| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/25/2008 10:54:26 PM | """...They haven't made the payoffs in eons and you think they are ok..."""
I didn't say they were Ok. I said they have a nucleus of a half decent roster there.What happens to it remains to be seen.
Don't kid yourself kaos. This team took me to hell and back this year. That 4-0 lead the Kings had heading off the ice after one in LA back in jan. had to be one of the lowest points of being a leaf fan in memory. Seriously.
I nearly put my boot thru that TV a few times over the winter with all the numbskull moves they did in the first half of the season. They were a complete nightmare to watch some nights the way they'd give them away at the end. It was eery like.
Honestly, you could see it if it was maybe once or twice, but by the sixth and seventh time that these guys are flicking the puck over the glass in the third, you're thinking like wtf is going on here?
Right up to the night before that game in LA, in San Jose the night before they'd been playing a real solid game with the lead and poof, a string of braindead penalties starting late in the 2nd and carrying on. And you think, like what is going on here?
Unreal stuff to watch, believe me. Then they'd, once every three weeks or so, tease you with displays of potential where they could freewheel it with the best of them, and seriously manhandle some teams on the ice.
I'd rather look at the 15-8-1 clip they're running at right now and think that if they'd had all oars in the water, all pullin' the same way right from the word go back in October, this club could have been easily flirting with a 100 point season. If a hockey club can play like that for 20, 25 games, they should be able to duplicate most of that over an entire season.
We'll see what the off season brings. Changes will be made. | |
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ruich
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Joined: 1/24/2008
Msg: 5677 | |
| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/25/2008 11:10:47 PM | I wouldn't be hoping too hard for that 100 point season. That was never in the cards this year, no matter what. I'd say that the Leafs are (or were) a barely make the playoffs team, even at their best. I might be wrong, but it seemed to me that the players might have had a bit of a problem with each other this year. Only after the trade deadline did they seem to try, or even care what their fate was.Mats went on a tear, and they went on a pretty unbelievable winning streak for a while there after that. This is a team that never reached the 100 point plateau until the league started handing out points for losing in overtime. I'd say that drastic spending and changes are needed to make this team anything but a wannabe in the near future.
Toskala seems like a pretty solid goalie, but he will need some defensive help to avoid the same fate as the last few touted Leafs netminders. Felix Potvin, anyone? | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 12:25:39 AM | """...''I think we're 1-4 this month at home and 6-0 on the road,'' said Maurice, who was accurate on that. ''That's a difficult thing to deal with.'..""'
Even more difficult will be him explaining how this team failed to live up to his prediction he had a contender.
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ruich:"""...That was never in the cards this year, no matter what."""
You're right. i had that feeling when the NHL announced out of the blue the 15 games to Bell, and then right after that Blake's diagnosis. Actually i was waiting back then for the shoe to drop and see Toskala go down and then all the off season moves would have been negated.
"""...I might be wrong, but it seemed to me that the players might have had a bit of a problem with each other this year. Only after the trade deadline did they seem to try, or even care what their fate was.."""
I think you're right on the money there too. I don't know if it's the presence of the Muskoka Five or the no trade contracts, or what, but attitude in that dressing room has been a concern, of mine anyway, for a couple of seasons now. They lack heart even though they showed some finally here for a few weeks, but there's something else missing. That team pride that Gilmour and Wendel used to exemplify. The pride of wearing that uni. What Maurice was talking about the other night when the team was hi-fiving Stajan when he came to the bench for his awesome PK in bufflao friday night. He said it was the first time all year he'd really seen outward expressions of team camaraderie. I mean that doesn't sound like a real closely knit hockey club, nor does it sound like a very motivated or inspired one either.
You could really see it when Sundin and Blake were tried together at the start but the chemistry was way way off between the two of them. They were totally not on the same page together out there. So i dunno what was going on in that dressing room. You sense that they're not all on the same page. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 2:41:58 AM | | i dony know,i might be a little down in the dumps to if i came to an orginization and soon found out that it is a disorginized mess.i wouldnt doubt that ownership of the leafs even knew that sundin and the gang had no trade clauses in there contract.it took mso long to fire fergie because they first had to figure uot where toronto was on the map. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 7:06:36 AM | Ok enough mediocre Leaf talk back to teams that actually want to win a Cup at some point this century.
