2013 NHL Free For All Thread

[joelcairo]

After 60yr old "Alfie" started off like a ball of fire, it seems his legs are getting tired after only 19 games into the season and has 1 point in his last 4 games. Ummm "alfie" you still have just 63 more to go, lol.

Not a bad game for a "60yr old" (sic) today.

By the way "60yr old Alfie" (sic) has played 22 games this season and has 19 points. There is exactly ONE leaf with more points - your favorite invisible poster boy Phil Kessel. Phil - at 26, in the PRIME of his one-trick pony career - has 22 points - an AMAZING (ha ha) THREE points more than "60yr old Alfie" (sic). And, by the way, Phil has played 25 games, exactly 3 MORE than Alfie.

JVR, the second highest scoring leaf (gee, those words sound AWFULLY silly together!) has 19 points, the same as "60yr old Alfie" (sic) but has played one MORE game than the "60yr old" (sic).

You know, it doesn't say a hell of a lot for the maple losers when "60yr old Alfie" (sic) is outperforming ALL of them except your poster boy and is basically on PAR with your poster boy, given 3 fewer games played. Then we add in that "60yr old Alfie" is a COMPLETE player, unlike your one-dimensional little prima donna, and there's only one inescapable conclusion: LEAFS SUCK.

By the way, in addition to the fact that Detroit's two world class stars are outscoring everyone on the leafs, and in addition to the fact that "60yr old Alfie" (sic) is doing great, Detroit DEFENSEMAN Kronwall has 19 points - tied with JVR and more than any other leaf except poster boy. The Mule has played only 22 games but has 17 points, more than any leafs except poster boy and JVR.

 

[joelcairo]

This begs the question: is there more to the Wings than Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Alfredsson, and Franzen?

By the looks of it, the answer appears to be no. Because pretty much everybody else didn't do much.

The Wings are going to be in dire straits in they lose any of these guys for any serious amount of time.

Glad you asked the question. The answer is yes, there is more to the Wings. They've managed to do fine WITHOUT the most skilled player in the world for the past few games. They managed to beat the islanders 5-0 even though Henk dropped (ha ha) to 4th in the scoring race after recording no points in this 5-0 victory. Alfie was out several games and Franzen was out several games, but the Wings are now 3 points ahead of the execrable leafs.

Earlier, the Wings were missing Franzen, Helm, and Weiss. Now , they're missing Pav (or "Pavie" as little ig likes to call him), Bertuzzi and Danny De Keyser...but like Old Man River they just keep rolling along, heading toward their 23rd (!!!!!!!) consecutive year in the playoffs.

It doesn't hurt that they brought up super-talented Gustav Nyquist, who has 4 goals and an assist in the 5 games he's played (or, as Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren would call it "several YEARS worth of production".) Orr, probably the least-skilled player in the entire league, has - to no one's surprise - ZERO points (!!!!) in 23 games. (Is that good for a forward? Please share your opinion.) McLaren, however, to be fair, is doing MUCH better than Orr. True, McLaren ALSO has ZERO points (!!!) - again, to no one's surprise - but at least it's only taken him 12 games to "score" (ha ha) his ZERO.

 

[joelcairo]

I sincerely extend my best wishes to all the toronto maple leafs, but ESPECIALLY to Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, who have probably both found it impossible to eat or sleep for the past several days. Why, you ask? Simple, the leafs play Buffalo again...and that means the Invisible Man and his pylon friend will once again be quaking with fear at the thought of John Scott.

 

[joelcairo]

Last Place Buffalo Beats Toronto....AGAIN

Buffalo is WAY down in last place - 30th of 30 teams.

Going into Friday's game against the leafs, Buffalo had lost 5 straight games.

Buffalo is tremendously unlucky that it can't play the stinkin' leafs 82 times in a season.

So far, Buffalo has won one, lost one, and NOW won ANOTHER one (albeit THIS one was not in regulation time, so the miserable leafs did get a loser point).

The hopeless leafs have now lost six straight road games.

Randy Carlyle and the team are obviously in complete panic mode, flipflopping their goaltenders every game...and to NO AVAIL, since both goalies are no longer playing way above their skill levels, as they were earlier in the season. (Reimer was .897 in this most recent loss to last-place Buffalo.) All year long, the wretched leafs have been outplayed and outshot, and now that their goalies are playing as "well" (ha ha) as you would expect, the team is no longer being saved from their ineptitude and is losing, losing, losing.

