The 2010-2011 NHL Season Thread

rushfan4 wrote: Wings in 4, Wings in 4!!!!  And without Zetterberg and Franzen last night.  6-3 over the Phoenix Coyotes, soon to be the Winnipeg Jets?

DisgruntledPorcupine wrote: Me, being a Canadian, would love for the Jets to return.

 

Edited by manofmystery - April 21 2011 at 17:10

I don't know what happened to Vancouver

It would be nice to see the Blackhawks win thought.  I feel it would add to the atmosphere of this year's  playoffs - which are great, by the way.

Overtime: a fitting end to that series

In most sports if you outplay the other team for all but 1 second of a game you end up winning.  Teams like New Jersey, Detroit, and Tampa (the way they played tonight, at least) are a major reason why hockey is still a fringe sport.  The NHL needs to open up the ice, take out fighting and headshots, and cut down on the goalie pads.  Until then even teams with talent (like Tampa) will be content to clog it up, play no offense at all, and hope their goalie makes a few key saves.  What a sickening display of hockey.

 

Side note: I don't think I've ever seen anyone look more useless over the course of a series than Ryan Malone.  I could've sworn he had talent when he left here but I was wrong.  He's a skating PP for the other team.

manofmystery wrote: In most sports if you outplay the other team for all but 1 second of a game you end up winning.  Teams like New Jersey, Detroit, and Tampa (the way they played tonight, at least) are a major reason why hockey is still a fringe sport.  The NHL needs to open up the ice, take out fighting and headshots, and cut down on the goalie pads.  Until then even teams with talent (like Tampa) will be content to clog it up, play no offense at all, and hope their goalie makes a few key saves.  What a sickening display of hockey.   Side note: I don't think I've ever seen anyone look more useless over the course of a series than Ryan Malone.  I could've sworn he had talent when he left here but I was wrong.  He's a skating PP for the other team.

The NHL has opened up the ice to a great extent by taking out the red line and the rule against two line passes. I don't see how you could feasibly change that even more without just changing hockey in a way that is tantamount to selling it out to the highest bidder. Changing to olympic size ice is an option, but I don't think that would help much, as most European leagues that play on that larger surface play an even more defensive oriented trapping game.

The reason why clogging the neutal zone is so common is because it is so effective. Any team that doesn't play a kind of trap in contemporary hockey is just being stupid. I think this is one reason why Chicago did as poorly as they did in the regular season. Yes, they lost some key players, but because they do not clog up the neutral zone, but play a very open style they get caught.


I completely understand the points on fighting and headshots. Although I doubt you will see the former go away any time soon.

With regard to the size of the goalies padding. I understand the point, but it does not seem to me that teams have that much of a problem scoring goals.

Stooge wrote: manofmystery wrote: In most sports if you outplay the other team for all but 1 second of a game you end up winning.  Teams like New Jersey, Detroit, and Tampa (the way they played tonight, at least) are a major reason why hockey is still a fringe sport.  The NHL needs to open up the ice, take out fighting and headshots, and cut down on the goalie pads.     I hate seeing headshots, and if you had to get rid of fighting to discourage the dirty plays, then I wouldn't bat an eyelash.  At least it would free up roster spots from 1 dimensional tough guys like Derek Boogard and Colton Orr and give them to players who have a better overall game.  Maybe the league fears cutting out the rough stuff because they see themselves more in competition with UFC instead of MLB, NFL, and the NBA in the states.

I think that fighting is such a tradition in hockey, that it would still alienate a lot of people if it were to be banned. Go to a game in Edmonton, at least, and the only thing that gets the fans cheering more than a winning goal being scored is a fight. I think fighting is stupid, and there is no good reason to continue to have it, but the NHL does risk alienating fans by getting rid of it. Although, the NHL has introduced dumber rules that ought to frustrate more people in the past (I am talking about the regular season shootout nonsense).

I may be being optimistic, but I think there has been a definite attempt in the last 2-3 years to crack down on headshots more than before. Of course, they are still too prominent, but it looks like there is a move towards further cracking down on them.

For example, consider the way Torres hit on Seabrooke was treated this year, in contrast with how Torres' hit on Michalek was treated in 2006.

The Wings gave away game 3 last night to the Sharks and are now down 3 games to none.  The exact same scenario as last year.  Apparently, they have an 8% chance of winning the series being down 3 games to 0.  Make room on the golf course Canadiens and Penguins and Capitals, etc... the Wings are about to join you.

Edited by rushfan4 - May 05 2011 at 14:11

Equality 7-2521 wrote: Go Bruins!

 

Go Sharks.  Gotta knock the ultimate interference team out.  Want open ice and offense, not clutching, grabbing, and interfering.