Official NHL Hockey Thread interim version

[RWG]

50 minutes ago, Mysteriosa said:

Calgary Flames won over the Oilers 4-3 in a shootout on Wednesday.  Monahan fought Nugent-Hopkins!     Monahan never fights people. 

Then Tkachuk fought Kassian. 

 

It was a very satisfying game.

 

Next Battle of Alberta tonight in Calgary!

 

I'm watching the Battle of Alberta tonight. If you're a Canadian who isn't a fan of either team, it is very fun.

 

I'm sure it'll be a 3-point game though.

 

On 1/29/2020 at 6:01 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Whoah.  New technology.  Shiny.  

 

The All Star game is something I always avoid so really both me and the Flames took time off.  Meanwhile the weather warmed up a lot, so that's great.  God bless you, Chinook winds.  Hmm.  I miss the old emojis, but now I've got penguins, so there's that.

 

  Oh wait.  They are still here.  Well most of them.  You have to scroll to the bottom of the emojis.  Sweet.   

 

So Giordano, Rittich and Tkachuk went to the All Star Game.  

The Flames spent a week promising they wouldn't screw up after the break.

 

Then they played St. Louis Tuesday and lost in a shootout.  They did hang in there for most of the game though, and to be honest, St. Louis is better than we are.   Talbot was playing in goal.  

No.

 

Quoting is going to take me more work, LOL.  Maybe cutting and pasting it is easier.  

 

And now, a badger.     Seriously, what is that for?  I have found fire, , which is like a Flames related thing.  And then St. Louis did this:    

 

As is the case with most software upgrades, it looks nicer but the functionality is needlessly worse. I can't figure out how to reply to segments of a post either. The old IDF had a very "early web" feel, with user able to edit the code on their posts, which is what I liked about it.

 

Canucks sent Pettersson to the all-star game, then Hughes got voted in by the fans, then Markstrom got added because of an injury.

 

Toronto today has been constantly changing between rain and snow. Gross. I slipped and fell at a major intersection today. Not embarrassing at all. And the worst is probably yet to come... in the four years I've been here, February to April is the snowiest time of the year.

 

The Canucks have somehow now won 14 of 17 and have a small cushion for 1st in the Pacific. I don't even think they're playing that well right 5-on-5 right now, but that is hockey for you, I suppose. It will be a close race until the end, but it looks like the Canucks will probably make the playoffs, which I could not have imagined in November.

 

 

[Smoochy]

I've been disgusted with the Preds this year. Started off promising, fell off a cliff, and now looks like they may not even make the playoffs. I honestly though firing Lavi would give the team a jolt, but it didn't do anything. Unfortunately, it seems like the team is lacking leadership. I love Josi, but I don't know if he's the right guy to wear the C on the jersey. The team plays with almost no motivation and are almost never on the same page.

 

On the bright side, at least if they suck the rest of the year, maybe ticket prices will go back down to a reasonable price.

[Mysteriosa]

On 2/1/2020 at 7:06 PM, RWG said:

 

I'm watching the Battle of Alberta tonight. If you're a Canadian who isn't a fan of either team, it is very fun.

 

I'm sure it'll be a 3-point game though.

 

As is the case with most software upgrades, it looks nicer but the functionality is needlessly worse. I can't figure out how to reply to segments of a post either. The old IDF had a very "early web" feel, with user able to edit the code on their posts, which is what I liked about it.

 

Canucks sent Pettersson to the all-star game, then Hughes got voted in by the fans, then Markstrom got added because of an injury.

 

Toronto today has been constantly changing between rain and snow. Gross. I slipped and fell at a major intersection today. Not embarrassing at all. And the worst is probably yet to come... in the four years I've been here, February to April is the snowiest time of the year.

 

The Canucks have somehow now won 14 of 17 and have a small cushion for 1st in the Pacific. I don't even think they're playing that well right 5-on-5 right now, but that is hockey for you, I suppose. It will be a close race until the end, but it looks like the Canucks will probably make the playoffs, which I could not have imagined in November.

 

 

Well it was fun until we lost 8-3.    Though the brawl was excellent, and look, two goalies fighting... The former Oiler goalie Talbot that is now a Flame fighting the former Flame goalie Smith who is now an Oiler.  You can't make that up.

 

I have never seen the 2nd period completed at the beginning of the 3rd (24 glorious seconds) and then they switched ends and started the 3rd?  That is just weird.  And Rittich got pulled, but then after Talbot fought, Rittich went back in because both of the fighting goalies were tossed.  And we still lost.  But it wasn't boring.

