Yep - beat the Failures last night. Which pretty much means the Pens will have home-ice advantage and will be playing the Failures in round one. Oh my God, I love me some playoff hockey.
Even though as expected the Leafs bottled it for the 7th year in a row I can't wait for the Play Offs. I can't actually see past the Pens which pains me to say as Leroy will be utterly unbearable! They're certainly the best team out there at the moment for me.
The Laffs are a joke. There's a Laffs fan at work who was crowing about their great start and telling me they were going to beat the Pens en route to the cup. I told him then they wanted to concentrate on making the playoffs for the first time in about a hundred years. I LOLd at him last week when they were eliminated.
Fwiw, I think the filthy Failures will beat the Pens up so much in the first round that they'll be lucky to beat whoever they play in the conference semis.
I was just as bad after our start Leroy to be fair! The thing is once teams worked out how to nullify the Lupul/Kessel/Bozak line we had nothing in reserve to back them up. Kulimen/Armstrong/Grabovski have had very poor seasons by their standards and thats what really hurt us. The best teams have a strong top 6 with decent 3rd/4th lines and we just haven't had that so can't even begin to compete. That added to the fact we can't defend for toffee has reulted in yet another year of rubbish being dished up.
Still, always next year!
Can't wait to watch the play offs regardless, love the post season. I just don't want to see the Bruins win again.
Oh yeah - I've just gone back through the thread and seen I told you the same thing!
Phaneuf had a largely poor season. Seems to be concentrating on making bone crushing hits for the highlight reel, rather than on playing solid defence and letting the hits come naturally. And Kessel & Lupul were awful from January on. I think the malaise at the Leafs stems from the top down - you need a root & branch clearout.
Nice to see this post rising back up again, must mean the long wait is over and October is almost here. No idea what to expect from the Sharks this time around, but I quite like the new uniforms and I'm still delighted that we have Logan Couture on our roster. Let the fun and games begin!
Yep. Just over a week to go. Can't wait. Pens should be strong again, but time's starting to run out on them. Cup run this year, or rebuilding awaits, methinks. Be intersting to see how Fleury handles being a backup. Vokoun has been announced unequivocally as the #1, so Fleury has gone from being a franchise goalie to a backup in less than a year. It would also be nice to keep both Crosby and Malkin healthy for a full season. A lot of rookies (or second year WBS players) have a shot at making the team as well - especially with the Pens over the cap and likely to need to deal someone away to get under. Exciting times for sure.
Scoring across the league has been steadily decreasing since the 2004-05 lockout. Critics have pointed to a number of factors — the return of the trap, a decreased number of power plays, improved goaltending — but the league has chosen to adjust goalie equipment as the best way to boost scoring. Beginning this season, leg pads used by goalies will be shortened by about two inches. This is a relative number: pads will go no higher than 45% of the “distance between the center of [the goalie's] knee and his pelvis.”
That may not seem like a big deal, but with the majority of the league’s goalies, including Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne, using a predominately butterfly style, when the goalie drops to his knees to block a shot, his five-hole is no longer covered by those longer leg pads. The opening is about four inches bigger — more than enough room for the league’s best snipers to put one in the back of the net.
Goalies will certainly try to adapt, but the NHL is hoping shooters can take advantage of the smaller pads and increase scoring across the league.
2. Shallower nets
New nets are coming to the league, and while they don’t present a bigger target to shooters, the shallower net will create more space on the ice and new angles around the crease. ”The bottom depth of the net is now four inches shallower,” reports Katie Carrera of the Washington Post. “The radius on the curved sides is also smaller by four inches, creating new angles on the side of the net that take up less space than its predecessor.
This change is not directly related to scoring, but it will most certainly help teams on the power play. With more room to maneuver behind the net, teams that station a player behind the goal line while on the man advantage will see that players have more room to move the puck and more time to escape defenders.
The shallower nets will also make video review of goals clearer, but with less distance to cover around the back of the net, the real potential for this rule change is the return of the glorious wraparound.
3. Video review on high-sticking penalties
Embellishment has become a hot-button issue in the NHL. Wide-scale video replay is still years away, but the league is taking its first steps toward video review on non-scoring plays this season. Any high-sticking penalty worthy of a four-minute double minor can now be reviewed by the officials.
Whether this will be used to downgrade the original call or search for a missed injury remains to be seen. The high-sticking penalty has become one of the most easily embellished calls in the game, and it will be interesting to see if any penalties are called back upon video review.
4. Mandatory visors for incoming players
After years of injuries from pucks hitting players in the face and eye area like Ian Laperriere and Marc Staal, players will now be required to wear protective visors on their helmets. For individual players, visors have been a matter of preference for years, with some arguing that the decrease in vision isn’t worth the added protection. Enforcers often skate without them, especially considering the extra penalty fighters receive if they instigate a conflict while wearing one.
