2006-07 NHL Predictions

[picasso]

Power surge at the Bell tonite

The learning curve of Carbo's system for this year's Habs does not seem too steep after all. Solid defense, excellent penalty killing and yet another short-handed goal tonight. The Habs must be among the league leaders in PK and short-handed goals at this stage of the season. Huet hasn't got untracked yet. Fortunately, Habs had plenty of scoring tonight. Souray continued his strong play with a couple of goals. Downey took a nasty check against the glass and was laid out pretty good tonight. Didn't your mom and friends tell you not to look down in the vicinity of the board?? Hopefully he'll come out all right. Overall, nice first win for the Habs at home tonight.

 

[mtlman2005]

Official stats found on NHL.com, we are 5th on the PP, 2 on the PK, and 1 with 3 shorthanded goals! Higgins is first in the league with 2!
We are also first in faceoff % and a total of 8th in the league with 6 of the 7 teams in front of us having played on game more!
Tonight its chicago, I can feel another win!
GO CARBO!

 

[StripClublover]

All those stats should improve after tonight's win. Was at the game - great fun.

I don't know why but I have a feeling about Carbo and this team doing something extra ordinary this season. If the defense (penalty killing, goaltending) and be at this level in the playoffs - the Habs are going to be a contender for the cup.

 

[picasso]

I wasn't at the game but I heard from one of my co-workers who went that the atmosphere last night was electric, especially with the ribbing of Theo and Brisebois. It's nice to see to see the Habs battling back from 3-0 and 4-2deficits. Definitely showed character and confidence. Souray is on a roll right now. The other off-season acquisition that didn't get as much press coverage as the Samsonov one was Mike Johnson from Phoenix and this guy is one of the key reasons why the Habs are one of the top teams in PK.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Picasso,

Malkin scored in his third straight game last night. The young man can play. We are seeing the rookie of the year and a future star in this league. He plays with electricity!

 

[picasso]

He's an amazing guy and I'd say he's a shoo-in for the Calder Trophy assuming he stays healthy and the Russian Mafia doesn't kidnap him to take him back to Russia ! What's disappointing is that last night's game in Pittsburgh wasn't a sellout. The city of Pittsburgh just doesn't appreciate the awesome young talent on the Pens' roster, e.g. Crosby, Malkin, Jordan Staal and that's a shame. Of course, that hockey arena is also the oldest one in the league and they desperately need a new one.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Clarke, Hitchcock Are History in Philadelphia

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2634817

What an embarassment. The Broad Street Bullies are 1-6-1 and everyone is kicking sand in their face.

 

[gohabsgo]

Not a good game last night for Theo's return to Montreal - letting in 8 goals!!! but a Habs win, thats all thats important

 

[EagerBeaver]

I am watching the Penguins-Devils game on Versus network. The Penguins have Malkin and Crosby playing on the same line. The Pens came down on an odd man rush and Malkin made a spectacular pass to Crosby, who one timed it on Brodeur who then made a great save. Malkin is a good sized dude, fast and looks to me like ge can really handle the puck and pass on the money.

It's 1-1 end of 1st period.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Malkin To Crosby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just saw Malkin come down and make a series of sensational passes, the last of which caught a streaking Crosby coming right down the middle, for a sensational goal! 2-1 Penguins!

These young guys are awesome! They are going to be like Gretzky and Messier were with the Oilers back in the 1980s! Send Malkin the Calder Trophy right now!

As I write this another young stud, Jordan Staal, just scored another great goal! This is Eric Staal's kid brother! This team looks like the young Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Malkin Scores In 4th Straight Game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Malkin just scored the goal of the year. I watched the replays and I cannot believe what I just saw!! This guy is fucking unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a talent on the level of Gretzky/Lemiuex!

Everyone watch the news tonight and check out the replays of the goal Malkin just scored, his 4th in 4 games played.

4-2 Penguins right now!

 

[mtlman2005]

8 cases of rogaine - $2,500.00
Bail for dad - $50,000.00
3 nights in Paris - Half of Your Assets
Realizing you will never be Patrick Roy - Priceless

 

[joelcairo]

Malkin and Ovechkin are great and Crosby and the Staals ain't half bad. There's a new world coming and the Original Six aren't part of it. Meanwhile old Jose went from one sunk franchise to one sinking one - just as the glory days of the Habs are long gone, the wind has now come out of Colorado's sails. That's the way of life in the NHL: the first one now will later be last cause the times they are (always) a changin.

