Official NHL Hockey Thread interim version

[Mysteriosa]

On 11/19/2021 at 11:49 PM, RWG said:

I've accepted they will never win a cup. All I want is a team we can be proud of, and a welcome distraction when the province is partially underwater and the supply chains are broken. But that's too much to ask.

Perhaps they will bounce back.  Flames fans are creeped out because we are unused to the team actually winning.  It's like, who are you?  People calling in to the online radio show are like "What the heck was that?"  

 

That reminds me.  Flames beat the Islanders in their first night in their new building.  The first night in the Islander's Nassau Coliseum in 1972,  they lost to the Atlanta Flames.  The curse continues.    Weirdly, Terry Crisp was playing for the Islanders back then, destined to become coach of the Flames when they won the cup in 1989.

 

https://flamesnation.ca/2021/11/20/looking-back-at-the-very-first-flames-visit-to-long-island/

 

The flooding is incredible.  It did remind me of the Calgary flood because lots of Calgary roads go across the river so at one point it was hard to get from one side of the city to the other because so many roads were affected.

 

On 11/19/2021 at 11:49 PM, RWG said:

It sounds like Jim Benning is really on his ninth life this time. I've thought that before, I guess. The owner does not want to fire him. If he does finally do it this time, I still won't be optimistic. There will be a new GM, but he will still be someone like Benning, who allows Aquilini to meddle and make sure the team isn't managed properly.

Sutter used to be our GM!  And nothing could shift him.  And everyone and their dog had a no move clause.  The good old days...So you never know.  But I bet Benning will never come back as the coach though.  

 

On 11/19/2021 at 11:49 PM, RWG said:

It's very sad to read about the family of the boy who was the victim of Aldridge after the Blackhawks failed to report the incident. The boy's life was derailed and the family split up. They asked Gary Bettman about providing counseling and he couldn't even say sure to that.

It would have been nice if the NHL had given them a yes on counselling.  They come across as cheap.  And uncaring.  But mostly cheap.

 

On 11/19/2021 at 11:49 PM, RWG said:

Well it's November and Markstrom has like six shutouts so that's fantastic for you guys. I knew the Canucks wouldn't be as good as they thought but I didn't think the rest of the division would be this good. Calgary and Edmonton both look solid and the Southern Cali teams keep winning too.

Markstrom is doing really well.  Flames lost to Winnipeg but won vs Penguins.  Alberta teams seemed like trash last year!  So it is pretty incredible.

 

On 11/19/2021 at 11:49 PM, RWG said:

I read the Flames were furious with the Sabres over the Tkachuk rumor! They probably leaked it as a last minute bargaining chip to help them deal with Vegas. 

LOL.  Tkachuk is like "no, I'm vital" and I'm like, want a bet?

 

Lemieux of the Kings bit Brady Tkachuk.  Hmm.  NHL weirdness continues.

 

[RWG]

It finally happened. After 8 seasons, the Jim Benning era is over. The end of the line was Saturday night against Pittsburgh, a 4-1 loss that ended with jerseys on the ice and "Fire Benning" chants in the stands (and "Sell the team" in the concourse after). Supposedly people saw Benning moving boxes to his car the next morning. Travis Green, John Weisbrod, and Nolan Baumgartner were also fired. Sad to see good men fired, but these were all deserved and long overdue. Especially Benning's. The team has been so horribly managed for so long.

 

I feel bad for the way the organization treated Green, but he had to go too. As bad as the roster construction had been, they were still underachieving by an unacceptable margin, and it was obvious the players had quit on him. He will get another head coaching job soon. I'll be surprised if Jim Benning is an NHL GM  again. He looked exhausted and defeated by the end. I bet he'd rather just be a scout. There were actually some rumors he was close to quitting about a year ago.

 

Stan Smyl will be the interim GM until new management is hired. He has worked for the Canucks for decades and there's really no one else with experience in the big chair. 

 

I thought they'd just pick an interim coach, but instead they hired Bruce Boudreau! Everyone likes Bruce Boudreau. He was bored working for the NHL network and says he jumped at the opportunity to coach in a Canadian city, even though the team's not in a great spot and there's not even a real GM yet. It's refreshing how honest and upbeat he is. They played their first game under him tonight with a tidy 4-0 win over LA at home.

 

On 11/30/2021 at 2:38 PM, Mysteriosa said:

The flooding is incredible.  It did remind me of the Calgary flood because lots of Calgary roads go across the river so at one point it was hard to get from one side of the city to the other because so many roads were affected.

 

Sutter used to be our GM!  And nothing could shift him.  And everyone and their dog had a no move clause.  The good old days...So you never know.  But I bet Benning will never come back as the coach though.  

 

It would have been nice if the NHL had given them a yes on counselling.  They come across as cheap.  And uncaring.  But mostly cheap.

 

Markstrom is doing really well.  Flames lost to Winnipeg but won vs Penguins.  Alberta teams seemed like trash last year!  So it is pretty incredible.

 

LOL.  Tkachuk is like "no, I'm vital" and I'm like, want a bet?

 

Lemieux of the Kings bit Brady Tkachuk.  Hmm.  NHL weirdness continues.

 

 

The Calgary one looked more dystopian because it was in the middle of a big downtown. But it was also summer, so it drained faster than this one. If you put into Wayz or another driving app how to get from one part of Abbotsford to another, it took you on a 16-hour trip through the Okanagan, southern BC, Washington State, and then Greater Vancouver.

 

I sure hope Benning doesn't come back to coach. I don't even want him to come back if it's to sell beer in the aisles.

 

Brady Tkachuk did have a great post-game takedown of Lemieux where he used the fantastic G-rated insult "brick head." It seems like an accurate descriptor based on some of the things you hear about Lemieux.

 

 

[Mysteriosa]

22 hours ago, RWG said:

It finally happened. After 8 seasons, the Jim Benning era is over. The end of the line was Saturday night against Pittsburgh, a 4-1 loss that ended with jerseys on the ice and "Fire Benning" chants in the stands (and "Sell the team" in the concourse after). Supposedly people saw Benning moving boxes to his car the next morning. Travis Green, John Weisbrod, and Nolan Baumgartner were also fired. Sad to see good men fired, but these were all deserved and long overdue. Especially Benning's. The team has been so horribly managed for so long.

 

22 hours ago, RWG said:

I sure hope Benning doesn't come back to coach. I don't even want him to come back if it's to sell beer in the aisles.

 

Ha!  See, light at the end of your tunnel.  I heard on the radio that Boudreau was coach and then they said I don't know what happened with Benning, so I didn't know till this minute because they never mentioned it again.  I was impressed they got Boudreau.  Even the owner must be fed up.  (come on Boudreau, I need some rivalry back) (#linebrawl)

 

LOL, I'm not buying your beer, Benning!  Wow, yelling "Sell the team" in the concourse!  Not a good sign.  At least he didn't have to take a taxi.

 

22 hours ago, RWG said:

The Calgary one looked more dystopian because it was in the middle of a big downtown. But it was also summer, so it drained faster than this one.

A slightly warmer flood.  My fav was that people were so desperate to return their library books to the old library downtown, they waded through the flood and dropped books in the chute, which sent them to the watery basement.

