2009-2010 NHL Season

[oddball]

As an LA Kings fan, it's nice to see them playing well, but I have to say it's even better to read all the local writers talk about must win games in December or they will become irrelevant. Um, they are. They've had a nice little win streak, but when it comes down to the facts, they squandered their season in October and November and will not make the playoffs. They have way too many teams to leap over and the fact of the matter that the season is half over. Get out the golf clubs but also say your "goodbyes" to Giguere, Selanne, Koivu, and Niedermayer as I expect all four vets will be traded to bring in younger less expensive talent. If the Ducks keep them, they are fools, because why waste older talent for sentimental sake, when you can continue to build on young talent that is there. Then again, knowing the Ducks management, I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in Sean Avery or even try to lure Tie Domi out of retirement, because they can't get enough goons in that organization.

Oh, and if anyone wants to think that I think the Kings are going to win the Cup this year, I don't. They are a good team, just not a great team. I'm still concerned about how many goals they've given up and anyone who is overlooking that is a fool. It's a red flag, but you know what, to be in the hunt for one of the top 4 seeds in the conference is a nice feeling and doing it without Captain Canada, says a lot about the organizational depth and how they've grown as a team. This is another step in the building process.

[BrySmalls]

Wow, I didn't know that the Eastern Conference has 5 lousy teams.

[HedleyLamarr]

...or that Nashville is tied for 4th in the NHL in points.

[Jarred Revolver]

Ugh, gotta love the OTL pts. Canucks are the only team to get points ONLY off of winning. I guess they have to start losing better.

[VC//]

I hate the OTL as well, I see the Pens as 25-11 and that's fine by me as a Pens fan. I hate how some of these teams get 1pt just for being good enough to make it to OT and getting the automatic 1pt and then failing at the shootout or just losing in OT.

I wish they would do away with that 1pt or just go the MLB style of games behind or something. To me, the top two teams are NJ and Pittsburgh, sure the Pens are my fave team so it sounds homer-ish but those are the two teams with 25wins, Pens hit 20 before anyone else and the Pens & Devils are the first to 50+pts as well.

As for the East hate, take away the OTL pts and you see a different picture in the bottom 10. I'd love to see 2 western conference teams added to the NHL so Chicago & Detroit can move to the East where they should be, I'd love to see how the standings play out then.

I am also loving how Roberto Luongo is in consideration for the back-up job for the Olympics, that's a joke really. The #1 and #2 should be Brodeur and Fleury. Two guys that have shown they can win big games. Someone mentioned once that Luongo has only had 2 opportunities to show what he can do in the playoffs. Fleury has had 3, 1 1st round exit, 2 finals appearances and he won the cup in the 2nd finals appearance.

I don't know about you guys but I don't want the overrated goaltender that wins during the season but completely craps the bed in the playoffs and then everyone uses the excuse of well his team didn't help either. Remind me of the final score in the last 2 cup final games? 2-1 was it? Not much goal support there eh?

21-8-1 record apparently isn't good enough.

[IceCap]

Now that the draw has been eliminated, they really need to get rid of the points system and just go with straight W-L.

[VC//]

It's funny if you took out the OTL pts for some of the teams. Look at Dallas for example, you take those 11 gimme pts and they are down from 41 to 30pts, San Jose would have 40pts as well, tied with Vancouver and Colorado. The one thing that wouldn't change is Pens and Devils being tops, they would go down from 51 to 50 respectively (22-9 and 22-11).

I also hate the divisional rankings, you can be in a crappy division and place top 3 in the conference, that has to be the worst idea ever. The standings should be for pts and not for being lucky enough to win a crap division like the SouthLeast gets to for example.

