Hockey 2010-2011

[dauls]

A third win for the Devils over the 'Canes in twelve days.

...only 10pts behind 8th in the East.

[dauls]

Nick Palmieri scores the only goal after 14:23 in the third. Kovalchuk gets another assist.

...only 9pts behind 8th in the East.

[smc]

My Bruins beat the Flames tonight, with Milan Lucic continuing his winning ways with 2 goals!

[shadows]

Originally Posted by dauls

Nick Palmieri scores the only goal after 14:23 in the third. Kovalchuk gets another assist.

...only 9pts behind 8th in the East.

Darn Devils! Shoo! Shoooooo!

While I am happy that the Devils are playing well, I do NOT like the system they are now playing. The Trap is back. Yay...

Maybe we'll get lucky and both our teams can make it into the playoffs. You never know! Toronto and New Jersey are playing really well right now(they had the misfortune of running into a motivated Anderson in net for their 1-0 loss to Ottawa...a game that they would have won if not for him! Why did Ottawa have to get rid of Elliot?) and Atlanta and Carolina are not.

So, let's keep our fingers crossed for that(but don't you dare pass the Leafs! Grrrrrr!).

Also, I can't believe how wonderful Reimer is playing in net for the Leafs. Have we finally found our true #1 goalie?

His stats:

GP: 16

Win/Loss/OT Loss : 9-4-2

GA: 31

SA: 470

SV: 439

SV%: .934

GAA: 2.12

SO: 2

Has he logged enough time to be considered for Rookie Of The Year? He certainly is the MVP of the Leafs, as they have been a totally different team whenever he is net.

[smc]

Part 1 of an excellent article from today's Boston Globe, worthy of a read by all hockey fans:

A head-scratcher for NHL

Many concussions come on legal hits, leaving league with vexing problem

By John Powers
Globe Staff / February 24, 2011

Brian Burke remembers how hockey dealt with concussions when he was playing in the minors in the late 1970s.

?Coming back to the bench after you got your bell rung, you puked, you missed one shift, you waited until the cobwebs cleared, then the trainer gave you one of those little ammonia sniffers,?? says the Maple Leafs president/general manager. ?And you went back out.??

Now, with the number of head injuries on the rise and the game?s best player on the shelf indefinitely, concussions have become what Burke calls the ?issue du jour,?? with more than 60 NHL players reportedly diagnosed already this season. Though the league has banned the most vicious head shots, legitimate checks and accidental collisions have increased the number of injuries.

Pittsburgh superstar Sidney Crosby, who hasn?t played since Jan. 5 after receiving head blows in successive games, was hit inadvertently in the jaw by Washington?s David Steckel, who was dashing for the puck, and then checked legally by Tampa Bay?s Victor Hedman, who pushed Crosby?s face into the boards from behind.

Thus the dilemma for the game?s guardians: How do they keep players from getting their brains scrambled without removing much of what makes hockey hockey?

?There is a reluctance to change the essence of the game,?? says Bill Daly, the NHL?s deputy commissioner. ?The physicality of the game is one of its greatest attractions.??

The league made a huge change last year when it created Rule 48 to eliminate blind-side and lateral hits in which the head either is targeted or is the principal point of contact. The penalty is stiff: a five-minute major and an automatic game misconduct, with the offender also missing the next game if the referee deems the hit was meant to injure.

?I think that?s a huge step forward for ice hockey,?? says Dr. Robert Cantu, the neurosurgeon who consulted with the Bruins after Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard both were put out of commission. ?The [first] hit that put Savard out now is illegal.??

Yet most of the hits that cause concussions ? the head-on ?north-south?? shot and the shoulder check ? are within the sport?s rules and traditions, and there?s little appetite to ban them.

?Hitting is a big part of my game, and you want to do whatever you can to keep that physicality in the game,?? says Bruins forward Milan Lucic, who is both the club?s top goal scorer and its trademark thumper. ?It is a tough sport and it?s inevitable that concussions and injuries are going to happen.??

Tricky balancing act
Unlike most contact sports, hockey is played in an enclosed space with rigid wooden dashers, glass barriers, and a slippery playing surface that is pavement-hard.

?It?s an inherently unsafe workplace,?? observes Burke.

Since the workers themselves are significantly taller, heavier, and faster than they were half a century ago, the concussions are more frequent and serious.

