NHL 2013-2014: Islanders sold, Wang stops losing money, on to the next save-all

Outlandish wrote:

Good to see Kadri get 3 games for the hit on Backstrom, I thought it'd only be 2 since he wasn't a repeat offender. Unfortunately the Wild don't have anyone who can play a particularly physical game, really wish they had someone who could have checked a Leaf into next week in return but more importantly if they'd scored a couple times on the 5 minute major Kadri got for the Granlund hit it would do a lot to help limit this.

Yeah, I have no trouble with Kadri getting 3 games for that one, except it means that my Leafs are down to being able to field just one centre from our opening day roster (injured or suspended: Bozak, Bolland and Kadri). I like Jay McClement, but he can't play 60 minutes of hockey. No idea who we're going to put in centre vs Buffalo tonight. I guarantee you Kadri got chewed out by Carlyle after that bonehead play.

About Minnesota retaliating on the ice: the proper response would have been to burn the Leafs on the 5 min major. The Leafs are well built to stand up against goon behaviour (see: Orr, Colton and McLaren, Frazer. Or Carter Ashton, or Mark Fraser.). It's a product of playing against Boston so often and getting run over by them for years.

It's kind of weird, actually. Last season the Leafs gooned it up against a lot of teams, but this season they really haven't done much of it. I really don't know why. Maybe we haven't played Ottawa enough yet.

Bragging rights to the Blues after that game last night. Damn.

The Blues ought to run the second period of last night's game during every intermission this season. Probably not a better way to get the fans jacked up.

I have to admit, though, that the last fight, where Reaves pummeled McLeod, might have lost my wife and doughtier as hockey fans forever. My daughter looked traumatized, and wanted to know why he wouldn't stop. McLeod instigated, andI don't think he landed a single punch. It was a hell of away to cap off a 4-0 period for the Blues.

That fight was "payback" for this.

Jayhawker wrote:

I have to admit, though, that the last fight, where Reaves pummeled McLeod, might have lost my wife and doughtier as hockey fans forever. My daughter looked traumatized, and wanted to know why he wouldn't stop. McLeod instigated, andI don't think he landed a single punch. It was a hell of away to cap off a 4-0 period for the Blues.

As an Avalanche fan, I'm maybe more sensitive to player beatdowns than others. I hate seeing stuff like that.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

I have to admit, though, that the last fight, where Reaves pummeled McLeod, might have lost my wife and doughtier as hockey fans forever. My daughter looked traumatized, and wanted to know why he wouldn't stop. McLeod instigated, and I don't think he landed a single punch. It was a hell of away to cap off a 4-0 period for the Blues.

As an Avalanche fan, I'm maybe more sensitive to player beatdowns than others. I hate seeing stuff like that.

That's understandable, and I think hockey would do well to ban fighting. But with all of the attention, deservedly so, the Avs were getting, this became a huge game for the Blues.

It probably also ended any chances of the Rams and Blues working together in the same way the Cardinal and Blues organizations do. Kronke was probably on hand for that. The game was a real rivalry maker.

As much as I can't stand the shootout, the game against the Ducks was a fun one to watch and it was nice to take one away from 'em.

Good to see Kadri get 3 games for the hit on Backstrom, I thought it'd only be 2 since he wasn't a repeat offender. Unfortunately the Wild don't have anyone who can play a particularly physical game, really wish they had someone who could have checked a Leaf into next week in return but more importantly if they'd scored a couple times on the 5 minute major Kadri got for the Granlund hit it would do a lot to help limit this.

I honestly don't feel that three games was enough for that, first time offender or no considering the game misconduct he got for the egregious head shot on Granlund that earned him a game misconduct.

Also, that Avs-Blues stuff was garbage. Needs to be gone from the league.

About to watch my Sabres take down Jayhawker's Blues tonight!

TheCounselor wrote:

About to watch my Sabres take down Jayhawker's Blues tonight!

Went to a foreign film with the wife tonight (triple threat, foreign, subtitles, and in black and white!), so missed the game. How did it go?

I'm happy to see Ben Scrivens play well in LA. I always liked him in Toronto, playing behind Reimer, and I'm glad he's having success.

nihilo wrote:

I'm happy to see Ben Scrivens play well in LA. I always liked him in Toronto, playing behind Reimer, and I'm glad he's having success.

The Professor has been playing good. Need him to keep it up. Quick is gone until at least Christmas according to GM Dean Lombardi.

The Kings have been dominating even without Quick and Carter. Can't wait for the epic game vs the Blues in a couple weeks.

Jayhawker wrote:
TheCounselor wrote:

About to watch my Sabres take down Jayhawker's Blues tonight!

Went to a foreign film with the wife tonight (triple threat, foreign, subtitles, and in black and white!), so missed the game. How did it go?

I left at the 11 second mark, so it went great.

TheCounselor wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:
TheCounselor wrote:

About to watch my Sabres take down Jayhawker's Blues tonight!

Went to a foreign film with the wife tonight (triple threat, foreign, subtitles, and in black and white!), so missed the game. How did it go?

