February NHL Thread, trade deadline looming Options

[CharlieMurphy(dv...]

10 years ago this week, Trevor Linden was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Islanders. While it turned out to be a good trade in hockey terms, the events that surrounded the trade proved what scumbag douchebags Mark Messier and Mike Keenan were. This story can never be told enough especially with all the praise heaped onto Messier's plate.

The Canucks retired #11 in tribute to the late Wayne Maki, who died. Messier demanded that he have his #11 when he came to town. Then he demanded that he be Captain so the Canucks ripped the "C" off of Trevor Linden's jersey and gave it to Messier. It was only a few years earlier that the Canucks and Rangers met in the Stanley Cup Finals and in an underreported incident, Messier tried to injure Linden at the end of Game 6 so that he wouldn't make it to Game 7. He shattered Linden's nose to the point that it is still curved to this day. If that wasn't enough, Mike Keenan comes to town and after a loss to the St. Louis Blues, Keenan ripped into Linden in a vicious tirade in front of the entire team. It was so bad that Linden has barely talked to Keenan in over a decade now. So with Linden rehabbing an injury so that he could go represent Canada at Nagano, Keenan dealt him to the Islanders. He didn't wait until after the Olympic break, he dealt Linden right before the break so that Linden came back from Nagano to New York and not Vancouver. It was also no surprise that other heart and soul Canucks were also dealt like Kirk McLean, Martin Gelinas, Dave Babych, and Gino Odjick.

You look back now and wonder how a team with Pavel Bure, Alexander Mogilny, Mark Messier, Arturs Irbe, Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, Jyrki Lumme, Mattias Ohlund, Bret Hedican, etc managed to MISS THE PLAYOFFS. It was because Messier demanded to play in all situations even though he wasn't good enough. He led the Canucks franchise into the toilet then he went back to the Rangers and led equally or greater groups of talent into the toilet.

So on behalf of everyone in Vancouver, fuck Mike Keenan and fuck Mark Messier. You might be celebrated in other cities but people in this city saw your true colours.

[Death From Above]

Dany Heatley's shoulder being miles ahead of schedule has pretty much bumped Ottawa/Montreal this Saturday to #1 on my list of games to see during the regular season. Alfredsson might be back for Saturday too. This is going to be a good one.

[odessasteps]

first place washington capitals?

[Oyaji]

So on behalf of everyone in Vancouver, fuck Mike Keenan and fuck Mark Messier. You might be celebrated in other cities but people in this city saw your true colours.

And how. The Messier-led Canucks was probably the lowest point I've seen the team. God, how I hate that self-indulgent ass.

On a brighter note, when will the Canucks of '08 win a game, much less win it in regulation?

[Steamroller]

Im enjoying this Messier bashing, as a life long Rangers fan i still say fuck that guy.

[CharlieMurphy(dv...]

So on behalf of everyone in Vancouver, fuck Mike Keenan and fuck Mark Messier. You might be celebrated in other cities but people in this city saw your true colours.

And how. The Messier-led Canucks was probably the lowest point I've seen the team. God, how I hate that self-indulgent ass.

On a brighter note, when will the Canucks of '08 win a game, much less win it in regulation?

TONIGHT! Thank you, Thrashers!

I'm glad the Canucks could play a small role in helping the Capitals in their quest for the playoffs.

[Robert]

I don't get the Leafs. Nope. Not at all.

Rob

[Eric Purdy]

I don't get the Leafs. Nope. Not at all.

Rob

Damn, it was so weird cheering for them tonight. I kept having to remind myself not to be happy when Montreal was putting pressure on the Leafs D.

Huge win for the Sens over the Panthers. Now Saturday's game gives us a chance to get 5 points up on the Habs and we'll hopefully have Alfie to go with Heater, who returned with two goals & an assist tonight. That should put to rest any concerns that he hurried himself back because of the losing streak.

[Robert]

I'm still torn on who to cheer for in the Ottawa/Montreal race. On one hand I hate Ottawa to death. On the other hand one of my best friends is a diehard Montreal fan and I'd hate to see him succeed while my team fails. It's a tough call. Let's go Bruins!

Bob Cole was AWESOME tonight. How many times did he the word 'dandy'? Also, does he realize the delayed penalty calls are always against the team without possession of the puck? I'm not even being sarcastic, I legit wonder if he knows about that rule since he messes it up every single time.

I'm getting sick but it's okay b/c that means I can stay in bed all day watching hockey this Saturday! WOO-HOO!

Rob

[Kravis]

Hey guys I am a big hockey and NHL fan but I have a few problems. I just moved to Chicago last fall where they NEVER show any hockey, and I am without ESPN and CBC right now, so in essence I am not very up on the NHL at the moment other than looking at the standings at nhl.com and reading through these threads.

Rather than giving me a full run down on every team in the playoff race (though you could do that if you feel up to it) I am interested in your take on the Red Wings and the western conference. I was lucky enough to go to a Red Wings and Blackhawks game this year and what I saw from the Wings I really liked. Their defense is solid, and the starting line was skating circles around the Hawks. I know they are leading the league in points right now, however what are their chances in the playoffs? I still think they were good enough to get the Finals last year (damn that game 5 overtime!) but they lost some key verterns from last year's team. Who could pose a threat to them in the Western Conference playoffs?

