NHL 2009 Official Thread

[Barrister]

Plus, the Blackhawks get the Flames in the first round, whose legendary choke and injured team will result in a quick exit.  A shame, since both the Canadian teams have fallen apart.  Montreal will be lucky not to get swept, and will probably fail.

I don't know about legendary choking, but yeah the last 5 years or so have not been good.

But still - against the Blackhawks?  A team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade or so?  I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Neil]

in any other market, sutter would be gone.

Not quite.  Look at what Kevin Lowe has gotten away with for years in Edmonton.

[Neil]

I don't know about legendary choking, but yeah the last 5 years or so have not been good.

The last 5 or so games have just been terrible.  I mean, losing to Edmonton, with the division and home ice on the line?

[PRC]

I don't know about legendary choking, but yeah the last 5 years or so have not been good.

But still - against the Blackhawks?  A team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade or so?  I'm cautiously optimistic.

The Flames lost all 4 games against the Hawks this year and they weren't close games at all.  And Calgary will be missing Robyn Regher who is their best defenceman and the only guy who could contain any of the Hawks forwards he is put up against.  I wouldn't be surprised in the Hawks sweep this series.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Stanley Cup final will be Vancouver vs. New Jersey with Vancouver winning the Cup.

I look forward to the riots.

[charliebear]

  Vancouver will choke like the no-heart bunch of Euros that they are. 

I remember you mentioning this last year in regards to the Wings.  Gee, what a season they had with those "no heart bunch of euros."   

[charliebear]

Vancouver will be playing St. Louis and not Columbus.  Columbus gets Detroit.

Well, that's a closer match.  The Blues will prevail though.  Evil will be vanquished.

I just hope the Jackets have it in them to crush Detroit.

Tsk, tsk.  So much hate.  Go to your happy hockey place, Neil.

[Barrister]

I don't know about legendary choking, but yeah the last 5 years or so have not been good.

The last 5 or so games have just been terrible.  I mean, losing to Edmonton, with the division and home ice on the line?

As Sask pointed out they got into cap trouble the last few games and couldn't even carry a full roster.  No longer a problem in the playoffs.

[saskganesh]

bemused by Calgary's collapse. still, it doesn't matter. given that the cap does not count in the playoffs, they can ice a full team now. they better do well, otherwise, they will have to do some major retooling. in any other market, sutter would be gone.

Wanna talk cap? Flyers have been fielding amateur try out contract defensemen that get 5min of ice time for the past 4-5 games.

that's funny. in the second season, where players are not paid salary, the Flyers won't have to ice those scrubs..unless they truely have horrible injuries and thus have no choice.

[saskganesh]

in any other market, sutter would be gone.

Not quite.  Look at what Kevin Lowe has gotten away with for years in Edmonton.

I guess. my impression is that Calgary has had very high expectations since the cup final, and the team consistently fails in the playoffs. for a team that is apparently "built for the playoffs,"  it seems there is a perennial gap between perception and reality.

hmm. maybe Sutter's job is safe after all

[PRC]

The radio pundits in Cowtown have been blaming the Flames issues squarely on Olli Jokinen.  They all say he is a cancer in the dressing room and Wayne Gretzky couldn't get him off the Coyotes fast enough, etc. etc.  Jokinen is a shooter, and putting him with Iginla and Camalleri is a mistake because you have 3 shooters on the one line and no distributors.  Also with those 3 and say, Phaneuf and Aucoin as a power play unit - no one passes - it's all shots regardless of how good a look they have.

[HVC]

The washington NY game is pretty entertaining.

[Neil]

The washington NY game is pretty entertaining.

Indeed.  Although I like the Capitals, I have to cheer for the Rangers in this one.

[katmai]

I'm stuck with Pens/Flyers on TV

[Grey Fox]

Go Caps!

Sorry Katmai. Stuck with Versus only?