NHL 2010-2011: Rick Rypien

Coldtouch wrote:

Since we seem to have a lot of Vancouver fans here, it's the Supermen vs. Team Kryptonite tonight. Looking forward to seeing this rivalry grow some more.

Ugh. I was at the last game. First time I've ever left early.

Oh yes, it was brutal near the end of the JFJr days. Half the team looked like they were phoning it in and our locker room was poisonous. A lot of me-first attitudes. Today the kids buy in to the team mentality and really play for each other. Sure the old Leafs had more talent, but I think I prefer these ones that play hard and make mistakes. I'm not saying this Leaf team doesn't get demoralized and stop skating, because it has happened, but I also haven't heard anyone complain to the media about ice time.

Oh how I know that the Leafs lack skill. I'd love to see them get some goals and get some confidence going and develop momentum, but right now when things aren't clicking it is just lack of finish all over the ice.

I heard that Boston used to say that they needed to ride Kessel to get him to play hard consistently. I'm thinking that that was probably true. I'm pretty sure Wilson and company are on him. Don't forget the kid is 23. Good work habits can be learned, but he needs to be surrounded by people leading by example - which is really the area I think Burke and Wilson have improved the Leafs the most. I've read media stories about how the players are encouraging each other to hit the gym, go to extra practices, etc. Never heard that 4 years ago.

So it's frustrating to not see this reflected with results on the ice, which leads me to where I started. Is the problem Wilson? His style of play is up tempo and hard to execute. It's also very effective when it works. But Wilson doesn't have much talent to work with. A Jacques Martin system in Toronto would be much more shut down and would play to the strength of the players we have today (good D, decent goalkeeping) but would it be teaching our young players the style of play we want to be playing when we actually do have talent? I don't know this, but I suspect Wilson's instructions when coming to Toronto was to implement a system with the understanding that the talent needed to be successful with that system would be coming later.

I don't think that removing Wilson or Burke now would help this team in the long run. I don't want more half-assed attempts to revitalize the franchise. I want long term planning to lead the Leafs back to respectability. I think that Burke and co. have made some good steps in that direction. Meanwhile, the Leafs right now look ugly.

And our Defence looks terrible today. Kaberle and Beauchemin have been playing fairly well. Schenn has looked very good this season (minus some gaffs). Komisarek still doesn't look comfortable. I don't know why that is. The whole D core in Toronto has been victimized though and honestly I think a big part is on the forwards. If the forwards aren't executing the break out play properly, the D pay the price for it. Although yes, there have also been some gaffs from Toronto defence this year. I was at the game where Komisarek passed the puck to Cammalleri on the power play. *sigh* The problems are everywhere.

Vector wrote:

I'm a pretty big Burke fan. He did a great job rebuilding the Canucks and did an excellent job tinkering in Anaheim.

I thought he did an OK job in Vancouver (Except for goaltending, as you said), but in Anaheim most of the best deals basically fell into his lap. Scott Neidermayer wanted to play with his brother, and Kevin Lowe was basically handcuffed into giving away Pronger for peanuts. (More to do with Kevin Lowe's stupidity then Burke's excellence, IMO - I would have sat on Pronger). Those two, along with Perry and Getzlaf (who were drafted by Murray ahead of Burke's time) are basically what got Anaheim the cup.

Then he overpays for Bertuzzi, puts Bryzgalov on waivers, lets Mcdonald go for garbage.

Sorry, not impressed.

Dysplastic wrote:
Vector wrote:

I'm a pretty big Burke fan. He did a great job rebuilding the Canucks and did an excellent job tinkering in Anaheim.

I thought he did an OK job in Vancouver (Except for goaltending, as you said), but in Anaheim most of the best deals basically fell into his lap. Scott Neidermayer wanted to play with his brother, and Kevin Lowe was basically handcuffed into giving away Pronger for peanuts. (More to do with Kevin Lowe's stupidity then Burke's excellence, IMO - I would have sat on Pronger). Those two, along with Perry and Getzlaf (who were drafted by Murray ahead of Burke's time) are basically what got Anaheim the cup.

Then he overpays for Bertuzzi, puts Bryzgalov on waivers, lets Mcdonald go for garbage.

Sorry, not impressed.

