2013-14 NHL thread

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

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.

The Panthers & Coyotes are on borrowed time.  They haven't moved yet because of their respective arena deals.  Staying in town is the lesser financial evil than breaking the arena lease.  The jury is still out on Nashville.  They barely survived 3yrs or so ago so time will tell.

[ChicosBailBonds]

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.

Yup, 15 years ago there was one elite club team in So. Cal.  Now, there are several and they are starting to put kids into the NHL.  It would have been laughed at to suggest that back in the day. 

Gretzky said it well a few months ago.   "I tell people this quite often," Gretzky said. "You can pick 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds [from California], put together a couple of teams, and they can go all through Canada and handle themselves extremely well. They can compete with the best of Canadian kids at 10 and 12.

"More importantly there's room for hockey here. It's something the kids want to do now. I think the proof of that is in how many kids [there are] now in junior hockey and college hockey, but in the National Hockey League. There's a lot more kids that are from this area. Chris Chelios isn't the only guy now from California."

[Dan]

Chelios is from the Chicago area.

[JWags85]

Chelios is from the Chicago area.

But finished HS in the San Diego area and briefly played hockey at a college there.  It was his "home base" when he was trying to break into the NHL.

[buckchuckler]

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.

Hopefully the action from tonight saved you from that terrible, terrible fate. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Hopefully the action from tonight saved you from that terrible, terrible fate. 

Didn't watch game one, and they won. Didn't watch todays game and they won as well. Looks like I'm not watching game 6.

[MDMU04]

Chelios is from Evergreen Park and played hockey at Mt. Carmel high school. His family moved to California but it had absolutely nothing to do with hockey. The high school he went to in San Diego didn't even have a hockey team. He played college hockey at some obscure school and got cut from the team during his freshman year.

His hockey career didn't take off until he moved to Canada and played Juniors for a few seasons, but even then he struggled at first.

Moving to California almost killed Chelios' hockey career.

[GGGG]

That first overtime last night was pretty incredible.  Apparently the 20 minutes of game time took just over 26 minutes to complete.

I mean I love the NBA playoffs, but the end of games just gets to be soooo long.  The NHL, with no commercials during overtime, really gets it right.

[Coleman]

That first overtime last night was pretty incredible.  Apparently the 20 minutes of game time took just over 26 minutes to complete.

I mean I love the NBA playoffs, but the end of games just gets to be soooo long.  The NHL, with no commercials during overtime, really gets it right.

+1

That was probably the most exciting scoreless period of hockey I've ever witnessed

[MU82]

That first overtime last night was pretty incredible.  Apparently the 20 minutes of game time took just over 26 minutes to complete.

I mean I love the NBA playoffs, but the end of games just gets to be soooo long.  The NHL, with no commercials during overtime, really gets it right.

Agreed.

For me, the most exciting part of an NHL playoff team is if a team is trying to protect a 1-goal lead in the last few minutes. One team is desperate, the other is desperately trying to hold on. The fans are on edge, and the tension is palpable.

The second most exciting is overtime, especially one like last night's. Incredible sports action.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That first overtime last night was pretty incredible.  Apparently the 20 minutes of game time took just over 26 minutes to complete.

I mean I love the NBA playoffs, but the end of games just gets to be soooo long.  The NHL, with no commercials during overtime, really gets it right.

It was exciting, the Kings were 1/2" away in OT from a 4-1 games victory.  Tomorrow night should be a lot of fun.  I'll be there with my son.

[barfolomew]

That first overtime last night was pretty incredible.  Apparently the 20 minutes of game time took just over 26 minutes to complete.

I barely remember seeing the Hawks lines 3 and 4 play at all that 1st OT -- the Saad-Kane-Shaw line seemed to be more than double-shifted.
Anyone know where to find ice time stats by period?

[Lennys Tap]

Great game, Hawks deserved to win. Kings still heavy favorites for the series, they look to be too good for a total collapse - but at least there's a glimmer of hope.