However, it must be admitted that CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Colton Orr, the least-skilled player in the NHL, for keeping his amazing streak alive. Good work, Colton - bravo! Yes folks, Colton has STILL not scored even a single point this entire season! Even for a LEAF, that is a simply incredible accomplishment (as was their 3rd period the other day with ZERO SHOTS!!)!

What makes all this even better is that Mikhail Grabovski (You remember Grabo, don't you? He's the guy that Carlyle misused so stupidly that the "brain trust" - ha ha - of the leafs BOUGHT HIM OUT!!!!!!!) had yet ANOTHER great game on Friday while the leafs were losing to the last-place Sabres. When the Caps played the Habs, Grabo had an assist, a goal that tied the game and sent it to OT, and THEN scored the winning goal in a shootout. He, unlike Phil Kessel, even had a hit. GRABO is continuing to have a great year (like the Monster and like Rask) while the team that gave all 3 away is continuing its 46 YEAR tradition of stinking the joint out. Love it!!!

And now for Saturday's game: GO HABS GO!

 

[Ballsamic]

More hockey news:

The Detroit Red Wings, led by that 'OLD FELLA ', Daniel Alfredsson with 2 goals and an assist, beat the New York Inlanders, by a score of 5-0.

Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots to earn the shutout.

Bravo Red Wings.

GO HABS GO on Saturday.

 

[gohabsgo]

Last Place Buffalo Beats Toronto....AGAIN

Buffalo is WAY down in last place - 30th of 30 teams.

Going into Friday's game against the leafs, Buffalo had lost 5 straight games.

Buffalo is tremendously unlucky that it can't play the stinkin' leafs 82 times in a season.

So far, Buffalo has won one, lost one, and NOW won ANOTHER one (albeit THIS one was not in regulation time, so the miserable leafs did get a loser point).

The hopeless leafs have now lost six straight road games.

Looks like reality is starting to set in - the Leafs fortuitous early season success was a mirage, an illusion.

 

[joelcairo]

Attention leaf fans:

Here's what to do if you want to see the leafs win a Stanley Cup. You have two possible options. Here are your instructions. Since you are leaf fans, I have made these instructions as EASY as possible for you to read.

1. Buy a REALLY GOOD time machine.
2. Option A: Set the controls for 46 YEARS in the PAST...........OR........Option B: Set the controls for THREE HUNDRED YEARS in the FUTURE (and, even THEN, say your prayers!).

Good luck to you in your seemingly impossible quest.

 

[Gentle]

Wow it's really quiet over here suddenly.... I wonder why ? :wave:

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Wow it's really quiet over here suddenly.... I wonder why ? :wave:

Perhaps it's not nice to pick on the deceased, especially when the body is still warm.

I'm feeling a bit deprived. I dropped a full hundred on a ticket to the game at the Bell Center tonight expecting some excitement and high drama and what did I get? A game that was a snorefest, not nearly as close as the 4-2 final. Well, at least the folks went home happy, those not dressed in blue, I mean.

 

[joelcairo]

Wow it's really quiet over here suddenly.... I wonder why ? :wave:

Yeah, there are three leaflovers who are usually ALL OVER this thread (especially ONE of those leaflovers), but for some strange and inexplicable reason they've been silent lately.

 

[joelcairo]

Perhaps it's not nice to pick on the deceased, especially when the body is still warm.

I'm feeling a bit deprived. I dropped a full hundred on a ticket to the game at the Bell Center tonight expecting some excitement and high drama and what did I get? A game that was a snorefest, not nearly as close as the 4-2 final. Well, at least the folks went home happy, those not dressed in blue, I mean.

Don't feel bad Rumples. Look upon what you saw as a bullfight - with the leafs playing the part of the sadly-executed bull. Let's just hope the SPCA doesn't find out and press charges of animal cruelty.

 

[Gentle]

Oh look here is where they were hidding :
Look closely at 1:36

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQxXUmB7AEI

 

[joelcairo]

Great Quote by Glenn Healy

In the second intermission, the entire panel took turns talking about how wretched the leafs are, but Glenn Healy had the best quote: "Phaneuf is trying to fight guys who aren't tall enough to get on a ride in Disneyland."

Not only is this funny, but it is also oh so true. We all know that Phaneuf is terrified of guys like John Scott. I guess that's why he goes after the likes of Brian Gionta. Gionta is 5'7" and 175 pounds, while big, brave Dion is 6'3" and 214. But what was really funny was when little Danny Briere, all 5'9" and 179 pounds of him KNOCKED DOWN the big, brave "captain" of the leafs! No wonder Phaneuf is afraid of the big boys like John Scott...and no wonder Scott calls him "Princess Phaneuf".

