The NHL Thread

[Demographic Shift]

The NHL seems to be plugging along. Hope they name their hub cities soon.
If they get it going again this summer I will watch but of all the sports this is the one that just doesn't seem to fit in August.
I wouldn't be crushed if the NHL and NHLPA said for the tradition of the Stanley Cup grind they would not name a champion this year. I don't know how deep the pockets are of the owners but they could also just call it all off and reload in September.

[planetmars]

RIP Dale

Got into sports at a young age because of him. He was awesome. Was like being Lebronto'd having to play the Oilers in the early 80's but he always made those series fun and the team a joy to cheer for.

Sad day in Winnipeg I'm sure.

[Demographic Shift]

The 2020 NHL Draft kicked off tonight with the first round.
For transparency. I am an unvarnished unabashed Leafs fan. My fault not anyone elses.

Doobie got us another kinda smallish high IQ winger. Rodion Amirov. Like we don't have enough to those. The kids is a talent for sure. You have to be go in the first round but .....
He passed on a bigger (6'2" 205Lb) RH D from the WHL Braden Schnieder. The kid can skate and he will fill out to close to 215-20 before he plays in 3 years. Hes not Seth Jones... but damn hes not Martin Marincin either.
I hope Doobie is right.. but this one I think bites us in the ass.
The Leafs.. though they won't admit it...miss the uber bird dog talent evaluator Mark Hunter. A lot.

[Demographic Shift]

Its close to 20% of the way through the NHLs abbreviated schedule and the forced accommodation of an all Canadian division is turning out to be the best god damn thing ever. The Leafs and Habs playing each other 9 times. The rise of uber villian Matthew Tkachuk. McDavid and Mathews and Driesital back to back .

The no respect WInnipeg Jets are loaded again with the arrival of another Torterell expat in Pierre Luc Dubois. The Canucks Quinn Hughes is for now not suffering the fate of Marcel Dionne as one of the best players in the game we never see cuz he plays on the west coast 3 hours too late for all the eyeballs in the east to see this kid move the puck up the ice like the Norris candidate he should be. Watching a pretty young Senators team have to grow up fast as they have to punch up every single night against better teams. No Detroits or Chicagos this year. They have to fight up a couple of weight classes every game.

Going to be 3 month tournament with a chance to build up some good hate between teams.

Then they can settle all the scores in the playoffs.

Gotta love it.

[TheWaterboy]

I'm finding it a lot of fun to follow my hometown Jets this year, even with the departure of Laine *sniff*. They're still working out how best to deploy their forwards (with some very Nurse-like line juggling), Hellebuyck may have finally fully rounded into form, and the defence is sometimes the weak link. They may top out a little below the talent level of the Leafs and Oilers, but the team plays with a lot of spirit and is very entertaining to watch.

One additional thing to watch out for - there appears to be a bit of a budding hockey nerd bromance developing between Scheifele and Dubois that will probably be good for both players.

[TheWaterboy]

... I just got an OG Anunoby Playstation commercial in my Jets broadcast. I am sooooo confused....

[Demographic Shift]

The NHL playoffs are about to kick off ... This is arguably the toughest run of the 4 major North American sports to win. Every second night with broken fingers, bone bruises, cracked ribs and spittin chicklets its 16 more games to hoist the Cup. With enough Surgical needles, Number 8 suture stitching and a couple of oil barrels full of Mercurochrome the playoffs start tonight.

SO who ya got ?

Round 1.

Leafs over the Habs
Oilers over the Jets

Canes over Nashville
Florida over Tampa

Islanders over Pittsburgh
Caps over the Bruins

Avalanche over the Blues
Vegas over Minny.

Round 2

Leafs over Oilers
Carolina over Florida
Caps over Islanders
Vegas over Avalance


Round 3

Vegas over Caps
Leafs over Carolina

The Stanley Cup

Vegas over Leafs



Well that went well.... I have one team left.
At least its the team that I picked to hoist the Cup.

[TheWaterboy]

This is mean (but hilarious).

https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1399539600805314563

[Demographic Shift]

The Leafs.
The penance for their fans never ends.

[DanH]

The Leafs.
The penance for their fans never ends.

I thought the Leafs looked real good this year, as compared to previous years where they were a disaster trying to close out a series. This year was just two really good teams going back and forth.

The NHL needs to revisit their playoff structure ASAP. Lightning and Leafs should both have been home ice teams in the first round.

[Demographic Shift]

I thought the Leafs looked real good this year, as compared to previous years where they were a disaster trying to close out a series. This year was just two really good teams going back and forth.

The NHL needs to revisit their playoff structure ASAP. Lightning and Leafs should both have been home ice teams in the first round.

All true.
But another year and another 1st round loss when they had the horses to beat Tampa is another bitter pill for leafs nation to choke down.

[DanH]

All true.
But another year and another 1st round loss when they had the horses to beat Tampa is another bitter pill for leafs nation to choke down.

I suppose. You just hope the management team doesn't fall prey to any such thinking. A lot of their issues were solved from years past. If they continue on this trajectory only good things lie ahead.

[Demographic Shift]

I suppose. You just hope the management team doesn't fall prey to any such thinking. A lot of their issues were solved from years past. If they continue on this trajectory only good things lie ahead.

Dubas will run it back.
Mathews, Willy, Mitch and Reilly still have a lot of window left in them.
Tavares and Muzzin are older but have another year or two.

what stings is yet again...it’s wait till next year.

[Demographic Shift]

So the unstoppable force that is the Colorado Avalanche waits on the Rangers Tampa for a winner. Who ever goes from the East will have beaten some very good teams in some very long series. The East is going to be tired and despite the Avs not having Naz will be beat up worse.
Taking Nate and Cale and the return of Joe Sakic to the Stanley Cup picture.

[Kagemusha]

Go OILERS!