Official NHL/hockey thread

Really glad the Bruins beat the Habs...again. I don't want to be overconfident but I'd love to see them make the Stanley Cup finals. It'll be tough, they haven't been great against New Jersey or Washington. But it'd be really nice this year since a lot of guys are free agents after this season.

Went to the Providence game, a lot of fun, they beat Worcester 2-1. Tuuka Rask may be the Finn of the future but I've got another Finnish Boston prospect on my list now: Mikko Lehtonen (there are two Mikko Lehtonens in professional hockey, this one was born in 1987 and is from Espoo). He scored both of the goals and is a pretty big guy (6'4" and 205).

This just in....the Ottawa Senators fired their coach. Me thinks they fired the wrong guy. That doofus Bryan Murray basically overpaid for a lot of forwards, couldn't afford the defensemen that made the team go and cant find a goalie. The GM is the damned problem, not a good coach like Craig Hartsburg.

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just scored tickets to the Habs vs. Flames game on Monday at the 'Dome :up:
I shall be appropriately adorned in full "tri-couleurs" attire :D


Lang out for the season with a severed achille's tendon :(
Latendresse out until the end of the month with a shoulder injury (o.k., no big loss there :p : )

On the plus side, another stellar performance by the Leafs last nite :disturb:

And I'm happy because february's free channel from my cable company is ESPN America. I finally get to see some games :up:

When I first saw the thread in INDY racing 'Milka Duno to NHL' I though the Toronto Maple Laffs had really gone nuts. :D

When Niklas Bäckström, Pekka Rinne, Mikko Koivu etc are playing very strong, Vesa Toskala(Leafs), Kari Lehtonen(Trashers) and Jussi Jokinen(Lightning) are being bashed as lazy and no good. And they are being bashed for a reason. Toskala was much better when he had to compete with Nabokov, he was more on the edge. Lehtonen is most over-rated goalie in NHL history. And Jussi Jokinen isn't just good enough. I just don't think he is NHL material.

Just makes me mad that players like Toskala, Lehtonen and Jokinen get to play when Leino(DET), Pesonen(PIT) and Lepistö(WAS) are sitting on the bench, if even there :mark:

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

...Just makes me mad that players like Toskala, Lehtonen and Jokinen get to play when Leino(DET), Pesonen(PIT) and Lepistö(WAS) are sitting on the bench, if even there :mark:

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Well, Detroit already has two starting goalies, and both Fleury and Theodore are contracted as no. 1 goalies :mark:

Speaking of goalies, Kiprusoff lost another one last night. He's performance has been sub-par lately :mark:

Sorry, my bad. Leino and Pesonen are forwards and Lepistö defense. I just mentioned them because they are actually very good players but don't fit in their super teams... yet.

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just scored tickets to the Habs vs. Flames game on Monday at the 'Dome :up:
I shall be appropriately adorned in full "tri-couleurs" attire :D


Lang out for the season with a severed achille's tendon :(
Latendresse out until the end of the month with a shoulder injury (o.k., no big loss there :p : )

On the plus side, another stellar performance by the Leafs last nite :disturb:

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Just what the world needs. Calgary vs. the Habs. If not for the Leafs I would suggest that this would be a battle of two teams that should be playing better trying to get off losing streaks, but the Habs will likely beat on the Leafs. Which is FINE. For a change, us Leaf's fans WANT to be behind the Islanders and Senators. Gotta get moving on that. Hopefully Joesph starts a game here and there....lol

Oh yes...Just for fun and to keep this thread interesting, I thought us hockey fans should hold court and maybe put together some all time teams. I realize that the Finnish contingent will have players on their all time teams maybe us Canucks and Americans haven't heard of it but hey, I might learn something too eh?

I will put my starting 5 out there: Goal, Patrick Roy, Defense Larry Robinson and Bobby Orr, Forwards Gretzky, Beliveau and Richard. (hate to leave Gordie Howe off that list but he would be my second line eh?)

FOR SALE:

Slightly used red, white and blue jersey. Best offer, or trade for any other colour (except blue and white).

:s

Yep, that was a hard day to be a Habs fan :mark:

It's been a hard couple of weeks.
Habs have lost 8 out of their last 10. During the last two games they've been out-scored 13 - 4 :s

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Originally Posted by schmenke

FOR SALE:

Slightly used red, white and blue jersey. Best offer, or trade for any other colour (except blue and white).

:s

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Son..you aint begun to suffer. Try the mental cruelty that comes with living in the world of being a Toronto Maple Leaf fan...

At Mark, you have been talking about the importance of Pond Hockey in the development of young players. I read an article of Ville Leino and it turns out that he has a history of open ice. The reporter called him the last of his kind and it easy to see why. 99 rookies out 100 would have passed the puck to Hossa but not Ville Leino when he scored his first official NHL goal. That scoring alone shows what kind of player he is and he is going to be. Bold, arrogant, witty, creative....He has the chance to be one of the best if he stays healthy and hard working.

Senators finally has woken up. What do you think, there still is long way to playoffs, you think Ottawa is there ??

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Senators finally has woken up. What do you think, there still is long way to playoffs, you think Ottawa is there ??

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Nah unlike the leafs i think its too late for both sens and leafs, better luck next year perhaps :rolleyes:

You're probably right...

