It's Here! The Thread For the 2003-04 NHL Regular Season!
 

Hey puckheads,

I thought it was time to start a new and improved great thread for hockey.

Yes, the old playoff thread is like Heaven on Earth, but, let's face it, the title about last year's playoffs is a little done now, right?

We have shown the ability to keep a thread going and interesting for months on end, even during the slow offseason, it was rarely off the front page for more than a day before we found something else to talk about.

So I figure it's time to have a new hockey thread, where we will talk about all things hokcey for the regular season. What do you all think of that?

I guess you'll vote by your posting. If this one dies, then so be it. But I hope not. Let's make nonhockey fans on this forum curse us once more!

I'm going to post my predictions here in a little bit. I will also send a call out for off-the-cuff team updates from you fans, and also throw out some interesting hockey talk conversations.

But at least here the thread is started. And the season begins tomorrow night! Ducks and Stars! And some other games. ;)

Chief Rum

First off, before I get down to business, I wanted to take another moment to send my prayers to the Snyder family for the loss of a guy, by all accounts, appeared to be a fine, young man. And also my prayers for Dany Heatley and his family for the hell he is and will be going through, probably for the rest of his life.

My moment of silence.

CR

All right, here goes. My predictions for this season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Northeast

1. Ottawa
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Buffalo
5. Montreal

Comment: Ottawa has the look of a juggernaut. They might win the President's Trophy again. After that, positioning in this division should be brutal. I think the return of Samsanov and the acquisition of a real goalie in Potvin moves the Bruins past the relatively stagnant Leafs, who need serious blueline help. Still, Sundin-Mogilny-Nolan are all elite scorers who should keep them pretty well ahead of Buffalo and Montreal.

Atlantic

1. Philadelphia
2. New Jersey
3. NY Rangers
4. NY Islanders
5. Pittsburgh

Comment: I know Hitchcock has a lot of detractors, but I think he is a fine vet coach who knows how to win. I think he has the most talent in this division, and he gets past the Devils. The defending Cup champs are a little older now, although certainly not in Red Wings range. I see them needing more offense to get past Philly. Sather is a dumbass, but he's a good coach, so I think the Rangers have a good shot at third. The Isles will find a way to blow it, and the Penguins just plain suck.

Southeast

1. Florida
2. Washington
3. Tampa Bay
4. Carolina
5. Atlanta

Comment: I think it's time for the other Florida team to move up, although no one in this division is going to be lighting up the rest of the NHL. Florida has a lot of good, young talent, Keenan is a vet coach (even if he's egomaniac, Nazi-control freak asshole), and Luongo is gonna have a breakout year. Washington will realize some of its talent in the forward ranks, but fall behind because of blueline problems. The Lightning become the third straight Southeast Division champ to miss the playoffs the next year, because they miss Prospal, they are too young, and the blueline is too soft. Carolina is too old and slow. Atlanta's season is sadly destroyed by the Heatley-Snyder tragedy and the loss of their premier top line talent.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northeast

1. Detroit
2. St. Louis
3. Columbus
4. Nashville
5. Chicago

Comment: Detroit runs away with this early, even with a rusty Hasek. The Blues will remain respectable, but on an island by themselves. The Jackets will surprise and contend for a playoff spot, but I see the Predators finishing a touch off, and the Hawks nowhere in sight.

Pacific

1. Dallas
2. Anaheim
3. Los Angeles
4. Phoenix
5. San Jose

Comment: The Ducks will keep it close for a good length of the season, but eventually the Stars will pull away and win this division handily (again). The Kings will sneak up on the Ducks, and the two will end up fighting for second. Phoneix will look respectable with Burke, but eventually fall apart. San Jose is looking at a long, long season, even if Nabokov bounces back.

Northwest

1. Colorado
2. Vancouver
3. Edmonton
4. Minnesota
5. Calgary

Comment: Yes, Colorado will have blueline depth problems and Aebischer remains a question mark. But they have too muchs coring not to win this division. The Canucks will be with them most of the way. I see the Wild falling off a bit, and Edmonton will take advantage. Calgary will continue to struggle, even with some bounce back play from Iginla and Conroy.

THE PLAYOFFS

East Seeds

1. Ottawa
2. Philadelphia
3. Florida
4. New Jersey
5. Boston
6. Toronto
7. NY Rangers
8. Washington

West Seeds

1. Dallas
2. Detroit
3. Colorado
4. Vancouver
5. Anaheim
6. St. Louis
7. Los Angeles
8. Edmonton

First Round

Ottawa over Washington
Rangers over Philadelphia
Toronto over Florida
New Jersey over Boston

Dallas over Edmonton
Detroit over Los Angeles
Colorado over St. Louis
Anaheim over Vancouver

Conference Semifinals

Ottawa over Rangers
New Jersey over Toronto

Dallas over Anaheim
Colorado over Detroit

Conference Finals

Ottawa over New Jersey
Dallas over Colorado

2003-04 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS: OTTAWA over Dallas

Major Awards

Hart: Mike Modano, Stars
Norris: Niklas Lidstrom, Wings
Vezina: Marty Turco, Stars
Calder: Jason Spezza, Senators (if he's eligible); Nathan Horton, Panthers, otherwise
Conn Smythe: Marian Hossa, Senators
Selke: Sergei Fedorov, Ducks
Adams: Glen Sather, Rangers

CR

All right, here's something I want to throw out there. If you are so inclined, answer this...

Which are the top five lines in hockey?

