Detroit Will Not Win The President's Trophy: The NHL Thread 2007/2008

PS. Hockey fans, I hope you don't mind that I stole the Premiership-style thread title

I have other problems with it unrelated to stealing. :) Shouldn't it be "Buffalo" anyway? They won it last year, and I doubt they're going to be repeating (sorry, Molly).

I believe more than one of those will occur!

Oh, I just wanted to pick on Detroit, sorry :)

(They use "Liverpool Will Not Win The Premiership," but they haven't won it for... 10 years?)

<i>Free agent flops: Jason Blake</i>

so bold!

This is true. No worries, everyone hates my team and it's okay. Makes winning much sweeter.

Looks like former Wing/NMU Wildcat Dallas Drake is coming back to the D.

Also, the season opener is in London? http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=332506

Gomez is my flop pick.

i don't think gomez is going to flop, exactly. but the rangers could have gotten about as much out of nylander for a lot less than $7M a year.

someone should have signed lundquist to an offer sheet and completely fucked the rangers.

wait, i guess that is a flop.

I'm pretty sure that Blake won't score 40 again, but he's a natural 20-25 goal man, and that's what Toronto has been needing for a while on that first line. He and Sunding could make some noise.

Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto make the playoffs - that's 4.

Harsh

Also from the other thread, Souray gets a bad rap. Yeah -28 is -28, and sure he looks bad in front of Spezza and Patrice Bergeron (not exactly plumbers here either), but he played his heart out, which is not something you can say about every current player in a Habs uniform. And his dumb penalties are mostly as a result of defending his teammates as opposed to a lazy Kovalev hooking call.

So fine, dude's not a complete player. He has a big shot, leadership skills and plays physical, and never gives up. He can't pass or rush, or beat Spezza when the latter is coming down the ice one-on-one (of course, I've got issues with Carbo's lack of adaptability coaching-wise, so I do think that there are times when Habs defensemen get the short end). Montreal's gonna miss him way more than they realize and all this "yeah 26 goals but he's fuckin' -28" talk is just trying to justify the impact of his loss.

Toronto will not make PO's. You fucking regionalists.

Hey dudes. Yeah, Buffalo will not win it again this year, since Briere AND Drury have peaced the hell out. ;_; It's okay, though! I'm used to my teams not winning! It's comfortable and familiar.

I did go to the Predator's rally at the Sommet Center (Formerly GAYLORD Entertainment Complex). The governor showed up. You can see my head in a photo from the Tennessean. Plz to not go to Kansas City.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1414/859644891_1c58cd4dc4.jpg

Related:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2943692

Bettman doesn't want the league to expand in Canada? GET RID OF THE FUCKER

If the Kansas City Wizards' attendance (MLS) is any indication of what 2nd and 3rd tier sports (#1 being the NFL) can bring, it is best to leave the team in Nashville.

/end Nashvillian rant

drury will not be a flop, and i think that was the rangers first smart free-agent signing since they got messier

living in minnesota, the sentiment here is anything less than the conference finals is a dismal failure... but there's no reason they can't pull that off

Where do baseball and basketball fall on that tier list?

I would put them above hockey and MLS, that's for sure. Does KC even have an NBA team?

Nah, the closest is Denver, I think.

I've never been in downtown Hamilton. Does such a thing even exist? I've driven through it hundreds of times. From the QE, it looks like massive sprawl. Keep in mind, I've just been to the IKEA there.

I've driven through downtown Hamilton, such a thing does exist. Mind, it was probably 10 years ago, so things have probably changed. It wasn't your typical city downtown... kind of sprawly, like you said.

I've been sort of out of it lately, but I assume Hamilton was deemed outside the Sabres' and Leafs' jurisdiction, right?

lol @ Rangers and LOL @ Flames, enjoy Mike "embrace change" Keenan

What the fuck is going on in Edmonton? Have they lost their minds? Is Dustin Penner worth $4.5m/y?

url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2950342&campaign=rss&source=NHLHeadlines

hey, he had more than twice as many goals as scott gomez last year

"Toronto will not make PO's. You fucking regionalists."

Jimmy Mod, I usually agree with a lot of what you have to say, but you're wrong here. The Leafs missed the playoffs by 1 point in each of the last two seasons. Any one of a hundred things could have happened in each case which would have let them slip in. Keep in mind as well, that they lost more man games to injury than any other team in the league. With the addition of Blake and Toskala, they are arguably a better team than they were in April. Nobody else in the division has improved that much over the summer, and Buffalo has definitely been weakened.

I have no idea how they will do once they're in, but they will make the playoffs this year.

WOOHOO.

PREDS, PLZ TO NOT LEAVE

A team in Nashville still makes no sense. It's not a part of the culture, and there's very little grassroots interest. What is the league's obsession with trying to force the game on cities that just don't care while Winnipeg, Hamilton and Halifax would love nothing more than to have a team?

I beg to differ with you, j-rock. A team in Nashville does make sense. It's a rapidly growing city, with plenty of transplants, especially from Detroit, due to our almost-sizable car industry here (Nissan and Saturn). Sure, it's not an inherent part of the culture. If we follow your "Sunbelt sucks" mentality, what's that doing for the sport in general? What's wrong with getting a city involved, that has far more people in that Winnipeg, Hamilton and Halifax, possibly combined?

As for the fan base, I can tell you, as being a Nashville resident (and transplant from the rust belt), that your comment about "very little grassroots interest" is uninformed, and essentially untrue. We're not Toronto, nor are we the Islanders. We may never be. But I can assure you, there is a strong interest here, which can be seen by the 7,000+ people that came out to the "Save The Preds" rally, which I also attended. Also, a town about 45 minutes outside of Nashville has been churning out some great hockey players as of late (one just got drafted, but I can't remember to whom), so please don't give me the "there's no interest" line. No, we're never going to be Buffalo, in terms of hockey support, but believe you me, we do deserve a team.

If you're going on attendance, why don't the Islanders move? Oh wait, is that because they're in a region that deserves a hockey?

Blake Geoffrion, the grandson of "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, and great-grandson of Howie Morenz. And there are three more Nashville players who will likely be going in the next couple entry drafts.

J-Rock, I appreciate that you want more hockey in Canada, but you don't know what you're talking about wrt Nashville.

Victoria Blackhawks

Regina Islanders

Chilliwack Capitals

I think it sucks that Phoenix and Colorado took beloved Canadian teams, even if they were money-losers. I think it sucks that the Whale moved to Carolina. Note, however, that the Predators were an expansion team, were run very smartly and built a team with good player development. They're as organic an entity as any other. Go lurk around some other team, you vulture.

"If you're going on attendance, why don't the Islanders move? Oh wait, is that because they're in a region that deserves a hockey?"

You'll never find me defending the Islanders' right to exist. The New York market is pretty saturated and losing the Isles would hardly be the end of the world. My point is that a team as good as Nashville shouldn't have attendance figures in the bottom third of the league. That's just ridiculous. It's like when Tampa Bay went all the way a few years ago, ARENA FOOTBALL got higher TV ratings than the Stanley Cup finals. Kids in Nashville don't wake up Saturday mornings, strap on the pads and play street hockey until it's time to go to their real game later, come home eat lunch, and go back outside until it's time to watch their team play on TV at 7pm. It just doesn't matter. The Preds are just marking time.

All regions deserve a hockey!

That's right. Just close off hockey to those who aren't fortunate to live in an area with a long standing hockey history.

This mentality is what is putting hockey ratings in the shitter.

Kids in Nashville don't wake up Saturday mornings, strap on the pads and play street hockey until it's time to go to their real game later, come home eat lunch, and go back outside until it's time to watch their team play on TV at 7pm.

Can you speak for the kids in Nashville?

J-rock, the NHL has enormous problems staying afloat, and Nashville is not even close to the worst of its problems. Chicago and Boston, original six teams, are enormous money losers. The television revenue, which, like it or not, relies on US audiences, is a disaster. Older local television contracts are expiring, and some teams that are barely surviving are going to be way in the red. For God's sake, MLS outdraws the NHL in TV ratings by a fur piece.

Yet a market with one of the largest season ticket bases in the league, with great demographics, lots of transplants from established hockey towns, and one that has had the NHL for less than a decade, is in your sights? What's the matter with you? Did you lose your season ticket deposit for the Hamilton Predators in Balsillie's absurd scam?

Are you really cheering for the NHL to FAIL? Little Canada, indeed.

Root for expansion. Promotion and relegation, if need be. Cheering for the NHL to fail to gratify some ill-informed romantic ideal you harbor of kids on iced-over ponds puts you in as low a place as the guys who bought the Nords from Marcel Aubut.

"The Preds are just marking time."

I love this part. Say hello to our new local owners.

Chicago and Boston are losing money because they're poorly managed, and their teams suck. The Preds were among the top teams in the league last year, so why can't they draw more than 14 000 fans a game? They've also lost $27 million since the lockout, and $70 million since they started up. It's fair to say that Bettman's experiment hasn't been a massive success to date

I'm well aware that the league has much bigger problems than the Nashville Predators. They are not "in my sights". I just think that a first place team should be able to fill their own building, and if not, then maybe it points to some deeper issues. That's all. Hamilton would sell-out Copps Coliseum every night. Every night.