?It?s speed,?? says Cantu, who is chief of neurosurgery service at Emerson Hospital and a professor at Boston University?s School of Medicine. ?The guys are big and strong and they hit with great velocity.??

Despite the rising concerns, hockey players still are less susceptible to concussions than their football counterparts.

?They?re both collision sports, but in football every single day there are subconcussive hits,?? says Dr. Ann McKee, a BU associate professor who directs the neuropathology service for the New England Veterans Administration medical centers. ?Hockey doesn?t have those.??

Still, the punishing give-and-take of the game has been part of the professional DNA since the NHL was founded nearly a century ago, and hard-nosed teams such as the Big Bad Bruins and the Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s were both feared and admired for their muscularity.

?We?re on record and we?ve said repeatedly that it?s important to maintain the fundamental nature of the sport, which is its physical aspect,?? says Daly.

But with Savard sidelined for the remainder of the season after sustaining a second concussion last month and Crosby?s return date unclear, there has been renewed focus on the balancing act between keeping players reasonably safe and turning the game into an all-skate.

?We?re ending careers far too early,?? says Paul Kelly, the former executive director of the NHL Players Association who now holds that post with College Hockey Inc. ?There are dozens of guys who could have and should have played five to 10 more years, but their careers were cut short by hits to the head.??

The concern about head injuries is not new. The NHL was the first professional league to form a working group for the study of concussions, the first to mandate neuropsychological baseline testing, and the first to develop diagnosis and return-to-play protocols. Players suspected of having been concussed are evaluated on the bench by either the team trainer or physician and, if so diagnosed, are kept out of action until they are deemed symptom-free.

Equipment challenges
Reducing the number and severity of concussions is a complex undertaking. Suggestions have included enlarging the playing surface, modifying the rink confines, softening the equipment, and changing the rules, but all of them come with tradeoffs.

Expanding the ice from the standard 200-by-85 feet to the international 200-by-98 size would require removing hundreds of prime seats at a time when foreign rinks are downsizing to the North American standard.

Because some concussions result from the player?s head bouncing off the glass, the NHL has been switching from the rigid seamless style back to the original design, with individual panes that are more forgiving.

Since most concussions, though, result from open-ice collisions, the conversation has been more about equipment ? specifically helmets and shoulder and elbow pads.

Mark Messier, the Hall of Famer who played 25 years in the league, has developed the M11 helmet that compresses to spread out the impact from a blow and then resets. But Messier and neurologists agree that no helmet can keep the brain from being bounced around by a direct blow.

?Helmets are made to prevent skull fractures and brain hemorrhages, not concussions,?? says Cantu, who is co-director of BU?s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

The NHL didn?t require helmets until 1979 and grandfathered helmetless players who were already in the league.

?There wasn?t a whole lot of headhunting back then,?? recalls Rick Middleton, who played for the Bruins for a dozen years and didn?t wear a helmet until his final three seasons. ?Call it respect or fear of retribution. But when the game went to all helmets, the hitting definitely got higher. Guys would come and hit you under the chin.??

Equipment designed to prevent injuries to the wearer is being used as a weapon.

?If you put bigger shoulder pads on, the players go in harder,?? says Burke. ?If you put bigger helmets on, they go in head-first.??

A video analysis of 260 reported concussions over four seasons that was performed last year by Toronto neuropsychologist Dr. Paul Comper concluded that 60 percent resulted from a shoulder check.

Making the pads less armorlike likely would lower that number.

?I feel strongly about looking at the shoulder and elbow pads,?? says Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. ?They?ve done a good job in making them softer, but I think you have to get them even softer and smaller.??

Even then, there?s only so much cushion that can be provided in a collision with a defenseman who stands 6 feet 9 inches and weighs 255 pounds.

?The answer will never be technology,?? says McKee, a CSTE co-director.

[Part 2 follows in next post.]

[smc]

Part 2 of an excellent article from today's Boston Globe, worthy of a read by all hockey fans:

Hesitant to change rules
Tweaking the rules produces countermeasures as players find ways to adapt to restrictions. When the NHL began enforcing obstruction penalties to cut down on the clutching, grabbing, and hooking that was bogging down the game, defenders put more emphasis on playing the body. Comper?s analysis found that only a quarter of the concussed players had the puck when they were hit and that nearly half of them had just released it.

