NHL season 2007-2008

[TruffleShuffle]

well, bush-league penguin george laraque (who admitted after the last flyers-pens game that he intentionally slid into the legs of our goalie martin biron) gave a clear premeditated check from behind against steve downie, who's lucky he doesn't have a broken neck. laraque is a great fighter and a good tough guy, unfortunately he's also a dirty player.

 

let's see if the nhl shows any consistency. laraque should get 5 games minimum. here's a guess that he gets 2 or 3.

 

here's the video:

 

he barely shoved downie it looks like. too bad downie couldn't really get a taste of his own medicine, but laraque was smart to hold up. maybe a 1 or 2 game suspension, downie definitely knew he was coming and put himself in that position while playing the puck. laraque definitely held up, if he went full out downie would be in the hospital.

 

these types of hits are more dangerous than the one put on dean mcammond. 20 games for charging? that's a joke. it's mcammond's fault that he had his head down; downie did deserve a couple of games for leaving his feet like he did, but hits like the one laraque put on downie are the ones that can result in a guy not walking ever again. and you have to be crazy to think he "barely shoved him" - you can see on the slow-motion that his arms are fully extended as he delivers the check. he could've easily grabbed downie and ridden him into the boards, instead he delivered a check with the intention of putting him headfirst into the boards.

[TruffleShuffle]

here's another good example of the player that george laraque is. some tough guy.

 

[jaydee]

well, bush-league penguin george laraque (who admitted after the last flyers-pens game that he intentionally slid into the legs of our goalie martin biron) gave a clear premeditated check from behind against steve downie, who's lucky he doesn't have a broken neck. laraque is a great fighter and a good tough guy, unfortunately he's also a dirty player.

 

let's see if the nhl shows any consistency. laraque should get 5 games minimum. here's a guess that he gets 2 or 3.

 

here's the video:

 

he barely shoved downie it looks like. too bad downie couldn't really get a taste of his own medicine, but laraque was smart to hold up. maybe a 1 or 2 game suspension, downie definitely knew he was coming and put himself in that position while playing the puck. laraque definitely held up, if he went full out downie would be in the hospital.

 

these types of hits are more dangerous than the one put on dean mcammond. 20 games for charging? that's a joke. it's mcammond's fault that he had his head down; downie did deserve a couple of games for leaving his feet like he did, but hits like the one laraque put on downie are the ones that can result in a guy not walking ever again. and you have to be crazy to think he "barely shoved him" - you can see on the slow-motion that his arms are fully extended as he delivers the check. he could've easily grabbed downie and ridden him into the boards, instead he delivered a check with the intention of putting him headfirst into the boards.

 

IMO the 20 game suspension was a good one because it sent a message that guys going for headshots wont be tolerated, in the last few years the number of those type of blindside headshot hits have gone way up. they are very dangerous and someone was bound to get seriously hurt if the league didnt step in and stop them. on the other hand hits like laraques are bound to happen, heck another flyer did one earlier this year vs. boston and got 1-2 games. i expect nothing more for laraque. they are dangerous but everyone who plays hockey knows that some of the fault falls on the guy who gets hit in that situation. downie put himself in a dangerous spot and was lucky laraque didnt go full out.....laraque didnt even "Check" him he shoved him, it was smart of him to not finish the check..

[jaydee]

here's another good example of the player that george laraque is. some tough guy.

 

 

i dont mind that play at all i think most teams have a guy who would step up if a goalie was doing what biron did earlier that game, i know if a goalie did that to a kane or havlat id hope someone would stand up for them..

[TruffleShuffle]

IMO the 20 game suspension was a good one because it sent a message that guys going for headshots wont be tolerated

 

if that's the case then scott stevens should've spent half his nhl career on suspension.

 

and as with stevens' hits, downie's hit was not delivered directly at the head. he might've caught mcammond's chin, but most of the hit was delivered to mcammond's chest.

 

 

on the other hand hits like laraques are bound to happen, heck another flyer did one earlier this year vs. boston and got 1-2 games. i expect nothing more for laraque.

 

(a) why should the nhl just accept this? "oh guys are going to get buried headfirst into the boards and get their neck snapped, it happens."

