NHL 2016-2017

Laine getting a concussion is a damn shame. He was my favourite of all the young players to watch.

Well. There's that. I hope he gets back quickly.

He is back, unless he got re-injured. He was supposed to play Tuesday vs the Sharks, I assume he did. Please tell me he didn't get another concussion first day back because he rushed into action too soon.

yup, he played just under 22 minutes and got an assist.

Yeah, he's back. It's more that concussions can really mess with a player.

Ah. I've really just been paying attention to the Leafs so far this season. For once it's not a depressing mire, so a new experience for me.

Really do wish the best for Laine, always good to have more young stars. The league needs to protect its players, and the longer I watch hockey the more I just kind of think hitting isn't really good. As a defensive play it's usually not the most efficient way to separate a man from the puck, it often puts you out of position. The one value it provides is it wears down (or injures) opponents. During the regular season that doesn't really help you much (only one game to benefit), and during the playoffs it's a dirty way of seeking an advantage.

Recently the league has had fewer and fewer big hits and I'm all for it. I see it as less players getting hurt. The old school hockey people don't like it I'm sure, but that's because they played in an era of insanity and complete lack of knowledge about head injuries.

Ottawa shut down Clarke MacArthur for the season after another concussion. He's had so many now, I find myself hoping he just retires. I liked him in Toronto, always wished him well. Sad to see a guy end a career like that.

There's a big generational gap in hitting and I don't mean between fans. In 10 years I think we'll see hitting come back but in a very different form. That's long enough for new coaches and kids to learn how to properly hit with less side-effects that we've seen in the past. People who like hitting will decry this as a softening of the game.

What they really don't realize is that hitting wasn't a big thing in the NHL until the 70s and the way hitting is now is a creation of the 90s.

Obligatory Go Wild. I've been pulling for them for a long time. Glad we have a year with promise but still we are a MN sports team who isn't in the WNBA...

Yeah, I find myself thinking about the negatives of the team far more than the positives to try and keep my hopes in check for the inevitable crash. It's fun being a Minnesota sports fan!

Bruce B seems to be evening out some of the inconsistent play style. Every once and a while the ice zombies return and that is torture but there is an amazing team there if they just "get it together " as my 3 year old yells during bad points in a game. I think she pays too close of attention to me when watching.

I feel like I don't go in for revenge generally, feeling you just want to put points on the board and get the W, but I really hope Nyquist ends up bloodied before he gets back to Detroit.

He looks right at Spurgeon, aims that stick blade, and ends up maybe 2 inches from taking out his eye, in retaliation for a minor cross check that happens at least a dozen times a game on both sides. This is Minnesota so I doubt he'll end up paying for it, but I really hope he does. First time I've wanted an old-school enforcer in ages.

Outlandish wrote:

I feel like I don't go in for revenge generally, feeling you just want to put points on the board and get the W, but I really hope Nyquist ends up bloodied before he gets back to Detroit.

He looks right at Spurgeon, aims that stick blade, and ends up maybe 2 inches from taking out his eye, in retaliation for a minor cross check that happens at least a dozen times a game on both sides. This is Minnesota so I doubt he'll end up paying for it, but I really hope he does. First time I've wanted an old-school enforcer in ages.

NBC cut away too quick but Stewart really got in there quick. I think Bruce has wanted them to play smarter at times. And rather than try and get even they really upped the PP ante! Nyquist is trying to say it's an accident but yeah that looked pretty blatant.

Well, they offered him an in-person hearing so they are at least considering a 6+ game suspension. They can still make it less than 6, but have to offer a hearing if it might be over 5.

Apparently his only other major transgression though was another spear in the AHL Finals, so I doubt it'll be more than 5 for a first time NHL offender. I'll keep my fingers crossed though; NBC made a fair amount of noise about it in a national game, so maybe that'll put a little more pressure on the Dept of Player Safety to mete out a longer suspension for exactly the type of behavior they claim they want to get rid of.

I still remember Pierre-Marc Bouchard getting a couple games when his stick got lifted into someone. If that was worth 2 games, this is worth about 734

Well, a nice time to be a Wild fan in my opinion. An OT win, albeit a bit ugly giving up 4, and getting Hanzal and White to boost the playoff run. I'm completely fine with the picks we gave up; haven't been this happy about a trade in a long time. Might work, might not, but it's great to be going for it.

Throw in Shattenkirk going to Washington (I always thought he played well against the Wild, glad to see him out East where I won't have to worry about us facing him unless we reach the Finals) and it's a good trade window thus far.

Now it could be better, of course. Maybe Chicago will just do us a bit of a favor and quit winning every bloody game and the Wild somehow manage to make it through this mumps outbreak without losing anyone else to it.

I knew Shattenkirk had to be traded, but damn it sucks to seem him go. I just don't think the Blues could afford the cap space he was going to cost when he was always going to play behind Parayko and Pietrangelo. But man, he was 100% every night, had a fantastic attitude, and the fans love him.