The league included a grandfather clause in the rule change, however. If a player has appeared in 25 or more regular-season or playoff games before this year, he may continue to play without a visor. Many veterans may take advantage of this clause, but many more have already snapped visors onto their helmets to protect themselves from career- and possibly life-threatening injuries.
5. Penalty for tucked-in jerseys
Perhaps the most bizarre rule change for the 2013-14 season is the crackdown on how players wear their jerseys. It is now illegal for players to tuck their jerseys into their pants, as Wayne Gretzky made famous during his run with the Oilers. Similar to the NFL’s strict enforcement of their uniform policies, players will first be given a warning, then a two-minute penalty, followed by a 10-minute misconduct and possible game misconduct.
The rationale behind the rule is murky at best. Are officials really having that hard a time identifying players on the ice? Fans of their teams’ color schemes and logos should hope so — some critics see this as the first step toward advertisements on jerseys.
6. Extra penalty for removing helmet before fight
The NHL has tightened the screws on fighting in recent years. The instigator penalty and strict enforcement of third-man-in rules have made it clear that the 1980′s style of beat ‘em up hockey is well gone. The latest attempt to discourage staged fights is to add a two-minute minor for removing the helmet before a fight on top of the usual five-minute major.
While this won’t eliminate scrums around the net or altercations immediately following questionable hits, the league hopes fewer players will be willing to fight if it means repeatedly punching hardened plastic.
Premier Sports via Sky. Personally I opt for GameCenter direct from the league, love on demand when 3.30am puck drop gets too much, and works across all my devices. Only problem is blackout on Premier Sports games.
Vokoun is out indefinately, blood clot on his hip and this is the second of his career. The east is wide open but i am going for a repeat of boston v chicago in the final. The bruins look stronger and with Iginla returning to his favourite position if Chara stays healthy and Rask has a great season the cup could head back to Boston
Our friend's son is #57 on the Leafs - can't work out how he got ejected compared to everyone else he hardly threw a punch. Hopefully it doesn't affect his chances of making the team. It's been a while since I've seen the goalies going at it like that!!
Opening night included a great game - Leafs v Habs. Leafs held on for the win - but the game was marred by a pretty sickening concussion for the Canadiens' tough guy George Parros. Slammed face first into the ice after a fight with Colton Orr. Pretty brutal looking - big George had no clue where he was afterwards. Apparently recovering ok in hospital, but a stark reminder of how dangerous a sport it can be.
Slightly old news here and I'm sure Leroy saw this already, but there was a rather tetchy affair between the Bruins and Penguins the other night. The Bruins are very much the 'Dirty Leeds' of the NHL.
As an aside, I went to my first NHL game the other night to watch the Oilers make very hard work of a 5-4 sudden death win over Carolina. The game summed up the season, magic for 1 period, alright for 1 period and then bloody awful for one period. If/when they manage to string together a bit consistency though they are going to be very decent because they have some amazing young talent at the moment.
Bruins are fast becoming second only to the Flyers in my hatred stakes. So many pricks on that team.
Geno is on fire at the moment - a human highlight reel.
Still too early for the Oilers - and they need some veteran savvy to go with the youngsters. Problem is they're a small-market team and can't afford to spend silly money on free agency gambles.
Yeah, in game smarts is definitely an issue. They've got bags of talent, but they have a tendency to over-do it a bit (kind of like Arsenal can at times) and they are very small physically. They need a couple of old bruisers in the side to do a bit more of the dirty stuff.
So, the NHL finally returned last night and #1 Draft pick Auston Matthews scored 4 for the Leafs on debut, becoming the first players in NHL history to do so. Yet the Leafs still conspire to lose, nothing is more typical in the history of ever!
Still, watching the game live left me with plenty of cause for optimism for the season ahead, if Freddie Adndersen actually remembers how to stop a puck we'll be competitive at least.
I'm off to the Amelie Arena tonight to see Red Wings @ Lightening in the season opener there, I absolutely can't wait.
Good start for the Bruins, although they were getting plenty of flack after the first period. Marchand was an absolute star - 5 point game. Looks like @RedArmySE7 is getting his money's worth down in Tampa.
Comments
I ain't got a scoob about NHL but just wanted to know the above. Cheers
Fwiw, I think the filthy Failures will beat the Pens up so much in the first round that they'll be lucky to beat whoever they play in the conference semis.
Still, always next year!
Can't wait to watch the play offs regardless, love the post season. I just don't want to see the Bruins win again.
