2010-11 NHL Season Thread

[Don]

Cause he scored? Got me.

[STL FANATIC]

So, who wants to start the "Blues to Quebec" talk?

Quelle Catastrophe!

More seriously, there were folks who wanted Checketts to buy the Rams. Can you imagine the dire straits every St. Louis team not named the Cardinals would be in right about now if this had happened?

/At least now I know the REAL reason for the fire sale a couple of weeks ago.

I have no doubt some moves were done with salary considerations (rushing the Brewer trade, moving Boyes with 1.3 years on his contract left), but the EJ trade made the Blues better now and probably in the future, Brewer was a free agent who wasn't coming back, and Boyes was underachieving in a role that could go to a younger or new player next year.. and they got a pick.

Not like they made a bunch of dumb trades just because of money.

/predictableSTLdefense1

This is definitely a positive development for the franchise, and that's not a knock on Checketts who's leaving the club in much better shape than when he took over and really in pretty good shape overall, this season's standings notwithstanding. The primary reason this team hasn't been able to win more games is because they don't have the money to spend to upgrade or fill holes, and that's because 70% of the team has been for sale for a while. Checketts was trying to get investors to buy that 70% so he could remain the frontman. Now that he's not trying to maintain control, it should be much easier to find a buyer. Owning now equals controlling. And if that money can get in place before free agency kicks off that would be a huge plus for the franchise.

And they shouldn't be in any jeopardy of moving. This is a very good fanbase who's been showing up all year (even if the "sellouts" aren't entirely truthful). When this team becomes a playoff team, it will be profitable. Meanwhile, you have teams bleeding money elsewhere and the league doing everything to keep them in place. There's no reason to think the league would let a team leave St. Louis.

/predictableSTL(unnecessary)defense2

I just hope a new buyer is found soon and that their pockets are deep enough.

[Shumway]

Why are Wing fans booing Ovechkin every time he touches the puck?

You sure they weren't doing a 'Suuuuhhhhh!' chant?

Actually, I was wondering the same thing. It could've been because he scored, but I thought they were booing before then.

[Sport]

I'm telling you, it's because red wings fans have nothing to do from October through March. They used to

do "fire millen" chants, but now they have to pick a player and get on him to make things interesting.

[charger77]

I'm telling you, it's because red wings fans have nothing to do from October through March. They used to

do "fire millen" chants, but now they have to pick a player and get on him to make things interesting.

I don't know. If you go to the Detroit News Wings Forum after a loss they are pretty good at blaming it on the refs or "buttman" when they refer to the commissioner.

[Don]

Yes, the league absolutely hates Red Wings fans. As evidenced by all those championship banners hanging at the Joe.

[The_Admiral]

But I like the solution, the longer the game drags on, penalize points. You want the two points in the standings? Late in the season and absolutely need the two points in the standings? Win the game in regulation. Make it into the OT and the best you can do is 1 point by winning, and if you lose you get squat. I believe teams will be forced to open it up because they will no longer have the guaranteed point to fall back on. The alternative to this idea was 3 points in regulation, 2 for the OT and 1 point for a shootout win, my problem with that is that your back to the four column standings, and oh werent those glorious days the last time that was tried.

So winning a game in 61 minutes counts half as much as a game won in 60? That's stupid. Why is this so hard?

[oddball]

I'm telling you, it's because red wings fans have nothing to do from October through March. They used to

do "fire millen" chants, but now they have to pick a player and get on him to make things interesting.

I don't know. If you go to the Detroit News Wings Forum after a loss they are pretty good at blaming it on the refs or "buttman" when they refer to the commissioner.

That's all team forums after the team loses. It's never the team's fault!

[RedRenesis]

But I like the solution, the longer the game drags on, penalize points. You want the two points in the standings? Late in the season and absolutely need the two points in the standings? Win the game in regulation. Make it into the OT and the best you can do is 1 point by winning, and if you lose you get squat. I believe teams will be forced to open it up because they will no longer have the guaranteed point to fall back on. The alternative to this idea was 3 points in regulation, 2 for the OT and 1 point for a shootout win, my problem with that is that your back to the four column standings, and oh werent those glorious days the last time that was tried.

