NHL Hockey thread

[Valmy]

I think I'll support the Kings, Coyotes, Blackhawks and ...Ducks in the West, and the Habs, Flyers, Rangers and Lightning in the East.

The Kings, Coyotes, Ducks, and Lightning?  You, sir, are worse than Bettman-Hitler.

:heh:

I know.  It is bizarre that anybody has an emotional reaction at all to the boring, dry, and corporate southern US teams but I try.

[crazy canuck]

Winnipeg will win a Stanley Cup before Vancouver ever will.   

Edmonton is already having damaging effects on your sanity.  Soon you will become a Neil.

[viper37]

Is the Quebec City arena deal 100% finalized?  The Colisee could be used as an interim arena until a new one is built - but only if the new arena is guaranteed.

About 95% done.  The mayor is under investigation because of some trip(s?) he made with with Pierre-Karl Péladeau to Vegas, and maybe some other place.

Financing for the arena is ok, though there are new conditions that have surfaced.  Part of the deal involves having restaurants and shops inside the new arena.  However, this deal is conditional to a revival of the Limoilou sector (the neighbourhood where the old Coliseum is and the new one will be), wich is the poorest sector of Quebec city.  Not Bronx 1980s style, but not pretty.
Apparently, there are private corporations willing to build at least 2 new hotels there, but all these people need for the place to be revamped.

And there's the problem.  Revamping the place for the mayor means demolishing the highway near the Arena and transforming it in a urban boulevard.  It also includes digging the electric lines, something wich people there do not approve.  It obviously includes new infrastructures, like sewers and reworking the roads to get there.  This is 150 million$ + the tramway the mayor wants so much.

Add to these projects the costs of building a tramway troughout the entire city, revamping the highways at Quebec city's entrance, enlarging the part of the highway north of there, and some various works on other highways in the city... this place is gonna be hell on earth for anyone driving for the next 20 years.  Not even counting the tax hikes that will result from this.

[viper37]

My picks for the playoffs:


NY Rangers vs Washington   5
Buffalo vs Philadelphie   6
Montreal vs Boston   5
Vancouver    6
Nashville vs Anaheim  5
Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh   7
Phoenix vs Detroit   6
Los Angeles vs San Jose   5

[Grey Fox]

Nashville, winning a playoff series?

[Neil]

I know.  It is bizarre that anybody has an emotional reaction at all to the boring, dry, and corporate southern US teams but I try.

Interesting fact:  All hockey teams, and in fact all pro sports teams of any kind, are corporations.  Quit being a weirdo.

[Valmy]

Interesting fact:  All hockey teams, and in fact all pro sports teams of any kind, are corporations.  Quit being a weirdo.

Nothing weird about hating teams from geographical areas (in my case the American South).  Literally 100% of sports fans do that.

And I meant corporate because that is who they cultivate for their fans...at least in Dallas.  That is fine for business practices but it makes them colorless and dull as hell.  But really it just viceral hatred and not based on anything rational.  After all if I was rational I would not waste valuable time watching Hockey in the first place.

[Valmy]

NY Rangers vs Washington   5

[Zoupa]

My picks:

NY Rangers vs Washington  7
Buffalo vs Philadelphia   6
Montreal vs Boston   6
Vancouver vs Chicago  7
Nashville vs Anaheim  6
Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh   5
Phoenix vs Detroit   7
Los Angeles vs San Jose   5

[Zoupa]

Sorry Valmy 

It's just that Boudreau is a terrible coach.

[Valmy]

Sorry Valmy 

It's just that Boudreau is a terrible coach.

You got that right

However even if he was Scotty Bowman's secret alter-ego the Caps still have that horrible curse going against them.

[PRC]

Here are my first round picks:

NY Rangers vs Washington in 6
Buffalo vs Philadelphia in 7
Montreal vs Boston in 4
Vancouver vs Chicago in 6
Nashville vs Anaheim in 7
Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh in 6
Phoenix vs Detroit in 7
Los Angeles vs San Jose in 5

[Grey Fox]

Montreal in 4. Gawd damn it.

[viper37]

Nashville, winning a playoff series?

You're right   That was my friend's picks   I edited my choices

We should to a playoff pool.

[Ed Anger]

Montreal in 4. Gawd damn it.

I hope Lucic puts a Hab through the glass.