 

I tried cutting and pasting as quotes, though it doesn't have the info attached.  But I'm lazy and gave up!

 

It was a bit warm, then it rained (which doesn't happen here much), then it froze, then it snowed.  Then I discovered all the ice is now hiding under the snow.  Awesome.  I had to creep along like a snail.   I am sorry to hear you slipped.  One time I was carrying an enormous textbook and made the mistake of walking over a frosty wooden boardwalk at university, slipped and fell flat on my back right in front of someone, and they leaned over and said you OK?  And I'm like, um...ow.  (pretends is fine, crawls away, lol)

 

Calgary just played the Sharks and lost 3-1.  Oh...  It's all over... Lucic fought someone, which is apparently our new go to move when we can't score.  Vancouver has done really well this year.

 

Weird fact.  I was watching an old episode of CSI and a guy in Las Vegas was trying to build a forum for his hockey team, the Silver Strikes.  

[Mysteriosa]

15 hours ago, Smoochy said:

I've been disgusted with the Preds this year. Started off promising, fell off a cliff, and now looks like they may not even make the playoffs. I honestly though firing Lavi would give the team a jolt, but it didn't do anything. Unfortunately, it seems like the team is lacking leadership. I love Josi, but I don't know if he's the right guy to wear the C on the jersey. The team plays with almost no motivation and are almost never on the same page.

 

On the bright side, at least if they suck the rest of the year, maybe ticket prices will go back down to a reasonable price.

That's kind of surprising.  Flames play the Preds next, and you're right behind us in points.  If the Flames don't stick in the playoffs this year, the management will have a hairy fit. 

 

I think the best Flames players are inconsistent.  When the younger ones shine, you really notice that the ones being paid the most are not doing all the scoring.  Sometimes I think they've figured it out, then they go right back to sucking.

 

Once the Flames get their new arena, no one will be able to afford to go! 

[RWG]

On 2/4/2020 at 12:15 PM, Smoochy said:

I've been disgusted with the Preds this year. Started off promising, fell off a cliff, and now looks like they may not even make the playoffs. I honestly though firing Lavi would give the team a jolt, but it didn't do anything. Unfortunately, it seems like the team is lacking leadership. I love Josi, but I don't know if he's the right guy to wear the C on the jersey. The team plays with almost no motivation and are almost never on the same page.

 

On the bright side, at least if they suck the rest of the year, maybe ticket prices will go back down to a reasonable price.

 

The Preds have underperformed their underlying numbers a lot, I think because the goaltending has been bad. Similar to the Sharks, only you expected it more with SJ. At some point goalies of Rinne's age just fall off.

 

On 2/5/2020 at 4:01 AM, Mysteriosa said:

Well it was fun until we lost 8-3.    Though the brawl was excellent, and look, two goalies fighting... The former Oiler goalie Talbot that is now a Flame fighting the former Flame goalie Smith who is now an Oiler.  You can't make that up.

 

I have never seen the 2nd period completed at the beginning of the 3rd (24 glorious seconds) and then they switched ends and started the 3rd?  That is just weird.  And Rittich got pulled, but then after Talbot fought, Rittich went back in because both of the fighting goalies were tossed.  And we still lost.  But it wasn't boring.

 

I tried cutting and pasting as quotes, though it doesn't have the info attached.  But I'm lazy and gave up!

 

It was a bit warm, then it rained (which doesn't happen here much), then it froze, then it snowed.  Then I discovered all the ice is now hiding under the snow.  Awesome.  I had to creep along like a snail.   I am sorry to hear you slipped.  One time I was carrying an enormous textbook and made the mistake of walking over a frosty wooden boardwalk at university, slipped and fell flat on my back right in front of someone, and they leaned over and said you OK?  And I'm like, um...ow.  (pretends is fine, crawls away, lol)

 

Calgary just played the Sharks and lost 3-1.  Oh...  It's all over... Lucic fought someone, which is apparently our new go to move when we can't score.  Vancouver has done really well this year.

 

Weird fact.  I was watching an old episode of CSI and a guy in Las Vegas was trying to build a forum for his hockey team, the Silver Strikes.  

Canucks lost their last three and finished their road trip 2-2-1. Luckily, the other Pacific teams stopped winning at the same time, and the Canucks still have a 3-point lead atop this really bad division. And we start a 6-game homestand now.

