The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[ninersdd]

You east coasters have never experienced a 9AM game against the Islanders, those are pretty painful.

Fair point. As much as I'd love to live in California, I don't know if I'd ever get used to watching the Buckeyes at 9am. Or Monday Night Football at 5:30 and so on...

It's actually really nice to be able to watch all your sports for the day and still have time to go out at night. You'd enjoy it more than you think.

(Oh and all the not-snow we have. )

Yeah, you can't beat the NFL games at 10, 1/1:30, and 5:30. I wouldn't like having to stay up near midnight to watch the end of the primetime games.

[The_Admiral]

The Jackets will continue to be a high-motor team and get more points than they should, but there are gonna be those nights when you can't escape roster reality. I think they'll make one last big push, be in 8th for like a day, and ultimately finish 10th.

[Sport]

The Jackets will continue to be a high-motor team and get more points than they should, but there are gonna be those nights when you can't escape roster reality. I think they'll make one last big push, be in 8th for like a day, and ultimately finish 10th.

They're behind Nashville, San Jose, and Dallas for 8th. Edmonton is 2 points back and St. Louis currently has a case of Hitch-fatigue. Detroit is, unfortunately, looking like they're going to make it again. It'll be a tough hill to climb, but it's not impossible.

How weak is the west this year? Is it because they don't have the Eastern Conference to feed on or is it just a natural regression finally happening?

Finishing outside the playoffs, but losing out on one of the top three draft picks is not ideal, but since they're closer to the playoffs than they are to last I think they should go all out to make the playoffs. The issue of tanking is a hot topic in CBJ land. A couple of things: 1. You can't make players tank, which was evidenced by one unnamed player saying that he "didn't give a drunken piss about a draft pick in June" when asked about whether the recent hot streak was ultimately going to doom their draft position. 2. They never should've been the worst team in the NHL last season, and they weren't going to be the worst team this season so arguing that they should tank for Seth Jones is nonsense. Making the playoffs would be an over-achievement, but 11th is probably a natural spot for them and they'll pick like 9th or something. Whatevers, we have draft-guru Jarmo Kekalainen running the program so if he was able to build St. Louis into a decent team from mid-range draft picks then I'm trusting him to do the same thing here.

James Wisniewski will be coming back sometime this week, which will help the power play, but it'll force one of the young defenseman who've played so well back to Springfield. Wiz will without a doubt be a detriment to the 5-on-5 defensive zone so if they're still in it at the deadline I wouldn't mind if Jarmo sent Nikita Nikitin and David Savard (AHL dman, lots of potential) to somebody for a 2nd/3rd line forward who can set up/bury chances and then they can use Dalton Prout/Tim Erixon to fill the defensive void. They don't have enough offense creators, and they have too many capable defenseman (which gets even harder next season when Ryan Murray isn't injured).

[BLUELANDbeliever]

Crap. MAF is injured for the Pens.

Edit:

13 wins in a row!! Let's Go Pens!

Want Ryan Miller? We're not doing anything with him...

I literally laughed when I read this.

[The_Admiral]

Edmonton would be a good trade partner, then. That defense is loathsome.

I think the problem with the West is the prevalence of the "just be good enough" blueprint that teams are embracing nowadays: the Stars, Coyotes, Predators, Flames, and Avs are all pretty much built to make the most of not much, and win a fair deal of games while keeping costs down (the Flames are Doing It Wrong on this part, though). There's a culture of pursuing excellence in the East that isn't really there in the West.

[Sodboy13]

Coyotes place Mike Smith on IR. Hey, he's actually hurt this time!

[BLUELANDbeliever]

Back to the IR you go http://penguins.nhl....s.htm?id=662399

Jussi Jokinen cleared waivers but many saying he probably wont be sent to the AHL. If you're trying to get rid of him, why keep him?

[infrared41]

The Jackets will continue to be a high-motor team and get more points than they should, but there are gonna be those nights when you can't escape roster reality. I think they'll make one last big push, be in 8th for like a day, and ultimately finish 10th.

