[The_Architect]

I think what Lemieux said was right, but his timing couldn't have been worse..
Where was he when Matt Cooke threw himself into the numbers of another player? That was 1000x more dirty than Friday's game.
He's being a hypocrite and the whole "rethink my role in the NHL" crap just made him sound like a toddler.

[Ayreonaut]

I agree that with Cooke's history, he should be out for much longer, but I still don't think it's all that relevant to the Pens-Isles game. Both Cooke and the Isles' players should face harsher punishments though. I would definitely support automatic suspensions for hits from behind like Cooke's, or for attacking an already-injured player as Gillies did; Godard got an automatic 10 for something that isn't nearly as dangerous as those.

[MrOilers]

Godard got an automatic 10 for something that isn't nearly as dangerous as those.

I think the NHL uses a dart board for handing out suspensions.

[Jay in Cowtown]

flames Win 9-1! Valentines Day Massacre!

Oh the Humanity!

I actaually felt bad for the Avalanche, that must have been beyond embarassing for them.

[Ayreonaut]

I think the NHL uses a dart board for handing out suspensions.

You're probably right, there certainly doesn't seem to be much consistency. You'd think they'd have some sort of severity matrix for suspendable offences.

[Yume-sama]

lol Colorado fans complaining that Calgary ran up the score last night on purpose.

Nobody whose trying to run up the score puts Matt Stajan out so often! Him and Kostopolous were on our powerplays at the end.

[The_Architect]

lol Colorado fans complaining that Calgary ran up the score last night on purpose.

Nobody whose trying to run up the score puts Matt Stajan out so often! Him and Kostopolous were on our powerplays at the end.

What are you talking about? Matt Stajan is a power forward, and with the right linemates is a 50-goal scorer!!

[Flamesrule]

Stajan is a player that is out of his time. He can never score 50 goals in a season.

[Nicko999]

Thats Ukrainian. The color guy was disappointed that Price didn't break Timmys face like he could have.

Really:haha: Maybe Europeans doesn't dislike fights as much as I though.

[Nicko999]

I think it's the opposite - the amount of attention and adoration he receives is ridiculous.

The kid has hardly proven himself, yet some (not on this forum, no, never) treat him like the second coming. It gets rather tiresome after a while.

As proven by oh so many sophomores in places like St. Louis, Colorado, LA, etc - get back to me after 3 or so seasons of consistent performance.

8 pts in 14 games in the playoffs with no NHL experience...

25 pts in 52 games this season... 38th among D-men in pts, 26th in goals!

He's the #1 target of every team we play (with Plekanec being second). He currently plays between 22-25 minutes a game.

Up until recently the Habs couldn't play for more than .500 without Markov. This season we're battling for the division lead and Markov has only played 7 games...

Fans hate him because he's amazingly good.

[The Chemist]

8 pts in 14 games in the playoffs with no NHL experience...

25 pts in 52 games this season... 38th among D-men in pts, 26th in goals!

He's the #1 target of every team we play (with Plekanec being second). He currently plays between 22-25 minutes a game.

Up until recently the Habs couldn't play for more than .500 without Markov. This season we're battling for the division lead and Markov has only played 7 games...

Fans hate him because he's amazingly good.

Guess what? Phaneuf did all that and more in his first season, and now look at him...

Get back to us after a few consistent seasons.

[freeweed]

38th among D-men in pts, 26th in goals!

*snip*

Fans hate him because he's amazingly good.

Yeah.. you have a strange definition of "amazingly good", let's leave it at that. :haha:

The kid's alright, and after another couple of seasons could develop into something good. Right now he's one out of hundreds who have been at his level or better.

He also gets a lot of negative press because he's damn lippy for a rookie. Kinda like Crosby in his first season or 2, but at least Crosby was putting up some solid numbers to match.

[Ayreonaut]

As embarrassing as losing to the Canucks 7-2 at home?

I understand that math may not be your best subject, but 9-1 is indeed a greater defeat than 7-2.

@ Nicko: 38th most points among D-men?? Oh my! :haha:

[Jay in Cowtown]

As embarrassing as losing to the Canucks 7-2 at home?

Sorry post #2 guy or Sconadian or soon to be banned urban count douche-ula... I don't recall. :D

[Jay in Cowtown]

Welcome back...

wrong guy to try and piss off though, I'm a realist... the Flames will miss the post season by 3 points. :)

[The_Architect]

Kessel's got 2 goals now in Boston.. after a 14 game goalless streak and none in 9 games against Boston.
Maybe you guys will be more mature than the joke that is HF.. Congrats Phil! :)

EDIT: WOW! What a goal by Grabo! And that was after he got hit to the head (not blindside or illegally) twice by Chara..
Leafs win 4-3.

