NHL Thread

[Maximum Taco]

The main reason I'm happy Florida lost that series is my boyfriend will now shave his "playoff beard."  I was rooting for the Islanders anyway.

 

Did it really get that bad? It's only been like 10 days since the playoffs started.

 

Are you dating the wolfman?

Edited April 25, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[MyAimIsTrue]

"Clap for the Wolfman... he's gonna rate your record high..."

 

What can I say other than I don't like facial hair.

[Maximum Taco]

Holy Cow!

 

Hawks and Kings both out in round 1.

 

We're in a Brave New World people. A world where someone other then the Chicago Blackhawks and LA Kings can win the Stanley Cup.

 

Maybe my Pens prediction isn't as crazy as I thought...

Edited April 26, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[Maximum Taco]

Preds and Sharks in Triple OT. EPIC.
I was waiting for the first really long game of this years playoffs and these guys did not disappoint.

That was probably the best game all playoffs, except maybe Blues and Hawks in game 7,

[ebk57]

Ah.... Caps...reverting to form.

Choking Dogs

[Ohwell]

9 hours ago, ebk57 said:

Ah.... Caps...reverting to form.

Choking Dogs

Looking forward to watching Kornheiser today because that's exactly what he'll call them as he grabs his throat.  

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Looking forward to watching Kornheiser today because that's exactly what he'll call them as he grabs his throat.  

Indeed - I really should have credited him for the phrase last night.  It's just that it was such a ... long, disappointing night...

[xaxat]

I think they just got beat by a team that finally figured it out and is playing better than anyone else in the league. 

But I'm biased. Go Pens!

[Maximum Taco]

On 4/12/2016 at 6:13 PM, Maximum Taco said:

I just picked the Pens to win my bracket.

 

I think I've gone insane.

They all thought I was mad! Well who's mad now!?!

I think I might actually win my bracket! C'mon Pens! 8 more wins!

[xaxat]

Another example of the legendary toughness of hockey players. Last night Penguins' defenseman Trevor Daley went down with a lower body injury. He tried to get up as play continued, but couldn't. So he crawled on his hand and knees to the front of the goal to provide some amount of support in the Penguins' zone.

Go Pens!

[Maximum Taco]

Pens move on!!!

What a game, Rust coming through as the hero when nobody expected it. Murray standing tall in net and not even letting the return of Stamkos faze him.

Now comes the biggest test though.

C'mon Pens! 4 more wins!!!

Edited May 27, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[MyAimIsTrue]

I was rooting for the Lightning since Tampa is the nearest NHL team to me but I'm definitely rooting for the Pens in the finals.  Nothing against San Jose but really, San Jose?

[xaxat]

"You can really breathe in San Jose. They've got a lot of space. . . "

[Maximum Taco]

Pens are coming up CLUTCH, Bonino in game 1, Sheary in game 2. Sharks just don't have the clincher when they need it. But as everyone always says, you aren't in trouble until you lose at home. San Jose can easily have this tied by the time they head back to Pittsburgh for Game 5.

But the Pens are 2 wins away from the Cup! And that puts me 2 wins away from winning my bracket!!

Let's Go Pens!!!

[Maximum Taco]

1 WIN AWAY!

Penguins, vindicate me and my choice of you as my Stanley Cup Champion way back in April. End it in 5!

LET'S GO PENS!

[stillhere1900]

Mr. Hockey.... Gordie Howe dies today at the age of 88. :-(

Only Wayne Gretzky has more NHL goals.

Edited June 10, 2016 by stillhere1900

[harrie]

I only saw Howe play live once, in a celebrity/fund-raiser game, but he was still amazing, and so very gracious to his fans.  RIP, Mr. Howe. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by harrie

[Maximum Taco]

On 6/10/2016 at 3:13 PM, stillhere1900 said:

Mr. Hockey.... Gordie Howe dies today at the age of 88. :-(

Only Wayne Gretzky has more NHL goals.

If you count their WHA goals too Howe actually has more then Gretzky.

He was a giant of the game.   

Strap on your skates Gordie, you've been called up to that shinny game in the sky #9RIP.

[Maximum Taco]

The Pittsburgh Penguins are Stanley Cup Champions again!

Thanks Pens, for winning my bracket for me. You guys rock.

I think Kessel should've won the Conn Smythe, but Crosby was a good choice too, Letang also would've been.

Congrats Pens, Congrats Pens fans, I was happy to number myself among you for these playoffs. Now that it's over though: Go Leafs! Boo everyone else!

[xaxat]

Elvis has left the building!

I can finally shave! My face looks terrible! That's probably my first and last playoff beard. They're on their own next year.

Maximum Taco, I apologize for ever having doubted your incredible wisdom.

Edited June 13, 2016 by xaxat

[mojoween]

Argh I chose to watch The Tony's.  Figures the Pens would win on the road.

Regardless it's awesome and I'm glad they finally got something by Martin Jones.