[VC//]

As an LA Kings fan, it's nice to see them playing well, but I have to say it's even better to read all the local writers talk about must win games in December or they will become irrelevant. Um, they are. They've had a nice little win streak, but when it comes down to the facts, they squandered their season in October and November and will not make the playoffs. They have way too many teams to leap over and the fact of the matter that the season is half over. Get out the golf clubs but also say your "goodbyes" to Giguere, Selanne, Koivu, and Niedermayer as I expect all four vets will be traded to bring in younger less expensive talent. If the Ducks keep them, they are fools, because why waste older talent for sentimental sake, when you can continue to build on young talent that is there. Then again, knowing the Ducks management, I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in Sean Avery or even try to lure Tie Domi out of retirement, because they can't get enough goons in that organization.

Oh, and if anyone wants to think that I think the Kings are going to win the Cup this year, I don't. They are a good team, just not a great team. I'm still concerned about how many goals they've given up and anyone who is overlooking that is a fool. It's a red flag, but you know what, to be in the hunt for one of the top 4 seeds in the conference is a nice feeling and doing it without Captain Canada, says a lot about the organizational depth and how they've grown as a team. This is another step in the building process.

Giguere is as good as gone given that Hiller is the #1 there, the fact that Giggy is still able to play well makes his trade value still decent enough to get something good in return and they could hang on to him and still be a solid team. Selanne isn't leaving and neither is Niedermayer, if they wanted to they could have left last season when the team was struggling again.

The Ducks seem to make a good run at the end of the season to just make the playoffs and then upset another team or give them a run for their money. The only way Niedermayer gets moved is if he asks to be traded he has a NTC/NMC for a reason. He came out of retirement to honor his contract with the Ducks, had he wanted to leave he would have done so earlier. As for Koivu, he specifically went to that team, why go to a team only to be moved within that season? Same thing with him, if he wants out, he would have to request it since the team wouldn't just move him outright. Selanne is a Ducks legend, ever since he first came there when the Jets were about to go belly up, he may have played for the Sharks and Avs for a brief period but outside of those teams, he will always be remembered as a Jet and Duck, most recently, a Duck.

Losing 1 player isn't everything, I get that Smyth means a lot and Kopitar's production has been crap without Smyth and I hate that nickname "Captain Canada" yeah sure, for the Spengler Cup, lol. When he's back the team will play better but the Kings being that crappy like you say without Smyth is pretty sad really. Look around at the teams that were without more than 1 key player and where they are in the standings.

Pens lost 5 of their top 6 defensemen and are still 22-10-1. Canucks lost a lot of key players as well, I doubt anyone even considers Demitra one, the guy has barely played for Vancouver but he pads their man games lost.

Good teams get by, great teams over come injuries. Don't use excuses.

[HedleyLamarr]

I also hate the divisional rankings, you can be in a crappy division and place top 3 in the conference, that has to be the worst idea ever. The standings should be for pts and not for being lucky enough to win a crap division like the SouthLeast gets to for example.

By the looks of the current standings, it seems the Devils and Penguins are feasting off of three teams in their division being in the bottom 11 of the NHL.

[Don]

I also hate the divisional rankings, you can be in a crappy division and place top 3 in the conference, that has to be the worst idea ever. The standings should be for pts and not for being lucky enough to win a crap division like the SouthLeast gets to for example.

By the looks of the current standings, it seems the Devils and Penguins are feasting off of three teams in their division being in the bottom 11 of the NHL.

No no, just let him roll. That SouthLeast joke never gets old.

[The_Admiral]

Irrespective of the standings from year to year, you have to admit that Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa compose a really ignominious hockey division.

[Still MIGHTY]

As an LA Kings fan, it's nice to see them playing well, but I have to say it's even better to read all the local writers talk about must win games in December or they will become irrelevant. Um, they are. They've had a nice little win streak, but when it comes down to the facts, they squandered their season in October and November and will not make the playoffs. They have way too many teams to leap over and the fact of the matter that the season is half over. Get out the golf clubs but also say your "goodbyes" to Giguere, Selanne, Koivu, and Niedermayer as I expect all four vets will be traded to bring in younger less expensive talent. If the Ducks keep them, they are fools, because why waste older talent for sentimental sake, when you can continue to build on young talent that is there. Then again, knowing the Ducks management, I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in Sean Avery or even try to lure Tie Domi out of retirement, because they can't get enough goons in that organization.

