2009 NHL season thread- Part II

[BCBoy]

The. Canucks. suck.

It's like all the players on the Canucks were expecting Sundin to come in and totally make them the best thing ever. Truth is, since Sundin has been signed, they've looked terrible. Now having the number one goalie out doesn't help, but LaBarbera has actually played a lot of good games giving the team a chance to win.

[Sport]

The Blues go for 3 in a row tomorrow at their seasons half-way.

A win would put them 8 back of a playoff spot.

Believe you me, the Blues will make the playoffs when its all said and done.

Next coach fired, Andy Murray.

He's a good coach. He'll coach a playoff team in the not too long-term future.

This Blues team is as frustrating a team as I have ever watched, even with all their legitimate excuses (the Islanders may be more devastated by injuries than the Blues, but nobody else is close).

I can't take it anymore, and it's time for changes.

I swear 2/3 of our losses have come on goals scored in the final 5 minutes.

I think you are expecting too much from the Blues have been hurt all year, but when they lost Erik Johnson they were toast. If you think Murrau is a good coach then you should give him one more year in St. Louis.

The Islanders just plain suck, there problem is they have no talent, and if they are to have any hope for the future must land John Tavares.

Andy Murray is either incredibly unlucky, or something in his coaching methods leads to his teams having absurd amounts of injuries. Same thing happened to him in LA didn't it? Can't blame him for the golf cart incident though.

what is the golf cart incident?

[Billy B]

The Blues go for 3 in a row tomorrow at their seasons half-way.

A win would put them 8 back of a playoff spot.

Believe you me, the Blues will make the playoffs when its all said and done.

Next coach fired, Andy Murray.

He's a good coach. He'll coach a playoff team in the not too long-term future.

This Blues team is as frustrating a team as I have ever watched, even with all their legitimate excuses (the Islanders may be more devastated by injuries than the Blues, but nobody else is close).

I can't take it anymore, and it's time for changes.

I swear 2/3 of our losses have come on goals scored in the final 5 minutes.

I think you are expecting too much from the Blues have been hurt all year, but when they lost Erik Johnson they were toast. If you think Murrau is a good coach then you should give him one more year in St. Louis.

The Islanders just plain suck, there problem is they have no talent, and if they are to have any hope for the future must land John Tavares.

Andy Murray is either incredibly unlucky, or something in his coaching methods leads to his teams having absurd amounts of injuries. Same thing happened to him in LA didn't it? Can't blame him for the golf cart incident though.

what is the golf cart incident?

Eric Johnson injured himself before the season in some sort of golf cart injury, I'm pretty sure.

[Neon_Matrix]

The Blues go for 3 in a row tomorrow at their seasons half-way.

A win would put them 8 back of a playoff spot.

Believe you me, the Blues will make the playoffs when its all said and done.

Next coach fired, Andy Murray.

He's a good coach. He'll coach a playoff team in the not too long-term future.

This Blues team is as frustrating a team as I have ever watched, even with all their legitimate excuses (the Islanders may be more devastated by injuries than the Blues, but nobody else is close).

I can't take it anymore, and it's time for changes.

I swear 2/3 of our losses have come on goals scored in the final 5 minutes.

I think you are expecting too much from the Blues have been hurt all year, but when they lost Erik Johnson they were toast. If you think Murrau is a good coach then you should give him one more year in St. Louis.

The Islanders just plain suck, there problem is they have no talent, and if they are to have any hope for the future must land John Tavares.

Andy Murray is either incredibly unlucky, or something in his coaching methods leads to his teams having absurd amounts of injuries. Same thing happened to him in LA didn't it? Can't blame him for the golf cart incident though.

what is the golf cart incident?

Eric Johnson injured himself before the season in some sort of golf cart injury, I'm pretty sure.

Tore up is ACL and MCL from driving it. He somehow wedged his foot between the peddles and BAM, tore up his knee.

[maz]

As far as im concerned, last night's game never happened. Or at least I wish it didnt. We held our own for the fist two periods, and looked decent, but the dam broke in the third, as it has far too many times this season.