[MyAimIsTrue]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Argh I chose to watch The Tony's.

So did I.

[Bruinsfan]

I bounced back and forth, settling in to watch the final 10 minutes. (As did my cat, who is apparently fascinated by ice hockey.) It was tense up until the Pens scored that last goal, but no way was San Jose going to score twice in two minutes to tie it up.

[Carey]

What a night!  I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I did in 2009, but for me, it made up for what has been a rather awful week. Pretty quiet, but nice to see the Pens look and play like they were the best team in the league.  Loved the underdog role from late last decade but this time, Pittsburgh looked like a team that was going to have great things come their way over the next several years.  Coach Sullivan running things is pure awesomeness

 

Agreed on how San Jose wasn't going to score. It was pretty much what happened with Tampa. They get momentum to achieve a tie, and that goes away before one could even tweet or post about it.  The Penguins opponent would not score again. Meh on Crosby winning The Conn Smythe but similar to where the Pens won it all, I don't care. Amazing how there were a few that actually were okay with a Pens loss so they could win it at home on Wednesday.  No thanks to that!

 

Hopefully next year, if Pittsburgh can stay true to form and improve, they'll get Chicago.  If things are close, however, the league might make that happen. Don't agree with that, but it would be great for the NHL to see Sid vs Kane

[Rick Kitchen]

So the NHL is going to expand into Las Vegas with a required $500 million commitment from the new expansion owners.  I also read that the Maloofs will be minority owners.  That's probably a bad idea, they did a great job of running the Sacramento Kings into the ground and then trying to sell them to Seattle.

[xaxat]

Yeah, I don't see how bringing the Maloofs on board was a selling point. In addition to what they did with the Kings, they also lost controlling interest in The Palms casino so they aren't really big players in Vegas anymore.

[Daisy]

It's almost time for hockey!!! 
any other Leafs fans here?

[stillhere1900]

Colorado Avalanche, baby !!!!!!!!!

[Moose135]

Let's go Islanders!

[ebk57]

Stanley Caps!!!!

 

hahahahahahaha

[scriggle]

Bruins!

[xaxat]

The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins!

I like the sound of that. Hope they keep it.

[MyAimIsTrue]

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 7:25 PM, Daisy said:

any other Leafs fans here?

Not a Leafs fan per se but I am a season ticket holder for the Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the Leafs.  The awesome Garret Sparks came up through our ranks and I hope he makes it back up to the big team this year from the Marlies!

[bosawks]

Flyers!

[King of Birds]

Your handle is @bosawks and you're a Flyers fan?  Inconceivable!  Go Bruins!

[bosawks]

3 minutes ago, King of Birds said:

Your handle is @bosawks and you're a Flyers fan?  Inconceivable!  Go Bruins!

It is, sad but true, I blame the Legion of Doom..........

That and hockey is sport, baseball is life.

Edited August 26, 2016 by bosawks

[CaffeinatedAunt79]

On August 23, 2016 at 7:25 PM, Daisy said:

It's almost time for hockey!!! 
any other Leafs fans here?

Buffalo Sabres fan here!  Looking forward to the budding rivarly between our 2 teams.

[Daisy]

4 hours ago, CaffeinatedAunt79 said:

Buffalo Sabres fan here!  Looking forward to the budding rivarly between our 2 teams.

(laugh) i know. may it be glorious. both teams severely need it. 

[dkb]

On 8/23/2016 at 7:25 PM, Daisy said:

It's almost time for hockey!!! 
any other Leafs fans here?

I am! Can't wait to see Austin Matthews, even though it's another year in the re-build.

 

Anybody else planning on watching the World Cup of Hockey? 

Edited September 9, 2016 by dkb

[Daisy]

1 hour ago, dkb said:

I am! Can't wait to see Austin Matthews, even though it's another year in the re-build.

 

Anybody else planning on watching the World Cup of Hockey? 

Wooo! 
I was gonna not, but I curse my addiction to hockey. I watched the pre-game yesterday and Auston (and everyone on team North America) looked so very good. 

[CaffeinatedAunt79]

Looking forward to watching my boy Jack Eichel playing on a line with Connor McDavid!

[xaxat]

It's kind of weird watching ESPN pretend like hockey is a sport they actually care about.

[bosawks]

3 hours ago, xaxat said:

It's kind of weird watching ESPN pretend like hockey is a sport they actually care about.

Almost as weird as watching Torts pretend like hockey is a sport that hasn't changed since 2004.....

[dkb]

I got to go to the USA v Czech Republic game tonight, my first hockey game at the ACC! I felt bad for the American's, most of the people in our section we were cheering for the Czech's and were actively booing them. It felt like they were totally over it, which I kind of understand but I thought they would be a little more aggressive so that they don't lose all their games.

 

One dude was yelling "Kessel, Kessel" at the US, which was pretty funny.

