Around the NHL XXXIII - looking forward to 2018 offseason edition

[Benjamin]

There needs to only be one outdoor game a season, have it on January 1st and have it be ECF loser vs WCF loser.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Still on his usual 40 point pace though.

And what's wrong with that?

He's also the definition of a character two-way forward, a playoff beast, a shootout ace.

Give me that at 3.75M > a 50-60P one-dimensional forward at 7.25M any day of the week.

 

[Boud]

And what's wrong with that?

He's also the definition of a character two-way forward, a playoff beast, a shootout ace.

Give me that at 3.75M > a 50-60P one-dimensional forward at 7.25M any day of the week.

Grandpa: "When I was your age I was getting up at 5 in the morning to work at the farm "

Grandson: " I know but.."

Grandpa: "And all you do is play on your cellphone all day"

Grandson: "..."

Grandpa: "And I had already met your grandmother and you don't even have a girlfriend"

*Grandson goes back to his parents*

Father: "Did Grandpa tell the same story again?"

 

[SensontheRush]

I forgot that Jason Spezza is actually pretty fast. If he wasn't before, he sure is now.

 

[Senscore]

I know it's a long season and things can change but I'm almost certain we'll be getting Toronto in round 1 of the playoffs.

 

[BonkTastic]

I know it's a long season and things can change but I'm almost certain we'll be getting Toronto in round 1 of the playoffs.

I agree that it's a long season and things can change, but that seems like as safe a bet as there is in the Atlantic this year.

1) Tampa Bay
2) Ottawa-or-Toronto
3) Toronto-or-Ottawa
4) whoever among the remaining teams survives the gauntlet that is the rest of the season.

 

[Micklebot]

I agree that it's a long season and things can change, but that seems like as safe a bet as there is in the Atlantic this year.

1) Tampa Bay
2) Ottawa-or-Toronto
3) Toronto-or-Ottawa
4) whoever among the remaining teams survives the gauntlet that is the rest of the season.

I suspect Tbay will slow down somewhat, but they've built themselves quite the buffer already. Hard to imagine anyone will pass them at this point.

Having said that, with our schedule so compressed, we could find ourselves sliding down pretty quick. I'd hate to be fighting for a wildcard spot with how tight the metro is this year; I think they'll get both.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I know it's a long season and things can change but I'm almost certain we'll be getting Toronto in round 1 of the playoffs.

I think that's a good bet... Bring them on

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Mike Milbury meltdown incoming

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

I'm so glad PK isn't a Hab anymore so I can admire him from afar.

 

[Sun God Nika]

I would trade Chabot + Phaneuf for OEL.

 

[Tragedy]

Crosby scored so we won't be slump busting

 

[Engineer]

CBJ looks terrible, just absolutely horrid

 

[Fandlauer]

CBJ looks terrible, just absolutely horrid

Massively overrated team. One good flash in the pan year and everyone ridiculously vaulted them into contender status. If they do manage to sneak into the playoffs, doubtful, they will be lucky to extend it to 5 games.

 

[MarkStone]

Yeah extremely slow decision making in the defensive zone from Columbus for the most part this game. The score flatters them, could be a worse score than what happened to us against the Habs.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Massively overrated team. One good flash in the pan year and everyone ridiculously vaulted them into contender status. If they do manage to sneak into the playoffs, doubtful, they will be lucky to extend it to 5 games.

Wasn't even really a flash in the pan season, it was just a streak of 20 games. I do like a lot of the talent there, but I can't have any confidence in a Tortorella coached club.

 

[playasRus]

Shame Mtl got a point out of that and Florida winning is also too bad considering they're not out of reach quite yet. Philly lost though and they could very well end up being a WC holder win a win or two.

 

[Beville]

There needs to only be one outdoor game a season, have it on January 1st and have it be ECF loser vs WCF loser.

I like this but I think a flaw would be that you’d see too many of the same teams pop up... you’d never see the basement teams get one.

 

[Shruggs Peterson]

I like this but I think a flaw would be that you’d see too many of the same teams pop up... you’d never see the basement teams get one.

How is that different from what happens now? Blackhawks have appeared in 5 outdoor games and will host a 6th one next year. Detroit, Montreal, the Rangers and Pittsburgh have 4 and Philly, Toronto, and Washington have 3.

Particularly for the Winter Classic, the NHL has a rotation of 10 or so teams.

 

[maclean]

How is that different from what happens now? Blackhawks have appeared in 5 outdoor games and will host a 6th one next year. Detroit, Montreal, the Rangers and Pittsburgh have 4 and Philly, Toronto, and Washington have 3.

Particularly for the Winter Classic, the NHL has a rotation of 10 or so teams.

Doesn't that have more to do with the fact that they favour "cold-weather" teams? I'm not putting any kind of bias past the NHL, but it does happen that all the teams you name are more associated with the tradition of hockey, the related weather patterns... (and big home crowds).

Related to that and addressing the original suggestion, you couldn't really make it like that because what if you ended up with like, Tampa vs. LA?

 

[Daffy]

Shame Mtl got a point out of that and Florida winning is also too bad considering they're not out of reach quite yet. Philly lost though and they could very well end up being a WC holder win a win or two.

It's 20 games in...

 

[Shruggs Peterson]

Doesn't that have more to do with the fact that they favour "cold-weather" teams? I'm not putting any kind of bias past the NHL, but it does happen that all the teams you name are more associated with the tradition of hockey, the related weather patterns... (and big home crowds).

Related to that and addressing the original suggestion, you couldn't really make it like that because what if you ended up with like, Tampa vs. LA?

I don't disagree and it's understandable to some extent why the NHL picks these teams every year. But the argument of we'd see the same teams for why there couldn't be one outdoor game a year with east vs. west, I don't see how that's different from the situation now.

If that 2014 game at Dodger stadium between the Ducks and Kings is used as the benchmark for outdoor games that have no business being outdoors, then yes it's an awkward idea. That game had the highest TV ratings ever for NBC in the area, but the lowest ratings of the three stadium games that year.

Personally I'd like to see some outdoor games with teams in neutral locations. Have the Oilers and Jets play in Regina, or Minny and Detroit in Wisconsin or North Dakota.

I'm also still waiting for the NHL to pull a Mystery Alaska, but I don't have high hopes for that.

 

[playasRus]

It's 20 games in...

Never hurts for teams on the division to start los in early!

 

[BondraTime]

Florida's top line is unreal.

Would love for either guy (Barkov obviously) in a Sens uniform. Would have killed for Huberdeau in 2011.

 

[maclean]

Florida's top line is unreal.

Would love for either guy (Barkov obviously) in a Sens uniform. Would have killed for Huberdeau in 2011.

This makes me think about how much Jagr helped out those guys which leads me to the thought that Buffalo should've really gone for Jagr this off-season, he might've got that rowdy dressing room in order, though it probably wouldn't have been that attractive an option for him.