Running 2007 NHL regular season thread

Any team in the West that currently has a winning record, and that includes Chicago, still has a decent chance to get into the postseason if they finish the season in strong fashion. It's a logjam of teams from the 6th-13th seeds...only five points of difference between them.

Hawks were the toast of the town back in the 60s. It could happen again. Hiring John McDonough was a great move.

 

Um, I didn't know that and I consider myself a rather big fan of the game. So, I actually resent your comment. I don't need to know the nicknames of the players to be a hockey fan, thank you very much.

 

Flash - If I left it as Malkin, you knew who it was. I don't need to put Geno or Evgeni. Just like when we talk about christensen, you know who Crusher is.

JC - I know other teams have injuries like Ottawa with Alfredsson and Heatley and Colorado with the worst run with Sakic, Smyth, and Stastny. Let's see who does more for his team Spezza or Malkin during this stretch or is Thedore and Arnason going to step it up.

 

Leafs are in exactly the same place as the Hawks.

The problem isn't the five points behind the 8th place team--it's the five teams ahead of them.

Leafs have 33 games left to play. If 90 points is the cut-off for making the playoffs, Leafs would need to win 22 of those remaining games.

I'm one of the bigger Leafs looser fanboys around but that ain't gonna happen.

Edit: After I post this, I read Mirtle to see that he's blogged on exactly the same subject.

http://mirtle.blogspot.com/2008/01/playoff-push-95-points-or-bust.html

 

JR - I think the Leafs are going to be hurt by the talk of them dealing Sundin for his shot at a Cup and then he'll come back to Toronto as a free agent. This will drastically reduce his trade value unless another GM out there is willing to act like Waddell and give up a good young player (Coburn for Zhitnik) or #1 pick (Tkachuk deal).

Then the whole Ferguson drama, how many teams are going to want to discuss trades with him knowing he doesn't have the authority to make trades. This could severely limit JFJ's ability on trade deadline day.

 

Ok, this is self indulgent crap but hey, isn't that what blogs are all about. Still, it's pretty funny as David Shoalts from the Globe describes his adventure getting from Toronto to Newark for Sunday's Leafs/Devils game.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080120.WBhockeyblog20080120173048/WBStory/WBhockeyblog/

Not a propitious start:

Up at 6 a.m. Sunday to pack and head for the airport to catch a flight to lovely Newark, N.J., site of the game between the once-again-mighty Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils, which will be attended by the approximately 35 people who won’t be watching the NFL’s NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

Five minutes down the road and we know it’s going to be another wonderful trip because it seems we left our Blackberry at home. Turning back means cutting it close for the 8:30 a.m. flight, so it’s on to Pearson Airport.

And it gets worse.

 

JFJ may not be around on trade deadline day.

Or may be President of MLSE--or coach of the Raptors.

Don't try and figure this shit out. As I've said before, politics at MLSE make the old Soviet Politburo look like amateur hour.

 

I think JFJ will be gone by the all-star break.

 

That's this weekend. Nope.

The MLSE board of directors can barely agree on the shape of the conference table and it takes them three hours to order in coffee and Timbits.

 

Is it already this weekend? That's what you get for not making the NHL on your radar much these days.

Then again, I never watch the all star game or events, unless Sakic makes it.

Well, one thing is for sure, JFJ won't make it to the playoffs...

 

Well, whatever happens, no one deserves to endure what JFJ has.

He's been a class act throughout this entire embarrassing process.

Nice piece on Herb Carnegie, btw.