yeah, I don't like the shootouts either. exciting to watch, but I don't think they fit within the flavor of the game.

if it were up to me, they'd play a 5 on 5 sudden death OT. none of this 5 minute period crap. play up to 20 minutes. if no one scores, it's a tie.

and none of this 3, 2, 1 point crap. it's beyond silly.
a win is 2 points, a tie is 1 point, a loss is no points. easy.

I've always played defense, but I still am in favor of shootouts. They provide excitement and provide a clear winner for games when playing until someone scores is not feasible. I have no problem with a game being decided by the team with the most skilled players.

Keep in mind this is regular season games I'm talking about. Playoffs or *shudder* gold medal Olympic games should be played until someone scores.

I look forward to tonight's games.

-Can Jagr be the man out there, again?
-How will St. Louis look after that DREADFUL performance last night?
-Can LA (and Roenick) skate for 3 periods like they did in the 1st last night?

Oh, also been wanting to mention it.

One thing that I haven't forgotten about Center Ice: Homer Announcers. (I know they're using local feeds, and I'm not complaining or saying I like it -- it is what it is.)

The Avs guys last night were tough to deal with (and they weren't all that good as it is, though they put in a good effort), and I think they're some of the tamer ones. The B's are one that I can think of that I know are huge homers -- any other ones to watch out for?

I caught some of the Avs guys last night. Now, I am pre-disposed to hate everything associated with that team (except Joe Sakic, lifetime exemption), but they annoyed me to no end. Though they don't hold a candle to the radio cronies the Avs have working for them. They are horrible. Absolutely horrible. In fact, back in the day if the Wings beat Colorado, I would sometimes listen to the Avs radio webcast at work just to hear them pout.

I think Florida is pretty good. They have Dave Strader doing play-by-play. He used to do games on ESPN2 and he did Wings games before that.

I am kind of excited at the prospect of listening to other team's "home team" announcers and getting their take on the Wings. Though I assume each game will be pretty similar: Lost a lot because of the cap, hit hard by it, still have some talent, still a bit old, questions in goal, blah, blah, blah....

I thought the New Jersey guys were pretty good.

This is a good thing to keep an eye on. I will let you know my thoughts as the season progresses.

I'm happy with the shootouts. I'm sorry, but games are played to win or lose. They aren't played to tie. That's never washed with me.

I watch far too many Panthers games because of my wife, and I agree, the Florida announcers are good.

Those were actually the Pens guys.

New Jersey is alright (Emerick is Ok), but I don't like the Color guy at all (Chico Rush, or something like that).

Gotcha. You're right, Emerick is ok.

coming from a guy who watches most of the Avs games and many B's games, you are 100% correct. As an Avs fan, I have more tolerance for the homerism than most, but as a rule I'd rather have a more impartial coverage. I do like Peter McNabb (Avs color guy). He is a homer, but I like his insight. The PBP guy (some McLeod guy) is new this year, and I didn't like him too much (he used "bushwacked" twice in the first 10 minutes of the game, and kept referring to Edmonton as "the Oil"). I don't remember the name of the previous pbp guy, but I liked him more. btw, they talked briefly about how McNabb will be covering the Olympics, but for which station I don't know.

The Bruins commentators are just hard to watch - Dale Arnold and Andy Brickley are both homers to the nth degree. And Gord Kluzak and Nifty Middleton in the studio aren't much better (and provide NO insight to the game).

Haha, "the Oil".

Also, I love how Edmonton got a "lucky break" when Smyth made an incredible play to knock it out the air (the same EXACT play Avs announcers were raving over 3 years ago when Sakic made it), but Laaksonen's carnival bank-shot was a "great play".

yeah, that lucky break was a great play by The Nose. at least they didn't go crazy about the review of that goal. if that goal was against Boston, Andy Brickley would still be talking about it.

Ah, hockey's back in the Garden!!!

I really missed John Amirante and his toupee.

