no possibilityQuote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
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no possibilityQuote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
Not trying to be rude or anything but yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
EDIT: NHL players, should they be fired up or not, have their professional pride towards hockey. No way they would take it easy, not even after a long and lost season.
Well I still disagree. :D :D
I know NHL players are in a differnt league standard wise to GBEL players but in a one off game I think Coventry Blaze would give the Flyers a run for their money. The GBEL players would have their pride at stake as well, they would not want to be embarresed in front of the whole of North America by getting hammered 10-0.
Oh I also forgot to tell you that a couple of months ago we (Newcastle Vipers) signed Ian Fraser!!!
He's so good. Was he any good in the NHL?
Iain Fraser was the captain of the Oshawa Generals when they won the Memorial cup, and was a property of the Islanders in the NHL. I don't think he actually made it to the regular season and likely only played a bit in the AHL. You can look up past players in the hockey data base that is on the net, but it is a few years behind right now.
BTCC, If you think your Vipers can beat an NHL team, I think you are crazy. Understand that as "bad" as the Flyers look, they have about 6 young guys that would tear the British league apart, and their goalie, Martin Biron is light years ahead of the British league. Being bad in the NHL isn't really THAT bad. I have looked over rosters on many different levels of leagues looking for familiar names that I know from watching Major Junior and the NHL, and I can tell you that the British League has about 5 or 6 players I have even HEARD of. That means if they were drafted in the NHL, they were likely 5 or 6 rounds deep when they were picked, and they didn't stay in the NHL system. I can tell you that if you sifted through a hundred of those guys, you might find ONE that maybe got overlooked. As bad as the Flyers have been this year at times, they wouldn't lose to any team in the British league. The British league is close to where the ECHL is, which is to say, 2 levels below the NHL, and that is no shame believe me.....Heck, the Senior A Whitby Dunlops nearby me, an amateur team look like world beaters, but I know they have no one who made the show and would get killed playing an NHL team. They would likely be at a par with the British Hockey league. When a grad of that league makes the NHL, then I will look at saying the British league maybe has upgraded in levels of ability.
It isn't that I want to knock the league BTCC, on the contrary, I would love for some players from the UK to really make an impact, but I know that league just doesn't have the depth of talent to be taken too seriously. NHL players are just increments faster in their decision making and skating than some players in the AHL, but that increment would make all the difference. The ECHL and British League is filled with guys who couldn't stick around in the AHL.....so you do the math. It isn't a great difference, but it is enough to make any match up a blow out.
You big CRY BABY, you think is bad beeing a Leaf´s fan?, I have a friend who lives in Phily, try beeing a Flyer´s fan (I love the logo I have to admit), that is hell my friend, the worst team in all the NHL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
A while ago (a while ago means, many, many, many years) he asked me why everty time I went to Phily I wanted to attend a few flyer´s games, I had to tell him the truth, I love the fact you can get great seats by arriving 20 or 30 minutes before game time.
Way to go Ducks :up: One down, three to go.
sorry not a chance... this GB Elite team may be good but thats only against teams in its own confrence/division.. you do not realize how good an NHL team is until you see one for your self.. I'm pretty sure that probally any CHL team could probally beat them too.. Unfortunetly GB really does not have very much of a hockey culture and that affects how the players play because they will not have much influence due to the lack of coverage of hockey in GBR..Quote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
It is like comparing Canadian footie players to GB/European foot ball players... There is no way that team Canada would beat even the worst of English league teams...
I hope:
Minny
Pitts
Nashville
Dallas
Buffalo
NJD
ATL
Det/CAL(don't care which one)
get past the first round..
Actually the leafs have put them selves in one of the worst spots.. at least the Flyers get a top 5 draft. The leafs are stuck with not getting a chance to compete in the Playoffs and a 13th round pick.. Don't get me wrong that 13th round pick will probally make the NHL and be talented but not superstar material.. On the contrary the leafs did have a very exciting season despite no making the playoffs.. their up tempo game really impressed me and made them to be one of the more exciting teams to watch in the NHL.. But still the season will be considered as many as a failure... the weight of 40 cupless years do not sit well with the organization and the fans..Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrambide
I am going to go to a Florida Panthers game when I'm there in 2009.Quote:
Originally Posted by raikk
I fly to Slovenia at 6:00PM GMT for the World Championships tonight !!!!
