NHL 2015-16 Season

[dak4n6]

Just now, iacas said:

Henrik hasn't been playing as well as he normally does. The Rangers D is the same as it always was. The goalie's just not bailing them out left and right.

Yes, Hank is definitely letting A LOT more in recently, but I think it started with the D. They are not covering the back side of the plays and leaving lots of wide open shots.

[boogielicious]

@Ernest Jones,

You better tell the Habs to bring extra equipment personnel to the Winter Classic just in case the opposing team tries to deflate the pucks!  It is at Gillette Stadium after all!

[iacas]

I continue to get awfully tired with NHL refereeing, and by extension, the Department of Player Safety.

Despite what it initially looked like, he got a 2:00 penalty. Furthermore, Kris Letang got 2:00 as well (along with another Leaf) for "roughing." Roughing what? The boards with his head and shoulder? He was fortunate to turn just enough to get his shoulder on the wall rather than just his head.

Only a few nights before…

Stoll was also given only 2:00, though the language the ref used in announcing it involved the word "head."

---

Will Komarov get a call? Stoll didn't even get a phone call. No suspension, not even a fine. No respect for another player, and if you're going for a legal check to the shoulder or chest, do not miss. Hell, the 2:00 you spend in the penalty box to take out your opponent's #1D is well worth it in many cases from a pure "skill tradeoff" standpoint. Heck, the victim often has to spend 10+ minutes going through the NHL's concussion protocol while the perpetrator has been out of the box and back on the ice for four more shifts.

The players are not only showing little respect for one another, the referees and then ultimately the DoPS is showing no respect for the players or, you know, "player safety" which is in their fucking title.

I wouldn't blame Kris Letang if he decided to hang it up at the end of the year. If the NHL is going to continually fail to punish people for shit like this, like NFL players in their prime who retire for fear of living the last 30 years of their lives screwed up in the head from CTE, etc., you're going to start seeing hockey players decide the same thing.

What's even more puzzling is how the NHL owners, who are currently being sued for things related to concussions, are continuing to let this happen.

It's sickening. The above two plays are not hockey. If you're gonna hit people, hit them in the chest. Hip checks (not Brad Marchand style - at least he got three games, though years ago he got five for the same thing… so even repeat offenders get softer sentences now?) are fine too. But you simply can't smash someone into the boards, or throw a shoulder into someone's head.

Except, in today's NHL, you can, apparently.

[Ernest Jones]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

@Ernest Jones,

You better tell the Habs to bring extra equipment personnel to the Winter Classic just in case the opposing team tries to deflate the pucks!  It is at Gillette Stadium after all!

Clearly no need to bring any jocks...

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I continue to get awfully tired with NHL refereeing, and by extension, the Department of Player Safety.

Despite what it initially looked like, he got a 2:00 penalty. Furthermore, Kris Letang got 2:00 as well (along with another Leaf) for "roughing." Roughing what? The boards with his head and shoulder? He was fortunate to turn just enough to get his shoulder on the wall rather than just his head.

Only a few nights before…

Stoll was also given only 2:00, though the language the ref used in announcing it involved the word "head."

---

Will Komarov get a call? Stoll didn't even get a phone call. No suspension, not even a fine. No respect for another player, and if you're going for a legal check to the shoulder or chest, do not miss. Hell, the 2:00 you spend in the penalty box to take out your opponent's #1D is well worth it in many cases from a pure "skill tradeoff" standpoint. Heck, the victim often has to spend 10+ minutes going through the NHL's concussion protocol while the perpetrator has been out of the box and back on the ice for four more shifts.

The players are not only showing little respect for one another, the referees and then ultimately the DoPS is showing no respect for the players or, you know, "player safety" which is in their ****ing title.

I wouldn't blame Kris Letang if he decided to hang it up at the end of the year. If the NHL is going to continually fail to punish people for shit like this, like NFL players in their prime who retire for fear of living the last 30 years of their lives screwed up in the head from CTE, etc., you're going to start seeing hockey players decide the same thing.

What's even more puzzling is how the NHL owners, who are currently being sued for things related to concussions, are continuing to let this happen.

It's sickening. The above two plays are not hockey. If you're gonna hit people, hit them in the chest. Hip checks (not Brad Marchand style - at least he got three games, though years ago he got five for the same thing… so even repeat offenders get softer sentences now?) are fine too. But you simply can't smash someone into the boards, or throw a shoulder into someone's head.

Except, in today's NHL, you can, apparently.

My love for NHL hockey has never fully recovered from the Chara/Pacioretty hit, I was sure I was looking at a corpse that night. Just a gross disregard for people. The flood of suicides is pretty sickening too. I still follow my team but I've only actually watched one game this season (we lost). At this point in my life I can usually find something else to do with those 3 hours and just read the papers (remember those, lol) or the internet with my morning coffee. 

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Ernest Jones said:

Clearly no need to bring any jocks...

My love for NHL hockey has never fully recovered from the Chara/Pacioretty hit, I was sure I was looking at a corpse that night. Just a gross disregard for people. The flood of suicides is pretty sickening too. I still follow my team but I've only actually watched one game this season (we lost). At this point in my life I can usually find something else to do with those 3 hours and just read the papers (remember those, lol) or the internet with my morning coffee. 

I'm headed that way.