At this rate the Habs will lose a playoff spot, with or without Kovalev :s

Schmenke, I turn on the Sirius every day for "Hockey Night In Canada" radio and I keep hearing about the Habs losing and I keep wondering if you want that blue and white jersey I have in my closet......

Oh well...the Senators still suck worse eh?

I hope the rumours turn true and Habs get OJ from Coyotes. He knows Koivu well and is a pure and tough scorer, pretty much what Habs could use now.

Q: The Stanley Cup was in my town yesterday and I sipped from the Cup. Should I worry about getting Listeria?
A: No, the Cup has not been in contact with any Maple Leaf products for over 40 years.

Yuk, yuk, yuk :D


(don't think the Finns will get that one ;) )

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Originally Posted by edv

Q: The Stanley Cup was in my town yesterday and I sipped from the Cup. Should I worry about getting Listeria?
A: No, the Cup has not been in contact with any Maple Leaf products for over 40 years.

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You know....you are quite right. Maybe in another 40 years when I am in the nursing home and drooling, they will be in the finals, and I will croak halfway through Game 7....

A wild one in the 'Dome last night... not exactly stellar goal-tending performances by either team :s

OJ was in flames last night. Now he finally is in good team and along with Iginla and Cammalleri he will do some serious damage :up:

Stupid Leafs. They take a guy who drove the Senators to the bottom of the league on waivers to be the goalie ( I am of the "tank it baby tank it" philosophy to get a good draft pick ) and the guy stops 37 out of 38 shots and almost nails a shut out. The stupid Leafs cannot even LOSE when they should.....

It was an interesting trade deadline and the Flames picked up one heck of a hockey player in Jokinen and I heard that Keenan wanted him so it will likely be a good fit for him in Calgary....

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

OJ was in flames last night. Now he finally is in good team and along with Iginla and Cammalleri he will do some serious damage :up:

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It certainly looks that way! :up:

All in all, a pretty calm trade deadline :mark:

:eek:

Unbelievable round last night.

Just take a look at the scoretable. Islanders 7, Devils 3, Brodeur out.

Blue jackets 8, Red Wings 2.

Hurricanes 9, Lightnings 3.

And Wild continues to loose, Bacström had a terrible night and soon they don't fit in the play offs anymore :(

Carbanneau sacked. Gainey has taken over has interim head coach. Sign of desperation from a team trying to ensure a playoff spot :dozey:

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Carbanneau sacked. Gainey has taken over has interim head coach. Sign of desperation from a team trying to ensure a playoff spot :dozey:

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To think, at one time they seemed like one of the main contenders for the Cup this season.

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Carbanneau sacked. Gainey has taken over has interim head coach. Sign of desperation from a team trying to ensure a playoff spot :dozey:

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Carbo got sacked because he was going to Halak making Gainey look like he was wrong on making Carey Price the saviour. What is more, Gainey may be in trouble if the Hab's don't make a good run in the playoffs. Gillet needs that playoff revenue, and you Hab's fans think it is a cardinal sin if you are not at least in the conference finals every year. Gainey has to make a go of it and he probably figures if he is coaching and fails, at least he goes out on his shield. Personally, I think Carbo wasn't a bad coach but he lost this team. It is the curse of the Hab's that every coach they pick pretty much has to be bilingual if not a francophone. You gonna tell me a Ken Hitchcock, Joel Quennville or Pat Quinn aren't worthy to coach the Habs?

Wild is working really hard NOT to get in to playoffs :up:






:dozey:

AFF..unlike my stupid Leafs who keep winning JUST enough to toss them out of the John Taveres/Hedman sweepstakes....

Yep, it's great to be THIRD worst.

AFF...it is the last hope for fans of bad teams...to draft a superstar...

Well, a few weeks ago I lost 1st place in my pool with 5 injured players :mark: . Now with 6 - Kovalchuk being the most recent - I'm struggling to hang on to 3d :bigcry:
It's not so much the loss of over $600.00 for first place but the loss of bragging rights that hurts the most :D

How you all doing? Any potential rewards to soon reap? :D

UK Elite league standings:

1. Sheffield steelers 83
2. Coventry Blaze 74
3. Nottingham Panthers 74
4. Belfast Giants 72
5. Cardiff Devils 55
6. Manchester Phoenix 53
7. Newcastle Vipers 42
8. Edinburgh Capitals 36
9. Hull Stingrays 33
10. Basingstoke Bison 19

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Well, a few weeks ago I lost 1st place in my pool with 5 injured players :mark: . Now with 6 - Kovalchuk being the most recent - I'm struggling to hang on to 3d :bigcry:
It's not so much the loss of over $600.00 for first place but the loss of bragging rights that hurts the most :D

How you all doing? Any potential rewards to soon reap? :D

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Schmenke...I feel your pain. I was in pools for over 4 years. I would take guys who were on iron man streaks only to watch them go down with season ending injuries at Christmas. This year, I am not in a pool and I have noticed some of the guys I had last year are having healthy seasons.....

My only guy I could always depend on was Iginla, who played a pretty good game in a losing effort tonight. What always did me in was picking goalies...never had any luck with em.

Our pool had a complicated formula that gave goalies a point rating based on their win/loss ratio and save percentages...

Oh I'm so glad to see OJ finally in a good team. He's really on fire alongside Iginla and Cammalleri :)