2009-2010 NHL Season

[oddball]

I can tell you one thing, I'm definitely not getting excited about the Ducks chances the rest of the way. I mean, we're usually a late bloomer anyways in terms of earning a playoff spot. But, with Hiller playing pretty much as terrible as I expected and much of our team being injured and/or traded, I see nothing good the rest of the way.

Well at least you're finally admitting what most people who looked at the standings a month ago knew. Like I said before, it's time to have a fire sale and sell ALL veterans, Selanne, Gigure, Neidermayer, Koivu and whoever else they can get a draft pick for and that joke of a guy they got from Tampa in a trade this off-season. For as much as I think Duck fans overrate Parros, he's not a stupid hockey player is like #24 is. There's a solid core there, they just need to jettison the old guys and build around Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan. They need to really scour other teams and find some good young defensemen, because I don't think they have any worth anything. There best young defenseman is now playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, I just don't see any of their defensemen worth talking about. They have forwards, but they need to build goal outward and Hiller is proving that he is a question mark and now they are in a position where they have to decided if he's their guy or not. They have to pay someone to play goal and they have two huge question marks in goal right now.

[HedleyLamarr]

Looking at the highlights of Rangers/Thrashers and wow there are not many people at this game.

This "major snowstorm" contributed to the down attendance.

[The_Admiral]

Oh, my mistake. It wasn't noted in the condensed highlights.

How bad is it down there? Not having the infrastructure to deal with snowfall for obvious reaons, Atlanta really gets its ass kicked in the rare snowstorms it gets.

[Jarred Revolver]

Back to back hat tricks by Burrows!

[STL FANATIC]

I know I really only come into this thread to complain about officials. So be it, it helps me vent.

This league's officiating is just terrible though. My Blues are playing awful, and today was no different. They deserved to lose. But with little time left in the third, one way or another (perhaps because Anaheim isn't so great either) they were tied. With about five minutes to go, a blatant knee on knee pick away from the puck knocks our defender out of the play (and I believe the game, though he came back to the bench) leaving a Duck completely uncovered to easily put a rebound in.

So hard to watch games when refs continue to have a big hand in deciding them. Hope they review the play in the league offices. As much for potential suspension if nothing else.

Thanks for letting me vent again.

[The_Admiral]

Boy, this really conflicts with STILL MIGHTY's anti-Duck ref conspiracy. NHL officiating is pretty bad, but they already have four guys out there on the ice. I don't know what more you can do. Give linesmen more authority on egregious penalties?

[STL FANATIC]

I don't really have a solution for it. I mean, the obvious thing is telling them to "be better" but for all I know they're as good as they could possibly be. Either way the fact remains that too many calls are missed and games are frequently decided on resulting goals. All I can do is complain. So, I do.

[Still MIGHTY]

Boy, this really conflicts with STILL MIGHTY's anti-Duck ref conspiracy. NHL officiating is pretty bad, but they already have four guys out there on the ice. I don't know what more you can do. Give linesmen more authority on egregious penalties?

I wish I could comment on this said situation, but I did not see the entire game.

And I will agree, that first it's amazing the amount of things that go unnoticed by referees during a game on all accounts. I guess you could give the linesman some power in that regard, but then it could get out of control with the whistles. I guess you could limit it to things like spearing, boarding, kneeing, the more dangerous penalties. The 5-minute major types.

Lord knows you can't throw another ref out there. It'd become way too crowded, and you couldnt really give him a designated zone. Like now one ref is up top and another down low, but you'd have no place to put a third. In between the benches?

Also, I will admit I was pretty high up on my high horse about the Ducks vs Refs thing early on in the season. Funnily enough, I haven't had much to complain about the refs lately, only if I don't see what happened. Maybe the Ducks are more disciplined, maybe the refs are better, maybe it's really because Pronger is gone and Artyukhin has been sitting a lot lately. There are the few anamoly games where the Ducks are out penalized like 12-3, but those are getting less frequent.

I will relinquish my protest of Ducks v. Officials for this time. I will slide back into the camp of "NHL Referees suck" in general. I don't know who complains more about the officials, NHL fans, SEC coaches, or English Premier League managers?

[NEW.ERA]

Ken Holland has said that it will probably take 100 points to make the playoffs in the west which is remarkable and it's not to far off of the odds I looked at which had the 8th seed with 98 points.

This will be quite the stretch run after the Olympics.

[The_Admiral]

As far as the West goes, I think the Red Wings are the only team on the outside looking in that still has a reasonable shot. The Stars are a long shot, and the teams in the bottom third don't look like they can hack it. It's scary how well they've played with so many players out. The Hawks really need a regulation win against the Wings next weekend to make sure those are two points they can't get. If the #1 or #2 Blackhawks run into a #7 or #8 Red Wings team with all its players back in the lineup, hell's really coming to breakfast.

[Brass]

I know it's not the NHL, but Boston College vs Boston University at Fenway Park at 7:30. Really jealous that a bunch of kids I played against get to skate at Fenway!

[STL FANATIC]

I'm not giving up on the Blues yet. On one hand, since they did it last year, there's no chance they can do it again this year. On the other hand, there was no chance they could do it last year...