?When you get the puck and you know you?re going to be targeted, you?re braced because you know the hit is coming,?? says Cantu. ?Once you?ve passed it, your antennae aren?t quite as heightened.??

While banning north-south head shots clearly would reduce the number of concussions, it also would skew the time-tested equilibrium between offense and defense. As long as a player can see who?s coming at him, he?s fair game.

?From the time you?re 8 years old, you?re taught to keep your head up, and that if you get labeled, it?s your fault,?? says Kings general manager Dean Lombardi.

Even after he has released the puck, the offensive player has to expect to be taken out of the equation.

?Ever since I?ve been involved in the sport, you?ve been taught to finish your check,?? says Chiarelli. ?If you don?t, the guy knows you?re not finishing the check, so he has that much more freedom.??

Any change to the rulebook changes the game, which is why both management and players tend to react hesitantly to proposed alterations. While the general managers will deal with the concussion issue at their meeting next month and likely will talk about north-south hits, their sense is that Rule 48 should be given more time to work before more changes are made.

?Whenever you?re going to change a playing rule and people don?t have a degree of confidence in what the result will be, they?re going to be cautious about it,?? says Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players Association. ?The uncertainty is one of the reasons for the caution.??

There is universal agreement that Rule 48 was necessary and that cheap shots to the head clearly diminished this season with only six penalties (four suspensions and two fines) assessed under the rule and players are more mindful about how they play the body.

?Definitely, guys are thinking a bit more,?? says Lucic. ?If you look at tapes of games where those hits could have happened, guys let up this year. So you can see somewhat of an improvement when it comes to that.??

But the NHL has never been an ice ballet, not since the Montreal Wanderers and Toronto Arenas first had at each other in 1917. Hockey is by its nature a concussive game, and the risks are obvious to everyone who pulls on a sweater.

?I say to people, these guys are all volunteers,?? says Burke. ?There?s no one out there who was conscripted. They signed on for a game that?s dangerous at times. We have to make it as safe as we can while preserving the fabric of the game.??

[shadows]

I can't say that I agree with Burke. The fabric of the game doesn't include dirty hits that concuss players. The majority of the concussions this season have happened from either dirty or borderline-dirty hits. They need to start punishing the offenders with REAL suspensions rather than the mickey-mouse ones that Campbell is so fond of handing out.

Getting rid of Campbell(and Bettman, as he obviously has a say in this regardless of what his "official" role is) would be a good step in the right direction.

[shadows]

Woohooooooooo! Toronto won 5-4 over Montreal. Sorry Ila, but Toronto needed this win.

They are now only 4 points out of a playoff spot(something that I honestly thought they would never attain a few weeks ago!), having passed an idle Atlanta to claim 10th place. They are only 1 point behind Buffalo(I hope Ottawa beats them tomorrow!) and 4 points behind Carolina. Boy, I haven't been this excited to be a Leafs fan in quite some time!

Go Leafs GOOOOOOOOOO!

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

I can't say that I agree with Burke. The fabric of the game doesn't include dirty hits that concuss players. The majority of the concussions this season have happened from either dirty or borderline-dirty hits. They need to start punishing the offenders with REAL suspensions rather than the mickey-mouse ones that Campbell is so fond of handing out.

Getting rid of Campbell(and Bettman, as he obviously has a say in this regardless of what his "official" role is) would be a good step in the right direction.

I agree with you. None of this will change until there is some radical action. Andrew Ference of the Bruins spoke out against one of his teammates doing to a player what happened to Mark Savard, and broadcasters like Don Cherry and Mike Milbury went out of their way to excoriate Ference as some kind of traitor. That shows how deeply ingrained is the culture of excessive violence in hockey. They put the "sport" over the life of players who may be scarred forever.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

I agree with you. None of this will change until there is some radical action. Andrew Ference of the Bruins spoke out against one of his teammates doing to a player what happened to Mark Savard, and broadcasters like Don Cherry and Mike Milbury went out of their way to excoriate Ference as some kind of traitor. That shows how deeply ingrained is the culture of excessive violence in hockey. They put the "sport" over the life of players who may be scarred forever.

