The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[JQK]

It's 661 now...can he just retire already so he stops beating the Rangers? Thanks.

No. ;-)

[CS85]

As kind of pointed out in the Thomas/Islanders discussion yesterday, despite a stockpile of exceptional young talent, the New York Islanders aren't even trying to win.

[Still MIGHTY]

That just makes it more exciting when they win in spite of themselves.

I don't really agree with that post. The Isles aren't in danger of hitting the cap ceiling with the Thomas cap hit, so his being on the books doesn't impede their contention in and of itself. Now if they're on track to miss the playoffs, they can save a buck or two, but I don't think the plan is to suck and then circumvent the floor. It's just there for them as a contingency plan. They can help their bottom line even more by adding playoff revenue, but if they don't, they have flexibility now. Furthermore, I've never had gripes with Nassau Coliseum telecasts. I like their camera angle more than San Jose's, which is so tilted that it makes me a little nauseated.

Thomas's contract itself doesn't impede their contention, no, but if it is as it seems like their getting him was to simply ensure being at the cap floor. So they're not exactly inclined to try and do anything else if they're simply just interested in the bottom line.

I don't think the plan is to flat out suck either, but I'm not exactly on the side of holding down your several of your talents simply to wait out expiring contracts and hold onto contract years simply to save money. Sucking may not be the plan, but it's an unfortunate side effect that the Islanders and their fans don't necessarily need to sit through.

And the Isles camera angle has always bugged me. There are some arena's where the camera is slightly off center, but theirs is down in the other damn zone. When the puck goes to the far end, you're really looking down the ice. And I haven't really noticed or really know what you mean about San Jose's angle. Titled how? Down?

[Kramerica Industries]

I never really noticed either, but it does seem like their rinkside camera is pretty high above the ice. More-so than what most rinks around the league are.

[The_Admiral]

It's rather steep, I feel, at least compared to Chicago, which is obviously what I'm most familiar with.

If the Isles feel that it's better for the development of their prospects to mature in the AHL or stay in major-junior one more year, that's not necessarily wrong. Detroit is notorious for keeping its prospects in Grand Rapids well past the due date, and it's served them well. Of course, they can get away with it because they have so many qualified players at the NHL level. The Isles can get away with it because they're in no hurry. Maybe they're pulling a Nets and just running out the clock on the old arena.

[maz]

I'm not even sure Rick DiPietro is alive anymore.

He only looks like he's risen from the dead.

He looks exactly like one of the drugged-out stoner kids that went to my high school who always brought his guitar and would play in the hallways between classes. Dude was a boss on the drums, too.

Hey, maybe that's what Rick should take up instead...

In other news, that game last night was fun as hell. Especially since all five Penguins goals were scored in my end of the rink.

[Still MIGHTY]

It's rather steep, I feel, at least compared to Chicago, which is obviously what I'm most familiar with.

If the Isles feel that it's better for the development of their prospects to mature in the AHL or stay in major-junior one more year, that's not necessarily wrong. Detroit is notorious for keeping its prospects in Grand Rapids well past the due date, and it's served them well. Of course, they can get away with it because they have so many qualified players at the NHL level. The Isles can get away with it because they're in no hurry. Maybe they're pulling a Nets and just running out the clock on the old arena.

Re: Camera Angle - yeah, I see it now. It's not really nausiating or disorienting for me. Where as Nassau's is very disorienting.

I don't have a problem with it either if it's for the sake of development. But with their pattern, it looks like it's for the sake of the dollar. The Islanders should have the buzz of the Oilers East (color scheme and uniforms of faded dynasty to boot), but they just have this cloud of stink around them.

[The_Admiral]

I've been poking around and seeing that there's also a fear in the Islanders front office that good old Lubomir Visnovsky is still a flight risk, and if he stops reporting to the team, he would be suspended along with his cap hit, which would make the Islanders no longer cap-compliant and suddenly in the market for a warm body (like how Avery's disappearing cap hit made the Stars sign Eric Nystrom). So maybe it's not as evil as suspected.

As for the Isles not living up to their buzz, I have to agree, but I will say that they're in a tougher division than the Oilers are. Even in a crazy short season and an overall weaker East, it's still uphill to contend with the Rangers, Devils, Penguins, and in theory the Flyers. Maybe they're waiting out Brodeur and the Devs taking a tumble.

[ElwoodCuse]

Worst camera angles in the league are Dallas (not steep enough) and Detroit (oh hey back of dudes' heads for the millionth time)

[Kramerica Industries]

I posted the Yzerman goal against St. Louis a couple pages back...

it's amusing to me how, three or so seconds before the goal, there are two jokers who jump out of their seats at the camera. No arena captures the crowd as badly as the Joe.

[BigBubba]

I just noticed that there seem to be four wings on the note logo of the Blues. That would make it a 64th note. At first I thought it was a clever reference to the team having started in 1964, but, alas, it would be too clever. They actually started in 1967. Oh well!

St. Louis was founded in 1764.

Anyways, great to see Kessel finally get a goal. When he scores, he scores 'em in bunches, so the new few games should be fun to watch.

[Cosmic]

Wade REDden was decomposing like he had gangGREEN but now he's with the BLUEs and ORANGE you glad he's back?

Fuchsia!

[NJTank]

It's 661 now...can he just retire already so he stops beating the Rangers? Thanks.

Nobody does it better make me feel bad for the rest.

[ElwoodCuse]

Anyways, great to see Kessel finally get a goal. When he scores, he scores 'em in bunches, so the new few games should be fun to watch.

Kessel has more points than Ovechkin since that cameraphone incident at the All Star Game

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

It's 661 now...can he just retire already so he stops beating the Rangers? Thanks.

kinda would be funny to get win 666 and just retire at that number.

in fairness to the numbers he's been on a contending team pretty much for his entire tenure as a devil. Those other teams had some seriously bad seasons for prolonged periods of time. Some like Atlanta and Columbus who have been scary bad the majority of the time in the league.

[FGM13]

It's Hockey Day in Canada! I hope the Oilers can get a win against the Wings with all these injured players. Every sports team in Edmonton has a tough time with injuries, it seems.

[The_Admiral]

Is Horcoff still on the shelf? How did Doan not get suspended for quite obviously laying a dirty hit and concussing him?

[FGM13]

Because he's a Christian.

[NJTank]

It's 661 now...can he just retire already so he stops beating the Rangers? Thanks.

kinda would be funny to get win 666 and just retire at that number.

in fairness to the numbers he's been on a contending team pretty much for his entire tenure as a devil. Those other teams had some seriously bad seasons for prolonged periods of time. Some like Atlanta and Columbus who have been scary bad the majority of the time in the league.

Well the Devils have been a contender because they have had a great goalie, and in my book the best goalie ever.

[IceCap]

Is Horcoff still on the shelf? How did Doan not get suspended for quite obviously laying a dirty hit and concussing him?

House team.