The Official 13-14 NHL Regular season thread

[Fidatelo]

I haven't watched a lot of Taylor Hall, but in the handful of games I've seen I haven't seen an Olympian. Very nice player, and will almost surely make future teams, but still makes a lot of mistakes. Right now I'd be scared to put him out there in close games in a win-or-go-home situation.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Great piece. Feel like it should be on Grantland it's so long.

Instead of smushed into ESPN's little mobile-like site with a teeny center column?

SI

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Nah, I think Nugent-Hopkins falls into that category just as much as Yakupov does. Basically, they were insane to take skilled young forwards in those situations, especially ones they were then going to rush to the big leagues and let fail with the rest of the team.

Also, don't think you'll get too much sympathy from a Ducks fan about FA signings not wanting to play in Edmonton given the Schultz situation. Insane that their best NHL defenseman was basically gift wrapped because of a loophole. This team could be worse.

EDIT - I'm probably being unfair to Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov, who haven't been terrible for young players in the league. But I just can't see the justification in drafting offensive players when there are so many holes elsewhere (and it looks really bad given what Landeskog has done already and then how strong the 2012 defenseman class already looks)

Prefacing this by stating that I'm an Oilers' fan...ugh.

RNH has been fine since being drafted apart from a shoulder injury that apparently was an old injury...not much you can do about that. No regrets on that pick as he's quite often the best player on the ice, after Hall. Not sure why Landeskog would make the RNH pick look bad...RNH has more points in less games, no?

Yak, well, he's an enigma at the moment with plenty of talent but just hasn't put it all together just yet. There's no question that he belongs in the NHL it's just a matter of him maturing and realizing how to use his teammates.

Not sure how you don't draft those guys when you have the chance because defensemen are so damn tough to predict and develop. But, they have drafted plenty of defensemen with high picks in recent drafts trying to address the need at defense but those guys will take time. And if Schultz were our best defensemen they would be even worse than they are now...if you can believe it.

They have a decent mix of youth and vets at the moment but the skill level on the backend still isn't there yet while management seems to think it is because they haven't done enough to improve it. They are also on their 3rd coach in 3 seasons so the constant change in schemes can't be good.

They have to get better...right? RIGHT?

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I haven't watched a lot of Taylor Hall, but in the handful of games I've seen I haven't seen an Olympian. Very nice player, and will almost surely make future teams, but still makes a lot of mistakes. Right now I'd be scared to put him out there in close games in a win-or-go-home situation.

Yup, lots of ups and downs with him.

Ideally he never touches the puck in the Oilers' zone and takes a pass in the neutral zone and is off the races.

Surely the IIHF could make some wacky rule to make that work, right?

[bhlloy]

Considering Landeskog is the captain of one of the most surprising teams in the league and a great two way player, I don't think a few less points bothers me too much. I think he's clearly far more valuable than RNH and likely to stay that way. Other than that most of what you say is probably fair.

I may have a biased opinion of Hall but he kills the Ducks and it feels like he does it singlehandedly. Last game I was at vs the Oilers I think he scored a goal on a sick rush and then hit the post on another that was even better. He terrifies me. As for mistakes, maybe that's true but it's not like Nash is a responsible two way player either. He's a scorer that hasn't been scoring. Makes no sense to me.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Considering Landeskog is the captain of one of the most surprising teams in the league and a great two way player, I don't think a few less points bothers me too much. I think he's clearly far more valuable than RNH and likely to stay that way.

Landeskog was also the captain of the 2nd worst team in the league last season.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

Landeskog was also the captain of the 2nd worst team in the league last season.

+1

Colorado getting world's better has a lot more to do with EJ, Duchesne, O'Reilly, Giguere/Varlamov, and Roy, than Landeskog somehow willing them to get better.

From an outsider, seems like you load up to beat EDM but trying to limit Hall, RNH and Eberle, and assume you'll score 4+ against them. RNH can't be faulted because 80% of the EDM is rather weak/

[MacroGuru]

Sabres hire Tim Murray as GM.

[RomaGoth]

Say what?

