2007/2008 Hockey Thread

[The Sultan of Swank]

Bah! There's no winning against any combination of Kozlov, Kovalchuk and Hossa in a shootout.

[Clawson]

If I coached Montreal I'd tell the team to get the puck out of bounds with like 5 seconds left in overtime with Huet in net just to get Price in for shootouts.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Yeah, Huet need to learn that the player is eventually going to shoot the puck and maybe he should move appropriately.

[Gabriel]

The one bad thing I picked out of last night's Flames game was the Power Play. They generate chances, but is Mike Keenan going to shoot them in the eyes if they don't complete all seven passes involved in the set play they're running? Seriously... Daymond Langkow was right beside the net, completely open, with tons of time and room to move out and get a quality scoring opportunity...but instead, he passed it, it got passed again, and the play ended.

Guys need to be greedier when there's an opportunity. Instead of looking for the pass, they should be thinking about whether or not they have a chance. If you can get a quality shot, take it. If you can't, make a pass to someone who can. Don't pass the puck because the play was designed that way. That goes for a lot of teams and players too. I saw it happen a handful of times tonight.

The double header tonight... again, was fucking awesome. Bryzgalov is the franchise goalie that Phoenix has been waiting for. They need to lock him up long term.

[Guest Grapehead]

If I coached Montreal I'd tell the team to get the puck out of bounds with like 5 seconds left in overtime with Huet in net just to get Price in for shootouts.

[Clawson]

Price is amazing at shootouts and I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be the best at them someday.

[Toe]

Steen and Stajan have been solid offensively and defensively this season, and both are restricted free agents at the end of the year. Wellwood as well.

[Clawson]

Steen and Stajan have been solid offensively and defensively this season, and both are restricted free agents at the end of the year. Wellwood as well.

[Gabriel]

Steen and Stajan have been solid offensively and defensively this season, and both are restricted free agents at the end of the year. Wellwood as well.

We should sign them over Christmas before they get even better and want more moolah. And before Kevin Lowe offers them 7 million each.

[The Sultan of Swank]

He'd do that, because Huet has even admitted to the press, that he fucking sucks a dick at the Shootout.

[Toe]

Steen and Stajan have been solid offensively and defensively this season, and both are restricted free agents at the end of the year. Wellwood as well.

We should sign them over Christmas before they get even better and want more moolah. And before Kevin Lowe offers them 7 million each.

[Gabriel]

They might not get Vanek or Penner style offers by any means... but it's a great way to up your income if you're not too worried about staying where you are... and honestly, Toronto's in such a place right now, that if I'm anyone who doesn't have a no trade clause, I'm always worried about being moved.

They seem to be one bad decision or really shitty run away from completely trying to rebuild.

[Clawson]

They seem to be one bad decision or really shitty run away from completely trying to rebuild.

[Toe]

They might not get Vanek or Penner style offers by any means... but it's a great way to up your income if you're not too worried about staying where you are... and honestly, Toronto's in such a place right now, that if I'm anyone who doesn't have a no trade clause, I'm always worried about being moved.

They seem to be one bad decision or really shitty run away from completely trying to rebuild.

[Toe]

Speaking about letting players go.....what about Mike Ribierio?

[Gabriel]

Well, we're at the Christmas break, so I'm going to take a look at the top 8 from each conference that I predicted at the beginning of the year.

Western Conference:

1. Vancouver

-Tied for first place in the Northwest Division right now. Most likely will not manage to get first in the conference like I predicted, but in a very competitive Northwest division, the Canucks are very capable of a 2nd or 3rd place finish.

2. Detroit

-First place in the entire league with 55 points at the Christmas break. The Red Wings have been dominant this year again, and owe that in large part to the outstanding performance of Chris Osgood when Hasek went down...again. It also doesn't hurt that Henrik Zetterberg is on pace for more than 50 goals this year.

3. San Jose

-Currently in 6th in the West. If the Sharks can't improve their game at home (6-9-3), they will find themselves battling just to even make the playoffs. Coming into the season, they were a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup, but a mediocre performance from everyone but Evgeni Nabokov, has left them clawing to keep above water. With several young and hungry teams close by beneath them, the Sharks could end up on the outside looking in if they don't shape up soon.

4. Calgary

-Seventh in the conference, but after a slow start, the Flames are coming off of a six game winning streak, ended in an Overtime loss in their last game before Christmas. 13 of a possible 14 points in their last seven games makes the rest of the season look brighter than the opening months. The Flames are likely to make the playoffs, but their positioning will be determined by whether or not they can stay consistent down the stretch.

5. Anaheim

-The defending Champions sit in eight place at the break. Did anyone see that coming? I mean, other than Carolina and Tampa Bay. The Hockey News predicted a repeat season. As did I. The Ducks have Niedermayer back with the club, but time will tell whether that will be enough to help elevate their game. Has winning the Stanley Cup become a curse?

6. Minnesota

-One higher than I predicted, the Wild find themselves in fifth place. You don't hear much about them unless Gaborik scores five goals, but Minnesota is a well rounded team with the potential to be a sleeper pick for a run at the Cup.

7. Colorado

-Tied for first in the Northwest. Four of the five Northwest division teams are currently in the top eight, and Colorado needs to take a cue from Stella and get their groove back. If they don't, they run the risk of dropping as low as fourth in the division before the season is through.

8. Dallas

-Positioned in second place, the Stars have been a surprise this year, for me personally. Their best years are behind them at this point, but better years could be ahead of them as well. Marty Turco and Mike Smith have been a formidable duo in net, and Brendan Morrow is doing a tremendous job with the Captaincy in the shadow of Mike Modano. Speaking of Modano, despite becoming the leading American point scorer in NHL history, he's had a somewhat quiet year. That's not to say it's hampering the team though, as players such as Mike Ribeiro are picking up where Modano is leaving off.

So, the good news is that I'm 8 for 8 in terms of who is in playoff contention at the break. The bad news is, some of the teams I thought would dominate their conference this year are underachieving badly.

I'll do the Eastern Conference later.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal takes a 5-2 decision. We rocked the shit outta Tampa tonight.

[Toe]

Blahhh.

Can Toskala come back now? Raycroft has looked shakey, and the Leafs have forgotten over the past five or six games how to score goals.

[Gabriel]

NHL officials are going to be butt-fucked full of questions, insults and all sorts of other derogatory things over the next week or so.

Calgary probably wouldn't have won that game, but jesus christ... Magoo called it a goal on the ice, and then they went upstairs... they couldn't conclusively prove that it was a high stick that made contact... they call off the goal anyways, and say that Magoo was pointing at the net to say it was no goal.

That reeks of all kind of shenanigans... and no kinds of awesomeness.

[SeanDMan]

*offers Gaby a shoulder to cry on*