If anyone forgot, The puck drops tonight!

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:25 pm

laurenskye wrote: Watch a game on HDnet in High def and you'll see what I mean.

Just saw that the Bruins/Pens game is on HDNet tonight! I was planning on watching it, but had no idea I could watch it in Hi-Def.

HipE · Post by **HipE** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:24 pm

Now this is the NHL and Penguins team I was expecting to see. 6-4 after two periods, Crosby with a goal and 2 assists (one of the spectacular variety) already tonight, Mario with a pair of goals, life is good.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:04 pm

HipE wrote:Now this is the NHL and Penguins team I was expecting to see. 6-4 after two periods, Crosby with a goal and 2 assists (one of the spectacular variety) already tonight, Mario with a pair of goals, life is good.

6-6 now

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:10 pm

Cool deal in Phoenix tonight, before the Coyotes-Wild game. They're un-retiring Bobby Hull's #9 and passing it along to Brett.

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:10 pm

HipE wrote:Now this is the NHL and Penguins team I was expecting to see. 6-4 after two periods, Crosby with a goal and 2 assists (one of the spectacular variety) already tonight, Mario with a pair of goals, life is good.

The helper Crosby had on the Orpik goal was amazing. The kid looks like the real deal.

HipE · Post by **HipE** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:15 pm

Damn, they were about a second away from getting Tarnstrom out of the penalty box and possibly clearing the puck. Still a very entertaining game to watch, can't complain too much about a 7-6 OT loss.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:18 pm

HipE wrote:Damn, they were about a second away from getting Tarnstrom out of the penalty box and possibly clearing the puck. Still a very entertaining game to watch, can't complain too much about a 7-6 OT loss.

Terrible, they blew two 2 goal leads (4-2, 6-4). While they are exciting to watch, it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now with their defense and goaltending issues.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:02 pm

Sully wrote:it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now

Hell, it's foolish to think any team is a playoff team 3 games into the season.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:04 pm

I was able to watch the Devils/Rangers, Bruins/Penguins, and Preds/Ducks, and Leafs/Habs tonight and they were all thoroughly entertaining games. I love the new-look NHL. Very exciting stuff and I didn't mind the shootout like I thought I would. As long as it never happens in the playoffs I'm ok with it.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:14 pm

Leebo33 wrote:
Sully wrote:it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now
Hell, it's foolish to think any team is a playoff team 3 games into the season.

I think you get the gist of my statement. Of course it's early, but you don't need to watch 3 months of hockey to notice the problems Pittsburgh has on the defensive end of the ice.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:15 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:I was able to watch the Devils/Rangers, Bruins/Penguins, and Preds/Ducks, and Leafs/Habs tonight and they were all thoroughly entertaining games. I love the new-look NHL. Very exciting stuff and I didn't mind the shootout like I thought I would. As long as it never happens in the playoffs I'm ok with it.

How about Kariya sticking it to the Ducks in a shootout? Great stuff.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:18 pm

Leebo33 wrote:
Sully wrote:it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now
Hell, it's foolish to think any team is a playoff team 3 games into the season.

Thibault was supposed to start the game, but was injured during the morning skate-around. Any word on the injury, or it's severity?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:24 pm

Just finished watching Habs-Leafs on the DVR. What an early-season classic, 5-4, Habs, with all goals coming in the second and third periods.

I agree wholeheartedly with Scoop: The "new" NHL is entertaining as hell. Every rule change is working really, really well to open up the game. There are so many stretches of 90 to 120 seconds without a single whistle. So refreshing.

F*ck, I almost have to get NHL Center Ice now. I'll be heartbroken this Thursday night, the first night after the free trial ends, if I can't get all of this great pucks action!

Take care,
PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:30 pm

Sully wrote:
Leebo33 wrote:
Sully wrote:it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now
Hell, it's foolish to think any team is a playoff team 3 games into the season.
I think you get the gist of my statement. Of course it's early, but you don't need to watch 3 months of hockey to notice the problems Pittsburgh has on the defensive end of the ice.

But I don't think you get the gist of mine. The 1990-91 Penguins gave up 4 or more goals in their first 9 games and only won three of them, however, they eventually made improvements and some trades and won the Stanley Cup.

