2013 NHL regular season

[NewUserName]

I think this year the East may actually be better than the West. But, I do not think it is significantly better and I think the West has been better to way better for some time.

 

i'm curious what you base this on. not because i disagree, but because i'm having a hard time really pinpointing anything to say that one has a clear edge over the other this year

 

points-wise, there's what i would think a pretty clear argument that the top-half of the west is better than the top-half of the east so far. there's some parity there, so you know competition is tough, and all those jerks have to play the blackhawks. in a year when the blackhawks aren't the greatest thing on earth, there would be a leveling of points amongst those teams. my instinct is to say that the west is better, based on some of that, but it's pretty flimsy so i'm more inclined to think it's about even overall

 

and montreal is the best team in the east, which i think is pretty cool. not just by record, but by 5x5 goal differential, team +/-, etc. they're actually pretty close to the hawks so far, in terms of dominance. my guess would be those two teams in the final

 

then pens are horrible defensively and probably won't get past the second round, so i don't really care what they do. i think carolina and toronto are better

 

I think if you put Boston on top in the East, the East stacks up better. Of course San Jose, LA, St Louis and possibly Minnesota are all probably under performing a bit. I think the Rangers are the only team in the East that you could say that about. Plus I think both Montreal and Anaheim may be playing better then what they are. But like I said, I do not think it is some great advantage. Would the Hawks have lost a game if they played Eastern teams?...who knows.

[kujay]

McLaren for the Leafs cold knocked out a guy from the Senators whose name I can't spell. Not on YouTube yet but look it up. Destroyed him.

[seanimal]

McLaren for the Leafs cold knocked out a guy from the Senators whose name I can't spell. Not on YouTube yet but look it up. Destroyed him.

 

yeah he got worked. welcome to the nhl son

[Smack]

McLaren for the Leafs cold knocked out a guy from the Senators whose name I can't spell. Not on YouTube yet but look it up. Destroyed him.

 

It's the top post on Deadspin

[Banedon]

Thats why hockey needs to eliminate fighting.

[kujay]

Thats why hockey needs to eliminate fighting.

 

Nope. Perhaps cut down on the "staged" fighting, right off faceoffs perhaps, but I'm not even sure about that.

 

McLaren looked like he was going to throw up as he went to the box. Does make you question what the purpose is.

[sneakypower]

Don Cherry's beating off to the video as we speak

[NewUserName]

Thats why hockey needs to eliminate fighting.

 

Nope. Perhaps cut down on the "staged" fighting, right off faceoffs perhaps, but I'm not even sure about that.

 

McLaren looked like he was going to throw up as he went to the box. Does make you question what the purpose is.

 

Players like Bob Probert and Joey Kocur are the main reason that not only am I a hockey fan but a Red Wings fan. That being said, I think it is time to get fighting out of hockey. Way too much fighting is just staged crap. I think the "dirty" players taking liberties on star players is way over sold by those who endorse fighting. Often it is the goon who is taking the liberties because he is not a good enough actual skater to be an effective hockey player. Truthfully, having a fighter on your team will rarely change how a player like Raffi Torres or Matt Cooke play. Stiffer suspensions for dirty play with repeat offenders given suspensions that will actually give them incentive to not be dirty. That's my take. And I think it will happen in the next 10 yrs. Especially if they want to look like they are serious about player safety.

 

Kind of on topic...has anyone every noticed that the argument to keep fighting in hockey is basically the same as those who say more guns will lower gun violence?

[Derwood]

Looks like the realignment has been approved by the NHLPA.

 

So happy to get Columbus out of the Western Conference

[Banedon]

Almost awesome.

 

 

EDIT: Apparently he'd done this successfully in the AHL.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/kaspars-daugavins-attempts-legendary-shootout-move-fails-against-025825823--nhl.html

[Banedon]

In a National League A playoff game in Saturday, Cedric Botter of Fribourg-Gottéron fired a shot at the EHC Biel net and the puck went in.

 

OK, not all of the puck went in. Just most of it.

 

In a wild scene that league officials said they’d never witnessed before, the hockey puck split in two pieces when it connected with the left post, sending a huge chunk of it behind netminder Reto Berra. The rest of it rebounded off of Berra’s back and into the crease, where he swatted it away with his paddle.

 

So a goal was scored and the puck was saved at the same moment. And that, friends, is how you get rips in the fabric of the space/time continuum ...

