2013-14 NHL thread

[barfolomew]

I never want to see Brandon Bollig suit up ever again for the Blackhawks.

Yes, scratch Bollig, Rozival in favor of Nordstrom/Morin, Brookbank for the the remainder of the playoffs. Bump Seabrook to the 3rd D-pairing until he gets his head out of arse.

[barfolomew]

I am also relieved that Daniel Carcillo is no longer making dumb-a$$ plays in an Indian-head sweater, but is back to making them in an Eastern conference uniform.

[brandx]

Other than one loss in a 7 game series, the way the game played out meant nothing. The Hawks absolutely dominated for 18 1/2 minutes in the 2nd period and then a fluke goal that crawled into the net changed the whole game.

Now, if the Hawks lose 4-3 in the series, it can be looked back upon as significant. But that game will have no more effect on the series than if it was a hard fought 1-0 loss.

[NavinRJohnson]

Hawks just failed to keep skating the whole game. Bad loss, but likely just too good not to win the series.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Going to the game tonight

[brandx]

Going to the game tonight

Cheering for the Hawks, I'm sure

[ChicosBailBonds]

Cheering for the Hawks, I'm sure

I'm taking my son (Kings fan), wife (Kings fan), daughter (Ducks fan).  So highly unlikely....plus, my liberal ways would never allow me to cheer for a team with an Indian mascot

[brandx]

I'm taking my son (Kings fan), wife (Kings fan), daughter (Ducks fan).  So highly unlikely....plus, my liberal ways would never allow me to cheer for a team with an Indian mascot

[ChicosBailBonds]

The chants of CRAWFORD, CRAWFORD were pretty loud.

California hockey has done pretty well the last 10 years.  Don't know if the Kings will win this, but I'm sure Hawks fans aren't thrilled right now.

[LloydMooresLegs]

The chants of CRAWFORD, CRAWFORD were pretty loud.

California hockey has done pretty well the last 10 years.  Don't know if the Kings will win this, but I'm sure Hawks fans aren't thrilled right now.

You are correct, sir.  Need to win game 4 (duh).

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

The chants of CRAWFORD, CRAWFORD were pretty loud.

California hockey has done pretty well the last 10 years.  Don't know if the Kings will win this, but I'm sure Hawks fans aren't thrilled right now.

Lead by a local kid, Jonathan Quick.

[Lennys Tap]

California hockey has done pretty well the last 10 years.

Yes they have. If the Kings, the Ducks and the Sharks success were added together they could be the Blackhawks.

[ATWizJr]

Yes they have. If the Kings, the Ducks and the Sharks success were added together they could be the Blackhawks.

If the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks had been playing in a 6 team league forever they would have been better than the Blackhawks.

[g0lden3agle]

If the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks had been playing in a 6 team league forever they would have been better than the Blackhawks.

Pretty sure Lenny meant that even in the last 10 years if you combined what the Kings Ducks and Sharks have won you'd get what the Blackhawks have won (2 cups)

[Lennys Tap]

Pretty sure Lenny meant that even in the last 10 years if you combined what the Kings Ducks and Sharks have won you'd get what the Blackhawks have won (2 cups)

Pay the man, Shirley.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yes they have. If the Kings, the Ducks and the Sharks success were added together they could be the Blackhawks.

No argument from me.  My point was that 20 years ago California teams had never won a Cup, had only been to one and barely did anything in the playoffs.  People would have laughed at you about California hockey.  When I was with the Ducks, that was the deal....fledgling team, trying to get our bearings.

What amazing fruit is has born, however.  Some pretty amazing hockey being played out here.  In the last 11 Western Conference Finals, a California team in it 9 times.  All the years prior to that (Campbell Conference, etc), ONE time a California team was in it. 

The sports has come a long way.  I remember in the early years when I worked there how many of the experts said the team would fold and hockey would never survive.  Reminds of the experts in the early years saying satellite TV would never get past 10 million subscribers combined.  Fun stuff.

You could have a scenario where 3 of the last 8 Cup Champions are from So. Cal.....people would have been in the streets of Chicago, Detroit, NY, Montreal, Boston laughing their fool heads off if you said that 10 or 15 years ago.

[MU82]

Lead by a local kid, Jonathan Quick.

Yep, born in my hometown, Milford!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Ive accepted the end of the season. The Blackhawks have given up and thus so have I. What piss poor performances by the defense, Crawford isn't to blame. Onto the World Cup.

[JWags85]

Ive accepted the end of the season. The Blackhawks have given up and thus so have I. What piss poor performances by the defense, Crawford isn't to blame. Onto the World Cup.

The end of the 2nd/most of the 3rd was "encouraging", but they have no chance if they are going to start slow like that, or if they are going to take full periods off like they have in the past.  2 of the final 3 are at the UC and this team has firepower, but short of them winning Game 5 by 4-1 or something similarly impressive, I don't see it happening.

