The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[BigBubba]

5-1 Leafs, with "Olé" chants breaking out at the ACC to boot.

C'mon Boston, I need you to go on a tear and bump the Habs down to 4th so we can get the ideal first-round matchup.

[infrared41]

What I was talking about is the people who freak out if anyone mentions changing an original six team's look,

Just my opinion, but I don't think it's possible to improve the look of any Original 6 team. I can see why fans of those teams freak out when someone mentions it.

Anyway, the Jackets go on the road and get a win against the Wild tonight. I wasn't terribly optimistic about them getting a win on the road on the second night of back to back games, but I'll gladly take it.

[Still MIGHTY]

Seriously, how does Dustin Brown keep on ending up on these controversial knee hits?

One can only wonder...

I don't want to complain about the refs, so I won't. (But man, could I...) Well played game by both the Ducks and Kings. Ducks should have shot more early, they were being too cute, they figured it out later and got more and more chances. Quick won that game for LA, even with his one gaffe that gave Getzlaf the Ducks only goal.

Meh, can't complain too much about it. Yeah its a loss to your rival, but the Ducks played well amd were just beat. And at least the magic number for the division moved down to 5 with the Sharks loss.

Also, least amount of crap I've ever gotten at a Ducks/Kings game at Staples. Like hardly anything at all. (and not one Mighty :censored:s movie joke. I was impressed.) Maybe the "Cup Champion prices" have driven the douchers out of the building? Or they're less bitter with a Cup? Either way.

[habsfan1]

On the bright side, I'm glad I didn't invest any time to watch last night's game.

[fouhy12]

C'mon Boston, I need you to go on a tear and bump the Habs down to 4th so we can get the ideal first-round matchup.

Well, they just got outplayed by Carolina, so I wouldn't be so hopeful.

[Kramerica Industries]

Carolina had lost something like nine straight home games and nine straight games overall. Eventually, that was going to end. Even terrible teams sometimes beat excellent teams.

In an un-noted event from last night, the Dallas Stars have now jumped into the top-8 on tiebreakers over Detroit. Hockey makes no damned sense.

[Sodboy13]

As much as we'd all laugh ourselves into spasms if the Wings missed the playoffs, I don't want the Stars in their place. Nothing says "playoff atmosphere" like 11,000 people who seem like they'd rather be elsewhere and/or a road team takeover of the arena. We've seen enough of that in Glendale recently, thanks.

I find myself cheering on Lumbus and the Isles down the stretch. Hockey makes you do strange things.

[Kramerica Industries]

I love the current East playoff field. Toronto, Montreal, Boston, the New York Rangers all in the top-8? YES. As well as excellent hockey atmosphere's like Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington, Uniondale? YES. There are more than eight fine hockey locations in the East (Buffalo, Winnipeg, and Philly), so we can't get them all in, but you can't please everybody. I'm fine with how things currently align.

Even if they were just filler for Chicago, I'd rather see Detroit in the West field as well, over Dallas. Dallas was a fun place about 10 years ago. They've been a dead zone ever since the Sean Avery signing.

[The_Admiral]

I wouldn't mind Dallas in the playoffs if I weren't concerned they won't stop winning (and why is that happening, anyway?). Road team takeovers are fun.

Oh, and it's an 11:30 puck drop today in St. Louis to accommodate NBC. I'm sure everyone's pleased with that.

[Sodboy13]

Gotta get the hockey out of the way early to make room for tape-delay truck racing and figure skating/gymnastics.

[HedleyLamarr]

They're two points out. Cool it with the Thrasher BS.

The Thrashers were always like 2-4 points out of the playoff race with a handful of games left.

The Jets are gonna win 3 of their last 6 games and finish in 10th in the East.

[Sodboy13]

David Backes is a real piece of work. And by "worK" I mean .

[spartacat_12]

If they Habs play the Leafs in the play-offs can all the games be played at the ACC?

Works for me

The league began with 4 teams: Toronto, 2 teams in Montreal, and Ottawa. The "Original 6" are simply the teams that made it through the Great Depression and WWII in one piece. The league went through a long period without losing, gaining, or relocating any teams. This period happened to coincide with the boom in the league's popularity (introduction of televised games, debut of superstars like Howe, Hull, and the Rocket).

