djones520 wrote: That's gonna be a 2 game suspension at least for Seabrook...
Who knows? Guys that legitimately intend to injure other players behind the play only get fined for 5k*, and head shots along the boards are only occasionally penalties.
What's even more hilarious to me is that Backes was falling as he got hit, a fact which many professional commentators used to justify the hit on Toews; something not done here.
All that said, I agree with the call on the ice, and think Seabrook should be suspended.
*And what in the feth is the backside official doing if he couldn't see that. Gross incompetence.
As a former dirty football player, I know dirty quite well.
Dirty is punching a guy in the balls when the official wasn't looking. Dirty is ripping off a guy's helmet because you were trying to snap him into the ground by way of his face mask, and his chinstrap failed. Dirty is coming off the snap and, instead of going for the breastplate, going for the throat.
Dirty is not checking a guy into the boards, without leaving your feet, even if it does involve head contact. It is illegal, and the rules should be enforced, but that hit does not seem dirty to me. To put it in NHL parlance, Backes' head was the principle point of contact, but I do not think Seabrook targeted it anymore than I think Orpik targeted Toews'.
As a former dirty football player, I know dirty quite well.
Dirty is punching a guy in the balls when the official wasn't looking. Dirty is ripping off a guy's helmet because you were trying to snap him into the ground by way of his face mask, and his chinstrap failed. Dirty is coming off the snap and, instead of going for the breastplate, going for the throat.
Dirty is not checking a guy into the boards, without leaving your feet, even if it does involve head contact. It is illegal, and the rules should be enforced, but that hit does not seem dirty to me. To put it in NHL parlance, Backes' head was the principle point of contact, but I do not think Seabrook targeted it anymore than I think Orpik targeted Toews'.
whembly wrote: Wow... I figured he'd get at least 5 games.
That's because you support the Blues.
The NHL ruling is nonsense given that many similar hits have gone unpenalized, and without disciplinary action. I can see the charging ruling, but interference? No, it is yet another example of NHL incompetence.
djones520 wrote: The balls on Brendan Smith, willing to fight Chara. God damn... probably for the best that the linesman stepped in and told him to go cool down.
Chara can't fight, I would go at him all day if I were an agitator*; pretty easy when Chara is a defenseman.
*I'll take the Smith/Chara fighting trade if I'm Detroit.
whembly wrote: Wow... I figured he'd get at least 5 games.
That's because you support the Blues.
Yep.
And you support the 'Hawks.
Honest question... do you really think Backe is really that dirty? All we see is an outstanding defensive (offensive) player who can shut down other skilled players. I really think the battles between Backes and Towes are legendary...
The NHL ruling is nonsense given that many similar hits have gone unpenalized, and without disciplinary action. I can see the charging ruling, but interference? No, it is yet another example of NHL incompetence.
You ain't kidding... $25G for Coach Q grabbing his junk for a split second? Jeebus.
djones520 wrote: The balls on Brendan Smith, willing to fight Chara. God damn... probably for the best that the linesman stepped in and told him to go cool down.
Chara can't fight, I would go at him all day if I were an agitator*; pretty easy when Chara is a defenseman.
*I'll take the Smith/Chara fighting trade if I'm Detroit.
Doesn't means Chara isn't less intimidated... dude is a giant. o.O
Honest question... do you really think Backe is really that dirty? All we see is an outstanding defensive (offensive) player who can shut down other skilled players. I really think the battles between Backes and Towes are legendary...
I think it is questionable. It seems against the rules, but not necessarily dirty.
Doesn't means Chara isn't less intimidated... dude is a giant. o.O
He's tall, but not big. A shorter man could skate through him easily, probably drawing a penalty too.
As to the possible fight: planting and delivering a forceful punch on ice is pretty hard, and these guys have been hit bunches of times; so (in my opinion) Chara's size is not intimidating. What is intimidating is a 5 minute fighting major for Boston's best player.
In general I try to support the game, and I think the NHL, and the NHLPA, have been doing a poor job of it.
Me too... and yea, the league are horrible about promoting the game. That's why I almost blew an aneurysm that regions in Ohio (based on Alf's previous post) had the Blue Jacket's game blacked out. One of the newst teams in the league need help to maintaining exposure...
