NHL Thread

[MattA75]

You know, I'd say the bright side is that at least Vancouver didn't acquire Mike Ribeiro...but I keep hearing Washington is involved in a trade that hasn't been announced yet, and that just scares the crap out of me

[philpritchard]

Trade deadlines make me hate sports fans. The Wings obviously are not title contenders. And unless we're getting Crosby, Malkin and a couple defenseman for future picks, we won't be. Overpaying for solid/average players just to slide into the 8th seed would be absolutely foolish.

It makes you hate sports fans because they want to see a lot of moves to improve the team quickly? If that's what you mean, I agree completely, especially with so many people clamoring for Kiprusoff or Luongo.

No, because they are calling for the head of a well respected GM just because he isn't making moves for the sake of making moves. and now i read your second sentence and see you actually are agreeing with me.

Yeah, the deadline can be really frustrating because so many teams (or at least their fans) want to make moves that aren't consistent with the team's ultimate direction just to make one push to sneak into a playoff spot at the expense of the future.

[shinkdew]

I think Buffalo fleeced Minnesota. Larsson, Hackett, 1st and 2nd round picks for Pominville and a 4th.

[Simple Torture]

A friend of mine just got engaged to Corey Schneider

I mean, I shouldn't be surprised; they've been dating for years.

[surfndestroy]

You know, I'd say the bright side is that at least Vancouver didn't acquire Mike Ribeiro...but I keep hearing Washington is involved in a trade that hasn't been announced yet, and that just scares the crap out of me

Gillis stands pat again. He's good at signing free agents and re-signing players but he's horrible at making trades and his drafting is more miss than hit. I had high hopes for him.

I like the Roy move but made 4+ weeks too late. Gillis is slow to figure out that every season Luongo burns of his contract in Vancouver the less desirable Luongo is to other teams. Same for letting Ballard rot on the vine for 2+ years. Unused assets are only of use if you deal them. Letting their contracts wind down and getting uglier to other teams id just plain stupid.

[philpritchard]

You know, I'd say the bright side is that at least Vancouver didn't acquire Mike Ribeiro...but I keep hearing Washington is involved in a trade that hasn't been announced yet, and that just scares the crap out of me

Gillis stands pat again. He's good at signing free agents and re-signing players but he's horrible at making trades and his drafting is more miss than hit. I had high hopes for him.

I like the Roy move but made 4+ weeks too late. Gillis is slow to figure out that every season Luongo burns of his contract in Vancouver the less desirable Luongo is to other teams. Same for letting Ballard rot on the vine for 2+ years. Unused assets are only of use if you deal them. Letting their contracts wind down and getting uglier to other teams id just plain stupid.

I think he's waited long enough on Luongo that he's going to get nothing back when he eventually does deal him. Luongo never should have been a Canuck when the season started; he should have been traded in the offseason when they decided Schneider was going to be the guy going forward. I don't think it's Gillis's unwillingness to make a deal in this case, it's just that his valuation of the player is so out of line with every other GM in the league.

Apparently he called the Leafs three times in the last hour before the deadline with different offers. It sounds like he was desperate to move him but unwilling to lower his price to a realistic level.

[MattA75]

Ballard, as with many many other things on the team, I blame on AV...Ballard could play 40 spectacular games in a row, but if he makes one mistake, AV would bench him the next game...I understand he hasn't been what was hoped for when they acquired him, but I also feel like he never got a fair shake at all. But that's typical AV....god he sucks

They should've taken whatever they could have for Luongo...not that it matters...that team's window was the two years they lost to Chicago and the year they lost in the Finals...they're screwed now

[philpritchard]

Ballard, as with many many other things on the team, I blame on AV...Ballard could play 40 spectacular games in a row, but if he makes one mistake, AV would bench him the next game...I understand he hasn't been what was hoped for when they acquired him, but I also feel like he never got a fair shake at all. But that's typical AV....god he sucks

They should've taken whatever they could have for Luongo...not that it matters...that team's window was the two years they lost to Chicago and the year they lost in the Finals...they're screwed now

Apparently the last offer the Leafs turned down was for Scrivens and two 2nd round picks. I feel like the Leafs would have done a deal for just Scrivens, but even then I would probably rather just stick with Reimer considering contracts and the way Reimer's been playing this year.