Plus I know they're better than they've played, so maybe after a couple of weeks with the new coach they'll go on a tear. It'll have to be quite a tear, but it's still to early to give up in my book.

I also think Dallas could get in. Partly because I still think there's teams in the top 8 that will slide.

[HedleyLamarr]

Oh, my mistake. It wasn't noted in the condensed highlights.

How bad is it down there? Not having the infrastructure to deal with snowfall for obvious reaons, Atlanta really gets its ass kicked in the rare snowstorms it gets.

Atlanta got maybe 2 inches, at most. Probably closer to an inch for most of the metro area. Roads weren't too bad to drive on, but the local weatherfolks kept insisting on "not driving unless you really, really need to".

The only problem was iced roads, as it won't be above 32 until tomorrow or Sunday. There were a bunch of accidents this morning, mainly from folks who went a lot faster than you should...only to realize that brakes don't work so well on ice.

[The_Admiral]

I'm not giving up on the Blues yet. On one hand, since they did it last year, there's no chance they can do it again this year. On the other hand, there was no chance they could do it last year...

Plus I know they're better than they've played, so maybe after a couple of weeks with the new coach they'll go on a tear. It'll have to be quite a tear, but it's still to early to give up in my book.

I also think Dallas could get in. Partly because I still think there's teams in the top 8 that will slide.

Who's out, in your opinion? Colorado or Nashville, I would assume? The Predators have been playing over their headators for a long damn time now, and I can't believe it'll last all season. The Kings have been in a slump, but I'm confident that they'll be in the picture at the end. The Blues not only need to go on a tear, but need a lot of help to jump at least five teams.

[STL FANATIC]

Oh yeah, the Blues will need tons of help. But it could happen. And that being the case, I won't give up on it yet.

Nashville, Colorado, and LA are all three teams I've been anticipating a slide from. And while I don't expect it from Vancouver, they're a team that could slide as well, but they're more likely to go on a tear than a slide probably. I have trouble accepting that Phoenix is doing so well, but with their young talent and a good coach in Tippett, it's not really a huge surprise. Still, if they slide (though probably not all the way out), I wouldn't be surprised.

[Top Shelf]

The lights are out in Joyzee.

[raysox]

Mike Ribeiro (DAL) placed on IR. This sounds gross.Riberio on IRThe Dallas Stars announced today that center Mike Ribeiro has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to be out four-to-six weeks due to a throat contusion suffered on Wednesday night at the New York Rangers.Ribeiro underwent a procedure at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan last night to repair the contusion, which included a tracheotomy. He is expected to stay in the hospital for a few days before returning to Dallas.

Which BLOWS for my fantasy team

The lights are out in Joyzee.

Yeah, it's like one section too. It's been about an hour and a half. They zamboni'd the ice, so this will be the "2nd intermition" then at the 20 minute mark, they'll switch sides of the rink

Also the Lightning are up 3-0, and being out shot like 7 to 20.

EDIT: "The game has been suspended, and rescheduled for a later date"

[NJTank]

I guess that was a PSE&G power play at the Rock tonight.

I think it was Friday Night and they could not get someone from PSE&G to work overtime so they had to put the game on ice so to speak. When the lights go out any where in Jersey we expect the same "service" or lack there of.

[charger77]

As far as the West goes, I think the Red Wings are the only team on the outside looking in that still has a reasonable shot. The Stars are a long shot, and the teams in the bottom third don't look like they can hack it. It's scary how well they've played with so many players out. The Hawks really need a regulation win against the Wings next weekend to make sure those are two points they can't get. If the #1 or #2 Blackhawks run into a #7 or #8 Red Wings team with all its players back in the lineup, hell's really coming to breakfast.

I'm not really buying into that. The Wings will probably make the playoffs. However, they are getting a whole slew of players back coming off of injury that missed a lot of time. I think it will be a difficult adjustment with all of these players coming back. The players coming back could disrupt the chemestry that they have going right now.

-Dan

[Corvus]

Oh yeah, the Blues will need tons of help. But it could happen. And that being the case, I won't give up on it yet.

Nashville, Colorado, and LA are all three teams I've been anticipating a slide from. And while I don't expect it from Vancouver, they're a team that could slide as well, but they're more likely to go on a tear than a slide probably. I have trouble accepting that Phoenix is doing so well, but with their young talent and a good coach in Tippett, it's not really a huge surprise. Still, if they slide (though probably not all the way out), I wouldn't be surprised.

Unless the Olympic required road trips kill the Canucks or they all develop swine flu, they aren't going on a major slide. The team is clicking on all cylinders right now. Henrik Sedin is your NHL scoring leader, Luongo is playing well, and Alex Burrows just scored back to back hat tricks. OF course, if the defence men keep getting cut like they did in the Phx game, that could be a problem, what with Rome splitting his head open on the ice and Mitchell sticking Salo in the face. I sweat to god, Sami Salo should be sealed in a giant hamster ball for his own protection.

I keep thinking Colorado will slide, but it doesn't seem to be happening.