Hockey Night In DSP

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:13 pm

You guys notice any improvement in Rathje now that his pinched nerve thingy has supposedly been fixed? Sanderson being a healthy scratch is pretty strange... he has looked pretty good so far this season even as the team got one win in eight games. And god knows the Flyers need goal scorers on the ice.

It's sad that Handzus can't get a nice reception from the Philly fans now he's torn his ACL.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:31 pm

Rathje actually played well tonight. Hatcher, however, is our worst defensemen. He needs to go. Perhaps placing him on waivers, so they can demote him to the Phantoms, will convince him it's time to retire.

I'm sure Zus will get a healthy ovation when they read off the scratches for Monday's game. I know I'll be standing. He was a fan favorite, no doubt.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:48 am

BUFF can break the NHL record on Saturday for most consecutive wins, they blanked NYI 3-0, there's only a handful bunch of players today with the silky moves and M. Afinogenov is one of them, another beauty of a goal.

Sens are looking sharp again and they thumped TOR for the second straight time.

Yotes win. Yotes win? Wayne must have the monkey off his back and they did it in style against his former team. Hmmm PK, your Oils have not looked good for the second night in a row.

Finally out West, WAS makes a rare appearance in VAN and we get to see Alexander the great, as in Ovechkin.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:40 am

10spro wrote:BUFF can break the NHL record on Saturday for most consecutive wins.

Most consecutive wins to start a season...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:58 am

10spro wrote:Yotes win. Yotes win? Wayne must have the monkey off his back and they did it in style against his former team. Hmmm PK, your Oils have not looked good for the second night in a row.

Nope. Defense has been horrid, especially clearing pucks around the net. I felt bad Jussi was pulled so early, as none of the four goals was his fault.

Matt Greene has looked clueless the last two games on D. Maybe the growth he showed during the first eight games of the season was an aberration. Hope not.

Either way, the defensive tandem of Greene and Bergeron is a real liability now, as stay-at-home defense never has been Bergie's strong point. I think I've said this before, but playing as Pronger's partner for most of last season made Bergeron look better than he really is.

About the only Oilers' defenseman playing worth a sh*t right now is Smid -- a rookie! Smith and Staios have looked very flat the last two nights, and Tjarnqvist and Smith were -3 last night.

Anaheim also set a nice blueprint for the rest of the NHL Wednesday night in its victory over Edmonton: Hit, hit, hit. That's the only way you're going to stop the Oilers' phalanx of forwards.

The new second line of Thoresen, Hemsky and Sykora is vulnerable to physical play, so if you can put skilled forwards who can use the body against that line, Edmonton's No. 1 scoring threat can be neutered.

Thoresen isn't used to physical play coming from Europe, and Sykora just doesn't like to be hit. Hemsky is becoming more and more physical every year and more impervious to hits. He's blossoming into a true stud.

The Oil needs to get off the schneid back at Rexall Saturday night against Alexander the Great and the Caps.

Take care,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:59 am

Pure class by Malkin, and it has nothing to do with his on-ice ability:

http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/team/ ... 2100.0.php

Take care,
PK

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:08 am

Sully wrote:
10spro wrote:BUFF can break the NHL record on Saturday for most consecutive wins.
Most consecutive wins to start a season...

Doesn't this streak need an asterix? In any other era in NHL history this would be a streak of zero wins to start the season as Buffalo's first two wins were by shootout.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:56 am

Sully wrote:
10spro wrote:BUFF can break the NHL record on Saturday for most consecutive wins.
Most consecutive wins to start a season...

Correct.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:13 pm

I sure wish the Leafs would get some defencemen back from injury. This season is looking worse and worse as it goes on.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:39 pm

Airdog wrote:I sure wish the Leafs would get some defencemen back from injury. This season is looking worse and worse as it goes on.

They have some key injuries Airdog and D. Tucker was pushed around like a yo-yo (Good

). It was like men against boys last night. At least they have a younger team this time but I think they'll miss the playoffs yet again this season.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:42 am

The Wild beat Anaheim in a shootout to avenge their only loss of the season, improving to 9-1 overall. They are a damn fun team to watch right now, even with Gaborik sitting out with a groin injury.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:57 am

double post

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:46 am

Oh did the PENS' kids show the deficiencies of the Philly team. Crosby has his first hat trick in his Pro career, Malking scores his fifth goal in as many games in his rookie year, tying a record set way back in 92.

So the trivia goes like this: Who's the last rookie player that scored five goals in as many games?

Watching Staal, Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, add the veteran leadership of M.Recchi and this is one fun team to watch.

BUFF can't quite pull off the record but they still take a point in their SO loss. L. Ruff has a great bunch of speedsters that can go far this year.
Along with ANA, they are the only teams unbeaten in regulation.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:46 am

The only thing The Coyotes are doing well this year is in the fighting department. Another big loss. Wayne just needs goaltending...among other things.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:24 am

This Flyers team is so mentally fragile it's embarrassing. The Flyers dominate the first period, but find themselves trailing 2-1 after fluky goals give the Pens 2 goals on 4 shots (Crosby whiffs on a shot but the puck hits his skate and goes in, and Forsberg and Gagne collide on the PP for a shorthanded breakaway).

Then they come out in the 2nd period and just quit. Pen's goals 3, 4, 5 were all plays where the Pens simply worked harder for the puck. It is difficult to see how this team does anything but finish in the bottom 5, which is a shame because the team is NOT that bad on paper.