[surfndestroy]

Ballard, as with many many other things on the team, I blame on AV...Ballard could play 40 spectacular games in a row, but if he makes one mistake, AV would bench him the next game...I understand he hasn't been what was hoped for when they acquired him, but I also feel like he never got a fair shake at all. But that's typical AV....god he sucks

They should've taken whatever they could have for Luongo...not that it matters...that team's window was the two years they lost to Chicago and the year they lost in the Finals...they're screwed now

Apparently the last offer the Leafs turned down was for Scrivens and two 2nd round picks. I feel like the Leafs would have done a deal for just Scrivens, but even then I would probably rather just stick with Reimer considering contracts and the way Reimer's been playing this year.

I hear that Toronto wanted Vancouver to pick up some of Loungo's contract and that Vancouver wouldn't. I think Loungo's best move would be to say he's not going to remove his no-trade clause and hopefully get bough out so he can re-sign with a team at a reasonable rate and length of contract.

[philpritchard]

Ballard, as with many many other things on the team, I blame on AV...Ballard could play 40 spectacular games in a row, but if he makes one mistake, AV would bench him the next game...I understand he hasn't been what was hoped for when they acquired him, but I also feel like he never got a fair shake at all. But that's typical AV....god he sucks

They should've taken whatever they could have for Luongo...not that it matters...that team's window was the two years they lost to Chicago and the year they lost in the Finals...they're screwed now

Apparently the last offer the Leafs turned down was for Scrivens and two 2nd round picks. I feel like the Leafs would have done a deal for just Scrivens, but even then I would probably rather just stick with Reimer considering contracts and the way Reimer's been playing this year.

I hear that Toronto wanted Vancouver to pick up some of Loungo's contract and that Vancouver wouldn't. I think Loungo's best move would be to say he's not going to remove his no-trade clause and hopefully get bough out so he can re-sign with a team at a reasonable rate and length of contract.

Yeah, that would probably help him get bought out. The length of the contract is what really ruins the possibility of a trade to Toronto.

[MattA75]

[philpritchard]

I think every Bruins fan I know has an unhealthy obsession with the Canadiens' diving and an unwillingness to acknowledge that their team isn't all that much better. It's like every Boston Bruins fan is Claude Julien or something.

That 6 on 4 power play at the end of the game was the weirdest thing. If it were a bit later in the season I would suggest the Bruins were intentionally not scoring so Montreal could take the division and Boston could settle in to the 4-5 matchup and play the Leafs. I can't say I would blame them based on the results of the last couple years.

[shinkdew]

I think every Bruins fan I know has an unhealthy obsession with the Canadiens' diving and an unwillingness to acknowledge that their team isn't all that much better. It's like every Boston Bruins fan is Claude Julien or something.

That 6 on 4 power play at the end of the game was the weirdest thing. If it were a bit later in the season I would suggest the Bruins were intentionally not scoring so Montreal could take the division and Boston could settle in to the 4-5 matchup and play the Leafs. I can't say I would blame them based on the results of the last couple years.

Chara's dive to get that power play was something special. Either that or Lars Eller has freakish strength.

[philpritchard]

I think every Bruins fan I know has an unhealthy obsession with the Canadiens' diving and an unwillingness to acknowledge that their team isn't all that much better. It's like every Boston Bruins fan is Claude Julien or something.

That 6 on 4 power play at the end of the game was the weirdest thing. If it were a bit later in the season I would suggest the Bruins were intentionally not scoring so Montreal could take the division and Boston could settle in to the 4-5 matchup and play the Leafs. I can't say I would blame them based on the results of the last couple years.

Chara's dive to get that power play was something special. Either that or Lars Eller has freakish strength.

Someone told me about it, but I didn't think it was all that bad when I saw the replay. I actually thought the jersey tug seemed to throw him off balance enough that he kind of caught an edge and went down. There was probably a bit more flailing of limbs than there needed to be, though. People seem to love to claim a player is diving whenever he goes down without a ton of contact.

