2015-16 NHL Season

[It's Damn Real!]

Regular season is under way!

Use this thread to discuss specific games, pre-season, opening night for your club, free agency, trades, playoffs, player news, team news and anything NHL related!

Oh, and Let's Go Rangers!

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Rangers hung on to beat the defending Cup champion Hawks 3-2 earlier tonight, but in more interesting news, we may see two suspensions early this year coming out of the Sharks/Kings game...

Milan Lucic took a high run/charge at Logan Couture late in the third period after Couture lit him up with a big open ice hit... after Couture got called for running over Quick a few shifts before... after Couture was hit high/questionably (video in link) by Brown earlier in the game.

Lucic was reportedly given a match penalty (which I believe is accompanied by an automatic one-game suspension still) for it, according to Elliotte Friedman.

So looks like Brown and Lucic may end up suspended coming out of opening night.

HOCKEY IS BACK!

 

[NSL]

How 'bout Oscar Lindberg, eh?

As a Rangers fan, my hopes are obviously high for this season, but knocking off the defending champions in their arena on opening night is huge. I haven't had a chance to see the game yet, but all reports seem to say that the 3rd line was huge. And it's nice to see Stepan scoring, after the contract issues in the offseason.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yeah, Lindberg looked great. He and Stålberg have developed some really promising early chemistry, which should go a long way for the Rangers' depth this season if this pace continues, or even continues close to the rate they're operating at right now (and through preseason prior).

 

[jmt225]

Just want to say that it was awesome to see that Jack Eichel got a goal in his first NHL game. That kid is going to be a star and has potential to be the best American player since Mike Modano.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yeah, he and McDavid are going to be the best one-two Draft punch since Ovechkin/Malkin IMO where both are effectively going to revolutionize their respective teams.

Was a sweet goal, too, if you haven't seen it: http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/849420

 

[nightmare]

Every year that Jagr suits up I think "well this is it". Then he keeps coming back and playing like a champ. His move to Florida seemed to give him some more energy, and again this year, is proving to be a great player to have around. I still miss Lemieux tho.


Yeah, the new kids are gonna be fantastic. That goal by Eichel was pretty sweet.

 

[NSL]

Did you hear the story of Jagr and the prostitute who tried to blackmail him?

On topic, how 'bout them Rangers?? Lindberg has been way better than even the best projections, and it doesn't seem like there's been a weak spot on the team. The 2nd half of the game Saturday, they looked exhausted, but it was the second night of a home-and-home, and 3rd game in 4 nights.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Did you hear the story of Jagr and the prostitute who tried to blackmail him?

She wasn't a prostitute, I don't think. She was only a woman who tried to extort him after sleeping with him; photo stays secret for cash. Classic Jágr response. "Go ahead".

On topic, how 'bout them Rangers?? Lindberg has been way better than even the best projections, and it doesn't seem like there's been a weak spot on the team. The 2nd half of the game Saturday, they looked exhausted, but it was the second night of a home-and-home, and 3rd game in 4 nights.

Looking great early, but it's early. The team does have some weak spots, though. Most of the same ones projected coming into this season. Will Nash show up in the playoffs? Will Dan Boyle continue to regress? Will Hayes suffer a sophomore slump? Few others too.

But they look good. I can't deny that.

 

[NSL]

Looking great early, but it's early. The team does have some weak spots, though. Most of the same ones projected coming into this season. Will Nash show up in the playoffs? Will Dan Boyle continue to regress? Will Hayes suffer a sophomore slump? Few others too.

But they look good. I can't deny that.

The fact they look good early is impressive enough to me. There's been a lot of times they've started in the middle of the pack, and then vaulted ahead as the schedule picked up.

Nash hopefully will, now that he's gotten more playoff experience, as well as some more time with his linemates, as long as they're all healthy.

Boyle........I don't know. AV already said McIlrath is playing tomorrow, to see what he has, and I'm sure there will be a lot of back and forth as the season wears on.

As for Hayes...I hope not. He can really be something special.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I have my reservations RE: Nash in the playoffs. For good reason. He's a career 0.83 P/GP in the regular season and 0.53 P/GP in the playoffs. When is the last time a 31-year old player just magically got better after years of showing the same consistency (of inconsistency)?