Brian Rafalski returning to pro hockey with ECHL Florida Everblades - CBSSports.com

Brian Rafalski has come out of retirement and will play professional hockey again. Just not in the NHL.
On Thursday the Florida Everblades of the ECHL announced that they have signed the 40-year-old Rafalski, who hasn't played in the NHL since 2010-11 with the Red Wings when a knee issue led him to retire at the age of 37.
However last week in Detroit Rafalski put on the Winged Wheel again for the Alumni Showdown outdoors at Comerica Park and apparently that gave him the itch to play professionally again, thus the deal with the Everblades.
"I'm just excited to get back on the ice again and see where God takes me on this journey," Rafalski said in the Everblades' release.
Rafalski won three Stanley Cups in his career that spanned 830 games between the Devils and Red Wings. He also picked up two silver medals with the US national team at the 2010 and 2002 Olympic Games and was a two-time All-Star in the NHL. Apparently the Kelly Cup is missing from that resume.
Either that or he's looking to get back to the NHL. That's what the Everblades coach told the Detroit Free-Press.

"He played in the Winter Classic alumni game and got the bug," Everblades coach Greg Poss said. "He wants to play in the NHL again."

Undrafted out of the University of Wisconson and Dearborn, Michigan, Rafalski was quite the point-producer throughout his career on the blue line, picking up between 40 and 60 points with regularity throughout his career. Even in his final season he had four goals and 44 assists for the Wings in just 63 games, leaving his contract and the big salary that came with it a year early.
There's no telling where this is going to go for Rafalski at this point and if he will be able to dominate the ECHL at this stage but you have to admit one thing: it is nice to see that he still has the fire to play the game and compete that he's willing to play for ECHL Florida to do it.

[BishopMVP]

This should probably go in the college hockey thread, but if you recall a few years ago at a Bruins game a 9y/o from Portland, ME did some ridiculous shootout tricks.



Long story short, he's now 13, and he just became the youngest player to commit to a D1 college (Maine).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Darn, I just hate to hear this

Winnipeg Jets dismiss coach Claude Noel, hires Paul Maurice - ESPN

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Darn, I just hate to hear this

Winnipeg Jets dismiss coach Claude Noel, hires Paul Maurice - ESPN

They're determined to make Byfuglien play defense. And everyone else.

Seriously, Maurice will probably get them moving in the right direction for a bit. He's proven that with his stints in Toronto and Carolina. However, he just hits a wall at some point that his teams never really seem to get over consistently from year to year. He benefited from a fairly weak Southeast when the team moved here to win a couple of division titles and then that run to the Cup Final in 2002 and the ECF in 2009 when he came back for seconds in Raleigh, but other than that, just not much there on his resume'.

I was thinking maybe the additional resources there might give him a chance at winning, but then he had all the resources he could ever want in Toronto and that didn't work out. Good luck to him in Winnipeg nonetheless.

[Fidatelo]

This change needed to happen, as Noel had completely lost the team. That said, Maurice is only signed to the end of the season so there is no guarantee he will be here long term. I suspect he might simply be a stop gap to placate the boo birds for the rest of the year, plus perhaps provide a second coaches opinion when it comes to Chevy evaluating what player moves need to be made. There have been rumours for over a year now that Hawerchuk was likely to get the team after Noel, but that can't happen mid-season because of his responsibilities in Barrie. This move still leaves that in play if there is substance to it.

[BishopMVP]

Ping: MapleLeafs

Is the new Grantland re-design something that makes it look nicer for mobile devices that isn't going away? I hate the narrow text ESPN uses for most of its site, and am disappointed to see it on the long-form part of the site.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Ping: MapleLeafs

Is the new Grantland re-design something that makes it look nicer for mobile devices that isn't going away? I hate the narrow text ESPN uses for most of its site, and am disappointed to see it on the long-form part of the site.

I agree, this latest design feels like a step back. I really liked the previous one.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Ping: MapleLeafs

Is the new Grantland re-design something that makes it look nicer for mobile devices that isn't going away? I hate the narrow text ESPN uses for most of its site, and am disappointed to see it on the long-form part of the site.

Yeah I believe it's called "responsive design" and it's so it could be viewed best across all platforms and devices. It's definitely a lot better to read on my phone than it used to be, but I hate it on my laptop. Seems like it should be similarly "responsive" to get wider on a widescreen.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Got tipped to this by DownGoesBrown but I can't seem to get the embed link from the regional 'net to work right. Very cool stuff IMO.