 

So Flames are on a road trip, won two games against LA and the Ducks, as usual lost to Vegas (why?), and lost to the Sharks tonight 5-3, though I was watching the Voice (sorry Flames).

[ShortstopVM]

 Stillman, and  Landeskog (who challenged Trouba to a fight just now)... Both of Trouba's hits were clean.

 

That being said, I wish Jujhar Khaira a full recovery after the hit last night. 

Edited December 9, 2021 by ShortstopVM

[ShortstopVM]

STOP. CHALLENGING. JACOB. TROUBA. TO. FIGHTS. OVER. CLEAN. OPEN. ICE. HITS.  

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by ShortstopVM

[RWG]

Well. The Canucks have started 4-0 under Boudreau. He's the first Canucks coach ever to win his first four games. They don't look like they're playing that much better than under Travis. Thatcher Demko is playing very well, and they're getting more bounces. So now they keep winning by one instead of losing by one. The team obviously seems to have much higher morale under Bruce. They beat LA, Boston, Winnipeg, and Carolina this week.

 

The fans chant "Bruce there is" during the game and Boudreau hates it. He says "I wish the fans would stop singin' that stupid song." He said people were doing it in a restaurant when he went out to eat one night and he shushed them.

 

I'm not getting excited yet. They were in such a big hole for the playoffs. Even with the Oilers losing five straight and the Flames winless in four, the Canucks are still very far back.

 

Oh yeah. They hired Jim Rutherford as the president of hockey operations and interim GM. He's going to hire a GM. Rutherford is not the most exciting hire, but I think it's a good one that will bring a level of competency back to the organization. They also changed the goal song to "Don't You Forget About Me" from Breakfast Club and it's probably their best goal song ever.

 

On 12/7/2021 at 10:17 PM, Mysteriosa said:

 

 

Ha!  See, light at the end of your tunnel.  I heard on the radio that Boudreau was coach and then they said I don't know what happened with Benning, so I didn't know till this minute because they never mentioned it again.  I was impressed they got Boudreau.  Even the owner must be fed up.  (come on Boudreau, I need some rivalry back) (#linebrawl)

 

LOL, I'm not buying your beer, Benning!  Wow, yelling "Sell the team" in the concourse!  Not a good sign.  At least he didn't have to take a taxi.

 

A slightly warmer flood.  My fav was that people were so desperate to return their library books to the old library downtown, they waded through the flood and dropped books in the chute, which sent them to the watery basement.

 

So Flames are on a road trip, won two games against LA and the Ducks, as usual lost to Vegas (why?), and lost to the Sharks tonight 5-3, though I was watching the Voice (sorry Flames).

 

I feel like Bruce could have done a line brawl with Calgary a decade ago. He seems a lot more mellow now compared to his Washington and Anaheim iterations. Mind you, we haven't lost with him yet. Wait until the first three-game losing streak and maybe we'll get to see him mad.

 

The Coyotes aren't paying their bills or their taxes now. They paid $1.5 million in taxes this week after the City of Glendale said they had missed 14 straight scheduled payments dating back to 2020. The Coyotes said it was a human error, which Glendale said was preposterous. Gary Bettman said there's nothing to worry about here, that Glendale has an "agenda" against the Coyotes (by asking for the taxes it is owed), and that the organization is very healthy. Ok.

 

It also sounds like the owners gave Bettman an extension to stay on as commissioner for even longer. I'm sure fans will be very relieved to know this. He's almost 70. In 2050, Bettman's head in a jar will announce the next Chinese city to get a team.

 

Olympic participation for NHL teams looks like it's in doubt. Unless the protocol changes, any players who tests positive for the virus would have to be quarantined for 3-5 weeks. After what went on with the Huawei CFO and the Michaels, I am pretty sure McDavid would be kidnapped and we'd never see him again.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by RWG

[Mysteriosa]

On 12/8/2021 at 7:19 PM, ShortstopVM said:

STOP. CHALLENGING. JACOB. TROUBA. TO. FIGHTS. OVER. CLEAN. OPEN. ICE. HITS.  

 

I sense you feel strongly about this!

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

They also changed the goal song to "Don't You Forget About Me" from Breakfast Club and it's probably their best goal song ever.

This is going to make the biggest difference.  

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

I'm not getting excited yet. They were in such a big hole for the playoffs. Even with the Oilers losing five straight and the Flames winless in four, the Canucks are still very far back.

The Flames have caught germs.  Now even more of them have tested positive for Covid, so playing a game without them all is very unlikely.  They will have to postpone games I think.  

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

I feel like Bruce could have done a line brawl with Calgary a decade ago. He seems a lot more mellow now compared to his Washington and Anaheim iterations. Mind you, we haven't lost with him yet. Wait until the first three-game losing streak and maybe we'll get to see him mad.

I think Vancouver is going to be a much better team now.  I like a good rivalry.  When all of the Western teams suck, it doesn't help anything.  Bruce has mellowed like Sutter has mellowed.  Though it is still hilarious to listen to reporters try to interview Sutter when he isn't in the mood.  "yep.  No.  Well...no.  Yep.  I am not answering that.  Nope.  Yup."  

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

The Coyotes aren't paying their bills or their taxes now. They paid $1.5 million in taxes this week after the City of Glendale said they had missed 14 straight scheduled payments dating back to 2020. The Coyotes said it was a human error, which Glendale said was preposterous. Gary Bettman said there's nothing to worry about here, that Glendale has an "agenda" against the Coyotes (by asking for the taxes it is owed), and that the organization is very healthy. Ok.

For the love of hockey, admit it's a bust and move them already!  Glendale has been more than patient with them.  I mean, they barely have an audience.  Move it somewhere that is hockey mad instead.

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

It also sounds like the owners gave Bettman an extension to stay on as commissioner for even longer. I'm sure fans will be very relieved to know this. He's almost 70.

He probably did a deal for his soul at some point.  Age is not going to be a factor.  

 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

Olympic participation for NHL teams looks like it's in doubt. Unless the protocol changes, any players who tests positive for the virus would have to be quarantined for 3-5 weeks. After what went on with the Huawei CFO and the Michaels, I am pretty sure McDavid would be kidnapped and we'd never see him again.

   I am not entirely sorry it looks like it will fail.  Watching Bettman fawn over China is icky.  Save McDavid, LOL!

Edited December 15, 2021 by Mysteriosa

[RWG]

Boudreau-manic continues in Vancouver. The Canucks have won six in a row!

 

Boeser has scored 5 goals in 6 games with Boudreau. He scored 4 in 22 games with Travis Green. It's come out that Boeser and Green didn't have a good relationship.

 

The Canucks hired Derek Clancey, a pro scout with Calgary, to be their assistant general manager. The Flames gave him permisssion to leave. Finally someone leaving the Flames for the Canucks. You have Tanev and Markstrom? Well we have Derek Clancey.