 

[picasso]

Malkin just scored the goal of the year. I watched the replays and I cannot believe what I just saw!! This guy is fucking unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a talent on the level of Gretzky/Lemiuex!

EB,

Yes, that last goal by Malkin was totally awesome. This was the kind of stuff that he displayed during the last Olympics. And you know what? I really believe we're going to see a lot more of these spectacular plays from this guy during the course of the season. Malkin is about 6'3" and 200lbs. There are plenty of big centers in the league who are fast like him but what sets Malkin apart is his puck handling and it is a treat watching him perform his artistry and magic on ice. It's just a matter of time before the Malkin/Crosby/Staal trio becomes the greatest show on ice. Oh yeah, for whatever it's worth at this time of the year, the Pens are now atop the Division ahead of the Devils and your NYR. You're not thinking of switching allegiance from the Rangers to the Pens, are you?

 

[picasso]

Senators = Pussies

The Sens handily beat the Leafs tonight but also confirmed what most hockey observers already know. And that is, the Sens are a bunch of pussies! I can't believe they stood by and just watched one of their own, Eaves, getting pummeled by Darcy Tucker, the designated thug on the Leafs team. About the only guy on the Sens team who has any spine and protect his teammates is McGrattan but he was in the penalty box. Too bad. I would have loved to see McGrattan and Tucker duke it out.

 

[Uncle Kracker]

Just a quick comment...

Who's gonna beat the fucking Sabres??? Shit they're on a tear...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Picasso,

I like the Rangers but right now the Penguins are the hottest ticket and most exciting team in the NHL with Malkin in the lineup the last 4 games.

By the way, 18 year old Jordan Staal now has 4 goals and I don't see how they can possibly send him down. He may be better than his brother Eric. I saw him interviewed after period 2 and he looks very mature for 18, physically and mentally. Also looks good defensively. The Penguins right now are blessed with arguably the 3 best players under age 21 in the NHL. I think Malkin is going to be the best player in the NHL, if not this year, very soon.

You are right about Malkin's puck handling, which was on display on that goal he scored. He compares to Lemieux but he is thicker and stronger than Lemieux at the same age. He was going through the Devils defenseman like they were toy soldiers.

Not to mention that their young French Canadian goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is playing very well in goal and he is only 21. This team is like the early 1980s Edmonton Oilers with Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Fuhr. A number of great young players who will grow and win Stanley Cups together.

Pittsburgh is destined for greatness, and the Cups are going to come. Probably not this year but I bet they are a playoff team this year.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Penguins Playing Smart With Crosby and Malkin

By the ways, I heard an interview with Penguins Senior VP of Hockey Operations and legendary former Bruins goalie Eddie Johnston, about Crosby and Malkin's living arrangements, which really impressed me. Johnston said that Crosby is living with Mario Lemieux and his family and Malkin was living with Sergei Gonchar and his family - in order to "instill discipline" in them. The Penguins have their young guys living with families which imposes upon them the pressure of being a responsible member of that family. Johnston added that in the case of Crosby, he has an added fringe benefit of Mario Lemiuex's wine cellar which according to Johnston is the "best wine cellar in the world."

I think it is very smart not to leave Crosby and Malkin living on their own, thereby leaving them to their own devices. This is how you can end up with a possible Dany Heatley situation. You need to take care of your young players, and the Penguins are doing that. It's very smart in my opinion to do what they are doing.

 

[mtlman2005]

The only thing that kinda sucks is that they are all 3 centers... Don't get me wrong, for them it might be the best thing: getting more scoring from each line, unlike last year where Crosby did most of the scoring. But what would have been fun is seeing all 3 of them on the same line! Their points total would have been incredible. With crosby's passing and the way the 2 others can finish... that could have been one of the best lines in the history of the game and with an average age of 18... SICK!
Anyway, I think they might make the playoff if they can stay healthy!

 

[picasso]

This team is like the early 1980s Edmonton Oilers with Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Fuhr. A number of great young players who will grow and win Stanley Cups together.

Pittsburgh is destined for greatness, and the Cups are going to come. Probably not this year but I bet they are a playoff team this year.

EB,

Yes, agreed. But the key word is "together". Now, in this era of free agency and greedy, self-absorbed agents and players, it is harder to hang on to multiple superstars for any team, let alone a small market team like Pittsburgh. The Pens have a fantastic product right now. They need to have a new arena, sell out those home games and lock up Malkin/Crosby/Staal to long term contracts.