For Vancouver he surrounded the pieces he had with excellent chances to succeed, made some excellent trades and signings, made them one of the best teams in the league, and had a excellent defence. He was pretty damn good but failed at creating a solid secondary scoring unit, let Crawford ride Cloutier too hard during the season, and stayed with Crawford too long.

For Anaheim he did an excellent job tinkering. Not building. Signed Dustin Penner, brought back Selanne, brought in Niedermayer (outbid the Canucks and New Jersey), acquired Kunitz, brought in Brad May, got Pronger (it was an excellent deal any way you slice it), got Beauchemin for Fedorov in a salary dump, and, most importantly, brought in Randy Carlyle as the head coach. His first two seasons were excellent. After that it all fell apart but those two years were some of the finest a GM could have.

Ah TSN, the only thing you're useful for.

God I loved that. Not as much as the shut-out and Luongo looking like the scary dominant 06/07 Luongo.

Actually if Luongo goes back to scary 06/07 Luongo I'll be more than happy. That was some of the best goaltending the NHL has ever seen. That was as good a season as any goalie has ever had. I'd argue he was even better than Brodeur, who won the Vezina.

Holy sh*t, my team sucks! Coupled with my having a double ear-infection this week, it's like it's 1985 all over again!

So, I'd pop in here and talk about the Red Wings but, there's really nothing to talk about. Its the Red Wings being the Red Wings. (I am fully aware that it's this kind of smarm that makes people hate Red Wings fans.)

Did someone say Red Wings? Was watching last night. I was not a fan of the new defensive pairings a month ago. However, the veteran paired with a younger guy seems to be keeping the big 3/4 from getting gassed too quickly, and Salei and Ericcson seem to really up their game when paired with Lidstrom, Rafalski. The defense seems much more active as well, in particular showing a spring to get past the hash marks.

skeletonframes wrote:

So, I'd pop in here and talk about the Red Wings but, there's really nothing to talk about. Its the Red Wings being the Red Wings. (I am fully aware that it's this kind of smarm that makes people hate Red Wings fans.)

Honestly, I don't think it's smarmy at all - it's well deserved. The Wings are a consistently excellent team that are incredibly well managed and coached, and an example for the rest of the league. It's personnel are consistently classy and among the best respected in the league in terms of skill, work ethic, and personality. Seriously, when was the last time the Wings have had a dirty or controversial player? (Accepting that Bertuzzi, since his yearlong suspension, has not been a dirty player) Detroit fans are right to be proud.

It bothers me more when fans act superior for stupid reasons - like having a physically stronger team even though that doesn't translate to results (Leafs) or having won a crapton of cups when there were only 6 teams in the league (Habs - and I'm a Habs fan!)

Not sure if this belongs in here. But have a look at the woefully over-looked Patton Oswalt movie, Big Fan. It is a dark comedic character study in over-involved sport fans. I think it is truthful that people externalize their own low self esteem, personal qualms through sports onto "rival" or "enemy" teams, players, fans. That is not unique to sports, look at the attitude some people have to certain cities in your area, certain colleges.

Dysplastic wrote:
skeletonframes wrote:

So, I'd pop in here and talk about the Red Wings but, there's really nothing to talk about. Its the Red Wings being the Red Wings. (I am fully aware that it's this kind of smarm that makes people hate Red Wings fans.)

Honestly, I don't think it's smarmy at all - it's well deserved. The Wings are a consistently excellent team that are incredibly well managed and coached, and an example for the rest of the league. It's personnel are consistently classy and among the best respected in the league in terms of skill, work ethic, and personality. Seriously, when was the last time the Wings have had a dirty or controversial player? (Accepting that Bertuzzi, since his yearlong suspension, has not been a dirty player) Detroit fans are right to be proud.

It bothers me more when fans act superior for stupid reasons - like having a physically stronger team even though that doesn't translate to results (Leafs) or having won a crapton of cups when there were only 6 teams in the league (Habs - and I'm a Habs fan!)

Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Daniel Cleary, and Chris Chelios. Not saints but aren't the scum of the hockey world. The Red Wings have made a habit of taking on players with checkered pasts and giving them a chance to start new. Of the guys I listed only Cleary fits in that part but the other three aren't exactly loved (Hull is a notorious asshole, Chelios was one of the dirtiest players in the league, and Shanahan stole his best friend's wife).

But yeah, Detroit is the envy of the league. They should be the envy of North American sports. I find it impossible to hate them. They keep having success. Mike Illitch is the best owner in sports (keeps the Red Wings and Pistons in Detroit despite losing money).