Giguere is as good as gone given that Hiller is the #1 there, the fact that Giggy is still able to play well makes his trade value still decent enough to get something good in return and they could hang on to him and still be a solid team. Selanne isn't leaving and neither is Niedermayer, if they wanted to they could have left last season when the team was struggling again.

The Ducks seem to make a good run at the end of the season to just make the playoffs and then upset another team or give them a run for their money. The only way Niedermayer gets moved is if he asks to be traded he has a NTC/NMC for a reason. He came out of retirement to honor his contract with the Ducks, had he wanted to leave he would have done so earlier. As for Koivu, he specifically went to that team, why go to a team only to be moved within that season? Same thing with him, if he wants out, he would have to request it since the team wouldn't just move him outright. Selanne is a Ducks legend, ever since he first came there when the Jets were about to go belly up, he may have played for the Sharks and Avs for a brief period but outside of those teams, he will always be remembered as a Jet and Duck, most recently, a Duck.

First off, oddball, I'm not debating you on the Ducks record or any of that, because that is obvious. But your posts about the Ducks are so ridiculous sometimes. And I will also point to the 02-03 season, where the Kings were at the top of the West around this time and ended up not making the playoffs, and a Mighty Ducks team fought their way back up to the #7 spot and made that miraculous run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Anyways, secondly...

Selanne and Niedermayer will stay, Selanne in particular. He has no reason to go anywhere else. He has all of his Ducks records, he has all of his family here, his permanent residence is now SoCal, and he already has his Cup. Teemu won't be traded. Plus, if this truly is his final NHL season, I'm almost positive he will want to finish the season in Anaheim to get that final standing ovation of goodbye and thanks. And if this is his final season, the #8 will be raised to the rafters on Opening Night next season. I can almost guarantee that.

I could see Scotty traded, as this is the last season on his contract, only if he wants to though as vcx said. He has no reason to go. Just like Selanne he is an all-time great and there isn't the undying need for a championship. Does he want to win one? Of course. But he has his 4 Cups, and he won his one with his brother. He is honoring the contract and just being a professional. And like Teemu, if this is his final season, I'm sure he'd love to finish the season with the Ducks to get the same goodbye treatment, like Teemu. Unless he wants to go and the Devils call of course. He might take that call as well to finish with New Jersey, have another shot at a Cup, and do it with his brother again.

Koivu is more easily traded though, I think. If the team sees a good offer, they'll pull the trigger. There aren't any real ties to him at this point. He is finally starting to produce though, so that's nice.

As for the Hiller/Giguere thing. To say that Hiller has cemented himself as the #1 now is ridiculous. Besides the portion of the season where Giguere injured his groin, he and Hiller have split the time for the most part. Hiller wasn't all that great when Jiggy was out and even now he is spotty. Personally, I think Giguere has played better overall when both have been fighting for the job. Hiller was great at the end of last year and in the playoff, sure, but he hasn't shown that he can be the full-time #1 goaltender yet. One of them will be traded at the deadline, most assume. The Ducks would be fools to keep them both past the deadline. However, if the decision had to be made tomorrow, I think it would be Hiller that got traded. Hiller would seem to be the cheaper option whenever he were to sign a deal, but I don't see him as a full-time goalie. When he is hot, oh yeah no doubt keep him in, but on an average night he is just too spotty. Between Hiller and Jiggy, Hiller is more prone to give up the soft goal. And when he does give up soft goals, I just don't see the right reaction from him. He always just kinda throws his head up or flops around or whatever. Whereas Jiggy will get up, shoot the puck out of the net with vary degrees of emotion, and get right back into it. Hiller always looks to be more shaken by the bad goals he gives up. And just throughout the course of a game, I'm just not of a fan of Hiller's stance and demeanor throughout the game. Hiller seems almost too loose and a little fluky at times. Giguere is more controlled and calculated in his approach in net.

