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The NHL Thread
06-15-2017, 03:11 PM
I've just been reflecting on what a tremendous playoffs it was for the Penguins the last few days. First off, to play throughout the whole playoffs without your top defenseman (top by a mile, I might add) and still win is an amazing feat. Letang drives so much of their offensive transitions and is a big part of the powerplay, meanwhile the other 6-7 d-men they used in the playoffs would be second or third pairing guys anywhere else. Maatta was miserable from the OTT series on (IMO), but was on the top pairing half the time. Second, Matt Murray has two Stanley Cups having just finished what was technically his rookie year. And to top it off, we just learned today that he was playing the last two rounds while recovering from a torn hamstring that made him miss the first two rounds. Guentzel, a rookie, led the NHL playoffs in goals. First team to win back-to-back Cups in 19 years. And they had the hardest path to the Cup of any team, going through the 4th best team in the NHL in the first round(!!) and then the best team in the second(!!). You just gotta tip your hats to them. Lastly, of course it was Hornqvist, the former Pred, who got the game and series and championship clinching goal--perfect script.
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The NHL Thread
06-17-2017, 06:15 PM
Terry Sawchuk in '52, Johnny Mowers in '43, and Earl Robertson in '37, had a shutout in the deciding game and in the game before that.
Others with 2 shutouts in Finals from 1953 to 2016:
Gerry McNeil, 1953: Games 3 and 5, won in 5.
Gump Worsley, 1965: 2 shutouts, Game 2 and 7.
Patrick Roy, 2001: 2 shutouts, Games 1 and 6, won in 7.
Martin Brodeur, 2003: 3 shutouts, Games 1, 2, and 7.
Chris Osgood, 2008: 2 shutouts, Games 1 and 2, won in 6.
Tim Thomas, 2011: 2 shutouts, Games 4 and 7.
Roberto Luongo, 2011: 2 shutouts, Games 1 and 5
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The NHL Thread
06-17-2017, 07:00 PM
I wouldn't blame Bettman for the NHL not going to Olympics. The NHL isn't compensated fairly and there is a huge risk of injury to the players. If I was a team would I want to send my best players and then have them get a season ending injury?
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The NHL Thread
06-18-2017, 08:15 PM
Quote: (06-17-2017 07:00 PM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:
I wouldn't blame Bettman for the NHL not going to Olympics. The NHL isn't compensated fairly and there is a huge risk of injury to the players. If I was a team would I want to send my best players and then have them get a season ending injury?
Well they do the World Hockey Classic and given the grind of that plus a full NHL season it's wise he doesn't do that.
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06-23-2017, 05:08 PM
Been a fun week for the NHL with the expansion draft, awards, jersey reveals, trades, and now the entry draft.
ARI looking to compete now with some solid moves.
Panarin for Saad is puzzling. Hawks also lose the Hammer deal.
Draft is going to be interesting. After Nico/Nolan it'll be a crapshoot. I predict the top ten...
1. Hischier
2. Patrick
3. Heiskanen
4. Makar
5. Vilardi
6. Mittelstadt
7. Glass
8. Pettersson
9. Necas
10. Tippett
The steal of the draft will be whoever picks Suzuki.
Vegas getting flack for poor expansion draft but did well considering most of the big names were never actually available to begin with. Also did well with their inaugural jersey despite what most people think.
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06-23-2017, 09:38 PM
@doc holliday
I get that but I see it as front office trying to prop up Toews and thinking Kane can score with just anybody on his line. In a vacuum the Hawks are now weaker up front and on the backend. For a team in win now mode who also lost Hossa, it's puzzling.
IMO the value of cost controlling that LW and RD slots outweigh the decline of players like Toews, Seabrook, Keith, and Crawford as they age.
Being a Nucks fan I'm familiar with Torts. He won't make the same mistake in Columbus and will allow Panarin to play his game which is exactly what CBJ needs anyway.
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06-24-2017, 11:50 AM
I agree that Toews needs to find his game again if the Hawks have any hope of being a Cup champion. The thing the Hawks are trying to do is to get younger and faster. The core is getting older and the only way they can continue having success is to get younger players in to go along with the younger guys they already have like Schmaltz and Hartman. Plus Toews and Kane are only 29 years old so they still have a few years left. They are weaker on the back end so lets see what they do to bolster that.
Haven't paid much attention to the Canucks. What are they doing these days to get better? Any hope there?
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The NHL Thread
06-24-2017, 04:00 PM
Zero hope for the Canucks but I can't seem to walk away. Bad case of oneitis for this bitch of a hockey team.
Terrible front office. Meddling owner. Old stale core. Possibly the softest team in the league. Only positive is decent prospects in the pipeline but still nothing to write home about.
Sedins are old but still serviceable as second liners. Horvat emerging as a solid two way center. The back end is atrocious, our 1D is Tanev. We'll be a lottery team for the next 3 years at least which is actually a good thing.
Greedy ownership took a long time to realize it was time for a rebuild. So finally started unloading assets for futures, Hansen for Goldobin, Burrows for Dahlen at the deadline. Went with high skill high ceiling type draft picks this year in Petersson and Lind, which is the right move.
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The NHL Thread
06-02-2018, 12:23 PM
Bumping this thread for the 2018 Stanley Cup. Capitals vs. Golden Knights. Tied 1-1 and coming to DC tonight.
I must say I didn't want to jinx it, but I had a feeling the Caps would be in it this year. Facing Pittsburgh I felt believe it or not was a blessing. No way they were going to lose to them three playoff series in a row plus the Pens were not the same team from the previous years, especially without Fleury. Had the Caps faced Philly in the second round we might be talking about Washington's dreaded "second round curse".
I am going with the Capitals to win. Their physicality combined with Ovechkin's determination to win the Cup and the Washington's crowds energy should be enough to put them over the edge. Not to mention Holtby is playing out of this world. He has made some big saves this playoffs that simply weren't there in the Capitals' previous playoff years when they choked.
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06-03-2018, 02:04 PM
MD the Caps played that physical, tight D game to a tee last night. If Holtby hadn't messed up that clearing attempt, he would have had a shutout. I'm very impressed with how the Caps are playing and I'm now starting to believe they can win the Cup. I really though Vegas would win this series but I'm not so sure about that anymore. Can't wait for game 4.
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06-04-2018, 12:59 PM
Game 4 tonight! Can the Caps win again at home? Will Vegas figure out the Caps stifling D? Should be a great game tonight, cannot wait.
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06-04-2018, 04:39 PM
Holtby has to keep outplaying Fleury but so far, so good. He's been excellent the last two games. I love how the Washington D is clearing rebounds and not giving Vegas second and third chances, something Winnipeg failed at miserably. Their D game is the biggest difference between this year and the choke jobs of years past.