The Definitive NHL 2012-2013 Season Thread - Page 4

Sohel · #76 February 6, 2013, 12:24 AM

Sanity prevails during the second period. Kane makes it 4-3 Chicago after 2.

Beamer · #77 February 6, 2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sohel
Brandon Saad, Arab American from Pittsburgh gets one back for the Hawks, 1-2. Moments later the Sharks score to make it 3-1. Blackhawks score 8 seconds later to make it 2-3 and we're in the first. Shootout at the Tank.

I was mad when pens passed him in the draft. Also, J.T Miller from here made his debut last night for Rangers. Of course, this years gold winning US junior team had their four best players born and raised in Pittsburgh area.

Beamer · #78 February 6, 2013, 12:07 PM

Good win for Leafs last night. Something is wrong with Caps and Ovechkin. Red Wngs had another disappointing loss at home. Something is not right. I think Red Wings will make some big trades at the deadline, or wait until end of season to lure some big free agents. Blackhawks continue to roll. Pens are on a roll too. Four wins in a row now. We are playing good defense. Killed 7 PP last night. When we play good defense, we are hard to beat, because we WILL score. Team plays better on road ( 5-1 ) and focuses more on defense.

And..last but no least, to the loser 500 fans Isles fans that showed up for the game : We get you hate Crosby. Everybody does. Boo him. Its fine. He gets booed everywhere, but to stand , clap and cheer when he took the puck to the nose says a lot about you. Guy was freaking bleeding and trainers took him to the locker room to fix the nose. They cheered all the way until he exited the rink! Superb class. I don't think any Pens fan will cheer if they see Giroux laying on the ice, or a Steelers fan cheering on Ray Lewis getting carted off the field. Pathetic Franchise and pathetic fans- that is NY Islanders.

Beamer · #79 February 7, 2013, 10:57 AM

Saw a bit of Boston-Habs game last night. While Boston is a serious contender, don't be surprised if Habs make some serious noise. I like their style of play. MT is great coach and he is the one who built the Pens team from scratch. Bylsma came and took the glory.

Two weeks in a row now we have given up a solid Defender for nothing. I know we have too many of them. Good players are healthy scratches, and even the roster in WB/S is full. Lost Brian Strait to Isles last week on waivers who promptly signed him to a three year deal. And, last night we dealt Lovejoy to Ducks for a fifth rd ! Peanuts really. I hope Shero has a plan, because some of these players could have been dangled as a package and picks for a bigger name come deadline time. Oh well...

Caps- Pens tonight at CEC. Can we make it five in row? we will see. Caps are desperate and I sensed a bit of bad habits creeping in again last game vs Isles, even though we ended up winning.

Leafs PWN · #80 February 7, 2013, 12:13 PM

Some interesting news out of Leaf land last night:

- Kessel is no longer untouchable. It seems like Nonis and Burke were not on the same page when it comes to this guy. Dreger says Nonis is listening to offers, and there is a lot of interest around the league (obviously). If Nonis gets a good offer, perferable from a WCF team, Kessel could be gone. He mentions though, that it was to be a good offer, so Nonis is not really shopping him. Dregers speculates a young top 4 D/young top 6 F + great prospect/high pick could get it done.

- Nonis will most likely hold a firesale if the team is 8th/9th in or worse in the East, in the near future. Meaning this year its playoffs or tank. I think the names available would be Mac, Liles, Bozak, Steckel, Kulemin and Kessel. The latter two would require good offers as they are not really being shopped.

Glad to see Nonis is going playoffs or bust. A 9th/10th place finish would be a waste of time. Hope Kessel doesn't get moved. If he does, I would hope its to Ducks for Emerson Etem + Lindholm, or to the Caps for Alzer + Kuznetsov.

