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2018-2019 NHL Hockey Thread

What a difference a week makes for every team not named Nashville.


Pens lose five-straight and now trail the Islanders--the ISLANDERS?--by three points. Caps are probably the real team to beat in that division, currently trailing the NY'ers by a point.

Further north, it looks like Montreal and its Ontario rivals in Toronto are being left behind by that team in Western Florida, the hockey capital for retirees from the Midwestern US.

In the West, the Predators are up there in Tampa Bay Lightening territory. The Wild, the Stars and Jets are all looking up, as they probably will be all year.

Canada's hope this year may well be the Canucks...and, the Flames? Nah. That can't last. San Jose is only two points back.
 
CanadaJohn said:
Good luck to all who have a rooting interest in the NHL season. Prospects have never looked better in Leaf Land, and I remember the last Stanley Cup win in '67. Leafs have never had this much talent on a team, even the Stanley Cup winners of old. They look like they'll be able to score at will and with a favourable opening schedule, should get off to a great start.

Enjoy the season and have fun.
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Watch the Leats win the Cup!!!
On the History Channel.

They’ve got a good squad, and should be good for a number of years.
 
Crovax said:
Looked like a good hit to me :shrug:
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Nah... he got his head, but if you’re going to hit someone in that situation, you’re going to do it as Wilson did it. Sundqvist kept his body and head down coming out of the pass.

That stuff is all split second.

It’s similar to the hit on Kariya by Scott Stevens, though Steven hit was more pronounced.
 
Redress said:
No, that is not why. Had he skated about a foot to the left, he would have made contact with the body and no problem. He chose, fully aware of what he was doing, to make the hit to the head.
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A foot to the left at that speed... you’re trying to gauge the player... and often it doesn’t work out. He did clip his head (and body) but to me Wilson did 99.5% of it correct.

You see how many times guys miss hits going into the corner... this was open ice... Sundqvist only has to move a bit and the hit is totally different.

I know... from experience.
 
calamity said:
Too early to tell for sure, but it certainly appears as if my hopes for Phoenix this year were false. The Coyotes suck.
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They’re sucking less.
 
zimmer said:
They’re sucking less.
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Yep. Looks like sucking the most in that division has been taken over by the Kings. Actually, with their five wins, they suck the most in the whole league right now.
 
calamity said:
Yep. Looks like sucking the most in that division has been taken over by the Kings. Actually, with their five wins, they suck the most in the whole league right now.
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Pretty amazing isn’t it?

The Kings are my team... and they’re behind the 8-ball. They have the talent, will be interesting to see if they can turn it around. Typical of the Kings, they’re not finding the back of the net enough... Campbell has been OK.
 
CanadaJohn said:
No question Matthews is one of the premier players in the league, even at a young age, but the Leafs lost 3-0 to Pittsburgh at home, with Matthews and then went to Pittsburgh on Saturday and beat them 5-0 without Matthews. No easy answers, but seems they try too hard for the pretty goal at home, too many passes, and play a more solid road game.
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You are the resident Toronto hockey expert, so I got a question: what is going to happen to Nylander? Running out of time for something to happen, what do you think will?
 
Redress said:
You are the resident Toronto hockey expert, so I got a question: what is going to happen to Nylander? Running out of time for something to happen, what do you think will?
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Can honestly say I have no idea, but scuttlebutt is that he won't sign a contract with the Leafs prior to December 1st because the two sides are too far apart. Nylander, and his daddy vicariously through him, are seeking $8 mil a year on a multi-year contract and the Leafs are offering $6, maybe a little more. On a short term deal, one year bridge, Nylander still wants $8 and the Leafs are offering $4, maybe a little more. They might be trying to strong arm the rookie GM. Unless the kid abandons his dad's stubbornness and comes to a reasonable level, he won't be playing for the Leafs. That leaves a trade and it's hard to think there are too many teams who a) would pay that much for him and b) would offer the Leafs anything of comparable value for him. If I had to guess, I'd say he sits out for the entire year and then we'll see what happens in camp Nylander.