[odessasteps]

from the NYT hockey blog

Anaheim Ducks General Manager Brian Burke said he asked the Islanders for a credential for Pat LaFontaine, a former Islander and Hall of Famer, so he could sit with him on Tuesday night when the Ducks played at Nassau Coliseum. But the Islanders would not grant him one. Burke said he reiterated his request as a personal favor and was again refused.
“I’m bewildered by it, but you’d have to ask the Islanders about it,” Burke said on Thursday night, before the Ducks played the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
The Islanders said through a spokesman that LaFontaine would have been welcome to come and sit in a suite reserved for alumni. Burke said he gave LaFontaine a ticket and he sat in a suite with him and the Ducks’ owners.
LaFontaine, who played eight seasons for the Islanders in his Hall of Fame career, had been hired by the Islanders as senior adviser to the owner Charles Wang in 2006, but he resigned a short time later when the team unexpectedly fired General Manager Neil Smith after barely a month on the job.

[CharlieMurphy(dv...]

Hey guys I am a big hockey and NHL fan but I have a few problems. I just moved to Chicago last fall where they NEVER show any hockey, and I am without ESPN and CBC right now, so in essence I am not very up on the NHL at the moment other than looking at the standings at nhl.com and reading through these threads.

Rather than giving me a full run down on every team in the playoff race (though you could do that if you feel up to it) I am interested in your take on the Red Wings and the western conference. I was lucky enough to go to a Red Wings and Blackhawks game this year and what I saw from the Wings I really liked. Their defense is solid, and the starting line was skating circles around the Hawks. I know they are leading the league in points right now, however what are their chances in the playoffs? I still think they were good enough to get the Finals last year (damn that game 5 overtime!) but they lost some key verterns from last year's team. Who could pose a threat to them in the Western Conference playoffs?

For whatever reason, the Wings regular season success hasn't translated to post-season success. For a long time, Datsyuk didn't show up in the Playoffs and they couldn't quite get the level of goaltending they needed. Everyone in the West is pretty much a threat because everybody has good to great goaltending and play good defence. It pretty much comes down to who is hot and more importantly who is healthy.

[I'm_with_Melina]

Hey guys I am a big hockey and NHL fan but I have a few problems. I just moved to Chicago last fall where they NEVER show any hockey, and I am without ESPN and CBC right now, so in essence I am not very up on the NHL at the moment other than looking at the standings at nhl.com and reading through these threads.

Rather than giving me a full run down on every team in the playoff race (though you could do that if you feel up to it) I am interested in your take on the Red Wings and the western conference. I was lucky enough to go to a Red Wings and Blackhawks game this year and what I saw from the Wings I really liked. Their defense is solid, and the starting line was skating circles around the Hawks. I know they are leading the league in points right now, however what are their chances in the playoffs? I still think they were good enough to get the Finals last year (damn that game 5 overtime!) but they lost some key verterns from last year's team. Who could pose a threat to them in the Western Conference playoffs?

For whatever reason, the Wings regular season success hasn't translated to post-season success. For a long time, Datsyuk didn't show up in the Playoffs and they couldn't quite get the level of goaltending they needed. Everyone in the West is pretty much a threat because everybody has good to great goaltending and play good defence. It pretty much comes down to who is hot and more importantly who is healthy.

After watching the Red Wings dismantle the Flames in the playoffs last I figured they were a sure bet to get to the finals, but then they didn't. I can't really figure out their lack of success in the playoffs, other than to suggest they aren't a very physical team(but they aren't soft), and perhaps that catches up with them in the playoffs. Detroit relies heavily on positioning and puck movement rather than physicality and forechecking. It's cliche but the playoffs are a tighter game with less room to maneuver, and Detroit hasn't really adapted, so when a team like Anaheim that plays a very physical game comes in, Detroit looks overmatched. Also they haven't really gotten elite goaltending in the playoffs since Hasek won it for them. A 90 year old Hasek and Chris Osgood doesn't inspire much confidence from me, but both guys have won cups as starting goalies. And Niklas Lidstrom is pretty much the perfect hockey player.

[Death From Above]

Yeah Detroit totally dominates in regular season play. I think their problem in the post season is partially a physical issue, especially on defense. A lot of talented defensemen, but not a lot that deal well with taking a pounding. Teams that put a large amount of physical pressure on their defense do well: that's the basis of how Edmonton shocked them in 6 a couple years back, skate hard and give their defense a hard time. They have a few good forchecking forwards in Holmstrom, Draper, and Maltby, but neither Draper or Maltby can put the puck in the net.

Datsuyk has never done much in the playoffs. I excuse him for the Edmonton series because he was clearly injured and nothing close to 100% when he did play at all. But he still has something to prove.