His jersey number, 22, made for one of the best twitter handles ever, too, "@shattdeuces."

It's incredibly rare for a playoff team to trade one of their best players right before the playoffs.

Jim Benning, the Canucks terrible GM, actually managed to make a great trade. Burrows for Dahlen (19 yo offensive prospect in Sweden). Even if Dahlen doesn't pan out, it's extremely good value.

Being on the other side of that deal, I'm super unimpressed.. no idea what Dorion is thinking on this one

I guess even Benning gets it right once in a while? I think Ottawa is of the opinion that they need to win now, that they have a couple more years of this group left. In Karlsson you have a premier defender, and he's in his prime, so I can understand the thinking. Ottawa feels like a time bomb right now, core guys are ageing.

But Burrows? I suppose there isn't much out there right now. With the Las Vegas expansion draft hanging over everyone's heads, the market is completely locked down. The only way to really add talent these days is through bringing in prospects... says the Leafs fan, I know.

The Leafs received Brian Boyle from Tampa though, for a second round pick and an AHLer. I would be meh about the trade except that Babcock loves the Boyle type of player almost irrationally, so we may as well have the best example of him we can get. Boyle is huge, wins faceoffs, and is pretty decent. Big upgrade over Smith and Gauthier, anyway, so we got better with this trade.

The plan is almost certainly to get Boyle excited about the Leafs future prospects, wait for the expansion draft to be over (Boyle isn't eligible because he's pending UFA) and then sign him. The risk is that Boyle decides to walk back to Tampa after the season.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

Being on the other side of that deal, I'm super unimpressed.. no idea what Dorion is thinking on this one :(

nihilo wrote:

I guess even Benning gets it right once in a while? I think Ottawa is of the opinion that they need to win now, that they have a couple more years of this group left. In Karlsson you have a premier defender, and he's in his prime, so I can understand the thinking. Ottawa feels like a time bomb right now, core guys are ageing.

But Burrows? I suppose there isn't much out there right now. With the Las Vegas expansion draft hanging over everyone's heads, the market is completely locked down. The only way to really add talent these days is through bringing in prospects... says the Leafs fan, I know.

The one thing I've seen Sens fans complain about is that they keep characterizing Burrows as a 4th liner. He's been playing in the top-6 all season with two young guys. His defensive game hasn't faltered at all and is still one of the best PKers in the league. He he's not the super shifty offensive player he used to be and can't skate as well as he used to. He's basically a middle-6 forward that can anchor an entire lines defensive duties on his own and instantly improves a PK. He has always needed offensive players to be productive, however, and his shot isn't as great as it used to be. Crazy price to pay for that kind of player on a team that is just okay, though.

Dorion just traded a 3rd for Stalberg. I am unsure if the market is crazy right now or if it's just Dorion.

Detroit receives a 2nd and a 3rd from NYR in return Brendan Smith. Smith is a Left D, good with possession, not great with points so that makes some sense to me. Left D is in high demand. Oops that's Right D, but still, is okay..

Subban in tears during the Habs' video tribute was touching but it's so weird for an organization that denigrated him through most of his tenure to do a tribute.

Whoever put it together left out Therrien's "I'll make P.K. a better person" garbage.

Just heard this for the first time last night on KSHE's Seventh Day. Nothing better to get in mood for the playoffs.

Let's Go Blues!

Yea, I'm not too stoked about the Wild getting the Blues first round, but then I'm not sure I'd want to face the Preds either; Rinne is traditionally exceptionally difficult for the Wild to score on. And they're probably just playing for a chance to lose to the Hawks in round 2 anyway. Minnesota sports pessimism, I represent it well.

Good luck to everyone who isn't facing the Wild!

GO SENS!!

Go Wild, cept don't leave me feeling empty and hating 2nd City more....

Hobear, I'm really sorry for what the Blues are going to do to the Wild in this series. It's not personal.

You might want stay away from 13 Reasons Why for awhile, though.

Jayhawker wrote:

Hobear, I'm really sorry for what the Blues are going to do to the Wild in this series. It's not personal.

You might want stay away from 13 Reasons Why for awhile, though. ;-)

I can't wait until we prove you RIGHT...Eff MN sports....

Of course the Preds stunk up the joint the last week of the regular season to make sure they got stuck with the Blackhawks in the playoffs.

Gumbie wrote:

Of course the Preds stunk up the joint the last week of the regular season to make sure they got stuck with the Blackhawks in the playoffs.

It was all a part of the plan...

Gumbie wrote:

Of course the Preds stunk up the joint the last week of the regular season to make sure they got stuck with the Blackhawks in the playoffs.

Tyler Dellow's been pumping Nashville's tires on Twitter for this series so I'm hopeful for the Predators. Marginally better Corsi%, much better non-empty-net goal differential, Chicago's special teams aren't great. Since I want to see Nashville go all the way that makes me hopeful even though the Rinne is a wee bit scary.