Beamer · #81 February 7, 2013, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafs PWN
Some interesting news out of Leaf land last night:

- Kessel is no longer untouchable. It seems like Nonis and Burke were not on the same page when it comes to this guy. Dreger says Nonis is listening to offers, and there is a lot of interest around the league (obviously). If Nonis gets a good offer, perferable from a WCF team, Kessel could be gone. He mentions though, that it was to be a good offer, so Nonis is not really shopping him. Dregers speculates a young top 4 D/young top 6 F + great prospect/high pick could get it done.

- Nonis will most likely hold a firesale if the team is 8th/9th in or worse in the East, in the near future. Meaning this year its playoffs or tank. I think the names available would be Mac, Liles, Bozak, Steckel, Kulemin and Kessel. The latter two would require good offers as they are not really being shopped.

Glad to see Nonis is going playoffs or bust. A 9th/10th place finish would be a waste of time. Hope Kessel doesn't get moved. If he does, I would hope its to Ducks for Emerson Etem + Lindholm, or to the Caps for Alzer + Kuznetsov.

Or, you can always send him to the B's for Seguin and Dougie Hamilton !! I kid, I kid..

Kulemin is definitely in play. We have the stud young D prospects for that to happen. Pick one from Depres ( he is playing good BTW ), Morrow, Pouliot, Matta, Harington, Doumolin, Bortuzzo ( playing well too for the big club ), Phil Samuelssen, Marcantouni..

Bruins are such a tough team to play against. They make life miserable for you.

Leafs PWN · #82 February 7, 2013, 01:19 PM

Yea, Bruins are an absolute pain in the *** to play against. They play old fashioned hockey - tough, grinding team with a lot of skill. If Rask can keep up his play, I would say they are the favourites for the cup.

If all of those prospecst are indeed available, and Nonis won't mind moving Kulemin, you guys will have him. As you know, I would do a deal for him around Morrow.

Anahiem situation also becomes very interesting now. They are playing some great hockey, and look like contenders so far, and that's without Fowler in the lineup. If they continue on this path, and still can't get Perry locked up I wonder what they will do.

Things are starting to get interesting now.

Beamer · #83 February 8, 2013, 10:42 AM

Good come back win for Leafs last night. That kessel can snap it, can't he? He needed to score that goal. They come in bunches for streaky players like that.

Five wins in a row now for my Pens. Iffy first period, followed by a five goal eruption in second. Some of the prettiest goals too. Crosby is climbing the charts in point table all of a sudden. Saying that, big home and home against Devils this weekend. This is gonna be a tough test. Last time we kinda embarassed them for a 5-1 victory. I am sure they would want revenge. If we can split the series, I will take it. Hopefully Letang comes back soon. He is so so important.

J T Miller scores two goals in his debut.

Ducks are indeed a great team out there. Perry situation is indeed going to be something to watch out for. I wonder if Shero just gave Lovejoy away for nothing just to be in good terms with Ducks ..lol..

Sohel · #84 February 8, 2013, 11:40 PM

Finally defense showed up during the 5-1 thrashing of the Blues. Still not as quick as it needs to be as a unit but will get there with some key acquisitions come the deadline. Petr Mrazek looked nothing short of great between the pipes. We're solid there with Howard, Mrazek and Gustavsson.

Leafs PWN · #85 February 9, 2013, 11:18 PM

This was the best game the Leafs have played in years. We beat the Habs 6-0 in their own backyard.

Absolutely dominated them in every fact of the game - offence, defense, faceoffs, hits, fights, and special teams. We also beat the **** out of them in multiple scrums. There were a crap ton of penalties thrown out in this game. Felt like an old school Leafs/Habs Game.

After going 0 for 11, Kessel now with 2 goals in 2 games, and 10 pts in 12 games for the team lead. JVR scored again, and leads the team with 7 goals now. He has been amazing for us, and much better than I had expected. Can't wait to see how the team does when Lupul, Gunnarsson, and Gardiner return.

