NHL 2008/2009 Season

[Archon]

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Two shit teams make a shit trade.

TO THE SENS
C Mike Comrie
D Chris Campoli

TO THE ISLES
LW/C Dean McCammond
2009 1st-Round Pick [SHARKS]
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Now Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff can go on a double date with Mike Fischer and Carrie Underwood.

[Master of Ossus]

Credit the Sens--they are seriously pushing for the playoffs, this year, but I just don't see how they can get it done. Their team's not working; I don't think their new coach will change things; they're too far behind.

[CmdrWilkens]

Well I just got back from the Caps-Avs game and boy if Ovie and his merry band didn't just lay an absolue stink on the joint. I cna understand a loss, I can understand a hard fought loss to a team sitting at the bottom of the pack because those things happen. What I can't fathom is 4-1 on home ice with every scoring chance being scarpped, every player looking like they were asleep at the wheel and the D providing almsot no effort.

I'm saddened that my biggest takeaway from the game was that Poti did an awesome job of working on sheer hustle when everyone else around him on the blueline looked like they were walking Zombies.

[Darth Fanboy]

Sundin scored the shootout winner against the Leafs IN TORONTO. You couldn't have asked for a more memorable finish.

[Master of Ossus]

Sundin scored the shootout winner against the Leafs IN TORONTO. You couldn't have asked for a more memorable finish.

After the tribute they put up, too, and the standing ovation for him in the first. Leafs fans are awesome.

[Burak Gazan]

Last week they were raving about the Flames-Canucks game; this game was as least as exciting, probably the fastest Leaf team I`ve seen in a very very long time out there. Both goalies were pretty hot (in spite of a couple softies), and the script from the hockey gods was seven kinds of awesome If you didn`t see it, check out the clip on tsn.ca, with Dominic Moore on a breakaway 2-on -none without a stick, managing some fancy footwork to pass it to Blake who just missed. Leafs not making anything this year, and they playing more relaxed it looks, having some fun. But bravo to the fans for a classy salute to a captain that STILL hasn`t been replaced, and bravo to the Leafs for a nice tribute.

Looks like the Caps not sucking this weekend ...Caps pound Pens

[Darth Fanboy]

After the tribute they put up, too, and the standing ovation for him in the first. Leafs fans are awesome.

Wouldn't go quite that far, there are still a big number of fans IIRC that believe Sundin's refusal to allow himself to be traded last year was a big betrayal. Apparently it was bad for him to have wanted to play his entire career in Toronto even if it improved his chances at a cup, it's a damn shame they couldn't work things out and keep him. Now Sundin replaces Naslund in Vancouver as the overpriced European guy whose better days are behind him.

[Burak Gazan]

There are still some moronic Leaf Nation fools that expect a rebuild takes 3 weeks not 3 years, but that doesn't make them less of the large asshole Old news, those that still cant get over it, should just do something constructive, like throw their carcass under a bus, or subway car

Leafs and Rangers going at it, no scoring in 2.5 periods, and now 3 goals in 2.5 min 2-1 Leafs at the moment

[CmdrWilkens]

Caps destroy the Pens and Semin has just a flat out awesome game. goal and assits aside he was amazing on the PK. Half the time when the Caps were shorthanded you thought it was the other way aroudn for the amount of time the puck spent back in the Pitt end of the rink. The 2nd period was just flat out fun to watch everything from Ovechkin levelling Gonchar to Green flattening Fodetenko, oh yeah and the Fed, Mo, and Laich goals. Damn i wish I had tickets to this game and not the egg we laid on Friday. Hopefully they come out with this kind of intensity on Tuesday.

[Darth Fanboy]

There are still some moronic Leaf Nation fools that expect a rebuild takes 3 weeks not 3 years, but that doesn't make them less of the large asshole Old news, those that still cant get over it, should just do something constructive, like throw their carcass under a bus, or subway car

There is no reason a massive and passionate hockey market like Toronto should be so weak. Leaf fans deserve better from their own organization, but at the same time they act like complete fuckin' fools when it comes to their own team. You would expect that fanbase to be more sophisticated but when it comes to the Leafs it most assuredly isn't the case.

I wonder if Brian Burke has what it takes to fix the situation in Toronto, there is more pressure and less to work with than he had in Anaheim. We'll see how they compensate in the offseason, because in Burke's first offseason with the Ducks be brought in Selanne and Scott Niedermayer, and by 2006-2007 he had almost completely changed over our defensive corps. Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, Sean O'Donnell, Joe DiPenta, Kent Huskins, and Ric Jackman were our 7 best defensemen used during our Stanley Cup run and ALLof those were Burke signings from 2005-2007.

