2010-11 NHL Regular Season Thread

[PalaceGun]

I'd watch it again without wearing your red and blue glasses.

Draw.

 

[TheStinger]

Good game between the Kings and Hawks. 4-3 with three minutes to go. can the Kings get it back?

 

[SebastianVettel]

Good game between the Kings and Hawks. 4-3 with three minutes to go. can the Kings get it back?

Kopitar went close but not close enough. Ended 4-3. Good game.

 

[PalaceGun]

Another note from the Winter Classic:

Like most clubs the Capitals original jersey is far better than their latest garb. Like the Canucks did they should go back to that jersey. Not the red lids though...

 

[PalaceGun]

Kessel scoreless again versus the Boo-ins.

That's now 9 games played against his old club with no goals (39 shots) and a solitary assist.

Get trade, Burkey.

 

[doofdoof]

Went to SJ last night. Enjoyed my Canucks first victory in years at the Shark Tank. Canucks dominated for much of the game, particularly early in the third. 15-1-2 in their past 18

 

[kool kangas]

Can someone please explain something to me. First of all l'm new to NHL so l'm dont understand the games set up in relation to the 2010/2011 stanley cup. l noticed a few weeks ago the the Penguins were beaten by the NY Islanders but have not played since. Are they out of the Stanley Cup or was that a different playoff series because l've noticed that you can still bet on them to win the Stanley Cup.Eastern conference, Western conference, 6 leagues, Stanley Cup, Winter Classic, ect,ect. This is doing my head in.......can anyone help and make it simple. Thanks

 

[catters078]

Can someone please explain something to me. First of all l'm new to NHL so l'm dont understand the games set up in relation to the 2010/2011 stanley cup. l noticed a few weeks ago the the Penguins were beaten by the NY Islanders but have not played since. Are they out of the Stanley Cup or was that a different playoff series because l've noticed that you can still bet on them to win the Stanley Cup.Eastern conference, Western conference, 6 leagues, Stanley Cup, Winter Classic, ect,ect. This is doing my head in.......can anyone help and make it simple. Thanks

Currently the NHl is in its "home and away" part of the season..

Teams are playing for points. the home and away season finishes in april.

you get 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a loss in overtime a 0pts for a loss in regualtion time

there are two conferences, the top 8 teams with the most points in each conference make the playoffs, there is conference quaterfinals, semi finals and conference finals..then at the end an eastern conference winner plays the western conference winner in the stanley cup finals. All playoff series are 7 games series including the stanley cup finals, which isnt unitl late May..

Pittsburgh played on Sunday in a special outdoor game..and i think they play tomorrow.

Currently we are half way through the season with about 40 games left..each team plays 82 games a season

Pittsburgh are probably stanley cup favourites..

for better undertsanding of the standings go to espn.com/nhl/standings

 

[Bradesmaen]

Went to SJ last night. Enjoyed my Canucks first victory in years at the Shark Tank. Canucks dominated for much of the game, particularly early in the third. 15-1-2 in their past 18

Ugh. I'm glad I turned that off and only went the radio version. Had a bad feeling about the Canucks game, we're just not anywhere near last year. Hard to pinpoint why really too, no Blake makes a difference as well as no Nabby... but that isnt the only bad part of the team.

 

[PalaceGun]

Watched the condensed game between the Canucks and Charks last night. Vancouver look very impressive, no evident weakness. Niemi kept it close. Canucks first goal involving the twins was the highlight.

Roloson currently making a fine debut with his new club. Something strange going on at the Island.

Leighton clears waivers. Intetesting how both SC Finals goaltenders are not wanted by their respective clubs. In fact all four Conference Final starting goaltenders either no longer play for those clubs or in Leighton's case have been sent to the minors.

 

[catters078]

half way through the season...

So its prediction time!!

East

1-Philadelphia (just edge out Pittsbugh in a tight division race)
2-Washington ( I think they get going in the late part of the year)
3-Boston (seem to be the best team on paper in the division, thomas unbelievable)
4-Pittsburgh ( the 4 seed wont worry Sid)
5- Tampa ( this would be a great 1st round series, Sid V Stamkos)
6-Montreal (will be interesting to see how they play the trade deadline)
7- New York ( getting the most out of their depth players, good enough to maintain a playoff spot behind lundy)
8- Atlanta (good for them, hope they win 2 or 3 games in a playoff series)

9- Carolina (best team not in the playoffs (east only), they need to get staal a genuine star winger)
10-Toronto-( i think the buds will win a few down the stretch, the teams below them are just as bad, so i cant see why they dont win and jump a few spots..hopefully this bumps bostons pick down a few spots in the draft)
11- Buffalo- (Put a bad season behind them, go after a centre in free agency or the draft and get back to the playoffs)
12-Florida (Going to be interestign to see how Tallon plays his cards with the panthers in the next two off seasons)
13-Ottawa (blow it up and start again)
14- NYI (the isles do enough to avoid bottom spot, but still get a top 3 pick, they should try and get Larrson)
15- New Jersey- (Year from hell, How will they be able to get parises new contract under the cap?)