[Darkoshvilli]

Really:haha: Maybe Europeans doesn't dislike fights as much as I though.

Well, its not what he said word for word, but he was disappointed in the fight. :haha:

And thanks for beating the Bruins leafs! Boston has lost 3 in a row since beating us.

[Nicko999]

Haha, as soon as it was known that the Bruins lost in regulation, Buffalo tied it up.:no:

Tonight the refs were on our side.:D

On one hand, this sucks because 1 more pt and we lead the division.

On the other hand, glad to have a point with 4 regular D-men missing ( or in other words, 66% of our defensive squad missing) and our best sniper out.

Markov, Gorges, Gill, Spacek, Cammalleri didn't play tonight.

Good to see Pacioretty score his 10th goal of the season in his 28th game. I love watching this kid.

And thanks for beating Boston, Toronto.:cheers:

[Nicko999]

Just because Phaneuf didn't turn the way you expected doesn't mean Subban will suck later on.

He played 29min 22 sec tonight. Hamrlik was the second most used Hab with 23min 33 sec. That's 6 min more than anyone else.
He led the team with 6 shots and is the only D-man in +'s.

[Denscity]

Philly won again but is still 4 points below Vancouver cuz they won again tonight with no defensemen! :tup:

[freeweed]

Just because Phaneuf didn't turn the way you expected doesn't mean Subban will suck later on.

You seem to have difficulty grasping the language sometimes. No one is saying "Phaneuf sucked, therefore PK will suck".

What were ARE saying is this: the kid has by no means proven he's going to be a top D. As an example, Phaneuf sure looked like it (and his stats were far better than Subban's at this point in their respective careers), and look how that turned out so far.

Again, it's not just Phaneuf. Many many d-men enter the league with a huge splash, fanboys drool over the - only to fizzle out in their sophomore year.

There just isn't any reason to cream your shorts over PK Subban yet. He's having a better-than-average rookie season and that's about it. But when the media (and certain fans) act like he's Jesus H Christ himself, you're going to get an inevitable bit of backlash.

[Darkoshvilli]

Just wondering, how many habs games have you watched freeweed? Stats don't tell the whole story (even though his are pretty good, he's on pace to shatter Doughty's first season stats) not to mention his first ever playoff last year where he was amazing. I don't know what happened to Phaneuf, but he's a pretty rare case and I'd like you to give some examples of all these young d-men who bursted into the league and then fizzled. I can't see the future, but PK is so determined in the way he plays its hard to imagine that he will suddenly lose it like Phaneuf.

And seriously, stop telling people how to act when cheering for a player. There's plenty of reason to get excited over PK, watch more of his games, maybe you'll see it.

[Coldrsx]

WE WANT THE CUP

impressive game by the oil last night, especially from khabi

[Flamesrule]

Yes, Wild lost!

[BretttheRiderFan]

WE WANT THE CUP
impressive game by the oil last night, especially from khabi

Good comedy in the Hockey thread

[theman23]

Just because Phaneuf didn't turn the way you expected doesn't mean Subban will suck later on.

He played 29min 22 sec tonight. Hamrlik was the second most used Hab with 23min 33 sec. That's 6 min more than anyone else.
He led the team with 6 shots and is the only D-man in +'s.

PK Subban is -3 on the season. Like I said before, hes a poor mans Matt Carle.


And seriously, stop telling people how to act when cheering for a player. There's plenty of reason to get excited over PK, watch more of his games, maybe you'll see it.

The reason is that the Habs havent had a marquee player since Patrick Roy, and ever since then the fans have been desperate to lay claim to one of the leagues stars. See: Saku Koivu, Mike Komisarek, and now PK Subban.

Subban is an offensive d-man who isnt even that great at his one dimension.

[touraccuracy]

@ Nicko: 38th most points among D-men?? Oh my! :haha:

:jester: !

[Nicko999]

There just isn't any reason to cream your shorts over PK Subban yet. He's having a better-than-average rookie season and that's about it. But when the media (and certain fans) act like he's Jesus H Christ himself, you're going to get an inevitable bit of backlash.

Really?:haha: You know many rookies who are their team's best defenceman? Or rookies that plays almost 30 minutes per game?

We, Habs fans, have the right to be excited about this kid the same way we were with Carey Price.

[Reesonov]

Really?:haha: You know many rookies who are their team's best defenceman? Or rookies that plays almost 30 minutes per game?

We, Habs fans, have the right to be excited about this kid the same way we were with Carey Price.

