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2014-2015 NHL Thread

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OldTimeHockey said:
He was a warrior and I would of taken him on my favourite team any day of the week.
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He was a good player but he was pretty small and missed a lot of time to injuries. I was certainly never afraid of him or anything when the Leafs played the Habs. If he'd been on the Leafs he'd have been their #2 or #3 center depending on the year.
 
Nik the Trik said:
He was a good player but he was pretty small and missed a lot of time to injuries. I was certainly never afraid of him or anything when the Leafs played the Habs. If he'd been on the Leafs he'd have been their #2 or #3 center depending on the year.
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Yeah. Only three 20+ goal or 60+ point seasons. He was a decent enough #2 centre, but, that's really about it. There's a reason the Habs were a pretty mediocre team throughout most of his time in Montreal - not his fault, but, you're not going to get very far with him on your top line without having exceptional depth behind him.
 
I remember at the time of arrival of young Mikko and how he must feel to be entering the league under Saku's shadow.  I never thought he would become the superior player, but I think that's what is apparent now.
 
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/vancouver-columnist-claims-conspiracy-from-leafs-owners--nhl-schedule-150634793.html

You know the season is getting close when the ridiculous anti-Canuck, pro-Leaf conspiracy theories start getting press in Vancouver.
 
Nov. 2, 2013: Vancouver 4, Toronto 0 (4 p.m.)

Feb. 18, 2012: Vancouver 6, Toronto 2 (4 p.m.)

Dec. 18, 2010: Vancouver 4, Toronto 1 (4 p.m.)

Oct. 24, 2009: Vancouver 3, Toronto 1 (4 p.m.)

Nov. 15, 2008: Vancouver 4, Toronto 2, (4 p.m.)
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Dude should be happy. Look at the scores of those games!
 
I thought this was kind of neat.  Shows how 'analytic' stuff can help a player or alter his views on how he plays somewhat:

The Wild winger used to be a big proponent of the dump-and-chase game, reminding critics during a classic rant last year that all teams dump the puck, including the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009, and all four conference finalists the previous year, including the New Jersey Devils he captained.

?We went to the Finals dumping and chasing. We did it more than anybody. And we scored a lot,? Parise said in February 2013.

But as the Wild has transitioned to becoming a better puck possession team, Parise has changed his tune dramatically.

?I read a study this summer that showed shots generated off carrying the puck in as opposed to dumping it in, and it?s like 4-to-1. It?s not even close,? said Parise, who is set to make his preseason debut with linemates Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville against the Penguins on Thursday night. ?I just found it so interesting because everyone?s like, ?Forecheck, forecheck, forecheck.?

?I get it, but you dump the puck, you have to get it back. All you?re doing is giving the puck away. I mean, it?s so hard to get it, why would you give it away??
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http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/277016651.html
 
?I get it, but you dump the puck, you have to get it back. All you?re doing is giving the puck away. I mean, it?s so hard to get it, why would you give it away??
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This speaks volumes. Just lays things out as simple as possible.
 
bustaheims said:
?I get it, but you dump the puck, you have to get it back. All you?re doing is giving the puck away. I mean, it?s so hard to get it, why would you give it away??
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This speaks volumes. Just lays things out as simple as possible.
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It use to be the "Canadian way" of playing hockey was dump and chase and pound the defender on the forecheck.  Are we shifting away from this now with the "new" NHL?  I mean, I don't disagree with this way of thinking as I agree that it is so hard to get the puck now when the other team has it with the way players are with passing.  Is this a new shift in philosophy in the way the game is played?  If so, does this mean Kadri was right to hold on to the puck all the time when he first joined the league?  :P
 
The team with the Cup sure does play the dump and punish style and that certainly leads to them getting better the longer a series goes.
 
No.92 said:
It use to be the "Canadian way" of playing hockey was dump and chase and pound the defender on the forecheck.  Are we shifting away from this now with the "new" NHL?  I mean, I don't disagree with this way of thinking as I agree that it is so hard to get the puck now when the other team has it with the way players are with passing.  Is this a new shift in philosophy in the way the game is played?  If so, does this mean Kadri was right to hold on to the puck all the time when he first joined the league?  :P
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I think this is more of a shift back towards the way the game used to be played. The old school guys didn't dump and chase anywhere close to as much as teams over the past 25-30 years. Really, the more prevalent the trap became, the more teams focused on playing dump and chase, because it was their only real option.
 
Bates said:
The team with the Cup sure does play the dump and punish style and that certainly leads to them getting better the longer a series goes.
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Their 3rd and 4th lines, maybe, but the primary focus of their scoring lines was controlled entries while retaining the puck.
 
No.92 said:
bustaheims said:
?I get it, but you dump the puck, you have to get it back. All you?re doing is giving the puck away. I mean, it?s so hard to get it, why would you give it away??
Click to expand...

This speaks volumes. Just lays things out as simple as possible.
Click to expand...

It use to be the "Canadian way" of playing hockey was dump and chase and pound the defender on the forecheck.  Are we shifting away from this now with the "new" NHL?  I mean, I don't disagree with this way of thinking as I agree that it is so hard to get the puck now when the other team has it with the way players are with passing.  Is this a new shift in philosophy in the way the game is played?  If so, does this mean Kadri was right to hold on to the puck all the time when he first joined the league?  :P
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I'd say the Olympics were a pretty good example of Canadian players dominating the control of the puck.
 
Teams that are successful in the NHL playoffs still have the dump in their arsenal, whether as an effective offensive/recovery tactic or as an exploitation of an ineffective version from the opposition. It's not a new idea, that retaining possession is desirable, more that the narrative focus has changed ( the pendulum has swung ), teams can't be one trick ponies and realistically hope to raise Lord Stanley's cup.
 
Bender said:
Soooo.... Markstrom is on waivers. Has he gone downhill that badly?
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He hasn't been great at the NHL level so far, and he's kind of caught in a numbers game. Miller was guaranteed a spot (obviously) and Lack has been excellent for Vancouver. I don't think he gets claimed and, if he doesn't get solid NHL time this season, there's probably a good chance this is his last season in North America.

EDIT: No real surprise here:

FriedgeHNIC: Markstrom clears...no claim made.
 
Bryzgalov released.

.@TOTALLUXURYLIMO I-35 Report #mnwild puts Almond & Veilleux on waivers, Fontaine on IR, releases Bryzgalov from PTO http://ow.ly/CkIul

capgeek shows he has salary through 2019-20.  Is Minnesota on the hook for that?
 
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