Someone tell the Flames the regular season has started. :(

I loathe the Avalanche commentators. They are battling for the absolute worst in the entire league. I wish we had been able to watch a Canadian feed of the game instead.

The previous guy was just as bad, if not worse, IMO. I absolutely hate how he ALWAYS referred to Joe Sakic as "Super Joe."

Chico Rush? You disappoint me.

I don't like the Devils, but Glenn "Chico" Resch is someone you should know. He was an NHL goalie from 1973 - 1987.

fixed

Thank you. I should have done that myself. I thought the length of time in the league would speak for itself.

Question for those with NHL Centre Ice... how many games are usually blacked out, and which games get blacked out.

I'd like to get it for the Leafs games that aren't brodcast nationally, the rest of the Sens games that SportsNet East doesn't brodcast... and the occasional Wings, Rangers, and Pens game. Oh, and the Habs home games it picks up... are they normaly in french?

Try and ask someone that lives near you.

I know for me, I only have Sabres games blacked out.

So far, only Caps games have been blacked out for me.

It'll be an interesting competition all year to see whose announcers can be the worst over the course of the season. Obviously, there's a long way to go, but the Avs guys are out to the early lead for me.

I expect competition from San Jose, Dallas, and Minnesota (don't have anything specific about them, just strike me as teams that could have shitty homer announcers), but we'll have to see. I'm watching SJ @ Chicago & Pitts @ Carolina tonight.

It looks like Sundin will consider a visor.

Also, did anyone catch the Kings/Coyotes game last night? Greztky filled out the line-up card wrong. He listed Sojostrom as a scratch and Nedved in the line-up. Well, Sojostrom was dressed and Nedved is out hurt.

About mid-way through the first period, someone in the L.A. stat department notices this and alerts the refs. They check the line-up card and Sojostrom is sent into the locker-room for the night.

While, that wasn't too terribly interesting, I found Andy Murray's reaction to be a bit sycophantic towards the Great One (though what else is new):

Murray downplayed Gretzky's rookie mistake, saying, ``It happens all the time. I'm sure it's happened to me before.''

It happens all the time? I don't recall it happening "all the time." I don't I've ever seen it happen and I've watched/been to a fair share of games.

Oh well...

Coaches have filled out the lineup card wrong every season. Pat Quinn even did it during the playoffs.

Contrary to how the story is being presented, Rick Tocchet filled out the lineup card, not Gretzky.

The media is trying to build Gretzky up to fail... they keep saying how this is going to be one loooooooong season for Gretzky because the Yotes have started out 0-2. Seriously, did anyone really believe that Gretzky was going to swoop it and change a horrible team into a Cup contender?

Finally!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ign/index.html

it's usually only your local games, but there is some funkiness this year.

I'm in Boston, so Bruins games get blacked out on Center Ice...but I get NESN anyway, so I get them anyway. so technically I shouldn't get any blackouts.

but Wednesday I couldn't get the Pens/Devils or the Isles/Sabres. and it looked like the Avs were getting blacked out too, which had me going apeshit. in the end, the Avs did show up, but talking to the DirecTV rep, I learned there was a lot of confusion. She had heard some reports that whomever has the local Sabres rights (MSN?) was prohibiting their games from being shown anywhere else, which totally goes against all the advertising for Center Ice that specifies local blackouts only. There were some Avs fans bitching about a similar issue with the Altitude broadcasts in some markets. I think this might just be some technical kinks that will be corrected, but I'm a bit concerned - the package is of no use to me if there's any sort of reduction in the games I get.

About damn time.

SI

MSG has the rights to Sabre game but if they are only showing them and not allowing center ice to show them then that's hella gay. hopefully it's just a foulup.

While that may be true, Gretzky is the head coach and Tocchet is the assistant. While you should be able to rely on your assistants for that sort of thing, ultimate responsibility falls on the man in charge behind the bench.