Furthermore, I am not cheering for the NHL to fail, the league seems intent on doing that all by themselves.

You're correct in that I can't speak for the children of Nashville, but I bet I'm right.

The television revenue, which, like it or not, relies on US audiences, is a disaster.

well maybe no longer praying for u.s. television markets to some day come around might be a smart idea!

What's the matter with you? Did you lose your season ticket deposit for the Hamilton Predators in Balsillie's absurd scam?

ya j-rock! how could you not see this was clearly a scam. YOU FOOL! Not only is Jim Balsillie not actually Canadian - he's not even human. He travels the universe duping unsuspecting sports fans with "failed" team franchise bids. living off the money left behind by people who can't be bothered to have ticketmaster give them their money back omg i cannot believe you fell for it!

Are you really cheering for the NHL to FAIL?

because failure in a buncha US markets = GLOBAL FAILURE - no more nhl in canada evah! ha ha - that is so ridiculous!

Little Canada, indeed.

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?

Root for expansion. Promotion and relegation, if need be. Cheering for the NHL to fail to gratify some ill-informed romantic ideal you harbor of kids on iced-over ponds puts you in as low a place as the guys who bought the Nords from Marcel Aubut.

again. having a team or two fail in a few cities /= deal to nhl! i think it's safe to say the recent expansion experiment with the nhl has not been the smashing success some had hoped and i fail to see how, in any way, more expansion will help. i'm honestly interested to hear your theory on how this will help things.

i'm glad you guys like the preds and all but there's a shitload of people here that were ecstatic at the idea of having a team for the rest of ontario.

I'm a Leafs fan and I think that a team in Hamilton would be a great thing.

I'm almost ready to buy partial-season Blackhawks tickets. This would, of course, make me a bit of a pariah among real Hawks fans. People really hate the current management, but I just want to see some games.

Relegation would be a novel tactic, however. Bring on the AHL teams!

well maybe no longer praying for u.s. television markets to some day come around might be a smart idea!

HOCKEY, NOT JUST A CANADIAN GAME. NEWS AT TEN. Do you actually think the league would survive without its US teams and money from US markets?

Dudes, The Preds are a year old team. Cut them some fucking slack, for chrissake. I know they're not your revered Leafs, with their hallowed history. Stop being such fucking elitists.

i'm glad you guys like the preds and all but there's a shitload of people here that were ecstatic at the idea of having a team for the rest of ontario.

Thanks, but don't be vultures and take our team. Christ, they're just my *adopted* team and it took me a while to warm up to them, but after going to a few Preds games, and seeing the screaming fans, and being surrounded by that awesome hockey environment while watching a good game, well, that's what it's all about, isn't it? So in short, there is support here. I know it's not in Halifax, gents, or Hamilton, but as hockey grows IN THE SOUTH (THE HORRORS), it will continue to be absorbed by our booming population.

The Preds are aTEN year old team

oops. not enough coffee.

"The Preds were among the top teams in the league last year, so why can't they draw more than 14 000 fans a game?"

When they were the worst team in the league, they drew 13000 fans.

A Carolina-style playoff run would have done wonders for the final crowd numbers (all playoff games were sold out, though we did get tickets in the rafters), but alas it was not to be. Another early collapse. Now the Predators' roster has been gutted, but season ticket sales are better than they were last year. The trend line is solid.

Of course, Carolina was a relocation, and had an established roster and good players coming up through their system. San Jose, another Sun Belt success, is eight years older than the Preds, but started making money in the last five years.

The Predators are doing just fine, making great inroads into a market where hockey has been on the fringes (despite the Dixie Flyers, who had Marv Edwards in goal and Ted McCaskill scoring goals; the South Stars; the Knights, etc.). It'll take a while, and they'll lose money, but they'll ultimately do fine. Nashville's a fairly big city, and while the Titans could probably sell out a stadium twice as big as LP Field, there's plenty of room for the Preds.

As for Balsillie: he could have bought the team. He wanted impossible assurances from Bettman-- that he could relocate the Predators in violation of their lease and their other agreements with Metro government. The ticket deposit was a particularly clumsy attempt to muscle the league.

And about more teams: of course I think the NHL should expand to Canada, and moreover, I'd love to see NHL1 and NHL2, with, say, 20 teams each and promotion and relegation, and four playoff teams, instead of the "everyone's a winner" 16 team Stanley Cup playoffs. But leave my team alone.

Doesn't really matter how many more Canadian teams are added, CBC will still force Leafs games on us most Saturday nights.

This continues to amaze me, though it probably shouldn't:

The six Canadian teams -- Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver -- currently generate one-third of the 30-team league's revenues.

<i>HOCKEY, NOT JUST A CANADIAN GAME. NEWS AT TEN. Do you actually think the league would survive without its US teams and money from US markets?</i>

The Leafs and the Habs would, and in the end that's all that matters.

Do, I forgot,

ILX 2.0

Um, Go Leafs Go?!?!

Thank you for summing up hockey snobbery for me so succinctly.

If you had promotion and relegation then no-one would have to steal anyone else's team. You crazy north americans :)

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=DN&Dato=20070719&Kategori=SPORTS02&Lopenr=707190806&Ref=PH&Item=2&Maxw=550&Maxh=390

Then we'd have teams in Saint John, Saint John's, Halifax and Hamilton.

I do not like the leafs. i think you're missing the point as to why i thought the preds coming to ontario was such a great thing.

NHL2 = AHL?
i still don't understand how expanding to another ten cities is going to help matters.

and Balsillie being overly aggressive /= scam artist. i think betman was dead-set against having a team go to canada no matter what. although it smacked of arrogance the guy was doing everything he could to make it obvious he had things lined up (which i guess wound up working against him) but it's more than anyone did in advance of, say - the expos leaving montreal for example.

i think you're missing the point as to why i thought the preds coming to ontario was such a great thing.

No, I'm sure everyone up in Ontario would be thrilled. What I'm saying is that there are tons of people down here that are happy that the Preds are staying, and we have just as much right as anyone to have a team, and keep it put. And good job Nashville for being so supportive of the team, even in their hockey roots can't be traced back that far, and there aren't as many kids playing street hockey as there are up North.

then why are you calling it an elitest thing? or calling the leafs "revered" for that matter?

revered, reviled, whatever :)

That was an xpost to j-rock's comments regarding the validity of hockey outside of Canada and Northern US cities, where there is a definite history of hockey culture.

ah. well me rooting for a team to come here was nothing at all against nashville or kids that don't play hockey on ponds etc. i really don't care where it came from!

Totally understood! That being said, I'm all for relegation. It would solve lots and lots of problems.

Bring on the Peoria Rivermen and the Manitoba Moose! The Amerks would probably do really well!

Expansion not relocation.

That sour taste in my mouth about the NFL only went away when Houston got an expansion team to replace the Oilers/Titans.

I totally agree that Canada should have more NHL teams. What I can't stand is the demonization of Nashville as an NHL city because people want to steal the Predators in particular. Nashville isn't the perfect NHL market, but neither are Canadian cities a third or a quarter of the size of Nashville.

Nashville isn't the perfect NHL market, but neither are Canadian cities a third or a quarter of the size of Nashville.

Um, what?

The six Canadian teams -- Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver -- currently generate one-third of the 30-team league's revenues.

I think he meant cities more like St. John's.
But he has still failed to even try to explain to me how in the fuck more expansion is going to help any!

Totally hypothetically, if a place like St. John's got a team, it could wind up being the Green Bay Packers of the NHL. Can Newfies be as annoying as Cheesers?

At average NHL ticket prices, getting 15k into 41 home games (not counting playoffs) yields about $30 million a year (CDN). The Preds average between 12k and 14k every year. The catch with the "money-losing" Preds is that the city allows whoever owns the team to set up a separate company to receive rent payments for the hockey team, and a partial stream of revenue for other arena events. That's the catch with saying "Nashville loses x million dollars a year."

The shame of it is that the way it's set up, the Predators get to take a huge ladleful out of the revenue-sharing punchbowl. The OWNER of the Predators comes out ahead-- don't cry for David Poile. But big teams-- Toronto and Montreal included-- subsidize this fleecing.

The Predators are certainly heavily subsidized by the league, but so are a dozen teams. It's a strategy designed to allow markets to mature.

The thing is, after the first few years, cities of a certain size are going to have some difficulty squeezing $30 million in tickets alone (never mind souveniers, shirts, parking at the arena, playoff tickets, etc.) out of some cities. I have no doubt Hamilton would be a success-- they'll get fans from London, Waterloo, hell, even Toronto fans sick of the Leafs. It's a natural for hockey, but it also won't increase television viewership a lick, and that's where the big potential money is. (I know that's right out of Bettman's script, but he's right.) If Nashville were drawing eight or nine thousand a game, I'd say pack it in, but it really isn't far from a profitable team. The reason they're at the front of everyone's mind is because (1) they were for sale, and (2) they're perceived as one of the least likely markets, and so are regarded as weak.