 

Pettersson got injured on an illegal hit by a Bruins player that went unpenalized, but it's the Bruins so I'm not surprised. Really hope he's good to play against Calgary tomorrow, cause we're screwed without him as long as Boeser is injured.

 

I have seen that weird thing where they play the end of the period at the beginning of the next period then blow the horn and switch ends before! It's a thing to behold.

 

I feel like the average Canadian flatbacks onto the ice at least once a year. 

 

Yeah, I don't think you quote segments of a post in this build. Oh well.

[RWG]

Canucks had a bad weak with regulation losses in Boston and Minnesota, then a home loss to Calgary, which cut into the lead they'd built atop the Pacific.

 

They did rebound with a 6-2 win over Nashville, thanks to great goaltending from Markstrom and the power play finally returning to form. I've always thought Nashville would be the Central team to surge up the standings and grab a wild-card in the second half, but starting to think it's not possible with goaltending that bad. Also, John Hynes, who generally just rolls four lines,  was a weird choice for a team that needs to get hot fast.

[Mysteriosa]

Calgary lost to Nashville 3-2.  Then the coach told the team they were rubbish by telling the media they were rubbish, so Flames won over Vancouver 6-2, and then the Sharks 6-2.  Though the Sharks are missing some key players.  It seems very familiar, the Mid Season Flames Coach Begging Scene.  "Why won't you play real hockey?"

 

Flames captain Giordano is out with a hamstring injury, and Hamonic with a lower body injury or something.

 

As I suspected, coach lectures only get you so far!  So the Flames lost to the Kings 5-3, while looking kind of limp.  After the second last goal, our goalie smashed his stick.  The GM was there at the away game, and looked fed up with a long range glassy stare.  The new LA goalie Peterson looked pretty good.  Saw the end of the Vancouver game, they looked much more engaged.

 

I see Jeremy Roenick got himself fired from NBC.   It's like a hockey tradition.  

 

Bouwmeester collapsed!  Seems OK though. (former Flame)

 

I watched Washington completely suck vs the Islanders the other day, hoping for the monumental 700th Ovechkin goal, but was denied.  

 

 

 

[RWG]

The Sedin retirement ceremony was so amazing. As Friedman pointed out, it speaks volumes to the Sedins' character that so many Canucks alumni, mainly the four GMs they played under, were willing to be there for them and sit next to each other. (Burke/Nonis, Gillis, Linden, and Benning all have some kind of beef, with the one exception of Burke and Benning being friends.)

 

Everyone that was mentioned or that the Sedins thanked got cheered, with the exception of Tortorella (the crowd laughed) and Willie Desjardins (crickets). Even Kesler finally got cheered by Canucks fans. It felt like a huge family reunion for a dysfunctional family.

 

Canucks beat the Blackhawks 3-0, despite the Blackhawks outplaying them badly and Markstrom standing on their head. Most sites have their playoff probability at around ~90%. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but they'd have to choke massively in the last seven weeks to miss the playoffs.

 

On 2/13/2020 at 6:36 PM, Mysteriosa said:

 

 

I see Jeremy Roenick got himself fired from NBC.   It's like a hockey tradition.  

 

I was sort of surprised by that. Not to defend Roenick in general, but he basically made a joke about a threesome with a woman he works with who is friends with his wife, called Patrick Sharp hot (even most straight men admit he is good looking), and called Anson Carter ugly. I doubt there would have been much outrage if NBC had brought him back after the suspension.

 

On 2/13/2020 at 6:36 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Bouwmeester collapsed!  Seems OK though. (former Flame)

 

 

That was scary. I'm glad Bouwmeester is doing ok for now, and I hope he can resume playing. Apparently he is one of the kindest players in the league.

 

I figured out how to multi-reply! Mwuahaha.

 

[Mysteriosa]

On 2/14/2020 at 5:13 PM, RWG said:

The Sedin retirement ceremony was so amazing. As Friedman pointed out, it speaks volumes to the Sedins' character that so many Canucks alumni, mainly the four GMs they played under, were willing to be there for them and sit next to each other. (Burke/Nonis, Gillis, Linden, and Benning all have some kind of beef, with the one exception of Burke and Benning being friends.)

 

Everyone that was mentioned or that the Sedins thanked got cheered, with the exception of Tortorella (the crowd laughed) and Willie Desjardins (crickets). Even Kesler finally got cheered by Canucks fans. It felt like a huge family reunion for a dysfunctional family.