Sohel · #86 February 9, 2013, 11:28 PM

Unimpressive 2-1 win against an offenseless Oilers. Injury has also hit this fine young team hard. Kindl and Junior played solid defense, and Lashoff is getting better by the game. Ericsson had an OK game but Howard was great at goal as usual. His stats this year do not do him justice, thanks largely to the mediocrity in front of him. White and Quincey are way too sloppy to play for us as senior defensemen in their respective pairings. Datsyuk had a great game as usual. Some of his takeaways were breathtaking. Should've had more than just a goal and an assist. Hank and Damien played well but Franzen was his old self again, deciding to play hard only 25% of his shifts. He has go to go. The 3rd and 4th lines have been making things happen and seem to be getting better with each game. Helm's return may make them one of the very best in the league.

Smith outlasts Niemi as the Sharks go down to the Yotes at the Tank.

It was weird to see the Habs get blown away like that. Don't think they "just had a bad day". This is the least competitive Montreal team I've seen in years. How they're in 7th place in beyond me. Pens ran out of patience and then just fell apart discipline-wise and of course that was going to play right into Jersey's hands.

Sohel · #87 February 10, 2013, 11:04 PM

Howard's 45 saves steal one from the far superior Kings at the Joe. Good to win 2 in less than 24 hours and great to see Hank amongst the league leaders. Captaincy has had a Michael Clarke like effect on his game so far. Datsyuk's goal was sublime.

Beamer · #88 February 11, 2013, 12:40 PM

Devils did to us what Devils do. Took all four points in home and home. Won't say we played bad, but they were better in situations. We have work to. Letang can't come back any sooner. We are missing him big time in the back end. The win streak had to end and it did. Wish we took at least two pts. But, not so..

Leafs PWN · #89 February 11, 2013, 09:55 PM

Leafs beat down on the Flyers 5-1. Great game by the group, who looked gassed at the beginning. The 4th line really brought some momentum back in the game after their goal and consistent physical game. Colton Orr has really improved his game ever since being demoted to the AHL. He skates well now, plays smart hockey in our own end, and beats up the big boys. Fraser McLaren has been a great addition as well. Along with McClemment, who has been really solid this season, we have a good looking 4th liner after a long time.

A dandy goal by JVR against his old team tonight, by taking Schenn to the net. That felt great

Kadri made a great saucer pass for his 2nd assist of the night. The kids all played well.

Here's Kadri's pass:

The one big loss in all of this was Reimer's groin injury in the 2nd. He has been a rock for us in net this year, and is a big reason the team has been playing with so much confidence lately. Hopefully it's nothing serious, and he can return soon. Tied with the Pens for 4th in the East right now!

RC has been able to make this team play as a group this year, and its starting to show.

Sohel · #90 February 12, 2013, 01:59 PM

^Nice goal but talk about blown coverage! Pond hockey stuff.

Leafs PWN · #91 February 12, 2013, 03:06 PM

It was on a turnover during a forecheck I believe. The Flyers guys were all flying down the ice already

Sohel · #92 February 15, 2013, 05:38 AM

Absolutely loving the uber-competitiveness of the NHL this year.

Beamer · #93 February 19, 2013, 11:19 AM

On third of the season almost over. Biggest surprise in the East has to be Toronto and Montreal to a certain degree. Both are coached by good defensive coaches. Its a logjam in the East. One to eight is separated by only five-six pts. In the West, the Ducks has to be the biggest surprise so far. They always had good players.

After losing back to back to Devils, we have won three in a row now. That's all you can ask for. I think if you lose one game out of every three, you will be in good shape in the end.

Chicago just doesn't lose. Huge games vs Van and Ana for them.

Leafs PWN · #94 February 19, 2013, 11:20 AM

Leafs are top 5 in GF and GA right now. Never thought I'd live to see the day

The back to back 3-0 wins definitely helped that cause.

Lets see how long they can keep this up.

