NHL 2015-16 Season

[pumaAttack]

The NHL season is almost upon us!  Lots of interesting stories to start the season.  Tons of off season trades, young kids entering the league and sadly some off-ice stories.

Less than 2 weeks until opening night on October 7th.  Who does everybody think will win it all?  Rookie of the year?  Hart?  Rocket Richard?

I am excited to see the hype train that is McDavid, Kessel playing with Sidney and my hometown Avalanche get back into the playoffs.

[saevel25]

Go Blue Jackets

[Warren Zevon]

I watched a few minutes of a preseason game with McDavid yesterday. He's the real deal.

[pumaAttack]

Go Blue Jackets

Hopefully they have a Saad season!

I watched a few minutes of a preseason game with McDavid yesterday. He's the real deal.

I keep telling my friend this and he just brushes it off like he will be Yakupov or Nugent-Hopkins.   McDavid looks to be on a much higher level than any of the other Oiler first rounders...

[stealthhwk]

This year I feel rather uninformed so gonna hold off picking any winners just yet. If my Stars can shore up the d and lehtonen and niemi perform to their capability Id say the Stars will go deep. But those may big IFS. Either way, watch out for Benn and Seguin.

[Golfingdad]

Got to see some 3v3 overtime the other night - that looks like a lot of fun.  Should significantly cut down on the quantity of games decided by shootouts, and I think everybody would agree that's a good thing.

[pumaAttack]

Got to see some 3v3 overtime the other night - that looks like a lot of fun.  Should significantly cut down on the quantity of games decided by shootouts, and I think everybody would agree that's a good thing.

I am worried that teams will just throw two Ds and keep them back, to prevent 2 on 1s.  That could lead to a very boring style of hockey where nobody is willing to attack at all.  Just from the start of preseason to now, you see more defense and less offense in the 3 on 3.

I think it is going to have the opposite affect the NHL was going for, which was more offense and less shootouts.

[iacas]

I am worried that teams will just throw two Ds and keep them back, to prevent 2 on 1s.

I'm not, and if you've watched the pre-season trials, or watched the AHL play, you wouldn't be either. 

[billchao]

 

I am worried that teams will just throw two Ds and keep them back, to prevent 2 on 1s.  That could lead to a very boring style of hockey where nobody is willing to attack at all.  Just from the start of preseason to now, you see more defense and less offense in the 3 on 3.

I think it is going to have the opposite affect the NHL was going for, which was more offense and less shootouts.

That's not really how 3 on 3 works. I watched some teams run 3 forwards on shifts. Defensemen aren't as useful because it's not about positional play.

[pumaAttack]

I'm not, and if you've watched the pre-season trials, or watched the AHL play, you wouldn't be either. 

That's not really how 3 on 3 works. I watched some teams run 3 forwards on shifts. Defensemen aren't as useful because it's not about positional play.

 

I know the purpose is to run forwards up and down the ice with all the open space, but I have a nagging fear that teams will just shut down the odd man rushes and we will end up with teams being super conservative. 

I hope I am wrong and the overtimes are super fast paced and full of scoring!

[iacas]

I know the purpose is to run forwards up and down the ice with all the open space, but I have a nagging fear that teams will just shut down the odd man rushes and we will end up with teams being super conservative.

Your fear is unfounded. For the rest of my response, just re-read my previous one. 

[billchao]

I know the purpose is to run forwards up and down the ice with all the open space, but I have a nagging fear that teams will just shut down the odd man rushes and we will end up with teams being super conservative. 

I hope I am wrong and the overtimes are super fast paced and full of scoring!

Did you watch any of the 3 on 3 preseason exhibitions? That's just not how that format works. There's way too much room on the ice to shut down anything, and odd man rushes occur with possession in the offensive zone.

Really, all it takes is one guy to shake his defender and he's wide open.

You can't be super conservative because all you'd be doing is giving up the chance to gain possession of the puck.

[pumaAttack]

Did you watch any of the 3 on 3 preseason exhibitions? That's just not how that format works. There's way too much room on the ice to shut down anything, and odd man rushes occur with possession in the offensive zone.

Really, all it takes is one guy to shake his defender and he's wide open.

You can't be super conservative because all you'd be doing is giving up the chance to gain possession of the puck.

I watched the Avalanche games that were 3 on 3.  The first game was wide open, the latter ones were not. That is where my fear is coming from.  Teams will learn to play better defensively after getting burned too many times in OT.   

But hey, maybe with all the cocaine in the league the teams will have too much energy to sit back now! ;)

[phillyk]

the Blackhawks will win it all again!

[pumaAttack]

the Blackhawks will win it all again!

Ha!  With no Sharp, Saad, Oduya and the issues around Kane?

They will be lucky to get a top three spot in the Central.  

[mcanadiens]

 

I watched the Avalanche games that were 3 on 3.  The first game was wide open, the latter ones were not. That is where my fear is coming from.  Teams will learn to play better defensively after getting burned too many times in OT.   

But hey, maybe with all the cocaine in the league the teams will have too much energy to sit back now! ;)

Cocaine? There's some late breaking news for you. Nothing like some good PR to kick the season off. 

On the 3-on-3s, I'll agree with you that teams will adapt to them over time as they always do. Still, it will result in a lot fewer games going to the shoot out both now and in the future. Will wait for a team to try and stuff it three skaters into the goal. Call it "Operation Meat Shield".   

[pumaAttack]

Your fear is unfounded. For the rest of my response, just re-read my previous one. 

ahem!

http://www.tsn.ca/opinions-all-over-the-map-on-3-on-3-ot-1.373112

 

This is exactly what I was talking about...

 

[iacas]

ahem!

http://www.tsn.ca/opinions-all-over-the-map-on-3-on-3-ot-1.373112

I don't feel like that article supports your opinion.

Seventeen of 24 (legitimate) OT pre-season games were settled in three-on-three, 13 of them in 2:05 or less. 

In eight of those 17 games, the winning team scored on its first shot in OT.

If you read the list of bullet points, too, none of those are set up like of 5-on-5 or 4-on-4 hockey. The smaller the number of players, the less players you have to beat. 3-on-3 favors skill more than 4-on-4, which favors skill more than 5-on-5.

Yes, some NHL coaches said they will "dummy it down" but that just means teaching their players how to play it. KISS. It doesn't mean we're going to see the boring OTs like we see in 4-on-4 or the latter half of regulation play 5-on-5. The skill teams will still be firing shots. They'll still possess the puck. They'll still beat a guy and have a clear lane, and if someone pulls off their guy to defend him, he'll still have a wide-open guy to find with the puck.

In almost half of the games decided in OT, the team won with the first SHOT. In over half of the OT games at all, the game was over within 2:05.