[Burak Gazan]

You would think that, but having watched them since, oh 1967, thats clearly not the case

Books (hell, serials) have been written on the topic and all the horrible details.

I think Burke can be the guy to do the job; he's got the chops for it, and one of the conditions he came in the first place was complete control , no bullshit from the MLSE wheelhouse (especially if it eminates from the fucking teacher's union and their bottom line, no matter what horseshit denials they have uttered in the past). Dont expect anything over the trade deadline, but this years draft and possible free agent signings over the summer are going to be very interesting.

Leafs prevail in OT 3-2 despite some wonky calls by the zebras.

[Burak Gazan]

Breaking news: NY Rangers fire Tom Renney --- more information when posted, but no replacement as yet announced

[Burak Gazan]

From TSN

Rangers Fire Renney

[aerius]

I think Burke can be the guy to do the job; he's got the chops for it, and one of the conditions he came in the first place was complete control , no bullshit from the MLSE wheelhouse (especially if it eminates from the fucking teacher's union and their bottom line, no matter what horseshit denials they have uttered in the past).

Sure, and I have an Easter bunny which lays Cadbury cream eggs. They may claim to give him complete control, but I seriously doubt it works that way in reality and Burke will fail like everyone else before him. I still maintain that as long as MLSE is majority owned by the teachers' pension plan and run by a committee of accountants, they ain't gonna get anywhere near the cup. 2nd round playoffs and gone, and maybe the conference final once every 15 years.

[Archon]

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Penguins make a fowl trade...

TO THE DUCKS
D Ryan Whitney

TO THE PENS
LW Chris Kunitz
W/C Eric Tangradi

The Pens get a winger that could possibly play with Crosby. The Ducks get a defensemen that makes Pronger or Niedermayer less devastating to move.

[Burak Gazan]

The games continue, and we got almost a week of the pre-deadline trading BS to deal with One interesting comment tonight was that the Ducks are setting up to make a move with Pronger and/or Niedermayer. Sometimes I think they make up stuff just to see if people bite , or improve ratings. We'll see I guess. As far as the MLSE geniuses, McCowan had a good rant the other day about Tannenbaum and his Teachers' Union buddies, re the raising of ticket prices -- which is eye catching since just about every other team I read about is either freezing or lowering ticket prices. Some Ballard-esque and pension fund bottom lime habits hard to break I bet

[aerius]

As far as the MLSE geniuses, McCowan had a good rant the other day about Tannenbaum and his Teachers' Union buddies, re the raising of ticket prices -- which is eye catching since just about every other team I read about is either freezing or lowering ticket prices. Some Ballard-esque and pension fund bottom lime habits hard to break I bet

Since the ACC sells out every night, I'd keep jacking up ticket prices every year if I were a beancounter until it doesn't sell out. Fuck the fans, maximize the revenues, we gotta make back all the money the teachers' pension plan lost on their shitty investments!

[Burak Gazan]

As far as the MLSE geniuses, McCowan had a good rant the other day about Tannenbaum and his Teachers' Union buddies, re the raising of ticket prices -- which is eye catching since just about every other team I read about is either freezing or lowering ticket prices. Some Ballard-esque and pension fund bottom lime habits hard to break I bet

Since the ACC sells out every night, I'd keep jacking up ticket prices every year if I were a beancounter until it doesn't sell out. Fuck the fans, maximize the revenues, we gotta make back all the money the teachers' pension plan lost on their shitty investments!

Havent you heard? There are no NHL teams in financial difficulty; what is this money loss you speak of? It must be, Buttface the midget keeps saying so

In actual hockey stuff, another shootout for the Leafs, with the rookie Tim Stapleton scoring the winner in his NHL debut after Blake had tied it with another crazy spinerama move. And Hagman hurt again by a pointless, dirty elbow to the face in passing by Brendan Witt - he got tossed , and prob get a couple games instead of the 20 or more the miserable fuckhead needs. Until the NHL stops this shit, people are going to keep getting hurt.

And after being out for 50 games, Marty Brodeur comes back like he was just out having a coffee and logs his 99th shutout with the Devils beating the Avalance 4-0. This guy aint human, I swear

Changing coaches in NY hasnt seemed to have any effect as yet, other than likely the guy behind the bench more pissed off than the last guy. Oh well, be a lot of fire sales underway in about 6 days anyways .

[Darth Fanboy]

Before I get into it, Nashville is CRUSHING Detroit 8-0 with about three minutes to go in the game, if this is what the Preds are capable of then I see no reason they couldn't make a playoff run.