 

The NHL is really in the soup with Covid. We all are I guess. But I don't know how the NHL proceeds from here. Every time you check, there are more teams having outbreaks and more teams testing positive. They can't keep going with the players and coaches dropping like flies like this. They could take a break, get everyone negative, and restart, but the Covid situation in North America will be worse in two weeks. The only other option is to let players who knowingly have it and aren't super ill play, but that is sort of irresponsible given there risks. There are a handful of players who had severe cases. Brandon Sutter still hasn't played this year because of long haul symptoms.

 

Just last week, Bettman was saying it looks like the players are going to be able to repay the escrow faster than thought. Now we're back to empty or half-empty arenas in Canada. 

 

On 12/14/2021 at 4:38 PM, Mysteriosa said:

The Flames have caught germs.  Now even more of them have tested positive for Covid, so playing a game without them all is very unlikely.  They will have to postpone games I think.  

 

I think Vancouver is going to be a much better team now.  I like a good rivalry.  When all of the Western teams suck, it doesn't help anything.  Bruce has mellowed like Sutter has mellowed.  Though it is still hilarious to listen to reporters try to interview Sutter when he isn't in the mood.  "yep.  No.  Well...no.  Yep.  I am not answering that.  Nope.  Yup."  

 

For the love of hockey, admit it's a bust and move them already!  Glendale has been more than patient with them.  I mean, they barely have an audience.  Move it somewhere that is hockey mad instead.

 

He probably did a deal for his soul at some point.  Age is not going to be a factor.  

 

   I am not entirely sorry it looks like it will fail.  Watching Bettman fawn over China is icky.  Save McDavid, LOL!

 

It's tough when an outbreak takes down the whole team like Calgary's has. When the Canucks had theirs, the league wasn't accomodating at all after and made them play an insane amount of back-to-backs to get all their games in.

 

Boudreau is like the opposite of Sutter. They ask him a question and he just talks and talks and talks. I guess that's why they call him Gabby.

 

I bet part of the reason Gary keeps going is he knows the next commissioner will probably just pull the plug on his baby, the Coyotes. He has to believe Glendale is bluffing about kicking them out after this season, but if they're not, I think they'll be out of options and have to move.

Edited December 20, 2021 by RWG

[Mysteriosa]

The Flames ownership just pulled out of the arena deal!  What? 

 

They don't like all the extra costs like road stuff and climate change requirements so they told the mayor it was over.  The mayor pointed out at a press conference that if they had kept the city's project manager, extra costs would not have surprised them.   There have got to be contract penalties?  On the plus side, the proposed arena kept getting cheaper and uglier.  The contract said they had to pay any extra costs.  Poor bunnies.

 

On 12/17/2021 at 11:57 PM, RWG said:

Boudreau-manic continues in Vancouver. The Canucks have won six in a row!

Cool.  Well sort of. 

On 12/17/2021 at 11:57 PM, RWG said:

Just last week, Bettman was saying it looks like the players are going to be able to repay the escrow faster than thought. Now we're back to empty or half-empty arenas in Canada. 

Maybe the Flames don't think they'll get enough use out of a new arena? 

 

On 12/17/2021 at 11:57 PM, RWG said:

It's tough when an outbreak takes down the whole team like Calgary's has. When the Canucks had theirs, the league wasn't accomodating at all after and made them play an insane amount of back-to-backs to get all their games in.

Lots of teams have caught it at the same time, so I don't know what happens with the schedule.

On 12/17/2021 at 11:57 PM, RWG said:

Boudreau is like the opposite of Sutter. They ask him a question and he just talks and talks and talks. I guess that's why they call him Gabby.

Our version of that is Craig Conroy who is the former player who is now in management.  He was on the radio telling stories about wild Flames parties back in the day.   I kind of admire Sutter's style.  If he doesn't want to answer a question, he just doesn't.  It's fun listening to reporters try though.

On 12/17/2021 at 11:57 PM, RWG said:

I bet part of the reason Gary keeps going is he knows the next commissioner will probably just pull the plug on his baby, the Coyotes. He has to believe Glendale is bluffing about kicking them out after this season, but if they're not, I think they'll be out of options and have to move.

If the Flames decide to leave Calgary, we might have a space?  

[RWG]

On 12/21/2021 at 6:22 PM, Mysteriosa said:

The Flames ownership just pulled out of the arena deal!  What? 

 

They don't like all the extra costs like road stuff and climate change requirements so they told the mayor it was over.  The mayor pointed out at a press conference that if they had kept the city's project manager, extra costs would not have surprised them.   There have got to be contract penalties?  On the plus side, the proposed arena kept getting cheaper and uglier.  The contract said they had to pay any extra costs.  Poor bunnies.

 

Ugh. This again?

 

The amount of money they're haggling over is equivalent to the revenue from a handful of Flames home games. Imo this is just billionaire owners trying to shake any last  pennies out of the piggy bank. I bet in a few weeks they'll be like "nvm the arena is back on."

 

On 12/21/2021 at 6:22 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Cool.  Well sort of. 

Maybe the Flames don't think they'll get enough use out of a new arena? 

 

Lots of teams have caught it at the same time, so I don't know what happens with the schedule.

Our version of that is Craig Conroy who is the former player who is now in management.  He was on the radio telling stories about wild Flames parties back in the day.   I kind of admire Sutter's style.  If he doesn't want to answer a question, he just doesn't.  It's fun listening to reporters try though.

If the Flames decide to leave Calgary, we might have a space?  

 

 

The schedule is going to be a royal mess. They've added taxi squads now, but I'm not optimistic January will be much better than December in terms of testing and postponements. If the cancellations continue much longer, imo they are either going to need to play into the summer and push next season back, or admit they're not going to get all 82 games in... neither of which Bettman wants to do.

 

Sutter's style is similar to Travis Green's. "I thought he was good tonight. The team played well in parts... No... Likely, yes... No, I haven't talked  to the doctor yet."

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Hopefully 2022 is less crappy for hockey. And everything I guess.

[Mysteriosa]

On 12/26/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

Ugh. This again?

 

The amount of money they're haggling over is equivalent to the revenue from a handful of Flames home games. Imo this is just billionaire owners trying to shake any last  pennies out of the piggy bank. I bet in a few weeks they'll be like "nvm the arena is back on."

I think they've misread the room, because lots of people are like, they should pay for their own arena.  It is a ridiculously small amount to be arguing over.  I think they want out, but they'll never get a deal as good as that one again.  Supposedly they didn't want the mayor to make it public.  Oops.  

 

On 12/26/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

The schedule is going to be a royal mess. They've added taxi squads now, but I'm not optimistic January will be much better than December in terms of testing and postponements. If the cancellations continue much longer, imo they are either going to need to play into the summer and push next season back, or admit they're not going to get all 82 games in... neither of which Bettman wants to do.

 

Flames finally played a game vs the Kraken and won.  I can't imagine how they are going to fix the schedule.  We can't keep doing summer hockey!

 

IIHF World Juniors Hockey was cancelled.  Mind you, the women's games were cancelled without anyone even debating it.  Hockey writer in the newspaper was all, how could you do this to young talent?  But could you really keep letting people forfeit, and I'm sure he wouldn't feel the same if it was Canada having to forfeit games all over the place.

On 12/26/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

Sutter's style is similar to Travis Green's. "I thought he was good tonight. The team played well in parts... No... Likely, yes... No, I haven't talked  to the doctor yet."

