2006/2007 Hockey Season Thread

[Guest Grapehead]

The undisputed best defensive corps in the league -> Raycroft and his compatriots not having as much work -> less goals conceded -> less pressure on the offense -> more wins.

[Clawson]

Plus we would have had to have given up Kabs to get Pronger.

Niedermeyer>Pronger=Kaberle>McCabe

[The Sultan of Swank]

Everything plays out as I hoped. Montreal bags their 4th straight win. Toppling the best team in the Eastern Conference by a score of 5-2. Higgins nets 2, Lapierre scores another(4th consecutive game with a point, 4 NHL games played), Plekanec another, and Kovalevski gets one. The second line of Kovalev, Samsanov and Plecks has really picked it up lately, especially Samsanov.

Toronto goes down to the Panthers, and the other threat to Montreal in the Northeast, the Sens, lose as well. I'm more afraid of the Sens catching the Habs then Toronto.

Montreal is now 5 points behind the top spot in the division and conference. 9 up on Toronto and 10 up on Ottawa. Games against Philly, Bruins, Caps, Panthers and Lightning to close out the month. I'm predicting 2-2-1 record for that strech. Losses to Philly, Washington and Florida.

[Toe]

Well, I guess if your team beats another team 9-2, then your due for a thrashing yourself.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal in Buffalo tonight. If we win, we've got a realistic shot at catching the Sabres, and putting some distance between ourselves and the logjam that is the Eastern Conference. If we lose, well, let's not think that way.

I concur, you can't think about losing. Thinking about certainties always depresses people; I get depressed when I think about death.

[Toe]

Montreal is on fire.

There awesome play makes it seem funny that in my EHM game, Guy was just fired as coach and the team only has 9 wins (I think) at this point of the season.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Yeah, in all my EHM games, Montreal is either barely able to hold on to a playoff spot, or 14th in the league. Similarly Toronto is either one of the top teams or 15th, never anywhere in the middle.

[Toe]

I am really wanting to see a Toronto/Montreal playoff series.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I think it'd go 7, and as much as I hate Toronto, their chance of winning would be just as good as Montreal's. Montreal seems to bring out the best in the Leafs... unfortunately.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Basha

[Clawson]

Well for the first two periods atleast.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Apparently an Ottawa paper recently said that if Montreal wanted to keep on to their playoff hopes, they're looking to land Federov for Niinimaa and Bonk as they're dissapointed with both. Besides the fact that Montreal is currently a top 5 team in the NHL(even if it IS only 33 games in) Bonk has been one of our best players this season, with a +10(which is rare in Montreal) and has been the key piece of our Checking like. Also I don't think ruining our salary structure with a 6 Million dollar contract is in the cards, and I certainly don't believe that interim GM Pierre Gauthier is going to be making any blockbuster deals.

Philly tonight, going for 5 in a row.

[The Sultan of Swank]

4-2 over Philly tonight. That's 5 in a row now. Too bad Buffalo is going to win tonight or else we'd be within 5 of them. Oh well. I think that's 11 over Toronto now.

[Guest Grapehead]

Ottawa drops another one they should've had. Ugh... I am completely miserable EWB!

[Toe]

I was miserable during that seven game skid. I know how you feel.

Federov would not be a wise move. He is not worth his $6 000 000 contract, Bonk is as good defensively as he is, and Montreal is doing well as is. I could see Niinamaa leaving town, but not in a deal for Federov.

Edited December 22, 2006 by desiredtoe

[The Sultan of Swank]

Personally, with the players we have now, and comming up aswell. I think Montreal will trade Rivet, Sign Souray and Markov and let Niinimaa go to Free Agency. Those 4 defencemen have their contracts up at the end of the year.

Souray has 31 points(12G 19A) and Markov has 25 points(3G 22A), also, Markov is far and away our best defender, and Souray has adapted well to the new NHL after that abysmal season last year. Hell he's on pace for 30 goals and 46 assists this season.

So 5 in a row now, the Flyers goalie was incredible last night, easily could have been 4-0 going into the first intermission. Game on Saturday in Boston, I think that'll be the end of our streak. I'm suprised with their recent run of sucesses, we've got points in each of our last 8 games and have only lost in regulation once this month while posting a 7-1-2 record. Not bad.

[lari]

Vandermeer takes out Peca early on in the Hawks/Leafs game.

[Clawson]

5 minute major and we already have 1 goal on it.

The Vandermeer hit wasnt really dirty but other than that it looks like the Hawks are more interested in hurting people then actually scoring.

Edited December 23, 2006 by Clawson

[lari]

That wasn't worth 5+game. The penalty totally turned the game around. Hawks were all over the Leafs before that.

[lari]

1-1 after two. Refereeing has been awful to say the least. Phantom calls against the Hawks and unbe-credible no-calls for Leaf infractions.

EDIT: BONZAI!!!! #500

Edited December 23, 2006 by lari

[Toe]

I wouldn't say there was anything wrong with the referee in the game, as that is how they have been calling things for almost a year and a half now.

No Wellwood, no Ponikarovsky, and now no Peca. Toronto had plenty of chances when it was 1-0 and when it was 1-1 to take control, but they couldn't. Toronto did a good job of shutting down Havlat too. If a team takes so many penalties, you need to take advantage. When you have a good powerplay, you should be able to take advantage.

Toronto is in the shitter right now. Things need to turn around soon, because for good while now they have just been spinning the tires. Giving up leads, mediocre goaltending, and some bad turnovers have killed what was an amazing start to the season for the team. Now Toronto is playing to expectations - missing the playoffs.

EDIT - The only good thing I see from that loss was Bondra scoring #500. And not just him scoring that goal, but the way the fans treated it despite Bondra just joining the team on what, the 10th? Chicago is doing better and it is great to see a good crowd in there.

Edited December 23, 2006 by desiredtoe