I am not a baby, I am a Leaf's fan, which likely is worse. I however, unlike many in the Leaf's Nation know exactly how screwed up my team is after the last 2 years of JFJ Jr.'s reign as the general manager. We are being squeezed under the salary cap by bad management and useless overpaid players. Bryan McCabe and Pavel Kubina should have NEVER been signed and the Leaf's would have been far smarter to rebuild this year, and maybe yes, finish down where the Flyers are.
The Flyers may suck to some people, but in the last few months of the season, they started playing decent hockey once they got past the reality they wouldn't make the playoffs and traded Forsberg. What is more, when they picked up Martin Biron, they got a goalie that finally is of the level of being a number one goalie in the league.
No, I am not a cry baby Jose, I bemoan the fact the Leaf's are not going anywhere for a while, but I realize that to get good, sometimes you have to be REALLY bad sometimes, but the idiots running the Maple Leafs haven't figured this out yet. I will have to wait....for competant management to come along, but I do know it will come when the idiots running the Leafs finally realize the errors of their ways and hire a top flight manager and let him actually run it. Personally, I would take everyone who has anything to do with the hockey team above the coach and fire the lot of them. Including the ownership. One of the great reasons the Toronto has struggled is inept managers and owners...and the corporate managers that own the team right now care more about the profits the Leaf's nation generates rather than giving them a cup. Why I stay a fan, I guess I have no idea. I think just is too hard to change after all these years....but I will be cheering on the Flames and the Sabres.....now THAT will be a final!
Anybody to win the Cup except the Devils, oh boy are they boring to watch, might be effective but not good for promoting the game.
PS, Jose, the Flyers still will always suck to me. Any town that would boo Santa Claus and would likely boo safe landings at the airport deserves to have sports teams that draw derision from the rest of the continent. Philly fans are just over the top for being obnoxious.....
If anyone remembers, this is the town where some stupid fool kept leaning over the glass hurling abuse on Tie Domi and pouring his beer (inadvertently) over Domi. The glass gives way, the idiot falls in to the penalty box WITH Domi (or rather on top of him), and then Domi figures after that he has to be under attack and beats the crap out of the idiot. Now I cannot STAND Tie Domi, but when this loser actually sued Domi, I actually felt for Domi...for an instant anyhow.....THAT guy is your typical Philly Fan....
I'm DISAPPOINTED with Thrashers :down:
See, try to be a fan of a team that sucks, they do suck, they will always suck, thats is my point, that is hard, real, real hard, at least you get to be a fan of a team which is not hated by the majority of NHL fans and have a healthy attemdance, I was no kidding about the fact that I go to Flyer´s games when I´m in Phily because you get good seats if you decide to go on the last minute, Flyer´s games are great when every other plan fails.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Flames are down 2 - 0. They are playing like they have lead feet :mark: No offense whatsoever :down:
Wouldn't be surprised to see Detroit take them in 4 :dozey:
yep, nice figures last night. Kiprusoff: 3-51 Hasek: 1-15
While I agree with you that JFJ has over paid many of his players he has some what rebuilt the leafs prospect pool again... Before JFJ was GM the leafs had 1 top prospect.. the former GM kept trading our future away for older guys and more experiance.. While McCabe and Kubina have gotten more then they deserve I do feel that they have made the leafs better defensively then last year.. JFJ's smartest signing was Paul Maurice his up tempo game will pay off in the future when the leafs have more finnish and goaltending... JFJ's worst trade was Raycroft for Rask..Biron got a traded for a 2nd round pick while we trade what is arguably one of our best goalies for an average streaky goaltender..I think we could of got more for Rask..Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
In a way though you knew that the Leafs could not have both Pogge and Rask and that eventually you would have to trade one of them.. unfortunetly we did not get as much as we would of liked to get for Rask but that happens... I give JFJ a C.. for building up our prospects ,signing Paul Maurice as coach but over paying players and the Rask-Raycroft deal..
