With the NHL preseaon already in full swing, I am getting my popcorn ready. Eager with anticipation of the upcoming regular season, I'm getting excited about the prospect of watching some great goals, devastating hits and miraculous saves this year. So, I call on all the hockey lovers, players and anyone who has any regard for this great game on ice, to unite, share the progress and aspiration of your favourite team(s) for the upcoming NHL regular season. Most of the regular hockey posters may know me as a passionate Montreal Canadiens fan so it won't come to you as a great surprise that I am backing the Habs to go far in the playoffs this year. With solid defense and inspired goaltending, we may surprise a lot of teams. To all the summer hibernators, in the words of the Ashes's commercial "where the bloody hell are you?"
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Armchair selectors name their XI and conduct heated selection meetings on internet. Blood young players, some experts cry. Pick the best players, regardless of age, insist others.
After the opening game loss in shootout against the Wings, Habs rebounded handsomely with a comprehensive win over the archrival Toronto Maple Leafs. In spite of the weak make up of the Leafs, the 6-1 win in Toronto delivered a strong message to rest the league: Habs will be a legitimate contender for the cup this year. If Price can improve on his rookie season statistics, Habs will reemerge as the top seed in the East.
So TML beats Wings, MTL beats TML. So MTL better than Wings. lol i know stupid logic.
Anyway, I have decided against having any sort hopes for the leafs. I am happy with whatever they do. Also busy this year. So kinda happy I dont have to follow the league too closely.
I agree Beams. Rangers play a good defensive game, have a star goalie and some good offensive Czech players, most notably Jagr who can light up the lamp at will, so they should be in amongst the best in the East. They've strengthened their offense this year by signing Peter Nedved, another Czech who was a good centreman a few years ago. They lost the pest Avery and Ryan Hollweg who made a name by hitting players from behind so, they need to "toughen up" the 4th line.
Thanks for info cricman. There were rumours of Jagr playing in the summer and I thought they were just that. Really sad to see him leave the NHL. I think Ray Emery the former Sen is also playing Russia now.
Originally Posted by Ishtylish cricketer
Thanks for info cricman. There were rumours of Jagr playing in the summer and I thought they were just that. Really sad to see him leave the NHL. I think Ray Emery the former Sen is also playing Russia now.
He is in Russia. There was a rumor of him coming back to us, where it all started, but it was only a rumor. Not surprised Nedved joined Rangers though he is past his prime. Rangers are the home to all ex-Pens! actually, all ex good players..
Originally Posted by Beamer
He is in Russia. There was a rumor of him coming back to us, where it all started, but it was only a rumor. Not surprised Nedved joined Rangers though he is past his prime. Rangers are the home to all ex-Pens! actually, all ex good players..
Naslund the ex Canuck is there as well. Rangers beat the TML yesterday in shootout.
Originally Posted by Ishtylish cricketer
Naslund the ex Canuck is there as well. Rangers beat the TML yesterday in shootout.
Before he became the ex-Canuck, he was of course a Pens, drafted by us, played with us until that moronic trade by Craig Patrick. Point being, yet another ex Pen in NY..
Yes, I forgot that Naslund was drafted by Pittsburg and played 100 odd games before becoming a Canuck. Yes you can argue that in his last season with the Pens there were signs of his greatness but I would argue that he became a star after joining the Canucks not when he was with the Pens.
Indeed, he became a star with Canucks, but the signs were there when he played with Pens. The problem was playing time and he was forced to play on the third and fourth line when he was not scratched. The Pens line-up those days were hard to crack into. Mario, Jagr, Francis, Stevens etc etc were ahead on the depth chart and he himself said that he felt lost in that locker room and sometimes starstruck. Still, I would say, it was a boneheaded trade, specially for what we got in return-nobody. He became a great goal scorer and the main man in Vancouver.
What this I hear that Toronto might get a second NHL franchise? True?
Toronto getting a second franchise is speculation so far. I wont mind it. Toronto is richest market for hockey and we can sustain another team for sure. But the second team wont happen for a while i am guessing.
Originally Posted by Bancan
Toronto getting a second franchise is speculation so far. I wont mind it. Toronto is richest market for hockey and we can sustain another team for sure. But the second team wont happen for a while i am guessing.
I would love it if they did. I would then have two hockey teams to hate instead of just one. Is it too soon to start thinking about names? Btw for those who watched the hockey game last night or caught highlights of it would be aware of the drama that took place in shootout. What the hell was Ron Wilson the head coach of the TML thinking? For those who are unaware, he substituted his starting goalie Vesa Toskala in favour of Curtis Joseph in the shootout because the latter has a better overall record in shootout. I thought, it was a slap in Toskala's face. Why would you start a goalie who is second best in your team in anything? The message is, Toskala's good enough to play the whole game but not in shootout? I felt sorry for Joseph. He didn't look comfortable at all. In the first shot he faced, Selanne scored with reasonable ease and in the second shot he let in a softie (stoppable low glove side shot of Perry). It's not Joseph's fault, just wrong decision by the coach. I have an advice to pass on to the new head coach, work harder with the shooter, inject some creativity into them and explain them that they are supposed to hit the net, not the Zamboni.
Anyway, my Habs are holding their own this year. I am anticipating a long playoffs run this year.
Last edited by Ishtylish cricketer; October 22, 2008 at 07:17 PM..
Ron Wilson did that? hmm..He could never win with great teams in San Jose and Washington before. Wonder why the Maple Leafs would hire him. I didn't even know that he was the coach up there.
Habs look good. Playoffs for sure, a long run indeed.
Pens will be fortunate to be the Eighth seed this year. This team is back in rebuilding mode once again, except the core is there, so the process shouldn't take too long. One year maybe and we should be great again next year. The replacements for Hosaa, Malone, Roberts, Ruttu, LeRaque are Satan, Fedotenko, Goddard--please!
Wilson I think is a good coach but showed poor judgement that game. He should realize TML shooters couldn't score in a soccer net let alone in the tiny nets against the best atheletes in NHL. Bottom line for me is that changing goalie won't matter if you can't score in the shoot out.
On a side note, Patrick Marleau, the supposed best player of the Sharks was a non-show during the playoffs last year and was probably the predominant causative agent for Wilson's sacking.
As I said last year, Pens gave up a lot to rent Hossa at the trade deadline. One of the players Pens should have never traded was Colby Armstrong. Even though he was not a star he did a lot of goods for the Pens and was a good friend of Crosby. They should have kept him just for that.
But, that trade almost took us to the promised land. Had he re-signed with us, as all the indications were that he was going to until the last minute, this would have been a mute point. I mean Colby, as much as I loved him, was no Hossa. Tyler Kennedy has taken over Colby's role in the team. Look out for him this year. He is gritty, fast, likes to get his nose dirty, and plays way above his weight. Another of those undersized guys whose heart doesn't match the size of his frame. We just had the misfortune of the timing. Too many players became free agent at the same time, and with salary cap constraints, the departures were inevitable. What makes matter worse for us is not having No.1 and 2 D men for four-six months. Gonchar won't be back till Feb. Ryan Whitney not till Dec. None played a single game this season. Letang is filling up admirably BTW.