2013 -14 NHL and assorted hockey stuff

[Mike Schwartz]

Unless I missed a thread did not see this topic.

The west is really strong and highly contested at the moment. Boston leads the east at the moment would be 9th in the west right now.

They'll play right up to Feb 7th 2014 and take a nearly 3 week break for the Olympics, then resume the push to the NHL playoffs.

Anyone else for talkin' pucks?

[Jazzmoose]

Oh, heck yes! I never started one before the playoffs because I figured no one was interested.

Yeah, the west is on fire this year, the only eastern team to do much against the west has been Tampa Bay. I have a feeling losing Stamkos is going to put a stop to that, though. They went down to my Sharks 5-1 tonight.

[Mike Schwartz]

Oh, heck yes! I never started one before the playoffs because I figured no one was interested.

Yeah, the west is on fire this year, the only eastern team to do much against the west has been Tampa Bay. I have a feeling losing Stamkos is going to put a stop to that, though. They went down to my Sharks 5-1 tonight.

Sharks are my home team and they had an easy time with them last night [and played a very good game] . Tampa 2-3 since the injury....have been trounced 3 times in a row playing Pacific teams, Gave up 5 the last two games in a row.

[T.D.]

Strange season so far in the East. Can't get used to seeing Detroit there. West sure looks stronger at this point.

Weirdly, I mostly follow NJD (started rooting for them as underdog back in the Gretzky "Mickey Mouse" days), who I expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They're approaching respectability after a horrid start, though playoffs are likely not in the cards.

[Mike Schwartz]

Devils attempting to beat all 3 Cali teams on this road trip.

Saturday nite Sharks get two first period goals and make them stand up with a 2-1 win.

Marty ROBS Logan Couture

[Jazzmoose]

Anybody catch the Boston/Pittsburgh game? Awesome stuff, particularly at the end with Crosby's goal and then Krug winning it in OT.

Speaking of OT...how do you guys feel about the shootout? I'm most definitely a hater.

[Mike Schwartz]

Anybody catch the Boston/Pittsburgh game? Awesome stuff, particularly at the end with Crosby's goal and then Krug winning it in OT.

Speaking of OT...how do you guys feel about the shootout? I'm most definitely a hater.

I'm pretty neutral on it, but I understand those who don't like it feeling it takes a team sport and settles the outcome with an individual skills competition

[Mike Schwartz]

Out of the few that come on this thread 2 are Sharks fans....Burns, the converted defense-man, scored his first hattrack.

His 3rd was crucial as a 4-0 lead was narrowed to 4-3 made it 5-3 with a tap in with the goalie pulled for the final 6-3 score.

[Jazzmoose]

Another win tonight via the shootout.

If you didn't see it, check out Darren Helm's shorthanded goal on Friday for Detroit. I still haven't figured out how you put Youtube stuff in your post, or I'd post it.

[Mike Schwartz]

Another win tonight via the shootout.

If you didn't see it, check out Darren Helm's shorthanded goal on Friday for Detroit. I still haven't figured out how you put Youtube stuff in your post, or I'd post it.

jm

It's easy; when you see a clip you want to post click 'share' below the video box.....beneath that you'll see the code highlighted in blue.

Copy and paste here in a post and you've done it!

Another win tonight via the shootout.

If you didn't see it, check out Darren Helm's shorthanded goal on Friday for Detroit. I still haven't figured out how you put Youtube stuff in your post, or I'd post it.

http://youtu.be/r0XK9wNqlGo

Edited December 2, 2013 by Mike Schwartz

[Jazzmoose]

Thanks; I thought 'embed' was the secret, but that didn't work at all.

[Mike Schwartz]

That is a crazy_ass play BTW!!

I wonder if everyone came out of that play uninjured or not?

[Jazzmoose]

Not badly, if at all. Everyone stayed in the game. I'm not sure how they felt the next day, though.

[Mike Schwartz]

The Winter Classic was a fantastic show yesterday!!

Did anyone catch it?

I'm glad Toronto got the 2 points as goaltender Bernier was head & shoulders the best player on the ice IMO.

Funniest part was to me, hours afterwards NHL network had a post game show OUTDOORS near the rink....to see the co-hosts in parkas chatting it up in the frigid weather was pretty silly. During one segment, they had 2 participants from the game who were named to the USA Olympic team who were typically hockey player polite, but were very happy to be done.

I get it to have reporters nearby for immediate reaction after the game as NBC did, then they had an indoor place and a podium indoors for coaches and player interviews.

Question to NHL....stadium holds 100,000+ seats....might there be an indoor area to set up your post game panel?

[Jazzmoose]

I'll be honest; I don't get the appeal of outdoor NHL hockey. It's like playing an NFL game on the dirt road outside Bobby's house.