Wish Recipient Braden Nienaber Throws Steve Ott Out of Ceremonial Face-off (GIF)

[DaddyTorgo]

Love it.

[Fidatelo]

Well the Jets are now 2-0 under Paul Maurice, with a decent chance of going 3-0 when the Oilers come to town tomorrow. They've looked quite good, but Phoenix, Calgary, and then Edmonton aren't exactly a murderer's row.

But have no fear, those murderers are coming! The next 3 games are all on the road against Anaheim, San Jose, and Chicago. I wouldn't be surprised if Maurice's record is 3-3 by the end of that stretch, but the tale will truly be told in how they actually perform during those games. If they can be consistent and at least look competent, it will be a step forward from where they've been at for a large chunk of the season.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I agree, this latest design feels like a step back. I really liked the previous one.

Originally Posted by Logan

Yeah I believe it's called "responsive design" and it's so it could be viewed best across all platforms and devices. It's definitely a lot better to read on my phone than it used to be, but I hate it on my laptop. Seems like it should be similarly "responsive" to get wider on a widescreen.

It's not just the responsive design. They've also now got links to other stories in a right-hand column that takes up 30% of the screen on some articles and just white space in the rest. Add in a column for footnotes that takes up 10-15% of the screen and the actual article is smushed into just over 50% of the screen. I'm fine with having those links etc at the top, but having them stay on the right side and take up that much of the screen feels Bleacher Report or SBNation-esque, or just leaving it as white space if they don't feels like a waste of space. I'll still go to Grantland for the content, but part of its appeal to me was that it felt like an oasis where you could read in-depth, long-form journalism instead of the constant ADD click-fests most "sports" sites cater to.

(Fwiw DGB you're right at the top there for quality of content, and now apparently quantity too. What are you up to now, like 9 articles this week? )

[Fidatelo]

I'm also not a fan of their typography changes. The larger headline fonts all look blurry to me. Actually, I think the smaller stuff might be a bit off too.

[Fidatelo]

Dola

The other thing I liked about the old design was that the site felt more 'text-y' and less 'picture-y'. That's not a very science-y statement, but I don't really know how else to describe it. Sort of more mature. Is this making sense? Let me put it this way: I felt less awkward having the old site open on my workstation than the new one. I just feel like the new one is going to be instantly obvious that it's not work related at all, whereas the old one, if you went past the big main image, had a chance at looking 'legitimate' on a glance.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Old time hockey in Vancouver.

Line brawl off the opening face off. 110 pims.

Torts going insane.

[Logan]

Torts trying to go after the Calgary coaches in the locker room was obviously insane, but Hartley comes across as such a scared bitch as he just stared ahead on the bench as Torts was yelling at him. If you're going to initiate all that, at least own up to it.

[Fidatelo]

I feel bad for the kid on the Canuck that only got to 'play' 2 seconds of his first NHL game. Good job sending him out to get mugged, Torts.

Regardless, the whole incident is a joke. The idea of sending out a line of goons to start the game fighting in order to 'give your team a lift' or whatever is stupid beyond belief. This is the kind of shit that shouldn't exist in hockey and should be met with suspensions and fines all around (players, coaches, and GMs/teams).

[sterlingice]

Thank god TSN.ca exists because ESPN only had a 1 minute clip of the game from last night. No explanation, no nothing, just "heh-heh, it's a fight" and no scoring or anything. Morons.

Why did the Flames put the big guys out there to start the game? Or was Torterella off base saying that?

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Or was Torterella off base saying that?

Not according to ESPN.com, who even had a quote from Hartley (rather lamely) defending the decision to do so.

[johnnyshaka]

Torts is a moron for not starting the Sedins and getting an early 1-0 lead.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Logan

Torts trying to go after the Calgary coaches in the locker room was obviously insane, but Hartley comes across as such a scared bitch as he just stared ahead on the bench as Torts was yelling at him. If you're going to initiate all that, at least own up to it.

How Hartley can claim anything but trying to stir shit....Westgarth had two faceoff attempts prior to this.

Torts is a nut job, but I have no problem with him putting out his 4th line. Going to the locker room after....yeah, no condoning that.