My top five:

1. Tanguay-Forsberg-Hejduk
2. Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi
3. Samsanov-Thornton-Murray
4. Deadmarsh-Allison-Palffy
5. Kariya-Sakic-Selanne

CR

I'll try to get up a Ducks report Tuedsay night, with lines, defensive pairings, how things are going for the team right now, and so forth.

CR

Okay, I'm as big a hockey fan as the next guy, but didn't we just ditch the 2000+ post hockey thread, like, two weeks ago?

Wouldn't it be better, really, to just sticky a damn hockey thread for year-round use?

We never ditched it actually. I see it come up once every other day.

This is an attempt to start a new such thread that is focused ont he current regular season.

Once the playoffs come around in the spring, of course, we'll all go nuts and return to a playoff thread. :)

Come on, Sack, get in the spirit of things! :)

CR

GO STARS GO!!

GO STARS GO!!

GO STARS GO!!

GO STARS GO!!

Why do we need just one hockey thread? If this is going to be the case, let's get just one damn political thread where people just scream at each other "stupid liberals" and "stupid conservatives."

That said, even with Fedorov, I don't see how the Ducks are going to play nearly as well as they did in the playoffs last year. I wouldn't be surprised if they miss the playoffs, although it's easy for me to say that before the season even starts.

Anyway, go Devils!

We don't need just one hockey thread, Pumpy. Even when the playoff thread was at its height, we still had other threads, too, about singular issues. I would suspect that will continue.

I am merely tossing out a thread for us to post our regular season meanderings as this thing goes on, much as we did with the playoff thread.

As for the Ducks, I'll get more into them tonight. But the assumption seems to be that they are the Canes, Part II. While certainly in the tough Western Conference, there is no way you can be confident to get a playoff spot (short of being one of the big three, I suppose), this impression I am getting from others thatthe Ducks are somehow worse or a fluke are continuing to ignore their play in the second half and the general talent upgrade they have on their current roster. I have also been watching the team in preseason, and I tell you, there is definitely more to this team than people are giving them credit for (even now).

Also, I only predicted them fifth, which is really not that far a cry from the seventh they finished last season.

CR

Go Habs.

I demand that the old thread be kept alive. If it was good enough for the entire playoffs and off-season, it's good enough for the regular season too. Plus, it annoys all the non-hockey fans.

Back on topic... I'm pretty sure Spezza does not qualify for the Calder this year.

GO OILERS!!!!

Personally.....i like Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi

Just because it has....speed.....Strenth...and finesse.

Also these guys can play D and kill penalties if you needed them too.I would say they have to be the most complete line on this list.

having said this.....1 line cannot carry a team...and if the Canucks don't get any secondary scoring they are gonna be in an @ssload of trouble this season.I also think they will have some controvery in goal...where Hedberg will be pushing Cloutier for the starters job.

I will support any hockey thread, old or new. Though I agree with M-Leaf, the annoyance factor of the old thread is quite enjoyable.

Quick thoughts as it's late, I'm still at work, and have a shit-load to do.

Vancouver is in trouble if they dont' get another line rolling. The top line is amazing, but they need someone, like The Sedin Twin, to start producing consistently. I agree Hedberg will push Cloutier. I have never been afraid of Cloutier as a goalie. He's good, but not all that mentally tough, and I thought this even before the 2002 series against Detroit (see: Lidstrom's 50 footer).

The Wings. Well, the Wings looked like poo in the pre-season. Disorganized. Poor defensive coverage. Less-than-stellar goaltending. The youngsters have played well though (Hulder, Zetterbeg, and Datsyuk). The Wings have arguably the most talented blue-line in the NHL with Lidstrom, Hatcher, Chelios, Schneider, Fischer, and Wooley. They have to get it together back there. They should. Hopefully Hasek will knock some of the rust off as well. As for scoring, the kids will have to carry the load it seems. Shanahan is still good for 30, Hull should be too *fingers crossed*. Yzerman wont play much at all. Whitney could provide a little spark. But the lack of Fedorov's speed and finese will be very, very evident.

I think the Wings are definitely going to struggle this year. It would not surprise me to see Hasek fizzle and, with the team struggling, quit (again) by Christmas.

I wouldn't say its over, this could be something for the team to rally around and play for.

I know at my college last year, the soccer team lost a player in a car accident (and another was in a coma for a few months), then went over 1000 minutes without allowing another goal. They finally lost in the round of 8 in the NCAA tournament. Not really the same thing, but sometimes teams can play better. But definitely not a situation you ever want to be in.

I think Big Joe Thornton could see some hardware this year, however it won't translate into the B's getting out of the first round of the playoffs this year.

The Isles -should- be a better team this year. All our players are healthy. The only problem is we don't have a winger for Yashin. But if he makes do with Czerkawski and Kvasha, we have pretty solid 2nd and 3rd, and even 4th lines.

Our defense, if we're healthy, is among the 5 best in the league, no question about it whatsoever. But the whole "healthy" thing is important. Everyone talks about how how great Aucoin is playing that many minutes, but it's only great if he doesn't get hurt.

If the Isles avoid the injury bug, we should compete with Philly and the Rag$ for 2nd place in the Atlantic. If not, we'll be hitting the links.

Well, once again I am heading into a hockey season with high hopes for the Oilers. To be honest, I think they will finally be able to start to rise this year. Our young talent is maturing, and I think this will be a break-out season from Hemsky. If Radek Dvorak can maintain the form he was beginning to show before he got injured last year, he can take some pressure off of losing Carter's goal production.