The best analogy I've seen written about Nash is this: he has one gear. Let's call it third gear. To start every season, every player jumps out of the gate in first and the best playoff players in the league slowly climb to fifth by the time they start. Nash starts out in third, so he goes so much faster and farther than everyone else in October, November and December, but by January, when everyone else is at least in third gear too, all of a sudden he doesn't look like such a force. By the time May and June come around, you're furious because he's still in third and they're scoring timely goals to help their teams win.

The Rangers will need a playoff producing forward at the deadline. If they take this exact roster plus a playoff performing forward into the playoffs, I've got a high level of confidence in their abilities. If they go in with Nash needing to be that same guy, still, don't be surprised if you get the same result.

 

[NSL]

The Rangers will need a playoff producing forward at the deadline. If they take this exact roster plus a playoff performing forward into the playoffs, I've got a high level of confidence in their abilities. If they go in with Nash needing to be that same guy, still, don't be surprised if you get the same result.

Who's to say that guy isn't on the roster? Kreider or Hayes could definitely fill that role. Stepan isn't a juggernaut the likes of Crosby or Stamkos, but he's certainly a solid performer. And who knows? Maybe Lindberg has an outstanding first season and blows everyone away in the playoffs?

I would definitely agree that a trade is needed, and will certainly be made. There's too much money on that blue line to not send Klein and/or Boyle packing and not get back a 2nd or 3rd line scoring threat. I wouldn't mess with the top line right now, unless an ELITE center shows up.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Who's to say that guy isn't on the roster? Kreider or Hayes could definitely fill that role. Stepan isn't a juggernaut the likes of Crosby or Stamkos, but he's certainly a solid performer. And who knows? Maybe Lindberg has an outstanding first season and blows everyone away in the playoffs?

Maybe? Time will tell there. I'm just saying that as they approach the playoffs, I'm not sure the result will be any different if things appear just as they did last season, where the pressure will be on Nash to perform — something we know he can't do. Something we know is not reasonable to expect.

Lindberg isn't a guy I'd expect to blow everyone away either. He's already playing protected minutes. He's got great early scoring and he's a strong two-way player, but he's still likely to be the teams' third-line center come playoff time. It's not often someone that low on the totem pole is a consistent factor in the postseason. The keyword there being consistent. That's why my guess is that they'll need another top-six forward.

I would definitely agree that a trade is needed, and will certainly be made. There's too much money on that blue line to not send Klein and/or Boyle packing and not get back a 2nd or 3rd line scoring threat. I wouldn't mess with the top line right now, unless an ELITE center shows up.

Boyle isn't going anywhere unless he wants to. He has a full no-move clause he'd have to waive in order to be dealt anywhere, and at the age of 39 and with a $4.5M cap hit (that would prorate, for what it's worth), I'm not sure you'll find a partner willing to take him, let alone one he'd be willing to go to.

 

[NSL]

Boyle isn't going anywhere unless he wants to. He has a full no-move clause he'd have to waive in order to be dealt anywhere, and at the age of 39 and with a $4.5M cap hit (that would prorate, for what it's worth), I'm not sure you'll find a partner willing to take him, let alone one he'd be willing to go to.

Well then let's cross our fingers that San Jose has a non-career-threatening injury on the blue line

That game in Winnipeg was fucking awful...I can't watch, since they're never on in my area, but to see that many power plays just get wasted is sad. I can't recall a time in my life when their power play wasn't atrocious.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

2005-2007 was the last time they placed top-10 in the league on the PP. Jágr, Shanahan, etc. still on the roster.

Boyle was also out that game, and Klein put on the PP in his place. Wasn't a fan of his being there at all. He has a good shot, but his offensive instincts are slow. I'd imagine Boyle, coming into the line-up again tonight, will get back on the top unit. Hopefully it sparks something.

 

[NSL]

2005-2007 was the last time they placed top-10 in the league on the PP. Jágr, Shanahan, etc. still on the roster.