West
1- Vancouver (A complete team all over the ice, no real weaknesses and alot of strenghts..cup?)
2- Detroit (Injuries are starting to climb again, but they have the division wrapped up this year)
3- LA ( I think they will start to get consistant down the stretch and Quick leads them to the divison, just over San Jose)
4- San Jose (Pipped by LA for the pacific, will be interested to see their deadline movements)
5- Chicago ( Hawks get heathy and finish strong)
6- Dallas (Slip a little down stretch, keep richards at deadline and are definately good enough to upset a team in the 1st round of playoffs)
7- St Louis ( a very good defensive team, if Macdonald, perron and Oshie can get back and healthy are good enough to scare Detroit this year)
8- Colorado (a consistant solid up and coming team, still make too many mistakes to climb too high this year)

9- Nashville ( Preds unlucky number 9, dont have enough offense to get there)
10- Anaheim ( 1 line is brilliant, the rest, not so much..not enough)
11- Phoenix (Not the same magic this year)
12- Columbus ( Started hot, but will continue to slump behind no offensive support for Nash)
13- Minnesota ( will be a team noone really wants to play down stretch, but too inconsistant)
14-calgary (see ottawa)
15- Edmonton ( another low year, but some promise for the future, if they can get Larrson or Murphy..the future is Chicago type bright)

East winner - Philly
West winner - vancouver

Cup winner - Philly

Awards
Hart- Sid by a mile - Finalists - Stamkos and Byufglien
Rocket- Sid by a mile from Stamkos and D.Sedin
Art Ross - Side by ...you get it. from Stamkos and H. Sedin
Norris- Byufglien from Lidstrom and Letang
Vezina- Thomas from Quick and Price
Selke - kesler from M.Richards and Eriksson

 

[catters078]

A fine start from Roloson in Tampa..earns the shutout

 

[PalaceGun]

Since the Crapitals are half way through their season I figured it would be a good time to do a "AO8's march to 70 goals" update.

Ovechkin will score 70 this season

time 12.26pm date 14/10/10

Ovechkin needs 56 goals in 41 games.

Might struggle...

Stat of the day:

Ovechkin is first in the league in shots (181 shots), 34th in the league in goals (14 goals) and 367th in shooting percentage (7.4%)

 

[catters078]

Since the Crapitals are half way through their season I figured it would be a good time to do a "AO8's march to 70 goals" update.



Ovechkin needs 56 goals in 41 games.

Might struggle...

Stat of the day:

i concede

 

[doofdoof]

Watched the condensed game between the Canucks and Charks last night. Vancouver look very impressive, no evident weakness. Niemi kept it close. Canucks first goal involving the twins was the highlight.

Gillis has made some great moves - in particular adding Malhotra, Hamhuis and Ballard. I was a little worried about letting Willie Mitchell, but he has been covered. Glad he is playing well in showing no signs of his concussion too

Roloson currently making a fine debut with his new club. Something strange going on at the Island.

I read the following on a hockey forum:

Long story short, the Isles' owner has decided to completely cut costs until the Isles either get a deal for a new arena, or leave Nassau County when their current lease expires in 2015. Their payroll isn't even CLOSE to the salary cap floor if you factor in the buyouts the Isles are paying to Alexei Yashin and Brendan Witt, the bonuses given to players that count towards the cap floor but will never be achieved, and their decision to not place guys like Streit and Okposo on the LTIR so their money wouldn't count towards the cap.

May just be rumour, but some of it makes sense

 

[doofdoof]

Please don't use "Vancouver" and "cup" in the same sentence catters

 

[Bradesmaen]

Only weakness of Vancouvers could be in net.

 

[_JC_]

Only weakness of Vancouvers could be in net.

Nah, they have a great tandem. Luongo and Schneider are both good goalies.

 

[PalaceGun]

With the $10M salary Luongo is getting this season he should hire the best hypnotist money can buy during the playoffs and get the hypnotist to make him believe it is December.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Yeah JC, the thing is Luongo has underperformed in past years where everyone is thinking that Vancouver is the cup champs. Nucks have done a brilliant job to somehow stay under the cap.

 

[SebastianVettel]

Pittsburgh are probably stanley cup favourites..

Not sure about that. If the Staal-Malkin thing clicks, then things might be looking good - but if not, I can't see us having the scoring punch unless Sid goes back into god mode.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Staal gives Malkin another bump, because Malkin blows at face offs.

 

[PalaceGun]

Check out Ovechkin and Varlamov in ESPN's latest commercial.

[youtube]OkJednDFJGA[/youtube]

Not bad, much better than the Ovechkin severed head CCM skate commercials...

 

[catters078]

Not sure about that. If the Staal-Malkin thing clicks, then things might be looking good - but if not, I can't see us having the scoring punch unless Sid goes back into god mode.

the strenghts outweigh the fact that there 3rd and 4th lines arent that great..

Key factors

1- best player in the world
2- their second best player is in the top 5 players in the world
3-points 1 and 2 give them the best 1-2 punch at centre in the league. An important factor when looking at the last 5 cup winners
4- they have a strong set of 6 defenseman, inlcuding a number 1 who could be a norris trophy finalist at season end
5- a goaly who is, yes inconsistant, still has won a cup and with that under his belt gives him big time playoff confidence

those 5 factors throw in the fact that Crosby has elevated his game even more this year, and Staal returning, IMO makes them favourites, but philly, vacnouver and the wings are right there

 

[SebastianVettel]

Roloson currently making a fine debut with his new club. Something strange going on at the Island.

Pulled after 3 goals in about 8 minutes today, then Ellis ships one on his first shot. 4 zip in the first at the moment.