The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[CS85]

Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

[HedleyLamarr]

I like that mayors and commissioners of sports leagues are still writing letters to each other. F*****g call him, Coleman.

But really what do you want him to do? He owes us an all-star game, you can't argue that.

Doesn't the league still owe Phoenix an All-Star Game?

I guess so technically, but the glendale situation is a different animal altogether.

True, but since the NHL never announced a second option should this ASG not be played, don't put too much stock into any sort of promises Bettman or the NHL give.

They gave an alternative date for Atlanta's ASG had the 2005 contest not get played. They never did that with Phoenix or Columbus.

[crashcarson15]

With the exception of Chicago and Anaheim, like what the even is the Western Conference?

[Cosmic]

So Ekman-Larsson signed a six year deal with a team that is virtually guaranteed (I know it's the Coyotes, but c'mon) to be playing in a different city next season? That's a lot of faith.

[sportstar1212]

With the exception of Chicago and Anaheim, like what the even is the Western Conference?

Hey, they're doing better than the Eastern Conference this year

[Brass]

Andrew Ference just hit Evander Kane in the corner. Ference must be racist or something.

[The_Admiral]

With the exception of Chicago and Anaheim, like what the even is the Western Conference?

"The Kings showed that all you have to do is get in, and that's all we're going to do." No wonder the NHL turned us into the kids' table.

[dbadefense1990]

With the exception of Chicago and Anaheim, like what the even is the Western Conference?

"The Kings showed that all you have to do is get in, and that's all we're going to do."

I kind of learned that precedent in hockey around the 2006 postseason. Matter of fact, I think that has been the precedent in the post-2005, post-dynasty-friendly NHL.

[dbadefense1990]

With the exception of Chicago and Anaheim, like what the even is the Western Conference?

Exciting and unpredictable...unlike the pathetic SouthLeast Division from the East.

[The_Admiral]

It could be my hindsight bias speaking, but even of the low seeds that have made the Final (and let's not forget that Los Angeles was the only one to, y'know, do it), they all had some sort of extenuating circumstances that distinguished them from merely hanging around the middle of the conference and "peaking at the right time." To wit:

2006: Oilers had Chris Pronger singlehandedly willing a team to near-greatness, the Hurricanes were god I don't even know what this thing was

2007: the Ducks had a dominant season and were arguably the best championship team of recent memory, the Senators were kind of amazing themselves

2008: Red Wings, enough said; Penguins had Crosby and Malkin

2009: same

2010: the Blackhawks had a loaded roster clicking on all cylinders and could be right up there with the Ducks, the Flyers barely got in but had a slow start; talent-wise they were still an elite team

2011: the Bruins and Canucks were the best two teams in the league all year

2012: the Kings had a slow start but talent-wise were still an elite team (being able to trade for Mike Richards and Jeff Carter helped), the Devils were a good team that had a favorable draw

And this isn't even taking into account the Sabres and Sharks, who had dominant regular seasons, hung around the third round a bit, and just had bad breaks or ran into buzzsaws.

So really it's only last year that you could really say "anything can happen" and mean it, and a lot of that was because of the confounding of not calling obstruction/restraining anymore and letting bad teams gum up the works of good teams, making things a lot more random. It may seem like all you have to do is get in and roll the dice, but in reality, you're better off trying to build a really good team that wins a lot of games.

[Sport]

Blue Jackets win again.

This time in regulation!

