NHL 2015-2016

Leafs win! It's a miracle. TV guys keep talking about how hard they worked tonight - I saw about the same effort, just they got the bounces this time. They got outshot badly, even taking score effect into consideration.

That said, the Leafs record was worse than their play deserved - they were eventually going to win a game.

Add Connor McDavid to the very long list of recent Oilers to suffer a shoulder injury. Hopefully they don't rush him back like they have with pretty much everyone else.

Roke wrote:

Add Connor McDavid to the very long list of recent Oilers to suffer a shoulder injury. Hopefully they don't rush him back like they have with pretty much everyone else.

Was switching between this game, and Halo last night, and I caught the tail end of one of the announcers mentioning someone was out for the rest of the game. While I'm glad it wasn't a Flyer, I still hate to see anyone get injured. It looked like he was going to have a really good season.

The Blues go smoked 5-2 last night. In the first period!

But they scored three in the 2nd, held on for OT and the Tarasenk-show took over.

I really, really like the 3 on 3 OT. I can see why some may night like it, because it is a different beast. But it is edge of your seat hockey. I'd watch a tape of nothing but 3 on 3 NHL OTs.

And now last night's game has created a new mom and rally slogan for Blues Hockey.

How #RoarBacon Became a Thing

ST. LOUIS - Everything is better with bacon.

And that includes Blues hockey, apparently.

Last night, just minutes after David Backes tied the game at 5-5 with 34 seconds remaining in the second period, we uploaded a photo to our Instagram account with the caption: "Well that was something. #OurBlues roar bacon with three second-period goals to tie the game 5-5. #STLvsCHI."

We meant to say "roar back," but iPhone's autocorrect got the best of us.

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How are the Devils playing like this?

So I'm looking for another team to follow other than the Wild, I want to see a bit more hockey this year and I'm looking for suggestions. What I'm looking for is a team that:

1) Plays in the Eastern conference, my knowledge of Eastern teams is negligible so this should help keep things fresh.
2) Is not from a "major" city. Obviously they're all from decent sized cities, but I just can't root for the likes of LA, Chicago, NY. Places where all the players want to go play because they'll get better endorsement deals, etc. Which ties a bit into
3) Is not a perennial favorite.
4) Is not Detroit, because that's Dad's team. also 3) even though they're not quite the threat currently.
5) Is not Montreal, because to me rooting for them is like rooting for the Yankees, you'd better have been born in the city or lived there most of your life.
6) Is either not a complete disaster, or is a disaster but at least it's usually close and always entertaining.

Bonuses for:
7) Plays a heavy forechecking style.
8) Announcers who are knowledgeable (about not just their own team) and interesting. Knowledge being far more important. Since I pay so little attention to the East, I'd like announcers who can throw in helpful information like "so and so is traditionally fantastic on faceoffs so the fact that we've taken 8/13 from him tonight is pretty impressive", since I don't know things like who the better faceoff men out East are.

I'm going to start with Buffalo, who I used to follow back when Minnesota didn't have a team but if anyone has a good suggestion I'd be happy to look at others as well.

Going be a homer and recommend the Senators.

We have lots of young, talented guys, who play fast, high-event hockey.

Outlandish wrote:

2) Is not from a "major" city.

Despite being the capital, we're constantly overlooked.

Outlandish wrote:

3) Is not a perennial favorite.

Despite qualifying for the playoffs eight times in the last ten years, we're always viewed as the underdog.

Outlandish wrote:

5) Is not Montreal, because to me rooting for them is like rooting for the Yankees

We hate the Habs! our recent playoff series have been crazy.

Outlandish wrote:

6) Is either not a complete disaster, or is a disaster but at least it's usually close and always entertaining.

Half our games have gone to overtime and we lead the league in games going to shoot outs. Even when we play bad we manage to make it a close game and steal a point or two.

Outlandish wrote:

8) Announcers who are knowledgeable (about not just their own team) and interesting. Knowledge being far more important.

Most of our games are on TSN and we have an amazing set of announcers and analysts.. the call is usually Gord Miller or Chris Cuthbert with Ray Ferraro or Jamie McLennan at ice level, and the panel is usually James Duthie, Marty Byron and Bob McKenzie.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

Despite being the capital, we're constantly overlooked.

To support that, I hadn't even thought of them. I'll have to go watch their last couple games here. Thanks!

Outlandish wrote:

6) Is either not a complete disaster, or is a disaster but at least it's usually close and always entertaining.

You clearly want to follow the Leafs. Disaster is never too far away.

Pretty sure the major city part takes Toronto out of contention, but I would argue the Leafs are the most interesting team right now, as the whole organization is seeking new ways to run a hockey club better. It's not just Babcock making changes, either (though he's been exactly as good as advertised). Their AHL team is the youngest in the league by a large margin because they've turned the whole team over to youth. They hired a strength and conditioning coach from the NBA (apparently has to do with using cameras all over the ice in practice to identify players before they develop injuries). For the first time in franchise history, the Leafs have a highly rated prospect (Nylander) that they are not bringing up to the big club ASAP, letting him develop.

Of course, history teaches us Leafs fans that this is all just an elaborate set up for a new and creative way to fail. But I'm very interested.

Follow the Capitals! Sure, we are from the capital of the nation, but DC has never been a hockey town. The Redskins will always reign supreme.

We've also never won a Cup, and even though we are a good team we are not perennial favorites (well, except for this year - but let's be honest, history is not on our side).

We also have the best 1-2 punch in the league with Ovechkin and Backstrom.