That said, there are always a lot of questions for the Oilers every year. This year, some are:

1. Mike Comrie: if he gets resigned, will he suffer from not being at training camp.? If we trade him, will we get some talent back?
2. Brad Isbister: he is going to get more time with the top line, and that will hopefully allow him to finally reach some of the potential that has been talked about for year. If so, I think he will be a tremendous power forward.
3. Tommy Salo: let's face it, he looked plain bad at times last year. We need him to re-emerge as a player we can count on for a win when we need it most.

We have a lot of talent ready to break-out...the question is, like the past few years, are they actually going to break-out or become unfulfilled potential?

So naive... :rolleyes:

;)

Oilers Preview

Things are not great in Oil Town. Comrie wants out and as far as this Oiler fan is concerned, he can go. After hurting his thumb last year, he was invisible on most nights, notable on others only for his lack of playmaking. Combined with the defection of Todd Marchant, the Oilers find themselves dreadfully short down the middle. Enter Ryan Smyth and Mike York. Both will be centering lines at the beginning of the season (although both are questionable with injuries). York is a center converted to winger converted back to center, so he should do ok. Smyth...I don't know. Smyth's strength is as a Power forward. Sure, he's not as intimidating as Bertuzzi or as skilled as Shanahan, but that's still his role on this team. Moving him to center takes him off the boards where he is so damn effective. But what do I know, Craig MacTavish is the smartest man in hockey, apparently.

All the buzz so far this season centers around the return of the RPM line (Reasoner, Pisani, Moreau for those who wonder where they get this stupid names). When the coaching staff is getting excited about the checking 3rd line, you know we're in trouble.

Key Words at camp this season: "Improved Speed and Size". Really every year we hear about how the team has improved it's speed. The Oilers have always relied on speed, and it's true that they continue to get faster with Hemsky, Isbister, Torres. However, speed sure hasn't got us past the 1st round of the playoffs for the last 5, 6, 7 or 8 years (I've lost count). Size is another matter, of course, and yes they are bigger. And they are going to have to be, since they really have no solid #1 line, they are going to have to grind for goals every night.

Defense is solid despite the glitch last year. Semenov and Bergeron will improve with another season under their belt, and Smith, Cross, Brewer, Staios, and Ferguson make one of the better defensive defense in the league. Other than Brewer, none of them are superstars, but all provide solid 100% play every shift.

Goaltending on the other hand is worrisome. Salo lost his shine with a dreadful performance last season, although a lot of the blame can be put on poor defensive play. Since the Oilers won't be scoring this year, a lot of nights are going to be up to him to win. Ty Conklin isn't the next coming as some people would have you believe, although he is a solid rookie goaltender. He won't see too much time in the nets unless Salo's form slips to last seasons lows, but he should learn enough to be considered a starter for the club in the next 2-3 years.

Special teams were dreadful last year. Want the reason why? Mike Comrie with a damaged thumb and afraid to hold the stick, and Mike York with only one good wrist who couldn't shoot, played on the majority of powerplay opportunities. That's good coaching. The solution? Craig Simpson. Yes Simpson was hired to coach the powerplay to the Oilers. Simpson, who's career was standing in front of the net and letting Messier or Anderson bank shots in off his ass. Ok, ok, I'm being a little harsh on Craig, but he can't fix what the powerplay truly lacks...and that's talent.

Oh, and one of the bright spots last year, Ales Hemsky, won't be getting 25-30 mins ice time this year according to the coaching staff. They're going to bring him along slowly. WTF? Look for that to change when the coaching staff realizes they can't score without him on the ice. That and Comrie either getting re-signed quickly or traded quickly.

General consensus: Oilers finish out of the playoffs in the West
Klayman's expert analysis: 8th in the West, 1st round loss to Colorado/Detroit/Dallas/Vancouver.

I believe that as well. He wasn't far off last year.

and then we'll need to update the "how many Hart Trophy winners has Paul Coffey played with" question.

I'll let Karim do a full writeup for the Flames if he is so inclined.

Quick Flames Synopsis:

As go Jerome, there go the Flames. Even with Iggy back to 110% the Flames are still going to suffer from goal drought. The departure of team cancer Chris Drury is only positive if Reinprecht and Warrener are not disappointing. Reinprecht looks good, Oleg Saprykin has made the club, and could provide some offensive spark, and great things are thought of rookie Chuck Kobasew. Is it enough to improve on their 27th place 186 goals for from last season? I would optimistically say yes, realistically say no.

The addition of Warrener helps the very young defensive core, but the absence of veteran blueliner Bob Bougher could lead to a lack of leadership on the blueline. Still, add another year to the kids, and they are looking better and better all the time.

Roman Turek is the number one goaltender, despite his inconsistency. Turek's Calgary career consists of playing brilliantly and then letting in awful goals. Which one is the real Roman? Hard to say, but if he plays like he has shown he can, and does it for 40 to 50 games during the season, the Flames will surprise a lot of people this year.

Can they make up the 17 points that kept them out of the playoffs for a league leading 7th straight year? Very Doubtful.

General Consensus: 11th in the West
Klayman's Expert analysis: I'd like to say 9th, but the Oiler fan in me says 10th in the West.

Is Hemsky all he has been cracked up to be?

