Hockey

[Hampton]

Well guy's it would seem that the pre-season predictions of Detroit were correct.

They have lost that killer instinct, that edge that they possesed for over a decade.

And the Dead wings are back. as they desperatly struggle to get a playoff spot in the final hour.

I'm not sure they can clinch a spot in the playoffs but even if they do I'm sure aside of a miracle, they will be bounced out early.

any thoughts in who the big teams are for a stanley cup run?

 

[KSoD]

It was bound to happen for Detroit. I mean look at the team overall. They are getting up there in age. Lidstrom is their top defenseman and he has been playing for what, 20 years or so now? Kinda hard for them to keep up that killer instinct when most of their key players have been around for longer than some new players that are coming up have been alive.

I havent paid too much attention to the league as a whole as i am a huge Sabres fan, no not cause of Miller being on Team USA either. they are the home town team and i have followed them since 1989 when they got Mogilny.

I think that San Jose has a good chance if they can keep it up. they have been close for a couple years now and always seem to get knocked out late in the playoffs. So i think they can put it together this year and make a run for the cup.

I think that Washington, Pittsburgh and possibly Buffalo have a chance to go late into the playoffs as well. If Buffalo can pull their head out of their rear ends and play like they did at the beginning of the season. They have squeaked out a couple of wins but that was mainly due to Miller standing on his head.

It is nice to see Miller is back on top for GAA and Save % though. he has done a fantasic job this year and he deserves to win the goaltender award for his efforts this year.

I think overall it will be San Jose vs Washington for the cup. But that is going on very limited info that i have about much of the rest of the league.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

Even though I just live across the boarder from Detroit, I have never liked them (though a lot do in this area).
They never really put together a "Team". They were just "Stars", which doesn't always work out.
They missed the opportunity to trade away their older talent to get newer, younger guys.
The age of that team is hilarious. Half the team is over 30!

Of course you have the teams like Washington, PItts, Jersy leading the league which will be there.
I'm of course looking to Ottawa and Montreal to lead us to a Cup.

And if Iggy can make heads up plays like he did in overtime in the Olympics "IGGY!!!" , he can lead his team to a deep, upset playoff run.

 

[Hampton]

Really all you need to do is log on to NHL.com and look at the plus minus.. but it is a crap shoot come playoff time. who is on a roll who is beat up.. yada yada

btw Sanjose has had a great regular season last few years but they have been bumped out first round and thats their Achilles heal, they're always to beat up come playoff time and out of gas like Det was in the final last year.. which btw in retro spec they should have never made it that far due to loss of "big talent" and all the new kids took over which I thought would carry over into this season but I was wrong.. lol

 

[KSoD]

The Plus/Minus rating isnt everything. It can be good, but it doesnt make up everything that goes on in the league. I mean a player can have a minus rating that is real high but their team is doing real well only cause they are a defenseman and they just happen to be on the ice at the time of the goal. I know that a few sabres have a horrid rating but yet the team is in first in the Conference. While that isnt saying much right now cause they just happen to be getting into OT or SO to get at least 1 point every game.

 

[jfenwick]

Maple leafs FTW...nuff said.



If you didn't get it the first time, re-read the above statement and add loads of sarcasm.

Lol, go habs go!

I'd add more intelligent rablings but I don't follow close enough anymore to add anything constructive. It's just gotten too big for me, I was an avid fan before the NHL truely went major leagues and turned into another pro sport. When the jets and nordiques died I left and never really came back (until playoffs). Gotta love the international play though, olymipcs were awesome, both Canada US games were great hockey nailbitters.

 

[Hampton]

the leafs just aquired Kessel? or has he been with them a while?

 

[Hampton]

Well maybe the wings have a miracle in the makeing.. the guy's that just got back from injury seem to be doing ok.

wing fans can only hope.

and as far as them being a team of superstars that was only in 2002 and of corse if your team was other teams then you would say hey.. why can they do that?.. well,people whined enough and the leaue stepped in and forced the lock out that forced a loss of 1 season and a salary cap.

before they started winning cups no one wanted to play for them.. they were what toronto is now.

Then some drafting and a bit of luck the rag tag team that they were in the mid 90's pushed forward until they became a team to be recond with.

So they were not always a store bought team. trust me they frustrated us for many years

 

[Hampton]

wow, I do believe in miracle's never count the old dog's out to soon. the Don Cherry movie was pretty good, looking forward to pat II.

 

[KSoD]

I just got done watching the Sabres game on Versus. I must say that the announcer is a flipping moron. Sabres have TIM Kennedy. the announcer kept saying Tyler Kennedy. Umm HELLO, he is with the Penguins and Malkin.

Even after he scored his goal and they SHOWED the name on TV he STILL called him Tyler. I think they just had Tyler on the brain cause they couldnt stop talking about Tyler Myers. They got into so much detail about this 19 year old rookie. Compared him to Chara who at 21 was a rookie and had only 8 points. While Myers is 19 and has over 40 already.

Get over it already guys. If Myers doesnt win Rookie of year, then something is seriously wrong. Considering he leads ALL Rookies in points so far. He is up to 45 points before NHL.com updated with today's stats. The next closest is Del Zotto at 34 points.