NHL 2008-09 regular season thread!

[lgna69xxx]

how much you willing to bet that the worst goes to first or near the top within the next 5 years?......

Toronto FINALLY has a plan and a man to LEAD that plan, something they have not had in years, Cliff Fletcher did a fantastic job after Ferguson was fired, but the problem is Ferguson set the Leafs back years with his bone headed decisions, and it takes time in todays NHL to build a Champion........ wait and see people, WAIT AND SEE.......

if nothing else, i sure as bet you anything that unlike gaineys 5 year plan, Burke will have far better results than what Boring Bob had...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/hockey/nhl/05/08/nhl.owners/index.html

 

[Doc Holliday]

Cliff Fletcher did a fantastic job after Ferguson was fired....

Okay, even I, a die-hard Leafs fan, must admit that you're exaggerating here. Cliff would have thrown away every single chance the Leafs had of ever having a future if he would have stayed on any longer. He threw money at average free agents like they were Bobby Orr (e.g. $4 million for 5 years for Jeff Finger, who's offers until Fletcher signed him were in the $2 million per season range). The Stempniak trade for both Colaicovo & Steen was an awful one. Stempniak will even get a raise next season & they're basically stuck with his contract. Ryan Holweg's signing was a bad one. He also gave away draft picks for fair to mediocre players (e.g Holweg).

I'm glad the Silver Fox is gone. His only accomplishment, in my opinion, was that he wasn't worse than Fergueson. Cliff was too trigger-happy for me. He didn't have a clue of how to operate & manage in a salary cap NHL. Just imagine how much he would have likely given away at the trade deadline if he still would have been GM, just to try to slip into the playoffs. Scary!!

 

[lgna69xxx]

I disagree Doc, Cliff did a fantastic Job,remember Toronto was picked to finish LAST in the overall standings by MOST so called experts, the Finger signing was a good one, Jeffs a very good tough player who will fit in well with Burkes style of tough defenseman not afraid to get physical, Fletcher had to sign someone and he did, and i am glad Finger is a Leaf....

Holwegg is Holwegg, cant argue there, but then again no one is perfect and fletcher took a chance at adding a tough guy, if Ryan ever gets his head straight he may develope into an asset all be it i doubt Burke will keep him around, but you never no

Stempniak at the time of the trade got praise from Don Cherry himself,(and no matter what you think of Cherry, he knows hockey) as Colaicovo was ALWAYS getting injured and Steen wasnt playing up to his abilities, a trade like this was good for all 3 involved ..... like Jason Blake , maybe Lee just needs some time to adjust to playing in media crazy Toronto.... time will only tell, but again Stempniak doesnt fit the Burke Model of big tough strong forwards either, and unlike Blake, he doesnt have the speed or finesse of Blaky as well, so wouldnt surprise me if he's not around much longer if Burke can deal him.......

Okay, even I, a die-hard Leafs fan, must admit that you're exaggerating here. Cliff would have thrown away every single chance the Leafs had of ever having a future if he would have stayed on any longer. He threw money at average free agents like they were Bobby Orr (e.g. $4 million for 5 years for Jeff Finger, who's offers until Fletcher signed him were in the $2 million per season range). The Stempniak trade for both Colaicovo & Steen was an awful one. Stempniak will even get a raise next season & they're basically stuck with his contract. Ryan Holweg's signing was a bad one. He also gave away draft picks for fair to mediocre players (e.g Holweg).

I'm glad the Silver Fox is gone. His only accomplishment, in my opinion, was that he wasn't worse than Fergueson. Cliff was too trigger-happy for me. Just imagine how much he would have likely given away at the trade deadline if he still would have been GM, just to try to slip into the playoffs. Scary!!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I disagree Doc, Cliff did a fantastic Job,remember Toronto was picked to finish LAST in the overall standings by MOST so called experts, the Finger signing was a good one, Jeffs a very good tough player who will fit in well with Burkes style of tough defenseman not afraid to get physical, Fletcher had to sign someone and he did, and i am glad Finger is a Leaf....

Jeff Finger is a solid 4-5th defenceman 'at best' on any good team. The Leafs were not a good team & he wasn't even among their top 3. But he was being paid top 3 (again, on a good team) money. Plus he has no offensive skills whatsoever. I'm not saying i don't like him...i do...but not at $4 million per season for 5 years. Thats' a joke!!

As for Stempniac, he's a soft player with average scoring skills. I wouldn't even have traded just Alex Steen straight up for him!

Again, what i didn't like about Cliff this past season & off-season was his casual style of giving away draft picks for marginal or short-term players. Wasn't he the one who gave away a 2nd rounder to Phoenix for Yannic Perreault? Awful!!!! Same with the Cujo signing....Cujo was finished!!!

I also questionned some of the contract buyouts during the off-season.