That was a bit of a rocky relationship up until this season though, no? Not sure if that is the sort of relationship us Habs fans should be using as a model. I feel quite lucky that Price was ruined because the expectations placed on him at such a young age.

[Flamesrule]

Really?:haha: You know many rookies who are their team's best defenceman? Or rookies that plays almost 30 minutes per game?

We, Habs fans, have the right to be excited about this kid the same way we were with Carey Price.



We, as other hockey fans have the right to say that Subban is only in his prime, and may be another Phanuef.

[Nicko999]

Ok, keep saying Subban will be another Phaneuf, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that this team is better with him in the lineup.

And if containing Crosby with ZERO NHL experience for a full series is not enough to prove you can a top D-men then I don't what he has to do to prove himself.

This article is from last year after our win vs Pittsburgh.

Maybe he bended the rules a little.

As P.K. Subban celebrated with his new teammates in the wake of the Montreal Canadiens improbable Game 7 victory in Pittsburgh Wednesday night, just a few minutes shy of his 21st birthday, the tremendous young defenceman may have earned himself a drink.

The Pennsylvania authorities probably would have looked the other way unless they wanted to exact revenge on the one skater that probably had the biggest impact on the result of this series.

No, it wasn't Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins superstars who combined for a meagre two goals in the seven games.

It wasn't even Michael Cammalleri or Brian Gionta, who scored 12 of the Canadiens' 19 goals in the series.

And it wasn't Hal Gill or Josh Gorges, Montreal's shutdown defensive pairing that put the clamps on the Pens star players.

While all of those players were definitely determining factors in the Canadiens getting to the Eastern Conference final, the one skater who had the biggest impact was the one who turned 21 on Thursday: Pernell Karl Subban.

While the raw rookie only had three points in the series, he was the No. 1 reason the Habs were able to absorb the loss of their blue-line leader Andrei Markov in Game 1.

From that point on, Subban averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time a night playing by and large to the right of veteran Roman Hamrlik. His time on the power play was expected, but Subban was used on the second wave of the penalty kill as well. Yes, he was on the ice for three of Pittsburgh's four power-play goals over the final six games, but Subban's mere presence in that situation was a remarkable sight unto itself.

Subban was the wild card the Pens could not prepare for and, time after time, he showed the situation was not too big for him. Whether it was going head-to-head with Crosby as Subban did in logging 29-plus minutes of ice time in Game 6 or whether it was his extraordinary poise in situations that would force grizzled veterans to panic, Subban looked tailor-made for the NHL playoffs.

"It's because I don't think he's fazed by it," Gorges, Subban's partner in Game 6 as Gill sat out with a leg injury, said prior to Game 7. "I don't want to say he doesn't understand the situation because he definitely does, but it's like his mentality is that it's just another game to him. He's out there having fun, he's out there playing his game, he does what he does. I don't think he'll change no matter what the situation is, no matter what the pressure is. He just goes out there and plays."

'We've really been sticking togther'

The Canadiens have been meticulously managing Subban's access to the media since calling him up prior to Game 6 against Washington. But if there was ever a rookie who didn't need that kind of public relations help, it would be Subban.

While he has come off as brash and even cocky in the past, Subban has put on a humble front in each of the few occasions he's addressed reporters in the playoffs, expressing his willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help the team and even going so far as to suggest he'll fill the water bottles if need be.

"We're playing really well as a unit right now, we've got everybody going," Subban said after the Game 7 win in Pittsburgh. "Our forwards are backchecking, supporting us. We're working well as a team. We've really been sticking together."

On the ice, Subban is oozing confidence. He makes plays most players would not even consider, let alone execute, yet he is managing to stay within the boundaries of coach Jacques Martin's low-risk system that relies on cutting down mistakes that can lead to scoring opportunities.

Subban's walking that tightrope like a veteran circus performer.


http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup/blog/2010/05/habs-birthday-boy-celebrates-in-style.html

[Ayreonaut]

Ok, keep saying Subban will be another Phaneuf, it doesn't really matter.

Nobody's saying that, but it's certainly a possibility. We're just saying that some people should stop talking about him like he's the best thing since sliced bread until he's proven over a few years that he is just that.

[SpikePhanta]

CANUUCKKSS! heres a stat dump for every1 :)

Points
1. stamkos - 74
2. daniel - 73
3. henrik - 68

Goals
1. stamkos - 40
2. kesler - 33
4. Daniel - 29

Assists - Henrik is king of assists. He's leading the league with 55 helpers.