Beamer · #95 February 19, 2013, 11:23 AM

I liked this Leafs team even last year. I think they are playing a good system which has sustaining power. Both goalies are playing good. And, what impressed me more is they are doing it without Kessel scoring a lot and minus Lupul. So, yes, big ups to the Leafs.

Leafs PWN · #96 February 19, 2013, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beamer
I liked this Leafs team even last year. I think they are playing a good system which has sustaining power. Both goalies are playing good. And, what impressed me more is they are doing it without Kessel scoring a lot and minus Lupul. So, yes, big ups to the Leafs.

Yep, the system is the key here. WIlson had no defensive structure at all, and insisted on playing a run n gun game, which doesn't work in todays NHL, as the caps figured out.

Randy C's system has been great, and the players have bought into it, something they never did with RW. Some big additions have helped out too - Kadri, McClemment (RC insisted on signing him) and Komarov.

Kadri is still leading the team in scoring with 14 pts, playing just 14 minutes a night. Komarov (a Leafs late round pick) leads the entire league in hits, plays a solid 2-way game, and really helps bring up the energy level of the entire team while his time on ice. McClemment has just been that excellent defensive 4th line C we have lacked. Guy does everything well, except for scoring.

I think Randy C's biggest contribution has been towards Kadri's game. He put him back at center (he was playing wing in his previous NHL stints), and helped improve Kadri's confidence. That move solved the center issue we were having as well. We have 4 solid C's now, 3 of which are capable 2-way players.

Tonight will be a test against the high octane Tampa offence. So far we've been able to shutdown Montreal, Washington and Pittsburgh fairly well.

Leafs PWN · #97 February 19, 2013, 11:39 AM

A lot of this success with the young players (Frattin, Kadri, Fraser) goes down to Dallas Eakins in the AHL. He has done a great job helping the players down there improve. The Calder Cup finals was a nice coming out party for our prospects.

Even Colton Orr looks like a different player after his stint there. Eakins told him to lose weight, and go back to playing like his NYR days. He has been excellent this year so far, and has been playing well enough to earn 10 mins/night. Getting that kind of minutes from your 4th line is a nice bonus.

Sohel · #98 February 20, 2013, 04:21 AM

Our inability to maintain intensity in all 3 periods are costing us these close games. And yeah, the defense still sucks.

Leafs PWN · #99 February 22, 2013, 12:38 PM

Tried to watch Minny/Oilers last night. Minnesota's boring style turned me off pretty quickly. They are, quite honestly, the most boring team I have seen in YEARS. Right up there with the Kings in terms of no entertainment value (aside from winning).

The 20 year old Jonas Brodin looked very good for Miny last night. That seems to be the norm from him this season. The composure, positioning and IQ this guy has is just unreal. He played about 21 mins last night (#3 in mins) and looked very comfortable. He seems to have a great breakout pass as well. Too bad Minny doesn't have the system to utilize it. In a more offensive minded team, he would've had 6-7 assits by now.

There is no doubt in my mind that this guy will be one of the best defenceman in the league within 5 years. The only reason why he's relatively unknown is because he's from Europe.

Leafs PWN · #**100** February 26, 2013, 09:49 AM

Leafs beat the Flyers once again, 3-2 this time, at Wells Fargo. This game was a very haard fought one by both teams. Lots of physical play, and limited quality chances. The Flyers put on immense pressure towards the end, but the Leafs were able to sustain their lead. There is no way we would have been able to do this last year.

Kadri made two beauty plays to setup the 2nd and 3rd goals. He now goes back on top for team lead in scoring (17), and tied for team lead in assists (12). The scoring lead has been a revolving door between Kessel, JVR and Kadri. If Lupul and Fratt were healthy, they would've probably been in the mix too. It's great to have balanced scoring for a change.

Kadri has been a revelation this year. We knew the kid had skill, but I don't think anyone expected him to perform this well, this early. His vision in the offensive zone is just something else. Can't wait to see him centering Frattin and JVR/Lupul when they are healthy!