Official NHL/hockey thread

AFF, yes..and when Calgary gets home after being on the road for almost 2 weeks, the rest of the team will match his pace. Calgary is stuck with this murderous road trip because of the Brier (Canadian Men's Curling Championship) which will be ending as I type this.

I was torn last night, because I am a Leaf's fan but Calgary is my other team I cheer for on a regular basis and I can see they have the makings of a really good offensive team but I worry they are a little soft on the defensive side. Depending on Kipper may not be the best way to win. Kiprusoff is a great goalie but he needs more support than he has been getting of late.

write this down folks.. Leafs will draft Brayden Schenn in this years draft ;)

Kari Lehtonen has had a weird late awakening. Too bad it won't help Atlanta anymore. Pekka Rinne otherhand has played brilliantly and surely is fighting for the rookie of the year title :up:

After a really good start, Rangers seem to be under a threat to drop out of the playoffs in eastern conference. As do Habs.

In western, I can't belive Wild blew it so bad. Two of my favs, Wild and Ducks have to fight real hard if they wanna make it... *fingers crossed*

Can you guys tell me if Islanders, Avalanche and tampa bey are losing on purpose now in order to get the number one pick ?? Or are there any penalties for the worst of the league?

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Can you guys tell me if Islanders, Avalanche and tampa bey are losing on purpose now in order to get the number one pick ?? Or are there any penalties for the worst of the league?

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They are just so bad. there are no penalties as such, with the exception of humiliation of being the joke of the league.
Before the season I thought Tampa was a certain playoff team, but they have been a very negative surprise.

I support the Avs, and I honestly thought we had a chance for the championship, but how wrong I was :D

To be honest, I've never been one to settle for this, but why not lose every game from now on to try to get the number one pick (probably John Tavares)?

I thought we had a good team but it's obvious something needs to change. It's not as if there has been one or two players in particular who have been bad. Most of the players have been ok but it's been a strange old season.

I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame during the Listeria outbreak. While I was there I kissed the Stanley Cup. When I got home I went to my doctor and asked him if there was any chance I could catch Listeria from kissing the cup. My doctor told me not to worry, he said that the cup hadn't touched a Maple Leaf product in 40 years.

See post # 740 :dozey:

(If I had a nickel... :dozey: )

So there nothing that prevents Islanders from getting number one pick this year ?? Great system :mark:

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

So there nothing that prevents Islanders from getting number one pick this year ?? Great system :mark:

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Draft lottery. Only the top 5 worst teams can get the nr.1 pick, with the worst team having the best chance.

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Originally Posted by Garry Walker

Draft lottery. Only the top 5 worst teams can get the nr.1 pick, with the worst team having the best chance.

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Aah... ok. Cheers for the info Garry.

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Can you guys tell me if Islanders, Avalanche and tampa bey are losing on purpose now in order to get the number one pick ?? Or are there any penalties for the worst of the league?

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No GM with half a brain would ask his players to tank games to win more chances in the draft lottery. The lottery came about because it was rumoured that that Quebec Nordiques (now Av's) did this one year (not likely, they just sucked!) and Ottawa Senators (ditto but their kooky owner at the time I know came out and said something about hoping they would lose) all but did.

In retrospect, both teams were just full of young guys or no talent journeymen trying to hang onto a career but the NHL decided to remove the temptation.

The lottery is no sure thing. If you are in LAST in the league, you have about a 50% chance of getting the first pick. If you are second last, it works out to about 20%. Third last? About 10% The last 5 teams are the only ones eligible to get that first pick, and the draft lottery guarntee's that last team at least a top 3 pick no matter how the balls fall out of the lottery tumbler. So the worst the Islanders (if they stay in last) will do is a 3rd pick overall.

So there is no point really into tanking for that 1st pick because the odds are still only even on getting that pick.

No GM would ever really be sane if he asked his players to lose. The players are not wired mentally to tank games, and if they were, you would be a fool to sign them.

Now, icing a bad team full of earnest young guys who don't have the talent to stick around, but will try anyhow? THAT is legal, see the Nordiques and first year Senators or Lightning. Or the 74/75 Capitals, a truly DREADFUL team.