If the Ducks don't solidly vault themselves back into the race, I fully expect Hiller and Koivu to be on the block. Possibly Scott if he really wants to. Teemu will be here for the remainder of the season.

[Don]

Irrespective of the standings from year to year, you have to admit that Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa compose a really ignominious hockey division.

You are correct, I completely agree, which is why Ive long wanted the realignment to bring Washington back into the Atlantic with all its traditional rivals, however, most people look at the Caps recent success and think "oh, they just play in the worst division in hockey and theyre not as good as their record" and frankly it gets kind of old.

[VC//]

The southleast jokes don't matter? Hahaha, Eric Staal scored 20 of his 40 goals last year against the SouthLeast. It is easily the weakest division in the NHL and has been for years.

And yes, I think the divisional stuff is bs, it should be by points who gets placed where. Right now it's retarded with the divisional leaders getting 2nd and 3rd seed with the overall points leader getting the 1st overall spot and the divisional lead.

[VC//]

As an LA Kings fan, it's nice to see them playing well, but I have to say it's even better to read all the local writers talk about must win games in December or they will become irrelevant. Um, they are. They've had a nice little win streak, but when it comes down to the facts, they squandered their season in October and November and will not make the playoffs. They have way too many teams to leap over and the fact of the matter that the season is half over. Get out the golf clubs but also say your "goodbyes" to Giguere, Selanne, Koivu, and Niedermayer as I expect all four vets will be traded to bring in younger less expensive talent. If the Ducks keep them, they are fools, because why waste older talent for sentimental sake, when you can continue to build on young talent that is there. Then again, knowing the Ducks management, I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in Sean Avery or even try to lure Tie Domi out of retirement, because they can't get enough goons in that organization.

Giguere is as good as gone given that Hiller is the #1 there, the fact that Giggy is still able to play well makes his trade value still decent enough to get something good in return and they could hang on to him and still be a solid team. Selanne isn't leaving and neither is Niedermayer, if they wanted to they could have left last season when the team was struggling again.

The Ducks seem to make a good run at the end of the season to just make the playoffs and then upset another team or give them a run for their money. The only way Niedermayer gets moved is if he asks to be traded he has a NTC/NMC for a reason. He came out of retirement to honor his contract with the Ducks, had he wanted to leave he would have done so earlier. As for Koivu, he specifically went to that team, why go to a team only to be moved within that season? Same thing with him, if he wants out, he would have to request it since the team wouldn't just move him outright. Selanne is a Ducks legend, ever since he first came there when the Jets were about to go belly up, he may have played for the Sharks and Avs for a brief period but outside of those teams, he will always be remembered as a Jet and Duck, most recently, a Duck.

First off, oddball, I'm not debating you on the Ducks record or any of that, because that is obvious. But your posts about the Ducks are so ridiculous sometimes. And I will also point to the 02-03 season, where the Kings were at the top of the West around this time and ended up not making the playoffs, and a Mighty Ducks team fought their way back up to the #7 spot and made that miraculous run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Anyways, secondly...

Selanne and Niedermayer will stay, Selanne in particular. He has no reason to go anywhere else. He has all of his Ducks records, he has all of his family here, his permanent residence is now SoCal, and he already has his Cup. Teemu won't be traded. Plus, if this truly is his final NHL season, I'm almost positive he will want to finish the season in Anaheim to get that final standing ovation of goodbye and thanks. And if this is his final season, the #8 will be raised to the rafters on Opening Night next season. I can almost guarantee that.

I could see Scotty traded, as this is the last season on his contract, only if he wants to though as vcx said. He has no reason to go. Just like Selanne he is an all-time great and there isn't the undying need for a championship. Does he want to win one? Of course. But he has his 4 Cups, and he won his one with his brother. He is honoring the contract and just being a professional. And like Teemu, if this is his final season, I'm sure he'd love to finish the season with the Ducks to get the same goodbye treatment, like Teemu. Unless he wants to go and the Devils call of course. He might take that call as well to finish with New Jersey, have another shot at a Cup, and do it with his brother again.