[dkb]

I was hoping for a Game 3 in the final! Soooo close Team Europe :( They were definitely the better team tonight, but can't complain, Team Canada is the best!  

[xaxat]

OK NHL, you need to get your act together and program an actual "opening night" for the season. 

The defending champions with Sydney Crosby didn't play. Connor McDavid's Oilers aren't a national game. Ovechkin and the President's Trophy winning Caps? Nope.

I understand the hockey's ratings are driven by local markets, but that will always be the case unless you market the few guys that people who are "kind of" hockey fans have heard of better.

[Daisy]

9 hours ago, xaxat said:

OK NHL, you need to get your act together and program an actual "opening night" for the season. 

The defending champions with Sydney Crosby didn't play. Connor McDavid's Oilers aren't a national game. Ovechkin and the President's Trophy winning Caps? Nope.

I understand the hockey's ratings are driven by local markets, but that will always be the case unless you market the few guys that people who are "kind of" hockey fans have heard of better.

Even if the Penguins played last night, Crosby wouldn't have been a part of it as he's suffering a concussion. With everything else, probably, but that's not on the NHL - that's on NBC. Honestly, when the new television contract comes up, I hope that ESPN buys the rights because I personally feel they would do it right (so does a lot of media etc, but who knows hot that fire burns). but it has long been established that the League bows down to NBC (to the detriment of the NHL, but they are trying to keep the hand that feeds them happy), and not the other way around. and in America when you are the third loved sport nationally, I truly don't know how much power the NHL can invoke. 

And for as long as I've been a fan  the NHL never hyped uph the "first night" of the season - they push the entire week as opening night (like that's what they call it "Face Off Week" ) and basically all the major rivalries faceoff the first 4 days. 

(I was going to say, and the McDavid game was a national game.. but then I realised it was only national in Canada, hence your chiding). 

but History was made yesterday - Toronto Maple Leafs's Auston Matthews scored 4 goals in his debut game. first player to ever do that (and so naturally first 1st overall pick to do that). naturally - Toronto is buzzed right now.  

[Maximum Taco]

The NHL is terrible at US marketing. They simply do not know what they are doing. It would be so easy to set up a Pittsburgh/San Jose rematch, and on the last day of the season every team plays, it should be like that on the first day too. Everyone should play on day 1. And emphasize rivalries, Toronto/Ottawa and Calgary/Edmonton is good, but how about Vancouver/Chicago, Montreal/Boston, NYI/NYR? Come on NHL get your game together, this is why you are the worst league of the big 4.

But I don't care cause my favourite team's draft pick scored 4 goals in his debut!!! I love you Auston Matthews. Never leave. I want to see you hoist the cup, and when I am an old man I want to see #34 hang from the rafters beside 27, 13, 93 and 17. Never leave.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[Daisy]

Is there any sport though where everyone plays game one? I can't even think off the top of my head if there's a game if that happens during the season (and if it does it's super rare). there are also building availabilities and traveling and all of that stuff. 

I also know (talking to a former NHL exec) - they don't want to have a repeat of the Cup Finalists (because they can pump that during the season when it is needed most AND they can cash in on the more natural-grown rivalries of the teams that got there). And Again. the NHL bows to NBC,, vs. NBC bows to NHL and the schedule makers like some of the stuff they have on rivalry night really makes me raise an eyebrow, but that's what NBC wants. and to keep the dollars that's what the NHL will continue to do. 

I would say that what showed last night:
Ottawa/Toronto (though it's very bland now)
Calgary/Edmonton
Chicago/St Louis (esp with their last 4 years of playoff history)
LA/San Jose 

are great "welcome back to the League" games.
you've got the "last 2 cup winners before Pittsburgh and got eliminated by the weaker sisters" matchup. (and SJ/ST Louis won. boy does Chicago look off). so there's your drama. 

You've got an Canadian 19 year old Super Stud vs. Johnny Hockey in a massive rivalry (and it was very gong-show looking lol)
and you've got an American  19 year old Super Stud just. wow. (please don't ever leave Auston). I think personally, the League got it right. but i'm not who they target so maybe i'm wrong. 

[dkb]

On 10/13/2016 at 10:05 AM, Maximum Taco said:

But I don't care cause my favourite team's draft pick scored 4 goals in his debut!!! I love you Auston Matthews. Never leave. I want to see you hoist the cup, and when I am an old man I want to see #34 hang from the rafters beside 27, 13, 93 and 17. Never leave.

 

On 10/13/2016 at 1:10 PM, Daisy said:

You've got an Canadian 19 year old Super Stud vs. Johnny Hockey in a massive rivalry (and it was very gong-show looking lol)
and you've got an American  19 year old Super Stud just. wow. (please don't ever leave Auston). I think personally, the League got it right. but i'm not who they target so maybe i'm wrong. 

I echo these sentiments, please don't ever ever leave us Auston! 

Of course we would still lose after that stellar game from Auston Matthews. Oh Leafs.