That sounds about right, but they are making it interesting. That's something, I guess.

[The_Admiral]

Jonathan Bernier held out of Kings practice; god help us all if it's a sign of things to come. Though I will love it if the Kings get Iginla and go forth with a roster featuring Iginla, Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jonathan Quick, and Brad Doty, yet everyone still goes on and on and on about the captaining captainy captainness of their captain Dustin Brown.

[NEW.ERA]

Can't believe Jussi Jokinen cleared. Servicable bottom six center that can play top minutes. Nice going Feaster, you're the same idiot you've always been.

[NEW.ERA]

Jonathan Bernier held out of Kings practice; god help us all if it's a sign of things to come. Though I will love it if the Kings get Iginla and go forth with a roster featuring Iginla, Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jonathan Quick, and Brad Doty, yet everyone still goes on and on and on about the captaining captainy captainness of their captain Dustin Brown.

It's personal reasons. He's not coming here.

[The_Admiral]

Why should the Flames have claimed a big contract for a bottom-six player when they're about to tear down?

[habsfan1]

There's a rumour going around that Halak might be delt to Chicago. Don't think there's any legitimacy just yet, but I'm throwing it out there...just in case.

[dbadefense1990]

You east coasters have never experienced a 9AM game against the Islanders, those are pretty painful.

Fair point. As much as I'd love to live in California, I don't know if I'd ever get used to watching the Buckeyes at 9am. Or Monday Night Football at 5:30 and so on...

It's actually really nice to be able to watch all your sports for the day and still have time to go out at night. You'd enjoy it more than you think.

(Oh and all the not-snow we have. )

Yeah, you can't beat the NFL games at 10, 1/1:30, and 5:30. I wouldn't like having to stay up near midnight to watch the end of the primetime games.

It's actually refreshing seeing sporting games evolve on the left coast. Start times for east-coast games are typically 4:00-5:00pm PT for us, while our games go live when on the right coast, it's 10:00-11:00pm ET. Some Galaxy games I've been to throughout the years had a 9:00pm PT kickoff time (meaning it's 12:00am ET the next day for you righters).

Just to illustrate a point, if a Dodger game went to extra innings and it ended at 1:00-2:00am local, that's the same time you right coasters have to get up to go to work.

[FGM13]

The Blue Jackets have 8 shots through two periods in Vancouver.

I stayed up for this?

sidenote: Vancouver, I gotta visit you one day.

Not sure how you stayed awake. I fell asleep twice during the first two periods. Probably didn't help that I just got home from work. Good game by the Jackets though, Great goaltending and shot blocking. I'm rooting for them to make the playoffs, as long as Vancouver doesn't get stuck playing them.

And yes, everyone needs to visit Vancouver. Come in the summer time, the cities even more gorgeous than normal then.

I'm going to Vancouver on Friday to ski in Whistler! It is a very beautiful city.

[NEW.ERA]

Why should the Flames have claimed a big contract for a bottom-six player when they're about to tear down?

True. But we're gonna need bodies soon.

Anyways so much for me getting one last live glimpse of Jarome Iginla. He will be a healthy scratch tonight. Trade winds are a blowin...

I'm really beat up not gonna lie.

[The_Admiral]

There's a rumour going around that Halak might be delt to Chicago. Don't think there's any legitimacy just yet, but I'm throwing it out there...just in case.

Why would a team with a GAA around 2.12 make a trade for a goalie with a divisional rival, one who is also in playoff contention?

[Cosmic]

The Jackets will continue to be a high-motor team and get more points than they should, but there are gonna be those nights when you can't escape roster reality. I think they'll make one last big push, be in 8th for like a day, and ultimately finish 10th.

