Permanent NHL Free For All Thread

[anon_vlad]

Can they play Edmonton again soon?

Would it be premature to ejaculate that this is the start of another entertaining losing streak?

Three TO players deserve to be all stars if they could play at the level they did this game.
Kessel: All star of Junior B. He showed his selflessness in advancing the team's goal of snagging McDavid. How many other players can manage a -4 with only 13 minutes of ice time?
Reimer: NBA All-star for his numerous rebounds
Rielly: He scored two goals and still ends up a -2. Who does he think he is - a slim Phil? If he keeps scoring as he has been, he will certainly be traded soon.

Speaking of trades, Captain Phaneuf should be sent to Montreal - the roads department, not the hockey team. We seem to need an infinite number of pylons.

It is mind boggling that, Clarkson, a hockey superstar (in terms of salary, at least) can play badly enough to get benched by TO.

 

[joelcairo]

Speaking of trades, Captain Phaneuf should be sent to Montreal - the roads department, not the hockey team. We seem to need an infinite number of pylons.

Clarkson would also be useful in Montreal. The winters are cold and Clarkson could warm a lot of benches in the city.

 

[joelcairo]

Joffrey Lupul

It's been announced that Lupul, the most fragile player in the NHL, will miss the next week or so. He's ALREADY missed 23 games this season, in addition to tons during his "career".

Best comments on NHL.com:

"It would be bigger news if Lupul was in for a week."

"Just buy out this waste of space."

"Time for this softie to retire. What's next - a hangnail?"

"This guy is a real joke."

And speaking of jokes, "Captain" Phaneuf, who has missed the last 7 games, will apparently be out another week or so. Do they give out wimp pills in the Leaf dressing room?

And Phil, whose feelings must be hurt (sniff, sniff) is refusing to speak to the media.

The soap opera in Leafland (aka Loserland) keeps getting better and better. Even after 48 years of complete and utter failure, these sad sacks are still able to provide the world with constant laughter.

 

[G1GBallday]

Lupul is actually one of the rare Laffs I wouldn't mind seeing with the Habs.

His history of injury and his cap hit are however a big concern.

I say if Bergy could land him strait up for Bournival with the Laffs retaining 2 million in salary I'd be happy.

 

[joelcairo]

Scorched earth? Leafs tearing down in order to re-build? A few upcoming years of poor performance in order to slowly develop a winning team the right way?

I don't understand - I mean, for YEARS now, Leaf fans have been bragging about all the great players, coaches and GMs they have. They've been predicting great results every season...at least at the start. They've been praising Phil and Dion. They've cheered every move management has made.

In view of all the great and exciting things that Leaf fans have been bragging about, why on earth would they want to tear down this veritable dream team built by Brian and Dave? Hell, as we have been told so often, the Leafs are a young team. Surely the management should continue to be patient? Why change the course of the remarkable squad that Brian and Dave have assembled?

Is it really time to tear down and re-build? Come on: even after tonight's loss to the Islanders, the young Leafs are still proudly holding on to 25th place in the NHL, which means they are currently ahead of FIVE other teams! Why panic?

I think the problem with this alarming new strategy of "re-building" the Leafs can be blamed squarely on Brendan Shanahan. This newcomer has a history with other teams and therefore cannot understand the Leaf culture that has so long prevailed. I urge Leaf ownership not to let this intruder singlehandedly destroy the team built by Brian and Dave. There's even talk that the Leafs will try to get rid of the two KEY players brought in by Brian - namely Phil and Dion. A travesty, I say! Fortunately, Leaf GMs gave those two (plus David Clarkson, who Leaf fans predicted would be a great addition to the team) very expensive, very longterm contracts so it might be hard to move them. This was obviously brilliant thinking, designed to keep these valuable superstars in Toronto in the event that some newcomer like Shanny made the mistake of trying to "scorch the earth" and move them. Great foresight by Brian and Dave!

"Thank you Mr. Burke." "Thank you Mr. Nonis."

 

[Merlot]

BOYZZZ!

Scorched earth?

