Around the League Part XIII: The season's here, and so still is this thread!

[Quo]

Tim Murray is incredulous at the suggestion that he's trying to lose. Liar?

 

[BonkTastic]

Tim Murray is incredulous at the suggestion that he's trying to lose. Liar?

Covering his tracks.

He's an egomaniac, but he's not an idiot. Dude is shrewd, he knows the game.

 

[Quo]

There's a difference between knowing that you will lose and actively trying to lose though. They added a lot in the summer. Only so much he can do in one offseason.

 

[Xspyrit]

Pegula has a lot of money, he don't want to lose. I'm sure all the money invested this summer was not an attempt to lose even more. I doubt tanking is real life, you play to win, or at least try.

A product of the environment.

Problem with Habs fans is not people, but their fanatic delusional love for their team. Medias are guilty for that, because how many times do you think they talk about 24 cups, most storied franchise, the Yankees of hockey, etc. What they don't understand is that it was pretty easy to win cups in a backyard league with 6-12 teams (heck Ottawa won 11 in 35 years at the beginning of the century). Now that European talent is here and that other NA cities invested in hockey, it's a lot harder to win it all... No Cups in 21 years and 2 in last 35. They are no different than most teams now, just have a lot more resources and fan support than most.

My favorite rankings are on ESPN - with Montreal at 1st

-1 goal differential despite being 4-1 lol

Even on MTL radio they were talking how lucky they were getting the first 3 wins. I don't see a much different team than ours if goaltending is equal, just a lot more experience and money invested. Hopefully the Sens can be much better than that in its "prime"

They will get McDavid or Eichel, and Tim is going to look like a genius.

Personally, I don't see a consolation prize for being the worst as "genius", but maybe I'm different as I don't like to reward for sucking so... I hope a team like Winnipeg wins the lottery and the worst team don't draft 1st overall. I'm tired of that.

The wings are just dominating the leafs. They may keep their playoff streak this year.

I think so... Howard is a very good (underrated) goalie and they have Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Kronwall who just need to be healthy... They also have great young players like Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco, DeKeyser, Smith, etc.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Ryan Miller's new Van masks are pretty sweet.

 

[Fandlauer]

And one other thing I found hilarious about my first game in Buffalo, is that it took me less time to get out of the parking lot, cross customs back into Canada and get home than it did for me to leave the Scotiabank Place lot and get home to Stittsville when I had Sens season tix lol

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Detroit is for sure making the playoffs

They had a ridiculous amount of injuries last year and still made it

 

[Micklebot]

Detroit is for sure making the playoffs

They had a ridiculous amount of injuries last year and still made it

They've got an old team, injuries are a part of icing a veteran team. We had a ridiculous amount of injuries, made the playoffs and then missed the next year when we were "healthy". No difference here; they are a bubble team, no more, no less. I bit more secure than us for sure, but still a bubble team.

 

[Super Cake]

Some fans want the Sens to tank for McDavid or Eichel, but i have to say that i extremely doubt the Sens will even come close to the top 2 spots even if they are bad this year.

Buffalo is just bad and the Oilers are still terrible. Carolina is garbage as well.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

They've got an old team, injuries are a part of icing a veteran team. We had a ridiculous amount of injuries, made the playoffs and then missed the next year when we were "healthy". No difference here; they are a bubble team, no more, no less. I bit more secure than us for sure, but still a bubble team.

I like their top players more than I like ours (other than Karlsson) and have more faith in their coaching staff than ours.

While their average age means injuries are more likely it also gives them more experience to be able to handle the ups and downs of a season: something we are not good at and was a huge problem last year.

I think Detroit making the playoffs is a safer bet than us making it. That being said, we're both going to make it so it's a moot point I suppose

 

[Micklebot]

I like their top players more than I like ours (other than Karlsson) and have more faith in their coaching staff than ours.

While their average age means injuries are more likely it also gives them more experience to be able to handle the ups and downs of a season: something we are not good at and was a huge problem last year.

I think Detroit making the playoffs is a safer bet than us making it. That being said, we're both going to make it so it's a moot point I suppose

The problem being that their better players are also the older ones, more prone to injuries. I don't think there are any locks for the playoffs in the east outside Boston and Pittsburgh. Montreal is probably the next closest thing, along with Tbay then it's wide open with 4 spots for NYR, PHI, DET, OTT, TOR, NYI, CLB and WSH.

 

[Caeldan]

San Jose needs to get off this East Coast trip so their games are back at 10.

 

[bacon25]

The problem being that their better players are also the older ones, more prone to injuries. I don't think there are any locks for the playoffs in the east outside Boston and Pittsburgh. Montreal is probably the next closest thing, along with Tbay then it's wide open with 4 spots for NYR, PHI, DET, OTT, TOR, NYI, CLB and WSH.

Boston is overrated due to the weakness of the East. The same goes for Pittsburgh, I think the entire East is open this year.

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

Subban scored a gorgeous goal tonight

 

[dumbdick]

nite leaves

 

[YNWA14]

Spezza with another 3 points tonight so far.

 

[BonkTastic]

I feel like I need a little vindication here for calling a regression for the Avs and having everyone laugh at me.

1-4-1 in their first 6 games. It's a small sample size to be sure, but they played over their heads last season and they're coming back to earth this year. Sure, Varlamov is hurt, but he was bad before he got hurt, and that blueline is still not even close to being good enough to hang with the big boys in the West.

Still a playoff team, but not the cream of the division like they were last year.

 

[Benjamin]

Spezza with another 3 points tonight so far.

Nvm. Spezza just scored.

Spezza on the ice for 4 goals for and 3 goals against. Typical Spezza.

 

[HavlatMach9]

well it's spezza

and benny's chance to point out his 0 +/- went away since spezza scored right after

and if he was on the ice for 4 against, then he'd be a minus 1 tonight instead of plus 1

 

[Caeldan]

I feel like I need a little vindication here for calling a regression for the Avs and having everyone laugh at me.

1-4-1 in their first 6 games. It's a small sample size to be sure, but they played over their heads last season and they're coming back to earth this year. Sure, Varlamov is hurt, but he was bad before he got hurt, and that blueline is still not even close to being good enough to hang with the big boys in the West.

Still a playoff team, but not the cream of the division like they were last year.

People say preseason doesn't count for much but their regular season is going as well as their preseason did.

I'm still hoping they turn it around because they were a fun team last year, but some radio talking heads were actually picking them to miss the playoffs this year.

 

[Super Cake]

While the Subban goal was nice, that was garbage d by the Avs.

 

[YNWA14]

If Spezza is on for 4 goals and 3 against sounds like he is doing his job but the defence and goalie are not.

 

[NyQuil]

Nvm. Spezza just scored.

Spezza on the ice for 4 goals for and 3 goals against. Typical Spezza.

You have to see how many of the goals are PP goals (2).

You don't get a plus for those.

He's +1, which means he was on for 4 goals for and 1 goal against.

 

[Carrie Underwood]

Colorodo defense is ugly. Check out subbans second goal lol. had a solid 10 seconds

 

[Super Cake]

Colorodo defense is ugly. Check out subbans second goal lol. had a solid 10 seconds

Yep.

If the Avs had a competent defense, that goal would not have happened at all.