Cole (another D on the Pens) tried to get Komarov to fight afterward. Cole is not a fighter. Komarov declined, repeatedly.

I'm not a fan of fighting at all, but what's a player left to do (or a teammate) when the NHL sees fit to penalize the player 2:00 for something like this?

[Ernest Jones]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

I'm headed that way.

Cole (another D on the Pens) tried to get Komarov to fight afterward. Cole is not a fighter. Komarov declined, repeatedly.

I'm not a fan of fighting at all, but what's a player left to do (or a teammate) when the NHL sees fit to penalize the player 2:00 for something like this?

Yep, as my dad would say, "it's ****ed"

[iacas]

To be clear, too, I have no problem at all with hard, clean hits:

Chest, shoulder, puck right there a moment before. Clean, good, hard hockey hit.

I fear the NHL will only clean up its act if one or both things happen:

• Bettman retires.
• The lawsuits begin piling up.

[gogolfing]

On 12/29/2015 at 0:17 PM, dak4n6 said:

There are too many Habs fans on this thread, eh?

What the Eff has happened to the Rangers D? And there overall speed has decreased over the last month or so, they look like their legs are made of lead..

Can never be too many Habs fans  Settling in on the couch to watch the Winter Classic....Hoping Gallagher gives the Habs a spark. 

[boogielicious]

Well @Ernest Jones. The game went as I thought it would with the Habs winning. I know the Bs and Habs have played each other  the most of any teams. But for it to be a true rivalry, the win % should be closer to 50/50. The Bs have been the little brother that has gotten beaten up routinely by the bigger brother.

I only watched about a third of the game while taking down Xmas decorations. Hopefully the fans at the stadium had fun. I didn't like the uniforms either. If they want it to be a "classic" then put on classic sweaters!

I watched the old timers game for a bit on New Years Eve. It was like watching slow motion hockey!

[boogielicious]

I just found this. It explains why Montreal dominated.

http://bigbadblog.weei.com/sports/boston/hockey/bruins/2016/01/01/canadiens-goalie-mike-condon-thinks-he-got-some-patriots-mojo-anything-that-tom-brady-touches-turns-to-gold/

The keeper for the Habs is from Holliston, MA and got his Pats themed helmet autographed before the game.

Quote

Condon, a Holliston native who grew up rooting for the Pats, also had a Patriots-themed mask, as his featured sketches of Brady and Belichick along with four Lombardi Trophies and the team’s famous “Do Your Job” motto.

The cherry on top was getting the helmet autographed by Brady and Belichick before the Pats took off for Miami for Sunday’s regular-season finale.

“I’m pretty sure anything that Tom Brady touches turns to gold,” Condon said. “So I was pretty happy. Hopefully got some mojo on my helmet there. I’m a huge fan of his, huge fan of this organization, and I’m just happy to pay respect to them on the ice.”

 

[gogolfing]

Only a one game sample but I'm hoping Gallagher keeps this mojo going .....looked like a completely different team with him in the lineup.

 

[dak4n6]

On 1/1/2016 at 1:02 PM, gogolfing said:

Can never be too many Habs fans  Settling in on the couch to watch the Winter Classic....Hoping Gallagher gives the Habs a spark. 

Well, that was a spanking!

Actually, if I weren't born and raised in NY, I would probably be a Habs fan. They are an impeccable organization and Therrien is arguably one of the best coaches in the league. 

[iacas]

4 hours ago, dak4n6 said:

Actually, if I weren't born and raised in NY, I would probably be a Habs fan. They are an impeccable organization and Therrien is arguably one of the best coaches in the league. 

Meh.

[gogolfing]

30 minutes ago, iacas said:

Meh.

 

4 hours ago, dak4n6 said:

Well, that was a spanking!

Actually, if I weren't born and raised in NY, I would probably be a Habs fan. They are an impeccable organization and Therrien is arguably one of the best coaches in the league. 

As a Hab fan, Therrien frustrates me many times. Seems he takes some of the creativity and skill from players in the name of a defensive system. That being said, I think many are surprised when they see is overall record in his 11 seasons as a head coach: 359-261, plus the ties (when they still had them) and the OTL. Ends up with a .569 record. 

The Hab exec I have the most faith in is Marc Bergevin. I think he has the hockey acumen to put a team together to bring the cup back to Montreal. He learned a lot from his days with the Blackhawks. 

Bad news today that Carey price is not even ready to be on the ice yet. Been a rough month, but I always take great pleasure in a thrashing of the Bruins. 

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

Meh.

You need to shorten your responses @iacas. They are a bit verbose.

[dak4n6]

8 hours ago, gogolfing said:

That being said, I think many are surprised when they see is overall record in his 11 seasons as a head coach: 359-261, plus the ties (when they still had them) and the OTL. Ends up with a .569 record. 

You're right...I am surprised. All I observe is that he almost always has Les Habitants relevant and in the running.

[gogolfing]

24 minutes ago, dak4n6 said:

You're right...I am surprised. All I observe is that he almost always has Les Habitants relevant and in the running.

If you want a good laugh, follow "Therrien's Temper" on Twitter.....a hilarious account. 

[Natural Patrick]

Crosby starting to find his game. Come on Pens, you can beat these chicken hawks!

Pens tie it up, Go Pens!