2007/2008 Hockey Thread

[Toe]

Watched Buffalo/Pittsburgh today, solid game. The NHL must have gotten the exact finish they wanted, eh?

[The Sultan of Swank]

Yeah, but the league got big time coverage for this and it went down to a tremendously exciting form to finish, and then the icing on the cake (for the league, not myself) was Crosby scoring the shootout winner.

[Cactus Drags]

I had to wait till NASN screened it as-live today, but I enjoyed it (even if I hate knowing the score of the game I'm watching). Amazed at the high spirits the crowd were in, how loud they were given the cold and the distance from the rink.

One thing I was unclear of was when they started mentioning the long change towards the end of the game, particularly when they were swapping ends in the 3rd and OT. I presume it has something to do with distance to the bench when they're changing lines, but surely it's the same for both teams?

[Plubby]

It was because of the snow - which I believe was worse at one end.

[SeanDMan]

The reason for the long change is that instead of having your bench at your blueline, it is instead at the other blue line. Thus players have to cross the entire nuetral zone in order to change on the fly, hence, the long change. In the NHL, the second period is always a long change and the first and third periods are always normal changes. The REASON why they did it mid period is because outside, there is wind, which can affect the directionality of the snow and thus can leave one side more heavily coated then the other, hence it was determined, before game, that they would switch mid period. The reason it became a problem is because Pittsburgh went into overtime and had to kill a penalty with the long change. In the normal NHL overtime is played the same way as the third period, without any side switching, but because they had switched sides halfway into the third in this game, following that meant that they started with the long change on, which is MURDER for a penalty killer. It was a coincidental disadvantage.

In any case, OMGWTFKRISLETANG. That shit was criminal, homes.

[Cactus Drags]

So I was right, ordinarily there wouldn't be an advantage to either team, as they both have the long change, it was purely because of the conditions and that Pittsburgh were on the PK when they switched. Cheers.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal's back home tonight... where we're tied for fewest wins in the league. The last three games we've played outstandingly well. The only rough patch was straying from the game plan in the third against the Rangers.

If we can continue to play like we did in the last 3, it shouldn't be exceedingly hard to dismantle Tampa again.

[Toe]

Montreal's back home tonight... where we're tied for fewest wins in the league. The last three games we've played outstandingly well. The only rough patch was straying from the game plan in the third against the Rangers.

If we can continue to play like we did in the last 3, it shouldn't be exceedingly hard to dismantle Tampa again.

[Toe]

Leafs played like puke tonight.

Halfway done now. The way I see it, Toronto needs to win 25 of their remaining 41 games to get to 100 points and an almost guaranteed playoff spot (this assumes they can pick up another point or two in losses as well). 22 wins would put them into a position to compete for a playoff spot, but that would be close.

If Toskala is healthy, and all reports say he is pretty much ready now, then I think we have a shot. Toronto did not make it easy on themselves though.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Toe

[Plubby]

Smyth's out for 8 weeks with a broken ankle. Great, just when we needed another injury too

[Ananas]

Fuck the playoffs. Let's play for the Steve Stamkos sweepstakes. At least then we might have some young prospects worth playing. 8th place only gives the executives an excuse not to change anything.

[Clawson]

You mean you don't like watching a team dominate in the first then just decide to stop skating come the second!? Blasphemy. <_

[Ananas]

I don't watching like this team at all. Let's ride out the season with Bell, Belak and Tucker on the first line. If you can't beat the best, at least try to physically hurt the best.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal wins convincingly... Ryder puts 2 in... that's 3 in his last 3 games now. He and Higgins had 3 points each playing against the top line from Tampa.

The Lightning showed some fight making it a 3-3 game, but the whole team has seemed to suddenly bought into the team game we've been playing the last 4 games. 7 of 8 points in that stretch... it's not much, but it's a start. If they can keep up this kind of play, they'll be none of this 8th place sweeps against 6 other teams nonsense, we'll sit high and mighty in the top 5... hopefullly.

I got tickets to the Ovechkin show comming to town tomorrow afternoon, should be fun.

[Guest Grapehead]

Anyone who is not watching the WJC today gets deported!!!

[Toe]

The US just created a huge flurry of offence in front of the Canadian net in the first 35 seconds, and luckily Steve Mason was ready.

Also, anyone with the NHL network gets this game, even in the United States.

We don't need the Leafs to go into the cellar to become a better team. We need a healthy line-up, we need a general manager who is willing to make a trade or two, and we need to start drafting smart and keeping our first round picks.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Toe

[Clawson]

We need Bryan McCabe. I think anybody who hates him should just be given a spreadsheet of how this team has done without him and have it shoven up their ass.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

That wasn't even close

On an semi-related note, Steve Mason has been traded from London to Kitchener. Since we were already top-ranked in the country, and now we have the best goalie in the OHL...well, we'd have got the Memorial Cup berth even if we weren't hosting.

[Cactus Drags]

So, the Avs lose Sakic for 2 months after hernia surgery, and now Smythy's on the shelf for about the same amount of time. Stastny really needs to step up now, he hasn't scored in his last 7-odd games. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of TJ Hensick too.

[Gabriel]

I still think that Bernier should have started for Canada, and that he should be in net for the Gold medal game, but Mason really stepped up and played a hell of a game for us. He'll get the start tomorrow, and I'm fine with that. He's a great goalie. I just think Bernier handles the pressure situations a lot better, and is much less likely to give up a soft goal.

That said, Mason is lucky there was no scoring in the first period. He made three or four huge fuck-ups handling the puck when he shouldn't have. It's great that he's a puckhandling goalie... but when you have an aggressive team that loves to forecheck playing against you, the last thing you should be doing is playing the puck when they have a man or two inside of the blue line. He almost handed them the game in the first period, and he's lucky he made it out of that.

Canada played its' best team game of the tournament. At the end of the game, I couldn't decide who the Canadian Player of the Game should be. The whole team played well, and I'm proud of the guys.

Too many goalies have those fucking pads though. They're cool enough on the first dozen guys who wear them, but anytime I see a different set, I get excited now. Are those like, the most specially awesome supertastic goalie pads this year?