Short answer: yes

Long answer: Maybe. We tend to highly over-evaluate our rookies in Edmonton. I remember when Joe Hulbig was the next coming of Mark Messier. :rolleyes: There is little doubt that Hemsky has talent though, and after watching him play last season I can honestly say that he is one of the most exciting wingers in the league. Does that lead to production? Not necessarily. Last season he tried to do too much, be too fancy at times. Rookie mistakes, and as he matures and learns what he can do and can't do, he'll become a more productive player. If I was the coach, I'd put him on the top line and let him learn, damn to mistakes and confidence. In two years, he'd be one of the premier wingers in the league. But I'm not the coach sadly, (since if I was we would have won some Stanley cups in the last couple of years, if EHM is any indication :) ) so we'll have to wait and see. All indicators point to yes, however, and that's from unbiased opinions (which I obviously don't have).

Penguins Preview:

If Lemiuex, Straka and Morozov stay healthy and
if Marc-Andre Fleury stands on his head and
if Olczyk motivates the players to buy into a sytem then

That is a lot of big Ifs and even then maybe with 10 points of the playoffs.

Just not enough depth although that first unit is among the Top 10 in the leauge, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines are very weak and the defense has had no major upgrades to one of the worst in the NHL last year. Here's hoping for a new CBA and new arena.

Todd

Let's hope he is. I picked him up in a fantasy league with my last pick. I am hoping it pays off.

You guys are great, you got me into hockey again... Habs still suck That's something I had not done since about 1995, when you know who left Quebec City But oh My God, the Habs suck Ever since I signed up for that fantasy hockey league of ours and attended the draft, I've been paying attention to hockey highlights and news. No offense, no defense, they just plain suck I've been visiting the hockey sections of ESPN, CBS Sportsline, etc...

Anybody got good links to hockey sites they want to share?

There was some other thing I wanted to say, but I'm forgetting what... Oh yeah, THE HABS WILL SUCK THIS YEAR, just like they have for the last oh so many years. Thank you Réjean Houle for screwing that team real good... Let's hope Bob Gainey knows what he's doing...

FM

Frogger.....Habs may surprise and get in for the 8th play-off spot if their tender puts on a show like he did 2 years ago.The way i see it is the Habs are too small,and their star player (Koivu) cannot stay healthy.They are attempting to get bigger(TAking Steve Begin in the waiver draft shows that)But can they keep Koivu healthy?

Jeeber, you just reminded me that I owe you one asskicking. And add another to the list. :D

I miss Cards. :(

You may be right, but every year they are never more than a squeeze in for the 8th spot. Maybe Gainey can right the ship and make thema bit better by next year, but this year will be amazingly tough. GK Theodore needs a good season after going through his father's legal problems (accused of illegal lending of money, shylock style, at the Montreal Casino, papers were almost saying he had something to do with it) and the Habs really need him because their wins will keep on coming on the kind of 2-0, 2-1 nights, they can't have their keeper let 4 or 5 in regularly...

BTW, I went back to check Koivu's stats from last year and was surprised to see he played 82 games last season...

FM

Glad to see this thread is moving a little.

sachmo, what happened to Cards? I wouldn't be happy at all to see him gone either. I did do a search and find that his last post was on August 11. There weren't any posts in his last few to indicate any expected leave of absence.

I hope he's just been busy or staying away for some reason and that he will return.

CR

Primelord used to also be a regular hockey fool too i believe...:sigh:...we are losing all our hockey roots.:(

Just some quick thoughts on the Flames...

Sutter has molded the team so every game is going to be a dogfight. We still don't have much offensive talent, but there are no shrimps on the team and they'll work hard or be out of the lineup. No longer will the Flames be an easy two points.

That being said, everyone will have to increase their goal scoring by at least 5 goals. A lot is expected of Saprykin and Kobasew. Chuckie showed a lot in preseason, Oleg didn't. It's probably going to be goal-scoring by committee.

The defence is solid but still lacks a proven PP QB, although Leopold is miles ahead of where he was last year. Lydman is once again going to have heavy expectations.

Turek will have to be consistent but there's also big question marks in back-up. McLellan had an awful camp while a couple of kids (Sabourin and Krahn) did well. Turek can't play every game.

I still think we're on the outside looking in, but I think we have the depth, toughness and coaching to be a pain in the ass every night. We haven't had that kind of competitiveness in a long time.

I'm going to the home opener on Saturday and can't wait.

I guess I'll step in for the Thrashers too...

I'm going to the opener on Thursday (can't really beat $8 for an NHL game) and am curious what I'll see. Kovalchuk has to make the best out of the situation, as this is his chance to become the player that Heatley could have been. He has just as much talent - it's just a question of whether or not he'll step up.

Their defense is obviously their weakness. If it has been improved, the Thrashers will win some games.

The playoffs are out of the question I think, but they should be able to avoid the cellar of the Southeast.

Alright, maybe some people are gonna hate me.

I can't get excited about the NHL this year.

You gotta understand, I'm a Capitals fan. After two years of Jagr doing nothing, I can't get pumped up. Our veterans are not getting any younger, and it seems like management does not want to go out and get some young talent. Throw in the fact that the Redskins are doing well this year (i say "well" when compared to previous years), and I just can't get into it.

I'm more eager for Maryland basketball to start up than this.

Sorry. :(

If I was a Capitals fan I'd be more interested in Maryland basketball as well :)

I thought it was just a punch in the nose? Guess I'm moving up in the world... :D

8 bux for an NHL game??!!!! Can't even buy popcorn for 8 bux at a Leaf game:(

BTW.....The Capitals will have the first coach fired this season:)

Yea', it's $10 normally (for the upper deck seats), but as a student it's only $8. $10 is still a lot cheaper than many college teams charge, even for students. So it really is a good deal.