I think more people would have listened to Mario Lemieux's rant the other day if he didn't have Matt Cooke on his team. Cooke is one of the dirtiest players in the NHL today. He is a guy that should have been punted a long time ago.

[dauls]

Our eight-game winning streak ended by two Bolts' goals in 54 mad, 2nd period seconds.

...11pts behind 8th in the East.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by dauls

Our eight-game winning streak ended by two Bolts' goals in 54 mad, 2nd period seconds.

...11pts behind 8th in the East.

It's always a sad event when Tampa wins, a team that shouldn't be in the NHL to start with they have no true fan base when the played the Redwings awhile back in Tampa it was a sea of red jerseys as it looked more like a Redwings home game

Flyersfan Jen

[k.sucks.you]

Originally Posted by transjen

It's always a sad event when Tampa wins, a team that shouldn't be in the NHL to start with they have no true fan base when the played the Redwings awhile back in Tampa it was a sea of red jerseys as it looked more like a Redwings home game

:-) More than 450 Sharks fans went on the last road trip to Anaheim. The quote was "maybe we'll finally help them get a sellout down there". 17562 every game in the tank.

Sharks just swept a three game road trip. Red Wings, Pens, then Calgary. Nice! Niemi is playing on his head. Most of February was on the road, but we now have fewer road games left of any NHL team.

Wings game was a heart stopper both ways all night. Great game.

Marleau dropped the Pens with 4 seconds left in OT. Take your point east. The west needs two. Another great game.

The Calgary game was reffed pretty poorly, but was still pretty exciting, back and forth. Clowe gets some kind of modern Gordie Howe hat-trick, 4-minute minor, KO of Jackman (who didn't return), the game tying goal late in the third, then the OT shootout winner WITH HIS FOREHAND!

The west is still very tight, but Sharks are starting to separate a bit. You can't watch all the combinations of other teams helping out, just win your own games.

-K

[shadows]

Originally Posted by dauls

Our eight-game winning streak ended by two Bolts' goals in 54 mad, 2nd period seconds.

...11pts behind 8th in the East.

The amazing part of their winning streak was the fact that Hedberg is now the #1 goalie! Brodeur has now been relegated to backup! I didn't think I would see that this season.

Pittsburgh and Ottawa did not do either of our teams a favour. Ottawa lost to Buffalo 4-2 and Pittsburgh lost 4-1 to Carolina. Some bad news for Carolina, that being Eric Staal left with an injury(the whispers saying that it could be a concussion).

That is bad news for Carolina. You never want to see a player get hurt even one from an opposing team. If it is a concussion, something NEEDS to be done! How many freaking stars have we lost this season to CONCUSSIONS?!?!

------------

At least Florida beat Atlanta 2-1 in a shootout to keep Toronto ahead of them.

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

...Pittsburgh and Ottawa did not do either of our teams a favour. Ottawa lost to Buffalo 4-2 and Pittsburgh lost 4-1 to Carolina. Some bad news for Carolina, that being Eric Staal left with an injury(the whispers saying that it could be a concussion).

That is bad news for Carolina. You never want to see a player get hurt even one from an opposing team. If it is a concussion, something NEEDS to be done! How many freaking stars have we lost this season to CONCUSSIONS?!?!

The NHL paid only slightly more than lip service to the problems of concussions until Crosbie got hurt. Now it's all the talk with Lemieux doing a public whine about it. The problem of concussions should have been dealt with long ago. I think it's interesting that concussions became more common after hockey introduced all the safety equipment such as helmets and thicker padding all over. I think all this equipment gave players a false sense of security that has resulted in more dirty hits; or perhaps it's the bonus that goons receive not for playing hockey but for eliminating good players on the opposing teams.

Originally Posted by shadows

At least Florida beat Atlanta 2-1 in a shootout to keep Toronto ahead of them.

You realize, shadows, that if Toronto makes the playoffs this year that they will be eliminated in the first round, unless they meet Montreal in which case it becomes completely unpredictable.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

The NHL paid only slightly more than lip service to the problems of concussions until Crosbie got hurt. Now it's all the talk with Lemieux doing a public whine about it. The problem of concussions should have been dealt with long ago. I think it's interesting that concussions became more common after hockey introduced all the safety equipment such as helmets and thicker padding all over. I think all this equipment gave players a false sense of security that has resulted in more dirty hits; or perhaps it's the bonus that goons receive not for playing hockey but for eliminating good players on the opposing teams.