I want the Penguins to play better defense as much as anyone, but I don't think their performance in 3 games is necessarily a harbinger of things to come.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 12:38 am

Sully wrote:
Leebo33 wrote:
Sully wrote:it's foolish to think they are a playoff team right now
Hell, it's foolish to think any team is a playoff team 3 games into the season.
Thibault was supposed to start the game, but was injured during the morning skate-around. Any word on the injury, or it's severity?

I heard he took a puck off his kneecap and was down on the ice for a solid 10 minutes at skatearound. No idea of severity. Based on early reports could be a long time

mobiggins · Post by **mobiggins** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:18 am

With all this scoring there will be one thing that I will really miss in this new NHL: The inevitable playoff hockey overtime epic that we got at least once per season the past ten years.
I'm a big fan of those epic 3, 4-OT games, and I fear they're a thing of the past now. Could be wrong, though. We'll see.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:16 am

Leebo33 wrote: But I don't think you get the gist of mine. The 1990-91 Penguins gave up 4 or more goals in their first 9 games and only won three of them, however, they eventually made improvements and some trades and won the Stanley Cup.

I want the Penguins to play better defense as much as anyone, but I don't think their performance in 3 games is necessarily a harbinger of things to come.

Unfortunately, and this goes for every team, we're now in the salary cap era. The days of completely retooling your team for a playoff push are likely over.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:36 am

Sully wrote:
Leebo33 wrote: But I don't think you get the gist of mine. The 1990-91 Penguins gave up 4 or more goals in their first 9 games and only won three of them, however, they eventually made improvements and some trades and won the Stanley Cup.

I want the Penguins to play better defense as much as anyone, but I don't think their performance in 3 games is necessarily a harbinger of things to come.
Unfortunately, and this goes for every team, we're now in the salary cap era. The days of completely retooling your team for a playoff push are likely over.

That's a different discussion and it's yet to be seen how the cap will affect trades in the NHL. I believe the Pens have 20% of their cap remaining. That leaves a lot of room for play. I'm not sure what the situation is with the other teams. Besides, I think the 1990/1991 Penguins team made one major trade that year. That's not exactly a re-tooling. The team that finished the year was primarily the team that started it.

Regardless, I don't care if the Pens look like a playoff team now. I care if they look like a playoff team deeper into the season and are playing their best hockey near the end.

I just thought it was sort of premature to be discussing playoffs 3 games in to a new season. I'm barely doing that in the NFL and they are almost 25% of the way in.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:36 am

Crosby...wow what a player....dude is something special for sure. I think he has 5 or 6 pts now in 3 games.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:38 am

Do these new rules extend to College and Juniors?

I'm just wondering if the kids coming up will have to relearn the game so to speak.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:05 am

laurenskye wrote:Do these new rules extend to College and Juniors?

I'm just wondering if the kids coming up will have to relearn the game so to speak.

College and Juniors have ALWAYS had two line passing in the books. Once they would hit the NHL and AHL they would have to deal with 1-line passing systems.

The NCAA did crackdown on a ton of holding/interference last season and I think it would continue this season also.

Some college teams do play on pro ice like Umass Lowell, Beanpot Tourney, Hockey East Tourney, Great Lakes Invitational

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:11 am

I too love the new rules and play. I never thought I'd say this, but the refs do need to cut back just a tiny bit on the calls. There have been some very questionable calls in all the games I've seen (one in particular last night when a Bruin was sent to the box for breathing on a Penguin).

BTW, Thibault has a bad knee bruise.

mobiggins · Post by **mobiggins** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:19 pm

Ok, I don't get this. In the Dallas-Colorado game, Jason ARnott was given a seven minute penalty for retailation. I've been watching hockey for 12 years now, and I've never seen a 7 minute powerplay like colorado had last night.
Have I just not been paying very close attention, or is this some new rule that you can pile penalties on like that....?

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:02 pm

well the Wings kicked the crap out of the SI winner Calgary.

3-0 baby. Maybe the old guys can play in this new NHL.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:59 pm

It seems that everyone is enjoying the new NHL. Nothing is set in stone these days with the new rules. Even when your team is ahead by 2-3 goals, the no red line just makes everything flow so much faster and I find so far that if your D is not very mobile, chances are that even when behind, catching up is more possible than before. I see more odd rushes, D getting caught in man`s land etc. Good work by the zebras so far...