I left at the 11 second mark, so it went great. :-)

That was kind of a crazy start. Sorry it didn't foretell how the game was going to go.

If last night's game was any indication a Blues/Bruins final would be a hell of a thing.

It also was a really good argument as to why the shootout is a profoundly unsatisfying way to end a hockey game.

The Metropolitan Division name continues to annoy me, and the Atlantic Division should be called the Snowbird Division with a bunch of northern teams and two Florida teams. Other than that, I got nothing for now.

Metropolitan works for me, I dunno. As for the Atlantic, they should just call it the Flortheast, that's what we all call it.

I'm a grump that liked the old system.

The Metropolitan Division shouldn't be named. Shouldn't even be mentioned. Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

Also Pittsburgh.

Oh for FSM's sake, the Avs blew a 2-0 lead in the third period, suddenly turned back into the team they should have been in overtime, and then won the shoot-out in a nail-biter. Some consistent effort would be lovely. And our defensemen need to be shot, as they'd actually be playing for the other team if they were any worse.

Vector wrote:

I'm a grump that liked the old system.

I would've liked making it fancier. Like the "Earl of Alberta, Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Viscount of the Eastern Seaboard, Captain-General of Ottawa, Privy Counsellor of Pennsylvania, Count of Moosejaw Division".

Also, Chris Kreider hooray. And this Talbot kid! Where'd he come from?

They could name the divisions after the Spice Girls if that meant they'd get rid of the damn shoot-out.

Prederick wrote:
Vector wrote:

I'm a grump that liked the old system.

I would've liked making it fancier. Like the "Earl of Alberta, Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Viscount of the Eastern Seaboard, Captain-General of Ottawa, Privy Counsellor of Pennsylvania, Count of Moosejaw Division".

Also, Chris Kreider hooray. And this Talbot kid! Where'd he come from?

Good to see Kreider play like the player everyone thought he was. Also, it looks like Talbot is mortal after all.

Metropolitan Division sucks. I still miss the Patrick Division, Campbell Conference, etc. This move to area names is weak and is only to cater to geographically challenged persons.

Bruins + Penguins = clusterf*ck.

orpik hit erikson 30 seconds in and probably gave him another concussion. No penalty called.

Then he refuses to fight Thornton.

Then Neal knees marchand the head while he is down. Suspension likely incoming.

Thornton loses his mind and knocks out orpik with one punch. Definitely not going to see either of them for a while...

all in the first period!

Plus the bruins are not even playing that well.

If the officials called a penalty on that first hit I think the rest off this mess would never have happened.

imbiginjapan wrote:

Bruins + Penguins = clusterf*ck.

orpik hit erikson 30 seconds in and probably gave him another concussion. No penalty called.

Then he refuses to fight Thornton.

Then Neal knees marchand the head while he is down. Suspension likely incoming.

Thornton loses his mind and knocks out orpik with one punch. Definitely not going to see either of them for a while...

all in the first period!

Plus the bruins are not even playing that well.

Nobody I follow has tweeted a video of the hit on Eriksson, but here are the other two incidents:

Neal's knee to Marchand's head. https://vine.co/v/hQmUUnDgEnx

Thornton punching Orpik's head into the ice: https://vine.co/v/hQmwr2aI5BX

Stuff like this reinforces my decision to cut way, way back on the amount of hockey I'm watching. Two seasons ago I watched 60+ games/year, last year it was 10, so far this season it's 1. Though there are factors at play other than the unnecessary violence (the lockout and the inevitable next lockout in a little over 6 years, 8 if you're lucky and the Habs' management incompetence).

IMAGE(http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1956231/826268438.gif)

this is the hit that started it all. You can clearly see orpik lead in high with his shoulder. Anyway I don't know. I really love watching hockey. But yeah, the league is glacial with its evolution. I have been complaining for years now and don't want to really go down that tired old road again.

Garbage league, quelle surprise.

(After Cooke had crippled Marc Savard, of course. Pick and choose, pick and choose...)

Sounds like lots of entertainment tonight. I'm watching the Leafs/Sens game and there have been more penalty minutes than regular minutes through the first two periods. At this pace, both teams will be in double-digit powerplays by the end of the game.

Lots of entertainment, yes, in the "two Boston goals in the last minute and a half, go home Pittsburgh" sort of way. Fistpumps were had.

Boston has a rep for going over the line at times (and as a Bruins fan I want Thornton to get 20 games for that, it's completely unacceptable), but it absolutely mystifies me how Pittsburgh so consistently avoids the reputation they have so richly earned.

As a Bruins fan I won't mind not seeing Thornton for a while, he's a borderline NHLer at this point in his career. But his actions were pretty surprising considering he's usually one of the calmer heads on the team. Just really really dumb and I hope Orpik is OK.

Orpik hit was clean, though completely unnecessary because he made no attempt to play the puck. James Neal continues to be a little turd.

The physicality is great but there is no bite to punishments. Why should guys worry about concussing an opponent and putting him out for the season when all they will get is 5-10 games?