You realize, shadows, that if Toronto makes the playoffs this year that they will be eliminated in the first round, unless they meet Montreal in which case it becomes completely unpredictable.

The playoffs being the way they are, you never can tell who will make it onto the second round. All it takes is a super-hot goalie and all bets are off(like Halak last year). Washington are notorious playoff chokers, and who knows if Crosby will ever be like he was before the concussion so Pittsburgh is a crapshoot.

Philly would be a challenge, as would Boston(Toronto has struggled against them). Tampa Bay has good offense, but their goaltending is suspect(which is why I think they will get bounced fairly early). The Rangers? 50-50 chance.

Montreal I would not want to face just so two Canadian teams would have a chance to move onto the second round than just the one.

At least Montreal did the Leafs a favour tonight and won in regulation. Unfortunately the Leafs played a sloppy game and only got 1 point. Buffalo lost in the shootout, so at least they did not gain any more ground either.

If Toronto gets back to playing a good defensive game, then they should beat Atlanta tomorrow. I think they have a good chance to do so(Atlanta is freefalling!).

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

...If Toronto gets back to playing a good defensive game, then they should beat Atlanta tomorrow. I think they have a good chance to do so(Atlanta is freefalling!).

I think that they'll beat Atlanta without any problem. All of the Atlanta players are too busy wondering where they'll be playing next season and as a result they have no time to concentrate on playing hockey.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by ila

I think that they'll beat Atlanta without any problem. All of the Atlanta players are too busy wondering where they'll be playing next season and as a result they have no time to concentrate on playing hockey.

Can you say Winnapeg Jets 2.0

Flyersfan Jen

[smc]

A great win by the Bruins over Vancouver tonight, 3-1, with hometown favorite Milan Lucic scoring the winning goal. The bad news is the big hit by fourth-line forward Victor Oreskovich of the Canucks, who took out Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference with a lower body injury late in the first period. That might keep Ference out a while.

Four straight wins on this six-game road trip keeps Boston ahead of Montreal by 4 points.

[ila]

Originally Posted by transjen

Can you say Winnapeg Jets 2.0

Flyersfan Jen

It is quite possible that Atlanta will move to Winnipeg. If they don't then it will the Coyotes moving and then we can call them Winnipeg Jets 1.2

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

I think that they'll beat Atlanta without any problem. All of the Atlanta players are too busy wondering where they'll be playing next season and as a result they have no time to concentrate on playing hockey.

That would have been the case if Reimer didn't have to leave the game due to a fucking knee from Evander Kane(will he get suspended for it? I hope so. Since when does a knee to the head constitute a freaking "Interference On Goaltender penalty?!?). Reimer leaves, Toronto falls apart. Giguere gives up a PATHETIC game-winning goal and Toronto gives up the extra point AGAIN!

They should have beaten Pittsburgh last night and they should have beaten Atlanta tonight(who were 1-7-2 in their last 10 games for fuck's sake!).

If Reimer is gone long-term(or even for more than one or two games), then the Leaf's slim playoff hopes are gone totally.

[dauls]

Devils win in Brodeur's first game after three weeks out injured.

...only 9pts behind 8th in the East.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by dauls

Devils win in Brodeur's first game after three weeks out injured.

...only 9pts behind 8th in the East.

Honestly, I am glad that the Devils won. They ensured that Florida remained 4 points back of Toronto. Of course, the Devils are only 5 points behind the Leafs.

*sigh*

I hope Reimer is okay.

[dauls]

Originally Posted by shadows

Honestly, I am glad that the Devils won. They ensured that Florida remained 4 points back of Toronto. Of course, the Devils are only 5 points behind the Leafs.

*sigh*

I hope Reimer is okay.

You don't want to worry about being caught by the Florida Pussycats, you've got Sabres and Hurricanes to tame.

