The Everything NHL Thread

Not to mention Vanek's history with that nagging groin injury. That being said and chemistry aside, Tavares + Vanek is definitely one of the scariest pairs in the league, I could see Tavares pushing 90+ points and Vanek scoring 40+ goals so I see the appeal but a potentially a terrible move.
 
islanders got horribly ripped off on that deal. good for buffalo.

somehow the devs took down boston, hoping we can keep it going tonight.
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Vanek groin injury? That is OLD news. He's been fine for a long time.

The 1st round pick in 2014 can be deferred to 2016 by the Islanders if they finish in the bottom 10, so Garth Snow did leave himself a little wiggle room and made the deal a little less lopsided. wer and I got this news driving home from the Philly regional, pretty mindblowing.
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Also jesus, does everyone know that little about Vanek and Moulson? Everyone is just throwing out unfounded crap.
 

Texas Cloverleaf

This user has a custom title
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Goddamn the Leafs are fun to watch. Kessel is on a torrid streak and the entire team can produce right now, every line and defense pairing. We finally have strong goaltending too, its just a great time to be an optimistic leafs fan.
 
its just a great time to be an optimistic leafs fan.
And as an Edmontonian, it's the dead opposite. I'm actually embarrassed to be in the same city as this team. I don't understand any of the coaching or management decisions, and I certainly don't understand how a team loaded with "future superstars" can be so goddamn bad. And to make it all worse, nothing will change. The Old Boys club have firmly parked their thumbs up their ass in hopes of this 7-year rebuild coming to an end and refuse to encourage said end.

In other news, I'll probably start cheering for a different Canadian team, probably Minnesota, or Toronto. Seven years just to finish last again. Laughing stock of the league.
 

Royalty

Confused, truth is what I choose
is a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Yea it really is astonishing that with all the high end draft picks they've had over the years that they are still a bottom 5 team. In other news the nucks are off to a great start and beastmodo is hella fun to watch every game!
 

Texas Cloverleaf

This user has a custom title
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
And as an Edmontonian, it's the dead opposite. I'm actually embarrassed to be in the same city as this team. I don't understand any of the coaching or management decisions, and I certainly don't understand how a team loaded with "future superstars" can be so goddamn bad. And to make it all worse, nothing will change. The Old Boys club have firmly parked their thumbs up their ass in hopes of this 7-year rebuild coming to an end and refuse to encourage said end.

In other news, I'll probably start cheering for a different Canadian team, probably Minnesota, or Toronto. Seven years just to finish last again. Laughing stock of the league.
Honestly I'd hold out some hope. Dallas Eakins is a fantastic coach and I feel like if he can get upper management to buy into his view going forward there's some promise there. You guys are basically the Leafs 4 years ago, stuck in an old system (Ron WIlson) with some strong components but missing some crucial ones to take you to the next level. I wouldn't give up hope yet.
 

New World Order

Licks Toads
is a Team Rater Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Honestly I'd hold out some hope. Dallas Eakins is a fantastic coach and I feel like if he can get upper management to buy into his view going forward there's some promise there. You guys are basically the Leafs 4 years ago, stuck in an old system (Ron WIlson) with some strong components but missing some crucial ones to take you to the next level. I wouldn't give up hope yet.
Really? I've found his coaching decisions to be anywhere between questionable to full retard mode. Playing Nail Yakupov on the point instead of the right half wall, then taking him off the power play entirely when it doesn't work. Using Yakupov-Gagner-Eberle against opposing top lines and top pairings, then putting them out there a shift later against the same top line that just scored on them. Playing RNH for 28 minutes in a non-overtime game, then playing him 25 minutes the game right after. Forcing Taylor Hall to play center while simultaneously babysitting Ryan "stone feet" Smyth. Having Will Acton on the roster at all.

The funny thing is, the Oilers have actually been playing better at even strength this year. Shots for, scoring chances for, and time spent in opposing zone have gone up. Shots against, scoring chances against, and time spent in defensive zone have gone down. However, Dubnyk, LaBarbera, and Bachman might be the 3 worst goaltenders in the AHL (no that's not a typo) and Keith Acton might be the dumbest assistant coach in hockey history, only he could turn one of the best PPs and PKs in the NHL into bottom 4 PPs and PKs.
 

New World Order

Licks Toads
is a Team Rater Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Moulson definitely was a 30 goal scorer thanks to tavares but vanek who is a FREE AGENT in the upcoming summer wasn't worth a first and second round pick + moulson. Idk why the islanders did this as making a trade like that would mean they are pushing for the cup run this season and with that defence + nabokov in net I highly doubt it.
Eh? Top end free agent rentals will always cost you at least a first. That's pretty much non-negotiable. In the NHL, all you have to do is make the playoffs and anything could happen. In 2006 Oilers went to a cup final with Shawn Horcoff as their #1 center and MAB on their top pairing because Dwayne Roloson decided to go god mode and single handedly beat Detroit and San Jose in the playoffs. Vanek clearly gives the Isles a better chance of making the playoffs than Moulson.
 

Vineon

Fleurdelysé
is a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Ok so currently the best team in the east wouldn't even have enough points to make it in the playoffs in the west?
 

Royalty

Confused, truth is what I choose
is a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
The west is so much better than the east it's a shame a few good west teams will miss playoffs.
 