Honest question... do you really think Backe is really that dirty? All we see is an outstanding defensive (offensive) player who can shut down other skilled players. I really think the battles between Backes and Towes are legendary...
I think it is questionable. It seems against the rules, but not necessarily dirty.
Doesn't means Chara isn't less intimidated... dude is a giant. o.O
He's tall, but not big. A shorter man could skate through him easily, probably drawing a penalty too.
As to the possible fight: planting and delivering a forceful punch on ice is pretty hard, and these guys have been hit bunches of times; so (in my opinion) Chara's size is not intimidating. What is intimidating is a 5 minute fighting major for Boston's best player.
As to the Blue Jackets game(s) Fox Sports Ohio has the broadcast rights to Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately for CBJ (*snigger*) their games get preempted by the Cavs up in the North East Ohio. Shame really, but as I don't have cable so it doesn't affect me.
Me too... and yea, the league are horrible about promoting the game. That's why I almost blew an aneurysm that regions in Ohio (based on Alf's previous post) had the Blue Jacket's game blacked out. One of the newst teams in the league need help to maintaining exposure...
You mean the "Let's count how many time Sydney Crosby can take an illegal hit." series?
My comment about support wasn't related to promotion, but to rule writing and officiating.
Crawford showing off some of that form that helped the Hawks win the cup last year 34 saves & a shoutout was pretty impressive, but St. Louis can still take some positives from tonight, they lost due to a miss from Miller early on and couldn't get it past Crawford
I feel really sorry for Columbus at the moment as if Ohio teams didn't hurt their fans enough already
Miller was always good for a crap goal every game in Buffalo when he wasn't on fire. Seriously, every. single. game.
The Ott hit was tough, Keith was sideways and ended up turning to face the boards during the course of the hit. Should still probably be boarding, but you could see the ref explaining to Toews and Keith that he thought the hit was from the side and shoulder to shoulder. Interesting one to call, so close to being dirty yet so close to being clean.
Edit: In other, somewhat disgusting news, Matt Cooke is not currently considered a repeat offender in his hearing for that knee on knee hit.
The Ott hit was tough, Keith was sideways and ended up turning to face the boards during the course of the hit. Should still probably be boarding, but you could see the ref explaining to Toews and Keith that he thought the hit was from the side and shoulder to shoulder. Interesting one to call, so close to being dirty yet so close to being clean.
Whether or not the hit is from the side is irrelevant to the boarding rule.
rabidguineapig wrote: In other, somewhat disgusting news, Matt Cooke is not currently considered a repeat offender in his hearing for that knee on knee hit.
Black comedy, and its only going to get worse because "playoff hockey".
And I'm not a big NFL fan, but I do enjoy watching the game. Usually, I'll go to my cousin's house and watch the Bears with him.
At least you have a good choice in NFL teams
Haha! I don't really "follow" any teams, but there are some I like more than others. The Bears and the 49ers are ones I try to watch, but I'll watch any game that's on. My cousin always gets the NFL Season Ticket, so we can flip between any game that's playing. It's pretty awesome. I got a Roku over Christmas, and definitely plan on buying the NHL Center Ice so I can watch MORE hockey next season
Alfndrate wrote: Is a 7 game suspension normal for a kneeing penalty?
Not normally and certainly not in the playoffs where more than one game usually requires some level of amputation to the victim. In this case it might be too few as Cooke has an absurdly long track record of predatory and dangerous offenses.
Hah apparently depending on which team loses this series the corresponding Long brother has to stop tweeting for a month I love both those guys (Kyle was on 'Shoot the Puck')
Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote: Hah apparently depending on which team loses this series the corresponding Long brother has to stop tweeting for a month I love both those guys (Kyle was on 'Shoot the Puck')
I saw that too!
Both the Long brothers are great players. I really, REALLY wished the RAMS would've drafted Kyle... You know what you're getting from their pedigree.
Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote: Hah apparently depending on which team loses this series the corresponding Long brother has to stop tweeting for a month I love both those guys (Kyle was on 'Shoot the Puck')
I saw that too!
Both the Long brothers are great players. I really, REALLY wished the RAMS would've drafted Kyle... You know what you're getting from their pedigree.
Irony being pre-draft I wanted the Bears to draft Alec Ogletree
Oh well hopefully before this series is over Chicago learns to see out the full 20 minutes, not the first 19
Automatically Appended Next Post: Is it legal to elbow someone in the face?
Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote: It was Steen who elbowed Versteeg
Hawks really stepped up in the last 5 minutes, looked lethargic for the 15 minutes before that point
Alfndrate wrote: Is a 7 game suspension normal for a kneeing penalty?
Given that Raffi Tores got 25 games for an illegal check to the head in a playoff series I'm surprised it wasn't longer. Though I'm guessing part of that annoyance given Torres had been suspended for a similar hit earlier that season.
I can't believe the Pens blew their 3 goal lead, though the goal on Fleury in overtime wasn't surprising considering how useless he is in the playoffs.
I never understood what quality of sports playoffs made some players better in playoffs than others, in fact I always thought that notion was a myth... Fleury is proof otherwise. Whats weird is he's already won the cup once, you would think after that he'd feel less pressure about it and be less of a headcase.
chaos0xomega wrote: I never understood what quality of sports playoffs made some players better in playoffs than others, in fact I always thought that notion was a myth... Fleury is proof otherwise. Whats weird is he's already won the cup once, you would think after that he'd feel less pressure about it and be less of a headcase.
Roberto Luongo is another prime example... So wish the Canucks had gotten rid of him before Schneider (and kept him, scheider was awesome)
chaos0xomega wrote: I never understood what quality of sports playoffs made some players better in playoffs than others, in fact I always thought that notion was a myth... Fleury is proof otherwise.
I believe it is called investment on the part of the player (with bonus points coming from the team, coach, league, and fans), leading to adrenal surges.
Briere is the perfect example of someone who gets it together in the playoffs, the guy is unreal when the cup is on the line. Buffalo's biggest mistake since the 04-05 lockout was letting him and Drury walk for nothing (which in turn forced us to sign Vanek to that ludicrous contract). Thanks a lot, Darcy.
I have always thought that confidence is a huge factor in how well a player plays at any given time, and some guys may just get it in their head that they can't play come playoff time, while others know they're gonna go tear it up. Fleury has sucked in playoffs/tournaments since well before he was drafted and I guarantee every year come playoff time it gets in his head.
Then there are some players who are just enigmatic (cough cough, Russians, cough) and you never know what the heck you're gonna get out of them when the game matters.
And it looks like the Sharks and Bruins might be finishing their series this weekend. Can't wait to see what happens! Also, I really hope the Wild pull ahead of the Avs...
Just as long as the Sharks advance to the next round... although really I hope they don't let the Kings turn this into a circus and make the series run 7 games.
chaos0xomega wrote: I never understood what quality of sports playoffs made some players better in playoffs than others, in fact I always thought that notion was a myth... Fleury is proof otherwise. Whats weird is he's already won the cup once, you would think after that he'd feel less pressure about it and be less of a headcase.
I'll say this as a fan of the guy -- Fleury's always had the tendency to follow a truly spectacular save with giving up an ugly, ugly goal. The difference now is that it's a playoff game and the stakes are raised. If he'd blown that game during the regular season, only Pens fans and Blue Jackets fans would have really noticed or remembered it.
Also, Fleury was by most accounts very good right up to the 3rd goal. The first two goals were on a deflection and on a 5-on-3 PP. Unfortunately, because the monkey is already on his back it's really easy to blame him. Don't look now, but Crosby and Malkin have done almost nothing all series. I think Malkin finished game 4 without a shot on goal?
Fleury mental approach probably needed some work. In fact, this offseason he finally relented to the Pens' suggestion that he talk to a sports psychologist. It'll be really interesting to see how he comes out for game 5.
The frustrating thing about the guy is that he's actually a pretty good player when he isn't doing that stuff. That's why the Pens stayed patient with him and tried to help him rehab his game. But obviously he's still highly capable of being stupidly dangerous on the ice. I can only assume that he learned to play dirty from a young age and it's just hardwired into him.
Yeah that was a great save by Crawford to save the shorty Both teams PK has been pretty dominant only 2 PP goals conceded each over 4+(1/3) games is pretty amazing considering there's been about 40 PPs so far
EDIT:Also mother of coincidences
Spoiler:
Automatically Appended Next Post: Feth me, OT again?
-up right now than Toronto. I mean, how the hell do you "improve" on a team that's saddled with;