The Devils have forty points to play for and another five spots to climb in the East. It should be an interesting six weeks.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by ila

It is quite possible that Atlanta will move to Winnipeg. If they don't then it will the Coyotes moving and then we can call them Winnipeg Jets 1.2

How odd would it be if the Coyotes went back to Winnipeg where they started but i believe they found a buyer who plans to stay put but Atlanta is still not sure but if they do relocate it will be the second NHL from Atlanta to move to Canada for those to young to remember the Flames started out in Altana and left due to poor attendance which to me is proof that the NHL will never make it in the south as they are mostly Nascar NFL and WWF fans and have little love for hockey

Flyersfan Jen

[ila]

Originally Posted by transjen

How odd would it be if the Coyotes went back to Winnipeg where they started but i believe they found a buyer who plans to stay put

It's a complicated situation. Basically there is a buyer for the Coyotes. The price for the team is approx $175 million. The buyer wants the city of Glendale to put up $100 million or the deal is off. Glendale will get the right run the parking lot concession at the arena. Glendale plans to raise the 100 million through a bond offering. The are resulting problems from this. Glendale's credit rating has been downgraded, the bonds haven't gone on sale as there is not much interest in them, and there is a potential lawsuit from an organization if Glendale uses public money to support a sports team (it's against Arizona law). One consulting firm says Glendale will be able to make enough money per year from parking concessions to pay interest on the bond issue and another consulting firm says Glendale won't make enough. The arithmetic says Glendale won't make enough to pay interest let alone reduce the principal. The drop-dead date for the deal was supposed to be last Dec 31. The deal has not yet closed. The taxpayers of Glendale are going to take a hosing if the Coyotes stay and the same thing if they move. There is no support in Arizona for hockey except from the Canadians that live down there over the winter.

Originally Posted by transjen

but Atlanta is still not sure but if they do relocate it will be the second NHL from Atlanta to move to Canada for those to young to remember the Flames started out in Altana and left due to poor attendance which to me is proof that the NHL will never make it in the south as they are mostly Nascar NFL and WWF fans and have little love for hockey

Flyersfan Jen

This is all too true. Hockey does not sell in the south. I predict Nashville, Carolina, and the Florida teams will soon be gone.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by ila

It's a complicated situation. Basically there is a buyer for the Coyotes. The price for the team is approx $175 million. The buyer wants the city of Glendale to put up $100 million or the deal is off. Glendale will get the right run the parking lot concession at the arena. Glendale plans to raise the 100 million through a bond offering. The are resulting problems from this. Glendale's credit rating has been downgraded, the bonds haven't gone on sale as there is not much interest in them, and there is a potential lawsuit from an organization if Glendale uses public money to support a sports team (it's against Arizona law). One consulting firm says Glendale will be able to make enough money per year from parking concessions to pay interest on the bond issue and another consulting firm says Glendale won't make enough. The arithmetic says Glendale won't make enough to pay interest let alone reduce the principal. The drop-dead date for the deal was supposed to be last Dec 31. The deal has not yet closed. The taxpayers of Glendale are going to take a hosing if the Coyotes stay and the same thing if they move. There is no support in Arizona for hockey except from the Canadians that live down there over the winter.




This is all too true. Hockey does not sell in the south. I predict Nashville, Carolina, and the Florida teams will soon be gone.

Well the voters here in the US voted for a lot of the Tea party members who feel tax payers are over taxed and feel goverment should do nothing so goodbye Coytes, now FL is a lot like Glendale with a lot of Canadians down for the winter and the Tampa team does pretty good with them and when a Candian team comes down to play Tampa it's a sell out but they are not cheering for Tampa but they may keep Tampa a float and the Panthers will be the first to move and prehaps become the new Hartford Whalers and Nashvile and Carlonia will either fold or relocate must likely to Canada, i have heard some talk about NJ supporting a second hockey team but in the end it won't work as most South Jersey hockey fans all love the Flyers and those in North Jersey love the Devils making it very hard to get another team in there



Flyersfan Jen

[ila]

Originally Posted by transjen

Well the voters here in the US voted for a lot of the Tea party members who feel tax payers are over taxed and feel goverment should do nothing so goodbye Coytes, now FL is a lot like Glendale with a lot of Canadians down for the winter and the Tampa team does pretty good with them and when a Candian team comes down to play Tampa it's a sell out but they are not cheering for Tampa but they may keep Tampa a float and the Panthers will be the first to move and prehaps become the new Hartford Whalers and Nashvile and Carlonia will either fold or relocate must likely to Canada, i have heard some talk about NJ supporting a second hockey team but in the end it won't work as most South Jersey hockey fans all love the Flyers and those in North Jersey love the Devils making it very hard to get another team in there



Flyersfan Jen

I can't see Hartford getting a team again. The seating capacity of their rink is too small and they don't have the population in the area to support a team. I can see Quebec City getting a team again and they deserve it. I also hope that Hamilton gets a team. They are long overdue an NHL team.