But I don't see how even NHL hockey would bring in sufficient revenue in smaller cities. I love Halifax, and certainly they would be the team of the Maritimes, but have you been there? It's really, really small, maybe a quarter or a fifth of the size of the smallest current NHL cities. And it's three hours to Moncton and for to St. John. To Yarmouth, it's over two hours, and a TERRIBLE drive on a tiny highway, even in the summer. They would draw solely from Halifax and Dartmouth.

I'm dreaming, but the way to handle it is to expand massively and have promotion and relegation. Hockey is the perfect North American sport to start with-- a lot of under-served markets, and a great ability to scale appropriately.

Avs in the finals? without a goalie? budaj is david aebischer with subtitles.

Halifax area is abit below 400,000, I'd guess 450,000 if you throw in the valley, Truro and the 5 university populations and only an Major Junior team to show for it. Nashiville has 1,600,000 or so right? Raleigh is a million. But it's Phoenix that takes the cake, it's a 1.5 million city with NHL, NFL, NBA and MLS team. Hockey tickets in halifax might be the only thing easier to sell then beer in that city.
Weather not withstanding, if it takes you 3 hours to drive to Moncton you probably shouldn't stop at the Mast ass in Stewiacke for an hour. Stopping at the Big Stop is another story all together.

Phoenix metro area is hueg.

In other news... Forsberg to Detroit? Some people want it to happen: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070729/SPORTS05/707290661/1053&imw=Y

IMHO, they'd be better off trying to develop a younger, less injury-prone power forward, but I don't know who fits that bill.

O NOES

http://bp0.blogger.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/RtZIq9tRuyI/AAAAAAAAFdU/770_SlavK7A/s1600-h/Leafjersey.jpg

http://www.nhldigest.com/images/Leafjersey.jpg

A guy in a Flyers hat is talking sh#t? That's pretty rich.

The only cool thing the Dallas Stars have ever done...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/hockey/stars/stories/083107dnspostarsbrite.2f1ba0a.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3036711

In the end, I don't know what to think about this. A good day for hockey, anyway.

The remaining Blackhawks fans hate him and the family so much, I wonder if this could possibly lead to a resurgence of support for the team?

Part of me kind of hopes not, because I've gotten used to the $10 tickets.

ten bucks? seriously? man, that's great. plus, you can probably move right up to the front if you buy nosebleeds because nobody's there anyway!

i came here to openly wonder about how the rangers can afford their team. they seem to have a huge number of marquee players making a lot of money-- drury, jagr, shanahan, gomez, lundqvist... and they seem to have a relatively low number of "$450,000" types. In fact, I think between drury, jagr, and gomez, that's $21m/year. dunno HL and BS's salaries though.

Yeah man, ten bucks. You can walk right up before games and buy them, no reservations needed. Plus, even with buying the cheapest tickets you still get a great view of the game because the United Center (for all its sterility) is a great building for all spectators.

Good riddance. Man, I saw my first NHL game in Chicago Stadium when in 1979 and the place was ELECTRIC. Let's hope the tightwad's family sells the team and they can get back to some semblance of a normal hockey team.

Great day for hockey!!

Re: Rangers

They probably can't afford them, but they are run by idiots. I'd hate to be a Cablevision shareholder right now. They are owned by the same people that employ Isiah Thomas. 'Nuff said.

the rangers will go exactly as far as hendrik lundquist takes them

So no reason to pay all that cash. Fuck em, I can't stand them anyways.

Well, if they can play like, say, the Sens everywhere else, they can make it far even if Lundqvist doesn't play spectacularly-- in spite of the insane amounts of love he gets in Ottawa, Emery was not particularly incredible in the reg season OR the playoffs. Besides, if a goalie can carry a team, where's Calgary's cup?

Emery killed my Devils in the playoffs

He played significantly better in that series than in the other playoff series. While a good run, not quite indicative of his play overall (the first game was even 5-4)

dean mcammond, out cold

I was going to try and avoid commenting on the McAmmond hit, but it proved too difficult. I love hockey, and I always have, but the NHL has a real problem protecting their star players when they should be protected, and punishing them when they should be punished. The Downie hit was late, although not very. He did leave his feet, although the effect was exaggerated by how high he flew AFTER the hit. His elbow however, was tucked in. McAmmond broke one of the cardinal rules of hockey by admiring his pass, but that's no excuse for what Downie did. The thing that really got to me about the whole thing is that everyone has been preoccupied with discussing the "legality" of the hit. Was it "dirty" or not? Truth be told, under the current NHL rules, he really didn't do anything that bad, and that's the problem. The league needs to take head shots completely out of the game, and now. Chris Pronger is one of the best defencemen that I have ever had the pleasure to watch, but there is no way that the league would have given him 20 games for a similar hit. He got two one-game suspensions for questionable hits in last year's playoffs, and his elbow was up in both of them. Scott Stevens made a career out of those kinds of checks, and they were always legal. A lot of players have sacrificed their careers to these type of hits. Will it take someone dying before the NHL smartens up and bans any contact above the shoulders? The league has established a strong precedent in this case, but I wonder if they will be able to uphold it in the future, especially if the offending player is one of their stars?

oy vey. this sabres / islanders game is giving me a headache.

how about those senators blowing their wad before christmas

man, i was totally considering reviving this thread about 15 mins ago. i don't mind if we blow our wad before xmas, we can ride those 25ish wins al the way into the playoffs and let everyone down come stanley cup time as usual

Also, I'd like to talk for a moment about my new favourite hockey player: Jonathan Toews. He's incredibly talented and he clearly loves the game, and for someone in his rookie season he's showing a LOT of heart and grit and brain for the game. personally i find him as exciting as i did crosby in his rookie year, perhaps moreso.

him swearing on tv, then realizing he swore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7g-_4InhN0

his RETARDED goal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obp8G2JFgkM

that goal is awesome

Fans here are stoked on the guy big time.

I'm going to see the Hawks play the Wings on Sunday and I am slightly afeared that Chicago has Detroit's number this year. The first two games of the series were not kind.

I think the Wings used the thread title for bulletin board material :(

i absolutely hate chicago but i can't help but love jonathan toews

I just noticed this

Question. First, the Wings will win the Presidents trophy this year making that their fourth in the last decade. They will also win the Stanley Cup, their third in the last decade and lastly, but most expectedly, Nicklas Lidstrom will win his sixth Norris Trophy.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk are the real deal and the league better keep up.

P.S. The Ottawa Senators will not place first in the Eastern Conference.

P.S.S. Moving to Boston has made me an even more bitter NHL fan. Why can a mediocre team like the Bruins sellout yet the Wings can’t?

answers: no, no, probably, yes, correct, boston sells out games?

by 'place first' do you mean be the #1 seed or win the prince of wales trophy?

Sorry, its been a heavy drinking night watching the non-game thats been the Celtics/Nuggets. The Senators will not be the no. 1 seed going into the post-season nor will they take home Wales Trophy two years in a row.

Also, Hamilton deserves a team.

Oh, and I believe that the Bruins have sold out games. All Thursday games are now half-off, or lower in some instances for students (i.e. everyone in Boston). But this was a comment directed at the Wings inability to sellout a single game this season.

1. Red Wings tickets are hell of expensive unless you work for a big company that has a hookup
2. The Lions are not sucking horribly for once this decade
3. Joe Louis Arena, for all its history, kind of sucks

They're 11-2, and I'm cool with that. Calling the Cup is a long way off.

1. Yeah, no question.
2. I honestly don’t think there is much of an overlap. Also, even when the Lions are terrible and the Wings are suburb, the NFL is still more expensive.
3. Yes.

I went to the Devils new place, the Prudential Center, the other night. All was great-plenty of beer stands, good food, no lines at men's rooms, good sight lines- except for the product on the ice. Pittsburgh barbecued them 5-0. Crosby-2 goals and an assist.

...no lines at men's rooms because no one was there?

Noone went to the Meadowlands either, and there were some long-ass lines.

There was a decent crowd, probably not enough for the team's liking though.

Is anyone in Boston? If so, let's hit up Boston/Montreal for 10 bucks ...

The Sabres are absolute bummerz this year. Why in god's name did they let Briere and Drury go?

Eric Lindros, Penis Inspector

Flyers fans shouldn’t be too surprised by this behavior, given the Lindros was criticized many times throughout his career for skating with his head down.

lol

Fuck Lindros anyway, I was in PeeWees when he got drafted by the Nordiques first overall and refused to play for them. Our coach was livid and went on a long rant about being a team player.

oh dudes my boss just laid sweetass tickets (4th row behind visitors bench!) on us for monday's sens-cdns game here in mtl. so excited! but haven't been following hockey v closely in past couple of years b/c have been so busy and whatever. must re-school myself quick. or just go and get drunk and yell 'go habs!' etc a lot like evryone else. will be pretty awesome.

too bad you won't be near the cheerleaders with their VAGUE signs

go habs go

So, what’s most bizarre? Chicago breaking Detroit’s 11 game streak or the Boston selling out two in a row?

My NHL love will be on a 7 day hiatus to recover.

Oh! One more thing, I did get in to see the Boston/Montreal match and I’d estimate 80% of the sold-out crowd were Montreal supporters. Insane.