Boyle was also out that game, and Klein put on the PP in his place. Wasn't a fan of his being there at all. He has a good shot, but his offensive instincts are slow. I'd imagine Boyle, coming into the line-up again tonight, will get back on the top unit. Hopefully it sparks something.

It did not.

And from everything I've read, it was another case of the Rangers being beat up and down the ice, and King Henrik being the only thing keeping them in contention. What I would do, and it may be why I'm not coach, is give Raanta the next game, and hope it gives the guys in front of him a sense of urgency. I know he's a heck of a goalie, but he's not Lundqvist, and it may be the jolt they need before this spirals any further.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Raanta is getting either the next game (Devils) or the one following (Sharks) per Steve Zipay and a few of the Rangers' beat writers. If for no other reason than because he needs to give given a start and Lundqvist has started the first five, including a back-to-back. No reason to ride him too hard this early.

It's still too early to panic. I never make judgements on teams until after Thanksgiving. That's when the games start to matter. First 10-20 are a feeling out process, so I tend not to live and die with each of them.

 

[justinsayne]

Am I the only one that is not a big fan of the new 3 on 3 OT? I understand they wanted more games decided on OT instead of Shootouts, & that will most certainly happen with 3 on 3, but it just feels odd watching it. I would have preferred they just made the 4 on 4 OT period 10 mins. long & then followed with the shootout. I also imagine it's gotta confuse the hell out of casual hockey fans who may not pay attention to rule changes in the offseason.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

It's better than shootouts, but it's not perfect.

Personally, I'd have been good with four-on-four but with offside negated. I think you'd see games end pretty quickly that way.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I don't really have too much problem with a regular season game ending in a tie. Play a 60 minute game, followed by 5-10 minutes of 5-on-5 overtime. After the overtime period expires, if no one has scored, the game finishes in a tie. 2 points for the winner, and nothing for the loser (not a fan of the team who loses in OT still getting a pity point, if you lose the game, you should get nothing). They did it that way for years without too much trouble, so why not today? Sure, the game needs to evolve with the times to some degree. But there's no reason to reinvent the wheel either. Personally I would prefer that as opposed to the results of the game coming down to a cheap gimmick which doesn't always represent who deserves the points awarded.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Ties are fucking awful. The best thing the NHL ever did was eliminate them.

If the points system is your worry, the answer is simple — either go 3-2-1 (three points regulation win, two points for OT/SO win, one point for OT/SO loss), or go bold and eliminate the loser point entirely. Two points or a win, of any kind, zero for a loss of any kind.

You wanna put as much emphasis as possible on scoring in OT? Make it the only way to get points at all in games that go to it.

 

[NSL]

Am I the only one that is not a big fan of the new 3 on 3 OT? I understand they wanted more games decided on OT instead of Shootouts, & that will most certainly happen with 3 on 3, but it just feels odd watching it. I would have preferred they just made the 4 on 4 OT period 10 mins. long & then followed with the shootout. I also imagine it's gotta confuse the hell out of casual hockey fans who may not pay attention to rule changes in the offseason.

I'm not a huge fan of the 3-on-3, almost entirely because it looks funny. 4-on-4 is fine, and then with a penalty, add in to make it a 5-on-4, instead of a 4-on-3. It is at least better than ties and shootouts, but it really changes the dynamic of the game too much.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Jackets, 0-6-0 to start the year, could be making drastic changes early. LeBrun and McKenzie have both reported that Kekäläinen has been working the phones "hard' to try and find a defenseman, at least, and that Richards could also be fired. Davis Payne, Guy Boucher, Jacques Martin (worked with Kekäläinen in Ottawa) and John Tortorella (highly respected by John Davidson) have all been linked as potential early replacements.

Arthur Staple tweeted earlier this morning that the Jackets are at a 9% chance of making the playoffs, speculating that the Isles game could be the tipping point for any major change they make. Coaching, trade, whatever.

Like the old saying goes, you can't make the playoffs in October, but you can certainly miss them.

--

Hawks lose Duncan Keith for four-to-six weeks with knee surgery. Ville Pokka finally get called up? Or Kyle Cumiskey?