Ok, I'm an Avalanche fan (surprise), I have really enjoyed our good start, but we are still barely in a playoff spot even though we (apparently, haven't looked it up myself) have the fewest losses (including OT/Shootout) in the league. The current 3 game losing streak isn't helping either. We just don't have the same drive or intensity we had for the first dozen games. Our kid MacKinnon looks pretty good though.

Oh, and Duchene is out for a week. Good thing it's not the season like Stamkos (one of my favorite players)

Anyone have a defenseman they can spare? Please?
 

Royalty

Confused, truth is what I choose
is a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
"The Canucks down despite being the better team through (x) periods of play"

Been hearing this way too much through the first third of the season.. -.-
 

jrrrrrrr

wubwubwub
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I'll bite. The Penguins brought this on themselves by constantly and unapologetically cheapshotting Bruins players. Despite the fact that the Bruins picked up two points on a miraculous last minute comeback, it doesn't matter with the injuries that the Penguins inflicted. I used to dislike fighting in hockey, but teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins are exactly why it needs to stay. I don't understand how you can compare the actions of Neal and Thornton. Neal could have ended Marchand's career with that knee to the head, after several other cheapshots by Penguins, and Thornton lost his cool. You can't have one team (Penguins) trying to paralyze opponents while dodging fights, and then act disgusted when the other team throws a few punches. They are not equal events. Neal should get at least triple the suspension of Thornton. Orpik and Dupuis should also be suspended.

Let's review:
- Orpik concusses Loui Eriksson, out for at least a game
- Dupuis slashes Chris Kelly so hard that he breaks his ankle, out for a couple weeks
- Neal INTENTIONALLY KNEES A DOWNED PLAYER IN THE HEAD, causing more injury, Marchand will be out for a few
- After all that, Thornton punches Orpik. Somehow you guys think this is the worst part of it all?

All three of those Penguins players should be facing heavy suspensions before you even talk about Thornton retaliating. What the Penguins did to the Bruins that night was more brutal and even more unnecessary than a couple of punches could ever be. How many more Bruins did you want to see go down before they did something about it? Oh that's right, you haters won't care until all of the Bruins are gone. I bet you were all licking your lips and tasting the hypocrisy when Max Pacioretty boarded Johnny Boychuk last week too! Speaking of which, did Montreal Police investigate that hit?? I never heard the results of that.

Note I am not saying Thornton is an angel, I think he should also be suspended. But giving Thornton the same suspension as Neal would be ignoring the spirit of their actions. 999 times out of 1000, Orpik gets up and everyone forgets that the fight happened. But Orpik is a slimeball and apparently live tweeting from the hospital is enough to get everyone to forget why you were sent there.
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Neal could have ended Marchand's career with that knee to the head, after several other cheapshots by Penguins, and Thornton lost his cool.
And I respond simply with: "Todd Bertuzzi lost his cool with Steve Moore." End of argument.

The second you start looking at the result of actions, you lose control over the situation. (This is one of many glaring flaws in Shanahan's current system.) It doesn't matter that Orpik usually gets up from that; Thornton pulled him down from behind and punched his head into the ice repeatedly. That is excessively malicious and dangerous, and I don't give a shit if it's Shawn Thornton or Martin St. Louis doing it.

I can't speak to the Orpik hit on Eriksson and the Dupuis slash because I saw neither, but from what I saw on Twitter the hit on Eriksson was a legal hit with a regrettable outcome. Eriksson also recently had a concussion from the John Scott high hit, so there is no arguing the fact that he's probably very susceptible to head injury at the moment. Couple that with a hard body check, and the concussion isn't very surprising. Regrettable, absolutely.

But that preceding meandering paragraph only goes to serve my point: it doesn't MATTER if the recipient is hurt or not. Patrick Kaleta got 5 games for boarding Brad Richards last year; although Richards writhed around on the ice as if he were dying, he came back a minute later to score on the ensuing 5-minute power play. IT DOESN'T MATTER. Kaleta pushed him from behind while Richards was in an awkward and vulnerable position, and he deserved every second of that suspension because it was a reckless and dangerous play.
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Okay, just YouTubed all the referenced incidents, and here is what I see:

  • Orpik hit Eriksson because the puck was in his vicinity. The puck came off the boards directly to Eriksson, and Orpik had already lined him up. If you noticed, had Eriksson played the puck instead of letting it go by, he would have handled it immediately before getting hit. Kinda hard to call that Interference on Orpik because Eriksson CHOSE not to play the puck, but a 2-minute minor is all you could expect there, with a major penalty being the most (but a bit much, in my opinion). ALSO important to note: Orpik did not target the head, he went shoulder to chest/shoulder. If anything, the concussion was probably caused either by whiplash or hitting the ice.
  • You want Dupuis suspended for that "slash"? Seriously? He was swatting at the puck that was floating through the air. Kelly's legs just happened to be right there, you make it sound as if Dupuis chopped him down behind the play or something.
  • My thoughts on both Neal and Thornton have not changed. Neal deliberately skated into Marchand's head, and Bylsma even admitted as much after the game. Thornton grabbed Orpik from behind, slew-footed him to the ice, then punched his lights out. 25-30 games for each.
 

jrrrrrrr

wubwubwub
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Neal gets 5 games, Thornton gets 15 plus the games he had to sit out while waiting for the hearing.......lol

So now punching someone is 3 times worse than kneeing a downed injured player in the head, am I missing something here DM?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 1)

Top