I couldn't multi quote at all  but I think I just figured out how you did it.  This board is really tricky now.   I spent ages the other day trying to delete a quote.

 

I think everyone liked the Sedins.  LOL at the crowd laughing at Tortorella.  He is unique.  I think the Sedins are pretty unique too.  Playing against them must have been hell.  You'd always be keeping an eye on one of them, and then bang, the other one has the puck in your net.

 

On 2/14/2020 at 5:13 PM, RWG said:

Canucks beat the Blackhawks 3-0, despite the Blackhawks outplaying them badly and Markstrom standing on their head. Most sites have their playoff probability at around ~90%. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but they'd have to choke massively in the last seven weeks to miss the playoffs.

Ha.  I HAVE FIGURED IT OUT.  So proud.    You are a trail blazer.

 

So Flames beat Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim 6-0.  That was bizarre and weird and no one quite believed it.  The radio announcer suggested someone who does voodoo had run out of pins, LOL, because their tendency to lose in Anaheim is legendary.

 

But then the Flames came home.

They lost for the 5th time in their own building.  They lost to the Blackhawks 8-4.  The sound you hear is the Flames coach sobbing in the parking lot.

The Flames could totally miss.  That would not be good.

On 2/14/2020 at 5:13 PM, RWG said:

That was scary. I'm glad Bouwmeester is doing ok for now, and I hope he can resume playing. Apparently he is one of the kindest players in the league.

At least they've managed to find a fix for it.  It is especially odd because he is one of those players that never takes a game off for injuries.  Hopefully he can still play.

 

Seattle already has a website, even though their team doesn't have a name yet!  Or a logo.

https://www.nhl.com/seattle

 

Next up for the Flames, an afternoon game against the Ducks.

[Drew1903]

GO Flames GO  ()

[RWG]

Canucks recovered a bit this week, with a 4-3 shootout loss against Minnesota and a 9-3 shellacking of Boston.

 

They also traded Tyler Madden, a 2020 2nd, and Tim Schaller to Los Angeles for Tyler Toffoli. That's a big price tag. Toffoli has looked like a good fit, and they felt compelled to do it because Boeser is now injured the rest of the regular season, and the organization is (not wisely) desperate to make the playoffs. I don't love the trade, but I guess I understand it. 

 

The Maple Leafs lost 6-3 to Carolina yesterday, in a game in which the Hurricanes had to use an emergency backup goalie who was the zamboni driver who worked for the Maple Leafs. What's worse, the score was only 2-2 after Mrazek left the game. The Hurricanes basically played the second half of the game as a team that was permanently killing a penalty. David Ayres, the zamboni driver, stopped 8/10 shots.

 

That is humiliating for the Leafs, but the NHL should also be embarrassed. I'm happy for the zamboni driver, but why is a zamboni driver playing in an NHL game, in a city full of college and university hockey teams? Couldn't an NHL team just travel with an extra goalie that could be added to the roster and suited up in-game, if necessary?

 

I think the Leafs will probably pull it out and make the playoffs, but if they don't... hoo boy. 

 

On 2/16/2020 at 7:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

I couldn't multi quote at all  but I think I just figured out how you did it.  This board is really tricky now.   I spent ages the other day trying to delete a quote.

 

It's less intuitive than the previous early-web platform, but once you figure out all the quirks, it's easier to use. I like that you can do in-line formatting with the keyboard shortcuts.

 

On 2/16/2020 at 7:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

I think everyone liked the Sedins.  LOL at the crowd laughing at Tortorella.  He is unique.  I think the Sedins are pretty unique too.  Playing against them must have been hell.  You'd always be keeping an eye on one of them, and then bang, the other one has the puck in your net.

 

I had read that, while they never said a bad word about any of their coaches, Tortorella was actually their favourite, because he gave them as much ice time as they wanted. I don't think they cared for Willie Desjardins much, even if they won't admit it.

 

On 2/16/2020 at 7:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

They lost for the 5th time in their own building.  They lost to the Blackhawks 8-4.  The sound you hear is the Flames coach sobbing in the parking lot.

The Flames could totally miss.  That would not be good.

At least they've managed to find a fix for it.  It is especially odd because he is one of those players that never takes a game off for injuries.  Hopefully he can still play.

 

Seattle already has a website, even though their team doesn't have a name yet!  Or a logo.

https://www.nhl.com/seattle

 

Next up for the Flames, an afternoon game against the Ducks.