Finishing outside the playoffs, but losing out on one of the top three draft picks is not ideal, but since they're closer to the playoffs than they are to last I think they should go all out to make the playoffs. The issue of tanking is a hot topic in CBJ land. A couple of things: 1. You can't make players tank, which was evidenced by one unnamed player saying that he "didn't give a drunken piss about a draft pick in June" when asked about whether the recent hot streak was ultimately going to doom their draft position. 2. They never should've been the worst team in the NHL last season, and they weren't going to be the worst team this season so arguing that they should tank for Seth Jones is nonsense. Making the playoffs would be an over-achievement, but 11th is probably a natural spot for them and they'll pick like 9th or something. Whatevers, we have draft-guru Jarmo Kekalainen running the program so if he was able to build St. Louis into a decent team from mid-range draft picks then I'm trusting him to do the same thing here.

Don't forget that every non-playoff team has a chance at the #1 pick now. My dream is that the Blue Jackets just miss the playoffs and move from like 13 or 14 to 1. I think Columbus has suffered enough... time for some good luck.

[sportstar1212]

You east coasters have never experienced a 9AM game against the Islanders, those are pretty painful.

Fair point. As much as I'd love to live in California, I don't know if I'd ever get used to watching the Buckeyes at 9am. Or Monday Night Football at 5:30 and so on...

It's actually really nice to be able to watch all your sports for the day and still have time to go out at night. You'd enjoy it more than you think.

(Oh and all the not-snow we have. )

Yeah, you can't beat the NFL games at 10, 1/1:30, and 5:30. I wouldn't like having to stay up near midnight to watch the end of the primetime games.

I really wouldn't mind living on the west coast. I sure as hell wouldn't miss staying up until midnight, or even past that, to watch the end of a game. The nice weather year round/lack of snow would definitely be a bonus

Back on topic, tempers are flaring in the Habs-Bruins game, as always.

[njmeadowlanders]

You east coasters have never experienced a 9AM game against the Islanders, those are pretty painful.

Fair point. As much as I'd love to live in California, I don't know if I'd ever get used to watching the Buckeyes at 9am. Or Monday Night Football at 5:30 and so on...

It's actually really nice to be able to watch all your sports for the day and still have time to go out at night. You'd enjoy it more than you think.

(Oh and all the not-snow we have. )

Yeah, you can't beat the NFL games at 10, 1/1:30, and 5:30. I wouldn't like having to stay up near midnight to watch the end of the primetime games.

It's actually refreshing seeing sporting games evolve on the left coast. Start times for east-coast games are typically 4:00-5:00pm PT for us, while our games go live when on the right coast, it's 10:00-11:00pm ET. Some Galaxy games I've been to throughout the years had a 9:00pm PT kickoff time (meaning it's 12:00am ET the next day for you righters).

Just to illustrate a point, if a Dodger game went to extra innings and it ended at 1:00-2:00am local, that's the same time you right coasters have to get up to go to work.

As someone who has lived on both coasts, the west is just too odd. You shouldn't be waking up to baseball games. Say you're a Dodger fan and they're at the Mets. On a Saturday they're done by 1 PM.

During the week, how many people work until 5-6? These games could be over by the time you're just leaving your office. I know there are day games all the time, but if your team was an eastern team and you lived out west, that'd be a killer. Trust me, I lived it firsthand.

Also, here in the east when our games end we can watch the beginning of the west coast games as we're winding down our evenings and/or going to bed. Out west once they're over that's it for the night. Barring a 16 inning baseball game or triple overtime in the NHL playoffs, you guys aren't ever getting that, and if you're watching a triple overtime playoff game you're not trying to doze off anyway.

Football is different because it's once a week and on Sunday for the most part. I do like having the night game end around 8 PM and that still gives time for whatever is on TV that night.

I think central time would be the best time zone for national broadcasts.

And a personal quirk that probably wouldn't bother anyone but me: Watching west coast games at night here (i.e. Sunday Night baseball) where it's night here and day out there when it starts is OK, but watching east coast games when its dark there but still light out in California always felt weird. Maybe its just because I grew up in NJ.