Koivu is more easily traded though, I think. If the team sees a good offer, they'll pull the trigger. There aren't any real ties to him at this point. He is finally starting to produce though, so that's nice.

As for the Hiller/Giguere thing. To say that Hiller has cemented himself as the #1 now is ridiculous. Besides the portion of the season where Giguere injured his groin, he and Hiller have split the time for the most part. Hiller wasn't all that great when Jiggy was out and even now he is spotty. Personally, I think Giguere has played better overall when both have been fighting for the job. Hiller was great at the end of last year and in the playoff, sure, but he hasn't shown that he can be the full-time #1 goaltender yet. One of them will be traded at the deadline, most assume. The Ducks would be fools to keep them both past the deadline. However, if the decision had to be made tomorrow, I think it would be Hiller that got traded. Hiller would seem to be the cheaper option whenever he were to sign a deal, but I don't see him as a full-time goalie. When he is hot, oh yeah no doubt keep him in, but on an average night he is just too spotty. Between Hiller and Jiggy, Hiller is more prone to give up the soft goal. And when he does give up soft goals, I just don't see the right reaction from him. He always just kinda throws his head up or flops around or whatever. Whereas Jiggy will get up, shoot the puck out of the net with vary degrees of emotion, and get right back into it. Hiller always looks to be more shaken by the bad goals he gives up. And just throughout the course of a game, I'm just not of a fan of Hiller's stance and demeanor throughout the game. Hiller seems almost too loose and a little fluky at times. Giguere is more controlled and calculated in his approach in net.

If the Ducks don't solidly vault themselves back into the race, I fully expect Hiller and Koivu to be on the block. Possibly Scott if he really wants to. Teemu will be here for the remainder of the season.

I wouldn't say Hiller has exactly cemented himself as their #1, but he does make a good case to stay as the #1 given the fact that he will make less than Giguere would, is slightly younger and has put up some very good #'s the past few seasons and the playoffs. Last year he put up some amazing numbers in the playoffs and that's something you can't really ignore.

Giguere has the CS under his belt, a Stanley Cup and he has been the first true #1 the team has had in a long time that has actually lived up to the billing since arriving in Anaheim when Calgary gave up on him because they didn't do enough research on his condition where all he needed was a freaking straw to drink water and absorb it, yeah...how crazy is that?

It's a tough choice for Anaheim, if they make a strong push and are 8th when it's close to the deadline, they won't move those vets, no team is going to jeopardize a playoff spot because not only is it a shot to win the cup it's extra revenue. It is a business after all.

The Ducks are lucky in that they have a ton of players hitting free agency, Niedermayer is likely retiring a duck if the ducks push for the playoffs. They could have enough cap space to re-sign Hiller and keep Giguere because history shows, the past 2yrs anyway that Giguere hasn't been the most healthy goaltender in the NHL, not the worst with his health but given that when he goes down Hiller steps up and the Ducks really don't have issues in that department, why mess with a good thing?

I say keep both, the cap space is there. The only problem is semantics, one wants the title to be #1, the other doesn't want to be a #2, so it won't happen so one has to leave and then it comes down to who will play longer, who will play cheaper and who will play at that level of hockey the longest. Is it 3-4 more years of Giguere in the NHL or 8+ of Hiller (27yr old)?

Now think to yourself, Ducks fan, who do you want?

[VC//]

Irrespective of the standings from year to year, you have to admit that Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa compose a really ignominious hockey division.

You are correct, I completely agree, which is why Ive long wanted the realignment to bring Washington back into the Atlantic with all its traditional rivals, however, most people look at the Caps recent success and think "oh, they just play in the worst division in hockey and theyre not as good as their record" and frankly it gets kind of old.

Listen, as a Penguins fan you think I am supposed to hate your team because of Ovechkin. I'll admit he's needed in the NHL, for the serious Crosby, you need the opposite of him, the jokester with flair. Some of the stuff he does that he gets away with is downright disgusting and pathetic (love how Mickey Rooney was all up in arms about Koci's hit when Ovy has hit 2 players from behind and got 2 games when he was hurt so barely, nothing)but hey, Colin Campbell is another topic for another time.