I don't understand - I mean, for YEARS now, Leaf fans have been bragging about all the great players, coaches and GMs they have. They've been predicting great results every season...at least at the start. They've been praising Phil and Dion. They've cheered every move management has made.

In view of all the great and exciting things that Leaf fans have been bragging about, why on earth would they want to tear down this veritable dream team built by Brian and Dave? Hell, as we have been told so often, the Leafs are a young team. Surely the management should continue to be patient? Why change the course of the remarkable squad that Brian and Dave have assembled?

Because "Scortched Earth" = they are desperate and don't know what the hell they are doing. Clearly if this move is the right move after all then they're admitting everything they said before was wrong. If this move is wrong then they are foolish enough to let someone come in and tamper with a young team that needs time to develop, ironically the same philosophy they are going to implement now. It all doesn't make a lot of sense and really shows the ownership is too uncertain and confused to stand by any philosophy for long.

As for their fans here...obviously any kool-aid the management passes out is so willingly gobbled up. Typical.

:noidea:

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

Actually, many are suggesting that the Bruins do exactly the same thing Shanahan might do. Get rid of Chara, Lucic & other big contracts and blow it all up.

I'd keep Tuuka Rask, but he can't find a way to beat the habs. And if you can't get past the habs, you won't go far in the playoffs.

If i'm Peter Chiarelli (if he still has a job, that is) come next June, every player is up for grabs for the right offer. And who knows, maybe it's actually the current situation. Even if the Bruins do squeeze into the playoffs, they'll have a very hard time even making it past the first round.

My bet is on Florida squeezing past the Bruins for the final playoff spot.

 

[joelcairo]

Actually, many are suggesting that the Bruins do exactly the same thing Shanahan might do. Get rid of Chara, Lucic & other big contracts and blow it all up.

Some key differences between Boston and Toronto:

Boston has 3 Cups since expansion 48 years ago, Toronto has none.

Boston has several other appearances in the Final, Toronto has none.

Boston has had several seasons where it won 4 playoff rounds, several where it has won 3, Toronto has NEVER won more than 2.

Boston has missed the playoffs only twice since the 2003-2004 season, Toronto has MADE the playoffs only ONCE since the 2003-2004 season.

The ONE time Toronto made the playoffs was in a shortened season...and they were eliminated in round one...by Boston.

Boston hasn't fared so well this year (as I and some others predicted at the start of the season) but it has still fared WAY better than Toronto.

Boston has had a very good coach in Claude Julien for several years, Toronto has had (wait for it!) Ron Wilson (?), Randy Carlyle (??), and Peter Horachek (!!!).

Boston traded Andrew Freakin' Raycroft to Toronto, Toronto traded Tuukka Rask (!) to Boston.

Boston was smart enough to get rid of Kessel, Toronto was dumb enough to acquire Kessel.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Sorry little buddy. I'm right (as usual) and you're wrong (as usual).

 

[joelcairo]

Sorry little buddy. I'm right (as usual) and you're wrong (as usual).

Only in the Bizarro world.

Hey, weren't you the guy who predicted last season that the Wings would miss the playoffs for the next 5 years?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hey, weren't you the guy who predicted last season that the Wings would miss the playoffs for the next 5 years?

Nope. Wrong guy, amigo.

 

[joelcairo]

Nope. Wrong guy, amigo.

Then you better be careful about identity theft, because the guy who did it used your name. I think the same guy predicted that the Yankees would finish last, last baseball season. Best wishes in locating the culprit, Doc.

 

[Merlot]

BOYZ!

My bet is on Florida squeezing past the Bruins for the final playoff spot.

