NHL Playoffs 09. Drop The Puck.

[wabash97]

"What a waste when Tavares goes to the NYI."

Like Ovechkin going to D.C.? You can market legitimate stars even on teams with small fan bases.

What's with the Isles hate? They were decent for a few years. They've sucked for a few years. Every indication is that they're approaching rebuilding the proper way, stockpiling draft picks, waiting for a special talent, getting him. That's how the NHL has dictated the rebuilding process be conducted.

And Charlie Wang is some kind of villain? For what? A dumb contract given to a goalie? Questionable personnel decisions don't make you some kind of villain. He's the same as the rest of the owners. A businessman.

Whiners. Tavares goes to the Islanders. And he'll be good. The team might even be good. What then? The NHL folds?

[Naples39]

I don't see the big deal with Tavares to the island.

The Pens were on the verge of moving when Crosby and Malkin fell into their laps. The Caps were a totally lifeless team before Ovechkin, and now they are the hottest ticket in DC.

I'm just glad Tavares didn't go to TB because that franchise is a total trainwreck, and even great talents can be thwarted by incompetent ownership. Wang is 'eccentric', but not incompetent.

[pk500]

PK, on my way to the airport I heard on the radio that Tambi was having a press conference at 11:00 PST. What's going to happen? My guess is that they'll announce MacT stepping away from coaching and filling up another position in the organization. Who will take over?

Damn travels this month, I'll be missing the first two Canucks's games at home but Go 'Nucks!

MacT fired. No other job in organization named:

http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service ... eid=418459

I'm ambivalent. I really like MacT and think he's a clever, bright hockey mind. But I also think he lost the room this year and that a new voice and new approach to fit the team's talent must be found.

I just hope Katz and Tambellini look outside the organization. It makes no sense to promote Huddy or Buchberger. They're MacT disciples. If you're going to ax MacT, then a new regime is needed.

MacT's dismissal better be the first of a two-part summer overhaul. There are quite a few players who need to go, too, once the new coach is in place. A few off the top of my head: Moreau, Staios, Nilsson, Schremp and Jacques.

Take care,
PK

[tjung0831]

I don't get the Islanders hate either. That franchise has a lot of history and the fans have suffered enough. They deserve Tavares. They have some good young talent emerging and Tavares will only add to that.....it's only a matter of time before they make it back to the playoffs.

[pk500]

Islanders owner Charlie Wang is a moron who meddles way too much in a business -- hockey -- about which he knows nothing. Let's see his reign of error:

1. Signed Alexei Yashin to a 10-year contract. Boy, that worked out well.

2. Signed Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract. That's a lovely albatross for any franchise to carry.

3. Hired Neil Smith as GM and fired him just 40 days later, inserting Garth Snow, who had just retired as an NHL player and had zero management experience.

4. Traded away prospects O'Marra, Nilsson and Grebeshkov to Edmonton for two months of Ryan Smyth. Genius. Granted, O'Marra probably never will play in the NHL, and Nilsson is a marginal NHL player, but Grebeshkov has become a top-four NHL defenseman for almost any team and continues to improve.

5. Is threatening to move the Islanders if his $3 billion Lighthouse redevelopment project, which includes a new arena for the Isles, isn't approved. It's one thing to hold a franchise hostage over a request for a new arena. But to hold it for a $3 billion ransom over a project that includes way more than just an arena? Brilliant, especially when your franchise is the red-headed stepchild among the three NHL teams in the Tri-State area.

Let's just say Charlie Wang isn't the Rock of Gibraltar among NHL owners.

Take care,
PK

[Naples39]

1. Signed Alexei Yashin to a 10-year contract. Boy, that worked out well.

2. Signed Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract. That's a lovely albatross for any franchise to carry.

I'm not about to heap praise on the guy, but it is worth mentioning that Wang's brainchild megadeals have since been copied by the Flyers, Capitals and Red Wings.

[fletcher21]

Islanders owner Charlie Wang is a moron who meddles way too much in a business -- hockey -- about which he knows nothing. Let's see his reign of error:

1. Signed Alexei Yashin to a 10-year contract. Boy, that worked out well.

2. Signed Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract. That's a lovely albatross for any franchise to carry.