--

Rangers have placed Tanner Glass on waivers. While the hope amongst most NYR fans is that this is the first step toward his being removed from the roster, something important to note is that even if he goes unclaimed, there's no guarantee he gets re-assigned. All this step indicates is that they are contemplating life without him. Under the current CBA, players who clear waivers can be re-assigned within a thirty-day period, meaning the Rangers would have thirty-days to make a decision about whether or not to re-assign him to Hartford. If he isn't re-assigned in that period, he would need to be placed on waivers again in order to be re-assigned.

Both Aaron Voros and Stu Bickel in years past went through this.

 

[NSL]

Jackets, 0-6-0 to start the year, could be making drastic changes early. LeBrun and McKenzie have both reported that Kekäläinen has been working the phones "hard' to try and find a defenseman, at least, and that Richards could also be fired. Davis Payne, Guy Boucher, Jacques Martin (worked with Kekäläinen in Ottawa) and John Tortorella (highly respected by John Davidson) have all been linked as potential early replacements.

I loved Torts. I can't explain it. I think he could do great things in Columbus, but the transition could be tough. It's a young team with lots of holes, and that's not something he faced in New York. Also, Dubinsky is a Top Six guy on their team, and we both know he is not a Dubinsky guy.

Rangers have placed Tanner Glass on waivers. While the hope amongst most NYR fans is that this is the first step toward his being removed from the roster, something important to note is that even if he goes unclaimed, there's no guarantee he gets re-assigned. All this step indicates is that they are contemplating life without him. Under the current CBA, players who clear waivers can be re-assigned within a thirty-day period, meaning the Rangers would have thirty-days to make a decision about whether or not to re-assign him to Hartford. If he isn't re-assigned in that period, he would need to be placed on waivers again in order to be re-assigned.

Fuckin' finally. I never liked Glass, even before he joined the team. They tried this with Asham, and should have seen the writing on the wall. At least with Rupp, they got a guy that could win a few face-offs, and maybe kill some penalties. Glass is a fucking anchor.

I know it's not a guarantee he's leaving, but at least they're throwing us fans a bone.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I loved Torts. I can't explain it. I think he could do great things in Columbus, but the transition could be tough. It's a young team with lots of holes, and that's not something he faced in New York. Also, Dubinsky is a Top Six guy on their team, and we both know he is not a Dubinsky guy.

It's official! Todd Richards is out, John Tortorella is in, per Darren Dreger of TSN and Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Tortorella will make his Blue Jackets debut tomorrow.

After an 0-7-0 start, I can't say I blame them, even though I'm not entirely sure this can truly be blamed on Richards. But that's how the game works in this league. Coaches always take the first fall. Now it's on the players to show something, or you'll start seeing major changes happen.

I love Torts to Columbus, though. If ever there was a roster tailor-made for his style of coaching, it's them. Big, rough, tough, plenty of defense and size to help transition the offense from the D.

Fuckin' finally. I never liked Glass, even before he joined the team. They tried this with Asham, and should have seen the writing on the wall. At least with Rupp, they got a guy that could win a few face-offs, and maybe kill some penalties. Glass is a fucking anchor.

I know it's not a guarantee he's leaving, but at least they're throwing us fans a bone.

Rupp was a winger, not a center. The thing that separated him from Asham and Glass is that he was a pretty good hockey player.

Glass is a great guy/person. Just not a great hockey player. But this only means the Rangers are willing to move on without him. If he clears, and he should, the Rangers have thirty days to re-assign him, should they choose to.

 

[NSL]

Rupp was a winger, not a center. The thing that separated him from Asham and Glass is that he was a pretty good hockey player.

I vaguely remember him taking a few face-offs, but I know he was definitely lined up on the other side of Prust for what might be the best 4th line we've had in a while.

Glass is a great guy/person. Just not a great hockey player. But this only means the Rangers are willing to move on without him. If he clears, and he should, the Rangers have thirty days to re-assign him, should they choose to.

The same could be said about guys like Langdon or Domi or Stock. They were great guys off the ice, and always meeting with fans and such, but they didn't do much to help their teams win. I love the rough and rowdy players as much as anyone else, but the ones that always stood out as favorites are Fleury, Prust, and Beukeboom.