 

In the Pacific turtle derby, I think the Flames have the most pressure on them. Edmonton and Vancouver were not expected to make the playoffs but are more or less playing with house money. Same with Arizona. Vegas has pressure on them, but I think you're finally starting to see them pull away from the pack. Whereas if Calgary misses, they probably have to do something to blow up that core.

 

Bruce Boudreau got fired. Firing the coach is all the rage this season. This one was weird, in that he had them way closer to the playoff bar than they should have been, and on an upswing. I guess Bill Guerin, who didn't hire Boudreau, needed to fire him now, cause he wouldn't be able to if they made the playoffs and god forbid did anything in them. 

 

The first place I thought of for where Boudreau could end up next season was Calgary. If there's one thing Brad Treliving is really bad at, though, it's coaching hires.

 

Seattle Kraken was the rumoured name a few weeks ago. I'm guessing someone in the organization leaked that out to see what the reaction would be. It was generally positive, but to me it sounds like something you'd name an XFL team. I think Seattle is having a hard time picking a logo because the team that will be their main rival, Vancouver, has a logo that uses both northwest First Nations iconography (Totems) and marine wildlife (Sockeyes).  

 

On 2/16/2020 at 8:02 PM, Drew1903 said:

GO Flames GO  ()

 

Oh no, now I'm outnumbered.

 

[ShortstopVM]

That was a CLEAN open-ice hit by Trouba on Dal Colle, and everyone knows it. What PATHETIC move by Pageau to start a fight with Trouba over that. #FOH #ServeThoseFishsticks

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by ShortstopVM

[Mysteriosa]

On 2/16/2020 at 6:02 PM, Drew1903 said:

GO Flames GO  ()

This thread needs more quality content like this... 

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

The Maple Leafs lost 6-3 to Carolina yesterday, in a game in which the Hurricanes had to use an emergency backup goalie who was the zamboni driver who worked for the Maple Leafs. What's worse, the score was only 2-2 after Mrazek left the game. The Hurricanes basically played the second half of the game as a team that was permanently killing a penalty. David Ayres, the zamboni driver, stopped 8/10 shots.

 

That is humiliating for the Leafs, but the NHL should also be embarrassed. I'm happy for the zamboni driver, but why is a zamboni driver playing in an NHL game, in a city full of college and university hockey teams? Couldn't an NHL team just travel with an extra goalie that could be added to the roster and suited up in-game, if necessary?

 

I think the Leafs will probably pull it out and make the playoffs, but if they don't... hoo boy. 

HA.  I heard about it on the radio, and then the game was repeated on tv late at night, so I watched it for the hilarity.  Awesome for Ayres.  Carolina looked like heroes.  Leafs were terrible.  In fact he is a practice goalie for the Leafs, so it's not like he was as random as it looked.  I've never been sure why teams don't just use an AHL guy, but it must be to do with all the call up regulations.  

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

I had read that, while they never said a bad word about any of their coaches, Tortorella was actually their favourite, because he gave them as much ice time as they wanted. I don't think they cared for Willie Desjardins much, even if they won't admit it.

I can see why that would make him popular.  Besides, he seems to have kept a certain amount of distance between himself and everyday stuff.  Didn't he just used to skip practices?

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

In the Pacific turtle derby, I think the Flames have the most pressure on them. Edmonton and Vancouver were not expected to make the playoffs but are more or less playing with house money. Same with Arizona. Vegas has pressure on them, but I think you're finally starting to see them pull away from the pack. Whereas if Calgary misses, they probably have to do something to blow up that core.

It's nerve wracking.  Flames beat Detroit 4-2, as we should.  Beat Boston 5-2, more like it.  Next up  Nashville.  Gaudreau has been scoring lately.  Maybe we're turning around.

 

Vegas got goalie Lehner in a trade.  No!  Flames got 2 defence men, not flashy.  We hardly ever do exciting trades.

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

The first place I thought of for where Boudreau could end up next season was Calgary. If there's one thing Brad Treliving is really bad at, though, it's coaching hires.

Interesting.  Don't think they'll stick with interim guy Ward, but at this point anything could happen.

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

Seattle Kraken was the rumoured name a few weeks ago. I'm guessing someone in the organization leaked that out to see what the reaction would be. It was generally positive, but to me it sounds like something you'd name an XFL team. I think Seattle is having a hard time picking a logo because the team that will be their main rival, Vancouver, has a logo that uses both northwest First Nations iconography (Totems) and marine wildlife (Sockeyes).  

