2009-10 NHL Thread

Seen Seguin live twice this season and the second time might be the best game I saw from an opposing player this year. He was absolutely flying out there and seemed to constantly have the puck on his stick. I've seen some good games from Hall too. Like Fly sez, it's a toss-up.

 

Here's an important addition to our hockey knowledge: The Beer Cost Matrix, courtesy of Puck Daddy

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Daddy-s-2010-NHL-Beer-Cost-Matrix-Version-?urn=nhl,228511&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Quick Analysis: Get your drinking done before the game or, if the reporting is accurate, move to Colorado. Wow.

 

Petulant and whiney is certainly not something I've heard about Hall, but will defer to you as my viewings of Hall are certainly limited. I could also very much understand it with him being the annoited top pick for the past few years.

But hey this is why I'm asking, to find out these things.

Thanks Fly.

If it is that close, I have no idea which way the Oilers would go if they get top pick. They have a number of heady propects on the way, but that pure goal scorer, that bolt lightning, they haven't had since the glory years. But then again it is hard to put a price on hockey sense and leadership, which sounds like a role they are trying to groom Eberle for, but can you ever have enough of it? The Red Wings built a dynasty on hockey sense and two way players.

I do know their last consideration will be which player will put the most butts in the seats, they sell out as a fringe playoff contender and even this year most games have been sell outs or close to it. Whoever they pick there will be enough pub surrounding them that the fan base will get excited enough to keep buying their season tickets. Tambellini has said a much, and again with Eberle is the reason why they are sending him to the AHL instead of bringing him up when asked specifically if they would throw the fans a bone and bring him up for a game or two, said that was the last thing on their mind, that their only consideration is to bring him along properly.

 

The blue-line definitely needs to be addressed. There is a lack of solid defensive prospects coming -- Jeff Petry would be their biggest/best. But I see them addressing that in the second round -- Alex Petrovic maybe? If they went to Fowler with one of the first two picks, that may just create an all out revolt. They have a history of being far too clever for their own good at the draft table and immediately memories of Jessie Niinimaki (slated to be a late second or third rounder by almost everyone else, Oilers took him mid first round, never played a game in the NHL), Steve Kelly (ahead of Shane Doan, because Kelly was a fast skater), MA Pouliot (trading down twice past Zach Parise) and Jason Bonsignore (their previous earliest pick and the biggest bust in team history) would resurface. Really the line of first round busts is much longer than that, those, however, are themost egregious. They have no choice but to hit a home run with this pick.

Fowler has got to be a back up plan if they somehow fall out of the top two picks which would require them to climb one spot out of the basement and then lose the lottery to fall to the third pick. They are doing their due diligence which is the responsible route to take.

 

A voice of sanity from Elliotte in his blog on headshots and dirty hits

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/elliottefriedman/2010/03/nhl-must-take-leadership-on-headshots---now.html

Time for the league to step up and start handing out some Starman justice.

"If you really want to eliminate headshots, you have to make the penalty so severe that players will really think about it," he (Rob DiMaio) said. "You can't have them thinking, 'Well, if I hit this guy and I get suspended, it will be for only one game.'"

Since DiMaio said that two weeks ago, I've asked several players if it's true. The answer is a unanimous "Yes." They know they're not going to be held accountable for their actions (and no one else will, either).

Since the first puck was dropped over a hundred years ago, players have always pushed the boundaries. If they think they can get away with anything---hooking, interference, slew-footing, holding, fighting, and dirty hits--they will go as far as they can. Surely the big brains at the league head office know that. Well, maybe not Gary but Campbell was a tough player in his day. It should be obvious to him

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/sports/hockey/18sportsbriefs-RANGERSISLAN_BRF.html

Rangers-Islanders in 3D

 

Under way in Boston. Pens-Bruins. Things could (will?) get interesting.

 

Cooke and Shawn Thornton fought pretty much as soon as Cooke hit the ice for the first time.

edit: Thornton got an extra 10 for continuing the fight after Cooke was down and the zebras stepped in. Something tells me that one fight won't end the matter.

 

Not to say you're wrong to think that, but it's an interesting viewpoint.

In Steve Moore's first game in Vancouver after his hit on Markus Naslund, he fought a Canuck early on, probably thinking that would be the end of it. Of course, it wasn't.

The Canuck who first challenged and fought Moore? Matt Cooke.

 

Well, so far nothing more. But it's a 3-0 game and the clock is winding.

 

Bobby Orr said before the game that if something like that had happened to his teams, there might have been arrests in the aftermath.

Of course, it was a "different game." Sounded like the Bruins were a bit listless tonight, which is the exact opposite of what I would have expected.