I was at the Chi/Det game and I gotta say, the Hawks might just have the Wings' number this year. The balance of support has shifted in the Hawks' favor since last year.

Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis and Al MacInnis are headed to the Hall. Congrats boys!

What a class. Seriously.

Scotty Stevens was a lethal weapon. Coincidentally, one of the victims of his violent play was none other than Ron Francis, whom Stevens cremated in the playoffs a few years ago.

I recently watched a top 10 Scott Stevens hits, and each of those would have gotten him suspended this year. He sure did love getting his forearm in people's faces when they weren't looking.

I hate Scott Stevens. Where is Adam Oates?

I hate Adam Oates.

"He sure did love getting his forearm in people's faces when they weren't looking."

Then maybe they should have been looking.

Fuck that. It's not every guy's responsibility to look for that brute sneaking up with his fucking log-arms on their neck. That might have made him a "good" player (he was always looking to punish you for not watching him) but I'm glad he's gone. I like watching a game about speed and pssing and skill, not a game that scares those guys into getting rid of the puck. Fuck Scott Stevens.

Fuck the European style game, give me the North American any time. It's not ballet dancing- it's a collsion sport. I like speed, passing and skill, and I also like seeing guys who aren't careful get blown up. Stevens wasn't dirty, but anybody going across the neutral zone with his head down was done.

When he knocked Koslov out in game 1 in '95 the series was over. He was a great player.

grumble grumble boring-ass left wing lock bs

the whale, surfacing in Toronto:
http://images.sportsnetwork.com/hockey/nhl/allsport/carolina/francis_ron_hartford.jpg

ronnie francis = pure class

I'm a big fan of MacInnis. Messier I'm kind of afraid of.

Call it waht you will-- some of the players I most like watching are North American and not European. Dany Heatley, Jerome Iginla, Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews, Thorton, Cheechoo, Crosby, Smyth, St. Louis, Lecavalier... I could go on. I don't think I mentioned any euro-players, and those guys play a different game from the europeans, but it's a game I like watching. Neutral zone bullies are not fun to watch, unless it's watching the bully get revenge-owned by some energy-line giant-killer, or watching someone skate circles around the bullies and score despite everything. Or watching an entire team target one bully because he landed a cheap hit on the big scorer. This is an xxxpost.

None of Stevens big, famous hits were "bullying". He wasn't a bully. Some of the guys you named (esp. Iginla) like the physical stuff, in fact I bet Iginla fights more now than Stevens did with NJ.

You may like N. American players, but you are describing European style hockey. Soccer on skates. Boring.

The reasons I dislike Scott Stevens are mostly because he played for the Devils, but I think Will has a point. He wasn't a skater, and I don't recall himhaving much of a shot. He sat back and stopped/slowed down forwards by any means necessary. I can appreciate that aspect of the game having been a defenseman myself, but he always seemed kind of one dimensional in that. Again, my team preference factors into this, but my favorite player (currently) is Nick Lidstrom, because of his clean, strategic play and his ability to work on both ends of the ice.

I also hate Darien Hatcher.

fuck Lidstrom. I'm a Devils fan so I'm admittedly biased. But when Stevens played for Washington and St. Louis, he was a very good offensive defenseman. When he got to NJ in the Shanahan swindle, Jacques Lemaire asked him to be the linchpin of his defensive philosophy, which he did perfectly, and got 3 Cups out of it. Plus, you have to be a good skater in order to set up those collisions.

Hatcher can't hold Stevens' jock.

Hahaha you'd love to have Lidstrom on your team and you know it.

Plus, you have to be a good skater in order to set up those collisions.

It takes about 3 strides, trust me.

I'll take Lidstrom,he has nothing to do with the discussion about Stevens.

I'll reiterate-you have to be a good skater to set those hits up

Oates is paying the price for sitting out for more $$$ and losing a chance to play more with #16.

you have to be a good skater to set those hits up play in the NHL

Hitting like that is a matter of catching guys with their heads down and having a strong back and legs, not skating. If a breaking forward is looking at what's coming then steering them to the boards or a poke-check is a far better defensive idea.

Guys I am pretty happy the hockey thread is active today.

you have to be a good skater to set those hits up play in the NHL

Haha. Hey remember Jason Allison? That guy.

I'm W/ Dan M on Lidstrom, even though I, for wahtever reason, can never bring myself to like the Wings, Lidstrom is one of my favourite palyers in the league. The guy is a genius, and thrilling to watch. I'm not sure there's ever been a player who has vision like him.

Is the lack of love for the Devils here because of the trap thing?

Definitely part of it, for me. Also, teams that rely on a world-class goalkeeper bore the shit out of me (I used to hate the Devils and dislike the Habsd for this reason, and have no urge to see the Flames or Canucks play anymore). The current Devils are alright, though. I just hate the old Devils dynasty. I saw the Devils get beat by the Sens about a month ago live, about 8 rows up, and some of those guys are amazing fun to watch. Parise in partic.

Bill, it's a lot of things :D

I appreciate good hockey no matter where it's played, but I'm a Wings fan before all else. Christ, I cheered when they showed fucking Kid Rock on the screen during the first intermission at the game the other night, because he was wearing a jersey and because all the Hawks fans booed the shit out of him. I felt a little dirty afterward.

For the Devils I always liked Randy McKay, because I watched him playing in college. Plus he played for the Wings for a while and I have a soft spot for grind line-style forwards.

Fair points.

Parise and Zajac are going to be really good. Elias looks like he could wind up elsewhere before the season is over.

The Senators have had the Devils number since '99, if that was the season they beat them in the first round (I'm too lazy to look it up).

Revenge was got for that last year, no? Who knocked the Devils out of the playoffs last year if I'm wrong? Meh, everyone hates my Sens anyway.

Sorry dude, I looked it up and I meant '98 when you beat us in the first round when we were the #1 seed. And I've hated the Sens ever since!!

ILX Hockey: I hate your favorite team

No-one here likes the Avs, right?

No

I thought there was one Avs fan.

Wow, what was I smoking when I picked the Avs to make it to the finals this year? LOL! I guess that's the avs talk I am remembering. Jesus. The fuck??

Lidstrom is the most productive player in the league. He’s on a very short list of the most productive ever. So, yeah, he’s probably my favorite player as well.

P.S. No Avs talk unless its pent up Nordique anger.

are there any hartford whalers besides ron francis in the hall of fame?

http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsPlayersByTeam.jsp?team=Hartford+Whalers

(the hall of fame site is cool, I need to remember to poke around there a bit)

I’m curious, do you think Boston looking less terrible is due to me paying attention?

If there are NYC people reading this, would it be possible to pick up tickets for tomorrow night at the Garden?

Er, Friday that is.

the rangers are playing in florida on friday, so good luck

omg
http://bp1.blogger.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/R00dHYmBDXI/AAAAAAAAIGM/3epD_jdQ2Js/s1600-h/theboys.gif

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6663/theboyskc3.gif

sigh... we were all so young, once

jagr looks like a blow-up doll

that photo is exactly why hockey is great

Don Cherry's flower jacket (I think he wore it this past Saturday) is another reason why hockey is great.

After stinking for a while, the Sabres learned how to be pretty good w/o Drury or Briere.

The pic almost makes it look like they're wearing Cooperalls.

I've basically been a hermit from sports for the past week or two. Anything fun and exciting happening in the world of hockey?

Yes, the Devils came back from 3 goals down the other night to win in OT against Boston. And I happened to be in attendance.

Barry Melrose is visiting Newark for a tour from the mayor after saying not-so-nice things about it a few weeks ago. Then he'll go to the game, it's Scott Stevens night, which is fitting because they are playing the Caps.

the atlantic division is separated by four points

sens are coming back to earth

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/world-club-top-10-pride-of-the-bashkirs-not-quite-done-yet/

NYT hockey blog ranks the top 10 clubs in the world (not without a little controversy).

dudes! george parros!

http://www.tcsportzone.com/wild/images/nhl_g_parros_200.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Parros

While at Princeton, Parros majored in economics and wrote his senior thesis on the West Coast longshoremen's labor dispute

sens in not keeping insano-record shockah! meh. i find it difficult to care abt the game anymore which is sad :(

except for the hawks, weirdly, who i am rooting for in 2007-2008!

xpost WAOH that dude

yeah. he and mike peters (sabre who totally puts his dukes up when he fights) got into a rumble. it was A+. parros is my new favorite player.

OMG TOTAL LEFT COAST MELTDOWN FOR SABRES. Just when I think they have it figured out, the crash and burn in a really spectacular way.

also, i love that wikipedia article that has an entire section devoted to his moustache.

I love the hockeyfights.com comments. so funny.

SLGIHT EDGE TO PETERS PRETTY CLOSE FIGHT - I LIKE HOW PETERS FIGHT STANCE IS LIKE AN OLD 1940'S BOXER AND SAME TO PARRO'S MUSTACHE

I a few weeks ago I had a Brooks Orpik sighting. A friend of mine who went to Boston College with him said he and his buddies are religious Hockey Fights nerds.