I'm aware the "Original Six" weren't the original NHL franchises.

I'm fine with these teams being called the Original 6 but the league shouldn't treat them any differently. The teams played no one but each other for decades, why would anyone want them all in one division?

I never said there should be an all Original Six division. In fact my stated preference was to split them up evenly. Three per conference.

The great thing about the NHL (and all sports leagues) is that you have historic franchises playing against teams that are currently building their own history and tradition. You could argue that teams like the Oilers and Penguins deserve the same respect as the Blackhawks or Rangers.

Of course you could. I never said anything to the contrary. I just think it sucks that the Blackhawks are stuck on their lonesome because the Red Wings couldn't bothered to play road games in St. Paul and St. Louis.

I wasn't directing all of my points towards you. They were just some comments on other things people had been bringing up in the thread. Realignment will never please everyone but having Detroit in the East just makes sense. Chicago still has rivals like Vancouver and St. Louis in their conference so it's not the end of the world.

[Sport]

If the Blue Jackets make the playoffs Bobrovsky should get the hart and Vezina and whatever award goes to the best goaltending tandem.

And Todd Richards should get the Jack Adams.

[The_Admiral]

David Backes is a real piece of work. And by "worK" I mean .

I always thought Backes was capable of being a better player once he got out from under Davis Payne. Perhaps I was wrong.

[The_Admiral]

Detroit in the East just makes sense.

That's why Detroit teams are typically in divisions with Miami or Boston, yes. Except that they never are

[rams80]

If they Habs play the Leafs in the play-offs can all the games be played at the ACC?

Works for me

The league began with 4 teams: Toronto, 2 teams in Montreal, and Ottawa. The "Original 6" are simply the teams that made it through the Great Depression and WWII in one piece. The league went through a long period without losing, gaining, or relocating any teams. This period happened to coincide with the boom in the league's popularity (introduction of televised games, debut of superstars like Howe, Hull, and the Rocket).

I'm aware the "Original Six" weren't the original NHL franchises.

I'm fine with these teams being called the Original 6 but the league shouldn't treat them any differently. The teams played no one but each other for decades, why would anyone want them all in one division?

I never said there should be an all Original Six division. In fact my stated preference was to split them up evenly. Three per conference.

The great thing about the NHL (and all sports leagues) is that you have historic franchises playing against teams that are currently building their own history and tradition. You could argue that teams like the Oilers and Penguins deserve the same respect as the Blackhawks or Rangers.

Of course you could. I never said anything to the contrary. I just think it sucks that the Blackhawks are stuck on their lonesome because the Red Wings couldn't bothered to play road games in St. Paul and St. Louis.

I wasn't directing all of my points towards you. They were just some comments on other things people had been bringing up in the thread. Realignment will never please everyone but having Detroit in the East just makes sense. Chicago still has rivals like Vancouver and St. Louis in their conference so it's not the end of the world.

No, what makes sense is for Detroit to be in a division with other Midwestern teams. I don't care what the time zones say, if you're 500+ miles away from the Atlantic you're not Eastern.

[Maz]

What I was talking about is the people who freak out if anyone mentions changing an original six team's look,

Just my opinion, but I don't think it's possible to improve the look of any Original 6 team. I can see why fans of those teams freak out when someone mentions it.

FWIW, Boston and Toronto have changed a few times with each one being a lateral move at worst, save for Toronto going "lets abandon waist stripes because Reebok said it looks cool".

If the Rangers darkened their colors a bit (specifically to these shades) they'd be tied with Chicago for the best look of the Original Six, IMO.

[The_Admiral]

Hahaha, the Blues once again forgot that the object of the game is to score goals. They'll do that on ya! Eat feces, Backes, you meathead.

Someone was asleep at the controls here. Smrt camera work, NBC!

[CS85]

This Bolts/Sabres game is painful. The Lightning are abominable to watch, getting stonewalled by Jhonas freakin' Enroth. Tons of icing, lots of misplayed dump-and-chase. Sigh.