 

Sutter made me laugh.  After the game someone asked why the Flames didn't play that well for the whole game, and he said take 19 days off and see how well YOU play.

On 12/26/2021 at 11:16 PM, RWG said:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Hopefully 2022 is less crappy for hockey. And everything I guess.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I hope it is better.  

[RWG]

The Canucks returned from the break with a 2-0-1 road trip... wins in Anaheim and Seattle, shootout loss in LA. It's not like under Green where they'd win some close games if Demko stood on his head. They are actually generating more offense than the teams they should be beating. Under Travis Green, the Canucks won 8 times in 26 games. Boudreau's won 8 times in 9 games. Under Green, it felt like they were always playing to cover up their weaknesses. Under Boudreau, it feels like they are playing to their strengths.

 

The latest reason the fans love Bruce Boudreau is his Christmas mask he wore to the Anaheim game. It says "Merry Christmas!" on it. He said it was just the only one his wife gave him for the road trip. Even if he wasn't trying to be festive on purpose, he is still a jolly old fat man who brought joy to BC this December.

 

 

The Kraken really are not good and will probably be sellers at the deadline. It's odd they'd make Giordano the captain when he was on an expiring contract, and is now a pretty obvious piece to move for assets.

 

On 12/31/2021 at 1:49 AM, Mysteriosa said:

I think they've misread the room, because lots of people are like, they should pay for their own arena.  It is a ridiculously small amount to be arguing over.  I think they want out, but they'll never get a deal as good as that one again.  Supposedly they didn't want the mayor to make it public.  Oops.  

 

Flames finally played a game vs the Kraken and won.  I can't imagine how they are going to fix the schedule.  We can't keep doing summer hockey!

 

IIHF World Juniors Hockey was cancelled.  Mind you, the women's games were cancelled without anyone even debating it.  Hockey writer in the newspaper was all, how could you do this to young talent?  But could you really keep letting people forfeit, and I'm sure he wouldn't feel the same if it was Canada having to forfeit games all over the place.

 

Sutter made me laugh.  After the game someone asked why the Flames didn't play that well for the whole game, and he said take 19 days off and see how well YOU play.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I hope it is better.  

 

The mayor does not seem worried. I don't get why the Flames owners won't take the deal and run. Except for the Oilers, all the other Canadian teams' arenas were built with private money.

 

Edit: Naturally, right after I posted that, they announce the deal is really dead, and the arena is for sure not happening.  So there's that.

 

The IIHF president responded pretty poorly to the criticism over the women's tournaments with a weird rant they put out as a press release. There, no hockey for anyone, happy? Of course, they already started about trying the World Juniors again in the summer. I wonder if that's because the lost ad revenue from all the cancelled games is goinig to cost TSN a boatload of money.

 

They had a strict rule where one positive test = forfeit, but they also had the teams out mixing with the public. The hotel the teams were staying at in Red Deer had a big wedding reception the players had to go through the leave the tounrnament. So it's no wonder this didn't work. A huge disaster by the IIHF.

Edited January 4, 2022 by RWG

[Mysteriosa]

22 hours ago, RWG said:

The latest reason the fans love Bruce Boudreau is his Christmas mask he wore to the Anaheim game. It says "Merry Christmas!" on it. He said it was just the only one his wife gave him for the road trip. Even if he wasn't trying to be festive on purpose, he is still a jolly old fat man who brought joy to BC this December.

Aw.  It makes you think that the right coach can make a difference!  

Giordano seems to play better with Seattle.  They obviously don't have the touch that Las Vegas had/has.

 

Flames beat Chicago 5-1.  

 

22 hours ago, RWG said:

The mayor does not seem worried. I don't get why the Flames owners won't take the deal and run. Except for the Oilers, all the other Canadian teams' arenas were built with private money.

 

Edit: Naturally, right after I posted that, they announce the deal is really dead, and the arena is for sure not happening.  So there's that.

 

The mayor was really ok with it, which makes me think she did not like the deal but she thought she was stuck with it.

I really think they should have run with it.  They were getting a sweet deal.

 

It's weird, because at first everyone was like, they must be trying to get a better deal and it is a negotiation tactic.  Did they really kill the deal over what amounts to small change?   They kept cutting back, so at first it had a kind of community rink outside and be a kind of hub everyone got to be part of, then it was this ugly designed arena and all the frills that made it nice were cut off.   One of the councillors said is it just an arena now?  And then they canned it. 

 

22 hours ago, RWG said:

The IIHF president responded pretty poorly to the criticism over the women's tournaments with a weird rant they put out as a press release. There, no hockey for anyone, happy? Of course, they already started about trying the World Juniors again in the summer. I wonder if that's because the lost ad revenue from all the cancelled games is goinig to cost TSN a boatload of money.

Must be the TSN thing.  Plus the ticket refunds for cancelled or half attended games, but mostly the broadcasting.  Oh, wait, it seems that advertisers wouldn't get refunds, but would get air time to make up for it.  Which would have to be in something that gets lots of views which would have to be live sports.  Meaning they couldn't then sell that advertising to other clients, because they are still trying to make up for the World Juniors. 

 

Seaborn:

 

"If TSN estimated 1M viewers for a game that never happens they owe dozens of advertisers air time in a program with 1M+ viewers"

"What ends up happening is you're chasing your own makegoods for months. You can't bring in any new revenue as you keep selling out programs making old advertisers whole."

 

 

TSN must have fought hard to keep the hockey tournament going. 

 

Ah, summer hockey.  This is becoming a thing.  If they don't want to support women's hockey they should just admit it.  Is the USA going to be good with forfeiting to Switzerland?  Or will they insist on a redo? 

 

22 hours ago, RWG said:

They had a strict rule where one positive test = forfeit, but they also had the teams out mixing with the public. The hotel the teams were staying at in Red Deer had a big wedding reception the players had to go through the leave the tounrnament. So it's no wonder this didn't work. A huge disaster by the IIHF.

 

That's the bit I didn't get, where they said no one had interest in staying in a bubble, but it was obvious that no one likes forfeits either, or being sent home, and all the associated people who lost money.  They don't seem like they tried very hard at something they claim was important.  

 

Oh, the Russian team trying to go home got thrown off a plane for being unruly, and that is the most normal thing I have experienced since the beginning of the pandemic.  (they also threw off the Czech team that was apparently behaving because wore the same sweatshirts) 

 

I didn't know about the wedding reception. That's a mess.

 

[RWG]

 

On 1/3/2022 at 10:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

It's weird, because at first everyone was like, they must be trying to get a better deal and it is a negotiation tactic.  Did they really kill the deal over what amounts to small change?   They kept cutting back, so at first it had a kind of community rink outside and be a kind of hub everyone got to be part of, then it was this ugly designed arena and all the frills that made it nice were cut off.   One of the councillors said is it just an arena now?  And then they canned it. 

 

There is obviously ego/emotion involved. The Flames owners let their GM give Troy Brouwer $18 million to play hockey for them for four years (contract was bought out after 2). But $9 million for a LEED certification? No.

 

For her part, the new mayor probably doesn't want to be seen as a pushover, contrasted with her predecessor.