I thought that symbol was a whale?  Kraken would just be fun.  Seattle Otters or something, wouldn't have the same buzz.  It's hard to come up with something no one has yet, but is slightly exciting while looking good on a shirt!

 

On 2/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, RWG said:

Oh no, now I'm outnumbered.

Yay!  Remember when this thread was all Penguin fans?  

 

On 2/25/2020 at 7:10 PM, ShortstopVM said:

That was a CLEAN open-ice hit by Trouba on Dal Colle, and everyone knows it. What PATHETIC move by Pageau to start a fight with Trouba over that. #FOH #ServeThoseFishsticks

I honestly can't tell what is legal anymore.  

Edited February 28, 2020 by Mysteriosa

[Drew1903]

Right on     won against the Panthers.  That moves them up to 3rd spot in the Division   Winning this one was quite critical, pheeew  

GO

Edited March 1, 2020 by Drew1903

[Drew1903]

And Calgary just won in OT , 3 to 2 over the Blue Jackets.  Brodie netted the final goal for the Flames.  This keeps them solidly in 3rd spot in the Division w/ 77 points, now.

[ShortstopVM]

"This is a Hat Trick, not a scarf trick; please do not throw your scarves onto the ice."

 

LMAO!

 

GO MIKA!

[RWG]

What a heartbreaking season this is turning into for the Canucks. At or near the top of the division all season long, and then injuries to Boeser, Markstrom, Pettersson (obviously playing injured), Hughes (playing injured). The team has now lost four straight, blown the cushion they had for the last playoff spot, are on the verge of dropping out of a spot altogether, and apppear to be in freefall mode. It's amazing what two bad weeks can do to a team.

 

I did get to go see them play the Leafs in Toronto. They didn't have their worst game but lost 4-2. Thatcher Demko let in a completely unacceptable goal that cost them the game. They actually haven't played that bad since losing Markstrom, but it's impossible to win with this level of goaltending.

[Mysteriosa]

On 3/1/2020 at 4:37 PM, Drew1903 said:

Right on     won against the Panthers.  That moves them up to 3rd spot in the Division   Winning this one was quite critical, pheeew  

GO

Yay!  And wow, doesn't anyone attend Panthers games?  Lots of empty seats.  Though when I saw the sunny Florida afternoon, I felt jealous.

 

On 3/4/2020 at 9:10 PM, Drew1903 said:

And Calgary just won in OT , 3 to 2 over the Blue Jackets.  Brodie netted the final goal for the Flames.  This keeps them solidly in 3rd spot in the Division w/ 77 points, now.

This one surprised me.  For two whole periods they were losing!  I was worried.  Go Flames Go!

 

22 hours ago, ShortstopVM said:

"This is a Hat Trick, not a scarf trick; please do not throw your scarves onto the ice."

 

LMAO!

 

GO MIKA!

SCARF TRICK!  I like this idea.  It's weird and unusual. 

 

2 hours ago, RWG said:

What a heartbreaking season this is turning into for the Canucks. At or near the top of the division all season long, and then injuries to Boeser, Markstrom, Pettersson (obviously playing injured), Hughes (playing injured). The team has now lost four straight, blown the cushion they had for the last playoff spot, are on the verge of dropping out of a spot altogether, and apppear to be in freefall mode. It's amazing what two bad weeks can do to a team.

 

I did get to go see them play the Leafs in Toronto. They didn't have their worst game but lost 4-2. Thatcher Demko let in a completely unacceptable goal that cost them the game. They actually haven't played that bad since losing Markstrom, but it's impossible to win with this level of goaltending.

 It looked like Vancouver had it together until Markstrom got hurt.  The standings are so close that there isn't a lot of room for error.  In the West four teams have 74 points and one has 75.  How is Vegas number one, anyway?

 

Boston has 98 points, which is kind of amazing.  

 

On Twitter the other day Edmonton fans were apologizing for hating the Smith goalie trade.   When Smith is good he is very very good.  

[Drew1903]

It is said the empty seat thing is due to the crono (sp?) virus.

for  tonight...

[Drew1903]

 just won with a score of 3 to 2 over Arizona Coyotes. I try not to (have to) add, really, big numbers, but, maybe that's 3 in a row... AND 2 more points.  Still, 3rd, for the moment, but... Now, just 3 from 1st & 5 ahead of 4th.

