NHL 2012-13 Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

Scott, I wouldn't mind seeing a Quebec franchise (the Nordiques?) again in the NHL. I'm not sure that a second franchise in the Toronto area would work. But as hockey is almost a religion in Canada, I suppose that it might be possible. That's impressive to have that many fans for a junior team game! And speaking of the Maple Leafs and junior teams, I believe they're playing a game tonight against an up-and-coming minor league franchise. I have a funny story to tell (which wasn't too funny at the time). I was on my honeymoon back in 1986 in Old Quebec. I was filling up my tank, and while there I struck up a conversation with a few of the others who were getting gasoline. I said something like, "How about them Canadiens!" I had mistakenly thought that because I was in Canada, everyone loved the Habs. Of course, as I was driving away I realized what I had done, and where I was at the time. Ooops. I thought I was going to be lynched. (Actually, no one responded to me.)

Definitely an ooops. During their existence, the Nordiques and Habs rivalry made the Habs - Bruins look like a lovefest. I did something similar many years ago (probably mid-80's) while standing in line at King's Island amusement park in Cincinnati. I made a disparaging remark about Pete Rose, forgetting where I was! I am not sure about a 2nd team in Toronto. While the Leafs own that city, they do have the highest ticket prices in the league and still sell out every game -- even as bad as the franchise has been over the past 45 years. That tells me that demand is greater than the supply in the area. The counter argument, though, is that any other type of higher-end hockey fails miserably in the greater Toronto area. The OHL teams in suburban Toronto struggle to survive (another one is relocating out of the area this off season), and the AHL Marlies do not draw well, either. So, it could be that the Leafs are the only hockey team Toronto is interested in supporting, or it could mean the city in only interested in NHL hockey (but do the Leafs really qualify? ).

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I did something similar many years ago (probably mid-80's) while standing in line at King's Island amusement park in Cincinnati. I made a disparaging remark about Pete Rose, forgetting where I was!

Well, who had the last laugh now? The 16-14 thing is annoying. They'd do better to just eliminate two teams, but that'll never happen. Incidentally, the Panthers are in Ft. Lauderdale (specifically Sunrise), not Miami. They started out in Miami (sharing the old Miami Arena with the Heat), but they haven't been there in many years. Hopefully they won't ever move -- there should be enough Boston, NY, Pittsburgh and Philly fans around here to keep ticket sales up.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Geez, the Bruins are 10-0-0 against everyone other than the Rangers and the Sabres and there are still 5 teams with as many points as them. (Games in hand, I know.) Here's a divisional spread for ya: Chicago has 35 points in 19 games; Columbus has 13 points in 20 games. Oy vey!

 

[Ockeghem]

The B's are playing some fine hockey. I've been keeping an eye on their games-in-hand and on their number of losses. Any bets on when Chicago will lose their first game in regulation? I want to say tonight against the Blues, but I'm guessing it may be at Detroit in a few more days. The game against the Red Wings (Sunday, March 3rd) is televised on NBC. :tu:

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The B's are playing some fine hockey. I've been keeping an eye on their games-in-hand and on their number of losses. Any bets on when Chicago will lose their first game in regulation? I want to say tonight against the Blues, but I'm guessing it may be at Detroit in a few more days. The game against the Red Wings (Sunday, March 3rd) is televised on NBC. :tu:

There is another game on NBCSports that evening between two teams you may be familiar with, Scott. The Chicago streak is mildly interesting, but since they have actually lost some games I think it's a little gimmicky. Have I mentioned before how much I hate the "loser" point awarded for an OT or SO loss?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Well, who had the last laugh now? The 16-14 thing is annoying. They'd do better to just eliminate two teams, but that'll never happen. Incidentally, the Panthers are in Ft. Lauderdale (specifically Sunrise), not Miami. They started out in Miami (sharing the old Miami Arena with the Heat), but they haven't been there in many years. Hopefully they won't ever move -- there should be enough Boston, NY, Pittsburgh and Philly fans around here to keep ticket sales up.

I didn't realize that the team moved out of Miami. Thanks, Aaron. I did see a little bit of a Florida game earlier this season, and it looked like there were a lot of fans dressed up as empty seats. I assume they are still not drawing well in the new location?

 

[Ockeghem]

There is another game on NBCSports that evening between two teams you may be familiar with, Scott. The Chicago streak is mildly interesting, but since they have actually lost some games I think it's a little gimmicky. Have I mentioned before how much I hate the "loser" point awarded for an OT or SO loss?

Scott, Yeah, I know about the other game, but I don't get NBCSN, so I won't be able to watch that one. ;( I don't like either the overtime or the SO in the NHL. I would rather that they had left it as is (allowing for ties in regulation).

