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

Once again the goddamned Avs defense do everything in their power to help the Avs lose. I keep hearing all these people talking about how good the Avs defense has been lately, but from what I've seen they might as well be playing for the other team. They certainly pass the puck to the opposing team more often than they do to the Avs forwards. An endless string of stupid penalties, turn-overs, getting stripped of the puck, assuming the other guy is going to get the other puck, and, in the final minutes, lazy play that allows a break-away for the game-winning goal. It's goddamned frustrating as a fan to watch games get lost this way.

We'll trade you Michael Del Zotto or a slightly beat up Marc Staal whose best days are surely ahead of him.

Wow New York Metro hockey sucks something bad. What's with the Rangers and Talbot?

I don't know if it's new coaching style they need to get used to but they can't seem to get a strong winning streak going.

The Rangers will never come close to a cup with Glen Sather at the helm.

FSeven wrote:

The Rangers will never come close to a cup with Glen Sather at the helm.

Yup! He's just not a good GM. He was perfect for the Oilers in the 80s but has not adjusted at all. He's done a few good things with the Rangers but is obsessed with acquiring over-priced aging former stars.

Not NHL related, but with the USA naming their Olympic team ESPN had a big behind-the-scenes article. Stunning levels of incompetence there.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/10...

Just saw a tweet:

@andystrickland wrote:

Chris Stewart was only #stlblues player with more than 30 points last season, have seven already this yr.

Of course, last season was just 48 games, but the Blues have only played 43 so far this season.

Tarasenko has 28 and Bouwmeester has 27, so we could see the list grow to nine pretty easily. Chris Stewart, on the other hand, along with Sobotka has just 24 so far, and is not likely to make it to 30. Although Stewart has been on fire recently, so maybe he has a big game and gets there.

But this is team is much further along offensively than it was last season. Been fun watching them.

This year is definitely the Blues' year. I think whoever comes out of the West will win it. Blues, Ducks, Blackhawks, or San Jose.

FSeven wrote:

This year is definitely the Blues' year. I think whoever comes out of the West will win it. Blues, Ducks, Blackhawks, or San Jose.

Being in the same division as the Blues and Blackhawks is super frustrating this year. The Avs are doing way, way better than I had hoped, and they're still in third place by a significant margin. Still, I like the Blues and I'm glad they're doing so well.

It's pretty much like clockwork. I post about how well my favorite team is playing, then they proceed to tank. Frickin' Canucks!

No matter how bad things get, just remember that at least you're not a Leafs fan.

Jayhawker wrote:

Frickin' Canucks!

I can get behind this sentiment. Here, something to make you feel better:

IMAGE(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/ColdstreamGWJ/canucksbra1_zps4bd61cd2.jpg)

FSeven wrote:

This year is definitely the Blues' year. I think whoever comes out of the West will win it. Blues, Ducks, Blackhawks, or San Jose.

My money is on a Blues/Bruins Finals but I'm not brave enough to make a prediction of a winner. The East is just such a trashcan fire outside of the B's (Pittsburgh looks good but their peripherals are not as good as they ought to be).

Ed Ropple wrote:
FSeven wrote:

This year is definitely the Blues' year. I think whoever comes out of the West will win it. Blues, Ducks, Blackhawks, or San Jose.

My money is on a Blues/Bruins Finals but I'm not brave enough to make a prediction of a winner. The East is just such a trashcan fire outside of the B's (Pittsburgh looks good but their peripherals are not as good as they ought to be).

The only thing the East finalist has (either Boston or Pitt, probably) really has going for them is the fact that all those great Western teams have to battle through each other to reach the finals. And it's not like Boston, who is probably the best the East has to offer, is exactly distinguishing themselves out west at the moment, either.

Ed Ropple wrote:
FSeven wrote:

This year is definitely the Blues' year. I think whoever comes out of the West will win it. Blues, Ducks, Blackhawks, or San Jose.

My money is on a Blues/Bruins Finals but I'm not brave enough to make a prediction of a winner. The East is just such a trashcan fire outside of the B's (Pittsburgh looks good but their peripherals are not as good as they ought to be).

The only thing the East finalist has (either Boston or Pitt, probably) really has going for them is the fact that all those great Western teams have to battle through each other to reach the finals. And it's not like Boston, who is probably the best the East has to offer, is exactly distinguishing themselves out west at the moment, either.

I like Pitt over the B's this year. Sure, Fleury traditionally crumbles in the playoffs but this year he's been performing rather well and the Pens are still stringing together wins with a decimated blue line.

And don't look now but since their 7-1 blowout of Toronto the Rangers have seemed to turn a corner and are playing some very, very good hockey. Lundqvist seems to have his form back, the PP is now 6th in the league, PK is 8th, and they haven't scored less than 3 goals in their past 5 games (20 total goals).

I'm about 10000000% more excited about international hockey than the NHL this year.

Just means im kinda excited though as ive honestly watched maybe 3.5 NHL games this year and one was live.

The red machine is gonna roll.

Wings got gifted a goal tonight.... We'll definatelly take it! been down on puck luck lately so this was a pleasant suprise. I couldn't believe it went in.

The Avs defensemen are pretty damned good at scoring goals (one nearly got a hat-trick tonight), but I wish we could get some defensemen who are good at, say, defense. Avs nearly blew a 5-1 lead because of our inability to get puck possession in our own zone. Add on some frankly hallucinatory penalty calls and we nearly ended up with an embarrassing loss.

John Tortorella is still a f*cking dooshbag.

I've been reading that he's expected to get a hefty suspension for his antics on Saturday. The Calgary coach, Bob Hartley, is likely to get fined.

I've been reading that he's expected to get a hefty suspension for his antics on Saturday. The Calgary coach, Bob Hartley, is likely to get fined.

edit: Oh yeah, forgot the worst part of all of that - it was Kellan Lain's first NHL game, and it lasted 2 seconds. He was ejected from the game immediately. I might be wrong about this, but I think his parents flew into Vancouver to see him play, too.

I enjoyed Torts's antics and really that's all that matters to me. Round of applause, you nut.

Fastmav347 wrote:

Wings got gifted a goal tonight.... We'll definatelly take it! been down on puck luck lately so this was a pleasant suprise. I couldn't believe it went in.

That was some magical bullsh*t on part of the refs for allowing that. Luckshot of the decade though, given that the puck was past the glass in the net nearly a hundred feet off the ice.

MaxShrek wrote:

John Tortorella is still a f*cking dooshbag.

There was bullsh*t f*ckery on part of everyone there. Full line brawl on the opening drop? f*ck both teams, this is hockey, not WWE King of the Ring.

AnimeJ wrote:

Full line brawl on the opening drop?

Nothing new for Torts.

Not the first time Torts has been involved in a line brawl involving the Canucks either.

FSeven wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:

Full line brawl on the opening drop?

Nothing new for Torts.

Very true(as shown by his reaction in the locker area; that was garbage above and beyond what happened on the ice), but given that the Flames' opening lines were submitted first, they're not eating near as much crap as they should be here. Showing up with a fourth line loaded with brawlers was pretty clearly intended as instigation.

That said, thank freaking goodness Torts got a suspension for that bullsh*t.

I'm fine with the suspension but why wasn't Roy given a similar suspension for his antics earlier in the season?