 

(b) randy jones should've been suspended for more than two games for his hit. bergeron suffered a grade three concussion and his season is probably over. yet "these hits are bound to happen"? No. you send a message by suspending players a minimum of 5 games, and more often at least 10, for hits when a player is a few feet from the boards and he gets buried into them. i don't care if downie or bergeron put themselves in vulnerable positions; there are other ways to defend them, like wrapping them up and riding them into the boards. the nhl can get rid of these hits if they commit to real punishments, but bettman (moe) and curly (campbell) are too incompetent. then they wonder why this **** keeps happening.

[TruffleShuffle]

here's another good example of the player that george laraque is. some tough guy.

 

 

i dont mind that play at all i think most teams have a guy who would step up if a goalie was doing what biron did earlier that game, i know if a goalie did that to a kane or havlat id hope someone would stand up for them..

 

what the hell did biron do earlier in that game to deserve being taken out by crosby (maybe accidental) and laraque (completely intentional)?

 

and it's good to know it's okay for a guy to dive at the feet of a defenseless goalie. that's a good way to increase scoring, let teams blow out the ACL's of good goalies so you're left with AHL and ECHL products in net.

[jaydee]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

[NewUserName]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

 

 

As a Red Wings fan I have to tell you there was a very good reason that the Wings had absolutely no interest in resigning Lang after this season.

[YearofDaCubs]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

 

 

As a Red Wings fan I have to tell you there was a very good reason that the Wings had absolutely no interest in resigning Lang after this season.

Dave Tallon has done a terrible job signing free agents. Almost all of them if not all have been huge letdowns, especially Khabibulin. Instead of signing Lane and some other smalltimer centers they should have opened up the checkbook and signed one of the top 3 centers available this past offseason.

[NewUserName]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

 

 

As a Red Wings fan I have to tell you there was a very good reason that the Wings had absolutely no interest in resigning Lang after this season.

Dave Tallon has done a terrible job signing free agents. Almost all of them if not all have been huge letdowns, especially Khabibulin. Instead of signing Lane and some other smalltimer centers they should have opened up the checkbook and signed one of the top 3 centers available this past offseason.

 

Lang is a very good centermen the 2 times a month that he wants to play. Well worth the contract if he played with that intensity every game. Towards the end of the playoffs last yr he was getting about 5 mins a game.

[Drew Doughty]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

 

 

As a Red Wings fan I have to tell you there was a very good reason that the Wings had absolutely no interest in resigning Lang after this season.

Dave Tallon has done a terrible job signing free agents. Almost all of them if not all have been huge letdowns, especially Khabibulin. Instead of signing Lane and some other smalltimer centers they should have opened up the checkbook and signed one of the top 3 centers available this past offseason.

 

it's not just about the checkbook. the free agents have to want to go there, and most don't want to go to places like chicago or los angeles because there is a losing atmosphere surrounding the team. the kings were going to open the checkbooks and pushed hard after drury and briere and ended up with handzus (who i like, but he isn't a top line center), stuart, preissing, and nagy. a bunch of projects/tier 2 guys at best. this isn't like baseball where you can just offer more than the othe rteam, most of the teams can compete with each other financially because of the salary cap (this isn't 100% true, but it generally fits). you have to do it like the blackhawks are trying to do it right now and build from the ground up.

 

before the last off-season started, dean lombardi (kings GM) talked about his philosophy as a GM. he said you consider some guys bridges and some guys builders. what he means is that you have to start with the bridges (stuart, nagy) so the young guys will be ready to step in and be productive when they're ready. now it helps when you end up with stars in the making like toews or kane or kopitar and they can step in and immediately produce, but that isn't going to happen very often. so teams like the blackhawks are stuck with the lower end of the free agent market until they can compete in the standings or at least show that they might be able to in the near future. then they'll be able to bring in stars via free agency and trade. i would look to this off-season as a shot for the blackhawks to make a big splash in the FA market.

[sneakypower]

They should feel fortunate they didn't sign Drury. He's been a non-factor all season.

[Drew Doughty]

They should feel fortunate they didn't sign Drury. He's been a non-factor all season.

 

eh, give it time. he'll find his niche eventually. it's certainly a process when you're trying to fit that much talent together.