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I didn't realize that the team moved out of Miami. Thanks, Aaron. I did see a little bit of a Florida game earlier this season, and it looked like there were a lot of fans dressed up as empty seats. I assume they are still not drawing well in the new location?

Whenever I go, it's packed, but whenever I go there are a lot of Bruins fans there. My impression is that there aren't a ton of Panthers fans around, but the few & the proud do attend games. The tickets are certainly more reasonable than Dolphins or Heat games. (The Marlins are a relatively cheap date, but their season doesn't overlap so much with the NHL.) I'm OK with getting a point for an OT loss, but I also think that a regulation win should be good for 3 points. I'm not a huge fan of shootouts (although they're not nearly as bad as they are in soccer), but if regulation games are worth 3 points then I can live with them.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Scott, Yeah, I know about the other game, but I don't get NBCSN, so I won't be able to watch that one. ;( I don't like either the overtime or the SO in the NHL. I would rather that they had left it as is (allowing for ties in regulation).

I am not a fan of the shootout, either, since it's such a gimmick and not really hockey, but can live with it during the regular season. If they ever add it to the playoffs, though, I'll lose my mind. However, it really bugs me that a team gets rewarded when they lose a game. If the league is going to use OT and the SO to decide a game, then let it really decide the game. A team does not get rewarded for losing in OT in football or basketball, or in extra innings in baseball.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Whenever I go, it's packed, but whenever I go there are a lot of Bruins fans there. My impression is that there aren't a ton of Panthers fans around, but the few & the proud do attend games. The tickets are certainly more reasonable than Dolphins or Heat games. (The Marlins are a relatively cheap date, but their season doesn't overlap so much with the NHL.) I'm OK with getting a point for an OT loss, but I also think that a regulation win should be good for 3 points. I'm not a huge fan of shootouts (although they're not nearly as bad as they are in soccer), but if regulation games are worth 3 points then I can live with them.

Aaron, I cannot remember which game I saw (it would have been on either the NHL Network or NBCSports), but the two sections directly behind the benches were almost completely empty. It was so bad that I immediately noticed all the empty seats.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The sections directly behind the benches contain the seats that are triple-digit priced like those in "real" hockey towns, so they don't sell out as often as the rest of the arena. I sat there once, just for kicks. I got the tickets only 2 weeks before the game. Frankly, the view is better from higher.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The sections directly behind the benches contain the seats that are triple-digit priced like those in "real" hockey towns, so they don't sell out as often as the rest of the arena. I sat there once, just for kicks. I got the tickets only 2 weeks before the game. Frankly, the view is better from higher.

I definitely agree that the view is better from higher. It was just a shock to see so many premium priced seats vacant. Those seats are always full in places like Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Montreal, etc. That's a lot of unrealized revenue.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Chicago - Detroit game is really quite good. It has a playoff atmosphere, and as usual this has me on the edge of my seat. It's scoreless after two periods. A few days ago I thought that this could be the Blackhawk's toughest test in a while. I really hope the Red Wings end the Blackhawk's streak today. And tonight, the Habs visit the B's. Let's go Boston! And the Blackhawk's (as well as the Miami Heat's) streak continues. That was one fun hockey game to watch, with some stellar goaltending and excellent cross-checking. It's too bad that two(!) delay-of-game penalties by Detroit -- one of which occurred very late in regulation -- dampened their chances of winning 1-0 in regulation.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Speaking of terrific games with playoff atmosphere, the Habs - Bruins game last night had that same feel. After a horrible defensive and goaltending performance on Saturday night vs. Pittsburgh, Montreal bounced back with a tough 4-3 win over the hated Bruins. There were lots of hits, a few fights, several goalposts hit, and some good goaltending. Backup tender Budaj was solid for the Canadiens, and robbed Tyler Seguin just before the final horn to save the win. BTW, I thought Seguin was the best player on the ice last night for either team. I wonder if Edmonton regrets passing him over to select Taylor Hall? I thought at the time Seguin would end up being the better NHL player, and so far it looks to be true. I do not know whether to be more pissed at the Oilers for passing him over, or the Leafs for making that trade and making one of my favorite former Plymouth Whalers a Bruin to torment the Habs for years to come.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott, That must have been a great game to watch! I think the Eastern Conference this year could be quite interesting come playoff time. The Bruins have lost three games in regulation thus far (one each to Buffalo, New York, and now Montreal). But they've defeated all three teams this year as well. It doesn't seem to matter where any of these three teams play when they play one another, either. By the way, would you please tell your Canadiens to stop their embellishing? It's the only reason they ever defeat Boston. Seriously, I really haven't given this topic too much thought over the years. But Claude Julien certainly has some concerns about it: "We're trying to clean that out of our game, and it's gotta be done soon because it's not about tonight, it's about the game, and the embellishment embarrasses our game. We need to be better at that." http://espn.go.com/boston/nhl/story/_/id/9011688/claude-julien-boston-bruins-calls-montreal-canadiens-embellishment

