The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[Still MIGHTY]

Team sports? Just about every player matters on a hockey team. Your scoring superstars in the NHL might play 25 minutes at the most on a given night. Guys like Lebron and Kobe routinely play 45-50 minutes of the game. Talent wins in the NBA.

Not quite right. Talent is the basic, ground-level requirement to win in the NBA, but chemistry, execution, and solid role players are what brings a team to the next level.

That's why the Heat, Spurs, Clippers, and Thunder are so good, but the Lakers are so mediocre even though their roster is comparable or even better on paper - the Lakers have a top-heavy roster and a dysfunctional locker room, so mediocrity is the end result.

These Lakers are the exception, not the rule. Note you can name more good teams with talent than bad teams with talent. Also note, Bulls without Derrick Rose, pretty meh. Bulls with Rose, championship contenders. In basketball more than any other sport, one uber talent guy can swing the entire fortunes of a team. Hockey example: NY Rangers were the best team in the East. They add Rick Nash via trade, they currently sit in 10th.

I'd argue all the things you said, "chemistry, execution, and solid role players", are more important to a hockey team than a basketball team.

[IceCap]

Sorry, if this has been posted already Barry Melrose debated Stephen A. Smith yesterday. Smith gets his ass handed to him, and also tries to bring up a point about how you can "glide" around on the ice when you're tired during a game. Listen, , if you don't know what you're talking about, shut up.

So SAS' arguments are:

- you can glide and take breaks on the ice. First, untrue. Ice skating is exhausting which is why they play in shifts. Second, has he watched NBA defenses? I see lots of walking and standing around.

- Ties. There haven't been ties since 2004. If you want to talk OTL that's fine, but know what you're talking about and use the correct terminology when debating. That's day 1 of Debate class.

- Basketball is as much a team sport as hockey. Very wrong.

- Lebron James is the best basketball player in the world so anything he does is automatically the best. Not necessarily true.

- There's more parity in the NBA. LOLWUT. There's nothing to support that claim. Wish Melrose would've attacked this harder.

Anyways, Barry Melrose won the argument simply by being not being a psycho and providing real points that make sense while SAS is still going on about the whole ties thing.

EMBRACE DEBATE and then realize you just lost to a calm and relaxed Canadian.

When Barry Melrose schools you, you really need to shut up.

[CS85]

Barry Melrose looks like hell in HD. Got some yellow ass teeth.

That being said, Smith's argument is that hockey is a lazier sport and that there's more parity?

More parity in basketball?

There's no sport with less parity than basketball at the professional level.

[The_Admiral]

I also want the right to punch Patrick Kaleta in the face. Repeatedly. Indefinitely.

CALLED IT

[Sport]

Barry Melrose looks like hell in HD. Got some yellow ass teeth.

That being said, Smith's argument is that hockey is a lazier sport and that there's more parity?

More parity in basketball?

There's no sport with less parity than basketball at the professional level.

Again, I wish Melrose would've gone after him harder on this, but I suspect Espen didn't want their guy looking even worse so he backed off SAS.

Even the most ardent NBA supporters will tell you that one of the biggest problems with their league is the lack of parity. Stephen A's response to the 8 seed kings winning the cup last year? "Well the New York Knicks went to the finals in 1999 as an 8 seed". So one team 14 years ago who was only an 8 seed because of injuries and the lockout wiping out so much of the season is evidence to more parity in the NBA? You lose Stephen.

[ninersdd]

Yeah, 3 out of the last 4 8 seeds in the West in the NHL were Cup threats/dangerous teams.

In the east in the NBA, the Heat essentially have a free pass to the finals. Does anybody seriously see Indiana winning 4 of 7 against them?

[Sport]

When are the Oilers going to turn the corner? They've done everything right and they've followed the Pittsburgh/Chicago model even better than those teams did. Suck the most for three years, get high draft picks, profit. What's going wrong in Edmonton?

edit: Matt Calvert was just given a game misconduct for not wearing his fightstrap during a fight. I've always thought that rule was a little harsh. It's especially harsh for a little guy in (probably) his first career fight, but I get why the rule is there.

[The_Admiral]

When are the Oilers going to turn the corner? They've done everything right and they've followed the Pittsburgh/Chicago model even better than those teams did. Suck the most for three years, get high draft picks, profit. What's going wrong in Edmonton?

They don't play defense and don't seem to have any cohesion. Everyone's just freelancing it out there, which may have worked for those Oilers, but not these.

EDIT: Marian Hossa is starting to look like a non-palsied Thom Yorke:

[habsfan1]

Habs just lost against the Islanders 6-3.

Man this team sucks! Little to no offence, holes in all the defence, Price playing bad. And they can't even beat the Islanders! Man, I can't wait to see some trades!

-----

I'm just kidding guys. Habs are still at the top of the conference, it's only their first regulation loss in 12 games. Seriously, it's no biggie

[fouhy12]

I really don't like Ovechkin. He is way overrated and gets all the calls, even though he plays dirty. The only time he gets called for penalties is on defense. He just went full speed into Rask with no signs of stopping.

[cmm]

Habs just lost against the Islanders 6-3.

Man this team sucks! Little to no offence, holes in all the defence, Price playing bad. And they can't even beat the Islanders! Man, I can't wait to see some trades!

-----

I'm just kidding guys. Habs are still at the top of the conference, it's only their first regulation loss in 12 games. Seriously, it's no biggie

And they scored their 20,000th goal all-time. That's kind of neat.

[drdougfresh]

Staal just took a puck off the eye. That looked painful. His flailing afterward was interesting, to say the least.

[habsfan1]

And they scored their 20,000th goal all-time. That's kind of neat.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that. Brian Gionta scored it.

And it's not all-time, it's their 20 000th NHL goal. Pre-1917 games don't count.

[Brendan]

After what happened to Malhotra I'm shocked that there's players still playing without visors. Visors and Kevlar socks need to be made mandatory because players obviously arent smart enough to protect themselves.

[Sodboy13]

Staal just took a puck off the eye. That looked painful. His flailing afterward was interesting, to say the least.

It's a good thing they don't make visors mandatory to pussificate the game!

[The_Admiral]

Staal just took a puck off the eye. That looked painful. His flailing afterward was interesting, to say the least.

The Staals are goofy-looking bastards without going into convulsions.

[CS85]

The hell is happening to Carey Price?

[drdougfresh]

Only a matter of time before the gif. Thank you, internet:

[Sport]

Staal just took a puck off the eye. That looked painful. His flailing afterward was interesting, to say the least.

Marc Staal to be more specific.

Mandatory visor conversation?

[Lee.]

Jesus. Malhotra took a deflection to the eye and was never the same, taking a slap shot full on like that can't be good.

Also, with professional athletes being what they are these days, there is NO reason to be giving up four goals to the Panthers. Yeah, Jets, I'm looking at YOU.