 

drury and jagr never really seemed like a fit to me though. they should've held on to nylander and gone after gomez if they were going to get two of the high priced centers. i really liked the avery - gomez - shanahan line they had going earlier this year. dubinsky looked decent with jagr at the time too. still that leaves a high price as the third line center with drury. as much as jagr is a wonderful player, he really is finnicky about who he will and won't play with, and he's shown pretty often that he will play well with straka and nylander. so that would give them...

 

Straka - Nylander - Jagr

Avery - Gomez - Shanny

Prucha - Dubinsky - Betts

 

that's a pretty great top 3 right there. if avery doesn't work with that line for whatever reason you can move prucha up and make the third line the shutdown line, it should accomplish the job pretty well. then they have a good defense (and more specifically a good system) and a top 5 goalie in the NHL. that's one of the best teams in the league there. oh well, maybe nylander wanted out, who knows.

[sneakypower]

I don't think they'll get it put together in time to make the playoffs. Their defensemen are prone to turnovers, they play with so little physicality, and they pass the puck around on PPs waiting for the perfect shot instead of putting it on net and making something happen. Henrik's kept the ship afloat, but that can't last forever.

 

Keeping Nylander seemed like the right thing to do, but given that he's already out for the year you can't really criticize Sather for it.

[Post Count Padder]

Watching the All-Star game introductions. 4 Ducks is nice, but wtf? No Devils? Did I miss something?

[ZFan38]

Watching the All-Star game introductions. 4 Ducks is nice, but wtf? No Devils? Did I miss something?

 

Brodeur was supposed to be the starter for the East, but he had family obligations.

[Soul]

Savard called out the Lang and Havlat after the game vs. the bluejackets.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=121114

 

 

As a Red Wings fan I have to tell you there was a very good reason that the Wings had absolutely no interest in resigning Lang after this season.

Dave Tallon has done a terrible job signing free agents. Almost all of them if not all have been huge letdowns, especially Khabibulin. Instead of signing Lane and some other smalltimer centers they should have opened up the checkbook and signed one of the top 3 centers available this past offseason.

 

it's not just about the checkbook. the free agents have to want to go there, and most don't want to go to places like chicago or los angeles because there is a losing atmosphere surrounding the team. the kings were going to open the checkbooks and pushed hard after drury and briere and ended up with handzus (who i like, but he isn't a top line center), stuart, preissing, and nagy. a bunch of projects/tier 2 guys at best. this isn't like baseball where you can just offer more than the othe rteam, most of the teams can compete with each other financially because of the salary cap (this isn't 100% true, but it generally fits). you have to do it like the blackhawks are trying to do it right now and build from the ground up.

 

before the last off-season started, dean lombardi (kings GM) talked about his philosophy as a GM. he said you consider some guys bridges and some guys builders. what he means is that you have to start with the bridges (stuart, nagy) so the young guys will be ready to step in and be productive when they're ready. now it helps when you end up with stars in the making like toews or kane or kopitar and they can step in and immediately produce, but that isn't going to happen very often. so teams like the blackhawks are stuck with the lower end of the free agent market until they can compete in the standings or at least show that they might be able to in the near future. then they'll be able to bring in stars via free agency and trade. i would look to this off-season as a shot for the blackhawks to make a big splash in the FA market.

 

I'm with you on that. I listened to that Savard press conference, it was quite refreshing. I came away thinking the Blackhawks will need to take this offseason, remove some of the lazy elements off the roster, and move forward from there. If it can't be done in one offseason, then the right thing to do is to get started in that direction and hope some of the other guys who aren't contributing come around.

 

The one thing they need to do is to make sure they don't get into a situation where the inmates are running the asylum. I'm convinced Savard is the right man to pilot this ship back to respectability, but the club is going to have to back him up and give what he's saying some teeth. The right messages must be sent. This club has developed a culture of losing over the past decade -- that's not easy to change.

[rickrolled]

I don't see why people wouldn't be satisfied with Lang this year. 16 goals and 36 points in 50 games, a +9 and he's been one of the better Hawk forwards, not to mention hasn't missed a game yet this year, which is more than we can say about a lot of the players on the roster. He's kind of a lazy player but put him with talented linemates and his talent will allow him to produce.

[sethuel1]

here's another good example of the player that george laraque is. some tough guy.

 

 

i dont mind that play at all i think most teams have a guy who would step up if a goalie was doing what biron did earlier that game, i know if a goalie did that to a kane or havlat id hope someone would stand up for them..