P.S. The women he was with was stunning. Like blow-your-mind stunning.

P.S.S. I meant Rangers game on Sunday not Friday. Either way it was disappointing! The only redeemable quality was the high-percentage of hipster girls who look hot in jerseys two-sizes too big.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=J8M2SNe6siA

Play of the year?

i used to do that all the time when I played. Puck first, fuck what happens after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or8LPSJXjuQ

i don't even like joe thornton, but wau

guh how do you see anything that fast :O

@ Joe Thornton, amazing. Has to be luck though. Right?

So long streak, I hardly knew ya.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=271213005

http://espn.go.com/swf/eticket/doncherry/quote_6.jpg

lol waht?!?

dudes! wtf?! also, your tie does not match your jacket, CRAZY MAN. (as if that would stop him)

He kind of looks like a Maple Leaf version of the Riddler in that picture, awesome.

Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too

LEGEND

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Cherry_Maclean.jpg

http://www.skate2stick.com/wp-content/uploads/d-cherry.jpg

http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/03/frozen_inside040107.jpg

http://netcrashers.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/doncherry.jpg

P.S. http://espn.go.com/swf/eticket/doncherry/quote_12.jpg

P.S.S. FUCK YOU DON CHERRY

I like Cherry, funny guy. Clothes are priceless.

http://www.onfrozenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/cherry.jpg

That one happens to be true I believe

I remember when the Blackhawks used to prohibit their players from wearing visors, because they wanted to keep a roughneck image.

I remember the game when Clint Malarchuck got his throat slashed by someone from the opposing team's skate. I wonder what Mr. Cherry had to say about that.

Visor wouldn't have helped Clint there, in fact he was wearing a full goalie helmet. A hanging neck guard would have though. Those became commonplace afterwards. Thank god he survived that one, that was awful.

cherry probably thought he was a pussy for not finishing the game like a real hockey player

was that vs. the Blues? I seem to recall Steve Tuttle (?) doing that to someone. guy was kneeling on the ice with blood gushing from his throat. pretty raw.

^^just wiki'd it, and it was him.

Didn't they mandate that goalie helmets had to provide more protection after that happened? I seem to remember that the goalie helmets weren't that massive in the neck region before that.

Everything on goalies seems to have gotten bigger, not that I can blame them. I mean, hell, I wouldn't want that shit flying at me at high speeds, but this is another reason why I'm not in the NHL, and why I broke my leg the first time I ever went ice skating.

hah. mookie otm

I wanted a visor so bad when I used to play. All I got was a stupid cage that was not wide eonugh for my head and therefore squished it and gave me KILLER HEADACHES.

Was I drunk, or did Sir Don mock out Ron MacLean as a panty-waisted liberal last week? I mean, I was drunk, but did that also happen?

We need a Real Money Pool on whether Saturday's CBC Hockings Coverage has a Weeper on Leafs Fans in the Forces spending Christmas among the Heathens in Afghanistan, an angle which has been covered three years running. I say "yes" and I'll match all bets, up to $50 cumulative, that it happens. Loser pays postage.

Another great Coach's Corner last night!

1. Simon stomp on Ruutu is understandable!

2. "Natives" like Ted Nolan in whiner shocker! "Go get your own fair shake"!

3. Half of segment taken up with snitfit Cherry meltdown!

4. Fuck you, Santa! Happy birthday Baby Jesus!

‘We need a Real Money Pool on whether Saturday's CBC Hockings Coverage has a Weeper on Leafs Fans in the Forces spending Christmas among the Heathens in Afghanistan, an angle which has been covered three years running. I say "yes" and I'll match all bets, up to $50 cumulative, that it happens. Loser pays postage.’

I feel sorry for anyone who decides to take you up on that bet.

Also:

Don Cherry came to the defence of suspended New York Islanders forward Chris Simon on his popular Coach's Corner segment last night.

Cherry said on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada that he "understands" why Simon stomped on Pittsburgh Penguin Jarkko Ruutu's leg during a game last weekend. The incident led to Simon's 30-game suspension last Wednesday, the longest in NHL history for an on-ice incident.

"He broke the code, you never do anything like that, but you can understand it somehow," said Cherry.

"The last two incidents that he's done, he's got 55 games. You know how many games his victims missed? None. I'm not making excuses for it, but none."

"If Chris wanted to hurt him, he could have hurt him bad," said Cherry.

"Are you saying natives have an inferiority complex?" Cherry asked MacLean. "And when something happens to them ... go out and get your own fair shake in life and work for it. It wasn't racism that Ted Nolan didn't get the job. Him and (then-GM John) Muckler got at it, and that's why he didn't get the job. It wasn't racism, it was between him and the GM."

OK Don Cherry is great and all but that is just batshit.

Yeah. It was painful last night. I want less of this right wing Christian nutjobbery, and more of him calling players "Fric and Frac."

oh shit. that's not me.

there we go.

hahaha hockey thread secrets revealed

Also at this moment I'd like to say 26-7, suck it thread title.

when you get married, please hyphenate your ilx surnames

no! mr. pike exists! he just doesn't log out in a timely fashion.

molly mummenschanz-pike it will be!

also, can i just say how proud i am of my boys? it was a bit of a fight, but they whooped the flyers good the past two evenings. WE DON'T NEED YOU, BRIERE. (well, we wouldn't mind having you back, but the buffalo mgmt is too cheap)

In the most unsurprising move of the season, Lidstrom has signed an extension with the Wings. I see three more Norris Trophies in his future.

Best defenseman in the league, or best defenseman of all time?

http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2099014.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934A2752006EF5F0ED17B0BC3C8B5E53E05A5397277B4DC33E

i hope we stomp the wings AGAIN tonight and osgood cries more :D

1-0, we should have made a bet.

<i>"Best defenseman in the league, or best defenseman of all time?"</i>

While I am also a big fan of the way that Lidstrom plays the game, the best defenceman of all-time debate starts and ends with Robert Gordon Orr.

Make that, 2-0. ;P

While I am also a big fan of the way that Lidstrom plays the game, the best defenceman of all-time debate starts and ends with Robert Gordon Orr.

You are correct.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Orr.jpg

That photo never ceases to bring me great joy.

i was right in so much as there was a beatdown and it involved the dead wings

I’d be less inclined to gloat if the Wings didn’t completely embarrass your Blues. The Wings will hold onto their rust belt dominance.

season series is even, bud. :P

Datsyuk is a very good defensive player. He was shadowing Kariya a lot of the night and shut down a lot of Kariya's shifty passes that almost always work.

jimmy mod, what do you have to say for your los angeles kings, the worst team in the national hockey league?

Not NHL-related but I watched my alma mater (MTU Huskies) battle "#1" Michigan through three scoreless periods and one and a half overtimes in the Great Lakes Invitational final before finally conceding a goal. Winning that tournament would have been the biggest thing for the team in about 30 years. Oh well, at least they shitcanned Sparty.

Good to see the Wings can rack up some goals sans Zetterberg, too.

having just returned from the homeland, i can safely say buffalo is primed and ready for the winter classic, i.e. "The Ice Bowl", which shall be played at The Ralph (where the bills play) on new year's day. if the sabres continue to play like they have in the past 2 games (devil)s - total clunker, penguins - oy vey), it will be a comedy of errors.

dan m, who are you? Do I know you? So bizarre. Are you a Detroit person?

Molly, you should’ve stayed to go to the game and got one of the sweet throwback jerseys. I pray the Bruins get it next year. If not, I hope Detroit does and I’ll have a reason to fly out.

I'm from MI, but about as far away as you can get from Detroit and still be in the state. I'm living in Chicago now but will always be a Wings fan.

The promo that NBC’s running for the Winter Classic is excellent:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iMy720GQXOE

I thought about staying but tickets were like 100 bucks for the nosebleeds, and also sold out in a heartbeat.

They're even opening up the HSBC Arena for folks who couldn't get tickets, so they can watch the game for $5 on the jumbotron.

Also, it's going to be fucking freezing and everyone will be drunk and/or hungover. Yay, Buffalo!

Yeah! That promo! They did a bit on it during the last few Sabres' games. It was filmed in the meat locker at the HSBC Arena!

jimmy mod, what do you have to say for your los angeles kings, the worst team in the national hockey league?

-- mookieproof, Sunday, 30 December 2007 06:24 (Yesterday) Link

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/rgin/isitdre.jpg

kudos on thread title

coyotes pwnt

also, I think the title of my image is v v important.

OH BUMMERZ

http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2008/01/crosby_celeb010108_480x285.jpg

It was a great match and a great event overall but the Crosby is the next Howe, Orr, Gretzky speak was a bit much.

(Love the kid though!)

MOLLY U MUST CLICK THIS

(there will be sound)

lol

Hilarious

How about those Stars? Yeah, not so good.

OK. It might be possible the Senators are somewhat good.

hockey in HD might be the best thing ever

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/2619/oduya2pw0.jpg

heeeeee!

re: allstar game which i really didn't watch, b/c watching briere is like throwing salt on a very big wound. was anyone else sort of annoyed that they gave staal a freaking SUV? i mean, sure, he deserves to win something, but come on! give it to a non-sports professional who doesn't make a gagillion dollars. give it to some schlub in the audience! staal could buy like 10 of those without blinking an eye.