+/-
1. Bieksa - +26
2. Kesler - +26
5. Daniel - +23

Goalie stats -BOBBY LOUUUU
Wins
1. Jimmy Howard - 28
2. Roberto Luongo - 27 (tied with carey price)

Save Pct.
1. Tim Thomas - .938
2. Pekka Rinne - .930
3. Roberto Luongo - .926

Lou = 6th GAA

VAN - Manny Malholtra - 2nd place in Faceoff % (you have to take into consideration as well that Manny has taken ~400 more face offs than Steckel too)
VAN - Team - 1st place over all in FO % and FOW - 28th in FOL

Not to mention they don't really need to make any moves (when D is healthy,)
but might need 4th line centre(I think for the last few games and playoffs they'll use Hodgson)

[The_Architect]

Leafs win again, completely outplayed Buffalo!
Now we sit only 6 points out of a playoff spot!! :banana:
(It probably won't happen, but still, that's pretty epic..)

Great shorthanded goal by Crabbe..

[Nicko999]

Philly won again but is still 4 points below Vancouver cuz they won again tonight with no defensemen! :tup:

It sucks hein? Apparently Spacek can't even skate and will not make the trip to Western Canada.:help: Where does this injury come from?

I guess Subban will have to play 30 minutes for a few more games.

[SpikePhanta]

^
He's talking about the Canucks.

Ballard, Hamhuis, Alberts and Edler out.

[Nicko999]

I know he's talking about the Canucks, I was just comparing the situation at the blue line for the Habs and the Canucks.

You guys miss Ballard, Hamhuis, Alberts and Edler while we miss Markov, Gorges, Gill and Spacek.
You have used 12 different D-men this season while we have used 11.

[Nicko999]

Paul Mara traded to the habs for a 5th round pick... At 1AM on Thursday.:koko: I had no idea NHL offices approve trades past midnight.:shrug:

I guess we'll find out tommorow Spacek is done for the year:no:. We learned the bad news with Gorges after we acquired Wiz.

I hope he'll be better this time around.

EDIT: 40 minutes after the trade, still nothing on RDS's site.:haha: They don't work overnight I guess.

[freeweed]

Really?:haha: You know many rookies who are their team's best defenceman? Or rookies that plays almost 30 minutes per game?

We, Habs fans, have the right to be excited about this kid the same way we were with Carey Price.

Does this say more about the particular player(s), or about the team though? As pointed out (by, ironically, a Leafs fan) your team has witnessed this dozens of times since Roy. Damn near every season Montreal has a new annointed saviour or two. But hey, it's not like I've been right on every single one of those instances. No, you're right, THIS TIME IT'S CERTAIN!

Being positive about a good player on your team and posting daily wank-fests about his somewhat-above-average performance are two very, very different things. What you post about Subban is the equivalent of me posting daily updates on just how awesome Olli Jokinen is, because after all, he's one of our leading scorers and all. Think about how silly that would look to an outsider (especially when his stats are only really any good compared to the general mediocrity of the team he plays on). I'd be laughed at and criticized here, and rightly so. Seriously, you just posted "amazingly good" and "38th in scoring" in the same paragraph and you were serious about it.

When he wins the Calder and Norris this year, I'll eat my words. Until then, you really should learn some NHL history because Subban is nothing we haven't seen dozens of times before. Especially from the Habs organization.

[freeweed]

Umm... The Flames are currently in a 5-way tie for 4th place in the West.

And they're 3rd in scoring in the conference. Edit: and 4th in the entire LEAGUE.

What the hell is going on?!?

[Nicko999]

Does this say more about the particular player(s), or about the team though?

But hey, when he wins the Calder and Norris this year, I'll eat my words.

The Calder trophy is out of question at this stage of the season... it will go to Skinner.
As for the Norris, we never know... maybe in a few years.:P

[freeweed]

Well said Subban:tup: The amount of hate he receives is ridiculous... maybe people are jealous that's he's already a top 2 D-men.

Anyway, I just had to point out why this all started in the first place. No one here said anything remotely negative about the guy. We're just trying to explain why maybe, just maybe, he isn't the 2nd coming. Not quite yet.

He wouldn't be a top 2 D on the Flames, not with a -3 on one of the most defensively-oriented teams in the league. So no, it's not jealousy. And I don't particularly think the Flames are that good of a team.

[Nicko999]

Anyway, I just had to point out why this all started in the first place. No one here said anything remotely negative about the guy. We're just trying to explain why maybe, just maybe, he isn't the 2nd coming. Not quite yet.

He wouldn't be a top 2 D on the Flames, not with a -3 on one of the most defensively-oriented teams in the league. So no, it's not jealousy. And I don't particularly think the Flames are that good of a team.

:haha:

He would be first among D-men in goals and will be tied for first in pts/game!