The Bruins have indeed played poorly in long stretches. At times they've been accused of lacking toughness, dedication, and generally playing below potential. They win for a while then lose for a while. There's a real chance they may not make the playoffs. The whole scenario seems too familiar. For just a moment I might wonder if someone could confuse them with the Leafs. But no need to worry. The whole hockey world knows LOSERS wear Blue and White...NOT...Black and Gold. :nod:

Cheers bud, :thumb:

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

One of the problems with the Bruins is the fact their core players aren't getting any younger. Who is their top player? Is it still Zdeno Chara? If it is, he's 37 years old. He'll be 38 next season. If not him, it's Patrice Bergeron. He's a defensive centerman and some have pointed out that his play has started to be in decline. Tuuka Rask is a very good goalie (but not top-10 anymore), but he couldn't beat the habs if his life depended on it. And Milan Lucic & Brad Marchand are no longer the important factors that they once were. In Lucic's case, Alexei Emelin owns him everytime they play the habs. Their #2 center (David Krecci) is basically another Patrice Bergeron type. I never thought i'd say this, but this team lost something when they got rid of Shaun Thornton, who was a heart-and-soul type. The Bruins are no longer a team that other teams fear, and their play against the habs may be a big reason for this.

But the biggest problem with the Bruins right now is that they are now constantly owned by the habs everytime they play them, and the players know it. They don't have much cap space to play with, so it's quite possible that the only way to change the current culture is by unloading the bigger names: Chara, Lucic, Marchand and Bergeron. And surprisingly, maybe it would be a good idea to trade Tuuka Rask since his value may never be as big as it is now. Maybe it's time to give Malcolm Subban a chance at the #1 job.

Here's a prediction: If the Bruins either fail to make the playoffs or get knocked out in the first round (which looks probable right now), Cam Neely will finally get his wish & fire coach Claude Julien, whom he's wanted to fire at different times over the past 3 seasons.

 

[wolfie7]

It doesn't matter where the Bruins finish in the seedings, as long as they make the playoffs. Once the real season begins, the Bruins are dangerous. They're a team built for the playoffs, not a long regular season lacking in intensity.

It's not the same situation, but the Red Wings, at their peak, when they had the perfect mix of grit with skill, would always sleepwalk a little through the regular season. But then they turned it on / woke up in the playoffs. They didn't always progress as fans would hope, but everyone just learned to not care about the regular season. This was when we had a power forward on every line - Shanny, McCarty, Lapointe, Kocur. Players like that are usually not optimal for the regular season, but turn into gold in the playoffs. The Bruins are similar. I think they squeeze in, and then wreak some havoc. I cross my fingers my Wings don't run into the Bruins in the first 2 rounds, would not end well.

 

[Merlot]

BOYZ!

It doesn't matter where the Bruins finish in the seedlings,..

That was true in 2011. They did not perform like the biggest threat during the regular season and many underrated how dangerous they might be in the playoffs with good reason. In the playoffs the whole team stepped up and Tim Thomas got very hot at the same time. But still they never made the kind of very foolish mistakes or perform sloppily so often as has been more common this year. The higher level of talent from 2011 is not there this year. Could they be dangerous? Julien called them out for poor play earlier this year. The team answered by getting very tough for a while and winning a lot. So they can be dangerous. But overall how they will play is legitimately very questionable.

It's probably true, as many have said, that the Stanley Cup saved Julien's job. It may not be fair that he could be sacrificed now because a lesser team has achieved less, but Bruins management won't take decline and substandard results like the Kool-Aid guzzlers in Toronto. Boston fans and Boston management have higher expectations.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

It's probably true, as many have said, that the Stanley Cup saved Julien's job. It may not be fair that he could be sacrificed now because a lesser team has achieved less, but Bruins management won't take decline and substandard results like the Kool-Aid guzzlers in Toronto. Boston fans and Boston management have higher expectations.

I agree with the points you mentionned in your disagreement with Wolfie. I also agree that it's not fair that Julien be sacrificed for their poor season. I believe he's a heck of a coach & performed as good as he could with the players provided to him. But that's the nature of coaching in any sport. Good coaches get fired. Great coaches have also been fired. As they old saying goes, a coach is hired to eventually be fired.

But i have to disagree with your statement that Bruins management won't take decline and substandard results like in Toronto. I say that it all depends on the type of owner that Jeremy Jacobs' son will be. Will he be a meddling owner? Will he maintain the current management team he has? I've read on some blogs that if Claude Julien does indeed get fired, not to be surprised if Peter Chiarelli & possibly even Cam Neely get canned also. Even though many Bruins fans on various forums have been caling for Chiarelli's head over this past season, i still believe he's a good GM and hockey man. But considering his close relationship with Zdeno Chara, it might be very difficult for him to seriously want to trade his star defenceman and captain.