 

I wonder if they'd just pay the $9 million if not for the financial damage covid has done. It's interesting that the deal died right as NHL capacity limits came back unexpectedly.

 

On 1/3/2022 at 10:39 PM, Mysteriosa said:

 

 

Must be the TSN thing.  Plus the ticket refunds for cancelled or half attended games, but mostly the broadcasting.  Oh, wait, it seems that advertisers wouldn't get refunds, but would get air time to make up for it.  Which would have to be in something that gets lots of views which would have to be live sports.  Meaning they couldn't then sell that advertising to other clients, because they are still trying to make up for the World Juniors. 

 

Seaborn:

 

"If TSN estimated 1M viewers for a game that never happens they owe dozens of advertisers air time in a program with 1M+ viewers"

"What ends up happening is you're chasing your own makegoods for months. You can't bring in any new revenue as you keep selling out programs making old advertisers whole."

 

 

TSN must have fought hard to keep the hockey tournament going. 

 

Ah, summer hockey.  This is becoming a thing.  If they don't want to support women's hockey they should just admit it.  Is the USA going to be good with forfeiting to Switzerland?  Or will they insist on a redo? 

 

 

That's the bit I didn't get, where they said no one had interest in staying in a bubble, but it was obvious that no one likes forfeits either, or being sent home, and all the associated people who lost money.  They don't seem like they tried very hard at something they claim was important.  

 

Oh, the Russian team trying to go home got thrown off a plane for being unruly, and that is the most normal thing I have experienced since the beginning of the pandemic.  (they also threw off the Czech team that was apparently behaving because wore the same sweatshirts) 

 

I didn't know about the wedding reception. That's a mess.

 

 

So basically, TSN has to give away its Super Bowl ad space for free. It probably hurts more that their Grey Cup ratings were noticeably down this year too, and the CFL didn't even play in 2020.

 

I suppose no one likes being in a bubble, but I'm sure the players would have taken it over no tournament at all. Bob McKenzie said the IIHF's excuse is the same as every government/institution: this variant came out of nowhere and they couldn't react in time. A bubble needs to be planned months in advance. And the 1 test = forfeit rule is because the players are unpaid teenages, so, according to McKenzie, the IIHF has to take the health and safety more seriously than the NHL does. Let's be honest, the NHL doesn't care at all if the players get it.

 

I was going to post that about the Russians lol. I've heard the Russian program is very severe in terms of discipline, but apparently the Russian coach himself was vaping on the plane. So I guess they're easier going with air travel. The Russian team was actually kicked off a flight in 2011 too, but that was after they'd won the gold in overtime. This was after a tournament that got cancelled. Poor Czechs.

 

I was wondering why "Red Deer wedding" was trending on Twitter and then I found out it was the World Junior teams complaining about it. I am also curious to know what kind of couple gets married at the Red Deer Marriott in the middle of winter.

 

Canucks don't play this week cause their only game got moved because the provvince will  only let them have 50% fans right now. I mean, if you can't sell out the game, why even play it??

Edited January 5, 2022 by RWG

[Mysteriosa]

On 1/5/2022 at 12:14 AM, RWG said:

I wonder if they'd just pay the $9 million if not for the financial damage covid has done. It's interesting that the deal died right as NHL capacity limits came back unexpectedly.

I think they have always been cheap, and the ban on full capacity and selling snacks makes them cheaper.  This half sized crowd is kind of a bust.

 

On 1/5/2022 at 12:14 AM, RWG said:

So basically, TSN has to give away its Super Bowl ad space for free. It probably hurts more that their Grey Cup ratings were noticeably down this year too, and the CFL didn't even play in 2020

No wonder TSN was so desperate.

 

On 1/5/2022 at 12:14 AM, RWG said:

I was wondering why "Red Deer wedding" was trending on Twitter and then I found out it was the World Junior teams complaining about it. I am also curious to know what kind of couple gets married at the Red Deer Marriott in the middle of winter.

  Scenic.

 

Flames lost to the Panthers, Tampa, Carolina, had a week off, lost to Ottawa which was surprisingly perky for a team that hadn't played in nearly a month, then suddenly the Flames won  5- 1 over the Panthers (I quite like the Panthers).  Followed by a bitter loss to Edmonton 5-3, then won over St. Louis 7-1, Columbus 6-0, and then lost to St. Louis 5-1, probably because it was their 3rd game in 4 days. 

 

Watching a game on TV I spotted Tina, the long term lurker behind the Flames bench.  Seasons ticket holders apparently had to have a kind of lottery to see which half get to attend.  It is a bit nuts.

 

The upcoming schedule has a lot of back to back games.  I don't know if that is good.

 

OMG.  Oilers bought Evander Kane for the season.  Ew.  Some Flames fans had encouraged them to sign him, because he seems like a ball of trouble.

[ShortstopVM]

So, I was at the Rangers game last night... The game itself was an embarrassment all around: The Rangers players lacked physicality and puck-handling skills in the second and third periods as they blew a two-goal lead.  (FFS, when the Wild had the puck, I was begging the Rangers players to hit somebody) They let the game come down to that goaltender interference call at the very end.  

 

Which brings me to the next thing: Our fans acted like pieces of , as people in the lower bowl threw things onto the ice in reaction to that call.  There was no excuse for that.

 

And that is a damn shame, because the ceremony for Henrik Lundqvist was well-done (and was the highlight of the night).  It was only now that we got a chance to give him a proper farewell (his last season ended in The Bubble).

 

"Lifers" like him who play over a decade with a club and make themselves the face of not only their franchise but also the face of the city they play in, are few and far between. We should never take those kinds of players for granted.

 

On 12/31/2020 at 3:03 AM, ShortstopVM said:

a) All the best to Henrik Lundqvist as he undergoes his open-heart surgery  I thank him for everything he has done for the Rangers the past fifteen seasons.   His number will hang from the famous Garden ceiling one day.

 

I guess we know what that day was... Last night, January 28, 2022.

 

Thank you Henrik, for everything you did for the Rangers. 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by ShortstopVM

[RWG]

The Canucks hired people. Patrik Allvin is the new general manager. He's the first Swedish GM in NHL history. He worked with Rutherford in Pittsburgh. We have had a lot of people from Pittsburgh come over, but it's at least a successful franchise. I'd rather hire a bunch of people from there than from, like, Edmonton.

 

They also hired Émilie Castonguay to be an assistant general manager. She'd worked as a player agent in one of the Quebec agencies. She was really impressive in her introductory conference. She doesn't seem much interested in the fact she's the first woman assistant GM since the 90s. They also hired Rachel Doerrie as an analyst.

 

None of the front-office hirings have floored me, but I really like the sum of the parts. It's a group with a diversity of backgrounds, and they all  seem smart and decent. Impressed with Rutherford so far. It is SUCH a breath of fresh air after that 8 year nightmare with the last group.

 

The team is still playing decently, but the hole they're trying to climb out of is just too great to make the playoffs. They will be sellers, and I'll bet the trades start soon.