 

what the hell did biron do earlier in that game to deserve being taken out by crosby (maybe accidental) and laraque (completely intentional)?

 

and it's good to know it's okay for a guy to dive at the feet of a defenseless goalie. that's a good way to increase scoring, let teams blow out the ACL's of good goalies so you're left with AHL and ECHL products in net.

You have to be kidding me. People run goalies all the time. All the time. So he took a little too big of a swipe that time...didn't mean to, I'm sure. If you honestly had a problem with every player that unnecessarily contacts a goalie you're hate everyone in the league. And blowing Biron's ACL? You have to be kidding me. he slid straight in on a guy that has giant pads attached to his legs. This happens ALL THE TIME in hockey. it's part of the game. The players will sort it out.

 

And Laraque is one of the most by-the-book tough guys in the league. I've never seen him throw a punch on a player that was down. You can't say that for most big men.

 

That hit on Downie was a love tap that Downie tried to embellish and ended up injuring himself. I know this for a fact...I've done it before. If you want to deliver a real hit, you don't extend your arms, that's just dumb. try running into someone with your arms extended and see how much damage you do as compared to ramming them with your body. laraque will get a suspension, but it'll be short, as it should.

 

Why don't you just admit that you're sick and tired of living in Penguins territory and being a Flyers fan because it means you take a bunch of crap about your team, and it means that you'll blow anything in a Pens-Flyers game out of proportion.

[Post Count Padder]

Teemu Selanne has decided to rejoin the Anaheim Ducks.

 

Selanne finally agreed to terms with the Ducks after months of debate. He scored 48 goals and 46 assists in 82 games last season. If he's still available in your fantasy league, pick him up immediately. If you've been patiently holding onto him and waiting for him to make a decision, you're finally about to reap the rewards of your actions.

Source: TSN.ca

 

Wooooo

[kujay]

^ Interesting.

 

I know a lot of Blues fans thought they might have an inside track on him with the acquisitions of Kariya and later MacDonald.

 

Good move for Ducks.

[Post Count Padder]

^ Interesting.

 

I know a lot of Blues fans thought they might have an inside track on him with the acquisitions of Kariya and later MacDonald.

 

Good move for Ducks.

Yeah, it is. If the Blues had signed him, they might become my third favorite team. Of course, that didn't happen.

[TruffleShuffle]

You have to be kidding me. People run goalies all the time. All the time. So he took a little too big of a swipe that time...didn't mean to, I'm sure. If you honestly had a problem with every player that unnecessarily contacts a goalie you're hate everyone in the league. And blowing Biron's ACL? You have to be kidding me. he slid straight in on a guy that has giant pads attached to his legs. This happens ALL THE TIME in hockey. it's part of the game. The players will sort it out.

 

And Laraque is one of the most by-the-book tough guys in the league. I've never seen him throw a punch on a player that was down. You can't say that for most big men.

 

That hit on Downie was a love tap that Downie tried to embellish and ended up injuring himself. I know this for a fact...I've done it before. If you want to deliver a real hit, you don't extend your arms, that's just dumb. try running into someone with your arms extended and see how much damage you do as compared to ramming them with your body. laraque will get a suspension, but it'll be short, as it should.

 

Why don't you just admit that you're sick and tired of living in Penguins territory and being a Flyers fan because it means you take a bunch of crap about your team, and it means that you'll blow anything in a Pens-Flyers game out of proportion.

 

actually i could care less about the penguins. they're a distant third on my hate list behind the devils and rangers. and pens fans don't really give flyers fans crap, because they usually suck a lot worse than we do.

 

i think you're wrong about the hit on downie, but i know you're wrong about the laraque play. i don't know that i've ever seen a player intentionally fall down and then slide into a goalie's legs. i've seen guys hit goalies on purpose, but probably never seen a dive at their legs.

[NewUserName]

I find it really sad that I could watch the AHL all star game but not the NHL all star game. I dont care about hockey all star games that much, but its just the point of the matter

[Drew Doughty]

I find it really sad that I could watch the AHL all star game but not the NHL all star game. I dont care about hockey all star games that much, but its just the point of the matter

 

the nhl all star game sucks and versus also sucks. i like watching the AHL game/skills comp because it's one of the rare times i get to see kings prospects before they're in the NHL.