The 2013 NHL Season Thread

[JayMac]

I miss ties. It made the NHL stand out from the other North American sports (not including MLS). I guess that was a bad thing. All I know is that the shootout is a bad way to determine a winner.

[The Six]

There's really no need for points in the standings. Ties necessitated points. With the shootout, you have a winner and loser. That should be it.

[Kramerica Industries]

Of course, some of these systems would bring back the four pronged records that were derided as a joke back in the early 00's.

[infrared41]

I guess it's all finally catching up to the Beej faithful, eh?

It's just very frustrating. Can't win on the ice, can't tank and win the lottery. There's nowhere to go.

I agree McCarthy it is getting really frustrating. Don't know what else the team can do to go forward. Problem is they just cannot score. Its really frustrating to watch em on the power play.

Let me preface this by saying that my hockey knowledge is limited at best. With that in mind...

It seems to me that the Jackets play pretty solid defense - at least they have in the games I've watched. Last night, two of the goals they gave up came off really stupid turnovers. They had 7 PP chances and went 0-7. As I said in an earlier post, if they had anyone that could score, that game could have easily been a 6-2 blowout. My point being that, in the games I've watched, the Jackets don't look like a terrible team. To me at least, they don't that far away from being a pretty decent team.

[BLUELANDbeliever]

I miss ties. It made the NHL stand out from the other North American sports (not including MLS). I guess that was a bad thing. All I know is that the shootout is a bad way to determine a winner.

How is the shootout a bad thing? It forces the players to hone a different aspect of the game that they might not participate in (breakaway and/or penalty shot) on a frequent basis. In my opinion, it's an exciting way to end a game and determine a winner. The singular skills of the goaltender versus the deke/shooting skill of the skater. No do-overs, no gimmes, just goalie vs skater. They can be anti-climactic though if you have one team with 3 or 4 snipers vs another team with not as many sharp shooters.

Unless this happens:

[/media]

Bottom line, as a customer I don't feel ties are a great way to end a game because like the shootout, they can be anti-climactic. (spelling?)

[CS85]

Ties ring hollow but shootouts used to be something very special. Now it's just kind of a "screw it, somebody win" methodology that leaves nobody happy.

[Sodboy13]

I think there is some widespread shootout burnout. It's been mentioned previously that because coaches are risk-averse, and because 5 minutes is such a relatively short amount of time, many are content to send their team out for some ultra-conservative 4-on-4 meandering and take their chances in the shootout. It's a "don't push it unless the other team really botches it" approach. Once regulation ends, the overtime period can feel like a long dawdle to the inevitable, to the point where a legit OT goal feels like a pleasant surprise.

Will a 10-minute OT help remedy that? I don't know. Seems like some (TROTZ) coaches would be just as content to stall for double the time, but there's also more of a chance that interesting things could accidentally happen during those extra 5 minutes.

And again, I say this as someone whose love of the game truly blossomed by watching the IHL in person, where it was 3 periods-shootout-done. The NHL's implementation has killed my fondness for the decisiveness of a shootout and leaves me longing for ties. So, good job on that.

[infrared41]

Given the choice, I'd take ties over deciding games with a shootout.

[charger77]

On this day in hockey history...

Feb. 11, 1922 - The Toronto St. Pats recorded the first tie in NHL history against the Ottawa Senators.

[BLUELANDbeliever]

I think there is some widespread shootout burnout. It's been mentioned previously that because coaches are risk-averse, and because 5 minutes is such a relatively short amount of time, many are content to send their team out for some ultra-conservative 4-on-4 meandering and take their chances in the shootout. It's a "don't push it unless the other team really botches it" approach. Once regulation ends, the overtime period can feel like a long dawdle to the inevitable, to the point where a legit OT goal feels like a pleasant surprise.

Will a 10-minute OT help remedy that? I don't know. Seems like some (TROTZ) coaches would be just as content to stall for double the time, but there's also more of a chance that interesting things could accidentally happen during those extra 5 minutes.

You make a good point here. The coaches will play their cards as they choose. For example, the Predators first two shootout contests of the year were against the Blue Jackets and Blues. While the first is not the best of examples (they were out shot in OT by CBJ 2 shots to 1) the second shootout vs St. Louis is a prime example. http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20122013/SS020022.HTM 6-0 in favor of STL in OT. (Where would they be without Rinne?)

[ninersdd]

Sharks are struggling, down 3-1 after 2 to Columbus. The offense has to show up if they want to get at least a point.

[BLUELANDbeliever]

This Hurricanes/Isles game is pretty good. 5-4 Carolina with under 5 remaining.

[Kramerica Industries]

Of all the teams that started off guns a-blazing, only the Blackhawks have kept up their pace.

San Jose? Haha.

Tampa? Haha.

St. Louis? Re-familiarizing themselves with the ass-kicking that the Kings levied on them in the playoffs last year.

Oh, and Toronto is 8-5. I'm spooked.

[IceCap]

The Beej take it to the Sharks! Well done.

Also the Leafs totally dominate the Flyers....at home! It's nice to see the Leafs show some consistency from game to game.

[fouhy12]

Of all the teams that started off guns a-blazing, only the Blackhawks have kept up their pace.

San Jose? Haha.

Tampa? Haha.

St. Louis? Re-familiarizing themselves with the ass-kicking that the Kings levied on them in the playoffs last year.

Oh, and Toronto is 8-5. I'm spooked.

Bruins?

[Sport]

Hockey is weird and I love it.

[Kramerica Industries]

Of all the teams that started off guns a-blazing, only the Blackhawks have kept up their pace.

San Jose? Haha.

Tampa? Haha.

St. Louis? Re-familiarizing themselves with the ass-kicking that the Kings levied on them in the playoffs last year.

Oh, and Toronto is 8-5. I'm spooked.

Bruins?

I only thought of them after the fact too.

Then again, the Bruins came into this season as one of the top-four teams in the NHL, so it's easy to forget that they're having a great start. They should be having a great start.

[Sodboy13]

Hockey is weird and I love it.

Tonight has been delightfully crazy-go-nuts.

[infrared41]

Hockey is weird and I love it.

Yup. Last night the Jackets couldn't buy a goal. Tonight, they score 6 times - which is unusual enough for them - then they go and do it playing the second of a back-to-back. Try as I might to not be lured into the trap of being a Blue Jackets fan, I can't help myself. The "beej" have become my "other/second" team. Damned if I'm not following them as closely as I follow my Rangers. Columbus Blue Jackets fever! There's no cure!!!

[Still MIGHTY]

Probably helps that the Rangers and Beej dress practically the same

And Kramerica, Ducks? Biggest game of the young season for the Ducks tomorrow in Chicago. Top 2 in the West. Pretty excited. Probably bigger for the Ducks than the Hawks (road game, need it with a Detroit/Nashville back to back this weekend, prove theyre really legit.)