[RWG]

 

On 3/6/2020 at 7:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Yay!  And wow, doesn't anyone attend Panthers games?  Lots of empty seats.  Though when I saw the sunny Florida afternoon, I felt jealous.

 

 It looked like Vancouver had it together until Markstrom got hurt.  The standings are so close that there isn't a lot of room for error.  In the West four teams have 74 points and one has 75.  How is Vegas number one, anyway?

 

Boston has 98 points, which is kind of amazing.  

 

On Twitter the other day Edmonton fans were apologizing for hating the Smith goalie trade.   When Smith is good he is very very good.  

 

I just watched the Luongo retirement ceremony in Florida and yikes @ the attendance. It looks like there's under 10,000 people there, as usual.

 

The thing you have to remember about the Pacific Division is that all the teams except Vegas are basically bad (as per their underlying metrics at 5-on-5). Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver are bolstered by a lack of competition and easy schedules.

 

The NHL announced reporters are no longer allowed in the dressing rooms because of the coronavirus. My read on this: it is one of a few small measures they will make. If the NHL and NBA ignore recommendations to cancel the playoffs or play them in empty arenas, they can still say hey, we didn't do nothing.

[RWG]

 

The Governor of Ohio has requested that indoor public sporting events be closed to spectators. The Columbus Blue Jackets are ignoring the recommendation.

[Mysteriosa]

On 3/6/2020 at 9:51 PM, Drew1903 said:

 just won with a score of 3 to 2 over Arizona Coyotes. I try not to (have to) add, really, big numbers, but, maybe that's 3 in a row... AND 2 more points.  Still, 3rd, for the moment, but... Now, just 3 from 1st & 5 ahead of 4th.

That was good.

Then we lost to Vegas 5-3 after coming back from 3-0.

 

On 3/7/2020 at 6:29 PM, RWG said:

 

 

I just watched the Luongo retirement ceremony in Florida and yikes @ the attendance. It looks like there's under 10,000 people there, as usual.

 

The thing you have to remember about the Pacific Division is that all the teams except Vegas are basically bad (as per their underlying metrics at 5-on-5). Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver are bolstered by a lack of competition and easy schedules.

 

The NHL announced reporters are no longer allowed in the dressing rooms because of the coronavirus. My read on this: it is one of a few small measures they will make. If the NHL and NBA ignore recommendations to cancel the playoffs or play them in empty arenas, they can still say hey, we didn't do nothing.

From what I've heard, the owner of the Panthers is having trouble and there was a rumour of a payroll cut next season.

 

Yes, Pacific Division's numbers are so much lower.

 

OH NO.  The NHL has paused the hockey season.   I guess there wasn't much other choice when you think about the teams travelling around from city to city, possibly spreading germs.  

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/nhl-pauses-2019-20-season/c-316156840

Well that's new.

Maybe there won't be any playoffs.    

Just how long is a pause? 

 

Sometimes I cough because of my asthma.  I'm going to get shunned. 

Meanwhile the weekend is going to have Arctic air and the temp is going to be -19 Celsius with snow on Saturday.  

 

[Drew1903]

Yes, these are interesting times in which we live, to say the very least... 

[RWG]

It's going to be interesting to see how the league handles this IF they are able to resume the season/playoffs at all.

 

It's totally possible that's it for the year.

 

They could do an abbreviated playoff with the top 2 teams from each division. Or they could do a full playoffs, but maybe there first one or two rounds are best-of-three.

 

If they do say the regular season is over and the playoffs will immediately start the playoffs, what criteria would they use, especially vis-a-vis the Western Conference?

If the go by points, it would be ridiculously unfair given that some teams have played two more games than others. But Calgary, Winnipeg, and Nashville would make it, Vancouver would miss (they are tied with Nashville but would lose the third tiebreaker).

If they go by points percentage, which adjusts for games played and is used by the league for things like waiver wire, the Canucks would move ahead of the Flames for third in the West, the Flames would drop into the 2nd wild-card spot, and Winnipeg would be the team to miss.

 

And how are players supposed to be in shape when hockey resumes? They shouldn't be working out anywhere that's not a personal home gym. How will the cap work? Will UFAs whose contracts expire July 1 be allowed to play for their current teams in the playoffs?

 

It all feels very insignificant. Is winning the cup after all this something a team's fans would brag about 10 years down the line?

Edited March 13, 2020 by RWG