The grass is always greener in Nashville :DQuote:
Originally Posted by schmenke
WTF happened to Kari Lehtonen? :eek: Rangers won 7-0.
It seems that he's starting a career as a hoover salesman...Quote:
Originally Posted by A.F.F.
Flames are back in it but I still think that the Wings will take the series... :dozey:
apparently not :s hocked:Quote:
Originally Posted by raikk
Boy oh boy...I was rooting for Nashville, and the Sharks just took em out. This year is getting to be one interesting playoff, and we will have some really good matchups in round two. What gets me is Vancouver just hanging on like a barnacle with their goalie winning games for them over a really tough Dallas team. Goalies make or break teams, but man...I never saw Vancouver getting past Dallas, and it appears it may happen...
Yep, I never thought Rangers had a chance against Thrashers and they just run over them :mark:
Speaking of nasty things, I watched the Detroit Calgary game on the Saturday, Calgary better get their head's out of their collective tushes or they will be golfing by mid week. That was ugly and pointless....
Well, Kipper, Iginla and the boys will be making tee times for Wednesday or so I figure.....tight game with Detroit, but when you get outshot almost 3 to 1 over 4 plus periods of hockey, you cant live forever. Much better game to watch however...the chippy crap gets old and is pointless...
Gawd, you should here the harsh talk in this town now... :s Ugly, and if you ask me unfair ('scuse the pun :mark: ), talk about axing Playfair. Plus speculations now abound about shaking up the Flames with trades, specifically Iginla and/or Kiprusoff. I can't see that happening... :mark:
Kipper did the best that he could with the lousy defence that he had in front...
Kipper was a1, and the defense isn't the issue Schmenke, they lack two good forward lines. That last game said it all. They were massively outshot and from what I saw, it was Iginla trying to carry the team on his back. Tanguay played well and after he and Iginla, I just didn't see any real talent on this team up front. Any team that gets outshot that badly and has that much trouble carrying the rush is in trouble.
I do think they could upgrade on defense, but there are 4 untouchables IMO. Iginla, Kipper, Tanguay and Phanuef. How you improve is beyond me, but if you trade one of these four, you better get a hell of a replacement.
Well, Amonte was brought into the team to provide some more offensive depth but he's been mediocre at best. But you're right, the Iggy-Tanguay-Langkow line, along with Kipper, has been pretty much carrying the team all season.
Nonetheless, the fans are screaming for a scapegoat and I fear Playfair's days are numbered... :mark:
Playfair did the best he had. Calgary never really got quicker and more offensively minded when the rules crackdown hit....Playfair doesn't deserve the ax, but I wonder if Sutter may do it anyhow to shut up the racket from the fans. It is a crappy way to manage, but a lot of GM's do it...
Tell me about it... I'm a Habs fan remember :mark: :p :Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa
Schmenke..lol...at least the management in Montreal knows when the fans are unhappy, here in Ontario, the Leaf's are run by people who just count the money and laugh....
Lets see, out of the 16 teams that made the play offs only 3 were Canadian, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa, which means 15 U.S. teams made the play offs, out of the 8 that will get to the next phase, 6 U.S. teams are already in the next phase, and only one canadian team, Vancouver and Dallas are still playing their series, which means that as much as 7 teams from the U.S. can be in the next phase, but the funny part is that not a single post on this page (13 posts) is from anyone from the U.S., 11 posts are from Canadians, and the other 2 are from guys from Finland, in fact, this will be the 14th post and I´m from Mexico.
They have almost every team in the league but no fans?, a few cities like Detroit and Boston love their hockey teams but some cities like L.A., Arizona and Miami couldn´t care less about their hockey teams.
Lets see, out of the 16 teams that made the play offs only 3 were Canadian, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa, which means 15 U.S. teams made the play offs, out of the 8 that will get to the next phase, 6 U.S. teams are already in the next phase, and only one canadian team, Vancouver and Dallas are still playing their series, which means that as much as 7 teams from the U.S. can be in the next phase, but the funny part is that not a single post on this page (13 posts) is from anyone from the U.S., 11 posts are from Canadians, and the other 2 are from guys from Finland, in fact, this will be the 14th post and I´m from Mexico.