 

[joelcairo]

The Leafs have (or had) 5 acceptable players on their roster in this latest year of their almost half-century of epic failure.

The 5 are (or were) Bernier, Reimer, Winnik, Santorelli and Franson.

Not saying those 5 are great, because they sure as hell are NOT...but at least they try, and at least they perform as well as they can given their limited abilities.

Leaf management, in its typically infinite "wisdom" (ha ha ha ha ha) got rid of 2 of the 5, trading Santorelli and Franson to the Preds for a prospect (Brendan Leipsic), a 1st round pick (that will be near the bottom of the first round) and a washed-up 37 year old Olli Jokinen.

Yes, I understand that Franson and Santorelli are about to become UFAs and I also understand that they will attempt to flip Olli (although maybe he and Robidas could team up for some senior citizen discounts at local stores) but it still sends a clear message: the Leafs are LOSERS who happily get rid of 2 of the 5 players on their squad who actually look like they are TRYING...but they hold on to overpaid prima donna floaters, malingerers and unskilled pylons (Phil, Joffrey, Dion, David, et. al.) Meanwhile they've picked up an untested prospect, a draft pick (how do THOSE usually work out for the Leafs?), and a candidate for a retirement home.

David Poile has pulled off a great deal for the Preds - not that it's very difficult to outwit the clueless Leaf management.

 

[joelcairo]

Leaf fans are raving about Morgan Rielly. They say he's a future superstar. They say he might be the only untouchable on this hopeless and pathetic Leaf team.

Leaf management just traded Cody Franson.

Let's compare:

On the season so far, Franson has 6 goals, 26 assists, 32 points. He's played 55 games, averaging 21:23 of ice time each game. He's minus 7.

Rielly has 7 goals, 12 assists, 19 points. He's played 56 games, averaging 19:14 of ice time each game. He's minus 8.

Draw your own conclusions.

By the way, the 6'5'' 213 pound 27 year old Franson played with the Preds prior to becoming a Leaf, so he's "going home" in a sense. He's plus 1 in his NHL career and very tellingly that plus 1 comes from career totals of PLUS 25 with Nashville and MINUS 24 in Toronto.

The 2 happiest players in the NHL today: Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli - going from the dysfunctional hellhole of Loserland Toronto to a top team and Cup contender in Nashville.

The saddest player in the NHL today: Old Olli, who has already expressed his utter disgust at being traded from Nashville to the worst-run franchise in professional sports.

 

[wolfie7]

BOYZ!

That was true in 2011. They did not perform like the biggest threat during the regular season and many underrated how dangerous they might be in the playoffs with good reason. In the playoffs the whole team stepped up and Tim Thomas got very hot at the same time. But still they never made the kind of very foolish mistakes or perform sloppily so often as has been more common this year. The higher level of talent from 2011 is not there this year. Could they be dangerous? Julien called them out for poor play earlier this year. The team answered by getting very tough for a while and winning a lot. So they can be dangerous. But overall how they will play is legitimately very questionable.

It's probably true, as many have said, that the Stanley Cup saved Julien's job. It may not be fair that he could be sacrificed now because a lesser team has achieved less, but Bruins management won't take decline and substandard results like the Kool-Aid guzzlers in Toronto. Boston fans and Boston management have higher expectations.

Cheers,

Merlot

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the Bruins are Cup contenders this year. But I never really thought they had premo talent anyways, even at their peak, even when they were "great." They draft, develop and sign a certain kind of player; they have a very good system; and when players pay attention and bear down, the Bruins are very dangerous, as evidenced by their brief winning streak only a short while ago.

The beautiful thing about hockey is the end result is not a foregone conclusion, as it is in basketball, or even football in some cases. You get a hot goalie, you get a couple of lucky bounces, underdog team starts to feel good about itself, and the better team "on paper" loses. That is, except for the Leafs. The Leafs just permanently suck. And before the last few years, they would be that better team on paper who chokes during the playoffs.

Regular season is boring. Trade deadline, the stretch run, and then the real season, then it gets fun.