As for the upside of having Cliff on board, he wasn't as bad as Fergie, which wasn't that difficult to accomplish.

 

[SexyNadya]

Hey Special K !!!

Looks like an all american conf and finals from here on out.

It looks like a Bruins come back !!!

 

[lgna69xxx]

ughhhhhhhh, freaking bruins

It looks like a Bruins come back !!!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Still Doc, i think most of Leafs Nation would agree he did a good job, maybe JFJ just made him look good becasue he himself did such a horrible job, but i still think he did very very good

and i think once Burke puts Finger with his perfect match on the blue line, you will see him become that 4 million a yr guy your looking for, dont give up on him , he showed alot in the last month, enuff so that don cherry was impressed and thats saying alot........ GO LEAFS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff Finger is a solid 4-5th defenceman 'at best' on any good team. The Leafs were not a good team & he wasn't even among their top 3. But he was being paid top 3 (again, on a good team) money. Plus he has no offensive skills whatsoever. I'm not saying i don't like him...i do...but not at $4 million per season for 5 years. Thats' a joke!!

As for Stempniac, he's a soft player with average scoring skills. I wouldn't even have traded just Alex Steen straight up for him!

Again, what i didn't like about Cliff this past season & off-season was his casual style of giving away draft picks for marginal or short-term players. Wasn't he the one who gave away a 2nd rounder to Phoenix for Yannic Perreault? Awful!!!! Same with the Cujo signing....Cujo was finished!!!

I also questionned some of the contract buyouts during the off-season.

As for the upside of having Cliff on board, he wasn't as bad as Fergie, which wasn't that difficult to accomplish.

 

[gohabsgo]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/hockey/nhl/05/08/nhl.owners/index.html

It's not too surprising that Toronto would finish last and be the worst (as they are with a great many things).

Maple Laffs = loser team, loser organization, loser fans

 

[Doc Holliday]

don cherry was impressed and thats saying alot.

Don Cherry??? He falls in love with every spade on either the Leafs or the Bruins!! The way he was raving about Tie Domi, you'd think Domi was another Mark Messier!! Same thing with marginal career minor-leaguer Lonny Bohonos.....and now Jeremy Williams. His opinion on players doesn't count for much in my book. He's entertaining, though.

 

[Doc Holliday]

It's not too surprising that Toronto would finish last and be the worst (as they are with a great many things).

Maple Laffs = loser team, loser organization, loser fans

So how's that crappy/Mickey Mouse organization also known as The Habs making out on the golf course? Have the found a coach yet? An owner?

 

[Merlot]

So how's that crappy/Mickey Mouse organization also known as The Habs making out on the golf course? Have the found a coach yet? An owner?

Answer,

Still rehabbing their bitterly stinging backsides from the tremendous humiliating butt-whipping sweep the Bruins inflicted on them.

Speaking of the Bruins, it should be a very hard fought battle in the deciding game 7 with the Hurricanes, well worth watching no matter who you cheer for in the regular season.

GO BRUINS,

Merlot

 

[JLB]

hamilton coyotes

i'll predict the hamilton coyotes will finish higher in the standings next year than the leafs

 

[Doc Holliday]

i'll predict the hamilton coyotes will finish higher in the standings next year than the leafs

Hamilton Coyotes? No way Balsillie will call his team the fu$&#$ Coyotes!

 

[JLB]

Hamilton Coyotes? No way Balsillie will call his team the fu$&#$ Coyotes!

Hamilton Blue Berries? or the Blue Berrys (ala the Leafs)?
Hamilton All Thumbs ?
Hamilton Storms?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hamilton Blue Berries? or the Blue Berrys (ala the Leafs)?
Hamilton All Thumbs ?
Hamilton Storms?

Hamilton Burgers

 

[Techman]

The Hamilton Steelheads!

 

[lgna69xxx]

its Official........... bos-DONE! (sorry K, at least your team was not playing golf in April)

Pitt/Canes should be a great series

 

[G1GBallday]

1) Boston is 5 over Carolina
2) Pittsburgh in 6 over Washington
3) Detroit in 5 over Anaheim
4) Chicago in 7 over Vancouver

Okay I went 3 of 4 but was lousy calling the number of games.

For the Semifinals :

East: Carolina in 6 over Pittsburgh - Should be pretty even but Cam Ward will outplay Marc-Andre Fleury by a mile.

West: Detroit in 5 over Chicago - The Hawks are still too young and inexperienced to beat the Champs.

 

[master_bates]

Boston got b ruined!!!


Hope to see a canes vs hawks final

Hate seeing rematches from the year before

 

[Special K]

its Official........... bos-DONE! (sorry K, at least your team was not playing golf in April)

Pitt/Canes should be a great series

That was a tough loss but the atmosphere in the place was insane!! Oh well, it was a nice run and at least they didn't get swept in the first round.