This is a Bad Hockey Team 2017-18

[Machinehead]

I just realized that the Senators were in game 7 double OT and wish Nashville missing Johansen and Rinne turning into Ducks 1 Goldberg (before he got decent) for two weeks, there was a realistic path for the 16-17 Senators to win the Stanley Cup.

The NHL is scary bad. It makes MLS look like La Liga.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I can't stand the damn cap. I'd be ok with a soft cap that the taxed money went to the suckers of the league, but ideally if you can't make it, get lost. Just like in reality.

 

[Bob Richards]

The Giants are long in their grave and football is a game from being over. This is all I got until baseball starts back up and my team is horseshit there too.

God f***ing dammit.

 

[nyr2k2]

I just realized that the Senators were in game 7 double OT and wish Nashville missing Johansen and Rinne turning into Ducks 1 Goldberg (before he got decent) for two weeks, there was a realistic path for the 16-17 Senators to win the Stanley Cup.

The NHL is scary bad. It makes MLS look like La Liga.

It's not bad. How can you argue it's bad when 95% of the world's best players reside in the league? You can argue there's too much parity, or that the product is watered down, but I can't imagine an argument that the NHL is objectively "bad."

 

[Machinehead]

It's not bad. How can you argue it's bad when 95% of the world's best players reside in the league? You can argue there's too much parity, or that the product is watered down, but I can't imagine an argument that the NHL is objectively "bad."

It's not bad obviously in terms of head-to-head talent against other leagues, but it's bad because it's watered down, boring to watch, and the champions/contenders are no longer that impressive relative to their peers within the league.

It's not about talent. Look at the WJC, they're a bunch of children most of whom will end up in 9-to-5 jobs that aren't hockey. It sure doesn't compare in terms of talent, but I'd rather watch the WJC over the NHL like I'd rather win a million dollars over breaking my leg.

 

[Machinehead]

I can't stand the damn cap. I'd be ok with a soft cap that the taxed money went to the succubus of the league, but ideally if you can't make it, get lost. Just like in reality.

The 2017 World Series saw one of the best offenses in MLB history take on a team that was on pace to win like 125 games at one point.

And the Astros are better now. So are the Yankees. Everyone wants to see Houston/LA again. Everyone wants to see Houston/NYY again. Everyone wants to see NYY/Cleveland again. And if another team comes in an interferes, it'll actually be surprising and fresh, instead of "meh anyone can beat anyone."

I can't wait for baseball. I can't wait for hockey to be over.

If that's what a soft cap creates, then I want a soft cap.

 

[Machinehead]

New thread idea: "This is a Bad Hockey League"

 

[nyr2k2]

It's not bad obviously in terms of head-to-head talent against other leagues, but it's bad because it's watered down, boring to watch, and the champions/contenders are no longer that impressive relative to their peers within the league.

It's not about talent. Look at the WJC, they're a bunch of children most of whom will end up in 9-to-5 jobs that aren't hockey. It sure doesn't compare in terms of talent, but I'd rather watch the WJC over the NHL like I'd rather win a million dollars over breaking my leg.

To each his or her own, I suppose. I find it as entertaining as ever, minus my limp-dick team.

As for it being watered down, IDK. There are more Americans playing the game than ever before, it's just as popular in Canada as ever, and from what I've read the game continues to grow not just in Europe but in nontraditional markets as well. I think the talent pool is deeper than ever.

 

[Tawnos]

If anything, the game is the opposite of watered down. We need more expansion. Maybe even 2 more teams beyond Seattle.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't know if it's watered down as much as it is too distributed.

Nobody is really that awful and nobody is really impressive.

 

[hi]

Rangers are impressively awful

 

[Tawnos]

I don't know if it's watered down as much as it is too distributed.

Nobody is really that awful and nobody is really impressive.

I don’t think there’s a way around it, even if there wasn’t a hard cap. The best players simply aren’t that much better than the average player anymore. Not because the best players aren’t as good, but because the average has gone up. Vegas is proof of that.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

After many editions of this thread, this year its finally true. This team sucks.

 

[EpicDing]

I still don't see how this is substantially worse than 15-16 or 16-17.

I'm gonna go with actual performance and the fact that those teams felt like they could do something in the playoffs.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

The Giants are long in their grave and football is a game from being over. This is all I got until baseball starts back up and my team is horse**** there too.

God ****ing dammit.

Feels good to be a Yankees fan right now. I don't discuss NY football teams because well, that's self-explanatory.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

I don't know if it's watered down as much as it is too distributed.

Nobody is really that awful and nobody is really impressive.

Steven Kampfer is pretty awful.

Just had to put that out there because well, I had to.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I can't stand the damn cap. I'd be ok with a soft cap that the taxed money went to the suckers of the league, but ideally if you can't make it, get lost. Just like in reality.

The installation of a cap is the main thing that saved the Rangers from themselves in 2005. We should all be thanking our lucky stars for it

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

The installation of a cap is the main thing that saved the Rangers from themselves in the mid-2000's. We should all be thanking our lucky stars for it

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

After many editions of this thread, this year its finally true. This team sucks.

It was true last year too.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

The 2017 World Series saw one of the best offenses in MLB history take on a team that was on pace to win like 125 games at one point.

And the Astros are better now. So are the Yankees. Everyone wants to see Houston/LA again. Everyone wants to see Houston/NYY again. Everyone wants to see NYY/Cleveland again. And if another team comes in an interferes, it'll actually be surprising and fresh, instead of "meh anyone can beat anyone."

I can't wait for baseball. I can't wait for hockey to be over.

If that's what a soft cap creates, then I want a soft cap.

I dont understand your complaint. Do you want the the NHL to be more like the NBA where the same 4 teams are pretty much earmarked for the conference finals each year? Talk about boring. Why even play the season?

 

[Machinehead]

I dont understand your complaint. Do you want the the NHL to be more like the NBA where the same 4 teams are pretty much earmarked for the conference finals each year? Talk about boring. Why even play the season?

That's been happening in the NHL...

 

[Machinehead]

The installation of a cap is the main thing that saved the Rangers from themselves in 2005. We should all be thanking our lucky stars for it

"cap" is a funny way to spell Jagr and Lundqvist.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm gonna go with actual performance and the fact that those teams felt like they could do something in the playoffs.

That was always completely delusional

 

[Blueshirt Special]

I have "almost" fatigue.

The Lundqvist era has been reminiscent of those late 60's/early 70's teams, as well as the '78/79 team. And this has long been the identity of the New York Rangers: coming close. So I have resigned myself to the fact that we may go decades before we win another Cup unless some miracle type player comes along (again). I'm just going to root for the team and watch the games because I enjoy hockey but I am pulling back on the emotional investment and giving up my season tickets at the end of this season. I most likely will not invest in playoff tickets if they get there.

I give up.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I have "almost" fatigue.

The Lundqvist era has been reminiscent of those late 60's/early 70's teams, as well as the '78/79 team. And this has long been the identity of the New York Rangers: coming close. So I have resigned myself to the fact that we may go decades before we win another Cup unless some miracle type player comes along (again). I'm just going to root for the team and watch the games because I enjoy hockey but I am pulling back on the emotional investment and giving up my season tickets at the end of this season. I most likely will not invest in playoff tickets if they get there.

I give up.

"Coming close" is being a bit generous when it comes to the history of this franchise, especially considering you have to go back 40-50 years for when they had any sort of consistent timeframe of competing.