 

The new plan for the Arizona Coyotes is for them to play in an arena at Arizona State University that holds 5,000 people. Friedman said after they do the necessary upgrades to make it up to code for the NHL, the capacity will be closer to 3,200. Most junior teams play in front of more people than that. And this is to happen for four years -- assuming the Coyotes' Tempe project gets approved, which it might not. Bettman is barking mad with this. It will be an embarrassment for the league. Sounds like the owners already don't like it. It won't shock me if the Board of Governors tells Bettman he can't do this. 

 

On 1/28/2022 at 4:20 PM, Mysteriosa said:

I think they have always been cheap, and the ban on full capacity and selling snacks makes them cheaper.  This half sized crowd is kind of a bust.

 

No wonder TSN was so desperate.

 

  Scenic.

 

Flames lost to the Panthers, Tampa, Carolina, had a week off, lost to Ottawa which was surprisingly perky for a team that hadn't played in nearly a month, then suddenly the Flames won  5- 1 over the Panthers (I quite like the Panthers).  Followed by a bitter loss to Edmonton 5-3, then won over St. Louis 7-1, Columbus 6-0, and then lost to St. Louis 5-1, probably because it was their 3rd game in 4 days. 

 

Watching a game on TV I spotted Tina, the long term lurker behind the Flames bench.  Seasons ticket holders apparently had to have a kind of lottery to see which half get to attend.  It is a bit nuts.

 

The upcoming schedule has a lot of back to back games.  I don't know if that is good.

 

OMG.  Oilers bought Evander Kane for the season.  Ew.  Some Flames fans had encouraged them to sign him, because he seems like a ball of trouble.

 

I was watching the Canucks/Flames games on Saturday and wondering how there were so many Vancouver fans there with seats only available for season-ticket holders.

 

Someone posted a picture of Tina sitting behind Darryl Sutter in the early 2000s, contrasted with a recent one of them from this year. It was eerie. Darryl definitely aged worse than her.

 

I saw they asked Kane to comment on how all the Sharks players wanted him off the team, and he just said that these rumors got out speaks to how bad the Sharks leadership is. The common thread with Evander is that for all the trouble he gets in, nothing is ever his fault. He seems like a complete narcissist. Hope the Oilers enjoy.

 

On 1/29/2022 at 6:01 PM, ShortstopVM said:

So, I was at the Rangers game last night... The game itself was an embarrassment all around: The Rangers players lacked physicality and puck-handling skills in the second and third periods as they blew a two-goal lead.  (FFS, when the Wild had the puck, I was begging the Rangers players to hit somebody) They let the game come down to that goaltender interference call at the very end.  

 

Which brings me to the next thing: Our fans acted like pieces of , as people in the lower bowl threw things onto the ice in reaction to that call.  There was no excuse for that.

 

And that is a damn shame, because the ceremony for Henrik Lundqvist was well-done (and was the highlight of the night).  It was only now that we got a chance to give him a proper farewell (his last season ended in The Bubble).

 

"Lifers" like him who play over a decade with a club and make themselves the face of not only their franchise but also the face of the city they play in, are few and far between. We should never take those kinds of players for granted.

 

 

I guess we know what that day was... Last night, January 28, 2022.

 

Thank you Henrik, for everything you did for the Rangers. 

 

 

So lame the fans did that on Henrik's night. 

 

[Mysteriosa]

On 1/29/2022 at 7:01 PM, ShortstopVM said:

Thank you Henrik, for everything you did for the Rangers. 

 

That sounds really cool.  It's a pity sometimes fans are awful at games.  One time I had to sit next to a boy who misbehaved for virtually the whole game, while his father talked to his adult friends and ignored him.  He only tried to discipline him in intermissions.

 

I accidentally happened to be at a game after Iginla left the team when they asked the crowd to thank him, which was neat.

 

On 2/1/2022 at 11:05 PM, RWG said:

The team is still playing decently, but the hole they're trying to climb out of is just too great to make the playoffs. They will be sellers, and I'll bet the trades start soon.

Wow.  Tonight Flames vs Canucks:   I listened to the first period more or less and there was no score, then I left, and what happened?  Ick!  7-1?  Was it the Canuck retro jerseys that did it? (Flames commentators admitted to liking them.  And then discussed whether they liked them back then, or just now!)

Apparently Markstrom had trouble with his skate blade? And then never came back?

 

Mind you the Flames usually forget to play hockey after the all star break, and this time they kept winning instead.  It was kind of creepy.  I am not used to success.  They won 10 in a row, and 7 of those were at home.

 

In other news, are we trying to draft all of Vancouver because now we have Toffoli.  He apparently knows lots of people on our team.  Is there anyone else left to snap up?

 

On 2/1/2022 at 11:05 PM, RWG said:

The new plan for the Arizona Coyotes is for them to play in an arena at Arizona State University that holds 5,000 people.

But why tho?   That's not really a plan, that's a cry for help.

 

Hey Gary!  Why did the hockey team not do well in the desert?  No, it's not a joke, I really want to know...

 

On 2/1/2022 at 11:05 PM, RWG said:

Someone posted a picture of Tina sitting behind Darryl Sutter in the early 2000s, contrasted with a recent one of them from this year. It was eerie. Darryl definitely aged worse than her.

 

It's hard out on the farm...

 

Actually, when Flames played the Leafs, there were a lot of Leaf supporters there, unless some of the regulars switch sides sometimes.

 

On 2/1/2022 at 11:05 PM, RWG said:

I saw they asked Kane to comment on how all the Sharks players wanted him off the team, and he just said that these rumors got out speaks to how bad the Sharks leadership is. The common thread with Evander is that for all the trouble he gets in, nothing is ever his fault. He seems like a complete narcissist. Hope the Oilers enjoy.

Kane:  It's not me, it's you.

Sharks:  No.  It's definitely you.  Out!  Shoo!  Go bother McDavid.

 

Why you would want a selfish guy like that in the dressing room is beyond me.  It's going to be like a soap opera.  Thank goodness he isn't a Flame.

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Mysteriosa

[RWG]

On 2/24/2022 at 11:13 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Wow.  Tonight Flames vs Canucks:   I listened to the first period more or less and there was no score, then I left, and what happened?  Ick!  7-1?  Was it the Canuck retro jerseys that did it? (Flames commentators admitted to liking them.  And then discussed whether they liked them back then, or just now!)

Apparently Markstrom had trouble with his skate blade? And then never came back?

 

Mind you the Flames usually forget to play hockey after the all star break, and this time they kept winning instead.  It was kind of creepy.  I am not used to success.  They won 10 in a row, and 7 of those were at home.

 

In other news, are we trying to draft all of Vancouver because now we have Toffoli.  He apparently knows lots of people on our team.  Is there anyone else left to snap up?

 

 

I only saw the second half of that Canucks/Flames game. The puck just kept going in Calgary's net. It's not often a goalie is important in a 7-1 game, but that game was closer than Demko made it look like. The black skate jerseys sure are cool. There's always rumors they'll dump the whale and go back to those full-time, but I kind of like how they're kept as a treat we only get to see once or twice a year.

 

It's quite a run Calgary is on right now. A rocket to the top with 13 wins in 15 games. I watched them go to overtime with the Avalanche tonight and it was a very good game. Would be fun to see that as a playoff series.

