Hockey

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

......I am a huge Toronto Maple Leaf fan(even though they suck horribly this year!).....

It's not just this year.


Montreal - the best ever NHL team. They've been my favourite since forever.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

It's not just this year.


Montreal - the best ever NHL team. They've been my favourite since forever.

Awwww, why did you have to go and insult my team? LOL! It's fine. Friendly rivalries are good for the game.

I will say that Montreal needs to treat their goalies a little better(the same can be said for the Leafs somewhat), as they put so much pressure on their young goalies that they crack. Look at Huet for example. He was touted as the next Patrick Roy(very tough shoes to fill, even though he is kind of a tool off the ice) and when he couldn't handle all the pressure he started to falter. They ended up dumping him for Carey Price, but I can't help but see the same things happening to him. Halak can be good, but I don't think he's a first string goalie(better than Toskala though, LOL, but even a cardboard cutout would be as well).

Besides the goalie problem, they don't have the size. They got some good talent in the offseason(Cammalleri mainly, as I don't see Gomez doing great things), but they don't have size. They will probably make the playoffs, but I don't think they'll make it to the finals due to the grueling nature of the playoffs. Myself, I just hope we don't end up giving Boston a #1 pick in the next draft!

As a Montreal fan, what do you think of the prospect of Quebec getting another team(which is what it sounds like will probably happen)? Another Canadian team would be a good thing, and I think that Quebec could handle another NHL team.

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

.....I will say that Montreal needs to treat their goalies a little better(the same can be said for the Leafs somewhat), as they put so much pressure on their young goalies that they crack. Look at Huet for example. He was touted as the next Patrick Roy(very tough shoes to fill, even though he is kind of a tool off the ice) and when he couldn't handle all the pressure he started to falter. They ended up dumping him for Carey Price, but I can't help but see the same things happening to him.

You're right, Montreal tends to eat their goalies as soon as they don't live up to expectations. I'm going to say something sacreligious; I was never a fan of Patrick Roy. I thought that he was too full of himself.

Originally Posted by shadows

Halak can be good, but I don't think he's a first string goalie(better than Toskala though, LOL, but even a cardboard cutout would be as well).

Now that gave me a good laugh too.

Originally Posted by shadows

As a Montreal fan, what do you think of the prospect of Quebec getting another team(which is what it sounds like will probably happen)? Another Canadian team would be a good thing, and I think that Quebec could handle another NHL team.

It's going to be either Quebec City or Winnipeg that gets a team. I think Quebec may have the edge as they have a bigger arena. I would really rather see Hamilton get a team before either of those cities. Hamilton will support a team at least as well as Toronto. I think it's a shame the way Jim Balsillie was treated by the league.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

You're right, Montreal tends to eat their goalies as soon as they don't live up to expectations. I'm going to say something sacreligious; I was never a fan of Patrick Roy. I thought that he was too full of himself.



Now that gave me a good laugh too.



It's going to be either Quebec City or Winnipeg that gets a team. I think Quebec may have the edge as they have a bigger arena. I would really rather see Hamilton get a team before either of those cities. Hamilton will support a team at least as well as Toronto. I think it's a shame the way Jim Balsillie was treated by the league.

It's nice seeing other fans of hockey here. I hope that some other fans will decide to talk about their favourite(or most hated) teams besides yourself and Jen(I am enjoying both your posts here, though, so please keep them up!). So far the three of us root for Eastern teams. Are there any Western fans here?

Thanks for your honesty about Patrick Roy. I didn't want to say anything too bad about him just in case(bad first impression and all that:D). I don't like how he treated Montreal at the end(wahhhhhh! You left me in for all those goals. I want a trade...after a soother please). Good goalie but a true basket case at times.

I'm glad that I was able to give you a laugh, Ila. Normally, all Toskala does is give us fans heartburn when we have a 1-goal lead so it's a welcome change.:D

I feel that Basillie would have gotten a team if he hadn't been so mercenary about it all. Continually trying to snatch teams and move them to Hamilton was probably not the best way to go about things(especially with Bettman's huge((and fragile)) ego), and I am sure he realized that near the end of Baum's decision process. Will he get a team someday? I hope so, as his passion would be good for the team. I think either Bettman has to go, or Basillie mends his fences with the other owners before that will happen.