[surfndestroy]

I think every Bruins fan I know has an unhealthy obsession with the Canadiens' diving and an unwillingness to acknowledge that their team isn't all that much better. It's like every Boston Bruins fan is Claude Julien or something.

That 6 on 4 power play at the end of the game was the weirdest thing. If it were a bit later in the season I would suggest the Bruins were intentionally not scoring so Montreal could take the division and Boston could settle in to the 4-5 matchup and play the Leafs. I can't say I would blame them based on the results of the last couple years.

Would it have hurt Boston to have at least tried shooting on net once. That was painful to watch.

Montreal is a good team. Between their speed up front and Suban's ability to get the puck up ice, they really put Boston's lack of foot speed on defence on display. I can see Boston meeting Montreal in the second round and losing. Rask is going to need to outplay Price for Boston to win. Which is too bad, as I think a Boston/Pittsburgh conference final would be pretty epic.

[MattA75]

The Bruins need a big time shake up right now, but there's no way they fire Julien. Losing Bergeron hurts them more than most know, but even still, the idea that this guy can't put together lines to save his life when it's obvious who his six best forwards are is truly amazing.

And not having Seguin on the ice for that 6-4...that's some Alain Vigneault doghouse shit right there folks

[southp]

I think every Bruins fan I know has an unhealthy obsession with the Canadiens' diving and an unwillingness to acknowledge that their team isn't all that much better. It's like every Boston Bruins fan is Claude Julien or something.

That 6 on 4 power play at the end of the game was the weirdest thing. If it were a bit later in the season I would suggest the Bruins were intentionally not scoring so Montreal could take the division and Boston could settle in to the 4-5 matchup and play the Leafs. I can't say I would blame them based on the results of the last couple years.

Chara's dive to get that power play was something special. Either that or Lars Eller has freakish strength.

Yeah that should should be enough to shut up the Bruins fans.
Is it a hold? Definitely. He's got the sweater by his hand.
Does Chara truly get hauled down by Eller? No way.

[surfndestroy]

The Bruins need a big time shake up right now, but there's no way they fire Julien. Losing Bergeron hurts them more than most know, but even still, the idea that this guy can't put together lines to save his life when it's obvious who his six best forwards are is truly amazing.

And not having Seguin on the ice for that 6-4...that's some Alain Vigneault doghouse shit right there folks

I think what Boston needs they can't get, some rest. They were playing great until that string of games from Feb 24 - March 17. 13 games in 22 days, with travel. They just got run down and lost all their forecheck and speed through the neutral zone. They started losing leads in the third period. That was just a brutal stretch of games and bad habits started to develop near the end of that stretch.

They have 11 games to get rid of those bad habits and get back to how they were playing previously. I think they'll get there but Montreal's speed still scares me as a Bruin's fan.

[MattA75]

The Bruins need a big time shake up right now, but there's no way they fire Julien. Losing Bergeron hurts them more than most know, but even still, the idea that this guy can't put together lines to save his life when it's obvious who his six best forwards are is truly amazing.

And not having Seguin on the ice for that 6-4...that's some Alain Vigneault doghouse shit right there folks

I think what Boston needs they can't get, some rest. They were playing great until that string of games from Feb 24 - March 17. 13 games in 22 days, with travel. They just got run down and lost all their forecheck and speed through the neutral zone. They started losing leads in the third period. That was just a brutal stretch of games and bad habits started to develop near the end of that stretch.

They have 11 games to get rid of those bad habits and get back to how they were playing previously. I think they'll get there but Montreal's speed still scares me as a Bruin's fan.

Even when they were playing "well" they still were squeaking out wins, they were never a dominant team (and in fact probably benefitted from the easy early schedule where they caught teams who were playing a lot more than they were). The bigger problem is Julien and his communistic approach to ice time and his fanatical obsession with defense. And the bone he has up his ass about Seguin

And right now Montreal is a better team...every Bruins fan should be scared of them. But saying someone is a better team than the Bruins right now isn't saying much...Montreal is still gonna get smoked by someone come playoff time

[lowlight79]

PLEASE god, make my Isles reach the playoffs.