But you're right, the Flames don't need him, so we'll keep Subban.:tup:

[Ayreonaut]

He would be first among D-men in goals and will be tied for first in pts/game

Doubt it. Different system, less ice-time, among other factors. He'd be beneath Giordano, Bouwmeester, and Regehr, if not more in the depth chart.

[Nicko999]

:previous: :haha:

If those guys were better than Subban the Flames would be first (or second) in the West.

PK Subban has more playoff pts than all of those guys combined since the lockout.:haha:

[touraccuracy]

damn the west is a mess, it'll come down to the last game. 2 points seperating 3rd and 9th.

[Ayreonaut]

:previous: :haha:

If those guys were better than Subban the Flames would be first (or second) in the West.

PK Subban has more playoff pts than all of those guys combined since the lockout.:haha:

Two of those guys are also (+) players on what was until very recently a (-) team.

Subban is a (-) player on a (+) team.

[Ayreonaut]

damn the west is a mess, it'll come down to the last game. 2 points seperating 3rd and 9th.

The Pacific division is the new NW.

[Yume-sama]

One positive for the Flames is that the Pacific division *is* so strong. While we have played 2 - 3 more games than everyone, the 5 teams in the Pacific division have to play against each other a lot, including to end the season. Someone will have to be a winner, and someone will have to lose. There just needs to stop being so damn many OT games. If it was more spread out around the 3 divisions, that would be troublesome.

It seems like an unusual amount of games go to OT this year, the league has more parity than ever.

Though I'm sure our board statistician will be able to tell us exactly how many OT / SO games we've seen this year compared to others.

[Flamesrule]

:previous: :haha:

If those guys were better than Subban the Flames would be first (or second) in the West.

PK Subban has more playoff pts than all of those guys combined since the lockout.:haha:
:haha:



You must not know the Western Conference very well.

[CPE]

Another game, another defensemen injured on the Canucks. Missing Bieksa, Ballard, Hamhuis, Alberts and Edler. And I don't have to much faith in Salo staying healthy. This is getting scary now, why do Canuck defensemen always seem to get injured. :(

[Bassic Lab]

One positive for the Flames is that the Pacific division *is* so strong. While we have played 2 - 3 more games than everyone, the 5 teams in the Pacific division have to play against each other a lot, including to end the season. Someone will have to be a winner, and someone will have to lose. There just needs to stop being so damn many OT games. If it was more spread out around the 3 divisions, that would be troublesome.

It seems like an unusual amount of games go to OT this year, the league has more parity than ever.

Though I'm sure our board statistician will be able to tell us exactly how many OT / SO games we've seen this year compared to others.

It would sure be nice if eastern teams won some of the cross conference matches tonight. There are four of them and we are in direct competition with three of the teams involved for a playoff spot. Throw in a, as much as it pains me, Vancouver win over the Predators and we could have a very good night considering we're not playing.

[Ayreonaut]

I don't have to much faith in Salo staying healthy

I don't think I can name another player who's injured as often as Salo. It wouldn't surprise me if he went down again soon.

It would sure be nice if eastern teams won some of the cross conference matches tonight. There are four of them and we are in direct competition with three of the teams involved for a playoff spot. Throw in a, as much as it pains me, Vancouver win over the Predators and we could have a very good night considering we're not playing.

Some off days would be nice, not just for the rest, but also to make up some of these games at hand.

[The Chemist]

:previous: :haha:

If those guys were better than Subban the Flames would be first (or second) in the West.

PK Subban has more playoff pts than all of those guys combined since the lockout.:haha:

I'd take Giordano, Regehr, and probably Bouwmeester over Subban, any day of the week. Points aren't the most important thing to consider when looking at defencemen - defensive ability (blocked shots, plus/minus, etc) is.

[You Need A Thneed]

I'd take Giordano, Regehr, and probably Bouwmeester over Subban, any day of the week. Points aren't the most important thing to consider when looking at defencemen - defensive ability (blocked shots, plus/minus, etc) is.

not probably Bouwmeester. Undoubtedly Bouwmeester. In terms of production on the ice, you take Giordano, Regehr, Bouwmeester, and with the way he's playing right now - Babchuk, over Subban.

There's not one couch or GM in the league that will disagree with that.

[freeweed]

:haha:

He would be first among D-men in goals and will be tied for first in pts/game!

But you're right, the Flames don't need him, so we'll keep Subban.:tup:

The Flames don't need him. As I pointed out in an earlier post, we were 4th in league scoring as of last night. How much more offense could we possibly need? :koko: If anything the last thing we need is another weakly defensive D-man.