Personally, it galls me that the Islanders will yet again likely have a shot at the number one pick. That owner has allowed his franchise to be a laughing stock for years by their stunning ability to trade away good players for bad, and trade away draft choices. The ones they have kept have been dismal failures. The fact my favourite Junior player, John Tavares is likely to end up there just grinds away at justice. Charles Wang, the owner of the Isles should sell the team to someone with a clue......because Wang hasn't had one in YEARS....

World Championship starts tomorrow!!! Divison 2 anyway.

BTCC...you English have a team in the Division 2 tourney?

The world's is an also ran event really in many ways. I felt that way years ago and I think even more so now. The best players are NOT always there, and the national teams often have little time to become teams. Ideally the NHL would kill off the league for a month once every 4 years and have a proper World Cup. THAT would be the best way to determine all of this, but the IIHF like their money so the "World's" wont go away.

The World Junior Tourney works like this and while some might dispute because Canada wins all the time, that is why I like it but Canada has struggled at times in this tourney. What it has proven tho is when a team is picked, given 2 or 3 weeks to prepare, and then put in a decent format, this format produces excellent hockey.

Oh I agree 100% with what you are saying but for a country like us it is a big event because it gives us the chance if we can gain promotion to compete with the likes of USA, Finalnd, Canada and Sweden. I'm sure we are still a country mile off the standard of the nations I have just named but since the formation of the Elite League in 2003 British Ice Hockey has risen spectacularly in standard.

We are in Division 1 so we are within touching distance of the big time, we just need one more big push. Yesterday we lost 4-2 to Ukraine which was probably to be expected but next up is Italy and I've got a felling we could suprise afew people.

Ukraine can be a bitch to play against. So having lost 4-2 is a pretty good achievement from England :up: Best of luck against Italy.

First round pairs are ready to rumble. If my wish was to be fullfilled, Habs, Rangers, Carolina and Philly from east and Ducks, Detroit, Canucks and Calgary from west would continue to the second round :D

Italy 5-2 Great Britain

We have Romania tomorrow, it's a must win to keep up any hopes of promotion.

1. Italy 6
2. Poland 6
3. Ukraine 6
4. Great Britain 0
5. Netherlands 0
6. Romania 0

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Originally Posted by BTCC2

Italy 5-2 Great Britain

We have Romania tomorrow, it's a must win to keep up any hopes of promotion.

1. Italy 6
2. Poland 6
3. Ukraine 6
4. Great Britain 0
5. Netherlands 0
6. Romania 0

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Well If I was going to handicap those 6 nations, that would be the order I think they would be in. Italy can give good teams fits as can the Polish and the Ukraine. I hope in a few years Great Britain can be in the conversation of teams making it to the top division....

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Ukraine can be a bitch to play against. So having lost 4-2 is a pretty good achievement from England :up: Best of luck against Italy.

First round pairs are ready to rumble. If my wish was to be fullfilled, Habs, Rangers, Carolina and Philly from east and Ducks, Detroit, Canucks and Calgary from west would continue to the second round :D

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I want to see the Bruins, Caps, Pens, and Hurricanes in the East, in the west ? Go Flames, Go Canucks, after that....It really doesn't matter.

Habs and Flames in the final :D

That sounds like a win-win situation for you.

Romania 0-8 Great Britain

Keeps us in with a VERY slim chance!

1. Italy 9
2. Ukraine 9
3. Poland 6
4. Great Britain 3
5. Netherlands 0
6. Romania 0

habs out first round :D

Most likely, as indicated in my pool picks :mark:

Great Britain 3-2 Netherlands

1. Italy 9
2. Ukraine 8
3. Poland 7
4. Great Britain 6
5. Netherlands 0
6. Romania 0

Ukraine v Romania and Poland v Italy later tonight.

