The Official MERB 2010-2011 NHL Hockey Thread

[Mod 8]

Hello everyone,

I am posting this now in preparation for the upcoming season in order for members to understand the rules in this thread and to prepare themselves for a civilized, flame free discussion on the NHL season.

The rules in this thread will be as follows: NO flame posts, NO trash talk, NO insults of any kind directed at either members or teams or hockey players. Proper team names must be used in all posts, there will be no "Scabs", "Maple Laughs" or other such terms used in this thread. This thread is for serious discussion only.

Any violation of the above rules will result in an immediate 1 week suspension. This will include any posts breaking the above rules that the poster has edited to remove the offense.

This thread will be opened for posting on the day before the first game of the season. There will also be an Official pre-season thread (subject to the same rules above) created, as well as a free for all thread which will be open for more "spirited" discussions. While that thread will be moderated for extreme personal attacks and insults, I would advise any member who is thin skinned to avoid that particular thread.

Thank you,

Mod 8

 

[Mod 8]

Thread is now open for posting. Please read the rules in the above post as ignorance of the rules will not be accepted as an excuse for escaping a penalty.

I will also ask members to refrain from posting simple links to articles on other sites. Once in awhile this will be acceptable, but this thread is primarily for members to share their own views and opinions of the games, not link to others. If you with to only post links to others' opinions, I have no objection to starting a thread called "NHL Around the Net" if you wish.

I wish all members and their favorite teams the best of luck in the upcoming season!

Mod 8

 

[Jman47]

Thanks for the threads M8.

Here's to a great season!

Simply put...

Have fun,

Jman

 

[lgna69xxx]

Just Arrived in Toronto on a beautiful warm and sunny day, looking forward to the pre party the NHL is putting on, and then it is showtime!

'NUFF SAID!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Just Arrived in Toronto on a beautiful warm and sunny day, looking forward to the pre party the NHL is putting on, and then it is showtime!

I can't wait!! I predict a Leafs win tonight!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Went to "Real Sports Bar and Grill" in Downtown Toronto today... i suggest this place to anyone who loves sports, great food, many many choices of beer, hot women.... basically theres someting for everyone... Best baby back ribs i have EVER had! bar none! ... you can never miss your favorite game, and i mean never, they have flatscreens above every toilet in the restrooms, i counted 10 tv's in the mens room alone, all in all 200 flatscreens in the whole place including a 40foot screen above the main bar, which is roughly 100 feet long! here is a pic and some clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej7E86O6n1Y


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYxby05Fghc&feature=related

 

[Doc Holliday]

I totally agree. I've been there & it's absolutely awesome! The women working there are among some of the hottest young women in Toronto, and the food was great. I had hot chicken wings and a huge burger. The chef is well known since he used to work at the upscale Four Seasons Hotel. It's a good place to spot the v.i.p.'s and was recently voted the #1 sports bar in North America by ESPN.

Opening soon will be a boutique hotel (Le Germain) and the nearby sports clothing store (Real Sports) is the largest i've ever seen. And the women......whew!!!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Your call, Joe Thorton hit, legal or not?

Video to the right of the article

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=339982

 

[joelcairo]

Season of Rebirth for the Original Six?

As hockey fans know, the post-1967 years haven't always been great for the Original Six.

Detroit has been the dominant team in hockey for about the past quarter century but even they went through some struggles before that.

Montreal has won more post-expansion Cups than any other team but only 2 in the past 30 years (1979 and 1986).

Boston has two Cups since 67 but both in the early 70s. Boston has had a lot of good players so maybe they've underachieved in terms of copping the big prize.

Chicago is the current champ but it's their first since 61 and it's not looking like they'll repeat, having lost too many pieces of the puzzle (as most modern teams do after winning a Cup).

The Rangers had their big year in 94 but not much before or since.

The Leafs? Well we want to avoid any accusations of Leaf-bashing so let's just say that the past 43 years have not been their finest ones!

BUT...THIS YEAR it's looking brighter for all 6. Here are the latest overall standings:

Detroit - 3rd, with a terrific 17 points in 11 games. The pick of almost all knowledgeable hockey analysts to be a serious Cup contender (as usual).

Montreal - 5th, with a commendable and unexpected 17 points in 13 games despite losing Jaroslav Halak.

Rangers - 11th, with 15 points in 13 games. Not a Cup threat but performing better than expected.

Chicago - 12th, with 15 points in 15 games. Probably a disappointment but we all knew their Cup win LAST year would hurt them THIS year.

Boston - 13th, with 14 points in 10 games. The rebirth of Timmy Thomas is again providing hope for Beantown after they caved in against Philly in last year's playoffs. Somehow the Bruins never sink TOO far,

Toronto - 21st, with 12 points in 12 games. Hey, it's not much, but at least they're moving up after last year's 29th place finish.

Congrats to the Original Six.

 

[Doc Holliday]

WILSON SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get that arrogant a-hole out of Toronto!!!!!!!!!

 

[joelcairo]

WILSON SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get that arrogant a-hole out of Toronto!!!!!!!!!

Hi Doc. Glad to see that we are in agreement on many hockey opinions this year - including the opinion you expressed in your quote here.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hi Doc. Glad to see that we are in agreement on many hockey opinions this year - including the opinion you expressed in your quote here.

How i miss Pat Burns, Pat Quinn & Paul Maurice...........if Wilson wasn't Burke's buddy, he would have been gone after last season!

 

[joelcairo]

How i miss Pat Burns, Pat Quinn & Paul Maurice...........if Wilson wasn't Burke's buddy, he would have been gone after last season!

Again Doc we see eye-to-eye. Paul Maurice always had and still has a lot of class. Burns is a 3-time Jack Adams winner who will one day go into the Hall of Fame. I never liked Quinn but I must admit that he does know a few things about hockey.