 

Maybe Treliving shoud hire Benning to be an assistant GM. Toffoli seemed like a natural move, since he knew the Vancouver guys as well as Sutter. It still amazes me how healthy Tanev has been for Calgary. He got injured all the time with us, and is only older now. I guess he's playing with the puck and not blocking so many shots in Calgary.

 

On 2/24/2022 at 11:13 PM, Mysteriosa said:

But why tho?   That's not really a plan, that's a cry for help.

 

Hey Gary!  Why did the hockey team not do well in the desert?  No, it's not a joke, I really want to know...

 

 

It's hard out on the farm...

 

Actually, when Flames played the Leafs, there were a lot of Leaf supporters there, unless some of the regulars switch sides sometimes.

 

Kane:  It's not me, it's you.

Sharks:  No.  It's definitely you.  Out!  Shoo!  Go bother McDavid.

 

Why you would want a selfish guy like that in the dressing room is beyond me.  It's going to be like a soap opera.  Thank goodness he isn't a Flame.

 

Bettman is so stubborn with Arizona. You'd think he could point to Vegas/Nashville/Seattle/Columbus as successful expansion projects and take this one L, but he can't.

 

The Canucks beat the Leafs 6-4 tonight. Their first win in Toronto since 2011, amazingly. After leveling off from the 8-0-1  start under Boudreau, they've come back with another run of 8 wins in 11 games. They have their next seven at home now. The math is still against them, but they aren't folding easily. The new management likely wants to sell off some pieces, and it's got to be getting harder to sell that to the owner and fans.

 

It's sad to see the position Russian NHL players have been put in by this mess in Europe. I don't really feel bad for Ovechkin though. He made his bed with Mr. Putin.

[Mysteriosa]

Where have I been?  LOL.  Happy Easter!

 

Flames won a lot.  I particularly liked beating Edmonton 9-5.  Lost a bit at home, Lindstrom has been pulled a few times.  Won on the road.  Came back and beat the Kraken, then lost to the Vegas 6-1.  Came back and beat Arizona 9-1.   Sutter's expression is mine when I realize every time I've gone to a game live, they've lost (and that was many different teams).

 

There's a Swedish Flames t-shirt now!   I'm thinking the answer to having success is having enough Swedish players?  When we got a player from the Kraken, Jarnkrok,  he turned out to be Lindholm's cousin, and a friend of Markstrom.  See also Rasmus Andersson, Backlund, Kylington.

 

 

On 3/6/2022 at 12:01 AM, RWG said:

It's quite a run Calgary is on right now. A rocket to the top with 13 wins in 15 games. I watched them go to overtime with the Avalanche tonight and it was a very good game. Would be fun to see that as a playoff series.

 

Maybe Treliving shoud hire Benning to be an assistant GM. Toffoli seemed like a natural move, since he knew the Vancouver guys as well as Sutter. It still amazes me how healthy Tanev has been for Calgary. He got injured all the time with us, and is only older now. I guess he's playing with the puck and not blocking so many shots in Calgary.

 

Not the Avalanche!  Actually a rematch might be cool.  Scary/cool.  It is a little scary when the Flames lose their focus.

 

Flames are in the Playoffs!  Is miracle! 

Sadness.  My WHL team the Hitmen are not.  Boo.

 

Toffoli is really great.  Tanev was doing well but he was hit the other week and people worried he had a concussion but he was OK.

 

Can't believe Monahan is out for the rest of the season with more hip surgery.  For a young man, he's had a lot of problems with his hips and wrists.  He never really gets to play a full season anymore.

 

Back in the Playoffs with...Darryl Sutter?  Is this reality?     

 

 

 

 

[Mysteriosa]

Coyotes are moving to a new Arena and it comes with really high ticket prices, given that they are one of the least well attended teams in the league, bottom 5 for the last 14 years.  Because it is near a college and of course students will pay more?   We should be running a pool on how long the Coyotes can pretend it is going to work out in Arizona.  They should get the team to study French now!  Quebec may want them later.  

 

 

Flames lost to Nashville in OT, and then won over the Stars and clinched the Division.  For some reason although they won, Sutter seemed in a mood at the press conference afterwards.  He hates questions!  LOL.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Mysteriosa

[RWG]

On 4/22/2022 at 12:30 PM, Mysteriosa said:

Coyotes are moving to a new Arena and it comes with really high ticket prices, given that they are one of the least well attended teams in the league, bottom 5 for the last 14 years.  Because it is near a college and of course students will pay more?   We should be running a pool on how long the Coyotes can pretend it is going to work out in Arizona.  They should get the team to study French now!  Quebec may want them later.  

 

 

Flames lost to Nashville in OT, and then won over the Stars and clinched the Division.  For some reason although they won, Sutter seemed in a mood at the press conference afterwards.  He hates questions!  LOL.

 

You have to laugh at how they are trying to make this work. They're admitting the team won't be competitive (probably a mashup of AHL players and aging veterans on their way out of the league, like the current roster) and moving it into a junior rink, and expect people to pay these prices? The owner says it's because all the seats are on top of the action, but I don't think it will matter if the product is bad. And it is.

 

I guess I'll believe this when I see it. It would be one thing if there were shovels in the ground on the Coyotes' new rink, but the local city council hasn't even approved the project yet. And that can take time, and these projects usually have delays and overrun. They will likely be in this little rink for more than three seasons, and it's hard to believe they're even going to do it for that long.

 

The Canucks' fate for this season is sealed and they will not be going to the postseason. I've gotten used to having no emotional investment in the playoffs with my team never in it, and it's great for my heart and mood. They did have a great second half with Boudreau but were just in too deep of a hole to get of. Elias Pettersson does finally look as dominant as he did in his rookie season.

 

Apparently Robin Lehner is upset with the Golden Knights because he's playing injured to help keep their season alive, and he is criticized by the coach and pulled after one goal, so he is threatening to get season-ending surgery. I wonder how much longer free-agents continue wanting to flock to Vegas. It is satisfying to finally see that organization squirm. It looks like they're going to miss the playoffs.

[Mysteriosa]

2 hours ago, RWG said:

You have to laugh at how they are trying to make this work. They're admitting the team won't be competitive (probably a mashup of AHL players and aging veterans on their way out of the league, like the current roster) and moving it into a junior rink, and expect people to pay these prices? The owner says it's because all the seats are on top of the action, but I don't think it will matter if the product is bad. And it is.

 

I seem to remember one time the Florida Panthers were offering a kind of ticket package where you got admission and snacks and beer for one low price!  Back when they were not doing well unlike now.  That's why the Hitmen (WHL) do well in Calgary, because they play in the Saddledome and admission is low enough that families can go.  The owner of the Coyotes doesn't seem to think he needs to attract his audience.  

 

2 hours ago, RWG said:

The Canucks' fate for this season is sealed and they will not be going to the postseason. I've gotten used to having no emotional investment in the playoffs with my team never in it, and it's great for my heart and mood. They did have a great second half with Boudreau but were just in too deep of a hole to get of. Elias Pettersson does finally look as dominant as he did in his rookie season.