Ukraine 7-0 Romania
Poland 2-4 Italy

1. Italy 12
2. Ukraine 11
3. Poland 7
4. Great Britain 6
5. Netherlands 0
6. Romainia 0

Netherlands 5-1 Romania
Italy 2-0 Ukraine
Poland 1-2 Great Britain (After OverTime) :D :D :D

1. Italy 15 +22
2. Ukraine 11 +12
3. Great Britain 8 +5
4. Poland 8 +5
5. Netherlands 3 -7
6. Romania 0 -37

I think this shows just how much progress we are beginning to make in International Ice Hockey!!! I'm so happy!

So, it looks like Tavares will be with the Islanders as they won the draft lottery.

Some of the goalies are on fire at the time of playoffs. How come Kiprusoff isn't ?? :mark:

Ovechkin is trying to win the series by himself. He and the rest of the offensive stars need to play more as a team. Once they do the goals will come.

I don't know how to rate BOS/MON, Game 2 starts soon.

PIT weathered the storm and I think they can handle Philly the rest of the way.

Everyone picked Carolina to win the series and I wonder if the Hurricanes players believed the hype...

SJ/ANA is going to be an upset because I believe San Jose is cursed in the playoffs (for some reason).

I would NEVER pick the Hurricanes over the Devils, you never bet against Marty Brodeur in the first round, espeically when that team won all those games with backup goalies most of the season. The Devils are the team that will give Boston the hard time, not Washington. Ovechkin will wear down and they don't have the goalies, and the battle of Pennsylvania will take its toll on the winner.

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Originally Posted by N. Jones

SJ/ANA is going to be an upset because I believe San Jose is cursed in the playoffs (for some reason).

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I'm not unhappy about it at all :bounce: Ducks ruled their second win !!

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Originally Posted by N. Jones

...Everyone picked Carolina to win the series ...(for some reason).

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I didn't :mark:

I picked a Boston - Detroit final.

Hey, not a single mention about Juniors.... Like how Finland whiped Canada's arse in Championships by taking the bronze in a shoot-out :D

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Originally Posted by A.F.F.

Hey, not a single mention about Juniors.... Like how Finland whiped Canada's arse in Championships by taking the bronze in a shoot-out :D

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It's the under 18's...the ugly step child of the World Championship levels. The World's are not a big deal to us over here, since most of the top pro's are busy with NHL playoffs, and us Canadians get cranked only for the Under 20's (WJHC).

Congrats to Finland on the Bronze, but the Canadians have a notoriously poor record in Bronze medal games. Either we are going for Gold, or we don't care it seems.

Also BTCC, congrats to your British team. It does seem you guys are starting to come to the top of that pool. Maybe 10 years from now they are in the A pool at the Olympics and World Championships.

Go Flames go :dozey:

Well, at least OJ finally what was suppose to do in the team....

Habs out, hurray....

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Originally Posted by schmenke

Go Flames go :dozey:

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Schmenke...look at the bright side. One, you are cheering for a team close to you. Two, the Hab's were life and death to make the playoffs, so it isnt' like you didn't have time to prepare for it. Three, Gainey will have half of these stiffs gone next year and you get an almost Brand spanking new team next year. What is more, you could have a Quebec owner ( although Gillett has been a really good owner really ) who might change the direction of the club.

Sometimes you need a kick in the teeth to rebuild. The problem is with you Hab's fans you still think Sam Pollock is running the NHL and only having to outsmart Harold Ballard to win Cups. This is the new reality and you Montreal fans better get used to the fact you guys can suck just like the Leafs do....

As for me...I was going to root for Calgary at the start of the playoffs and the Bruins were always a favourite in this burg since we were once the junior team affiliated with the B's ( hence the Orr, Middleton, O'Reilly, Cashman, Awrey connection)

Sharks (and thornton) dissapointing again. The moment the important times come, he disappears.

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Originally Posted by Garry Walker

Sharks (and thornton) dissapointing again. The moment the important times come, he disappears.

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It is the reason he will NEVER be any more than a bit player on the Canadian Olympic team next year, if he is asked to come out for it at all. Many in the hockey community figured this was the year he had to put up or shut up. He has shut up it appears. He would make a perfect Montreal Canadien....lol