OK is there a free NHL live stream for people in Europe somewhere?

see here (requires free sopcast player and sometimes vlc)

see here (requires free sopcast player and sometimes vlc)

Holy shit! Good find!

Many thanks!

Just wanted to add that Montreal is now 1 point behind Ottawa... yeah yeah I ain't delusional and I know that we are not playoff-tested and we definitely are not ready yet for a serious run, but for a team that was predicted to finish 14th (and that was not so far-fetched given the question marks, like Kovalev and the young players on the team), we are sure ahead of even Gainey's schedule.

It is really poetry in motion watching this team run-'n-gun (which unfortunately doesn't work when we get hit... gotta work on that). Is there a more beautiful line to watch than Kovalev-Plekanec-Kostitsyn right now?

Pittsburgh Penguins car commercial

Has anyone noticed that everyone is bored talking about Detroit ... I've listened and watched several announcers literally talk about Detroit for no longer than 10 seconds summing it up by "yeah, yeah ... no one will catch up."

Kind of sucks.

Poor Zednik. I guess he's in stable condition though. Hopefully Molly was closing her eyes ... looked brutal.

that was a lot of blood

this has been a violent season, bros...

Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood./onion

http://assets.espn.go.com/media/apphoto/7df49963-c30e-49f9-8803-62d0f1055aa4.jpg

sens get commodore and stillman, whalers hurricanes get corvo and eaves

Canadiens players O'Byrne and Kostopoulos arrested in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Police say two Montreal Canadiens players have been arrested outside a Tampa nightclub.

The 23-year-old defenseman Ryan O'Byrne has been accused of stealing a woman's purse, and the 29-year-old right wing Thomas Kostopoulos has been charged with resisting an officer, a Tampa police report says.

wtf the league minimum is 450k

here's what's pissing me off (and did last year): fucken "division champions" being seeded third. as it currently stands, the caps are seeded #3, but if it were done straight by points, they'd be out of the playoffs.

i don't really care that much about them being in the playoffs, but the nhl is screwing nos. 4 & 5, who have to play each other, while seed #6 gets the capitools, ie there is an incentive to finish sixth rather than fourth or fifth (and at least the fourth seed gets home ice).

if you wanna guarantee the division winner a spot in the playoffs, then okay. but they should go in their natural slot, or eighth if it comes to that.

http://media.canada.com/gallery/Habs%20Game%20Photos/0221Habbiez08.jpg

yeah yeah

Welcome home!

http://www.nypost.com/news/2006photos/photo41.jpg

Trade Deadline Day!

i actually think that the prospal trade was good for both parties... i'm a fan of alex picard and as far as i remember 2008 is looking like a pretty deep draft year (not to mention every year it seems like more and more players are able to play right out of the gates thanks to that midwesthockey program, whatever it's called).

and toronto, LOL belak.

OH FUK BRIAN CAMPBELL TO SHARKS

wait it just disappeared tf

why are the leafs and panthers making a trade? lol belak indeed

ok i was watching the tsn online live trade ticker, and it showed brian campbell to sharks for "considerations," but literally like 5 seconds later it was gone. i dunno if it was an error or if they pulled it because hey weren't supposed to say it yet, or something, but wow, that'll probably be the big trade of the day

it's on their trade page now

the sabres got bernier and a 1st-rounder.

and that's mike richards to the stars. hotdamn

ERRRRR brad richards haha.

brad richards, and johan holmqvist to stars for mike smith (?), jeff halpern (??) and jussi jokinen (???)

huet to the caps wtf?

oh man i guess i don't need to act like a ticker, i mean really, you guys can read it, but i need to go WOAAAHHHHH @ christobal huet going to the capitals for... a second round draft pick? REALLY? xpost

'twas my reaction aswell.

better hope this is part of a bigger deal going down, but why the fuck not go with carey price. i also liked halak from last year, so i guess we'll see. a 2nd rounder is nothing, unless gainey is clearing the cap for two major acquisitions.

Sens pick up Marty from the Blackhawks, eh? I was hoping he'd go back to the Wings for a grind line reunion of sorts.

whoa, it's a 2009 second-rounder though, which is the year i was thinking about above (not 2008 as I originally thought). a bit more reading reveals that they might just get something good for that 2nd-round pick (although the trade still seems INSANE to me, at least worth a 2nd-round in 2008 AND 2009).

i'm not realy familiar with lapointe, should i particularly care that he's on the sens now?

I am not sure about their situation but if the Sens need a tough forward who is good on the forecheck, then you might care?

do the caps think they're so close that they can rent fedorov? UH

why not rent federov? they might even get a resign, if they want, he can't be worth $8m next year, and washington likes the guy, don't they?

penguins just went a little apeshit

seriously.

i guess montreal didn't really bring anything in after moving huet, huh :/

yeah yeah

waiting for the Avs to bring back Roy...

penguins clearly believe they have better than a puncher's chance this year...

kings had to dump aubin after ryan miller outdueled him in yo mama jokes

yeah but it was cloutier who was the one who got yo mama'd to death

huh. I thought it was cloutes in that commercial. anyway, good riddance.

My bold prediction at the beginning of the year when I said the Avs will do well SURPRISINGLY APT at the moment?

I'm taking everything one day at a time. I really don't want to meet the Av's in the first round.

I don't want to say anything either for fear of teh jinx.

Additionally: http://www.cafepress.com/fbettman.194852004

in the NHL you just say XXXXXX will win the stanley cup, and you have 1/30 odds, really. that shit is such a crapshoot it's unbelievable.

in the NHL you just say XXXXXX will win the stanley cup, and you have 1/30 odds, really. that shit is such a crapshoot it's unbelievable.

Ha, somewhat, yeah. The west is stacked and its always 4 or 5 teams competing and the east is so terrible it really is a crapshoot. My guess: Detroit/Montreal in the finals.

Bettman is somewhat of a disaster but at least his New York roots possibly guarantee the Winter Classic will be at Yankee Stadium next year.

One more reason to hate Chris Pronger, what a hack.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=92c91de5-d28d-4f77-962c-78bb21cbcacc&k=97885

daaaaamn

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nVIG7RMif6s

^that was on sportscenter tonight and had the anchors majorly cringing

The NCAA tournament is starting, here are the pairings

Albany (East)
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Niagara
No. 2 St. Cloud State vs. No. 3 Clarkson

Colorado Springs (West)
No. 1 New Hampshire vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
No. 2 Colorado College vs. No. 3 Michigan State

Madison (Midwest)
No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 Princeton
No. 2 Denver vs. No. 3 Wisconsin

Worcester (Northeast)
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 Air Force
No. 2 Boston College vs. No. 3 Minnesota

I pick a WCHA team to win it all, probably Colorado.

will ottawa even make the playoffs y/n

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/c33df457-bb67-4128-a9c0-274c02f91eff/wings.jpg

I pick a WCHA team to win it all, probably Colorado.

I'm loving ND, WI and BC but I'd go with the safe bet, ND.

Colorado totally fell apart, I don't know what I was thinking.

Oh yeah and go Wings! :D

can we talk a little bit about how the Caps game was not on TV last night (outside of DC/FLA)?

I can't believe this season

Since Ovechkin just ensured the Hart does this lock up the Norris for Lidstrom since he's out of the running for MVP?

Also, because its kind of neat this will likely be the third year where Datsyuk picks up the Lady Byng. Homeboy only has about 20 odd penalty minutes this season!

i think i might have said the same thing around this time last year, but hey props to the detroit red wings. i don't like them, i won't root for them (unless they play anaheim, anyway), but they are impressive.

they've been legitimate cup contenders for sixteen years, been first or second in their division since 1992, won three cups, won six president's trophies, have the octopus thing and play an attractive brand of hockey, unlike, say, the new jersey devils. so: good for you, wings, and go preds.

I've never met a Preds fan. Jordin Tootoo is actually a friend of a friend. Pretty good guy. Too bad your team is on its way to Hamilton! ;)

Kings lose best-chance to get #1 overall pick with last win of the season.

WAY TO GO DIPSHITS.

who was in fantasy hockey league? how did i get third when i didnt touch my team for like 7 years??

I largely avoided this thread for most of the season because I was so embarrassed by the Leafs and their 3rd consecutive disaster of a season. They weren't even smart enough to tank in the end and at least try to get a higher draft pick. It is a pretty good year, but 7th isn't a great spot to be choosing in. Toronto are now well on the way to becoming the Chicago Cubs of the NHL. I thought it was hilarious in 1994 when opposing fans would chant "Nineteen-FORTY" at the Rangers, well the it's not so funny now that people are chanting "Sixty-Seven" at the Leafs. Toronto deserves so much better.

Even though I've had trouble keeping up this season, I'm still as pro-Detroit as ever, though it's still a little strange to think of them as dominant after the Dead Things era of my childhood. Wings-love aside, it was nice to see the Blackhawks raise their game some this year, and I am genuinely interested in seeing how far Toews and Kane go as their careers progress. It would have been great for the city if they had managed to make the playoffs.

