Running NHL 2023-24 regular season thread

Holy shit, does that guy have balls calling that an “exclusive.”

It’s been reported everywhere else for a week. Barry M. Bloom is apparently the last person to find out.

 

It was that or another joke about Mormons.

Like the Masters, it's moving day, of sorts, in the race for the last playoff spot. Isles collected a loser point against the Rangers which should secure the third spot in the Metro. That's kind of amazing considering I saw them play so dogshit in St. Paul on my birthday that they got their coach fired.

If we assume they're set, it's four teams for one spot:

Pittsburgh, which is +1 on the field, will finish last. They're on national TV at 8 ET vs. Boston.
Wings are on HNIC in Toronto at 7 ET.
Caps tied 2-2 with Tampa late in the first
Flyers just scored, up 1-0 late in the second period on New Jersey.

 

After scoring first, Toronto showed just how much they seem to care about this one, giving up four in 10 minutes. Detroit needed that big-time, because Philly made a 1-0 lead hold up. They currently occupy the playoff spot, though they have only one game left (Tuesday vs. the Caps), and almost everyone else has two after tonight.

Caps are on a power play tied with TB mid-third and would pass Philly with a win.

 

What a win, Caps. No idea if they’ll make it, but that was some nut up shit in a big moment.

 

Wings quickly piss that lead away after Kane followed up a goal against by high-sticking a guy in the face and drawing blood, setting up a power play where Matthews was left wide open for 69. Leafs scored again on the tired defense soon after.

 

Kane high-sticked a guy in the face AGAIN, but the Wings kill that penalty, then draw another one just before the end of regulation. Larkin tips one in five-hole on the power play and Detroit gets its most important win in probably eight years.

Pens are down two after two, but because they will own the tiebreaker (regulation wins) over nobody, they (Detroit) probably need three points if not four from that home-and-home with Montreal to get in.

 

They wouldn't have made the playoffs if the postseason wasn't expanded. Anyway, I was saying that decent ownership for an expansion team proves you can make the playoffs as many times or more in two or five years than the Coyotes have in 12 years. Fortunately, since the NHL is the NHL, the same group of shitheads will get the chance to disprove this idea.

 

Has anyone reported on how, especially, the transaction regarding franchise ownership is going to be handled? What clause in what documentation forces the owner to relinquish or sell the franchise? Does the League use arbitration to determine the value?
Hopefully someone can shed some light on this likely to be fascinating part of the Phoenix to SLC move. Any thoughts?

 

I don't know that anything is being forced here. I think they essentially reached a deal with Coyotes ownership.

The Coyotes owners are still hoping to buy state land to build a new arena/entertainment/residential complex. That's the whole point of them owning the team -- they want to use it as a centerpiece for development.

That land is in a desirable spot and the Coyotes' owner is cheap as fuck. It will go to a public auction, and there is no guarantee he will actually outbid other developers to get it. That auction has not been scheduled yet, which means it is still months away.

If he does buy the land and builds an arena, that still leaves them in 5,000 seat Mullett Arena for at least three years, and the other owners say that is unacceptable.

Coyotes ownership is selling the team to the league with the understanding that if they get an arena build within five years, they will be granted an expansion team and the Coyotes will be reborn. I assume that is why the league is acting as a middleman in the sale -- so the Coyotes can get a guarantee of the expansion franchise.

If they fail in their arena bid yet again, they are out of the hockey business.

 

Ballsy win for the Caps against Boston. One win to get into the playoffs tomorrow night, though I suppose there are some scenarios where an OT loss will get it done. Philly can't get in without beating the Caps in regulation so there will be no turtling at the end on their part. Should be a fun one.