I could go to all the Thrasher home games for around $300. At most other arenas, even if I sat in the cheapest seats, that'd buy about 10 games.

It's a damn good deal...

the cheap seats for our AHL team are $11 each.

Off topic, but funny (or actually rather sad):

Last week my sister took her three year old daughter to her first hockey game when the Red Wings were in town to play the Stars. Now, my sister is a HUGE Stars fan and just as huge a Red Wings hater.

Well, during the first intermission my sister asked my niece if she was enjoying the game. Her reply?

"Yeah. I like the red guys."

Damn near made my sister start crying at the loss of her daughter's innocence...

Yay for Niece of JeeberD!! :D Obviously (this cannot be from parenting) she knows the difference between good and (semi) evil at such an early age. Quite a bright, promising young girl you've got that JD. Let's just hope she keeps liking "the red guys" and is able to overcome her mother's potentially Vader-like influence over her daughter.

Hate the Red Wings? Hate the Red Wings?? How is this possible. I just don't understand people sometimes.

I would like to point out that as excited I am to see the NHL season get on its way, for the second and 1/4 times I will be forced to "watch" all of my beloved Wings' gamesvia a delayed internet radio webcast. :(

Woe is H_B....

The only bright-side is that when I go home for Christmas I already have tickets lined up for one game. That will be nice. H_B deserves that.

Lets go........





The BEST defense in the league, btw. ;)

Curious guys,
Is the WHA restarting? WHen, where, who, what is the plan of the league

My annual hockey post:

Uh go Stars.. Marty Turco has a slick mask.

All other questions and opinions must be directed to sachmo my official spokesman.

"According to Jim" had that type of a thing the other night. The kid liked his small Packers football, but not the Bears football Jim wanted him to play with. Dumb show but it entertained me for a half hour before I left the house.

As for hockey. . . Go Avs. Then don't do what baseball did. If you're going to strike, fix the damned problems in the game. The economics aren't as bad or as good as they are made out to be. Put a cap and a minimum salary base and get it over with. Whatever else they need to fix, get it fixed. Don't you dare strike for 6 months to a year and then come back with everything the way it was.

TroyF

I liked the Wings back in the early to mid 80's when they sucked. Does that make me good or evil? :)

Bah! It's people like you who put societies youth at risk... ;)

Ducks Preview

A lot of people are saying the Ducks were a fluke and they are going to fall off this year. Admittedly I am biased, but I don't think so. Saying so ignores the fact that they were one of the best teams in the league in the second halg, after clearly struggling to learn new coach Mike Babcock's system, which stresses getting out of the defensive zone and aggressive two-player forechecking. It also ignores the fact that the Ducks clearly have more talent and skill on their roster right now than they even did during the playoffs last year, and this time they have it all season.

I think a lot of people are still going to be surprised when the Ducks prove to be much more consistent and in the mix of things than they expected, and at the end of the season, people won't talk about the big four (Detroit, Dallas, Colorado, Vancouver), but the big five (adding Anaheim).

Here's a look at the Ducks by line and pairing:

First Line

LW Jason Krog- C Sergei Deferov- RW Rob Neidermayer

Okay, this matchup surprised me abit, but when I see the second line, I am very excited by the kind of play this setup can bring for the Ducks. I don't think anyone doubts that when Federov is on his game, he is the kind of player than can make those around him better. I think he can do so here as well. Niedermayer has been a disappointment for years, because of high expectations, but behind all that, he has quietly become a very solid defensive forward who can put up 15-20 goals when left alone. He did very well with the Ducks last year after the trading deadline. Krog played on the third and fourth lines last year, mostly, and bespite limited ice time, had 25 points in 67 games. A top line pairing with Federov could be just what he's looking for to explose on the scene, get 25 goals and 60 points in a full season. He's also solid defensively, making this one of the best defensive top lines I have seen in the NHL.

Second Line

LW Vinny Prospal- C Steve Rucchin- RW Petr Sykora

As much as I like the Ducks' scoring depth, I have to think the decision to bump both Prospal and Sykora from the top line was to make opponents actually have to choose between stopping Federov or stopping this line. This second line is a top line in all but name. Prospal is coming off his best season, so you have to thnik he's going to come down a little. That said, I have been watching this guy in the preseason and he's fast, feisty and a playmaker. He's also solid defensively. Steve Rucchin is the heart and soul of this team, and actually has been for years, although Kariya always got the headlines. I think dropping him down to the second line is a great move, because he really is much better suited here. He remains one of the best defensive forwards in the league and a hard-working goal scorer. Sykora, of course, is the Ducks' top sniper. He got 34 goals last season, and there's no reason that should stop this year, if he has Prospal and Rucchin feeding him passes. He's always dangerous. He's the only guy of the top six forwards that isn't considered an A or B player defensively, but he's not a slouch there either.