I have no problem hating the Red Wings. Of course the Blues swoon makes me look for an external team to hate even more.

Jeez, a season that started of so well has turned into a pile of poo. December 18th is when I am supposed to get exited for Josh Selby suiting up for the Jayhawks this season. Instead, the date is circled for when San Jose comes to St. Louis. Joe Thornton got a two game suspension for head-hunting and knocking Perron out of the game on November 4th. Yet, Perron still has not even started skating yet due to concussion symptoms. I have to think he is going to get the holy hell beat out of him that night.

But that is how the season has gone. One day I am telling my dad how TJ Oshie is really helping sell hockey in St. Louis, and how fun he is to watch play. Days later, he's out for at least three months with a broken ankle. It's like every time a player starts to really break out, he just disappears. Worse, it has destroyed the patience of so many blues fans, who want a trade now to get some scoring. I'd hate to see the Blues get knocked off their long term strategy because of a couple of injuries. But the vibe in twon has gotten really nasty, and makes it less fun to just enjoy the games.

My hope is that this time period will eventually just make the team stronger when they get healthy.

skeletonframes wrote:

I'm glad GWJ has an educated, rational group of hockey fans. I have a friend who hates the Red Wings and calls them the "Yankees" of the NHL. You can't talk sense into a person like that.

It really fills me with a sense of pride (even though I don't play on the team) when people speak highly of the Wings and players like Datsyuk and Rafalski. Not so much because I feel like I've attributed to any of their achievements, but because this is a team I love and invest large amounts of time and emotion into. The Red Wings are, honestly, the 2nd biggest reason I don't move out of Southeast Michigan.

Edit:
And Jayhawker,
I'll allow you to dislike the wings. When we play Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburgh or San Jose I hate them ,too. Not because they lack class or are dirty (except for Thornton), but because they scare the sh*t out of me. :P

Oops. Double.

I would like to share my excitement =D

despite the Canucks lost last night....... I found a NHL store in NYC over the weekend during my visit and I BOUGHT!!IMAGE(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1206.snc4/155801_677578191023_31200009_37659379_4933478_n.jpg)

Only $75!!! hahaha I'm sooooo happy!

(XL/L in youth size.......)

skeletonframes wrote:

So, I'd pop in here and talk about the Red Wings but, there's really nothing to talk about. Its the Red Wings being the Red Wings. (I am fully aware that it's this kind of smarm that makes people hate Red Wings fans.)

I don't think it's the smarm that makes people dislike Red Wings fans. You have a great organization to be proud of that does a great job scouting talent to draft. The problem is the overstated bragging (hey guys we won a regular season road game against a good team, therefore we will be in the cup finals) and the forcefull bringing of Detriot tradition to road games (please keep your octopi throwing at home games where it belongs).

If I were a wings fan, my only concern would be how much your forwards are required to cover defensively to make up for an above-average defense corps or the extremely odd possibility of peaking too early.

I was at the Kings-Red Wings game Saturday night. That is how you shut up the bandwagoners. I hate the sea of red more than anything else in hockey.

jinniee wrote:

I would like to share my excitement =D

despite the Canucks lost last night....... I found a NHL store in NYC over the weekend during my visit and I BOUGHT!!IMAGE(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1206.snc4/155801_677578191023_31200009_37659379_4933478_n.jpg)

Only $75!!! hahaha I'm sooooo happy!

(XL/L in youth size.......)

Nice, very nice.

I just hate the Red Wings because they've handled themselves post-cap much better than the Avs have. It makes me think people were right to suggest that Colorado was successful not because it was well-managed or coached but because it could spend buckets of money to get what it wanted. But don't tell anyone I said that.

goman wrote:

I was at the Kings-Red Wings game Saturday night. That is how you shut up the bandwagoners. I hate the sea of red more than anything else in hockey.

More than the second ref?

When Detroit are playing well, they play beautiful hockey. I should make a point to watch them play more. Just immaculate in the first 2 periods tonight.

Montreal's penalties helped Detroit look really good, though. When you're playing a man up, it's easy to get into a good passing groove. But, Detroit has, in my oppinion, the highest skilled passing game in the league. That can also be they're undoing in some games. Playing too cute and trying for that perfect play can keep the offense from gelling, when it's not working.

