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How'd your team fare?

I'm still coming off the adrenaline rush of the Ducks' 4-3 Victory over the Kings. Jiggy stopped all 22 shots he faced in the first period, the young guys showed the flashes of greatness they did last year, and the Pond...err... Honda Center was pretty electric.

What's the "NHL"?

Toronto got beaten 4-1 by Ottawa in the season opener, then we came back and creamed them 6-0 in the second game. Suck that you Ottawa bitches! Leafs look a lot better this year, of course any team will after dumping Arki Berg. If the young guys play well we should have a good season, there's a lot of promise in the team.

Sharks beat the Blues in OT. Michalek continues to impress, and the Thornton-Cheechoo-Bell line put up a couple of critical points.

Canucks (2-0) are looking sharper than expected. The foreheads (aka the Sedins) look like they may be legit first-liners and so far so good on Luongo.

The Leafs played well for the first two periods before a lack of effort in the 3rd led to the tying goal and eventual shootout loss. Instead of pushing the pace and trying for the insurance goal they sat back and gave the Habs too much puck possession, which led to the tying goal where no defending blue-shirts were within sight of the net. It's not as bad as the Arki Berg pass the puck to the other team in your own zone plays, but it still wasn't pretty.

There's a lot of talent and promise on the team but they need to work together as a team a lot better than they are. There were far too many missed passes, passes to nowhere, and players bumping into their own teammates and losing the puck. Team play and communication needs a lot of work. They're putting decently balanced lines on the ice for once so that's a good sign of progress.

Ducks start the year 2-0 heading into a game against St. Louis Monday night. Looking much better on the Power play and Ilya Bryzgalov disappointed no one, letting only one puck past him and that was on a 2 man advantage.

Is there anyway whatsoever to stream NHL games online? Is ESPN carrying a single game this year? Am I boned a 2nd year in a row? [my cable provider is... well this is KANSAS]

Kansas...hmmm...I think you're out of luck unless you get a satellite dish.

SPC Brungardt wrote:Is there anyway whatsoever to stream NHL games online? Is ESPN carrying a single game this year? Am I boned a 2nd year in a row? [my cable provider is... well this is KANSAS]

Well hopefully your local NBC will have a handful of games later on in the season, and if you get VS, (formerly OLN) you should get another few games.

Depending on your cable privder, NHL Center Ice is free for at least a little while. I've heard that a few hockey fans here in CA are currently able to enjoy it for at least a week free.

When baseball starts again in early April, they do a similar promition for both NHL and MLB so you might be able to get another free week or two of games then.

The Dude wrote:so far so good on Luongo.

Made a great stop on Zetterberg in the opener. Hasek was less than great on the Linden and Salo goals (first one went off Naslund's goddamn head).

Rebounded by keeping the Kid and his mates from getting anywhere near the cage in a 2-0 win. Hasek got the shutout facing just 13 shots.

Cyran... lucky bastard, hideous uniform notwithstanding, this is the Sabres year. I put a ton of my fantasy picks towards them (Briere, Drury, Vanek, Miller, Spacek).

The Jackets lost in OT on Friday to Vancouver, but took out the Blackhawks last night! Leading the Central Division, baby!

By the way, Fanboy, don't be surprised with 6+ wins in your division against the Kings this year--it's Cloutier, after all. Actually, you should probably try and drop as many games as you can to get LA into the first round of the playoffs, because it's essentially a bye if you get to face Clouts in April.

Captain Cyran wrote:Sabres are so far 3-0. Here's looking to another great season for the Sabres.

Hell yeah. My friends and I watched them slam the door on the Hurricanes and we were screaming so hard we were hoarse the whole next day.

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:By the way, Fanboy, don't be surprised with 6+ wins in your division against the Kings this year--it's Cloutier, after all.

The expectations on the Ducks Message Boards are for probably 14 or more standings points. But the Kings played us brutally tough in the opener although as the season progresses I'm hoping for much better victory margins. But the Ducks have recently had problems handling young, fast, great skill players.

Actually, you should probably try and drop as many games as you can to get LA into the first round of the playoffs, because it's essentially a bye if you get to face Clouts in April.

Sound idea but it's far more satisfying to destroy a rival's postseason hopes then watch them get into the playoffs just to lose in the first round.

To show how much of a good sport I am:

Congrats, Kuja, Cyran, the Sabres did beat my Wings in a shootout last night. The Wings were an abysmal 0-8 on the power play. They blew a full out 2 minute 5-on-3 and a minute and a half of 4-on-3 in OT to help aid the Sabres' cause. Zetterberg, Williams, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom all with lame backhand shots in the shootout--surprised even the one squeeked through.

So, you know... your new unis are still a plague o' the NHL, but here as some kudos for your W.

They will be the last you ever receive.

I'm watching the Flyers get blown out by Buffalo right now, 9-1 Sabres early in the 3rd period at this rate it's going to be well into double digits by the end of the game.

aerius wrote:I'm watching the Flyers get blown out by Buffalo right now, 9-1 Sabres early in the 3rd period at this rate it's going to be well into double digits by the end of the game.

5 point night for AFINOGENOV.

Sabres faced 38 shots, allowing 1. Flyers faced 37 shots allowing 9.

They're 5 and 0 for the time being. Nice start. Dare I jinx them with predictions of a Cup run?

Fucking pwnt.

Yeah, the buffaslugs are a fun team to watch (especially donning the old school jerseys). The 9 goal holocaust for Philly pretty much forced them to put three guys on waivers. They were beat so bad they had to dismantle their roster.

It's just what Bobby Clarke and Ken Hitchcock deserve.

DGG, Friendly game tonight early in the season between our clubs, predictions? I am incapable after the last two games.

Would it be too much to say the Wings win in a shootout?

Actually, Detroit will take it's league-leading GAA into Anaheim and play well. Chris Pronger mistakes dimunitive Jiri Hudler for Steve Yzerman and tears his ACL on the ensuing missed check.

Andreas Lilja is exposed to gamma radiation and manages to score a hat trick somehow. Wings win 4-2.

Gnome, having stayed up all night watching another stupid fucking West Coast game that ends at five in the morning, is grumpy the next day.

Three and a half hours until puck drop. Enjoy the game, dude!