Anyone care to make picks?

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 MTL vs. 8 BOS
2 PIT vs. 7 OTT
3 WAS vs. 6 PHI
4 NJ vs. 5 NYR

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 DET vs. 8 NAS
2 SJ vs. 7 CGY
3 MIN vs. 6 COL
4 ANA vs. 5 DAL

mtl, pit, phi, nyr
det, sj, min, dal

East:
Montreal
Pittsburgh
Washington
New York

West:
Detroit
San Jose
Colorado
Anaheim

god i love the playoffs

East:
Montreal
Pittsburgh
Washington
New York

West:
Detroit
San Jose
Minnesota
Anaheim

Just watching the first Ottawa / Pittsburgh game, and the Sens look completely overmatched. The Penguins are not the same scared kids as last year. I thought that Ottawa might make a series of it and push it to 6, but unless they come out a lot harder in game 2, this one could be very short.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 MTL
2 PIT
3 WAS
4 NYR (CONTROVERSY)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 DET
2 SJ
6 COL (CONTROVERSY)
4 ANA vs. 5 DAL (I DON'T KNOW WHO I HATE MORE)

Also, it occurs to me that Malkin looks like everything Lindros SHOULD have been, if a seasons' worth of work is to be believed...

why did the sens get rid of joe corvo? i recall him being a terror against the penguins last year.

malkin doesn't play quite the physical game that lindros did. maybe ovechkin is what lindros should have been, except ovechkin is better than that already.

ovechkin is ovechkin... I can imagine watching him now is how people watched Rocket Richard in the 40's and 50's...

I think he's technically superior to Lindros, but, yeah, maybe I'm thinking more Lemieux when I see Malkin. I though I think Malkin is more willing to smear dudes if pushed than pass off the role of Punisher to, like, Laraque or some shit.

gerber looked like shit last night. the sooner they figure out what the fuck is wrong with emery, and get him in the net playing his playoff game, the better.

the picks i had for the first round for my hockey pool were all the top seeds, except ottawa over pittsburgh (because nobody else would), and colorado over minnesota.

ottawa over pittsburgh (because nobody else would)

lol one of my friends picked the same, he hates the media fawning over Crosby for some reason.

Also lol - Gomez getting 3 assists against NJ.

lol ryan whitney (!) beating down wade redden

um, wow

http://www.russiatoday.ru/sports/news/23301

Russian league set to rival NHL
Ice hockey chiefs in Russia are predicting the sports new continental league will be a huge success in its first year and may even rival NHL.

I like the idea of naming divisions after old players, reminds me of the Norris, Smythe, Patrick, and Adams.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7205/sykoradz8.jpg

poor gerber...

Red Wings look horrifying to play against...

...It's a shame Price has such a gay mask...

OW

http://allthingsphillysports.blogspot.com/2008/04/thoreson-may-require-surgery-in-very.html

If both the Ducks and Sharks exit in the first round will anyone be able to beat the Wings?

jerome iginla finds your lack of faith disturbing

Damn. This should have been an out in 4 series.

lol hasek
lol chelios making terrible change
lol preds injuring arnott in celebration

sens anthem singer = awesome

What an end to a game. The Predators rapid fire goals leave me speechless.

As soon as I saw the guy run into Arnott, I knew he would be hurt. That was pretty much boarding!

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/4d/fullj.029830bca40554f4df0360f536bbdb7f/029830bca40554f4df0360f536bbdb7f-getty-80520891pm019_penguins_sens.jpg

sonned

lol hasek again

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8399/shake2ed3.jpg

lol red wings completely and utterly dominating the preds for 59 minutes and now going to overtime

dan ellis = beast

I have been watching Wings/Avalanche 1997 fight videos on youtube and I really want to deck someone at the moment. So excited you guys.

Yeah, I found myself watching those in the beginning of the season. Any predictions?

I have Wings in 6.

If they down Colorado in 4 games I will be the happiest 30-year-old boy on my block. But really 5-6 games is more realistic based on what I saw of the Avs/Wild series.

Also this jerkass I used to play junior hockey with plays D for the Avs now, and I would love to see Draper just leave him in the dust for a breakaway goal.

avs should sign claude lemieux to a two-week contract.

wings should be fine if they stick with osgood.

penguins-rangers omg

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/131/jagoff68zi7.jpg

They should have started Osgood to begin with. Hasek is not the Chris Chelios of goaltending.

I have no idea what's more exciting TV: Spurs and Suns or Avs and Wings. My girlfriend is going to absolutely hate me after this week.

I just watched the full brawl again. That game has to rank in one of the most memorable NHL games of all time, right?

The best part is when McCarty scores FTW.

well that was a pretty dominant period by the red things

What a finish. I love Ozzie.

Wanna see Mtl-Pit in Eastern finals 'cause that will be an outstanding high-flying series... would like to see Mtl-NYR to see Avery vs Komisarek in the battle of Men Who Dated Elisha Cuthbert.

btw, what are yr picks for Round 2?

Mtl (gotta pull for the home team... very concerned however about Markov's lack of actually showing up)
Pit (tho very very hard series to pick - will think that this is Fleury's coming out party and he will outplay Lundqvist)

Det (i'm assuming Col's not gonna be 100% healthy in time, otherwise i'd pick them for the upset)
Dal (still a Thornton non-believer... btw, for all the flack Marleau has taken, that jumping out of the way of a goal's not gonna win over the doubters, innit?)

Montreal, Pittsburgh
Detroit, San Jose

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3581/73783467vj7.jpg

Daily News reports Steve Avery went into cardiac arrest last night. He's in ICU>

Karma for wanting to intern at Vogue.

Karma for wanting to intern at Vogue.

What's wrong with Vogue?

So, will we see three sweeps this round?

Wow, I was just reading this article about Avery:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/04/28/080428ta_talk_paumgarten

Anyone got odds on his condition being cocaine-related? I'd like to see him get flattened by McCarty.

As a Devil fan, I can't stand Avery, but obviously don't want to see anything like this happen. Steve, get well soon so we can kick your ass next season.

I could be described as an Avery defender, but he does remind me of old time hockey which is refreshing these days.

There was another interesting piece in the Times Magazine a few months ago, maybe longer, about his apartment and his lifestyle. I think its clear he represents a new generation of hockey fans, hell, this year I noticed a high percentage of attractive hipster girls attending matches. Maybe Avery has something to do with that.

I should admit I am a defender of dirty players. I am one of few long time Bruce Bowen fans. Perhaps its the rugger in me.

I was just watching some Joe Kocur youtube stuff last night, though he wasn't so much dirty as destructive.

What's wrong with Vogue?

It's for fashion nazis! I usually like brawlers and dirty players but anybody who aspires to be Anna Wintour is clearly crazy and/or evil.

there are devils fans?!?

I know right?

BTW Avery ruptured his spleen in the game last night!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ii_MoMoLXRLThVCiG2a7MLhjYfiwD90CFPJ00

Wow. I take back the coke zing.

er, lacerated

The second and third Detroit goals last night were truly beautiful. The periodic shots of the crowd as the game went on alllllmost made me feel sympathy for the Avs, but fuck that. Bring on Norm Green's folly.

"there are devils fans?!?"

yes

this sharks-stars overtime is insane

New prediction time!

Penguins/Wings

The Stars are a team of destiny by they are easily outmatched by the Wings even with Turco playing as well as he has. The NHL will do anything to get Crosby in the finals but that shouldn't matter all that much considering I bet many of us are shocked the Flyers have made the conference finals.

Anyone care to make a prediction about the Adams? I'm going to say Boudreau will pick it up since no one wants to watch the Wings pick up nearly all the silver though it should be clear Babcock deserves especially considering the Capitals early exit.

God, I love this time of year!

Christ, I swear I wasn't drunk when I wrote that.

God, I love this time of year!

-- Mr. Goodman, Monday, May 5, 2008 10:18 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

(pissed I missed the game last night though)

The teams I cared about this year:

#1 Chicago-- didn't make playoffs (but Philly did)
#2 Washington-- killed by Philly
#3 Montreal-- killed by Philly

That team better stop getting bullshit bounces this postseason because I am getting ANNOYED w/ them

the caps lost in overtime of game seven! that isn't killed.

nevertheless, it couldn't have happened to a better fanbase

http://imgsrv.971theticket.com/image/wxyt/UserFiles/Image/Avs_Mistakes.JPG

hahahahha

ok the red wings are awesome

yeah. pens/wings will be awesome

i'm glad that it's at least two fucking cities where they care about hockey... i was getting sick of this tampa - raleigh - los angeles shit.

So OTM. I wouldn't even have watched the Finals this year if SJ or the Duckies had made it again (OK basically any team from the west). Maaaybe if they got the hurt put on them by the Pens or Habs.

lol marty biron

they so deserve it too

lol penguins

those were some weak-ass goals he let in...

Lord Stanley's Cup, plz.

I'm going to be back home in MI on Saturday and can't wait to watch the game with a couple of old-time bros.

was marty turco even trying to stop zetterberg on that shortie last night?

i think marty turco knows his limits at this point.

lol

I still can't get over Draper scoring off his FACE and coming back to play the rest of the game.