So winning a game in 61 minutes counts half as much as a game won in 60? That's stupid. Why is this so hard?

Just as losing a game in 61 minutes is worth more then losing it in 60?

[The_Admiral]

No, that's just as much a loss. I've been advocating two-column standings for years. People should not have to think about standings.

[Zekhmet]

So in irrelevant news today, we have a game featuring the Phoenix Coyotes visiting the Edmonton Oil Barons :P

[Brass]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

[Sport]

No, that's just as much a loss. I've been advocating two-column standings for years. People should not have to think about standings.

Agreed. Not to once again mention my high school hockey career, but my senior year the conference we played in adopted the NHL's current system for regular season conference games, and as a player, it sucked. Losing a game in OT felt just as bad as losing in regulation (if not worse). I would've felt just as irritated if we hadn't gotten any points in those overtime losses.

At this point, now that it's been introduced, we can't kill the shootout, and it's a method of ending a game at a reasonable hour, so why not embrace it and use it to provide a definite winner and a definite loser? I've said it before (like last page), but I'm tired of rooting for other games to end in regulation and I'm tired of one team winning and the other team half losing/winning.

Games should be worth two points total like they used to be, not maybe three.

Also, LOLZ Blue Jackets. Sean two weeks ago, you were dumb.

[NJTank]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

Ok than trade him to the Devils

[NEW.ERA]

As a Flame fan, I can't say how amazed I am that Daymond Langkow will be joining them on the upcoming California Roadtrip. I don't know how effective he'll be but when hearing at the start of the year that he may never play again to joining the team on their most important three game set of the entire season is a major boost.

[Brass]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

Ok than trade him to the Devils

I have no connections to the Bruins front office, but let me warn you - he's terrible.

In other news, Patrick Hornqvist isn't getting suspended for his hit on Tyler Seguin. I'm calling the Boston PD and ordering a full scale investigation into this. Then, I'm going to the next Bruins home game and protesting this. Unbelievable.

[Don]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

Ok than trade him to the Devils

I have no connections to the Bruins front office, but let me warn you - he's terrible.

In other news, Patrick Hornqvist isn't getting suspended for his hit on Tyler Seguin. I'm calling the Boston PD and ordering a full scale investigation into this. Then, I'm going to the next Bruins home game and protesting this. Unbelievable.

This is incomplete without the burning of a few cars. Only then will you get your point across and Bettman may listen.

[BrySmalls]

Devils lost.

[NJTank]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

Ok than trade him to the Devils

I have no connections to the Bruins front office, but let me warn you - he's terrible.

In other news, Patrick Hornqvist isn't getting suspended for his hit on Tyler Seguin. I'm calling the Boston PD and ordering a full scale investigation into this. Then, I'm going to the next Bruins home game and protesting this. Unbelievable.

I went a Devils-Bruins game last year and he is one of the most physical imposing players I have ever seen, I would love him on the Devils.

[Brass]

My favorite thing about Zdeno Chara is nothing.

Ok than trade him to the Devils

I have no connections to the Bruins front office, but let me warn you - he's terrible.

In other news, Patrick Hornqvist isn't getting suspended for his hit on Tyler Seguin. I'm calling the Boston PD and ordering a full scale investigation into this. Then, I'm going to the next Bruins home game and protesting this. Unbelievable.

I went a Devils-Bruins game last year and he is one of the most physical imposing players I have ever seen, I would love him on the Devils.

"Physical imposing" does not mean "physical" in the hockey sense of the word. He rarely uses his size, uses more so his reach, and when that fails him, well, then it's all over. Guy also lacks the hockey smarts. Tried making a change as a Nashville player was getting out of the box AND as the Preds were breaking it out of their own zone. This resulted in the game-tying goal.

He's a waste of cap space and really, just not a good player. Norris Trophy be damned.