I recorded the CBC feed and they were having a love-fest for Pavel Datsyuk. I enjoyed it, greatly. That must be what it feels like to be a Crosby fan.

skeletonframes wrote:

I recorded the CBC feed and they were having a love-fest for Pavel Datsyuk. I enjoyed it, greatly. That must be what it feels like to be a Crosby fan. ;)

I am not a springtime fresh douche.

The Capitals got crushed last night by the Rangers, sparking the usual debate about if the team isn't built well enough. It seems like a media over-reaction to me, especially this early. However, I can't help but notice these ridiculous comments that Boudreau keeps throwing out there. As if it wasn't bad enough when he looked miffed (but did nothing) at the whole Kovalchuk-Semin-Ovechkin incident, he throws out some real gems after Sunday's loss:

“I don’t have an answer right now. It is unfamiliar territory. I think we have a lot of people feeling sorry for themselves."

"We have to find a way out of this ... before it's too late."

I've always felt like the Caps talent carried the team more than Boudreau's coaching abilities. He hardly ever seems to change things up other than his lines. His offense based system hasn't worked in the playoffs, and his strategies on the ice have become extremely predictable. His words appear like he's either lost the team or has given up hope. Any Washington fans out there that can weigh in on if this is a real issue or just over-reaction to a mid-season slump?

Coldtouch wrote:

The Capitals got crushed last night by the Rangers, sparking the usual debate about if the team isn't built well enough. It seems like a media over-reaction to me, especially this early. However, I can't help but notice these ridiculous comments that Boudreau keeps throwing out there. As if it wasn't bad enough when he looked miffed (but did nothing) at the whole Kovalchuk-Semin-Ovechkin incident, he throws out some real gems after Sunday's loss:

“I don’t have an answer right now. It is unfamiliar territory. I think we have a lot of people feeling sorry for themselves."

"We have to find a way out of this ... before it's too late."

I've always felt like the Caps talent carried the team more than Boudreau's coaching abilities. He hardly ever seems to change things up other than his lines. His offense based system hasn't worked in the playoffs, and his strategies on the ice have become extremely predictable. His words appear like he's either lost the team or has given up hope. Any Washington fans out there that can weigh in on if this is a real issue or just over-reaction to a mid-season slump?

that was the saddest game.........

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/winter...

NEW YORK -- The time is right for NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin to put aside their rivalry in a bid to promote the Winter Classic.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals captains will appear together Monday on the game show "The Price Is Right" on CBS.

With retired star Jeremy Roenick, they'll introduce an NHL-themed showcase that includes a trip to Pittsburgh for the teams' New Year's Day meeting outdoors at Heinz Field.

The three will join host Drew Carey to present a showcase that includes VIP passes to the league's New Year's Eve bash, plus ice-level access during the Dec. 31 practices at Heinz Field. A 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid car also is one of the prizes.

Roenick will introduce another NHL prize that includes a trip to the 2011 Stanley Cup final.

Will there be a competing showcase? would be hilariously sad for the contestant to pass it on.

how long is Caps losing streak going to last? =(

I'm sure Backstrom isn't happy...

P.S- Thanks Gravy. I like my new jersey too! Going to be Vancouver again next month =D for my bday!

jinniee wrote:

how long is Caps losing streak going to last? =(

I'm sure Backstrom isn't happy...

They get a softball in playing Anaheim at home tonight, so I figure it ends there.

That deal for Fleischmann has been paying off for the Avs though. 7 points in 6 games (2G, 5A, +2). Not so sure on how much Hannan is solidifying the Caps soft defense corps.

Philly looked fairly impressive versus the penguins last night, but follow it up with a road game in Montreal tonight. It will probably the game I watch tonight while checking in on the coyotes during breaks.

Going to the game tonight. Want to crush Columbus. Need another solid victory and maybe get a streak going. Not a fan of this win-2-lose-1 style. The division is weak, Colorado is the only competition and they're missing their starting goalie and best forward. Take advantage, pull way ahead, give themselves some breathing room, and really ramp it up at the end of the season. This won't happen but that's what I want.

Jinnie, I've seen this before. The Caps will probably never win another game. Ever. It's sad. They'll probably move to Utah, Kansas City, or maybe Winnipeg. Sad, I know. Or Boudreau will get fired and they'll hire a real coach. Larry Robinson would be fantastic but I think he's retired from coaching.