3. Hired Neil Smith as GM and fired him just 40 days later, inserting Garth Snow, who had just retired as an NHL player and had zero management experience.

4. Traded away prospects O'Marra, Nilsson and Grebeshkov to Edmonton for two months of Ryan Smyth. Genius. Granted, O'Marra probably never will play in the NHL, and Nilsson is a marginal NHL player, but Grebeshkov has become a top-four NHL defenseman for almost any team and continues to improve.

5. Is threatening to move the Islanders if his $3 billion Lighthouse redevelopment project, which includes a new arena for the Isles, isn't approved. It's one thing to hold a franchise hostage over a request for a new arena. But to hold it for a $3 billion ransom over a project that includes way more than just an arena? Brilliant, especially when your franchise is the red-headed stepchild among the three NHL teams in the Tri-State area.

Let's just say Charlie Wang isn't the Rock of Gibraltar among NHL owners.

Take care,
PK

Pk, you should be writing for the Sporting News or something man. The analogies you use are classic!

[pk500]

1. Signed Alexei Yashin to a 10-year contract. Boy, that worked out well.

2. Signed Rick DiPietro to a 15-year contract. That's a lovely albatross for any franchise to carry.

I'm not about to heap praise on the guy, but it is worth mentioning that Wang's brainchild megadeals have since been copied by the Flyers, Capitals and Red Wings.

A bit of a difference. Those teams locked up proven superstars to those long-term deals in the era of cap-o-nomics. There's a difference between proven commodities like Richards, Ovechkin and Zetterberg, and DiPietro.

Richards probably is the closest analogy because he played only two seasons before his mega-deal, but both were solid. The numbers were down in year two, but he also missed part of that season after surgery.

Yashin's deal was signed before the cap, which was stupid. DiPietro had ONE strong season for the Isles -- 2.36, .911, 5 SO -- in 2003-04, the year before the lockout. It was lunacy to sign a guy to a 15-year deal based on one good year.

And remember, Rocky put up those numbers in the last year of the dead puck, clutch-and-grab era. While those numbers would be eye-poppers now, they weren't THAT special in 2003-04. DiPietro's GAA ranked 14th among NHL goalies who played at least 40 games that season, and his save percentage was 17th overall by the same measuring stick.

A bit of perspective: Dan Cloutier had better numbers that season that DiPietro. Dan F*cking Cloutier!

The Yashin and DiPietro deals were just a case of Charlie touching his erect wang and trying to be the NHL's contrarian, at the expense of both his franchise and its long-suffering fans.

Take care,
PK

[tjung0831]

I could care less about Charles Wang or what he does....It's his team. The Islanders have long standing faithful fan base. The Islander fans deserve John Tavares.

[fletcher21]

Anyone here going to attend any playoff games in person? I wish I was.

[pk500]

I could care less about Charles Wang or what he does....It's his team. The Islanders have long standing faithful fan base. The Islander fans deserve John Tavares.

That faithful fan base ranked last in average NHL attendance this season, nearly 1,000 average fans per game behind No. 29 on the list, Atlanta.

The Isles also ranked last in NHL attendance in the 2007-08 season, 28th in 2006-07 and last in 2005-06, the first year after the lockout.

That's one hell of a loyal, long-standing fanbase there on the Island. Tavares must feel like he's being sucked into the NHL's version of quicksand -- because he is.

Take care,
PK

[fletcher21]

I could care less about Charles Wang or what he does....It's his team. The Islanders have long standing faithful fan base. The Islander fans deserve John Tavares.

That faithful fan base ranked last in average NHL attendance this season, nearly 1,000 average fans per game behind No. 29 on the list, Atlanta.

The Isles also ranked last in NHL attendance in the 2007-08 season, 28th in 2006-07 and last in 2005-06, the first year after the lockout.

That's one hell of a loyal, long-standing fanbase there on the Island. Tavares must feel like he's being sucked into the NHL's version of quicksand -- because he is.

Take care,
PK

I think he's gonna laugh all the way to the bank

[Feanor]

Once he becomes a FA and signs with a big team, yeah.