Third Line

LW Stanislav Chistov- C Samuel Pahlsson- RW Joffrey Lupul

This is traditionally the checking line, but it seems likely the Ducks will fearlessly be matching their top two lines against the best of the other teams, thanks to the defensive consistency of the top six. That allows them to go with a younger line that has some very good offensive potential here on the third line. Pahlsson is a traditional third-line checker with developing offensive skills. He's very solid in his own end, has the size to hit, and should get 10 goals with 30-35 points (on a normal third line, he could get more assists if the wings around him develop). Chistov may be the most talented player ont he roster right now and is a future top-liner. The problem is he has been very inconsistent, and the preseason gave no reason to think that has changed. He is better than most young forwards defensively, although that just makes him average on the whole. If Chistov recognizes his talent, he's a 30-goal scorer. More than likely he'll slightly improve on last year's numbers (12 goals, 30 points) and continue to frustrate us Ducks fans. If you're wondering who the big, but fast skater is on this line, that is Joffrey Lupul, the seventh overall pick in the 2002 draft. Lupul is basically a power forward with a hard shot and very nice skating form for a big man. He had a wonderful preseason and if he keeps playing the way he has been (we'll see tonight), he could vie for the Calder. That's aiming high, though--I wouldn't mind seeing him come in with 10-15 goals and 30-40 points (which i think he is capable of with enough ice time).

Fourth Line

LW Garrett Burnett- C Craig Johnson- RW Alexei Smirnov

Burnett is here for one reason: enforcer. He's a career minor leaguer with little offensive upside, so when he's on the ice you know what he's doing. He led the AHL last season with 364 penalty minutes. Good Lord. Johnson was a very nice pickup, as we needed a solid and speedy defensive forward for our penalty kill. Any offense out of him would be a bonus, but he isn't an offensive zero either. Smirnov is another former first rounder, but he hasn't developed as much as Chistov and Lupul have. He has some serious upside as a power forward, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Notes: We have some players missing from the forward corps to start the season. Power forward Mike LeClerc is a 20-goal scoring regular and a big and strong defensive player as well. He had knee surgery is liekly out until December. He is a second-line player, or a very good third-liner, with 30-goal potential. Center Andy McDonald is considered one of the most talented offensive players on the team, but has been suffering from the ole concussion-syndrome since last February. He is practicing again and working out and should be back this month. Just not tonight. And we have Dan Bylsma, who should be familar to hockey fans. He is essentially a superstud penalty killer and not much else,but he is out until December with a kneee injury as well, which is why signing Johnson was so important. We also have prospect forward Mikael Homqvist on the roster. He is another exciting young winger that the Ducks will probably work into their lines, probably replacing Burnett on the fourht line when they don't need an enforcer out there.

First Pairing

Sandis Ozolinsh-Kurt Sauer

The joke is that there are two O's in Ozolinsh's name, but no 'D'. Well, no, he's still not going to shock you with his defensive prowess, but Ozolinsh has improved his defensive game markedly, especially with the Ducks, where you play well in your own end, or don't play. He is also the quarterback of the power play and acknowledged to be almost a top-six forward-level in skill offensively. Saurer is a big kid who plays like a vet. He received votes in the Calder voting last year and is very solid in his own end. His presence allows Ozolinsh to jump in more often than usual.

Second Pairing

Ruslan Salei-Todd Simpson

Everyone knows (and hates) Salei. Despite the impression of being a dirty gamer, Salei is by and large a very effective defender and his presence does, of course, require forwards to keep an eye out when they're flying into the Ducks' zone. Supposedly, Salei has some offensive skill that could blossom at any time. I'll be honest--I'll believe it when I see it. He's not a zero on offense, but I don't think any of the Ducks' oppoennts are going to have to gameplan for him. Simpson was a very nice waiver wire addition, considering the Carney injury. Yotes and Flamers fans will have to tell me more about him, but my understanding is he is a tough, veteran defensive presence who should fit in well here. I like that he's a former captain.

Third Pairing

Niclas Havelid-Vitaly Vishnevsky

Ozolinsh and, last year, Olausson, got so much talk as offensive forwards that Havelid didn't really get mentioned much. But the fact is he is probably our best passer out of our own zone and a very effective puck mover. He's a top four D-man playing on our third pairing. I'll take that. Vishnevsky is the big hitter on the team, and gets on a lot of highlight reels. He is solid in his own end, but needs to develop the offensive game he has been rumored to have for years now.

Notes: As I mentioned above, we are currently without defensive leadcer Keith Carner. That hurts us probably more than any of the other injuries, even with our depth ont he blueline. Carney is a very effective checker who can man-up the top forwards int he league. He's smart and tough and logs a lot of ice-time. The team is hoping to have him back from a broken foot by early November.

Goaltenders

Jean-Sebastian Giguere
Martin Gerber

I probably don't need to talk about this too much. Jiggy showed in the playoffs both that he is tremendously talented and skilled, and that he is a team leader as well. He got off to a slow start last year, so I hope he doesn't have the same start this season. He remains one of the best goalies in the game, and a good season should put him in the elite group of 'tenders (I think people are hesitant to do so just yet, but he'll prove himself). Gerber is one of the best backup goalies in the league, and would start for a number of other teams. He seems to have the perfect mindset for being a backup, and he is always ready to play. He actually had better numbers than Jiggy in the regular season and allowed two or less goals in 12 of his 15 starts.

There you go. Feel free to refer to it as the season goes by. :)

CR

Islanders Preview

They will play 82 games. 41 will be snoozefests played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. They will be near .500. They will play to about 78% capacity. There will be one guy with a jersey that says Rangers Suck. He will dance around like a fool with his rainbow wig. They will then roll over and play dead in the first round of the playoffs.

As for the WHA: They have a 10 million dollar salary cap (except for one player). They are going to have teams in cities that already don't support the NHL - think Pittsburgh. They are going to attempt to capitalize on some sort of lockout. They will be out of business by 2005. There is actually a WHA2 that starts play this season. Teams in places like Orlando. As someone who actually went to WHA games, I'm tingling with anticipation ;).