He'd be a 3rd pairing D-man on the Flames, no question. In terms of defensive play I'd even rank Sarich above him.

[theman23]

Seriously, you just posted "amazingly good" and "38th in scoring" in the same paragraph and you were serious about it.


Hey, he's not just "38th in scoring". He's "38th in scoring amongst defenceman". I mean, shit! No one's ever done that before!

[Nicko999]

Flames fans still bitter about those 2 plays? It seems so.

1nwhal0RaRw

aT6XWwvgVwg

[Darkoshvilli]

PK Subban has more playoff pts than all of those guys combined since the lockout.:haha:
Ouch.
:haha:

[theman23]

Flames fans still bitter about those 2 plays? It seems so.

1nwhal0RaRw

aT6XWwvgVwg

You're probably the only person on the planet who even remembered those plays.

This is just creepy now Nicko.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Hey, he's not just "38th in scoring". He's "38th in scoring amongst defenceman". I mean, shit! No one's ever done that before!

Sure puts Bobby Orr to shame, eh?

[Flamesrule]

Yes Nicko, we Flames fans are so bitter about those plays.

All we are saying is, Subban may not be as good as he is right now. You are worshiping him like he is Orr or Chara.

[bulliver]

I don't think I can name another player who's injured as often as Salo. It wouldn't surprise me if he went down again soon.



Gaborik?

fdfdfsdf

[Some guy]

Canucks looked :dead: tonight. Losing 5 of their original 6 d-men has really had an effect. . . poor Ehrhoff, he's the last one standing! :(

[SpikePhanta]

Don't forget balls of steel Salo!

Our team nearly looks like it has the manitoba moose defense !

[Darkoshvilli]

Habs were without 4 of our 6 starting D entering tonight and now Wiz took a puck in the face and is in hospital. He wasn't there at the start but thats basically our 5th starting D gone. I don't know how this team is a hair out of first in the division.

[Elmira Guy]

Well done Oilers!!!

[Yume-sama]

Yay Oilers :D Two whole wins in a row!

[Nicko999]

I don't care about the loss, we suck in Western Canada. I think we haven't won in Rexall place since 1988 or 1989. It isn't much better in Calgary and Vancouver either.

All I want is a healthy Wiz... we CANNOT afford to lose another D-men.

We basically played with 4 D-men tonight. PK 29:29, Weber 27:38, Hamrlik 27:36, Picard 23:23 :help:

I know we have good depth but this is too much... any team with 5 regular D-men out is going to have a hard time winning games... Same for Vancouver who also lost.

[freeweed]

Habs were without 4 of our 6 starting D entering tonight and now Wiz took a puck in the face and is in hospital. He wasn't there at the start but thats basically our 5th starting D gone. I don't know how this team is a hair out of first in the division.

Because other than Boston, there's no actual competition in the division?

The NE might be the weakest division this season, tied with the NW. The lottery pick is definitely going to a team from one or the other.

[Bassic Lab]

Because other than Boston, there's no actual competition in the division?

The NE might be the weakest division this season, tied with the NW. The lottery pick is definitely going to a team from one or the other.

The Atlantic isn't much better. Until New Jersey went on the last streak it was really ugly there.

On a vaguely related note, thanks for nothing Vancouver and the Eastern Conference. Seriously, five games and the best we can say for the night is that the Kings only managed one point.

[freeweed]

The Atlantic isn't much better. Until New Jersey went on the last streak it was really ugly there.

Well, Philly/Pitts are a 1-2 punch that has no comparison in the NE or NW. Sure they have the bottom feeders but it's not quite the same.

Top 2 teams in each, by points:

NE: 71-69, total 140
NW: 83-68, total 151
Atl:81-76, total 157

Hmm, you're sorta right. The NW is closer to the Atlantic in terms of top 2 teams. Just for fun, here's the point total for all 6 divisions:

NE: 301
Atl: 322
SE: 321

NW: 317
Ctl: 331
Pac: 345

Definitely 1 division stands out as being by far the weakest in the league. No question which conference is (as always) the stronger. Of course, the epidemic of 3 point games this season really skews things, so this may not be a fair assessment.

(Games in hand, blah blah - the Central is the only one lagging by anything substantial)

[-Harlington-]

All of the pacific division are in a playoff spot as of now

thats pretty impressive

[Bassic Lab]

All of the pacific division are in a playoff spot as of now

thats pretty impressive

That is really the one ray of hope. Coming down the stretch it will be very difficult for all of them to maintain that pace. They play each other too often. As it stands now that really leaves an opening for other teams, namely Minnesota, Calgary, and Chicago. Since the lockout, has there ever been a situation where a division only sent one team to the playoffs?