As for Ovechkin, i never hated the guy. I disliked him, sure, but only for his overexagerrated goal celebrations and his bounty on Malkin. Ive seen him play live a few times, and on TV any other time hes played agains the pens, and never really saw much else to dislike about him. Last night, I saw a different side from him that I never have, that has caused me almost to hate him. He had some dirty play going in that game. He played like an agitator than instead of a scorer. But what pissed me off the most is when he started chirping Crosby the moment both come near the bench before the 3rd started, and when after his first goal, he not only did his ususal freak-out celebration, but he then proceeded to skate by the pens bench and yell in the faces of the pens players. Nobody should do something like that, especially someone of his skill level. He should let his play do the talking, and not his antics. If everyone is going to call Crosby a whiner, they may as well call Ovechkin a douche.

In the old days, he wouldve payed for that.

Maybe thats what pisses me off more than what he did, is the fact that the pens let him get away with it. I dont care what any player does to the pens, as long as either A. The pens win, or B. They make him pay for it.

They did neither last night.

In any case, the pens season is just about over. They need to be damn near perfect for the rest of the year to make it, and there aint no way theyll do that. Injuries have plagued them all season, as well as a bunch of other things that they just cant fix. They need an offseason to fix things up, and get some new blood in the system. Some people worthy to replace all those that left in the summer, which I still believe is the root of a good amount of the problems this team has right now.

[NEW.ERA]

Rose Bowl among candidates for 2010 Winter Classic

Also the Las Vegas Strip, Yankee Stadium and venues in Detroit, Washington DC and Boston

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=263315&lid...=headlines_main

[Neon_Matrix]

As far as im concerned, last night's game never happened. Or at least I wish it didnt. We held our own for the fist two periods, and looked decent, but the dam broke in the third, as it has far too many times this season.

As for Ovechkin, i never hated the guy. I disliked him, sure, but only for his overexagerrated goal celebrations and his bounty on Malkin. Ive seen him play live a few times, and on TV any other time hes played agains the pens, and never really saw much else to dislike about him. Last night, I saw a different side from him that I never have, that has caused me almost to hate him. He had some dirty play going in that game. He played like an agitator than instead of a scorer. But what pissed me off the most is when he started chirping Crosby the moment both come near the bench before the 3rd started, and when after his first goal, he not only did his ususal freak-out celebration, but he then proceeded to skate by the pens bench and yell in the faces of the pens players. Nobody should do something like that, especially someone of his skill level. He should let his play do the talking, and not his antics. If everyone is going to call Crosby a whiner, they may as well call Ovechkin a douche.

In the old days, he wouldve payed for that.

Maybe thats what pisses me off more than what he did, is the fact that the pens let him get away with it. I dont care what any player does to the pens, as long as either A. The pens win, or B. They make him pay for it.

They did neither last night.

In any case, the pens season is just about over. They need to be damn near perfect for the rest of the year to make it, and there aint no way theyll do that. Injuries have plagued them all season, as well as a bunch of other things that they just cant fix. They need an offseason to fix things up, and get some new blood in the system. Some people worthy to replace all those that left in the summer, which I still believe is the root of a good amount of the problems this team has right now.

Ovechkin may be a douche at times (and his goal celebrations are great, it shows he puts emotion into every shift which is a relief to see from some players) but at least he looks good doing it. Malkin was just as dirty last night, so he is no saint. He snuck in some cheap shots against Ovechkin, so the Penguins aren't all innocent.

Ovechkin can get away with chirping and being physical because he puts up the points. Its part of his game and he does it so well. Seeing him work so hard for some of those goals he scores, he can get away with it, and should be allowed to express his excitement over his achievement. Emotion is what makes him such an enduring player, because he doesn't let it boil up and take cheap shots or really bad penalties (most of the time). He can annoy other players and in turn, it seems like he can throw people off their game and usually take advantage of it in the form of goals or assists. It is a fantastic attribute to have.

The most important attribute that Ovechkin brings to the current game is that he IS an 'old school' player in the sense that he can play ALL aspects of the game and is not a 'finesse' player or someone who has only one real duty or position on the team. He is probably the only current player which comes close to being our generation's 'Gordie Howe'. He can do everything and he isn't afraid of anyone. That is a REAL hockey player. And throwing other players off their game is a part of it too.