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I feel bad for the kid on the Canuck that only got to 'play' 2 seconds of his first NHL game. Good job sending him out to get mugged, Torts.

Regardless, the whole incident is a joke. The idea of sending out a line of goons to start the game fighting in order to 'give your team a lift' or whatever is stupid beyond belief. This is the kind of shit that shouldn't exist in hockey and should be met with suspensions and fines all around (players, coaches, and GMs/teams).

I know those who believe in this crap will point to "you've never played the game!!", but agree 100% here.

I laugh all the time at people claiming the lift it gives a team.

2009, Max Talbot got his ass kicked by Dan Carcillo, then "shhhhh'd!" the Philly crowd. Philly led 3-0 in game 6 at this point. The Penguins ended up winning 5-3, scoring their first goal shortly after the fight.

Legend has it Talbot's willingness to fight willed the team to victory.

Had Philly gone up 4-0, the same group would tell you Carcillo pumped up his team, and demoralized the Penguins.

[johnnyshaka]

I have no problem with Hartley starting his 4th line on the road to try and set the tone early and send a message to the Canucks that it's going to be a physical game. If Torts puts out the Sedins then the Canucks likely get a good opportunity to create some offense against the 4th line because there is no way a line brawl occurs a la John Scott and Phill Kessel with the Sedins on the ice to start the game. But that's not Torts' style...nope.

Torts is the one who orchestrated the line brawl, no doubt about it. If he didn't want that to happen then he had the power to put an end to it...plain and simple...and he didn't.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Afraid that Torts think about claiming the title of "biggest nut job in the NHL" tag...


http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=441712

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Bryan Murray were at NHL headquarters in New York on Monday with NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr as part of Melnyk's forensic investigation into Matt Cooke's skate cut on Erik Karlsson last season, according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

I have no problem with Hartley starting his 4th line on the road to try and set the tone early and send a message to the Canucks that it's going to be a physical game. If Torts puts out the Sedins then the Canucks likely get a good opportunity to create some offense against the 4th line because there is no way a line brawl occurs a la John Scott and Phill Kessel with the Sedins on the ice to start the game. But that's not Torts' style...nope.

Torts is the one who orchestrated the line brawl, no doubt about it. If he didn't want that to happen then he had the power to put an end to it...plain and simple...and he didn't.

While a line brawl may not have occurred had the Sedin's been iced, a fight of some sort surely would have. At least one of those first five guys on the ice for Vancouver was going to have to drop the gloves, and everyone knew it. What the hell kind of start is that to a game? What does Tortorella say to his players if he serves up the first line as fresh meat to Calgary's goons? "Good luck guys! Stay safe out there! I'll be here on the bench if you need me".

[johnnyshaka]

Actually, since being hit by Cooke a week ago, Yakupov has been out, too. WTF??

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

Actually, since being hit by Cooke a week ago, Yakupov has been out, too. WTF??

Edmonton probably owes Minnesota for taking care of that problem for them

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

While a line brawl may not have occurred had the Sedin's been iced, a fight of some sort surely would have. At least one of those first five guys on the ice for Vancouver was going to have to drop the gloves, and everyone knew it. What the hell kind of start is that to a game? What does Tortorella say to his players if he serves up the first line as fresh meat to Calgary's goons? "Good luck guys! Stay safe out there! I'll be here on the bench if you need me".

Why does icing the 4th line automatically mean a fight is going to ensue? I mean McGratten isn't the kind of guy who's going to jump a Sedin, so why would that night be any different? And the rest of the guys on the ice were hardly "goons" with a handful of fights between them.

Torts got his feathers ruffled, for whatever reason, and figured he'd blow shit up after his team had been shutout twice and blown out 9-1 in another...he knew exactly what he was doing.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Edmonton probably owes Minnesota for taking care of that problem for them

LOL...I was going to add that I didn't mind Yak being out but thought that might be a tad insensitive since he's supposed to be the Holy Grail or something.

[Logan]

Rangers trade Del Zotto to Nashville for Kevin Klein.

MDZ really wore out his welcome here and just didn't improve enough defensively where he could be relied upon. He also was supposed to be our puck moving d-man but he sucked at it.