 

I'm sad that there can't be a Canuck/Flame rivalry in the playoffs.  Boudreau improved their play a lot, I think the whole organization improved.  I think Calgary has stayed generally healthy and things have kind of fallen into place.  I really want to get out of the first round.

 

Pettersson has so much skill it's ridiculous.

2 hours ago, RWG said:

Apparently Robin Lehner is upset with the Golden Knights because he's playing injured to help keep their season alive, and he is criticized by the coach and pulled after one goal, so he is threatening to get season-ending surgery. I wonder how much longer free-agents continue wanting to flock to Vegas. It is satisfying to finally see that organization squirm. It looks like they're going to miss the playoffs.

 

For a while they really were a charmed organization.  Between the salary cap thing and the way they showed no loyalty to people, it seems to have finally returned to normality.  For ages it was like they just sat there saying "why do you think this is so hard?  It's easy!"

 

Seattle is at the bottom of the division, so they didn't get the first season of their dreams.  The Vegas thing always seemed unnatural.

Montreal did very badly.  Same number of points as Arizona!  Ow.  There's only going to be 3 Canadian teams this time.

Toronto is in the playoffs.  We'll never hear the end of it!

Spooky to see Calgary has more points than Tampa Bay?

Edmonton is in the playoffs. I want to outlast them.

 

[RWG]

On 4/24/2022 at 2:10 AM, Mysteriosa said:

 

I seem to remember one time the Florida Panthers were offering a kind of ticket package where you got admission and snacks and beer for one low price!  Back when they were not doing well unlike now.  That's why the Hitmen (WHL) do well in Calgary, because they play in the Saddledome and admission is low enough that families can go.  The owner of the Coyotes doesn't seem to think he needs to attract his audience.  

 

I'd heard under the previous Panthers owners, if you went to a restaurant in the area, there would just be a bunch of tickets in a basket on the host's stand at the front and you could just take a bunch. The new owner put an end to that. Their reported average this season is 14,000 (it's probably not that high), but that's also with one of the best offensive teams of the last 20 years.

 

It's sort of funny how the top prosepcts in this year's draft who currently play junior are probably playing in larger rinks and in front of more people now than they will be in the NHL if they get drafted by the Coyotes.

 

The Royals didn't make the WHL playoffs this year. Which means they're bad because 8/10 teams in the conference make it. They had a few decent stretches but also lost 18 in a row at one point and missed the playoffs by one point. It's the first year they've missed since they moved to Victoria in 2011.

 

On 4/24/2022 at 2:10 AM, Mysteriosa said:

I'm sad that there can't be a Canuck/Flame rivalry in the playoffs.  Boudreau improved their play a lot, I think the whole organization improved.  I think Calgary has stayed generally healthy and things have kind of fallen into place.  I really want to get out of the first round.

 

Pettersson has so much skill it's ridiculous.

 

For a while they really were a charmed organization.  Between the salary cap thing and the way they showed no loyalty to people, it seems to have finally returned to normality.  For ages it was like they just sat there saying "why do you think this is so hard?  It's easy!"

 

Seattle is at the bottom of the division, so they didn't get the first season of their dreams.  The Vegas thing always seemed unnatural.

Montreal did very badly.  Same number of points as Arizona!  Ow.  There's only going to be 3 Canadian teams this time.

Toronto is in the playoffs.  We'll never hear the end of it!

Spooky to see Calgary has more points than Tampa Bay?

Edmonton is in the playoffs. I want to outlast them.

 

 

I hope you're right. It's going to be tough for them to be a much better team next season, but I think there's a chance they could be a strong team the year after. The new management group will have to make some tough decisions and be bold and creative to turn the team into a contender. The Canucks still have bad contracts, little cap space, and no prospects. Being the GM after Benning is like being a hotel maid in a room after Motorhead has checked out.

 

Vegas was very unlucky with injuries, and there's probably the main reason they missed. But it does seem like there is an abnormal amount of drama and chaos there. They mucker with the culture too much and are always shipping out guys who played hard for them so they can get the shiniest new player who's available. Last year, Fleury's agent posted a picture of a sword that said "Deboer" going through his client's back, and now this year Deboer has a public feud with the other goalie. I can't ever remember a team that didn't even make the playoffs being this universally hated.

 

Edmonton is going to play LA in the first round, and Calgary will play Nashville or Dallas. If Saros isn't 100%, I don't think Nashville will be tough to beat, and Dallas isn't a good team imo. They only won 30 games in regulation and have a negative goal differential. It looks like a decent chance we're going to get a Battle of Alberta in the 2nd round.

 

Good luck to your Flames in the playoffs!

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by RWG

[Mysteriosa]

On 4/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, RWG said:

I'd heard under the previous Panthers owners, if you went to a restaurant in the area, there would just be a bunch of tickets in a basket on the host's stand at the front and you could just take a bunch. The new owner put an end to that. Their reported average this season is 14,000 (it's probably not that high), but that's also with one of the best offensive teams of the last 20 years.

 But they are a much better team now, so maybe it worked.

 

On 4/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, RWG said:

It's sort of funny how the top prosepcts in this year's draft who currently play junior are probably playing in larger rinks and in front of more people now than they will be in the NHL if they get drafted by the Coyotes.

 

The Royals didn't make the WHL playoffs this year. Which means they're bad because 8/10 teams in the conference make it. They had a few decent stretches but also lost 18 in a row at one point and missed the playoffs by one point. It's the first year they've missed since they moved to Victoria in 2011.

Oh, I never thought of that.  Imagine getting drafted to a smaller arena!  Oh no!

 

That would suck missing by one point.

 

On 4/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, RWG said:

The Canucks still have bad contracts, little cap space, and no prospects. Being the GM after Benning is like being a hotel maid in a room after Motorhead has checked out.

It will take some focus to fix, but at one point the Flames had a gazillion no trade clauses.  At least Benning is gone.  I wonder if they'll give Boudreau more money?

 

On 4/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, RWG said:

Last year, Fleury's agent posted a picture of a sword that said "Deboer" going through his client's back, and now this year Deboer has a public feud with the other goalie. I can't ever remember a team that didn't even make the playoffs being this universally hated.

I forgot about that!  It begins to look like a pattern.  Yes, Vegas is hated without even having to play some more!  True talent.

 

On 4/29/2022 at 12:36 AM, RWG said:

Edmonton is going to play LA in the first round, and Calgary will play Nashville or Dallas. If Saros isn't 100%, I don't think Nashville will be tough to beat, and Dallas isn't a good team imo. They only won 30 games in regulation and have a negative goal differential. It looks like a decent chance we're going to get a Battle of Alberta in the 2nd round.

 

Good luck to your Flames in the playoffs!

We very nearly played Nashville, but they lost to the Coyotes and blew a 4-1 lead. 

Thanks!  The luck must have worked as Flames won vs Stars 1-0.  I'm not super thrilled about a tiny score, but we did win.  Took way too many penalties, I think, including a game misconduct.  Players way too excited!

 

Edmonton lost their first game and won the second (come on Battle of Alberta) (or lose horribly, it's a win-win ).  Avalanche beat Nashville 7-2.  Leafs and Lightning have a game each.   I can't believe Penguins vs Rangers went to triple overtime.  Save some for later!