Sabres play GREAT and win 4-1. Miller played outstanding, Max gets his 3rd goal. Vanek with a pretty assist and a couple of near goals, played solid. Very good game IMO.

If you don't like homer announcers, you will not like Dan Terhar(Minnesota), his radio broadcasts when he was a Gopher PBP guy were classic. :D

Colorado has Doug McLoed? Man, I wish the Wild would have hired him, he's a good hockey guy and has done hockey for a long time, starting back with the North Stars in the 80's.

Do you remember the discussion we had about Vanek a year ago?!

The big question I have is what "region" I'm in... going by Sportsnet & TSN. I'm not in the Leafs region since I don't get their regional broadcasts on TSN... but I do get Sens regional broadcasts from Sportsnet East. So according to that... the only games blacked out would be Sens games...

I think I'll have to call Rogers on Monday to figure this out, and get the pricing details. It'll be a good excuse to get a Digital Cable box, and make that leap at the same time.

Now if only I could get a ginormous raise at my crappy student job so I could get a HD television!!

This has been bugging me all night and I can't find a good NHL stat site to look it up.

Who was the goalie that the Hawks had who got into a disagreement with Eddie the (Insane) Eagle and so, rather than get rid of him, they trade the Vezina winner?

SI

Jeff Hackett?

Yep, I believe it's Hackett.

It was a little more than a "disagreement." As I recall, Jeff Hackett was outplaying Eddie, and so Jeff was getting the starts and all the love from the fans. Eddie throws Jeff around in the locker room telling him that he is a backup and will never be a starter in this league. So, you already think you won't be able/willing to give Eddie the pay raise he will be looking for and now he is trying to be a cancer in the locker room. So you trade him.

Oh, no doubt. You can bet Gretzky will be checking Rick's work from now on. Still, this is really not a big deal. It happens every season throughout the year, and some even goof it up during the playoffs. It's really nothing for people to get excited about.

Big fun in the Toronto/Rochester AHL game last night...

3 - TOR Newbury, 12:45 - Roughing , 2.00min
3 - TOR Newbury, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - TOR Engelhardt, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - TOR Engelhardt, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min
3 - TOR Bell, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - TOR Bell, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min
3 - TOR Ondrus, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - TOR Ondrus, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min
3 - ROC Paetsch, 12:45 - Roughing , 2.00min
3 - ROC Paetsch, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - ROC Jacina, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - ROC Jacina, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min
3 - ROC Cambell, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - ROC Cambell, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min
3 - ROC Janik, 12:45 - Fighting , 5.00min
3 - ROC Janik, 12:45 - Game misconduct - Secondary altercation (56(f)), 10.00min

I love any brawl where there are miscellaneous minor penalties thrown in.

According to TSN, the Wings signed Jason Wooley and have sent Lebda down to
Grand Rapids. Huh. I thought Lebda was playing pretty well. Had a point
in each game. He looked solid enough and showed some speed.

Never been a huge Wooley fan, but, it is what it is. I guess Wooley does
bring a little more offensive punch than Lebda and he skates well. Could do
well with the new rules. Anyway, no need to get all bent out of shape about
switching around sixth defensemen.

Wooley might enjoy some benefit from the new rules. I liked him back in his Florida Panther days.

Loving Center Ice.

Watching Boston/Pittsburgh. 3-2 in the first. Crosby just made a phenominal dish to Ric Jackman.

This kid is unreal

back to the blackout issue, since opening night, I haven't had any of the unexpected blackouts. chalking it up to technical snafus

Bergeron is playing out of his mind for Boston.

Crosby vs Bergeron is fun to watch.

Add the fact I am watching Washington/Atlanta during lulls to see Ovechkin and its a good day.

Unreal. Crosby undresses Gill then makes a beautiful feed to Orpik for the goal.

Crosby looks amazing tonight.

Crosby is having a great game. His third point of the game, I think.

Oilers off to another great start. Horcoff is off to an INCREDIBLE start.