The Pens are impressive. Potvin looks to finally have his act together. But will Sid the Kid's return help or hurt the roll they are on? | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 7:22:29 AM | | Hard to see Crosby as anything short of a noteworthy asset but, what's that old adage again? Oh yeah, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". They're hot right now so it's a tough call, but I'd wager the Pens just got more dangerous. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 7:45:59 AM | id bet the pens get sent golfing early again. maybe a 2nd round knockout.
flames with there worst periord in the 1st last night followed by one of the best in the 2nd and 3rd. its so nice to have a 3rd line lol
oilers could really help the flames by beating the wild tonight. same with a aves win would be great at the flames moving to winning the northwest.
its really nice owning the tie breaks against the wild. flames also able to own the tie breaks for the nucks if they win the other games left against. but really if the flames take 2 points from the nucks that should be more then enough to not have to worry about them.
my guess is even though the flames magic number for first in the northwest is 10 they really only are going to need to beat the wild and 1 game no ot against the nucks plus get 2 points from edmonton ethier a win or 2 ot loses. have to remember games against the wild and nucks count at 4 points pretty much, you take 2 and they drop 2. or at the worse like taking 3.
go flames go
in sutter we trust | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 8:31:41 AM | "oilers could really help the flames by beating the wild tonight. "
Oilers need to beat the Wild to help themselves. Surely if it had anything whatsoever to do with helping Calgary they'd crap the bed the way the Flames did on Monday, when Edmonton could have used the help | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 9:11:12 AM |
they'd crap the bed the way the Flames did on Monday, when Edmonton could have used the help Yup. Nucks are our new ally now. And anybody who'll beat up the Preds for us. Maybe a hand from the Wings but the rest they play are basement teams. Fingers crossed | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 10:24:22 AM | did you wacth the game agsint the aves? stars of that game were all wearing stripes.
im thinking if the oil can win 4 of the next 5 they should take that 8th seed. really it may only take 3 of 5 but thats more hopping on some things.
a win against calgary and wild. then must win in reg time against nucks and aves. not seeing as many of those 3 points games as the oil feared. hell as the whole northwest was worring about.
with a win tonight from the oilers that puts them ethier 1 or 2 points behind ethier nucks or aves depending on if ot is needed in there game. oilers also play both of those teams so great great chance on chacthing them. best case oilers is for a nucks win then oil on 1 point back with a game in hand on the aves.
i dont think the nucks are so much your ally as one of the teams that may be able to miss the playoffs. oil fans may want to start to grab a red sweater and cheer for the flames to get hot as we play the nucks 2 more times, best bet for the oilers is the flames and wild keep on winning (besides against the oilers).
if the oilers and aves win tonight Flames should be able to walk with the north west only really having to win 2 out of the 5 left. however those 2 would have to be the wild and one agsint the nucks with no ot.
really if you look at it its very possiable to only have to win the 2. as nucks and wild play eachother so one should be out before to long. mind you anything can happen but its the flames divison to lose now.
go flames go
in sutter we trust
please win tonight aves and oil. no 3 point games. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 11:49:24 AM | Wow it must be exhausting trying to figure out all of the possible scenarios for getting your teams into the playoffs.
I am tired from just reading this crap.
Lets get back to some thing interesting like uhm.... I don't know... oh ya ... Leafs Suck!
But really kids... How about Stamkos? He killed my Spits last night with 4 goals. And he should not of been playing!
Kings are getting a good one! | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 1:33:37 PM | it is hard to be a canucks fan right now when we keep dropping key games against divisional rivals and with the possibility of luongo missing 1-2 games could hurt us even more .
i see the canucks grabbing the 8th playoff spot with some sort of luck lol | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 2:36:13 PM | "did you wacth the game agsint the aves? stars of that game were all wearing stripes. "
No ... I was busy watching the other Alberta team do what all of Alberta was hoping them to do.
But in looking at the game sheet, the refs couldn't have been that bad. The Flames were given 6 PP opportunities, the same as the Avs. Unless of course you mean the refs were in net for the Avs, or that they were the ones to score two goals on Kipper
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 4:56:19 PM | well they scored the 2nd goal. clear cut icing and not blown dead. lots of stuff that should have been called wasnt "diving on the aves part" kipper was ran over time after time, with no call. so just a bad game overall from the stripes, wasnt a case of a game where they let everything go or let them play. stripes should have had all 3 stars that game.
how can anyone not like figuring what scenarios are good for your team with 5 games left? flames are in i would bet everything i own on that. only 5 points for a forsure but whos kidding who here preds would have to run the table and thats just not going to happen. the way the flames have been playing no way they dont get 5 points of 10.
go flames go
in sutter we trust. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/26/2008 7:10:07 PM | | the pens could do well if their goaltending holds up.fleury is starting to show the signs of a goalie brought along to soon. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/27/2008 12:28:07 AM | Caps Pens matchup could be a neat first round matchup.
NHL would love to see Ovechkin in the playoffs. They can pull even with the Bruins thursday nite they'll be one up in the win column with Bruins having a game in hand. Bruins Savard has a broken back but they say he'll just miss the one game. As much as I admire the way those bruins have soldiered on this year with their injuries, the caps right now are the better team and should get there.