[Mike Schwartz]

I'll be honest; I don't get the appeal of outdoor NHL hockey. It's like playing an NFL game on the dirt road outside Bobby's house.

The players and coaches unanimously love it, as they (almost) all started out playing outdoors.

With the weather being the way it was both teams kept things pretty simple which to me was really enjoyable to watch.

In an effort for the NHL to 'kill the goose that laid the golden egg' they're doing this Stadium Series, at the end of the month and then again in March.

Kings/Ducks at Dodger Stadium

Rangers/Islanders, then 2 days later Rangers/Devils; both at Yankee Stadium

March 1 & 2

Pens/Hawks at Soldier Field

Canucks/Sens at BC Place

[Indestructible!]

I'll be honest; I don't get the appeal of outdoor NHL hockey. It's like playing an NFL game on the dirt road outside Bobby's house.

As a typical Canadian, the outdoor rink was the first place I learned to play the game. Although I played competitively until I was about 16 years old, I reckon I spent more time time playing outdoors than indoors. I remember playing out on the pond or at one of the outdoor rinks around town pretty much every day until my mother or father would yell at me to get home for dinner (just as well, as my feet were usually completely frozen anyway). Then it was off to bed to get up at 5:00am for practice at the indoor rink (which always seemed to be just as cold as any outdoor rink at that ungodly time of day).

I took my dad to the Heritage Classic game in Calgary a few years ago... game started in the sun and about -10 celcius, but when the sun went down I froze my ass off. Still, it was a blast, and every player on that ice talked about how it took them back to their days as a little kid on the pond... I felt the same way, and I was just a spectator. It was awesome! And, the Flames beat the Habs 4-0, which is about the last thing this Flames fan has had to cheer about since.

[Jazzmoose]

I still don't get it. I have no interest in seeing the Falcons play the Raiders in the field behind Joe's barn, or seeing a major league baseball game played on the dirt road by Pete's house, with Mrs. Wilson's yard an automatic out and the batter has to get the ball back...

[GregK]

these outdoor games are just ridiculous. it may be nostalgic for some of the players in the sense that they may have played outdoors as kids, but the league has been an indoor sport for over 100 years! weather is a factor, and if a playoff spot came down to one game for one of the teams involved, I'd be upset if my team didn't make it because they lost the "outdoor game". The puck moves differently when it's snowing, or what about that game a year or two ago when it in the 40s? They were almost playing on slush! It's such a gimmicky spectacle.

And really, how many kids today are learning to play the game outside anymore? At least around here, there are arenas where kids go to learn how to skate and play hockey. And when I was growing up in Canada, I played on some frozen lakes as a kid but the majority of my experience was in the various arenas around town.

[Indestructible!]

Different strokes, I guess.

I'm going to the Kings-Ducks outdoor game later this month, which I imagine will be fairly garbage in terms of ice quality... but it'll be enjoyable nonetheless. I don't think I'll experience -21 Celsius temperatures like I did at the Heritage Classic, so I got that going for me.

I do agree that the sheer quantity of these outdoor games will render them fairly inane after a while. The NHL really needs to scale back on these things... once every couple of years is plenty.

[Mike Schwartz]

Different strokes, I guess.

I'm going to the Kings-Ducks outdoor game later this month, which I imagine will be fairly garbage in terms of ice quality... but it'll be enjoyable nonetheless. I don't think I'll experience -21 Celsius temperatures like I did at the Heritage Classic, so I got that going for me.

I do agree that the sheer quantity of these outdoor games will render them fairly inane after a while. The NHL really needs to scale back on these things... once every couple of years is plenty.

....or 1 singular EVENT per year

That said those 'north of the boarder' want an outdoor game badly, so 1 in USA & 1 in Canada each year or alternating I think is more reasonable.

I actually like that the conditions aren't predictable like the indoor rinks....puts hockey for those few games in the same realm of football or baseball where wind/weather may come into play. In the winter classic they changed ends at the 10 minute mark in each period...pretty cool wrinkle I thought.

[Jazzmoose]

Sharks game tonight was an amazing show, though not in a way I'd have picked. Edmonton 3-0, with Ben Scrivens setting the record for most saves in a shut out with 59. Incredible.

[Mike Schwartz]

How many standing ovations did the Oilers home fans give the goalie?

Many!!

[Jazzmoose]

So...is the injury of John Tavares the death knell for professional participation in Olympic hockey? Frankly, I hope so. I think it's ridiculous that the league shuts down in the middle of the season for this. I'd rather see the juniors in the Olympics.

[Mike Schwartz]

It's the very best exposure every 4 years that the usually inept [at showcasing it's own sport] NHL gets and they'd be complete idiots to discontinue Olympic participation.