All-Purpose Hockey Thread II

The story of the Sabres-Canes game was that one goalie -- Miller -- played well and controlled his rebounds and the other -- inexplicably Laviolette played Grahame -- did not. If Miller hadn't been so good in the first period, Buffalo likely would have been behind 2-0 and 3-0 during a period when the Sabres stunk it up. The Canes stunk it up from that point on, though.

I'm sure Buffalo would trade those regular-season victories over the Canes for a playoff-series victory.

Buffalo just has the touch against defending Stanley Cup champions. The Sabres just swept the season series with the Canes, which is what they did against the Lightning the previous season.

 

Dammit, we've been snookered into letting this thread slip ...

Flames damn near gave up the game in the last minute of play tonight. On a penalty kill, they were skating in quicksand and let the Kings come to within one.

And oooh, what a treat. Was watching the highlights and got to see Colton Orr fight. Love that kid. Had the pleasure of watching him play some junior. A great interview. Lots of personality there.

 

No way he goes first. (And if he doesn't who the fuck will he, or his old man, whine to this time?)

He's a terrific player - who has really picked it up lately - but he goes behind Gagner, Kane and van Riemsdyk. Remember where ya heard it.

 

Henrik Lundqvist gave up a goal 32 seconds into last night's game in Ottawa, and it proved to be a killer. The Senators won 1-0.

It might be time for the Rangers' brain trust to break the thing down. As a group, they're as timid as church mice. Jaromir Jagr is run routinely and his teammates do nothing. Petr Prucha was nearly decapitated by a Chris Neil check last night and the Rangers responded by glaring at the Senators' power forward. No team glares quite as fiercely as the Rangers. When it comes to standing up for one another, every team shows more balls than the Rangers do.

Jagr and Brendan Shanahan could bring back a bounty in young players and draft picks. Karel Rachunek, who is about as useful as tits-on-a-cow, needs to be released. Marek Malik has been terrible. Maybe a Western Conference team needs a fourth or fifth defenseman.

 

When has a New York team ever admitted it needed to rebuild by trading stars for young talent. It makes sense, but the Rangers never would do that.

 

In 2004, the Rangers traded their elderly mercenaries for younger players and draft picks. Last year, the Rangers finished with 100 points and a playoff berth. So what did Glen Sather do? He signed two older players, Aaron Ward and Brendan Shanahan, as free agents, along with speedy-yet-lacking-in-hands Matt Cullen.

I talked to a couple of long time Rangers' fans last week. They were upset with the lack of youth on the 2006-07 Rangers. Thomas Pock should be one of the starting six defensemen, they declared. Why don't they play a kids line with Nigel Dawes and Jarkko Immonen, they wailed. Why is Marc Staal in juniors while the rest of the Staal clan is in the NHL, they demanded.

All valid points, too.

 

I've known the Coutures for years (both parents are from OS) and they are not whiners. That got blown way out of proportion.

 

Maybe, but it seemed to be that ol' Chet was doing plenty of bitching about not letting his kid come to the OHL when Tavares was ruled eligible for the draft. There's no way he goes 12th overall otherwise.

You goin' tonight?

 

Chet did what a typical parent would do -- he displayed his emotions and his pride and a protective nature. I'd have felt the same way had my kid and my family been led down the primrose path by Brad Selwood. Unfortunately, Chet made a mistake and allowed his reaction to get into print. He is not Carl Lindros.

You know, it's always been okay for teams to make and break promises, because that's "just business." Why should it not be okay for kids and their families to have some sort of input into their own lives and careers? Especially those kids who don't "need" the OHL as much as Dave Branch and Pals would like to think they do.

As for tonight, I'll be there.

 

Don Cherry is wearing a stunning purple suit. I give him all kinds of credit. It's a loud, brash suit; one that I could never wear. I just couldn't pull off wearing purple.

 

San Jose got their asses handed to them by the Coyotes tonight. Final score was 8-0. Nabokov gave up 3 goals on six shots, got pulled, and Toskala proceeded to give up 5 goals on 20 shots. Wilson got tossed for verbal abuse of the official.

Weirdest thing about the game was either the shot total (40-26 San Jose) or the fact that Jeremy Roenick, of all people, ended up with a hat trick.

 

CBC is showing the ceremony and the game.