[smc]

Originally Posted by ila

I can't see Hartford getting a team again. The seating capacity of their rink is too small and they don't have the population in the area to support a team. I can see Quebec City getting a team again and they deserve it. I also hope that Hamilton gets a team. They are long overdue an NHL team.

I want to see Halifax -- my favorite Canadian city -- get an NHL team!

[transjen]

I feel all the cities mentioned by ILA and SMC all are better choices then FL CAROLINA and Nashvile, putting hockey teams in the south was a noble idea but it never took off while a lot of Candians head to FL for the winter as do a lot of seniors from the norther states they are not fans of the FL teams and only go when the home team comes down to Tampa and the locals can care less about hockey, it was a failed experment and the NHL should move to areas when hockey is loved, before i hear from the San Jose Sharks fan the teams in Cal are not really part of the south and the Kings and Sharks all seem to have a decent fan base unlike the above mentioned teams but the Ducks are another story and might be better off relocating and renaming

Flyersfan Jen

[ila]

Originally Posted by transjen

...but the Ducks are another story and might be better off relocating and renaming

Flyersfan Jen

I definitely agree. The Ducks was a stupid name. It may be appropriate for a kids' hockey team, but it's definitely not a wise selection for the NHL.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

I definitely agree. The Ducks was a stupid name. It may be appropriate for a kids' hockey team, but it's definitely not a wise selection for the NHL.

When the team first came into existence, they were owned by Disney. They wanted it to coincide with their movies, so they were called the *shudder* Mighty Ducks. The NHL had nothing to do with the name.

[shadows]

Unfortunately for the Leafs, both Buffalo and Carolina won their games. Buffalo beat the Rangers 3-2. With that loss, the Rangers are now only 1 point up on Carolina(New York has 70 points while Carolina has 69).

Toronto is now 6 points behind Carolina and 4 points behind Buffalo.

Thank goodness for Montreal beating Atlanta to keep them behind Toronto(they both have 63 points, but Toronto has more wins).

[smc]

I am circulating a petition to keep the Bruins from being allowed to return to Boston. In fact, I don't want them to return to the United States. Tonight, they won their 6th game of the 6-game road trip, and they have been eating up their Canadian opponents as they move across the country!

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

I am circulating a petition to keep the Bruins from being allowed to return to Boston. In fact, I don't want them to return to the United States. Tonight, they won their 6th game of the 6-game road trip, and they have been eating up their Canadian opponents as they move across the country!

Didn't Toronto beat them the last time they met?

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

Didn't Toronto beat them the last time they met?

That was NOT this road trip.

[dauls]

Kovalchuk scores again in a come from behind win over the Bolts.

...still only 9pts behind 8th in the East.
...and just 10pts behind 7th placed Rangers.

[transjen]

A Tampa loose is always good news and makes for a happy night, i think only Chicgo is the only other team that i hate as much as Tampa

Flyersfan Jen

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

A Tampa loose is always good news and makes for a happy night, i think only Chicgo is the only other team that i hate as much as Tampa

Flyersfan Jen

I certainly don't hate Chicago tonight. I want them to beat Carolina...in Regulation!(they've got a 5-2 lead with about 6:30 left in the third, so that looks good!).

Unfortunately, Ottawa decided to suck a lemon against the Rangers and lost 4-1 to them.

The Devils won again(a stupid penalty was taken by Pittsburgh in OT), beating Pittsburgh 2-1 in OT. Will they squeak into the playoffs(if they do, I hope it's not at the expense of Toronto!). I think that Pittsburgh will probably be punted from the playoffs in the early rounds. They just don't have that good of a team anymore.

[dauls]

NHL.com called it "K-Ilya Instinct", corny I know, but who cares, we stole that extra point when Kovalchuk scored with only 24.9 seconds left in overtime.

...still 9pts behind 8th in the East, unless there is a Blackhawks meltdown during the last three minutes in Chicago.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by dauls

NHL.com called it "K-Ilya Instinct", corny I know, but who cares, we stole that extra point when Kovalchuk scored with only 24.9 seconds left in overtime.

