2006-07 NHL Predictions

[picasso]

Detroit

Red Wings made the Habs look very ordinary tonight . Aebischer played well enough to win but Habs were badly outshot by nearly 2 to 1, showed poor puck control, and just simply didn't look very good against a very solid opponent. Canucks up tomorrow night. Let's hope Huet is recovered from the shellacking he took in Ottawa Saturday night .

 

[joelcairo]

Re: the Canadiens and the Stanley Cup - you can't put your arms around a memory.

 

[joelcairo]

Not only no riot, but there is no longer a "usual route" for the parade.

 

[picasso]

Re: the Canadiens and the Stanley Cup - you can't put your arms around a memory.

Cynicism and defeatism are for total losers

 

[joelcairo]

My mistake Pablo - I thought unrealistic dreams were for total losers.

 

[picasso]

My mistake Pablo - I thought unrealistic dreams were for total losers.

No problem man. For someone who probably has never played team sports, I can understand your ignorance when it comes to competition let alone the concept of the desire to win. Oops, or should I say desire to lose ?

 

[joelcairo]

Pablo you don't seem to be an expert on grammar either. What you wrote means that you never played team sports. My guess is that you were trying to say that I never did, which would also be incorrect (keeping your batting average at its usual place), Still, man, no hard feelings: keep having those pleasant dreams.

 

[picasso]

This ain't grammar school, is it? Syntax error aside, i'm glad you at least picked up what I meant. So what was your middle school curling team losing record again?

 

[joelcairo]

Nice one Pablo. You caught me - I'm ashamed to admit it but it was about the same as the Habs since 93. Pretty bad eh?

 

[picasso]

This thread is about the 2007 NHL season so let's stick to this year's team as opposed to how the Habs have done since '93. Well now that we're at the All-Star break, if the playoffs were held today, the Habs are the 4th seed. I'll take that any time. And to all you Habs naysayers, you guys need to visit the Temple of Doom more frequently.

 

[Techman]

Considering that most of the "experts" were picking the habs to either miss or barely make the playoffs, I'd say they are doing extremely well. It's not every team that can end a slump by beating Atlanta and Buffalo back to back. Holding the Sabres to 27 shots on goal is a step in the right direction also. This team has a lot of heart and it will take them a long way.

 

[mtlman2005]

I hate people who love the Canadiens when they are playing great, and then just abandon the team when things go south...
So what, we lost a few games, who hasn't? Look at buffalo, we are still 11pts back, so they haven't done that great, and Anaheim, a team who was 1st in the league, is now third!
So with your logic cairo, the finals are going to be Pittsburgh vs Nashville... unlickly!
So grow balls, and start supporting your team for the good, AND for the bad...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Goal Nets May Be Increased

I was reading in today's New York Post that goal scoring is down from 6.17 goals scored per game in 2005-06 to 5.83 goals per game in 2006-07. That's a decrease of .34 goals per game. It is being reported that in every single NHL meeting this year there has been a discussion of expanding the goal nets from the current 24 square feet to 30 square feet, an increase of 25%, in order to halt this ugly trend in diminishing goal scoring. The nets' height would be increased from 4 feet high to 4 feet 6 inches, and the width from 6 feet to 6 feet 8 inches, under the current proposal.

Martin Brodeur, who was interviewed for the article, ridiculed "Henrik Lundqvist and maybe 85% of the goalies in the league" who play very low to the ice. According to Brodeur, "let's see how that style works out for them when they make the nets bigger.......it'll be a little tougher then, I bet."

I for one am in favor of the rule change. Let's see the goalies earn their money. When I watch NHL games, I don't see enough of the goalie flopping and flailing helplessly, and that's what I want to see. The players are bigger now and the goal nets have to be supersized to take that into account. It's just like getting supersized fries at McDonald's. The hockey fan is hungry for goals, so supersize the nets.

 

[Techman]

I'm totally against increasing the size of the nets. If anything is to be done, reduce the size of the goalie equipment...smaller pads, smaller trapper and blocker. The problem isn't with the slightly lower scoring in the league, it's with Americans thinking that a one or two goal game isn't as exciting as an all out shootout with 9 or 10 goals being scored. They have to realize that the game is hockey not baseball, football or basketball. Maybe they'd wacth more if each goal scored counted for 3 points and each assist on the play counted for 1. Then we could have some 15, 20 or even 30 point games and they'll think it's more interesting.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Techman,

They already tried implementing rules reducing the size of the goalies' equipment. It simply has not worked.

From what I read in the NY Post, it is not a question of whether the goal nets are going to be expanded, but when. Brodeur said the change will probably not happen next season, but we can expect this change within the next few seasons. This change is inevitable. And Brodeur is not happy about it.