[BrySmalls]

Rose Bowl among candidates for 2010 Winter Classic

Also the Las Vegas Strip, Yankee Stadium and venues in Detroit, Washington DC and Boston

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=263315&lid...=headlines_main

2010: New York Rangers - Boston Bruins

2011: Minnesota Wild - San Jose Sharks

2012: Montreal Canadiens - Toronto Maple Leafs

2013: Philadelphia Flyers - Washington Capitals

Just a random idea.

[BrySmalls]

As far as im concerned, last night's game never happened. Or at least I wish it didnt. We held our own for the fist two periods, and looked decent, but the dam broke in the third, as it has far too many times this season.

As for Ovechkin, i never hated the guy. I disliked him, sure, but only for his overexagerrated goal celebrations and his bounty on Malkin. Ive seen him play live a few times, and on TV any other time hes played agains the pens, and never really saw much else to dislike about him. Last night, I saw a different side from him that I never have, that has caused me almost to hate him. He had some dirty play going in that game. He played like an agitator than instead of a scorer. But what pissed me off the most is when he started chirping Crosby the moment both come near the bench before the 3rd started, and when after his first goal, he not only did his ususal freak-out celebration, but he then proceeded to skate by the pens bench and yell in the faces of the pens players. Nobody should do something like that, especially someone of his skill level. He should let his play do the talking, and not his antics. If everyone is going to call Crosby a whiner, they may as well call Ovechkin a douche.

In the old days, he wouldve payed for that.

Maybe thats what pisses me off more than what he did, is the fact that the pens let him get away with it. I dont care what any player does to the pens, as long as either A. The pens win, or B. They make him pay for it.

They did neither last night.

In any case, the pens season is just about over. They need to be damn near perfect for the rest of the year to make it, and there aint no way theyll do that. Injuries have plagued them all season, as well as a bunch of other things that they just cant fix. They need an offseason to fix things up, and get some new blood in the system. Some people worthy to replace all those that left in the summer, which I still believe is the root of a good amount of the problems this team has right now.

Ovechkin may be a douche at times (and his goal celebrations are great, it shows he puts emotion into every shift which is a relief to see from some players) but at least he looks good doing it. Malkin was just as dirty last night, so he is no saint. He snuck in some cheap shots against Ovechkin, so the Penguins aren't all innocent.

Ovechkin can get away with chirping and being physical because he puts up the points. Its part of his game and he does it so well. Seeing him work so hard for some of those goals he scores, he can get away with it, and should be allowed to express his excitement over his achievement. Emotion is what makes him such an enduring player, because he doesn't let it boil up and take cheap shots or really bad penalties (most of the time). He can annoy other players and in turn, it seems like he can throw people off their game and usually take advantage of it in the form of goals or assists. It is a fantastic attribute to have.

The most important attribute that Ovechkin brings to the current game is that he IS an 'old school' player in the sense that he can play ALL aspects of the game and is not a 'finesse' player or someone who has only one real duty or position on the team. He is probably the only current player which comes close to being our generation's 'Gordie Howe'. He can do everything and he isn't afraid of anyone. That is a REAL hockey player. And throwing other players off their game is a part of it too.

I concur with Neon on this, Ovechkin is the closest the NHL gets to a complete player that gives it his all on every shift and has tremendous energy on the ice. A fellow Caps fan on this board, Don, had/has a great sig a few days ago, not sure if he still has it up but it went like this:

Rocket + Howe = Ovechkin.

[maz]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

[BrySmalls]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

Well it sure as hell sounds that you're missing Georges Laraque about now.

[maz]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

Well it sure as hell sounds that you're missing Georges Laraque about now.

Exactly. Him, Ruutu, Malone, Roberts, all had precense. They brought toughness and intimidation. Nobody would dare to go after Crosby or Malkin or anyone else, becaue theyd have to answer to them.

But they left in the offseason, and took all of that and more with them.

[BrySmalls]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

Well it sure as hell sounds that you're missing Georges Laraque about now.

Exactly. Him, Ruutu, Malone, Roberts, all had precense. They brought toughness and intimidation. Nobody would dare to go after Crosby or Malkin or anyone else, becaue theyd have to answer to them.

But they left in the offseason, and took all of that and more with them.