 

[joelcairo]

Phil Kessel is another guy who's terrified of John Scott. To his credit, however, Phil at 6 feet and 202 pounds, was unafraid to challenge all 5'9" and 170 pounds of young Brendan Gallagher - and Phil didn't even use his STICK this time. What courage! The result, you ask? Well, nothing really happened after Brendan pushed back and started LAUGHING!

 

[joelcairo]

Randy Carlyle and the team are obviously in complete panic mode, flipflopping their goaltenders every game...and to NO AVAIL, since both goalies are no longer playing way above their skill levels, as they were earlier in the season. (Reimer was .897 in this most recent loss to last-place Buffalo.) All year long, the wretched leafs have been outplayed and outshot, and now that their goalies are playing as "well" (ha ha) as you would expect, the team is no longer being saved from their ineptitude and is losing, losing, losing.

However, it must be admitted that CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Colton Orr, the least-skilled player in the NHL, for keeping his amazing streak alive. Good work, Colton - bravo! Yes folks, Colton has STILL not scored even a single point this entire season! Even for a LEAF, that is a simply incredible accomplishment (as was their 3rd period the other day with ZERO SHOTS!!)!

I posted this observation after the loss to Buffalo. Obviously, everything still holds true, as the goalie flip-flop and the panic continued in Montreal. This time it was "Tie Game" Bernier in nets and this time it was "Tie Game" Bernier with an .897 save percentage, exactly the same percentage Reimer had in the loss to last-place Buffalo. Are these guys consistent or what? Well done, leafs!

Actually, full marks to Bernier, since .897 is an improvement on his recent play: in his last 3 games, he has allowed at least 4 goals per game and his save percentage has been .887. What a hot goalie!

And full marks to the leafs overall: They "only" allowed FOUR goals this game, greatly improving on the SIX goals they allowed in each of their previous two, Well done, guys!

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Colton (NOT Bobby) Orr. True, he appeared very afraid to fight George Parros, and true, when he did reluctantly fight him, he lost - but at least Colton kept the STREAK alive! WELL DONE, Colton: You have now played 25 games this season without registering even a single point! David Clarkson is TRYING to match you, but so far has been unable to do so, as he has somehow fluked into the grand total of FIVE points after only a third of the season. You're the best, Colton!

 

[Gentle]

Are you talkin' bout attitude Phil the schtick ? and Dion prima dona ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orZwIDDKvlQ

No wonder this team sucks big time !!!!

 

[Special K]

Speaking of the Leaf's D-men. I was watching Gardiner tonight and he really turned in an abysmal performance. Getting beat for the puck by guys much smaller than he, getting to pucks late and just looking completely out of sorts. Perhaps they should consider sending him down to the Marlies for a bit or give him a wake up call with a healthy scratch or two.

 

[joelcairo]

Correct as usual Rev.

The leafs have been outshot in 23 of their 27 games, including the last 8 in a row. Without the decent play of the goalies earlier in the season (but no longer), the leafs would likely be in a well-deserved last place.

 

[Special K]

The good news for Leaf Nation is that they're still within striking distance and it's still early in the season being there is still 2/3rds to go and as we've seen a million times, anything can happen in hockey!

 

[gohabsgo]

Great Quote by Glenn Healy

In the second intermission, the entire panel took turns talking about how wretched the leafs are, but Glenn Healy had the best quote: "Phaneuf is trying to fight guys who aren't tall enough to get on a ride in Disneyland."

Not only is this funny, but it is also oh so true. We all know that Phaneuf is terrified of guys like John Scott. I guess that's why he goes after the likes of Brian Gionta. Gionta is 5'7" and 175 pounds, while big, brave Dion is 6'3" and 214. But what was really funny was when little Danny Briere, all 5'9" and 179 pounds of him KNOCKED DOWN the big, brave "captain" of the leafs! No wonder Phaneuf is afraid of the big boys like John Scott...and no wonder Scott calls him "Princess Phaneuf".

Hilarious to hear the panel rip on Celine Sloppy Seconds - hoping for a "Wendell Clark moment" !

Remember, Phaneuf was voted by his peers as the most over rated player in the league. This is his contract year and he will be looking for the same deal Kessel got - will Nonis open the vault again?