2018-2019 Around the league thread #1

[The Abusement Park]

Pettersson and Boeser are so good they're going to overcome their own front office's every attempt to ice an old, slow, unskilled squad. Of course even Connor McDavid couldn't help the Oilers.

If Thatcher Demko actually pans out and is really good, watch out.

I mean every NHL game he becomes like a 94 rated goalie so clearly he will

 

[Foppberg]

Honestly if it wasn't for the Avs I'd probably be a Sharks or Canucks fan, so I'm enjoying seeing them start to build something nice. EP is a treat.

Thanks Vancouver. All the wins against Central teams matter in the end.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Man I was a fan of Petterson in his draft year, but I wasn't expecting this. Damn he's a player.

 

[PAZ]

Doesn't matter now because they won the game and got the empty netter with 5 seconds left, but the Leafs/Flames game could have been real controversial tonight.

Flames up 2-1 with 1:21 left, Morgan Rielly shoots from the point and I believe it was Zach Hyman that tips it. He thinks he scores, and so do the rest of the Leafs, and they start celebrating as the goal horn goes on. However, the Flames defensemen looks behind the net and realizes the puck didn't go in; it just somehow sat on the back mesh of the net. Flames started skating up ice and had an empty net opportunity, only for it to be blown dead.

Imagine the Leafs come back to tie that game and ultimately win it in OT.

It was the Ref's fault for being indecisive. Ref's get shit on all the time for blowing the play too early, but it prevents potential controversy like this.

The Ref should have either waived it off or signaled for a goal. Instead, he stared at the puck for a good 3 seconds and the Leafs started to celebrate. The Flames player picked it up from behind the net while the Leafs were celebrating, and then the play was blown down. It looks absolutely horrible, but the Ref made the right call blowing it down after making a horrendous decision of being indecisive.

 

[Avs44]

It was the Ref's fault for being indecisive. Ref's get **** on all the time for blowing the play too early, but it prevents potential controversy like this.

The Ref should have either waived it off or signaled for a goal. Instead, he stared at the puck for a good 3 seconds and the Leafs started to celebrate. The Flames player picked it up from behind the net while the Leafs were celebrating, and then the play was blown down. It looks absolutely horrible, but the Ref made the right call blowing it down after making a horrendous decision of being indecisive.

Eh...I don’t agree with that. Refs aren’t supposed to make a call until they can see the puck. Certainly can’t signal goal if you can’t see it, and if you aren’t sure if the puck is buried in the corner of the net you can’t rightfully signal no goal either. He was trying to figure out where it was which was 100% the right call IMO. Leafs were to blame there in my view...don’t celebrate like THAT if nobody has actually seen the puck in the net and the refs haven’t signalled goal. Should have let the Flames put it in the empty net then figured out whether the Leafs had scored or not. If they had the Flames goal would have been called back and the Leafs goal (non goal as it turned out) stood.

 

[Piestany88]

Even opponents agree, high-scoring Avalanche trio a 'fun line to watch' | CBC Sports

 

[Makar to MacK]

Even opponents agree, high-scoring Avalanche trio a 'fun line to watch' | CBC Sports

Me likey!!

 

[jonu]

What is it about Columbus that players want to leave there?
Before you could say that the team was mediocre and guys like Nash or Carter wanted to play for a winner. Foote got homesick, despite being their captain. But lately they've looked fairly good, at least playoff-ready, but you've still got star power draining from the team. Johanson wanted out. Bobrovsky apparently wants out. No one thinks Panarin will actually stay. There really is no constant throughout these eras, save for the franchise itself. Is it location? Ownership? Just complete clownshoes for decades on every level?

They had some infamous issues with Zherdev and Filatov, which kinda defined them a decade ago, but it's never really been getting talent in that's the problem, it's been retaining it. They've been in the league almost 30 years now, and the closest thing they've had to a franchise player was a guy who walked out on them.

2018-2000 = 18 so quite far from 30 years.

I blame Tortorella, or Bob being a diva on his contract year. Panarin I have no explanation, maybe not his type of place.

The team has been great aside from marketing point of view (they dont utilize players very much in that department) ever since JD and JK took it over.

Halak has been much, much better than Rask this season, so that argument doesn't work based on their levels of play. So Halak, Hellebuyck, Holtby, and Murray, and they went 3-2 in those games.

I'm not ready to jump aboard the Oilers bandwagon even though I did say they'd make the playoffs before the start of the season, but I think you're trying to discredit their play a bit too much.

Rask is a known slow starter though, he'll turn it in a month, just like last year.

 

[Avs44]

Fourth straight night of being scratched for Puljujarvi tonight apparently.

 

[henchman21]

Fourth straight night of being scratched for Puljujarvi tonight apparently.

Don't draft dum dums high.

 

[Balthazar]

Don't draft dum dums high.

Yet so many people on HF thought Jarmo was a fool for passing on him for Dubois. JP fell in the Oilers laps and he was the concensus #3 so it's hard to blame them. People thought they won the draft that year even by losing the lottery.

I wonder how much what happened in 2016 with Puljujarvi influenced what happened in 2018 with Zadina.

 

[Avs_19]

Regardless of what you think of Puljujarvi, the Oilers are once again showing how you shouldn't handle a young player.

 

[Avs_19]

He makes it look so easy against Suter there and then blew past both Koivu and Suter again a few minutes later but Stalock stopped it.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Oilers will totally blow it, as usual.

 

[Avs44]

Sure Oilers, why not let Granlund just walk in towards the net while standing to watch.

 

[Avs44]

Man do the Oilers need a D. With an empty net their first RHD out there was Matt Benning, and then they go with Adam Larsson. That is not how you score.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Feel like Oilers are just going to always be mediocre and never really surround 97 with enough talent.

 

[Balthazar]

Man do the Oilers need a D. With an empty net their first RHD out there was Matt Benning, and then they go with Adam Larsson. That is not how you score.

I still have no clue why Justin Faulk isn't an Oiler. He was offered all across the league, they could have bought low on him. Now he's back to being good again. Probably made too much sense for Chia.

 

[Foppberg]

Question. Is McDavid the best skater of all time?

 

[Balthazar]

Question. Is McDavid the best skater of all time?

He's the best skater from this generation and athletes are always better than the ones from the previous generations so I'd say yes he is (assuming you mean "best skater for an NHL player", not including Olympic power skaters).

 

[Foppberg]

He's the best skater from this generation and athletes are always better than the ones from the previous generations so I'd say yes he is (assuming you mean "best skater for an NHL player", not including Olympic power skaters).

Better than Bure?

 

[22FUTON9]

The central's fricking ridiculous (again)

 

[Pokecheque]

Feel like Oilers are just going to always be mediocre and never really surround 97 with enough talent.

So long as Chiarelli continues to run things and the owner continues to be a glorified fanboy who can't say no to the Boys on the Bus, I think you're right.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

Feel like Oilers are just going to always be mediocre and never really surround 97 with enough talent.

Unfortunately for Mr. 97 that Lucic 6 mil cap hit through 23 is gonna bite that team in the ass. I can see McDavid leaving after his contract and going to greener pastures.

 

[Pokecheque]

Unfortunately for Mr. 97 that Lucic 6 mil cap hit through 23 is gonna bite that team in the ass. I can see McDavid leaving after his contract and going to greener pastures.

He'll get amnesty'd before that.

There's also still the very real possibility that Jim Benning decides to trade for him and they split the tab. That'll be funny since Looch has pretty much shit all over his hometown since his Boston days.