[wabash97]

Loyal fan base = too stupid to realize there is more to life than spending money to watch a bad hockey team. See: Maple Leafs

It's that kind of newly prevalent mentality -- you've got to fill up the arena every night or you're not loyal -- that makes me want to largely ignore sports all together. I don't want to live hockey (or football/basketball/baseball), I want to watch it. And I watch the Isles when they're awful, as well as when they're decent, even when the owner is making mistakes trying to make the team better, the building better, and gasp! make some money. And sometimes I don't, because I'm busy. Can I still come back?

You buy a hat, check the message boards, watch the TV, go to a game or two every year -- you're loyal. And if you're not loyal, I applaud you. I applaud Long Island fans for filling the building when the team is good, and keeping it under capacity when it sucks. You speak with your wallet and your time. And when you wanna go, you're still welcome in the rink as far as I'm concerned.

There will be plenty of people there to see Tavares. And Charles Wang will build his crazy-ass mini-city (which a voting majority of Long Islanders seem to support -- holding them hostage? huh? the county supports it. the voters support it. do a quick google search on Kate Murray/Lighthouse, she recently floated the idea of federal stimulus funds being used to rebuild the Coliseum -- she's a little loopy).

Anyway, I'm wandering off-topic. Isles fans are good hockey fans. There isn't a lot of them (us), but they do support the team, go to games when they can, buy jerseys, hats, hate the Rangers, etc. And they're (we're) excited to get Tavares. Let us have that for a few days.[/i]

[tjung0831]

I could care less about Charles Wang or what he does....It's his team. The Islanders have long standing faithful fan base. The Islander fans deserve John Tavares.

That faithful fan base ranked last in average NHL attendance this season, nearly 1,000 average fans per game behind No. 29 on the list, Atlanta.

The Isles also ranked last in NHL attendance in the 2007-08 season, 28th in 2006-07 and last in 2005-06, the first year after the lockout.

That's one hell of a loyal, long-standing fanbase there on the Island. Tavares must feel like he's being sucked into the NHL's version of quicksand -- because he is.

Take care,
PK

You know you can't judge a fanbase like that. The Blues for instance have always had a true hardcore fanbase of about maybe 12k max...the diehards have been there through thick and thin. However when Bill Laurie orchestrated the trade of Pronger, the Blues averaged maybe 7-8k for home games...it was bad but sometimes the fans have to take a stand.
The Islanders hardcore fan base is there every game and i'm sure there are many things to do in New York.

[MizzouRah]

Good game so far. I will say it pains me to see Demitra out there.

[tjung0831]

Good game so far. I will say it pains me to see Demitra out there.

Tkachuk got a good shot in on Burrows! Blues played well...had the better chances.

FOCK PAVOL DEMITRA!!!!

[MizzouRah]

We have wounded Luongo!!!

2-1 Canucks.. c'mon BLUES!!!!!

[Naples39]

Anyone here going to attend any playoff games in person? I wish I was.

I have a strip for all Flyers playoff games.

Hopefully that will be more than 2 games after last night's performance. I could try to rationalize last night, but would likely end up sounding like an idiot in the process. Ugh.

EDIT: It is also freaking unreal that after losing Timonen for the whole series last year with his freak blood clot, literally 3 seconds into the series this year Timonen takes a knee-on-knee hit from Kunitz and could barely skate the rest of the game.

[pk500]

We have wounded Luongo!!!

2-1 Canucks.. c'mon BLUES!!!!!

At least you're an optimist.

Vancouver showed yet again why it will beat St. Louis in this round -- Luongo. Plus the Blues' power play was wretched -- poor spacing, piss-poor methods of beating Vancouver's early neutral-zone trap on the penalty kill -- until Boyes' goal.

Hate to say it, but Wonder Man Murray was firmly outcoached by Vigneault last night. I was stunned by Vancouver's early trapping on the penalty kill.

I don't watch the Canucks enough to know: Is that a regular philosophy, 10spro? If not, it was a stroke of smarts by Vigneault and his staff, really good scouting and coaching. That made all the difference in the world when St. Louis had all of those power plays early in the game.

No surprise about Washington and the Rangers, either. There is absolutely NO WAY Washington will make it near the Finals with Jose Theodore in goal. Meanwhile, if King Henrik heats up ...

The only outcome that surprised me was the Devils' romp over Carolina. Good Jersey won the battle of pucks' schizophrenia over Bad Jersey last night. It looked like the Jersey when Marty returned from injury this year.