I view this as no different than when they reduced the height of the pitching mound in baseball in 1969. That change had to happen, and so does this one. The change will be resisted at first and goalies are not going to like it, but it is for the good of the sport.

 

[picasso]

EB,

One half-season does not make it a trend. Keep in mind that there were several rule changes (including the new shootout format) implemented during the lockout a couple of years ago that turned the 2005-2006 season into a high-scoring one. This also carried into last year's playoffs where even with stronger defensive teams, the scoring was way up with more than 6 goals on avg per game versus:
2003-2004: 4.25
2002-2003: 4.75
2001-2002: 4.51
2000-2001: 4.67

As for why the goal scoring is down to date vs. last year, two things come to my mind that have nothing to do with the size of the net. First, the number of power plays called is down. Second, the number of rookies with 20 or more goals this year is unlikely to match the prodigious rookie class of last year, Malkin notwithstanding.

 

[joelcairo]

"I hate people who love the Canadiens when they are playing great, and then just abandon the team when things go south...
So what, we lost a few games, who hasn't? Look at buffalo, we are still 11pts back, so they haven't done that great, and Anaheim, a team who was 1st in the league, is now third!
So with your logic cairo, the finals are going to be Pittsburgh vs Nashville... unlickly!
So grow balls, and start supporting your team for the good, AND for the bad..."

One little problem with your "logic" mtlman - the habs are not and have never been my team. BTW in terms of growing balls, I don't need to because I just checked and they're still there. It does take balls to face the truth however (hint, hint) and the truth is that the Canadiens are not a very good team and have not been a very good team for a great many years. That doesn't mean they're evil human beings - it just means they don't have the talent to win the cup. Sorry if your sensitive feelings were hurt by that little blast of truth.

 

[picasso]

Woeful Habs

Habs lost their 5th in a row last night and are barely hanging on to the last spot in the playoffs chase. Both Huet and Aebischer have been mediocre lately, offense sucks. Blue line continues to be the strength of this team but if you keep getting outshot by a whopping margin like last night in NJD, sooner or later the dam will break.

Bob, if you're reading this, we need to pick up some offensive firepower by the trading deadline. How about Simon Gagne? And if Huet is still hurt, how about Nittymakki, also from the Flyers?

 

[Cosmo]

Personally I think the eemegency is up front.
When you have to play Niinima on offence with Muuray!!!
Poor Lapierre,he probably have better linemates in the AHL.
They should bring up guys like Kotsysyn and Garabovsky,they can't be worst that Murray and Downey who contribute zero offensive.

This team is going nowhere since Dec 23.
The powerplay is nil,there is no dicipline cominig from ''leaders'' like Koivu.

 

[dirtierasigetolder]

1 Fan 1 Rant

First off I'm a huge habs fan. Rarely miss a game and go see at least 10 games a year. Before the year started (after they signed Samsonov) I said MTL is going nowhere. I actually predicted they won't make the playoffs (hoping I'm wrong). Then they got on a hot streak and everybody was routing for them hoping they can overtake Buffalo. Even when they were smoking hot I said this team has no real talent and won't go far. I've been hoping I was wrong all year but the true colors are coming out.

First I don't blame the players, they've been over performing since day 1. I don't blame Carb cause he's a rookie and I expect him to make some rookie mistakes. But for god sakes, enough line changes.

So who do I blame, Bob Gainey and all of us fans. We keep selling out day in day out and we keep buying $9.25 draft beer and we keep buying jerseys. We keep doing our part but what have they done for us lately? I know nobody wants to play in MTL, media here is insane and the taxes are brutal. But we have to be able to go get better UFAs then Samsonov. He had 1 good year and the rest has been mediocre. He's not worth $3.5Mill and Kovalev is not worth $4.5. Even Saku isn't worth his 5Mill. He's got heart but he's just not as talented as we make him out to be. I would say we have no 100 point player but that's stating the obvious, we don't even have an 80point player. Not sure if Saku will make 80 this year. That's 69K a point...my god that's insane.

So sadly after yesterdays game I made a pact with myself. I will no longer argue with my wife for chances to watch the game. I will no longer schedule things around a game. If I catch a game then great, I'll watch it. Win or lose I'll enjoy it. But I'm no longer the hopeless fan. If they don't care about me then fine I just won't care about them. It's been over 10 years since we've been an elite team. I'm tired of being just average when we supposedly have the greatest fans in the game.

If this was a business deal I would have exited a long time ago. I probably spend about $350 every time I go watch a game. That means I probably poured in about 4K into them just for games this year. I could have nailed 25 SP's for that amount.

And no I'm not just saying this cause they're losing, a true fan takes the good with the bad. I'm saying this cause Management can KISS MY ASS. I'm DONE!