Figures. I put that up, and then the Ducks start off down 2-0 in the first three minutes. :(

The first play was understandable. The Stars are a very good team on the power play, and it's no surprise to see Sergei Zubov scoring with the extra man.

But that second goal was horrible. Ozolinsh totally whiffed on that attempted clear out and pretty much set up a point blank shot on goal for Stu Barnes. The announcers are saying "This ain't the playoffs, Jiggy!" and saying Barnes made a great shopt, but gimme a break, let's see them stop a shot from 10 feet out with no one between you and the pucka nd very little time to react to the fact that a shot like that was coming. Ugh.

Let's come back in this one!

CR

Long story short. Hello NHL Draft Lottery. Think Carolina Hurricanes last season.

Wanna bet, Jim?

Same bet as DD last year.

Your most embarrassing pic on this forum (or mine) when the Ducks clinch (or are eliminated).

Draft Dodger lost, BTW. :)

CR

Clinch what? The playoffs? We are talking about a league where the New York Rangers aren't eliminated until the final week. That's not much of a stretch......

Edit: Can't I just post naked pictures of my gf or something?

Where is the link to that pic, anyways?

PLease take this bet:)

I love silly pictures:)

I'm not the guy saying NHL Draft Lottery, wiseguy. You are. If you think making the NHL playoffs is so easy, then why don't you take back your prediction about the Ducks?

If instead you still believe this will happen, despite the "ease" of making the NHL playoffs, then don't be a wimp, stand up for what you are saying and take the bet.

CR

You would have to ask DD. He did post it at the end of the regular season. Heck, it might even be in the playoff thread. I forget. :)

DD's the man. He actually posted two embarrassing pics. :)

CR

Good chippy game between the Stars and Ducks. I especially like watching Guigere give up 2 goals on the first 3 shots of the game. :D REVENGE!!

there are actually a couple of really big questions involving the Islanders this year. I personally, will be on the edge of my seat to find out the answer to:

Is the hideous orange 3rd jersey even worse than the Gordon fisherman jerseys of a few years ago? How is it that one team is responsible for two of the ugliest jerseys of all time?

actually, the bet was between Sykora and Friesen.

Fine, fine, bet taken.

When they don't make the playoffs you post naked pictures of your girlfriend.

The fisherman jersey was way worse. There was a kid in college 10 years ago that we still refer to as the 'kid in the fishsticks jersey'.

To those of you within earshot of WFAN:
Ducks and geese and chickens and eggs......

Sorry if I mischaracterized by not stating the actual bet. My reference wasn't that it was the same kind of bet but the same stakes. :)

I think those who were following along last year know it was about Sykora and Friesen. You should be happy, though--you guys git the Cup.

sachmo, you suck! :) It is a very chippy game. I am enjoying it, despite losing. I am hoping the Ducks can still come back in this one,b ut Turco is tough (unsaid: in the regular season ;) ).

CR

no idea

lol...YOUR embarrassing pic. :)

But I wouldn't mind if you posted naked pics of your girlfriend either. :D

CR

Fine, fine.... embarrassing....

It's already on the web, I'll get the link ready for July or whenever the season ends.