[freeweed]

Since the lockout, has there ever been a situation where a division only sent one team to the playoffs?

Yes - twice, same division, same team. Southeast division sent only Washington in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

No division has sent all 5 teams since the lockout.

[The_Architect]

Yes - twice, same division, same team. Southeast division sent only Washington in 2007-08 and 2009-10.

No division has sent all 5 teams since the lockout.

The Pacific is getting pretty close!

EDIT: As of right now the entire Pacific division is in the playoffs.

[Coldrsx]

WE WANT THE CUP

stupid sucky montreal

[Yume-sama]

Couple of trades today~ This one had me going "Whaaaat?"

Ottawa trades Brian Elliott to Colorado for Craig Anderson.

Then this,

Boston trades Colborne + Boston 1st to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle.

Colborne is a good prospect, though he slipped quite far down the Bruins chart this year behind Knight, Spooner, Caron, Hamill, Kampfer etc. Supposedly has a good work ethic, even though his Dad is a Calgary oil billionaire. :haha:

[Darkoshvilli]

Whats with Burke and Chia constantly trading with each other.

And as much as it pains me to say this, with Kelly and Kabs added I def see the Bs as serious contenders.

[Yume-sama]

Burke is a good Boston boy himself, and graduate of Harvard :P

Too bad they don't teach how to run a hockey team, though.

[The_Architect]

I don't know enough about Colborne to say whether I like the trade or not..
I've always liked Kaberle, I hope he gets the cup with Boston, I want to see him win one.

[Yume-sama]

He has Joe Thornton-esque size, and potential to be skilled. Probably make a good 2nd or 3rd line centre career-wise.

The problem is he's not very physical at all, which is something somebody so mammoth-like should be.

And being a billionaire people question the dedication to hockey, rightly or wrongly lol

[Yume-sama]

Another trade;

Bruins trade Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart to Atlanta for Rick Peverly and Boris Vlabik.

Peverly is an upgrade on Wheeler, who has the opposite problem of Phil Kessel (he plays a complete game but can't fricken score, whereas Phil can score but looks dumbfounded at the rest of the game).

And Vlabik is scary big at 6'7 250 :P

[SpikePhanta]

Geesus Boston is burning up with these trades!

I'm wishing Toronto goes higher up in the standings so boston doesnt get another good pick :P

[Yume-sama]

Well, just hope Kaberle wasn't the only reason why the Leafs ever got the puck out of their own end, then. :haha:

[Darkoshvilli]

I swear Burke is working for Chia. Not only did he help turn Boston's franchise around with the Kessel deal, now he's sending Boston Kaberle for a cup run.

Good job Burkie ya moron.

[Yume-sama]

I think the Tuukka Rask trade helped to set up Boston for the future more than the Kessel trade.

Though, Seguin / Knight will surely be great players when they actually get a role on the team.

Seguin is obviously quite talented, and once he's not playing on the third line for only 11 minutes per game...

But a young franchise goaltender is almost unbeatable, value wise :D

How right Andrew Raycroft was when he proclaimed it was probably the "Worst trade in NHL history".

[Darkoshvilli]

Right, I forgot about the Rask gem of a deal as well. Though that was before Burke arrived wasn't it? TO is becoming a breading ground for future Bruins.

[theman23]

Boston gives up their best prospect and their first for a month of Kaberle. How is this a bad deal for the Leafs? As soon as the Bruins are swept in the first round, Kaberle will get back in touch with Burke for a new contract. This deal was an absolute fleecing.

And are you folks still harping about the Tuuka Rask trade? If we hadnt traded that bum away, James Reimer would never have gotten any ice-time. And you'll have to excuse me for shattering your world here, but Reimer looks like a far better goalie at this point than Rask.

[Flamesrule]

Boston gives up their best prospect and their first for a month of Kaberle. How is this a bad deal for the Leafs? As soon as the Bruins are swept in the first round, Kaberle will get back in touch with Burke for a new contract. This deal was an absolute fleecing.

And are you folks still harping about the Tuuka Rask trade? If we hadnt traded that bum away, James Reimer would never have gotten any ice-time. And you'll have to excuse me for shattering your world here, but Reimer looks like a far better goalie at this point than Rask.

If Bruins get swept out of the first round, what are your predictions for the Leafs?


:haha:

[Yume-sama]

Colborne was actually about 5th or 6th on the Bruins prospects list. He plays too soft for his size.

At the *start* of the season he was the top prospect in the system, but he fell down quite a bit because of his play and was never called up.