[swoopem]

It was exciting, the Kings were 1/2" away in OT from a 4-1 games victory.  Tomorrow night should be a lot of fun.  I'll be there with my son.

As Charlie Conway said to Gordan Bombay "yeah, but a half inch the other way and you would've missed completely"

[🏀]

As Charlie Conway said to Gordan Bombay "yeah, but a half inch the other way and you would've missed completely"

Nice quote.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Agreed.

For me, the most exciting part of an NHL playoff team is if a team is trying to protect a 1-goal lead in the last few minutes. One team is desperate, the other is desperately trying to hold on. The fans are on edge, and the tension is palpable.

You presaged the frantic end of last night's NY - Montreal game

[Benny B]

It was exciting, the Kings were 1/2" away in OT from a 4-1 games victory.  Tomorrow night should be a lot of fun.  I'll be there with my son.

Contrary to popular belief, the tender's primary job isn't to "save" the puck, it's to make the attacker miss... doesn't matter if it's by glove, stick, skate, leg, or forcing the shot 1/2" or more off the center of the pipe.  The goalie merely doesn't get credit on the stat sheet for the latter, but even when someone "chokes on the open net," the goalie affected that shot; call it hockey's Chris Otule principle -- the stat sheet doesn't truly reflect the influence of the player on the game.

In other words, the Kings weren't a half-inch from victory, they were a half-inch from another spectacular save.

You can only score a goal in hockey if the tender lets you score a goal.  If we weren't so benevolent, every game would end in a 0-0 tie... but at the expense of our competitive nature, we do realize our secondary job is to keep the game interesting.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Contrary to popular belief, the tender's primary job isn't to "save" the puck, it's to make the attacker miss... doesn't matter if it's by glove, stick, skate, leg, or forcing the shot 1/2" or more off the center of the pipe.  The goalie merely doesn't get credit on the stat sheet for the latter, but even when someone "chokes on the open net," the goalie affected that shot; call it hockey's Chris Otule principle -- the stat sheet doesn't truly reflect the influence of the player on the game.

In other words, the Kings weren't a half-inch from victory, they were a half-inch from another spectacular save.

You can only score a goal in hockey if the tender lets you score a goal.  If we weren't so benevolent, every game would end in a 0-0 tie... but at the expense of our competitive nature, we do realize our secondary job is to keep the game interesting.

In general I agree with you about goalkeeping, as my son is a keeper.  However, I don't agree with you on post hits for hockey keepers, especially with the replays showing the puck is past the guy before he even realizes it.  Posts are a keepers best friend.

Should be a good game tonight.   

[swoopem]

It's pretty F'ed up that when you hit the post it doesn't even count as a shot on goal

[Lennys Tap]

Another great game tonight. Heard some King's fans chanting their oh so clever "Crawford" after their first goal. Nice to see Patrick Kane shut the morons up.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I actually can't watch another playoff game for the rest of the year. They won again and I didn't watch. Sacrafices must be made though.

[LloydMooresLegs]

I actually can't watch another playoff game for the rest of the year. They won again and I didn't watch. Sacrafices must be made though.

Do your job, chitown.

[LloydMooresLegs]

OK...here we go...Lloyd Jr. and I have an agreement where I take him to one Hawks playoff game every year (in return...he continues to do nothing).  As we will be out of town for what would be games 2 and 5 of the Stanley Cup finals should they occur for the Hawks, he decided to stop rolling the dice and that a conf final game 7 more exciting/important than game 1 of the potential Stanley Cup finals, and too much uncertainty that there would even be a Stanley Cup game 7.

So we go tonight. 

[MU82]

My son just called to say that a friend gave him a ticket to tonight's game.

I'm neither a Hawks fan nor a Hawks hater, but I know my son will have a better time if they win. So, I'm rootin' for 'em!

It's been a very entertaining series, and I hope for one more great game tonight.

[Jay Bee]

Let's go Gabby!!!