Stanley Cup: Ottawa over Dallas

Art Ross: Joe Sakic

Rocket Richard: Joe Sakic

Hart: Joe Sakic

Norris: Wade Redden

Vezina: Marty Turco

Selke: John Madden

Calder: Chuck Kobasew

Adams: Dave Tippett

~~~

First Coach Fired: Barry Trotz

Most Improved Team: Calgary

Breakout Player: Jason Spezza

Biggest Disappointment (team): Columbus

Biggest Disappointment (player): Jaromir Jagr

Biggest Story: Heatley's career over after sentencing

Lockout: Yes

What are they going to do? Go 17-56-9?

:)

Dola:
When the NHL was entertaining:

Check out the 83 draft. If the first round isn't impressive... I know you David A. Jensen fans remember....
Check out that scrub goalie in the 10th round.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1983e.html

Stars win! I feel better, Chief.

I'll bet you do, you bastard. :)

We started off last year with a big loss to you guys, too. What is this, a bonus for the Ducks? We always get to start off the Stars in their building? :)

You guys look good, but I expected that. That's why I picked you to go to the Cup finals. Guerin really makes a difference for you guys (as I knew he would--I have him on one of my fantasy teams).

Good luck the rest of the way, and I hope we hand it back to you hard when you come to Anaheim.

CR

I'd just like to point out that at 23(maybe he was 24) Craig MacTavish, who has nowhere near the talent as Heatley, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and served a year in prison, and afterward put together an impressive career that included 4 Stanley Cup rings.

If his career is over, it will be because of the injuries and his mental state after the accident, not because of going to jail. And we certainly will not be able to tell at the end of this season anyway. :)

I heart DD.

Tonight was bliss....i got to watch hockey...::drool::

TSN carried the Ducks/Stars game...not a bad affair.

Why were the Stars trying to ship out Guerin?Is he a cancer?

How has Prospal looked so far in preseason CR?

Dola

Congrats to Iginla for being named the first black team captain in the NHL.

In preseason, he looked great, bbor. In fact, he looked far better than even I expected.

He was making plays, involved in the action, quick, feisty. He looked every bit the guy who got almost 60 assists last year.

It makes me wonder why he hasn't been too consistent with it, or what corner he turned last year (or the year before, which was his previous "best year") that has turned him into the player he is now.

I didn't see him too much tonight, though. :(

Joffrey Lupul looked great. One of the few standouts for the Ducks. You see that hit on Lehtinen? Look, I don't like that the guy maybe got hurt there, but nice hit, rook!

I have no idea why the Stars would want to ship Guerin, short of money issues. He's a fine player.

CR

Ditto.

CR

The Stars didn't shop Guerin, but they did listen to offers for him. There was concern about the leg injury, and they were looking for any possible way to keep Hatcher in Dallas and not break Hicks self-imposed cap. Trading Guerin would have freed up a heck of a lot of salary room. Too bad Turgeon didn't go, but it's all water under the bridge now!

All right, some has some explaining to do. Chief Rum, this is from your beloved Ducks' website. It's from Sergei Fedorov's player profile. (link: http://www.mightyducks.com/team/players_desc.asp?id=144)


"lists playing with the Russian Five (Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Pavel Datsyuk, Maxim Kuznetsov, Dmitri Bykov) with the Detroit Red Wings as his greatest hockey memory."


I understand that the Ducks haven't been around for a long time and that Anahiem is about as far from a "Hockeytown" as you can get, but... Come on, people!

Maxim Kuznetsov? Dmitri Bykov? They make up 2/5's of the Russian Five??? Even Datsyuk is wrong! Someone needs to check their facts. (I would reccomend Chief Rum write the all of the player profiles, but I doubt the internet is big enough.)

For the record, the Russian Five were as follows:

Igor Larionov
Sergei Fedorov
Slava Kozlov
Vladimir Konstantinov :(
Slava Fetisov

That was the Russian Five.

Kuznetsov???? Oh for f*ck's sake.

I have also found another reason to hate the Avalanche: Jim Cummins. Cummins is in very rare company as a member of the group of players I didn't like EVEN when they were Red Wings. He, Jimmy Carson, Marc Potvin, and a very few select others are in this group. Even the beloved Winged Wheel couldn't help these players.

Usually once a player joins the Wings I will learn to like him (see: Chelios). I am still not yet there with Hatcher. Like Chelios, it will take time. The old wounds run deep.

H_B...what about Cujo?...You still dislike him?

The Penguins announced the Marc-Andre Fleury will start tomorrow's opener. I am really excited to watch him play.

I can't believe Lemieux is going to throw Fleury to the wolves this year. The Penguins would be hard-pressed to beat a good AHL team, and their defence is the worst part. This season will either strengthen Fleury and lead him on the path to an Uber-succesful career... or it will crush him and he'll never recover. There is no in-between.

Fidatelo, I agree completely. I used to think it took at least one or two seasons before a goalie was to be part of a team full time. I guess they think he'll be soooo good that he'll be able to gain from this experience...

FM

Dude, I have the reason of all reasons to hate them: they once were the Nordiques and won the Cup their first year out of town :(

FM

I was in Denver that first year. It was quite exciting.

Thanks for your team, FM... :D

Do the Pens have any choice?They need to put asses in the seats.....can't beat putting the #1 draft pick in the net right away to get people down to the rink.

It will obviously retard Fluery's progress...but i think at this point they are more worried about saving the franchise.

Dola,

Just recieved my sports illustrated hockey preview edition......with Pedro on the cover...:( I did'nt know Pedro played hockey???

Anyways...it is 19 pages long..standard stuff..they basically skim over every team....prolly the worst preview out there...Kinda neat little article on goaltenders...but that is about the height of the preview.

Anyone pick up any good hockey preview magazines?

It just makes you a reverse-bandwagon jumper :D

I can live with that.


I was going to disagree with the thought that putting Fluery in net would hurt him, but looking back at the stats I had difficulty finding goaltenders that came right out of juniors and played over 40 games in the NHL next season. There are a few though, Tom Barrasso, Grant Fuhr, and Patrick Roy to name a couple. Sure, for every Roy, there is an Alan Bester to go along with him, but there doesn't really seem to be a correlation between coming straight out of juniors into the starting role at the NHL level. Seems about 50/50 success rate to me, but it's easier to find the successful ones than the ones that didn't make it.

The main thing Fluery will have to get used to is losing every night for awhile. If he is mature enough to handle that, then he should be ok.

I'm a big fan of the Forecaster. It's fairly out-of-date as far as player movement is concerned (I believe July 16th was their cut-off date), but you won't find better in-depth scouting reports of every player anywhere else. So if you can live with the incorrect rosters, I would definately recommend picking it up.

The early publication problem is one reason I don't buy any preview magazines anymore, except for college sports. This is especially now that there are so many previews available on the internet with much more up-to-date info.

And this goes for pretty much any professional sports out there. I used to buy many NFL preview and fantasy football magazines, but I don't anymore, as I can usually find more than a few preview articles to either print out and take with me or read on the spot...

FM

Thanks to the NHL Center Ice TV package, I get to watch this beautiful tribute to Grant Fuhr that the Oilers are putting on tonight. It's really nice, and I'm glad that I get to see this. He skated a lap around the rink in full goalie gear (sans mask), and now his family has come out to greet him (I never thought I'd say this in my lifetime, but Grant Fuhr's daughters are hot). Four former Oilers goalies have just presented him with a banner displaying his #31. This is really special, and I had no idea that the Oilers were doing this tonight.

Grant Fuhr is one of my all-time favorite players, and I think he deserves this.

Now another banner with Grant's number is being raised to the rafters, while he's standing at center ice in tears. This is a really great job that the Oilers are doing. There are seven other games on that I could be watching, but I'm enjoying this more than anything. Excellent stuff.

woohoo! Oilers are undefeated, 5-2 over the Sharks :)