Second order of business, my beloved Ducks. While it pained me to the point of a near ulcer to lose Kunitz, who I thought worked well with Perry and Getzlaf, getting Ryan Whitney sets us up for the eventual loss of Niedermayer and/or Pronger. I don't think either of those two will be traded, but I don't believe we will have both next season and we will need someone to fill that gap. With Beauchemin on the way back, we should still have an above average defense with the ability for a playoff run next year.

I'll comment on recent hits on our players by the Flames and Sabres by saying only this, if it were Pronger doing the hitting, there would have been fucking suspensions. Way to maintain the double standard NHL. Loosely related to this is the series of cheap shots Steve Ott tried to bury into Scott Niedermayer's back in the final seconds of today's game. Ref I know there's two seconds left but for fuck's sake our future hall of famer was cross checked blatantly about 4 or 5 times before the bell sounded. Giguere went after him just as the horn sounded and then Travis Moen came over and beat the fucking snot out of him, if you saw Ott's bloodied face as he skated away you'll know what I mean.

Third order of business, was fortunate enough to watch the first half of the Leafs and Sens, including Don Cherry's speech on why Alex Ovechkin is a bitch and how he is going to get himself beat up today for acting like a soccer player. Classic stuff that had me grinning from ear to ear, I wish I had access to HNIC for more of my life.

[Darth Fanboy]

Here's an article which makes an interesting point.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/9267 ... s-a-puzzle

In some parts of Canada, there is a fervent hope that the Phoenix Coyotes will collapse under the weight of the financial burden that they currently face.

It's an attitude that is selfish, ill-founded and short-sighted. Nevertheless, it exists.

And the more the Coyotes struggle, the more support that attitude attracts.

There's no doubt that the last few weeks have not been happy ones for the Coyotes.

Only a month ago, at the All-Star break, they were holding down fifth place in the West and giving every indication that they were getting better game by game.

But since then, they've won only three of 15 games, have slipped out of playoff contention and can't get away from steadily increasing speculation that the franchise will be forced either to move or to fold.

The slip in the standings and the concern over the future go hand in hand. Even though the Phoenix players will try to tell you that the team's off-ice worries have no impact on their on-ice showing, it's best to take those assertions with a grain of salt.

They're not the first NHL players to find themselves in this type of situation. And on all the other occasions, the players invariably did what the Coyotes are doing. They denied the reality and insisted that their only concern was the way they played the game.

But later, long after the dust settled, they admitted that they hadn't been entirely truthful. It's a vicious cycle. The players want the team to survive in Phoenix, but the more they worry abut the future, the worse the team does. And the worse the team does, the less interest the fans show. And the less interest the fans show, the more reason there is to worry about the team's future in Phoenix.

But in Canada, especially in southern Ontario, many hockey fans are hoping that the Coyotes collapse.

These people are of the belief that if the Coyotes can't make it in Phoenix, they'll be bought by Jim Balsillie, who will then move them to somewhere in the greater Toronto area.

At different times, Balsillie has appeared to have a team within his grasp. Once it was the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then it was the Nashville Predators.

But on both occasions, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman intervened when it became clear that Balsillie had no interest in keeping those teams in their present locations. He wanted to move them to southern Ontario.

Balsillie, a billionaire, still wants a team for the area. And unlike many of the ultra-rich, he has been unaffected by the economic downturn. His company, Research in Motion, which makes the ubiquitous Blackberry, just announced that it intends to hire 3,000 employees.

There are, however, a couple of factors that should be considered by those who are hoping for the demise of the Coyotes.

For one thing, Bettman will do everything he can to keep that team in Phoenix. He followed a similar course of action a few years ago when he instituted the Canadian Assistance Program which forced American teams to contribute to a fund which kept alive Canadian small-market teams -- Calgary, Ottawa and Edmonton.

Canadian fans who are saying Americans don't deserve a team they can't support should remember that.

Furthermore, the NHL owners take a different approach than the fans. The fans just want a team. The owners' first concern is financial. If they let Balsillie buy the Coyotes, the other 29 NHL team owners won't get a penny. But if they keep him on the hook until better economic times arrive, they can award him an expansion team. The price paid for an expansion team is shared by the other owners of the existing teams.

As the owners see it, a major concern in any move of this nature, whether it be relocation or expansion, is the building of the game's fan base. If another team moves into the Toronto area, how many new fans will that create? Roughly zero.

The area is already hockey intensive. Some fans may move their allegiance from the Maple Leafs to the new team, but it's unlikely that a new team will result in the creation of fans who didn't already exist.

It is possible that some day, the Coyotes will leave Phoenix. But it won't happen until a lot more avenues have been explored, a lot more potential buyers have been approached, and a lot more support has been provided by the NHL.