Pens have home and homers with the Strangers and the Flyers left, so it's hard to figure out who might meet who first if they don't finish 1st. Everyone's sorta clogged up in the middle area now with the sens and the devils. Sens could fall to as low as 7th if they don't get more conisistency in their effort.
If Habs win the east and the Caps sneak in, you might see old Huet in goal opening round against his old club. Wouldn't that be something. Bob Gainey, how do you like me now? lol | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/27/2008 4:04:09 PM | "I remember my first NHL game against him. 'Don't mess with me, old man,' I told him. Next thing I remember was the smelling salts."
Derek Sanderson
Gordie Howe turns 80 on monday.
"They admire Gordie because he symbolized one thing in the game of hockey. He was tough. He was resolute. And he gave better than he took."
Broadcaster Bill Mazer
"Despite an even temperament and a real distaste for combat, there is a part of Howe that is calculatingly and primitively savage. He is a punishing artist with a hockey stick, slashing, spearing, tripping and high-sticking his way to a comparative degree of solitude on the ice."
Mark Kram, Sports Illustrated
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=11397
Boy it seems like only yesterday they were going on and on about him still playing in his 40's with his boys. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/27/2008 4:49:08 PM | Many years ago I met Gordie Howe in O'Hare airport on a trip to Wisconsin to play the Badgers.
Colleen(his wife and manager) was two seats down withe the briefcase open studying contracts.
Ol #9 sat there with the Free Press in hand reading the sports page.
He had shoulders the size of a bull moose's.
He could not have been nicer as he asked us about our season and signed our tickets.
What a thrill to meet Mr. Hockey.
Last night while flying into Edmonton I had the pleasure to meet George Chuvalo. Nice guy but a little punchy. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:28:40 AM | "It's starting to get on my nerves"
-Nik Antropov 
Meanwhile, although Mats Sundin was unavailable for comment, rumour has it he was seen in the corner of the locker room, rolled up in a ball, rocking back and forth, mumbling " shoulda waived ... shoulda waived...."
Oh ... and my favourite ...
"We WILL make the playoffs and we WILL contend for the Stanley Cup this season."
-Paul Maurice, Sept. 13, 2007
This stuff never gets old!
41 years and counting!!!!! | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:35:16 AM | Leafs are officially history. Happy now passion? lol
Still lots of good hockey to talk about though. Leafs played good enough to win last night but it wasn't meant to be. Very sleepy with their backchecking though. It's over for anudder year. First time in the history of the Leafs to miss 3 straight years. I can accept a two year transitioning period if i have to, but not 3. No way.
Maurice never got his defence in order fast enough, and the first half breakdowns were too much in the end to overcome once the club did start playing decent hockey. And they did play some decent hockey for about 6 weeks there. Hockey I expected from them right from day one. I can't see how anyone in leafland can justfiy keeping this coach another year.
Colorado and Philly have managed to almost shift on the fly by only missing one year in a row. Chicago looks poised for next year. St. Louis will make a coaching change here at the end. They stopped playing for Andy Murray weeks ago. Edmonton seems to have done almost a total rebuild in under one season. Montreal moved out Sheldon Souray and moved in Roman Hamrlick and went from the outhouse to the penthouse. I'm starting to think with the almost parity in the league right now, that good coaching skills are even more important now in making the difference between being above water or below the waterline.
Maybe if Bettman's lucky, in a couple of years, all 30 teams will be separated by two points or less going into the final weekend. It's exciting in one way, but not so much in others.
Caps keep pace though with a big late rally last night. Sparked by a huge faceoff win in the Tampa end late in the third by Sergie Federov. Huet now 7-2 since coming over with something like a 2.04 gaa. One more road game and then they close it out with 3 at home.
Go Caps Go!!
Hey, I'm allowed. Brucey Boudreau is leaf alumni, or alumnus whatever. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:40:06 AM |
"It's starting to get on my nerves"
Good one. When i saw him say that last night, for the first time in his 8 years as a Leaf I didn't think he was such a stiff. I'd keep him around another year. Steen and Stajan too.
I just don't like all these rumours and rumblings I keep hearing that Steen's been or being groomed for the next captaincy. I kinda like Steens two-way game, but i don't want him as captain. Not saying anything bad about Mats, but I want an Ontario boy as captain. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:42:11 AM | "First time in the history of the Leafs to miss 3 straight years. "
Only true in the most technical of therms. The franchise missed the playoffs from 1926-1928, but in the 1926 season they were still called the St. Pats. | |
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| Thread: Hockey anyone?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:48:27 AM | that's why it's the first time in the history of the leafs... | |
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