Our radio announcer, John Walton, is the best in the business, although Comcast Sports Net leaves a little to be desired (their announcers are fine; the actual channel is sometimes amateur hour).

Capitals are actually a pretty good choice. Every other team is either rebuilding, in a market that probably shouldn't have a team, or a major city. Only down side is you'd be cheering for a team that has sustained success for a while now and are second in their conference.

If you're looking for misery, I suggest the Blue Jackets.

Majority of Canadiens fans I know have never been to Montreal but there parents were fans before the Canucks were around and it was passed on to the children.

Vector wrote:

Capitals are actually a pretty good choice. Every other team is either rebuilding, in a market that probably shouldn't have a team, or a major city. Only down side is you'd be cheering for a team that has sustained success for a while now and are second in their conference.

If you're looking for misery, I suggest the Blue Jackets.

Majority of Canadiens fans I know have never been to Montreal but there parents were fans before the Canucks were around and it was passed on to the children.

Any true Caps fan is loving the success, but waiting for the choke. Also, we're on top of the conference right now.

AnimeJ wrote:

Also, we're on top of the conference right now.

err... you're 4 points behind Montreal

GrandmaFunk wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:

Also, we're on top of the conference right now.

err... you're 4 points behind Montreal

Give it time. They've got two more games played than we do.

On top of the division, second in the conference.

As a Canucks fan, I understand Caps fans well. Always expecting the worst then, when it comes, having your heart broken and just going "of course".

I decided to be a little scientific about it. Since I figured Minny were the least physical team in the league, I'd look at most physical in terms of hits/game last year and this.

Eliminating Philly because for some reason that I actually can't remember I have historically disliked them, Caps because they're a favorite this year and that feels like bandwagon jumping, and the Rangers due to big city bias. For some unknown reason I don't feel the same way about the Isles, and they are the top physical team the last couple years.

So I'm going to watch a few games each of the Sens, Sabres, Isles, and Leafs. Not sure if I'll settle on one of those then or keep spreading my hockey time around, but if any of those make the playoffs I'll be rooting for you. At least until the finals when you play the Wild. (it could happen. if Chicago forfeits.)

The Leafs are the Yankees of the NHL without the success. Isles and Sens are fun teams with lots to cheer for and somewhat crazy management. Tavares and Karlsson are superstars that are easy to cheer for.

Vector wrote:

The Leafs are the Yankees of the NHL without the success. Isles and Sens are fun teams with lots to cheer for and somewhat crazy management. Tavares and Karlsson are superstars that are easy to cheer for.

Woo! Toronto is a fun team to cheer for. Look how happy our goaltender is!

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8cdsj-CQAAhbzy.jpg)

He's injured right now. The replacement goaltender tonight doesn't look nearly as practiced with smiling:

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Is he the Prime Minister of Canada or the Assistant General Manager of the Maple Leafs?

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Vector wrote:

On top of the division, second in the conference.

As a Canucks fan, I understand Caps fans well. Always expecting the worst then, when it comes, having your heart broken and just going "of course".

Habs are going to start toppling a little with Price being out for awhile. It's not that the team is bad, it's just that Price is that good. He dragged them into the playoffs last year, and the team quickly showed that once the defense first playoffs started, they couldn't do much since they onlky had primary scoring.

...this is why I'm excited as a Capitals fan We finally have secondary scoring AND good defense

Vrikk wrote:
Vector wrote:

On top of the division, second in the conference.

As a Canucks fan, I understand Caps fans well. Always expecting the worst then, when it comes, having your heart broken and just going "of course".

Habs are going to start toppling a little with Price being out for awhile. It's not that the team is bad, it's just that Price is that good. He dragged them into the playoffs last year, and the team quickly showed that once the defense first playoffs started, they couldn't do much since they onlky had primary scoring.

...this is why I'm excited as a Capitals fan We finally have secondary scoring AND good defense :D

Yep. Here's hoping we can get past the first and second rounds of the playoffs

Leafs win, and Sparks got a shutout in his NHL debut. He's the first to do that for the Leafs, and got pretty emotional when he found out:

Vector wrote:

Is he the Prime Minister of Canada or the Assistant General Manager of the Maple Leafs

Kyle Dubas makes me feel old. He looks (and is) so young! Like a teenager wearing a suit, and somehow he's the Assistant GM of the Leafs / GM of the Marlies.

C-A-P-S! 4 points out of first, 3 games fewer played.

And now we're on top of the division. Last 10 are 8-1-1, and we're 8-0 after a loss. I'm super pumped about the way the Caps are playing this season.. but at the same time, I'm so afraid of the other shoe dropping.

Okay, the Wild beat a floundering Rangers team tonight but I want to know if there's any way to track worst shooting % at an open freaking net. I swear for years now the Wild miss at least 50% of the time when the goalie is way out of position.

Probably selective memory or whatever the heck the term for remembering the bad occurrences more than the good is that I can't think of at the moment, but I'm going with Wild are the worst team in the league at hitting an open net.

What's the best way I can get my GM, President, Coach, and scouting department fired? I basically want to salt the earth. Any thoughts on best way to do this?

Buy the team?

Lent wrote:

Buy the team?

I'm working on making the family company profitable enough but it'll take a while until I can strong-arm the slumlord owners away from the Canucks.

Montreal currently has more regulation losses than Toronto this season.

I'm giddy at the prospect of more losses bringing about a coaching change (a change that should have been made June 5, 2012).

Of course Price is injured and the Habs were on a PDO bender for a while but I just loathe Michel Therrien.