Another year, same issues

Some of the old reliable issues seem to wax and wane like the moon.

Back in the forefront right now are fighting and three-point games.

The NHL is willing to discuss fighting, and even the general managers are going to do so at their next meeting. But from the league's point of view -- although there may be efforts to pretend that a gentler and softer approach is possible -- there is no willingness to put an end to fighting or even to reduce it. It's too popular.

As for the three-point games, a number of teams, especially the 10 or so trying to get back into playoff positions, are asking if they shouldn't be more uniform. In some games three points are awarded; in some games just two.

Many GMs want to make every game worth three points. The teams then go out and decide how they want to split those points. You can get all three if you win in regulation, or you can get two if you win any other way. The team losing in extra time gets one. And no matter how many times you might see it referred to as a point for losing, that's not what it is. It's a point for being tied after regulation time. If you want to check your hockey history, you'll find it has always been there.

I am FOR the further expansion of teams to Canada and I would not be entirely against teams from struggling US markets moving northward, but the article makes a point which is not generally addressed. Expansion would wreck the alignment of divisions right now more than a move.

[Master of Ossus]

Loosely related to this is the series of cheap shots Steve Ott tried to bury into Scott Niedermayer's back in the final seconds of today's game. Ref I know there's two seconds left but for fuck's sake our future hall of famer was cross checked blatantly about 4 or 5 times before the bell sounded. Giguere went after him just as the horn sounded and then Travis Moen came over and beat the fucking snot out of him, if you saw Ott's bloodied face as he skated away you'll know what I mean.

Ott just got suspended for that incident, but not for the cross-checks on Niedermeyer or even fighting with his cast on. He got a gamer at the 60:00 mark for eye-gouging.

You can see a video of the fight on YouTube.

[Burak Gazan]

Trade Day

Actually, its somewhat amusing so far, all the hype and shows on TSN and Sportsnet both, and not a single trade yet......
Personally, dont think there will be any 'big' trades today but you never know.

[Burak Gazan]

First moves:

SENATORS STRIKE FIRST ACQUIRING LECLAIRE FROM JACKETS

And Calgary gets Jordan Leopold from Colorado for Lawrence Nycholat and prospect plus a pick


edit:

Live Tradetracker

[Darth Fanboy]

Two moves for the Ducks so far today, the first day after a six game, 13 day road trip that saw us go 3-2-1 with our playoff hopes on fading life support.

#1) Put BRendan Morrison on waivers and allow him to be claimed by the Dallas Stars. Most Ducks fans myself included really like this deal because MOrrison never panned out for us like we had hoped and the development of Bobby Ryan and Andrew Ebbett along with surprisingly good play from Drew Miller have made B-Mo obsolete. Morrison will not have to move too fast though as his first game as a Star will be in Anaheim on Friday.

#2) Trading Steve Montador, a league leader in fighting and penalty minutes, for Petteri Nokelainen of Boston. Montador has a great +/- rating and has been consistently good for us this year but his departure relates to his soon to be expiring contract, and the inevitable return of Francois Beauchemin and Kent Huskins to our lineup. The guy we get I understand is a former first round draft pick who hasn't panned out just yet in the places he has been. This is a nice break for the Bruins, who only get better, while the Ducks seem to be preparing for next year while not throwing away this season just yet.

[Archon]

I am really liking the moves by the Flames for both Leopold and Jokinen. On the one hand they add depth to defensive corps that will be without Mark Giordano for the rest of the season and on the other hand they add the quality center to play with Iginla.

The Flames lineup will likely look similar to this when healthy, if it ever gets healthy.

Cammalleri - Jokinen - Iginla
Bourque - Langkow - Bertuzzi
Glencross - Conroy - Moss
Andre Roy - Boyd - Nystrom
Maybe rotate Lundmark and Roy in and out depending on what team the Flames are playing.

Regehr-Aucoin (Assuming Leopold doesn't slot in with Regehr, they had chemistry before he got traded to the Avs)
Phaneuf-Vandermeer (Phaneuf seem to play better with Vandermeer than any other d-man on the Flames)
Sarich-Leopold (Again, Leopold could play with Regehr which would put Aucoin down here)
Pardy as the 7th defender

Kipper
McBackup

Really sad to see Matt Lombardi go. Seemed like he was a great team guy. He is definitely one of my favorite players in the league.

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Kent Huskins and Travis Moen get dealt to the Sharks for a conditional pick and some stuff. With the trade of Montador and Huskins I think Bob Murray is making space to keep both Pronger and Beauchemin for next season.