MYTH: Chris Draper was a handsome man before Claude lemieux smashed his face in.

Here we go!

that nhl commercial with the still pictures is pretty sweet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYwA9s-hjMs

:)

that was unpromising

The Pens came out of the gate strong, but Detroit just took over in the 2nd period. Still, I think the kids will be alright. Malkin needs to snap out of the funk he's been in since early last series though.

pens came out of the gate strong because they had four (well, three and a little) power plays in the first. seven shots in the last 40 minutes isn't going to get it done, and their general inability to get the puck out of their own zone or in to the detroit zone were telling. the red wings seem to be forechecking with two guys most of the time, but yet no penguins are ever open and the other three wings are still standing people up at their own blue line.

lol chelios being scratched though. it is time for him to get on with his life's work.

that was unpromising

^^^^

Wow. This Pens team looks terrible. They shouldn't even be on the same ice as this Wings club.

i mean, im conceptually ok w/ detroit winning, id just rather see the pens win.

pwnage ;_;

More than I could have asked for so far.

i am embarrassed by the gratuitous punching of franzen's head, too. at least no one has fired a slapshot at him a la alfie yet, i guess

Pens got bitch slapped.

yeah, these games have not been close. My friends were whining all year, 'Detroit's just so good because they get to play St Louis and Columbus and Chicago all year. If Vancouver had that kind of competition, we'd look just as good!" Yeah, no, Detroit is actually really good.

I feel bad for Pittsburgh - they've made some rough errors, like the Malkin turnover on that first goal tonight. It all stems back to Fleury falling down at the beginning of game one ;_;

So, I wonder if we’re witnessing the death of ‘playing the Canadian way’ that Cherry and others were predicting post-strike. Not one Wing enforced Roberts against his unnecessary play on Franzen and Datsyuk! Completely bizarre. The game almost felt football-like.

So if this is the legitimate beginning of European dominance, is it a good thing? I’m sort of into it (at least for the moment).

Also, while Malkin has disappeared the last two games they need a changeup and start creating offense that benefits him rather than Crosby (who I’ve never seen look more frustrated than he did last night). Crosby is not going to win this series (much to the dismay of the NHL).

I was wondering why no one was out to avenge Franzen, in particular. I guess being up 3-0 is enough to keep guys like McCarty from regulating. If the score was reversed or tied I'd bet things would have been a little different.

Also, despite being European Datsyuk is a pretty physical player, though I'm sure Don Cherry would have a hard time admitting as much.

malkin has actually been missing since the first game of the conference finals, but it didn't matter that much because, well, it was against the flyers.

the Red Wings seem to have a lot of physical Europeans. Kronwall, for instance, was claimed the other night to be the best open-ice hitting defenceman since Stevens.

the whole europeans-are-soft stuff may never have been true and it certainly isn't now

penguins are doing a lot of crying. roberts said he might have bumped him with his shoulder.

the whole europeans-are-soft stuff may never have been true and it certainly isn't now
I agree, and hope that we can finally get past it; part of why I'm rooting for the Red Wings.

I am watching this game on NASN. I have no fucking clue what is going on, but I have seen two goals so I am happy. The crowd are in good voice.

that game shortened my life by several weeks

Gah, mine too...

Hey, we're talking about it in the Chi. thread, so I thought you guys might be interested in the idea of Blackhawks v. Red Wings @ Wrigley Field.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/976961,CST-SPT-hawk29.article

needs one more year before the blackhawks can really compete with them. maybe

at some point during that stretch from like 10 to 5 minutes left in the third (we were still waiting to see a replay of that wings' shot off the post) i just started muttering 'playoff hockey'. it is so awesome.

Oh yeah, the last half of the period was some of the most frantic end-to-end play I've seen in a long time.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4882/45187727ss8.jpg

That 5-3 was probably the series, wunnit?

yeah it had that sort of terminal feel

peace out Pittsburgh

Playoff fucking hockey. My stomach was kind of hurting for a while in the 3rd.

email I received from my ten-year-old niece in 20-point red font:

Hello! Have you seen the Red Wings?! They're crushing those penguins in the dirt. Or even the mud. At any rate at least they're winning. They'll win then we'll all have a big parade then everyone's happy. Well that's exactly what's suppose to happen at least. We'll be happy. At least something good is happening at Detroit. That's good now isn't it. I mean you get your stocks from us. Maybe we'll get better. That's what suppose to happen right now we have the great depression at Detroit right now. Sad sad story. My school isn't doing so well either. We're losing money that we can't evern get paper. We aren't doing as many of the fun things as we always do. It's not just us IT HAPPENING EVERYWHERE! WE ARE FAILING WE'RE NOT THE CITY WE ONCE WERE! I just think the font I'm using is setting the right mood. Don't you think? This font is soo... cool. Wait that's not I was talking about in the beguining. Oh well. They say they call this font chiller. I didn't get it at first but now I get it! If something bad is going on I can scare people with it. They don't scared real easily. Oh well. BUT WE ARE FAILING. DETROIT IS NO LONGER WHAT IT SHOULD! WE'LL BE DOOMED. Did you get the mood I was in? See? It works at least. But I really want the Red Wings tio win badly. They're a great team. They will win. I'm going to make sure of that. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. But there's a way. Ehhhh...... no. Maybe I can';t do something but I hope they win. GO RED WINGS!

http://www.fontfiles.com/Fonts/C/chiller.gif

that email is amazing.

OMG WHAT A SWEET FUCKING GOAL

Kronwall to teammates: "MY BAD YO"

Oh thanks Will. I can see see how Chiller font would be pretty effin' scary.

They will win. I'm going to make sure of that.

She's going to make sure of that.

fuck a 6 AM call time :-\

JESUS the last 6 min of the 2nd O_O

Was it Malone who took the puck to the face? Ow.

Yeah "Ow" isn't enough.

WOOOO NICE ONE STEVE TALBOT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the crowd singing Don't Stop Believin' a capella made the song not gay again, however.

JtM what's yr day job - you got van call in the morning or what?

yeah basically. :(

omg O_O

i should be asleep right now

are you driving tomorrow y/n I don't want to read abt Jimmy the Mod's tragic demise

i wonder if Fleury is like "a little help here?!?" in the locker room.

not driving. interviewing k1551ng3r

oh man no sweat! you know that dude is glued to the set right now

bnw otm btw. "you guys see those things Detroit's taking? they're called shots on goal."

i blame felicity's niece

Christ.

holy shit right

I like all the bandwagoners in this thread.

nothing new about my hatred for the red wings

xpost yeah it's totally weird how people get more excited during that finals that the reg season, who'd've thunk it

lol that was some messier shit

w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000t

sigh

i was honestly thinking "how have they (da wings) not won yet" for the whole 3rd ot.

I mean, it was one of the best games I've seen in 22 years of watching the Wings but still... sigh.

xp yeah that was me in the first

wau called shot is beyond messier.

Great game. Getting three hours of sleep after watching both the Red Wings and the Tigers lose by one: not so great.

It is obvious I just started paying attention to hockey last night because that was when I first posted on this message board in this thread.

best game I've watched since that multi-OT Flyers/Penguins game in I think '02

2000, you old coot

guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW8o65kzVdw

bettman has parkinsons' or MS or something.

Oh and congratulations to Detroit -- that team is fantastic. And the last 20 seconds of the season were like o_o

well

bummed, obviously, but i think the better team won. proud of the pens for fighting back time after time. imagine if that hossa tip had gone in only to be ruled after the horn? anyway, congrats dan m. + wings fans

also, everyone needs to check that youtube link ^^^^

I never doubted them for a second tonight until Datsyuk lost the puck at center ice right at the end. Then my dad called me and said "it's like it's a movie".

I hope I would be able to say this even if the Wings hadn't won, but this final restored some of my faith in the playoffs after what seemed like a few years of lopsided or lame matchups. Two top teams from good hockey cities was really cool, and tons of credit is due to the Penguins for sure.

That song is awesome, who says Detroit's music scene is all garage rock, techno, and ICP?

Also Osgood's interview (on NBC) was incredibly heartfelt and kind of awkward.

i think datsyuk got tripped on that play, but hey who's counting

thank god, at least, that the cup is finally out of the fuckin sunbelt

happy for Dallas Drake, that's about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEoU8GdSisg&feature=related

It's not too hard to imagine Mickey Redmond choking a dude out in this situation.

what am i supposed to do in the evenings now

lol my parents asked the same question. I told them to watch Euro 2008 and/or MLS.

Good news for Sens fans... Redden's done in Ottawa. Huzzah!

Is there an off season thread yet?

Dont think so, last year the offseason stuff ended the thread, and once it was in "preview next year" mode we sarted a new thread.

tanguay to mtl
jokkinen from florida to phoenix (who cares)
umberger to columbus

as stanley cup champion, dan m should start a new thread

Jimmy Mod took care of it already

YOUR NHL 2008-2009 THREAD (INCLUDING DETROIT CUP HANGOVER OFFSEASON SHENANIGANS. HOCKEY IS THE BEST)