Phaneuf had a largely poor season. Seems to be concentrating on making bone crushing hits for the highlight reel, rather than on playing solid defence and letting the hits come naturally. And Kessel & Lupul were awful from January on. I think the malaise at the Leafs stems from the top down - you need a root & branch clearout.
http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=pipe42/latest/1/0/1008937/clip/0#pipe42/latest
1. Smaller goalie pads
Scoring across the league has been steadily decreasing since the 2004-05 lockout. Critics have pointed to a number of factors — the return of the trap, a decreased number of power plays, improved goaltending — but the league has chosen to adjust goalie equipment as the best way to boost scoring. Beginning this season, leg pads used by goalies will be shortened by about two inches. This is a relative number: pads will go no higher than 45% of the “distance between the center of [the goalie's] knee and his pelvis.”
That may not seem like a big deal, but with the majority of the league’s goalies, including Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne, using a predominately butterfly style, when the goalie drops to his knees to block a shot, his five-hole is no longer covered by those longer leg pads. The opening is about four inches bigger — more than enough room for the league’s best snipers to put one in the back of the net.
Goalies will certainly try to adapt, but the NHL is hoping shooters can take advantage of the smaller pads and increase scoring across the league.
2. Shallower nets
New nets are coming to the league, and while they don’t present a bigger target to shooters, the shallower net will create more space on the ice and new angles around the crease. ”The bottom depth of the net is now four inches shallower,” reports Katie Carrera of the Washington Post. “The radius on the curved sides is also smaller by four inches, creating new angles on the side of the net that take up less space than its predecessor.
This change is not directly related to scoring, but it will most certainly help teams on the power play. With more room to maneuver behind the net, teams that station a player behind the goal line while on the man advantage will see that players have more room to move the puck and more time to escape defenders.
The shallower nets will also make video review of goals clearer, but with less distance to cover around the back of the net, the real potential for this rule change is the return of the glorious wraparound.
3. Video review on high-sticking penalties
Embellishment has become a hot-button issue in the NHL. Wide-scale video replay is still years away, but the league is taking its first steps toward video review on non-scoring plays this season. Any high-sticking penalty worthy of a four-minute double minor can now be reviewed by the officials.
Whether this will be used to downgrade the original call or search for a missed injury remains to be seen. The high-sticking penalty has become one of the most easily embellished calls in the game, and it will be interesting to see if any penalties are called back upon video review.
4. Mandatory visors for incoming players
After years of injuries from pucks hitting players in the face and eye area like Ian Laperriere and Marc Staal, players will now be required to wear protective visors on their helmets. For individual players, visors have been a matter of preference for years, with some arguing that the decrease in vision isn’t worth the added protection. Enforcers often skate without them, especially considering the extra penalty fighters receive if they instigate a conflict while wearing one.
The league included a grandfather clause in the rule change, however. If a player has appeared in 25 or more regular-season or playoff games before this year, he may continue to play without a visor. Many veterans may take advantage of this clause, but many more have already snapped visors onto their helmets to protect themselves from career- and possibly life-threatening injuries.
5. Penalty for tucked-in jerseys
Perhaps the most bizarre rule change for the 2013-14 season is the crackdown on how players wear their jerseys. It is now illegal for players to tuck their jerseys into their pants, as Wayne Gretzky made famous during his run with the Oilers. Similar to the NFL’s strict enforcement of their uniform policies, players will first be given a warning, then a two-minute penalty, followed by a 10-minute misconduct and possible game misconduct.
The rationale behind the rule is murky at best. Are officials really having that hard a time identifying players on the ice? Fans of their teams’ color schemes and logos should hope so — some critics see this as the first step toward advertisements on jerseys.
6. Extra penalty for removing helmet before fight
The NHL has tightened the screws on fighting in recent years. The instigator penalty and strict enforcement of third-man-in rules have made it clear that the 1980′s style of beat ‘em up hockey is well gone. The latest attempt to discourage staged fights is to add a two-minute minor for removing the helmet before a fight on top of the usual five-minute major.
While this won’t eliminate scrums around the net or altercations immediately following questionable hits, the league hopes fewer players will be willing to fight if it means repeatedly punching hardened plastic.
Guess flower is back in the hot seat.
As an aside, I went to my first NHL game the other night to watch the Oilers make very hard work of a 5-4 sudden death win over Carolina. The game summed up the season, magic for 1 period, alright for 1 period and then bloody awful for one period. If/when they manage to string together a bit consistency though they are going to be very decent because they have some amazing young talent at the moment.
Geno is on fire at the moment - a human highlight reel.
Still too early for the Oilers - and they need some veteran savvy to go with the youngsters. Problem is they're a small-market team and can't afford to spend silly money on free agency gambles.
Still, watching the game live left me with plenty of cause for optimism for the season ahead, if Freddie Adndersen actually remembers how to stop a puck we'll be competitive at least.
I'm off to the Amelie Arena tonight to see Red Wings @ Lightening in the season opener there, I absolutely can't wait.
NHL HOCKEY IS BACK!