[ila]

Originally Posted by shadows

It's nice seeing other fans of hockey here. I hope that some other fans will decide to talk about their favourite(or most hated) teams besides yourself and Jen(I am enjoying both your posts here, though, so please keep them up!). So far the three of us root for Eastern teams. Are there any Western fans here?

I'm an outwester. It's amazing how many westerners are Montreal fans.

Originally Posted by shadows

Thanks for your honesty about Patrick Roy. I didn't want to say anything too bad about him just in case(bad first impression and all that:D). I don't like how he treated Montreal at the end(wahhhhhh! You left me in for all those goals. I want a trade...after a soother please). Good goalie but a true basket case at times.

I'm still laughing over that comment. A lot of people I know were saying the same thing.

Originally Posted by shadows

I feel that Basillie would have gotten a team if he hadn't been so mercenary about it all. Continually trying to snatch teams and move them to Hamilton was probably not the best way to go about things(especially with Bettman's huge((and fragile)) ego), and I am sure he realized that near the end of Baum's decision process. Will he get a team someday? I hope so, as his passion would be good for the team. I think either Bettman has to go, or Basillie mends his fences with the other owners before that will happen.

According to some reports that I read it was less than a year ago the other owners thought that Balsillie would be a good team owner. He's always been upfront about his intentions to move a team to Hamilton. I really think that the NHL has to change their thinking. They should be moving back to where their fan base is, not trying to expand into the sunbelt where hockey is a foreign sport.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by ila

I'm an outwester. It's amazing how many westerners are Montreal fans.



I'm still laughing over that comment. A lot of people I know were saying the same thing.



According to some reports that I read it was less than a year ago the other owners thought that Balsillie would be a good team owner. He's always been upfront about his intentions to move a team to Hamilton. I really think that the NHL has to change their thinking. They should be moving back to where their fan base is, not trying to expand into the sunbelt where hockey is a foreign sport.

What Province do you live in, Ila(if you don't mind me asking)? I live in SW Ontario myself. I do have some friends from another forum that live out West(Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) so I know a little about the West.

It also looks like the apple hasn't fallen too far from the (rotten) Roy tree. His son was charged with assault when he went after the opposing team's goalie(and from the sounds of it the Coach(Roy himself) urged it on). Classy! I'm not sure if the case has been resolved or if it is still in the courts.

I agree with you 100% about the mentality of the NHL. Bettman does not want to come across as a failure so he will do everything in his power to try and make the sunbelt teams work. Some teams just will not work no matter how hard you try to make it so. It is amazing how many "fans" were interviewed that knew nothing about the game, they were just going to a game because the tickets were free. I am not saying that all the people there are like that, as they do have hardcore fans like we do. They just don't have the history to fall back on that a lot of other teams do(not just the Original Six) as they are still relatively new. It also doesn't help that besides the Tampa Bay Lightning(how had a pretty powerful team that year) they haven't had a lot of playoff success either.

And to Jen: The Phillies lost 3-1. Dang.

[shadows]

Darn it, Ila! Montreal won last night.

The Leafs made a good effort to tie it up(and that, Montreal fans, is why you don't sing that annoying goodbye song with over 5 minutes left to play in the game. All it does is fire up the opposing team and they play that much harder.) but they could not finish it up.

Once it went to a shootout I knew we were doomed. They wanted to put in the cardboard cutout but he was unfortunately creased from the trip to Montreal and he could not perform. Alas, we were stuck with Toskala who, as we all know, is quite inferior to said cardboard cutout. I was talking with a Supervisor this morning about Toskala's craptitude in the shootout(he has always stunk in them) and that since he always gets beat top shelf, glove side, he should just leave his arm up and just wave it back and forth before they shoot. Heck, he has more of a chance making the save that way than just standing there picking his nose like he is wont to do.

Toskala stinks.

Congrats, Ila. The better team won last night.