[Lennys Tap]

You could have a scenario where 3 of the last 8 Cup Champions are from So. Cal.....people would have been in the streets of Chicago, Detroit, NY, Montreal, Boston laughing their fool heads off if you said that 10 or 15 years ago.

Nobody "laughs their fool heads off" in the streets of any city about the idea LA, Anaheim, Carolina or Tampa or anyone else winning a Stanley Cup. It's professional sports played by mercenary players. Now, suggest that all star team of hockey players born and raised in San Jose can beat an all star team born and raised in Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, Edmonton, Chicago, etc., and those cities will all laugh their heads off - for good reason.

[Dan]

My grandson plays for a U-9 team called the Florida Alliance. They are based out of Ft. Myers, and all Florida boys, with one from N. Carolina Within the past year they have won Elite level tournaments in Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, and Detroit, defeating, amongst others, the Junior Blackhawks, LA Kings Junior Team, Little Caesars, Bauer Select,etc. They are currently the #1 ranked U-9 team in the US and Canada. I doubt that anyone in those cities are laughing.

[Lennys Tap]

My grandson plays for a U-9 team called the Florida Alliance. They are based out of Ft. Myers, and all Florida boys, with one from N. Carolina Within the past year they have won Elite level tournaments in Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, and Detroit, defeating, amongst others, the Junior Blackhawks, LA Kings Junior Team, Little Caesars, Bauer Select,etc. They are currently the #1 ranked U-9 team in the US and Canada. I doubt that anyone in those cities are laughing.

Dan

Congratulations - and I really mean that. I'm sure it's very exciting for you and your family. But number one, I said San Jose, Ca. which is a pretty good walk from Ft Myers, Fl. More to the point, did you really say U-9? And did you really say they're the #1 U-9 team in the US and Canada? The only thing more bizarre than somebody somewhere ranking North American traveling 2nd or 3rd grade hockey teams is that an 8 or 9 year old kid from Carolina would play for a team from S Florida. Why does this smell like it's more for the parents (and grandparents) than for the kids?

For now, though, why don't we at least wait awhile before we designate Ft Myers the capital of North American amateur hockey - a lot can happen in the four or five years until those little boys reach adolescence. As they say in Florida, lot of hockey left til then.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nobody "laughs their fool heads off" in the streets of any city about the idea LA, Anaheim, Carolina or Tampa or anyone else winning a Stanley Cup. It's professional sports played by mercenary players. Now, suggest that all star team of hockey players born and raised in San Jose can beat an all star team born and raised in Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, Edmonton, Chicago, etc., and those cities will all laugh their heads off - for good reason.

No one?  OK.  Well, having attended more than my fair share of meetings over the years with the NHL, NBA, etc I can tell you how wrong you are.

Yes, we all realize the players come from elsewhere, that isn't the point.  The critics said those players wouldn't want to play in markets that are not hockey towns, with fans that don't understand the game, etc.  For a good while there was tremendous concern that the expansion into the sunbelt was horribly wrong and could sink much of the NHL.  The specific blame at the Thrashers, Mighty Ducks, Coyotes, Predators and Panthers.  One of those teams is gone and another was in major financial straits, but the rest somehow survived.

I'll not hate leaving this state, except for the sports teams.  Then again, I've been watching transplants here for years, it will be good to be a transplant in reverse with one of my teams.

[Lennys Tap]

No one?  OK.  Well, having attended more than my fair share of meetings over the years with the NHL, NBA, etc I can tell you how wrong you are.

Yes, we all realize the players come from elsewhere, that isn't the point.  The critics said those players wouldn't want to play in markets that are not hockey towns, with fans that don't understand the game, etc. 

You attended your fair share of meetings with the NHL where people from Chicago, Montreal, Boston, etc. were "laughing their fool heads off" about the Kings, Ducks and Sharks? Don't believe it. Why so often with the silly hyperbole? Expansion is tricky business, especially into areas where there isn't a solid fan base awaiting a teams arrival. So sure there were doubters. Why not just say that?

[Dan]

Nobody "laughs their fool heads off" in the streets of any city about the idea LA, Anaheim, Carolina or Tampa or anyone else winning a Stanley Cup. It's professional sports played by mercenary players. Now, suggest that all star team of hockey players born and raised in San Jose can beat an all star team born and raised in Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, Edmonton, Chicago, etc., and those cities will all laugh their heads off - for good reason.

Lenny:

As per your request, I am suggesting that an all star team born and raised in Florida (LA, Anaheim, Carolina or Tampa, OK - south of Tampa) can and have beaten an all star team from the cities you mention. Nothing more. The Alliance fields teams in most of the youth divisions, and all of them more than  hold their own vs the cold weather teams.

As to the wisdom of ranking youth teams, I leave that up to others. If the parents can afford the considerable cost and time involved, good for them. My grandson has a blast, and that's most important to me. Plus, they are a lot of fun to watch.