The 2013~14 NHL thread

[skyknight]

OK, the lookout is long gone! New divisions allows new rivalry to develop (have seen what Jets fan bring when they are at the X), boy, I like the new division for my Wild. But gotta admit the competition is pretty tight, the Hawks and Blues are hitting their peak, the Avs don't look like a team that is following the Oilers, the Stars and Preds will need some extra players to develop to compete.

Anyone looking forward to the new season?

[Luke]

Anyone else think that Patrick Roy as a coach will be a disaster? Let's face it, goalies are nuts. They've always been nuts and they'll always be nuts. I've never met a goalie who hasn't been aloof, superstitious, quiet, self centered, and self serving.

Yes, Roy is arguably the best player ever to mind the net, but he is also a whacko. I wonder why the Av's hired him as a head coach. At least this will be interesting to see how the Av's perform this year.

[skyknight]

It seems that Roy is pushing the right buttons now for the Avs, but we'll see down the road on how he can adapt to mid-season and late-season, as there will be injuries and fatigue among players.

So far Seth Jones looks like a steal for Preds (yeah, I know Suter left a hole).

My Wild is struggling a bit here, thou I am not worried about goal scoring, its the PK that is really bothering me.

[Luke]

It seems that Roy is pushing the right buttons now for the Avs, but we'll see down the road on how he can adapt to mid-season and late-season, as there will be injuries and fatigue among players.


My Wild ...

I agree. Roy's Avalanche are pretty impressive considering how young the team is. Hopefully in this case weird works.

My heart goes out to the people of Minnesota as some of the best hockey fans have a team that seems hell bent at being terrible from the owners to the players.

Who other than Roenick gives two wags that there is team named Dallas Stars? Minnesota is home of the North Stars, and they had a kick ass clever logo and their sweaters didn't look like Christmas barf.

[skyknight]

Haven't heard anything from our neighbors up North, you guys think either the Sens or Leafs are going deep this year?

[Luke]

Orpik wasn't the one who should have been sent to a hospital.

[cha cha]

Sabres fan checking in here...

Dunno how I am gonna make it through this season. I know I wasn't expecting much with the youngest roster in hockey, but holy hell I didn't think it'd be borderline historically bad.

Heh, nowhere to go but up right?

God it sucks (yet again) to be a Buffalo sports fan this year.

[EllertMichael]

Orpik wasn't the one who should have been sent to a hospital.

Not to justify it, but Thornton certainly didn't intend to send him to one.

It's really too bad a lot of people are gonna get the wrong impression of 22 now, because he's never been a dirty player.

Again, not to justify it, but that whole situation could have been avoided if Orpik dropped the gloves and owned up for that hit, or if the refs made the right calls and maintained control of the game.

[pierrot]

That was one of the more brutal hockey games I've seen in recent years. What even was the injury to Orpik, though? It didn't seem like there was ever any update on it; even to a status of upper or lower body. I don't really want to denigrate his character if he actually was seriously injured, but it kind of seemed like he could have been trying to find a way off the ice.

ultra-turtle

After the Pens/BJs game, Crosby described Orpik's condition as 'normal.' Without knowing any solid details about the injury, I fully expect Orpik to be back for the Pens' next game. Meanwhile, Eriksson will be out with a concussion after it seems like he only just returned from one he suffered from a John Scott hit.

Truth told, I'm probably more concerned that Chris Kelly broke his fibula after being chopped at by Kunitz in the first period.

That said, I think the hit was a relatively good hockey hit. It was a little high, and it's the kind of hit the NHL seems to want to get rid of; I can understand that, but Eriksson really needs to keep his head up a bit more. Still needed to be a penalty there. Orpik is just like Boyle: soft player with aspirations of gooning.

[the King]

Just scored some tickets to watch my alma mater play in the Great Lakes Invitational at Comerica park as part of Hockeytown Winter Festival surrounding the NHL Winter Classic.