...still 9pts behind 8th in the East, unless there is a Blackhawks meltdown during the last three minutes in Chicago.

A 5-2 lead with 25 seconds left. I don't think you have to worry.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by shadows

I certainly don't hate Chicago tonight. I want them to beat Carolina...in Regulation!(they've got a 5-2 lead with about 6:30 left in the third, so that looks good!).

Unfortunately, Ottawa decided to suck a lemon against the Rangers and lost 4-1 to them.

The Devils won again(a stupid penalty was taken by Pittsburgh in OT), beating Pittsburgh 2-1 in OT. Will they squeak into the playoffs(if they do, I hope it's not at the expense of Toronto!). I think that Pittsburgh will probably be punted from the playoffs in the early rounds. They just don't have that good of a team anymore.

I put a curse on Chicago they will go a 128 years before they get another Stanly cup so Blackhawk fans suffer with the Cubs you bums


Flyersfan Jen

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

I put a curse on Chicago they will go a 128 years before they get another Stanly cup so Blackhawk fans suffer with the Cubs you bums


Flyersfan Jen

Your curse can go into effect for tomorrow's game. They are playing the Leafs.

[transjen]

Originally Posted by shadows

Your curse can go into effect for tomorrow's game. They are playing the Leafs.

The curse doesn't say they'll lose evey game it just says for the next 128 years Chicago win not get another Stanly cup they waited like 64 years to get the last one which they didn't deserve so it'll be double that long before they get there slimey hands on another


Flyersfan Jen

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

The curse doesn't say they'll lose evey game it just says for the next 128 years Chicago win not get another Stanly cup they waited like 64 years to get the last one which they didn't deserve so it'll be double that long before they get there slimey hands on another


Flyersfan Jen

I wish your curse would have meant every game. They beat the Leafs last night 5-3.

Philadelphia needs to wake up, as they are playing some HORRIBLE hockey right now. They got their asses handed to them today by the Rangers, losing 7-0!

Also, Buffalo won in OT and gained 2 more points on Toronto. They also leapfrogged over Carolina into 8th spot!

[transjen]

Originally Posted by shadows

Philadelphia needs to wake up, as they are playing some HORRIBLE hockey right now. They got their asses handed to them today by the Rangers, losing 7-0!

I dfidn't see the first half and was 5- zip when i got home from the store and the part of the game i saw the goaltender appeared to not care and just wanted the game to end as he didn't even try to block a shot
Conspearecy theory
Flyers lost like five games in a row while the Devils have been on a tear so i think the Flyers are wearing Devils jerseys and playing as the Devils and the Devils are playing as the Flyers now you know how and way the 7- zip game today
Flyersfan Jen

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

I dfidn't see the first half and was 5- zip when i got home from the store and the part of the game i saw the goaltender appeared to not care and just wanted the game to end as he didn't even try to block a shot
Conspearecy theory
Flyers lost like five games in a row while the Devils have been on a tear so i think the Flyers are wearing Devils jerseys and playing as the Devils and the Devils are playing as the Flyers now you know how and way the 7- zip game today
Flyersfan Jen

Nah, there's no conspiracy. They've just been on top for so long that they've let the foot off the gas a bit. They just need to get back into top gear and play like every game matters.

[dauls]

Kovalchuk: 1 goal & 1 assist.

The Devils stole another extra point in a six-round shootout.

...only 8pts behind 8th in the East.

[transjen]

Don't laught i heard on the radio today coming home from work that Kanas City is talking to the NHL about getting a NHL franchise
so could this be the return of the Kanas city Scouts
for those new to hockey the Scouts become the Rockies who became the Devils

Flyersfan Jen

[smc]

Originally Posted by transjen

Don't laught i heard on the radio today coming home from work that Kanas City is talking to the NHL about getting a NHL franchise
so could this be the return of the Kanas city Scouts
for those new to hockey the Scouts become the Rockies who became the Devils

Flyersfan Jen

I lived in Kansas City for a few years a long time ago. It was only a couple of years after the Scouts had moved to Colorado. I was quite vocal about being a Bruins fan, and I must say that I never found a single person who a) gave a rat's ass about hockey or b) even remembered that Kansas City had recently had a hockey team!