2009-10 NHL Thread

Safe to say the Blackhawks have Luongo's number. After the way the playoffs ended last year with Luongo getting pumped for seven goals, the Blackhawks have put five past him on 14 shots through the first 20 minutes tonight.

 

you should be smarter than that. A goalies stats are so dependant on the team around him it's ridiculous. Have you seen the defense that surrounds the Blackhawks goalies? Look up Cloutier's stats, it's amazing what having a good team behind you can do. it's like judging a pitcher by wins in baseball, simplistic. Chicago management isn't even confident in their goalies when they state our "team" has the best GAA in the league, not our goalies. He actually corrected himself.

I guess you missed the 2 games this year that Luongo beat the Hawks. I guess its much easier to spew simplistic BS. Chicago will beat the Canucks in the playoffs again this year, not because of goaltending because they are a much,much better team.

 

Holy fuck do you like to go over board.

Had you read my original post about Niemi and Chicago's goaltending all I said is that they just need a guy who will not lose the series for them al a Cloutier, in fact I brought up Cloutier specifically in that original post. Niemi has done nothing to suggest he will be Cloutier and until he does he should not be looked at as a huge liability in net. Plenty of young goalies have excelled in the playoffs. All his numbers prove is that he is at least capable and at the very least not a liability.

 

Good point. Sorry, I forgot about Cam.

 

Detroit - Chi as good a regular season game as you will see

 

And a potential first round playoff matchup (which would be a rematch of the conference finals last year).

 

The Ron Wilson and Brian Burke whinefest continues.

This time they're after a favourite Leafs target, Chris Neil, who dropped Toronto's John Mitchell with a dandy shoulder check to the head last night.

"In the Olympics you get a 10-minute misconduct and possibly get kicked out," said Wilson. "Those are the hits that we've got to do a better job on, or have a penalty for a hit to the head."

The timing of the hit and Wilson's comments may simply be coincidental, but Leafs GM Brian Burke is part of a panel investigating potential rule changes regarding hits to the head. The panel meets this week as part of a meeting of league general managers.

"Everybody is afraid to say what their opinion is, but from a player's and coach's point of view, we'd like to see those hits eliminated," said Burke. "When you see a guy is vulnerable and you hit him in the face with your shoulder, it's like being hit in the head with a knee. That would be a penalty, but not a shoulder. That's my opinion."

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/article/776198--leafs-capture-latest-battle-with-ottawa

Of course, if Neil had signed with the Leafs last summer as many thought he would, and if he were dishing out such checks while wearing the blue and white, Burke would be trying to adopt him. Hypocrite.

As for Wilson, why is he trying to compare regular league play to the Olympics? And why, WHY does he have to be such a whiny asshole?

These two tools make it so easy to continue cheering against the Leafs after 30 or so years of cheering for them.

 

Truckulence, or however it is spelled, is only a good thing when it comes from the plug you are employing, not the other guy's.

 

Speaking of shots to the head, Matt Cooke struck again last night. Seeing as how nobody seems to respect their opponent anymore, the league has GOT to do something about shots to the head.

 

It's refreshing to see some objectivity about this. I've made my feelings known about matt Cooke even while he was playing for the Canucks so I won't go into them again but it's the players like him, Downie, Ott, Ruttu and Tootoo that are the biggest problems with the league. Hit and hide artists, get rid of the instigator rule and these players would have to be a little more accountable.

 

After Sunday's game against Detroit Bowman may be second guessing himself on not getting a goalie.

Huet will not take the Hawks anywhere.

He should change his name to Cristobal Maginot

 

Aren't the Blackhawks right up against the cap, so a deal would have been tough. Would have basically been a money in, money out deal.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Niemi get the playoff nod.