The Capitals really haven't changed anything since last season, they need 2 more defensive defensemen and a tighter checking system, they need Ovechkin to stop floating around and actually backcheck instead of hovering the blueline and waiting for the puck to go the other way (don't even refute that, Malkin has been doing the same this season when he never used to before-at last not with this kind of consistency with floating, so there, I mentioned a Penguin that does too so un-bunch your panties). If the Caps want to take a serious run at the cup, they'll have to do that, but really they won't because the team is basically run by Ovechkin, from the jersey change to the style of the game they play...that's a big problem and as a Penguin fan I know about that all too well, ie Kevin Constantine doing what Therrien did with success, unsuccessfully because Mario and Jagr didn't like playing defense and wanted the more run and gun style.

When the Caps stop letting Ovechkin dictate the style, they'll be serious cup contenders. Now tell me I don't know what I am talking about so I can laugh, I need a laugh, it's been a rough month.

[VC//]

I also hate the divisional rankings, you can be in a crappy division and place top 3 in the conference, that has to be the worst idea ever. The standings should be for pts and not for being lucky enough to win a crap division like the SouthLeast gets to for example.

By the looks of the current standings, it seems the Devils and Penguins are feasting off of three teams in their division being in the bottom 11 of the NHL.

Feasting? Flyers have been hot and cold all season long, they beat them with Emery and without him, they beat them when they were playing well and then beat them when they weren't. The Islanders? they are deceptive, they aren't even as bad as the Hurricanes and then you come down to the Rangers and Devils, two teams that have been playing well, Devils more consistently, Rangers like the Flyers are hot and cold but more hot than cold unlike the Flyers.

Tampa & Carolina have 12 and 9 wins, go look at how many the worst 2 teams in the Atlantic have. For most seasons, every team in the Atlantic division makes the playoffs outside of the Islanders, but hey, apparently the Pens & Devils pad their stats against the stingy Rangers defense and the stingy Devils defense and then rack 'em up against the Flyers - a perennial playoff team and likely to get out of this funk when Laviolette finally tells GM MH to move a few players (pains me to say that, I hate the flyers).

Oh you will mention the Rangers now that they are 2pts behind the Panthers, but then you'll forget they have also played 2 less games than the Panthers and can easily be above them in the standings and the Flyers? They're missing their #1 goaltender. Carolina sucked with their #1 in and now that he's back they are no different. Tampa, they started out hot, cooled way the hell down since. Atlanta and Washington are the two teams I will give credit to, more so Atlanta for going out and signing the right players to get better, the Capitals are basically last year's team with the same flaws.

With their entire strategy being - let's score as many goals as we can so we can win games and not worry about defense, 6-4? No matter, we still won.

Then the playoff comes when checking gets tighter and the weaknesses that were there in the seasons are magnified by 10 fold. Such is hockey, it's been this way for the 22+ yrs I've been watching it.

[STL FANATIC]

Now that the draw has been eliminated, they really need to get rid of the points system and just go with straight W-L.

You can't do that with a shootout deciding the game. It's fun, sure, but a shootout should not decide the outcome of a hockey game, specifically if it's a straight W/L.

[The_Admiral]

Nothing natural about a game. It's all just a series of constructs. If you say it can, then it can.

[DEAD!]

The southleast jokes don't matter? Hahaha, Eric Staal scored 20 of his 40 goals last year against the SouthLeast. It is easily the weakest division in the NHL and has been for years.

And yes, I think the divisional stuff is bs, it should be by points who gets placed where. Right now it's retarded with the divisional leaders getting 2nd and 3rd seed with the overall points leader getting the 1st overall spot and the divisional lead.

Hey, at least that division has produced a couple of Stanley Cup winners this decade. When was the last time a Northeast division team won the Stanley Cup?