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Scott, That must have been a great game to watch! I think the Eastern Conference this year could be quite interesting come playoff time. The Bruins have lost three games in regulation thus far (one each to Buffalo, New York, and now Montreal). But they've defeated all three teams this year as well. It doesn't seem to matter where any of these three teams play when they play one another, either. By the way, would you please tell your Canadiens to stop their embellishing? It's the only reason they ever defeat Boston. Seriously, I really haven't given this topic too much thought over the years. But Claude Julien certainly has some concerns about it: "We're trying to clean that out of our game, and it's gotta be done soon because it's not about tonight, it's about the game, and the embellishment embarrasses our game. We need to be better at that." http://espn.go.com/boston/nhl/story/_/id/9011688/claude-julien-boston-bruins-calls-montreal-canadiens-embellishment

The Habs will stop that when the Bruins stop their goon tactics. Seriously, these two teams have two very contrasting styles of play. When you mix that in with all the history and bad feelings, it makes for some very heated games. BTW, Tyler Seguin had the biggest "dive" of the game, and it contributed handily to Boston's loss. Chara came to his defense after the dive, and spent the next 17 minutes in the penalty box. Yes, the East is going to be quite a battle. I wouldn't count Buffalo amongst the contenders, and have I have been surprised by how the Rangers have struggled, but it is still going to be very tight. I still think the Bruins have the most well-rounded team, as much as it pains me to admit. I am just pleased that it appears Montreal will be part of the mix. I wasn't sure what to expect at the start of the season with all the changes, but Therrien and Bergevin have done a fine job putting this team together.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott, The Rangers are (for the moment, anyway) on the outside looking in. But I fully expect New York to make the playoffs this season. "I still think the Bruins have the most well-rounded team, as much as it pains me to admit." I'm very pleased that you've finally decided to come to your senses. Now I just need to get you to jump on the Boston bandwagon permanently. I'm not holding my breath on that, however.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Scott, The Rangers are (for the moment, anyway) on the outside looking in. But I fully expect New York to make the playoffs this season. "I still think the Bruins have the most well-rounded team, as much as it pains me to admit." I'm very pleased that you've finally decided to come to your senses. Now I just need to get you to jump on the Boston bandwagon permanently. I'm not holding my breath on that, however.

You have about as much chance of that happening as turning me into an Ohio State Buckeyes fan. I am not sure what to make of the Rangers. On paper, they should be the best team in the East. On the ice, they do not look good. That is pretty typical for a Rangers team, though -- they should replace the ice at Madison Square Garden with paper, because the Rangers always look good on paper.

 

[Ockeghem]

Scott, Although I'm not a Blackhawks fan per se, I was pleased to see them win the Cup a few years ago. That's because when I was growing up, I lived with a Blackhawks fan. He dearly wanted them to win it all, but they never did during those years. That being said, I have been thinking a lot about their current streak. I realize you mentioned that you thought it was a little gimmicky, and I can see why given the current OT and shootout rules. But one thing that can't be taken away from them, I don't think, is that they still haven't lost once in regulation. So at worst (even under older rules), they would still have had at least a win or a tie through twenty-two games (twenty-eight going back to last season). I'm equally impressed that they are 10-0-2 on the road thus far. I'm also a little surprised that the streak isn't getting more press than it is.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Yes, I realize that under the old, pre-overtime rules, that Chicago would have an unbeaten streak going on. What I object to is the people that claim they are undefeated, just because there is a zero in the loss column in the standings. I heard it from a couple of talking heads on TV again last weekend. This entire "loser point" system gives the illusion that teams have a better record than they really do. I even get this from some of hockey fanatics at work, claiming a team has a winning record when it is 5-4-5, for example. No, the team has actually won 5 games and lost 9 in that example. To me, the Blackhawks are just another team -- I do not have strong feelings either way towards them. However, we do have a very good friend who is originally from Chicago and is a big Blackhawks fan, so I was happy for her when they won the Cup a few years ago. I also remember watching Patrick Kane in the OHL before he was drafted #1 overall -- my hometown Whalers beat his London Knights team on Plymouth's way to the 2007 OHL Championship. Sergei Kostitsyn and Sam Gagner were also on that London team, while the Whalers countered with James Neal, Jared Boll and Michael Neuvirth.