Right now the prospect list looks like this in terms of potential; Ryan Spooner (OHL 29-30-59 totals in 47 games this season), Jared Knight (OHL 22-31-53 totals in 51 games), Steven Kampfer (currently called up), Jordan Caron (splits time between AHL / NHL), Zach Hamill (recent call-up).

:P And typical Toronto fan to try and build a statue to a guy whose played well in a half dozen career games.

It's almost laughable how many second comings of Christ the Leafs have had this year. MacArthur, Kadri, Gustavsson, Reimer...

[theman23]

If Bruins get swept out of the first round, what are your predictions for the Leafs?


:haha:

I think the Leafs have a good shot at making the playoffs. The team is getting hot now that it looks like King James is in net for good, and the teams ahead of us are stumbling. We're only 6 points out, and most of the teams we play from here on in are non-playoff teams.
Colborne is actually about 5th or 6th on the Bruins prospects list. He plays too soft to be a Bruin.

Right now the prospect list looks like this in terms of potential;

Ryan Spooner, Jared Knight, Steven Kampfer (currently called up), Jordan Caron (splits time between AHL / NHL), Zach Hamill (recent call-up).

Typical revisionist history after a trade. Not including Seguin because he is basically a full timer now, he was the bruns no. 1 prospect.

[Flamesrule]

I think the Leafs have a good shot at making the playoffs. The team is getting hot now that it looks like King James is in net for good, and the teams ahead of us are stumbling. We're only 6 points out, and most of the teams we play from here on in are non-playoff teams.



If Toronto does make the playoffs, I doubt they will make it to the second round.

[Yume-sama]

Typical revisionist history after a trade. Not including Seguin because he is basically a full timer now, he was the bruns no. 1 prospect.

Recently the highest he was was third, but that doesn't include the people who were in the NHL at the time (Caron, Hamill, Kampfer)
http://www.nesn.com/2011/02/ryan-spooner-edges-jared-knight-for-top-spot-on-bruins-prospects-list-with-jordan-caron-back-in-bost.html

Colborne's scouting report *does* call him soft with a career potential of 2nd line center on the Bruins. So probably "all-star" first liner on the Leafs.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/joe_colborne

[Mister F]

Recently the highest he was was third, but that doesn't include the people who were in the NHL at the time (Caron, Hamill, Kampfer)
http://www.nesn.com/2011/02/ryan-spooner-edges-jared-knight-for-top-spot-on-bruins-prospects-list-with-jordan-caron-back-in-bost.html

Colborne's scouting report *does* call him soft with a career potential of 2nd line center on the Bruins. So probably "all-star" first liner on the Leafs.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/joe_colborne
You do realize that a Boston first liner is now playing on Toronto's second line, right?

[Yume-sama]

lol that's because he slows down offensively when he can't get a pass right to the empty net from Marc Savard ;)

And when he still managed to flub those up he was benched quite frequently, including in the playoffs.

If Toronto could get themselves an amazing playmaker Phil would probably score 50. He has the talent, but he's very one dimensional, as you've found out.

[freeweed]

Boston gives up their best prospect and their first for a month of Kaberle. How is this a bad deal for the Leafs? As soon as the Bruins are swept in the first round, Kaberle will get back in touch with Burke for a new contract. This deal was an absolute fleecing.

No kidding. I have to agree with you fully here. A perpetually unhappy UFA for TWO 1st round picks (and possibly a 2nd)? Sign me up! I'd make that trade any day. Toronto got the better deal by far - mind you, I've always been in the "Kaberle is hugely overrated" camp, so we may differ there.

While I don't see it happening, it would be hysterically funny if Kaberle re-signed with Toronto in the off season.

[Yume-sama]

I've always thought Kaberle was over-rated, too. But then again, I can't be sure exactly what Leaf is actually good based around the super hype of a team that finishes last place but yet seemingly has 23 all-stars and front page media coverage somehow. If you were new to hockey and didn't know anything about the game, you'd have thought Clark MacArthur was the #1 player in the NHL.

Overall Boston got what they needed to help their two main weaknesses. Powerplay and penalty kill.

PK, Chris Kelley and Peverly are "specialists"
PP, Tomas Kaberle is the coveted PMD.

The Bruins are the best team 5 on 5. Unfortunately, a lot of the game isn't played 5 on 5, and at that they are VERY average :P

[SpikePhanta]

Bob Mckenzie reporting that Brewer being traded to Tampa Bay.

Also some rumors:
Scott Gomez says he wouldn't be surprised if hes traded (I would guess NYI, but i doubt it, his contract is huge.)
Murray is expected to make more trades

[theman23]

Whats all this talk abut MacArthur being overrated? He isn't even the most popular Leaf these days. That would be either Grabovski or Schenn.