In some ways it's pretty remarkable what is happening to this team. I was watching the Pens broadcast on DirecTV, and even the Pens announcers said how amazed he was that the Pens were scoring on every single chance they got. I know at the end of the 2nd period last night, the shots were 21-18 Flyers, and the scoring chances were 9-7, yet the actual score was 6-1. It's almost mindboggling.

BTW, Derian Hatcher is on pace to be minus-115 this year. Is there a worse player in the NHL?

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:45 am

And it was only 10 months ago the Flyers had the best record in the NHL.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:11 pm

J. Staal will be staying with the big boys after all after his impressive play. Not only that, he's playing in the second line for the Pens.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:17 pm

A no-brainer for the Pens, especially when you have Mark Recchi leading the choir in praise for the kid.

Take care,
PK

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:02 pm

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it might stamp his ticket out of town come 2009...when Staal and Malkin are both due to become Free Agents. I think Crosby would be due to hit the market the year before. They were hoping to ship Staal to Peterborough before he hit the 10 game mark, prolonging his contract another year.

Nobody was anticipating Staal to play as well as he has at this age. He made the decision much more difficult for Pittsburgh, and as PK said, they had no choice but to keep him in the NHL.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:50 pm

Sully wrote:Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it might stamp his ticket out of town come 2009...when Staal and Malkin are both due to become Free Agents.

Actually, I believe Staal can play 39 games before the 7 year clock towards unrestricted free agency kicks in. By playing in his 10th game the first year of his three year entry-level contract begins. Not that I expect the Pens to stop playing him at midseason if he continues to play well and they remain in the playoff hunt.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:36 pm

Sully wrote:Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it might stamp his ticket out of town come 2009...when Staal and Malkin are both due to become Free Agents. I think Crosby would be due to hit the market the year before.

Well, I agree with GM D. Nonis about the current status of free agency. It sucks. 25 is way too young to become a FA.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=182410&hubname=

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:17 pm

10spro wrote:
Sully wrote:Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it might stamp his ticket out of town come 2009...when Staal and Malkin are both due to become Free Agents. I think Crosby would be due to hit the market the year before.
Well, I agree with GM D. Nonis about the current status of free agency. It sucks. 25 is way too young to become a FA.

Baloney. Age should have nothing to do with it. It's years of service. Crosby shouldn't be penalized because he was an NHL superstar at 18.

We're all free agents at our jobs. Why shouldn't professional athletes be any different?

Take care,
PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:25 pm

pk500 wrote:We're all free agents at our jobs. Why shouldn't professional athletes be any different?

Man, I would have killed for salary arbitration or a six figure minimum salary when I was a young and up-and-coming accountant

At least I'm a 10-5 man now and can veto any trade.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:17 pm

Here's the situation in PITTS. I think ownership will build the team around Malkin & Crosby. They are the Mario and Jagr of the 90's. Staal may have to be let go in 7 years since it would be almost impossible to have three centres of that magnitude on one team when they're all in their mid 20's but that's just a price you have to pay in the new NHL.

Now, D. Nonis just got fined by Bettman with those comments. Although he's speaking the truth, there's more than what's he's explaining. Lower free agency was the only way to get the players to accept the 24% rollback and salary cap. It was simply a tradeoff.

In regards to a player becoming an UFA at 25, well there's not too many Superstars like Crosby at the sweet age of 18, so he's an exception. E. Malkin is what, 20 now? If you drafted a player there should be a bonus that doesn't count against the cap as much. Although the Pens are ripping their rewards now with all those youngsters, let's not forget they had easily five lousy seasons to get to where they are today.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:56 pm

10spro wrote:Here's the situation in PITTS. I think ownership will build the team around Malkin & Crosby. They are the Mario and Jagr of the 90's. Staal may have to be let go in 7 years since it would be almost impossible to have three centres of that magnitude on one team when they're all in their mid 20's but that's just a price you have to pay in the new NHL.

Then they trade Staal for value before his contract expires. There's always going to be an owner who will take a chance on being able to keep a talent like Staal with a new team once he becomes a free agent, especially if the short-term gain before free agency is a deep run into the playoffs or a Cup.

10spro wrote:Now, D. Nonis just got fined by Bettman with those comments.

That's lame, fining a guy for voicing his opinion. Pro sports is a strange world, huh? You have GM's who favor indentured servitude and commissioners who banish free speech.

10spro wrote:In regards to a player becoming an UFA at 25, well there's not too many Superstars like Crosby at the sweet age of 18, so he's an exception. E. Malkin is what, 20 now? If you drafted a player there should be a bonus that doesn't count against the cap as much. Although the Pens are ripping their rewards now with all those youngsters, let's not forget they had easily five lousy seasons to get to where they are today.

So the onus on Pittsburgh's front office is to build a team that can contend for the Cup in the next six years. Shouldn't be too tough with a nucleus of Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and Staal.

Edmonton came within one game of the Cup with its cast of players, which had less supernova glow than Pittsburgh's current roster, so Pittsburgh can blame itself -- either front office, coaches or players -- if it can't win within the next six years with the foundation it has now.

I would think mid-priced free agents, gritty guys who add character and/or defense, would want to come to Pittsburgh to play with that young talent, and the benefit will be that it will round out the Pens' roster into a true Cup contender.

Take care,
PK