"A 90 year old Hasek and Chris Osgood doesn't inspire much confidence from me, but both guys have won cups as starting goalies." - That sums it up to me too. Hasek, to me, isn't even a top 20 goalie anymore. His GAA and save % look great because he's facing the fewest shots in hockey in the regular season. Any professional goalie facing the nightly workload (or lack therof) he does in Detroit would be posting great numbers. Detroit *need* to outshoot opponents to dominate the way they do if Hasek's in net. I actually think Osgood is the better bet at this point, and Legace > Osgood for me. And Legace was one of the "we're not convinced he's good enough" guys in Detroit, wasn't he? I don't really think Detroit's goaltending is all that great, relative to their impressive numbers on stats sheets. They have a lot of good elements. And if Detroit do win it all, there's nobody that will be shocked about it. When they do play games in their style, nobody beats them. You have to pressure their defense or they eat you alive because they control the flow of games to be what they want better than any team in hockey. Maybe (considering the last decade or so) better than any team in hockey I've ever seen.

I'm having a weird vibe that Calgary could go far in the playoffs. I dunno, I just have this nagging feeling Kiprusoff is suddenly around when the playoffs start going to kick things up a gear and rekindle that form from a couple years back, and that Calgary isn't going to let the embarassment of their lack of road effort last year carry over. And they have the scoring, and the grit. It's not out of the realm possibility. I also see Vancouver, Anaheim, and of course Detroit as probably the big four in the west. I think any of those four could win this year. The two teams I expect out in the first round for sure: San Jose and Dallas. Both meet the "playoff criteria" of excellent goaltending and being able to be physical, but neither has any scoring at all. Marty Turco had 3 shutouts in one playoff series last year and Dallas still lost to Vancouver anyway. They haven't really addressed their lack of scoring, no matter what Mike Ribero's flukey high shooting percentage this season says. And San Jose have been awful for a team with such a good record. Nabokov might be a Vezina finalist in goal, Joe Thornton has been his usual self, but otherwise it hasn't been very pretty. Marleau has done nothing. Cheechoo looks like a perenial 20 goal man and not the guy who got 50 one year. No one else they have scores at all. And Thornton doesn't exactly have a history of tearing it up in the playoffs either. I don't think they have any chance unless Nabokov steals a series by himself.

[Eric Purdy]

Datsuyk has never done much in the playoffs. I excuse him for the Edmonton series because he was clearly injured and nothing close to 100% when he did play at all. But he still has something to prove.

He did last year. 8 G, 8 A in 18 games. I was a little skeptical of him before that too, but it turns out Mike Babcock was right that his past playoff struggles mostly had to do with injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if he puts up another big performance, especially if the Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Holmstrom line is put together for the playoffs.

And San Jose have been awful for a team with such a good record. Nabokov might be a Vezina finalist in goal, Joe Thornton has been his usual self, but otherwise it hasn't been very pretty. Marleau has done nothing. Cheechoo looks like a perenial 20 goal man and not the guy who got 50 one year. No one else they have scores at all. And Thornton doesn't exactly have a history of tearing it up in the playoffs either. I don't think they have any chance unless Nabokov steals a series by himself.

Speaking of San Jose, TSN says they took another run at trying to land Wade Redden but he wasn't willing to waive his no trade clause. I'd guess this is pretty much the final proof that Wade won't be back in Ottawa next year. He's not Murray's kind of player at all and this is, what, the third time he's asked him to waive the no trade clause?

[Death From Above]

Yeah Datsuyk did look good last year. I think it's fair to say he probably needs one more good run to shake the doubters. Thornton is in that camp too where he's now labelled "guy who doesn't get it done in the big games" even though Thornton is a guy who has gone into playoffs hurting a lot too. I'm definitely a Thornton doubter not only for the iffy playoff record but his total no show for Canada at Turin 2006. Granted the whole tournament went pear shaped as far as Team Canada went but I thought Joe Thornton was especailly rancid for a guy running near MVP level in the regular season.

There's really no reason Detroit shouldn't find a way to win. But that's been true almost every year in the last decade. It's almost boring to say "Detroit should win the west" but, yeah, Detroit should win the west in theory.

[CharlieMurphy(dv...]

Thornton is almost a pure setup man and his goal scorers disappeared in the Playoffs in San Jose. I wouldn't put it all on him because he's shown a lot of heart in tough situations. It seems like the rest of the Sharks aren't playoff performers. I also question how a team with that much talent plays so conservative that they leave very little room for error.

[odessasteps]

HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA

wings vs leafs starting now

[Robert]

I wonder if the crowd was told not to make any noise as to not disturb the players?

Rob

[Death From Above]

Man I was all hyped to see Montreal/Ottawa. I didn't realize until today that they are booked side by side with Edmonton/Calgary so I won't even get to see it here out west. That's kind of a shame considering how Montreal/Ottawa are doing in the playoff running. Oh well. Maybe Edmonton will blow Calgary out 5-0 again and that will certainly make my weekend.

That goal Hasek gave up to Sundin in the third period was a riot. That's the kind of goal that when it gets scored in a video game and people bitch that no real goaltender would ever give that up. Actually the first four goals were all flukey. Then the fifth was one of those special ones only created through the magic of the Hasek barrel roll/illegal stick throw that never gets called because it's Hasek.

EDITED because I for some reason (read: am an idiot) I wrote Toronto instead of Ottawa.