League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) Vol. 7

[tenken00]

In before fire Rierden to hire Bruce.

Step 1: Fire Forsythe
Step 2: Hire Bruce as assistant coach to fix the PP
Step 3: Profit

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Step 1: Fire Forsythe
Step 2: Hire Bruce as assistant coach to fix the PP
Step 3: Profit

 

[Melkor]

Someone smart is going to take Fiala off of their hands before his price goes bonkers.

 

[tenken00]

Actually, the more I think about it, the Caps really should be on the phone with Bruce right now. If not as an official assistant coach (doubt they'll fire Forsythe unceremoniously in February), then something else that he'll be in some capacity with the team for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

It's mid-February, he's not going to find another job easily this season in such short time, so why not try to come back to your old team that he's loved and cherished and take one more shot at a ring with them? He's still an offensive mind, he may have some insight on how to make a stale PP fresh again. If all goes well, he could even have more options at landing spots this summer than before.

Instead of taking a hiatus for a couple of months, he should be diving right back into it. Come on Bruce! There is no rest for the wicked!

 

[Hivemind]

Bruce isn’t likely to land a new job this season, simply because it’s unlikely a new job will open up this season.

But Bruce will be an NHL head coach somewhere else very soon. His time ran out in Minnesota, as happens to many good coaches, but his overall record is still stellar.

Reminder that Peter Laviolette and Gerard Gallant are also unemployed right now (at least until Minny hires one of them).

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Bruce is 65... are we sure he's going to get another gig? Only places that make sense are teams that are looking to win right now. Would actually like to see what he could do in San Jose.

 

[Hivemind]

Very odd timing. Did Woods survive?

As far as we can tell, yes Woods survived.
Timing for Bruce is a bit odd. They did just blow a 2 goal lead, but the team has climbed back into playoff contention and Gabby turned Kevin Fiala into a potential star.

 

[Hivemind]

Bruce is 65... are we sure he's going to get another gig? Only places that make sense are teams that are looking to win right now. Would actually like to see what he could do in San Jose.

100% sure. I think he’s only had 1 full season as a coach where his team wasn’t an 100+ pt team.

 

[hb12xchamps]

As far as we can tell, yes Woods survived.
Timing for Bruce is a bit odd. They did just blow a 2 goal lead, but the team has climbed back into playoff contention and Gabby turned Kevin Fiala into a potential star.

I looked around and didn't see anything so I'd assume he's still on the staff. Makes sense given his relationship with Evanson. I'd be shocked if both are still around after the season is over

 

[Sam Spade]

Bruce mentioned in an interview the Wild would be it for him.

He's got tons of cash and can find a job upstairs with any organization.

 

[kicksavedave]

Bruce mentioned in an interview.the Wild would be it for him.

He's got tons of cash and can find a job upstairs with any organization.

I think he should come back to DC and be Director of Player Development - Cursing. Its a new position, tailor made just for Gabby. He could teach the draft picks the proper way to say "Motherf***er".

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I wouldn’t mind bringing back BB to fix the PP

 

[AussieCapsFan]

So there was a main board thread with quite a lot of talk about how Crosby isn't moving / skating as well since coming back from his surgery?

If this is true then he must be compensating for it because he's still racking up a lot of points since his return. Another 3 tonight. That's 17 points in 11 games.
And Zucker with 2 goals tonight. As somebody said a few days ago when this trade happened: the Pens just got better. And Murray has been playing a lot better in goal - boo!

 

[Raikkonen]

So there was a main board thread with quite a lot of talk about how Crosby isn't moving / skating as well since coming back from his surgery?

If this is true then he must be compensating for it because he's still racking up a lot of points since his return. Another 3 tonight. That's 17 points in 11 games.
And Zucker with 2 goals tonight. As somebody said a few days ago when this trade happened: the Pens just got better. And Murray has been playing a lot better in goal - boo!

Playing Pens is always good. If we win we will have a big morale boost. A road for the cup etc.

Also, teams are aligning the way we wont play Pens before 2nd round. For that both teams should win in the 1st. I'll take 1st round win any day even if Zucker is the next Messiah.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I'm concerned about how the Caps match up with all the likely Metro playoff teams, including the Pens. They've played like poop in the division and it's scary.

 

[Sam Spade]

Getting out of the Metro is gonna be a bloodbath. The team that makes it will be exhausted. From the regular season grind AND the first two rounds of the playoffs. Cause let's face it no Atlantic team is getting a wildcard.

 

[Raikkonen]

Rangers can get in btw. Funny.

 

[txpd]

I wouldn’t mind bringing back BB to fix the PP

Pipedream. Bruce has a head coach's contract right now.

 

[txpd]

I'm concerned about how the Caps match up with all the likely Metro playoff teams, including the Pens. They've played like poop in the division and it's scary.

What I find interesting is that the Caps have played the most games in division after barely playing any in most of the first half of the season. Its like they have all been stuffed in a short period of time. All after the Caps had built up a big lead and could coast.

It might be that record is somewhat misleading

 

[kicksavedave]

The Caps have been the dominant team in the Metro for half a decade now... other teams get up to play us, not the other eway around. For the other teams, maybe except Pittsburgh, playing the Caps is their "Super Bowl" and a win vs us gives them confidence. It doesn't see like we care that much about our division games anymore. Last year we got up to play TB in three of the most intense regular season games I've ever seen, and in the end it cost us a ton. It was some ill conceived regular season measuring stick thing. I don't really care to see that again. I want us to save every bit of energy for the playoffs.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'll take Columbus in the first round though I don't see any way they make the playoffs. They're the least talented by a mile and Seth Jones is out injured until the first round, at the earliest. Don't think their backup goalie can continue a .930 pace the rest of the way either. Torts should be Coach of the Year but you have to imagine they come down to Earth at some point, and the clock might have already struck midnight as they've lost four in a row and Carolina is only two points behind with two games in hand on them.

How I see it playing out:

• A1 Tampa wins the President's Trophy and gets WC2 Carolina in the first round.
• A2 Boston steamrolls A3 Toronto in the other Atlantic matchup.
• Pittsburgh and Washington go down to the wire for the Metro crown, and the winner gets the Islanders who finish at WC1.
• Philly takes M3 spot and gets the loser of the PIT/WAS race.

 

[Calicaps]

It's been a while since my annual rant against the loser point, but I did the math yesterday and sure enough, the worst idea in sports is having a particularly egregious effect this year. Here are the East standings without rewarding losses (RW = first tie break), and don't even get me started on the playoff format:

Atl

1. TBL - 38W - 20L - 76P
2. BOS - 35 - 23 - 70
3. FLA - 30 - 27 - 60

Met

1. WAS - 37W - 20L - 74P
   
2. PIT - 35 - 21 - 70
3. CAR - 33 - 24 - 66

Wildcard

1. NYI - 33 - 23 - 66
2. PHI - 32 - 16 - 64
3. NYR - 30 - 27 - 60
4. CBJ - 30 - 29 - 60
5. TML - 30 - 28 - 60
6. MTL
7. BUF
8. NJD
9. OTT
10. DET

 

[Langway]

Edit: Not the Caps per more recent tweets.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Could be fun. Somewhat related: she has the twitter presence of a 12 year old so I muted her and had forgotten I muted her until you posted those screenshots. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Melkor]

Could be fun. Somewhat related: she has the twitter presence of a 12 year old so I muted her and had forgotten I muted her until you posted those screenshots. Thanks for the reminder.

She knows what she's doing by acting like that. Looks dumb but actually smart. But won't lie: I muted her too.