I know nothing about Klein but have read that he's a very solid #4 type and he's a righty which the Rangers defense desperately needed. Signed long term at a reasonable $2.9MM per.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Great deal for the Rangers.

Insurance/leverage for Giradi too.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

And the rest of the guys on the ice were hardly "goons" with a handful of fights between them.

There were also a unit that had produced a grand total of 0 points in 2014 as of that game.

Butler's last point was 12/21
Jones' last point was 11/30 (he'd missed a cpl wks with injury)
McGrattan's last point was 12/12
Smid's last point was 11/29
Westgarth's last point came in April of last season

They're also 5 of the 7 largest players on the Flames roster.

AFAIC, there's not any reasonable question what Hartley had in mind (for whatever reason), Vancouver merely obliged them.

I'm not exactly a fan of Torts by any stretch of the imagination, but trying to paint him as the instigator here seems downright silly.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Great deal for the Rangers.

Insurance/leverage for Giradi too.

Short of Girardi taking a massive discount on years and dollars (and why would he, with Phaneuf off the market?), I'm not sure how the Rangers bring him back. He's already slowing down a bit and he plays the type of game that just doesn't hold up over time. And it's not like he has other skills to fall back on. It would be hard to do, but unless the team really catches fire, I hope they move him before the deadline.

[Chief Rum]

For those who didn't see, the Ducks amazing streak of not losing in regulation at home finally ended last night... against Winnepeg?!?

[bhlloy]

Funnily enough one of the best Ducks efforts of the season - Hiller gave up a few soft ones, Pavelec was incredible and the corsi was something stupid like 75-35 in favor of the Ducks (shots 43 to 18 or something like that).

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

For those who didn't see, the Ducks amazing streak of not losing in regulation at home finally ended last night... against Winnepeg?!?

Where is Winnepeg?

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

For those who didn't see, the Ducks amazing streak of not losing in regulation at home finally ended last night... against Winnepeg?!?

I am waiting for them to implode. Any team coached by Boudreau inevitably will self-destruct, right?

[Fidatelo]

I watched the Jets/Ducks game, the Jets probably shoved old ladies out of their way as they ran out of the building clutching those 2 points. They were completely outplayed for at least 50% of the game, and maybe even with the Ducks for the other half. If that game were played 9 more times I bet the Ducks win at least 8 of them. Hopefully, win or lose, they can play a bit more even game against San José tomorrow night.

That said, Jets are 4-0 under Maurice. And Trouba and Scheifele are looking like studs, and Bogosian seems to be rebounding a bit from a pretty bad first half. Throw in Kane, Little, Ladd, Wheeler... not a bad nucleus.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

I am waiting for them to implode. Any team coached by Boudreau inevitably will self-destruct, right?

Not until the first round.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

There were also a unit that had produced a grand total of 0 points in 2014 as of that game.

You obviously spent some time researching this and I'm kind of surprised you didn't notice that the Flames had only scored 11 goals in 8 games in 2014 leading up to that game. So, is it crazy to think 4th liners and the 3rd pairing wouldn't have factored into what little offense the team had?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

You obviously spent some time researching this and I'm kind of surprised you didn't notice that the Flames had only scored 11 goals in 8 games in 2014 leading up to that game. So, is it crazy to think 4th liners and the 3rd pairing wouldn't have factored into what little offense the team had?

I was thinking more about Hartley's quote when he tried to defend the move, that's what prompted me to look at the numbers really

"Those guys are playing well for us," he said. "They got a goal last game. We're not scoring many goals. We had zero intentions there."

Now I'm guessing that parts of that unit may have been on the ice when that goal he mentions was scored, but none of the ones he put out were directly involved apparently.

[Suburban Rhythm]

So Fleury and Peter Budaj almost went towards the end of the PIT-MTL game last night. But the refs intervened. Which is funny, because one of the two officials was Mark St. Laurent - the same guy who gave Ray Emery a free pass to beat on Holtby a few months back.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

So Fleury and Peter Budaj almost went towards the end of the PIT-MTL game last night. But the refs intervened. Which is funny, because one of the two officials was Mark St. Laurent - the same guy who gave Ray Emery a free pass to beat on Holtby a few months back.

That just tells me he (St. Laurent) learned his lesson, which is a positive thing.