[JackieMoon]

Tied for 8th place! Yeah! This could be year number 2 *crossed fingers*

[Kramerica Industries]

It could be my hindsight bias speaking, but even of the low seeds that have made the Final (and let's not forget that Los Angeles was the only one to, y'know, do it), they all had some sort of extenuating circumstances that distinguished them from merely hanging around the middle of the conference and "peaking at the right time." To wit:

2006: Oilers had Chris Pronger singlehandedly willing a team to near-greatness, the Hurricanes were god I don't even know what this thing was

2007: the Ducks had a dominant season and were arguably the best championship team of recent memory, the Senators were kind of amazing themselves

2008: Red Wings, enough said; Penguins had Crosby and Malkin

2009: same

2010: the Blackhawks had a loaded roster clicking on all cylinders and could be right up there with the Ducks, the Flyers barely got in but had a slow start; talent-wise they were still an elite team

2011: the Bruins and Canucks were the best two teams in the league all year

2012: the Kings had a slow start but talent-wise were still an elite team (being able to trade for Mike Richards and Jeff Carter helped), the Devils were a good team that had a favorable draw

And this isn't even taking into account the Sabres and Sharks, who had dominant regular seasons, hung around the third round a bit, and just had bad breaks or ran into buzzsaws.

So really it's only last year that you could really say "anything can happen" and mean it, and a lot of that was because of the confounding of not calling obstruction/restraining anymore and letting bad teams gum up the works of good teams, making things a lot more random. It may seem like all you have to do is get in and roll the dice, but in reality, you're better off trying to build a really good team that wins a lot of games.

Even so, there is something seriously fouled up in recent years, that three of the past four Presidents' Trophy winners have crashed in the opening round, including the 2010 Capitals who looked like the best team in the NHL all season long (and, holy crap, blew a 3-1 lead against a terrible Habs team). And while, with Washington out, I think Chicago beats anyone the East throws their way, it helped them a great deal that the East Final wound up being a #7 vs. #8 matchup. The 2010 playoffs are the most jacked up I can remember in a long time, much more than 2012 with a #8 seed winning. Los Angeles was a team that caught fire and looked the part of a champion when the playoffs began; Philadelphia somehow got two wins away from the Cup with a goalie tandem of Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. They got past teams with Martin Brodeur, Tuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkka Rask, and the white-hot Jaroslav Halak. They overcame a 3-0 deficit against another underwhelming regular season team.

If the Flyers had won the Cup, they would've easily been a much more incomprehensible example than the 2012 LA Kings. Jeez, the Flyers were one poor shot in the skills competition away from missing the playoffs altogether, for 'cripes sakes.

[ninersdd]

On top of that, Chicago should've been down 3-2 to Nashville in the first round, but the Preds choked away game 5 in the final minute. The Sharks could've been down 3-1 to the weak Avs very easily as well in the first round.

[Kramerica Industries]

Oh man, now I'm trying to imagine an alternate dimension CCSLC where Martin Erat doesn't do something that stupid, and the Preds win that series. I can only imagine how bitter admiral would be about that franchise had that happened.

[The_Admiral]

Jets hanging by a thread to first place, but I know the reality is that they have to execute at 100% with their energy at 110% to even maybe stay competitive. They don't have the weapons that Tampa or Carolina have. I think they might as well go for it, though, because they'd just blow another top pick on a Schiefele sort of player, and they have the Hawks' picks from the Oduya trade, so they can make up for quality in quantity.

[fouhy12]

The Bruins lost again, this time 3-1 in Winnipeg. They outplayed the Jets for the first two and a half periods yet somehow only got one goal, and then faltered in the 3rd, allowing 2 goals in 57 seconds. The Bruins are definitely a top five team this year, but they need to shape up and get better in the 3rd if they want to get out of the first round.

EDIT: And Krejci and Kelly are injured, Bourque sucks, and McQuaid is injured and sucks.

[NEW.ERA]

So I'm adopting my hometown team for the rest of the year.

Beating Boston can only further their confidence.

[The_Admiral]

In retrospect, perhaps they should not have given up on Ponikarovsky so quickly. He's like the textbook "not a bad player to try to get at the deadline" guy.

I would have giggle fits if they shored up at the deadline with Jaromir Jagr. He played in Siberia. He can play in Winnipeg.

[Kramerica Industries]

Alex Ponikarovsky being traded to New Jersey is basically an annual tradition at this point. It's better not to mess with tradition.