News from Around the AHL/NHL/KHL 2017-18 Edition PART I

[BrockLobster]

Watching this NYR game. They really don't have much. When your #1 line is Buchnevic/kreider/mika....

 

[Lame Lambert]

Watching this NYR game. They really don't have much. When your #1 line is Buchnevic/kreider/mika....

They're trash. No center depth, Lundqvist is over the hill, and Staal is Staal.

 

[boredmale]

They're trash. No center depth, Lundqvist is over the hill, and Staal is Staal.

I hate defending the Rangers but every year I say this is the year they take a step back then they get 100+ points. I've basically given up the past couple years

 

[MJF]

I hate defending the Rangers but every year I say this is the year they take a step back then they get 100+ points. I've basically given up the past couple years

Lundavist can’t stand on his head every year. And this season he’d better start 70+ games because Ondrej Pavelec is his backup and he stinks.

 

[boredmale]

Lundavist can’t stand on his head every year. And this season he’d better start 70+ games because Ondrej Pavelec is his backup and he stinks.

Look at his stats last season it was as average as average can be if not worse, yet the Rangers still got 100+ points

 

[MJF]

Look at his stats last season it was as average as average can be if not worse, yet the Rangers still got 100+ points

Largely because Grabner was scoring on every breakway last year. This year he’s back to banging them off the glass. Meanwhile Nick Holden may be as bad or worse than Dan Girardi was last year.

 

[Lame Lambert]

Vegas up 3-0 in first 7 minutes of home opener

 

[YearlyLottery]

Vegas up 3-0 in first 7 minutes of home opener

If you would've told me Vegas would start out 3-0 and I would have gotten my hopes up on the Jets actually not being terrible this year in week 6 I would've told you that you were crazy.

 

[boredmale]

Philly blew a 1 goal lead with 1 1/2 minutes left and lost in regulation. Given's Philly's strong start to the season this sort of claims me down a bit. lol

 

[Lame Lambert]

James Neal is filthy. 2 goals 11 minutes in.

 

[lazycop]

I hate defending the Rangers but every year I say this is the year they take a step back then they get 100+ points. I've basically given up the past couple years

Yup. I despise that team as much as anyone, but this is true.

Maybe the stars align, we get Belmont, JT re-signs, free agents want to come here, we become perennial contenders, and the Rags re-build through a decade or so of misery.

Meh, I can dream.

 

[seafoam]

It's important for everyone to remember that the first 10 games of a season are a crap shoot. It really settles down after that. So don't get too excited about some of these teams dominating or getting crushed, even our own.

It is a crapshoot in some sense, but teams in playoff positions 10 games in are much more likely to make the playoffs than those who are not.

I used to have a link to an article that did a statistical analysis of that first ten games correlating to playoff berths and the results were surprising.

Get your points early and often and you're more likely to survive mid-season lows.

 

[PWJunior]

Yup. I despise that team as much as anyone, but this is true.

Maybe the stars align, we get Belmont, JT re-signs, free agents want to come here, we become perennial contenders, and the Rags re-build through a decade or so of misery.

Meh, I can dream.

Barzal, Ho-Sang, Beauvillier, etc. all emerge. Belmont happens, JT re-signs, the team makes a Cinderella run to a Cup... Calgary struggles and misses the playoffs, we win the draft lottery. The Isles troll the NHL by winning the Stanley Cup and owning the 1st overall pick where Dahlin emerges as a true legit franchise level talent. Garth smiles like a mofo while he plays up the draft drama like he did in 2009. Pulls a psyche out move on Sakic making him think a deal is done so Colorado gets the 1st overall pick to get Dahlin, only to just stand pat and take him himself. For once Garth %$#&@'s on someone else. Garth packages the other first and the 2 seconds to move up to the mid-1st to draft the steal of the draft.

In the backdrop of all of this, the Rangers collapse and lose the draft lottery to get the 4th overall pick where they select Veleno or Tkachuk and they bust.

That's my stars aligning.

 

[Metnut]

Maybe the early games are a crapshoot but a 6-3-1 start makes the playoffs a lot easier than a 3-6-1 start. NYI were digging out from a poor start all year in 2016-2017 season.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

Montreal seems like such a mess right now. Too mediocre to make the playoffs, garbage-tier prospect pool, too many unmovable contracts in key places to truly tank, not a whole ton to trade away anyways, and a management group that is split between playing off-ice politics and having no vision at all.

 

[TommytheCat]

Ken Daneko just referred to the leafs as the all mighty powerful Toronto Maple Leafs .... lol

 

[BTrotts19]

Watching the Devs-Rags game, two things the Rags really have nothing, I wouldn't be shocked if they were a lottery team this year. Secondly, Will Butcher looks like a a budding offensive defensemen star. 8 assists in 5 games as a rookie, quite impressive.

 

[MJF]

Watching the Devs-Rags game, two things the Rags really have nothing, I wouldn't be shocked if they were a lottery team this year. Secondly, Will Butcher looks like a a budding offensive defensemen star. 8 assists in 5 games as a rookie, quite impressive.

I saw the Devils-Caps game Friday night. Other than some self-inflicted wounds (2 bad goals bu Schneider and getting caught napping on Oshie’s second of the game I thought they played the Caps pretty even until late in the game. The Devils skate pretty well, have a few forwards with some offensive flair. This team bears some watching. They might not be as bad as they were last season.

 

[PK Cronin]

Doughty just ripped a one timer on the PP with two minutes left in a tie game against Buffalo to put the Kings up 3-2. It was a beauty. I'd love him on our team.

 

[majormet]

LA is stingy do not give up much... so far still like Ottawa, they roll out 4 lines, play in your face hockey and have Karlsson... no way they were a fluke last year, also best coached team in the league

 

[WinhallVT124]

Watching the Devs-Rags game, two things the Rags really have nothing, I wouldn't be shocked if they were a lottery team this year. Secondly, Will Butcher looks like a a budding offensive defensemen star. 8 assists in 5 games as a rookie, quite impressive.

And yet people around the league didn’t see Butcher as a legit NHL prospect.

 

[seafoam]

NJ is also off to an incredibly hot start and Butcher is being sheltered at even strength.

Like Gostisbehere, it's really not smart to think you have something until about 300 games (2-3 years).

 

[BTrotts19]

I read today in the Post online today the devastation Brooks is feeling about the start the Raggies are having. Dude needs to be on suicide watch...

If ever there was any debate that Brooks is an absolute fan of that organization and was never neutral, today is that day.

Brooksie, in case you are reading this, I enjoyed every word today..

 

[doublechili]

I read today in the Post online today the devastation Brooks is feeling about the start the Raggies are having. Dude needs to be on suicide watch...

If ever there was any debate that Brooks is an absolute fan of that organization and was never neutral, today is that day.

Brooksie, in case you are reading this, I enjoyed every word today..

I think you're right, but I also think there is an element with Brooks of giving the NYR fans what they want. They're all freaking out and complaining, so he joins in. He also regularly suggests that they go after some star player. Etc, etc.. So besides being a fan, there's also some salesmanship involved, IMO.

 

[islesfan186]

Streit and the Habs have mutual agreement to terminate his contract. Looks like he played his last NHL game.

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/...th-mark-streit-europe-switzerland-hockey-habs