Official NHL/hockey thread

**Mark in Oshawa** · 5th Jan 07, 20:48

Now 4-2 in the Third and a parade going to the penalty box. Iam sweating this out to the end....

**schmenke** · 5th Jan 07, 20:53

4 - 2 after two!

**schmenke** · 5th Jan 07, 21:26

Cancel the inquiry! Canada is GOLD!!!!

**A.F.F.** · 5th Jan 07, 21:47

Congrats Team Canada

Your future in hockey seem as bright as the golden medal

**veeten** · 5th Jan 07, 21:58

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

Just a note to all you Non-Canadians reading this. Canada is an anal retentive country when it comes to Hockey. IF we lose this thing, we will all be catatonic for days, whining about how our hockey programs are not producing star's and quality teams. We will need to lie down on the couch and bare our souls. Yet in almost every other sport this country plays, if we win we like it, if we lose, oh well but that is sport. It is only hockey that makes us this crazy!! Bear with us...it too shall pass....

... '06 Winter Olympics were a grand example of this.

**veeten** · 5th Jan 07, 21:59

happy Canadians.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 5th Jan 07, 22:28

Canada wins 4-2 in a penalty filled game filled with some suspect calls, but the Russians never gave up and good on them. They looked more like a team then the superstar lead sucks that folded under pressure the last two times they faced the Canadians....

**Mark in Oshawa** · 5th Jan 07, 22:31

Originally Posted by veeten

... '06 Winter Olympics were a grand example of this.

I saw that mess coming a long way off. If you win in 2002, you cannot take the same guys back and expect to win again. 2010 will be the acid test though. How they are picked and who goes will be years of coffee shop discussions, but as long as we have Sid the kid, Luongo and a few other young Canadian stars, we should be ok on home ice.

2006 sucked, but the glow from 2002 was so warm, I kind of took it in a better light...

**raikk** · 10th Jan 07, 03:26

Originally Posted by schmenke

Didn't see the game but I watched some of the highlights. Huet didn't look too sharp whereas Kolzig made some awesome stops. Pretty lame penalty call on Koivu though

. Changed the course of the game

Leafs score 10 goals against the Bruins!

Who woulda thunk that that team is capable of scoring that many

Hello I'm back from Toronto! I went to 2 Leafs games (one against Ottawa the other against Boston (5-1 Victory) But the Leafs have been very up and down and are deffinetly playing like a 500 team now.. If the Leafs want to get to the playoffs they better get off their asses and play their heart out!

although it really hurts haveing Wellwood Tucker,Ponikarovsky and Peca out of the line up.....

**Mark in Oshawa** · 10th Jan 07, 04:56

Raikk, that is the joy of a .500 team. They look good for 2 periods and get pummelled in the last 3 minutes of the third. Raycroft is part of the problem, he is an ok journeyman it appears, and Leaf's fans are more used to having Belfour and Joseph just stoning teams cold. I think in many ways this Leaf's team is no worse than the previous ones, but the superstar in net isn't there. Raycroft tries hard, is a good kid, but he cant do it full time as the star on the horizon. He needs to find a way to find that winning way he had in his Calder year.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 10th Jan 07, 04:57

Hey AFF, I see tonight that Koivu got his 500th point tonight. He was given a Standing Ovation by the Bell Centre faithful and I cant think of a nicer guy and more worthy man to honour in many ways. He is alright, for a Hab. Problem is, the Hab's won!!! Geeze I just find the Montreal Canadiens annoying, forgive me!!! Maybe if the Leafs would quit flirting with .500 and take a good winning streak I would just chill out....

**Valve Bounce** · 10th Jan 07, 05:04

Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Since we have so many good goalies in NHL at the moment, I think I'm entitled to start this new thread

Norrena was amazing. Second shutout in a row with 42 saves against Colorado. Nice

Well, that sure as hell beats one shut out in a row.

**raikk** · 10th Jan 07, 06:14

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

Raikk, that is the joy of a .500 team. They look good for 2 periods and get pummelled in the last 3 minutes of the third. Raycroft is part of the problem, he is an ok journeyman it appears, and Leaf's fans are more used to having Belfour and Joseph just stoning teams cold. I think in many ways this Leaf's team is no worse than the previous ones, but the superstar in net isn't there. Raycroft tries hard, is a good kid, but he cant do it full time as the star on the horizon. He needs to find a way to find that winning way he had in his Calder year.

Very valid points but last year Belfour was not there for us.. I think Raycroft is doing a better job this year then Belfour did last year. The only brilliant goaltending we had last year was Aubin in the last 11 game stretch. Raycroft is a good goalie but he does not make game winning saves, he makes great ones at certain times but then theres the one that flutters harmlessly by him. The Leafs were gambleing when they went after Raycroft and although he has not been bad he has not been spectacular either. Aubin is also having some trouble but maybe thats because he's the back up and not the starter.

**A.F.F.** · 10th Jan 07, 07:14

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

Hey AFF, I see tonight that Koivu got his 500th point tonight. He was given a Standing Ovation by the Bell Centre faithful and I cant think of a nicer guy and more worthy man to honour in many ways. He is alright, for a Hab. Problem is, the Hab's won!!! Geeze I just find the Montreal Canadiens annoying, forgive me!!! Maybe if the Leafs would quit flirting with .500 and take a good winning streak I would just chill out....

I fail to see any problem, the Habs won

Anyways, cheers Mark

I was glad to notice the same thing. Another benchmark for Koivu and nice that fans honoured him but Saku is a team player first and I'm sure their won warmed him more than his individual achievement.

**A.F.F.** · 10th Jan 07, 07:15

Originally Posted by Valve Bounce

Well, that sure as hell beats one shut out in a row.

C'mon Valve, I was being optimistic that time

**schmenke** · 10th Jan 07, 15:10

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

... Problem is, the Hab's won!!! ....

After losing three straight...

**veeten** · 10th Jan 07, 20:07

Caps had the brooms out last night, with a 6-2 win and a 4-0 sweep for the season against the Flyers.

2 goals by "Alexander the Great", just after he was announced to be on the starting team in the All-Star game in Dallas.

Go Caps!

**Mark in Oshawa** · 10th Jan 07, 20:19

Veeten, your Caps are coming along nicely. I wish like heck Kolzig was a younger man, he might have a shot at Stanley if he can hang on with that young team in front of him maturing. Alex has proven to have the royal jelly. He has come a long way from the Ovechekin that Canada pounded into the boards at the World Junior Tourney Gold medal game in North Dakota. He was a bit of a punk then, and the Canadians took great offense to his hot dogging against the US in the Semi-finals. He learned a great lesson that time, and now is turning into one of the best players in the league and a good leader. He seems like a good kid really. You guys deserve to see someone that good after the dreary years you have had to endure...

**veeten** · 10th Jan 07, 20:34

true, and the last Capital that was on the starting team in the All-Star game was Langway. That says a lot there, with the players they've had in the past.

The best part is that both him and Crosby will be on the front line. Should be good to see who they choose to defend more heavily.

Olie has been making some fantastic stops this year, and the team taking better advantage of power plays this season has helped loads.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 10th Jan 07, 21:34

It is the all star game, so I suspect no one will stop the Alex and Sid show!!!!

I just wish the owners of Washington or Pittsburgh would lose their minds and trade one of them to my beloved Leafs. Of course, the Leafs wouldn't succeed probably anyhow, they find ways to screw up even the best deals!!!!!!