 

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OrFEPIIFZzVnaJbmy78YQA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnhlexperts/fdsaffasdpuckcck.jpg

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-splits-half-goal-swiss-hockey-league-did-140532143--nhl.html;_ylt=Amh3FLnU59qRS020Yti3.A6Rbcp_;_ylu=X3oDMTE5NGdsanZmBG1pdANCbG9ncyBJbmRleARwb3MDMTMEc2VjA01lZGlhQmxvZ0luZGV4;_ylg=X3oDMTFpMm9iMzh1BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3#more-53057

[Guest]

Since the whole puck has to cross the line, that would be no goal, right?

[kujay]

Marty Brodeur shoots and scores! Sort of.

 

[Banedon]

Marty Brodeur shoots and scores! Sort of.

 

 

Love it!

[NewUserName]

I think the Pens gave up too much for Brenden Morrow. If this is the type of quality that could be had for Morrow I really hope the Wings trade Filppula.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=419014

[kujay]

Yeah Morrow is a good depth guy. Can't say whether they gave up too much because I don't know anything about the other Morrow.

[NewUserName]

I really do not either. But he projects as a top 4 dman everywhere I looked. I like Morrow when healthy. Plays hard all the time with some edge but not dirty. However, his contract is up after this season. This is a pure rental for a possible future top 4 dman. Seems way to much to me

[kujay]

Probably. And thanks for taking down Anaheim again!

[kujay]

Pitt just got Douglas Murray too. Damn they are going to be tough.

[kujay]

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/march/fox-sports-detroit-fires-red-wings-commentator-over-low-ratings.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

It's not that complicated, sounds like the Wings just wanted to save some money. The Blues do the three-man team with Kelly and Panger in the booth and Federko between the benches or roaming around. I suppose it adds a little, but I certainly don't miss it on the Hawks broadcasts.

 

It is interesting though, if true, that the Wings are the only team in the league with falling TV ratings. Not a huge surprise given the slight falloff in the team's play, I guess. Expectations are high and the regular season is a necessary prelude to the real season.

[NewUserName]

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/march/fox-sports-detroit-fires-red-wings-commentator-over-low-ratings.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

It's not that complicated, sounds like the Wings just wanted to save some money. The Blues do the three-man team with Kelly and Panger in the booth and Federko between the benches or roaming around. I suppose it adds a little, but I certainly don't miss it on the Hawks broadcasts.

 

It is interesting though, if true, that the Wings are the only team in the league with falling TV ratings. Not a huge surprise given the slight falloff in the team's play, I guess. Expectations are high and the regular season is a necessary prelude to the real season.

 

It's kind of sad. Murphy has started to get a sort of Ron Santo thing going with Wings fans. Yes there is a certain amount of apathy with Wings fans I think. The websites I frequent are way down. I think the Wings should be sellers, but it would be kind of risky for them right now fan support wise. Sad truth is they could probably make a big push with the addition of a Top 6 forward, but that would only dig a deeper hole going forward.

 

ps...I personally have Wings apathy. I have only watched a couple of games online and have missed a couple that have been televised locally for me. I usually watch 70+ games a year if you include playoffs

[jersey cubs fan]

I think the Wings should be sellers, but it would be kind of risky for them right now fan support wise.

 

Screw those people then.

They haven't missed the playoffs in 20 years, have 4 cups in 15 years and have a crapload of division titles (not that they mean a lot in hockey) of late. If that fan base can't deal with an off year they blow. Of all the teams in that market they should have some leeway.

[NewUserName]

I think the Wings should be sellers, but it would be kind of risky for them right now fan support wise.

 

Screw those people then.

They haven't missed the playoffs in 20 years, have 4 cups in 15 years and have a crapload of division titles (not that they mean a lot in hockey) of late. If that fan base can't deal with an off year they blow. Of all the teams in that market they should have some leeway.

 

As much as Wings fans like to say they are Hockeytown and great fans...history does not support these claims. They gave almost no support during the 70s and 80s. I agree the Illitch owned Wings have done a helluva lot to earn fan support. Pre Salary Cap they had a payroll that required the team to make the WCFs to be profitable. They have made The Joe about as good of a place to watch hockey as possible for such a dump. They have been extremely loyal to popular players. Illitch was widely considered one owner who was against the lock outs(though he toed the company line) When the team was floundering they made moves that tried to make them Cup contenders every year. However, there just seems to be apathy with this years bunch. And they really are not bad, just clearly not a Cup contender.

[kujay]

I think the Pens gave up too much for Brenden Morrow. If this is the type of quality that could be had for Morrow I really hope the Wings trade Filppula.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=419014

 

Just heard an analyst from the Caps mention that Filppula is going to want 5/$30M. My god if that's true they should trade him now.

[Banedon]

Kaspars Daugavins can now practice that creative shootout move against Tuukka Rask all he wants.

 

The Boston Bruins announced Wednesday that they had claimed the left wing off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.