They have almost every team in the league but no fans?, a few cities like Detroit and Boston love their hockey teams but some cities like L.A., Arizona and Miami couldn´t care less about their hockey teams.
Jose, it is nuts aint it? What it is that hockey fans in the US are actually more in number than you realize, but with all the sports in the US, they have short attention spans once their team is out. Also, sunbelt teams are often fairweather fans at best. No, the Canadians on here talk about the hockey because it is part of cultural DNA. Show me most Canadians of the generation Schmenke and I grew up in, and I will show you someone who either played hockey or lived for Saturday night when their team was playing on Hockey Night in Canada or both.
Americans treat hockey as a fun sport, one they enjoy, and in areas like Minnesota, Michigan, Upstate NY and New England it can be a passion, but in Canada, we bleed hockey. The reason the NHL isn't in more Canadian cities is because the economics of the sport when you have multimillion dollar payrolls has priced it out of all but 6 cities in Canada. That said, the economics are not working in many American cities, but it is the dirty little secret the NHL wont admit. They would rather sell the game to rich disinterested Americans and fail than give it to a few more Canadian markets and make a little less. Winnipeg, Quebec and possibly another two teams could easily fit into the Greater Toronto Area, and all make money if the NHL was not at the 45 million dollar payroll level. Alas, things have gotten out of us Canadians control, but it wont change the fact no other nation takes as much pride or love in the sport, and plays it with passion. We are just happy that other countries outside the US now love it and care about it to a level that we can understand. The ironic part is, the US actually has more people playing at some level of hockey than you would guess at, they are only behind Canada slightly in total number of players in organized leagues...
Mark, you seem to love hockey, and by your comments it seems to me that you now well the different minor leagues of hockey (you have talk about the Oshawa generals for example).
I live in Monterrey, Mexico, which means that I don´t have any U.S. cities with NHL teams close to my city, so I don´t attend NHL games that often, but I live close to San Antonio, so I like to attend games of the AHL. I´m relocating to Houston, Texas, they don´t have an NHL team but they have a AHL team (a very bad one, the Aeros were dead last), and driving 3 hours to Dallas to catch a NHL game will not happen very often.
How good is the AHL compared to the rest of the minor leagues?, how good is the AHL overall?, is it like AAA vs Major League comparison?
The playoffs are so not going like I predicted. The end of round one, Dallas out. :mark: And it doesn't help us a bit with the championships since we have too many forwards in Team Finland already. What we need is strong defence. And a good goalie. Not Kari Lehtonen.
The AHL is AAA basically. It is pretty good hockey, if not prone to some goon tactics on occasion, but overall, the guys there are just a notch behind the NHL. The thing to remember with this is that means they are still outstanding hockey players. The difference in talent between the NHL and AHL is not that apparent unless you played them one against the other, and with the top talent in the NHL being a lot higher. For the journeyman player though, a lot of AHL guys would be in the NHL if for fate being different.Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrambide
Note also, since you are moving to Texas, there is minor league hockey in the CHL and ECHL at various cities. Since franchises come and go, I haven't kept up on it, but it is about the AA or A equivalent. It can be a lot of fun, and those guys are hard working guys with no big contracts, so they are hungry and aggressive players.
As for my Generals, well, they were swept in the Eastern Conference Semi's of the OHL in four straight games by the Belleville Bulls. Next year will be different, we have a lot of young guys coming up and John Tavares will be really coming into his own. He broke Wayne Gretzky's record for goals by a 16 year old in the OHL with 72 (Wayne had 70) and with two more years of Junior eligibility left, we will have a Memorial Cup challenger for sure....
Now that you mention CHL and ECHL, Laredo (which is relatively close to Monterrey) has a CHL team, The Laredo Bucks, my cousin who thinks San Antonio is too far to attend a hockey game likes to see the Bucks, and if I´m not wrong I think the Bucks are affilitiaded with The San Antonio Rampage (just like The Rampage is affiliated with Phoenix).