If that Jersey continues to show up, the Devils could go all the way to the Finals. But I have my doubts Good Jersey will dress every night.

Nice to see Philly-Pittsburgh is getting very NASTY already. Love that!

Roll on, Night 2!

Take care,
PK

[tjung0831]

We have wounded Luongo!!!

2-1 Canucks.. c'mon BLUES!!!!!

At least you're an optimist.

Vancouver showed yet again why it will beat St. Louis in this round -- Luongo. Plus the Blues' power play was wretched -- poor spacing, piss-poor methods of beating Vancouver's early neutral-zone trap on the penalty kill -- until Boyes' goal.

Hate to say it, but Wonder Man Murray was firmly outcoached by Vigneault last night. I was stunned by Vancouver's early trapping on the penalty kill.

I don't watch the Canucks enough to know: Is that a regular philosophy, 10spro? If not, it was a stroke of smarts by Vigneault and his staff, really good scouting and coaching. That made all the difference in the world when St. Louis had all of those power plays early in the game.

No surprise about Washington and the Rangers, either. There is absolutely NO WAY Washington will make it near the Finals with Jose Theodore in goal. Meanwhile, if King Henrik heats up ...

The only outcome that surprised me was the Devils' romp over Carolina. Good Jersey won the battle of pucks' schizophrenia over Bad Jersey last night. It looked like the Jersey when Marty returned from injury this year.

If that Jersey continues to show up, the Devils could go all the way to the Finals. But I have my doubts Good Jersey will dress every night.

Nice to see Philly-Pittsburgh is getting very NASTY already. Love that!

Roll on, Night 2!

Take care,
PK

Murray was outcoached? The Blues clearly could have won that game last night if they got some bounces or scored during the 5 on 3. All they have do is win one game in vancouver and they will. The Canucks won't win in St. Louis. Blues are still going to win this series and the young guys now have that first game under their belt. We'll see what happens friday night.

[pk500]

Murray was outcoached?

Uh, yeah, he was.

Tim, it's impossible for you to view the game objectively, and I don't expect you to. But I don't have a dog in this hunt, so I can sit and watch the game as a neutral observer.

How can you rationalize 1-for-7 and only nine shots overall on the power play -- supposedly a decided advantage for St. Louis -- to "bounces?" Come on.

Murray had no answer whatsoever for the neutral-zone trap that Vancouver threw at the Blues while penalty killing early in the game. It completely confused the Blues' power play, which struggled like hell to get organized in the first period.

That's damn good scouting and coaching by Vancouver. Good execution by the players, too.

If you want to talk "bounces," Vancouver outshot St. Louis, 15-6, in the third period. If anything, the Blues were lucky the "bounces" didn't go Vancouver's way in the third, adding to the final margin.

I applaud your blind devotion to the team, though. You're a fan through and through!

Take care,
PK

[10spro]

I don't watch the Canucks enough to know: Is that a regular philosophy, 10spro? If not, it was a stroke of smarts by Vigneault and his staff, really good scouting and coaching. That made all the difference in the world when St. Louis had all of those power plays early in the game.

I am out of town currently and I missed the game last night and will also miss Fridays but nobody gives AV enough credit for splitting Burrows and Kesler during the regular season when things were awry in January and that move alone turned the fortunes of the team. To answer your question, no the team does not trap in general, that it's not to say they don't at all. It all depends on the opponent, I've seen AV take a page out of J. Demers when we face the Wild for example.

Canucks can play a very versatile style depending on the other team, they can score, they can grind, they can play tight defense if the particular game calls for it.

Just checked into my room after a 13 hours flight, all the details of the game I am getting it through you guys and TSN. Keep them coming, of course I have to deal with some obvious biased Blues guys around. :twisted: .

Go Canucks Go!

[10spro]

All they have do is win one game in vancouver and they will. The Canucks won't win in St. Louis. Blues are still going to win this series and the young guys now have that first game under their belt. We'll see what happens friday night.

Gotta love your optimism, but don't let one game blind your devotion for the Blues man. I am sure the Blues will win a game and they're tough in their own building. What you'll see on Friday is a 2-0 lead for the 'Nucks going back to St Louis.

[pk500]

James:

Bummer about the business trip! You can get full video highlights from nhl.com.

Take care,
PK