Your quoted observation also points out one VERY important fact: namely that Wilson is there ONLY because he is Burke's buddy - and that CERTAINLY reflects very badly on Burke's judgement. A good GM would do what's best for the team and not just keep his buddy in the pork barrel at the expense of a poor team and city long starved of any success whatsoever. Ultimately if Coach Wilson is bad (which he is) it reflects very poorly on GM Burke.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

07-03-2007 09:26 AM

the Leafs got a bargain when they signed Jason Blake for 5 years at $20 million.

As for the Habs, i don't see them making the playoffs next year.

I don't remember making that post (sorry, i don't save my posts but i'm flattered other people have), but i'll admit i was disappointed in Jason Blake. However, no one foresaw that he'd get diagnosed with leukemia soon after joining the Leafs, which i'm certain impeded his playing ability.

How much are the habs paying Scott Gomez again & for how long? How much have they been paying Roman Hamrlik over the past 2-3 years?

As for my statement in regards to the habs' chances that particular season, that's the season they finished tied with Florida for the last spot available to make the playoffs & the habs got in on a technicality ahead of the Panthers, who deserved to make it ahead of the habs......so i wasn't entirely wrong.

By the way, marvelous Jaroslav Halak is among the league's best goalies once again. Recently, he had 3 shut-outs in 4 games!!! Vivre Halak! Long live Halak!! The habs should be proud of themselves for having developped such a great goaltender who will likely be great for the next 10-15 years.............Halak! Halak! Halak!

 

[lgna69xxx]

ya know, if the habs had Halak this season, they would easily be 11-3 instead of 8-5-1.. that trade will come back to haunt them for YEARS.

I don't remember making that post (sorry, i don't save my posts but i'm flattered other people have), but i'll admit i was disappointed in Jason Blake. However, no one foresaw that he'd get diagnosed with leukemia soon after joining the Leafs, which i'm certain impeded his playing ability.

How much are the habs paying Scott Gomez again & for how long? How much have they been paying Roman Hamrlik over the past 2-3 years?

As for my statement in regards to the habs' chances that particular season, that's the season they finished tied with Florida for the last spot available to make the playoffs & the habs got in on a technicality ahead of the Panthers, who deserved to make it ahead of the habs......so i wasn't entirely wrong.

By the way, marvelous Jaroslav Halak is among the league's best goalies once again. Recently, he had 3 shut-outs in 4 games!!! Vivre Halak! Long live Halak!! The habs should be proud of themselves for having developped such a great goaltender who will likely be great for the next 10-15 years.............Halak! Halak! Halak!

 

[Doc Holliday]

ya know, if the habs had Halak this season, they would easily be 11-3 instead of 8-5-1.. that trade will come back to haunt them for YEARS.

I totally agree with you. And worse, Halak isn't earning much more than what Price is currently earning. They could have kept Halak for possibly slightly higher than what they're paying Price & likely would have got a better return for Carey Price had they traded him. Are you trying to tell me that one of the top 3 goalies in the entire NHL could only attract Lars Eller & some goon named Schultz? Unbelievable!!!

By the way, i still say that Carey Price is a good goalie.....probably among the top half of the league's goalies. However, he's no Jaroslav Halak!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Lars who???????? and i agree Price is a very talented goalie, but with a injury prone, old, and inexperienced D, all rolled into one, (gill spacek,old..markov, injury prone and subban, nhl inexperience) and the fans on his back all the time, he will NEVER fully reach his potential with the habs. He would flourish in Atlanta or San Jose however.

I totally agree with you. And worse, Halak isn't earning much more than what Price is currently earning. They could have kept Halak for possibly slightly higher than what they're paying Price & likely would have got a better return for Carey Price had they traded him. Are you trying to tell me that one of the top 3 goalies in the entire NHL could only attract Lars Eller & some goon named Schultz? Unbelievable!!!

By the way, i still say that Carey Price is a good goalie.....probably among the top half of the league's goalies. However, he's no Jaroslav Halak!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Lars who???????? and i agree Price is a very talented goalie, but with a injury prone, old, and inexperienced D, all rolled into one, (gill spacek,old..markov, injury prone and subban, nhl inexperience) and the fans on his back all the time, he will NEVER fully reach his potential with the habs. He would flourish in Atlanta or San Jose however.

Price is exactly the type of goalie a team like the Ottawa Senators should go after. Heck, Ottawa could have traded Pascal Leclair to the habs for Price.....oh heck, i forgot that habs management are anti-french canadians, so that trade never would have happened.

 

[lgna69xxx]

True, but we dont want the sens to have price, but i agree he would be a good fit for them and most likely a allstar goalie. He wont be doing that in La Belle Province anytime soon!

Price is exactly the type of goalie a team like the Ottawa Senators should go after. Heck, Ottawa could have traded Pascal Leclair to the habs for Price.....oh heck, i forgot that habs management are anti-french canadians, so that trade never would have happened.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I'm not a hockey fan and I don't play one on TV, so I need some help here. I've been offered a ticket in the "red" section to see a game between the Habs and Leafs, a team I've also seen referred to as the Loafs or Laughs, in a few weeks. I've been told the ticket price is $200.

Looking over the Canadiens ticket prices, I see that ducats in the Red A section sell for $143 for "regular" games and $200 for "optimum" games.

My question is this: do games between the Canadiens and a team which A lot of chirping from fans of a team that:

* has only won 1 game in their last 9,
* is coming off a 29th place finish,
* has missed the playoffs in 5 straight years (soon to be 6)
* hasn’t had so much as a sniff of the Stanley Cup finals in 43 seasons

qualify as "optimum" and, if so, how do the Canadiens define "optimum."