Bottom line, Leafs can't give Nylander $8 mil long term, even if he was marginally worth it. They've got Matthews coming up at $12, $13 plus long term. Marner will likely get close to $10 long term. They signed Tavares for $11 long term. If this was the old days, no salary cap, Leafs could afford everyone at their price, long term - they make scads of money. But not under the current system unless the cap goes way up.
 
Leafs turned it back around over the last ten games to be right there with TB and Smash for best records in the NHL: 28 points right behind the 29 for the two best.

Sabres being in third place with points up in the upper twenties is a surprise. As is seeing the Blue Jackets back on top in the Metro, also with 26 points.

Out West, seeing the Wild ahead of the Jets for 2nd, behind Smashville, in the Central is certainly a sight for sore eyes. But, the Canucks current losing streak has them falling back in the Pacific, which is wide open, IMO, with the Flames being basically a couple ties behind the Sharks.
 
My how far the once mighty have fallen. Pens, Kings, Blues and Knights among the worst in the league.
 
Coaches are dropping like flies this season. Chicago, LA, Edmonton and St.L. so far, and more could be coming.
 
Sabres on a 9-game winning streak :shock:
 
Nylander finally comes to his senses and signs his deal - 6 yrs, $6.9 per on average. Deal could have/should have been done months ago at those numbers which are comparable with his peers in the league with his skill/experience level. Now let's see how long it takes him to get in game shape and contributing to the Leafs. Hopefully, he'll be a help and not a disturbance going forward. If he doesn't miss a beat, Leafs can be scary good with all the talent they have considering they're one point out of the league lead with Nylander out all year and Matthews out for more than half of the games so far.
 
Tampa, Toronto and Buffalo are playing lights out. And, they are all in the same division.

Out West, the Avalanche haven’t lost in any of their last ten, catching Smashville for the top spot as a result.
 
calamity said:
Tampa, Toronto and Buffalo are playing lights out. And, they are all in the same division.

Out West, the Avalanche haven’t lost in any of their last ten, catching Smashville for the top spot as a result.
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Fun game in Buffalo tonight when the Leafs visit - usually crowd is 50% Leafs' fans in Buffalo, but with the Sabres finally starting to turn the corner and play better, maybe Sabres fans will buy up all the tickets this time around. Buffalo always plays the Leafs tough at home so will be a close game - great to see the Buffalo - Toronto rivalry actually mean something in the standings - it's been a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnng time coming.
 
Hey Buffalo Sabers!!!!

2 goal lead on home ice, and then you give up SIX unanswered goals???

Against the FLYERS????

I had no idea that whatever the Flyers suffer from is contagious.

:lamo
 
Dragonfly said:
Hey Buffalo Sabers!!!!

2 goal lead on home ice, and then you give up SIX unanswered goals???

Against the FLYERS????

I had no idea that whatever the Flyers suffer from is contagious.

:lamo
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It’s hockey.

**** happens.

That said, with all the talent the Flyers have, their struggles are something to behold.
 
Redress said:
Coaches are dropping like flies this season. Chicago, LA, Edmonton and St.L. so far, and more could be coming.
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I would have brought Sutter back to LA, or Alain Vigneault.

Wonder who the Seattle coach will be... that’ll be interesting. Vignault, Sutter, Quenneville... My money is on Quenneville.

Much delayed hats off to Bettman... he’s been awesome for the NHL, and man did they get the expansion system right with Vegas. That bodes well for Seattle.
 
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Preds look deadly this year. Still too early but I see the Preds back to the Stanley cup.
 
SmokethatGreen said:
Preds look deadly this year. Still too early but I see the Preds back to the Stanley cup.
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Could very well be, but there are a lot of good looking teams.

One thing though is playoff hockey is different from the regular season... the Preds are pretty good in the physical Dept. Winterpeg too. Winterpeg are a huge team... and tough. Last year’s run will do them well this year.

One team I think will be ejected right off the bat is Calgary. Johnny Hockey will disappear during the playoffs.

Vegas are getting their wheels again... they were ****ing amazing last year... their speed, how they stripped opponents and attacked so fast from the neutral zone... was incredible.

But it’s early, and the injury situation is always a good monkey wrench.
 
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