Well if I was the GM of Pittsburgh, I'd fine a way via trade or callups (not certain of your farm system), in order to protect your star players again.

[maz]

Thats the problem. Shero, and everyone else in the Pens management, wants to play the "lets ride this thing out" game.

In reality, all theyve been doing is pounding the proverbial head of the Pens' season off of a brick wall again and again waiting for something to happen. That might have worked with last year's team, or the year before, but it seems they dont realize that in the first week of July, this team became an extremely different team, with alot of holes to fill.

[Neon_Matrix]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

You know what Pittsburgh should do? Not get a goon (which is NOT old time hockey... go watch 'Slap Shot' to try and distinguish the two) and let Malkin and Crosby and Staal fend for themselves against another player who is of similar stature. Stars versus stars, not stars versus fourth liners who only get 4 minutes of ice time per game. That isn't old time hockey. The most they could do is find some monster who pots 20+ goals a season to ride shotgun with Crosby, but these days if you are a monster, you aren't supposed to score any goals. Grab a Todd Bertuzzi type player and you'll be fine, someone who can play and be rough.

Go read up on Gordie Howe - you will find a lot of similarities between the two.

[Sodboy13]

If everyone is going to call Crosby a whiner, they may as well call Ovechkin a douche.

I don't think of Crosby as a whiner. I think of him more as a third-man-in nut-puncher, a fine measure of any man's character.

[IronChefShark]

Rose Bowl among candidates for 2010 Winter Classic

Also the Las Vegas Strip, Yankee Stadium and venues in Detroit, Washington DC and Boston

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=263315&lid...=headlines_main

Well if they plan to continue to play the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, that would be a difficult venue to hold it at, given that they usually tend to hold a pretty big college football game there that day.

[maz]

But if Crosby did the same, you, and everyone else, wouldnt attribute it to work ethic, passion, or emotion, youd just call him a douche.

The pens werent all innocent, no, and Ovechkin can do all that, fine, but he needs to learn where the line is, and not to cross it. You dont scream in the faces of everyone on the other team while theyre on the bench after you score a goal.

Like I said before, I dont care what he does (to an obvious extent). Im more pissed off at the pens than I am at him because, as far as im concenred, if youre going to play old school, you should get treated old school. Someone on the pens needed to do that, and make him pay, and nobody did. He had free reign over us, and there is no excuse to let anyone have their way with your team, no matter who they are. He played his game, and the pens needed to make him not play his game. They didnt, and his antics were our downfall.

And no, Ovechkin is not as good as Richard and Howe put together.

You know what Pittsburgh should do? Not get a goon (which is NOT old time hockey... go watch 'Slap Shot' to try and distinguish the two) and let Malkin and Crosby and Staal fend for themselves against another player who is of similar stature. Stars versus stars, not stars versus fourth liners who only get 4 minutes of ice time per game. That isn't old time hockey. The most they could do is find some monster who pots 20+ goals a season to ride shotgun with Crosby, but these days if you are a monster, you aren't supposed to score any goals. Grab a Todd Bertuzzi type player and you'll be fine, someone who can play and be rough.

... which is pretty much what I said. Someone. Not nessicarily a goon (though it was the perfect time for Bissonette or Godard to rise to the occasion.)

[Don]

with my sig i wasnt saying he was better than Richard and Howe, what i meant by it was that you put Howes toughness and scoring knack, added with Richards scoring and flair for the game, and you get Ovechkin. a tough guy, who scores lots of flashy goals and loves doing it. Ovechkin was at his best last night. i think he has gotten away from it a bit this year. you can tell when the game is big, cause AO shows up. When he puts his heart into something, it usually gets done. The man plays with the heart of a lion, plays with emotion, and best of all, doesnt take those "emotional" penalties. Most of the league hates it, cause Ovechkin plays right on the edge, but almost never crosses that line. Ive seen a few questionable hits from him, thats for sure, but for the most part, he plays a clean, physical game, and it enrages teams that they just cant stop him. When he comes out and plays one of his trademark shifts, it energizes the entire team, and he can carry them to victory, thats what makes him the MVP, and why guys like Malkin will always come out second.

[maz]

Yeah, I get it. Ovy is god. I dont need three different people to give me a lecture on that.