NHL Thread - 2009-10

[Mr. TM]

I really do feel sorry for Jonas Gustavsson. He is playing on a horrible team, and wonder if getting him so much ice team is good fro him. The poor boy will be shell shocked by the end of the season. Edmonton used a new goalie in the past couple weeks, and when the Canucks played them, he was incredible,w as the third star, yet lose. Devan Dubnyk as well as Gustavsson each have the potential to be great in the NHL, but I hope they withstand the early defeats.

 

[Mr. TM]

Sam Gagner's goal with 62 seconds left to tie up the game between Edmonton and Dallas was huge, it gave the Oilers something to look forward to, something that has not happened all year, a win. But the hockey Gods have something to say about that, because just 39 seconds later, the Dallas Stars scored the game winner. That is 10 straight Oiler games without a win now. No one thought the Oilers were going to be good, but no one thought they could be this bad, could they? They have lost 17 of their last 18 games now, with the only win being against Toronto, another team with problems.

 

[the troop]

The hawks are in Vancouver tonight against the tough to beat Canucks team. It's always fun to see these teams hook up as they seem to bring the best out of each other. The season series is split at one apiece, so I expected a very physical game in Canada.

Niemi is starting tonight for the second time in a row after leading the Hawks past the Flames on Thursday. I think this is the right choice as Huet has been struggling in the net lately. Also, Niemi shutout the Canucks in their last meeting. Maybe he can repeat that effort.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

It's been a tough stretch for the Leafs. They have had a miserable January going 3-12 with 3 games left against tough opponents the Kings, Devils, and Canucks. It's a busy schedule for the Leafs and almost every NHL team because of the Olympic break and I think it's beginning to take a toll on the team. Fatigue and consistency are becoming an issue so hopefully the Leafs can pick it up before the league goes on break and have a strong run at the playoffs after the Olympic break.

 

[Mr. TM]

Five in a row for the Canucks as they once again are tied up with the first place team, but have played one more game, but have two more wins. Henrik Sedin got a goal and an assist. He now just trails Thornton by one assist, but has 9 more goals then him, and more points than Ovechikin. The win was a strange one, a goal was called back because of a minor penalty to Buffalo that even I don't feel great about. But the Canucks played well, and with one game left before the 14 game road trip, they need the points. They play St Louis next.

 

[Mr. TM]

Make that six, as we are finally getting some redemtion against a team that is ALWAYS beating us, wven when they are shit. But the boys didn't get a single point against St Louis, instead the second line came up and scored them all. Raymond had a pair and an assist, and Kesler had 3 helpers. Unfortunate, because in the east, Ovechkin had a pair.

Canucks end their homestand, and will now move towards the 14 game road trip we have all feared. Canucks are first in their division right now, 2 up with two more games played than the Avalanche, but can they hold that position, we shall see.

 

[Mr. TM]

Last night saw the meeting of the two first place teams fighting it out. Chicago won, but it took them a little overtime to do so. Thus, San Jose is still first.

The conferences sure are tight, last night Atlanta moved from 11th place to 6th with a win. 2 points seperate 13 to 6th. If this keeps up, those playoff races are gonig to be incredible. the West is a little more structured, but a point seperates many teams.

Hockey Day in Canada is on this weekend. Its a great celebration of Hockey, as Ottawa plays Montreal, Vancouver plays Toronto, and Edmonton and Calgary battle for Alberta.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a HUGE trade today by acquiring Dion Phaneuf, Fredrick Stojstrom, and Keith Aulie for Nicklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Ian White, and Jamal Mayers. This is an enormous trade and one that you do not see in the salary cap era. This trade helps Calgary alot as they finally get some scoring depth and Toronto gets another big defenceman that should help the Power Play. I'm still effy on the trade because Toronto gave up alot, but I think it's a necessary shake up.

Also, Toronto is working on another trade and it's widely believed that Toskala will be traded to Anaheim for Giguere and there are more pieces to the trade. I'll edit this post with the full details.

What a day to be a fan of hockey and a fan of the Leafs and Flames. HUGE TRADE!

 

[Mr. TM]

FUCKING MASSIVE TRADE.

It was smart though, Dion Phaneuf will work well with Burke I think, and Toronto needed someone like him. He is cold this season, yes, but he does have natural ability that will help the LEafs next year. Must be a thrill for Dion to play in Toronto, so a great move for them.

Toronto did sell off some decent players, but that is what they are, sellers. So they get to cut some money, get a great draft pick, and Dion, a great move for that team. Calgary on the other hand gets a refresh, as they need to pick up the pace. They had that great game against Edmonton last night, and they need to keep that going.

GEtting Giguere would also be great for the Leafs, as they need something better than Toskala out to go with their future goalie Jonas Gustavsson. Giguere wants out of Anaheim, especially after the signed Hiller for four more years (Good move on them).

This was really a day of getting pieces organised for each team. My old roomate will be quite upset, Dion is his favourite player, and the Flames are his favourite team. But after they signed Jay, I worried about that team, especially as they have a lot of egos on the blue line. I thought it would have been Robyn shipped out, but it wasn't.

As for Hockey Day in Canada last night, three great gamres, that brought us something new each game. Montreal and Ottawa played a close game that went to overtime where the Sens were able to extend their win streak to 9. Montreal was able to pick up the point in the loss, which is a godsent for any team fighting for a playoff spot in the East.

Vancouver was decimated in the first period, going down 2 to 0 after the first 3 minutes, letting a goal in in the first 51 seconds. The Maple Leafs even put another one in with 2.1 seconds left in the period. But then the top line in Hockey came back, scoring 5 times and getting 9 points (Burrows 2-2, Daniel 2-1, Henrik 1-1) as the Canucks beat the Maple Leafs 5-3 to get their 7th win ain a row. The win was important as the Avlanche are still winning games. Canucks try to climb back against the other division leaders. Chicago lost, but San Jose got by Minnesota in a game they were trailing.

In the last game, I missed the end period, but it was over after the first 5 minutes. Edmonton still hasn't won this year, and Calgary were able to get it gonig again in a huge win against the Oilers. Three different games, a close on, a come back, and a white wash, it was a fun Hockey Day in Canada.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

UPDATE: Toronto acquires Jean Sebastian Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake

Another major trade for the Leafs, their second today, and it's good trade. They upgrade their goaltending for sure and get a good mentor for Gustavsson. They also get rid of Blake's contract which is good as well. This is a good trade for both teams and I approve of this one.

Hockey Day in Canada: The Leafs blew a 3-0 lead against the Canucks last night and lost 5-3. That Sedin-Sedin-Burrows line is something special and they took over the game after the first period. Gotta give Vancouver credit, they didn't give up and outplayed the Leafs.

 

[Mr. TM]

And the dump continues. I do feel that this is the break Blake needed. He hasn't had the best time in Toronto, so maybe this will be good for him in Anaheim. Two bad teams switching goalies who wont be the starters by the end of the year. Giguere needed out of Anaheim and:


Toskala needed out of Toronto.

 

[Mr. TM]

Changes in Calgary are still active as they have reportedly traded Olli Jokinen away to the Rangers.

TSN reports:TSN is reporting the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames are expected to soon announce a trade that will send Calgary center Olli Jokinen and forward Brandon Prust to the Rangers in exchange for forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.

I don't really get this trade. Calgary is a stranley cup calibre team, and Jokinen is a player who although not playing brilliantly, is playing better than a few Flames. Rangers get a decent player, although not a great player, to be added to a line up with only one person getting points.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Well, the Leafs played their first game since the 2 big trades and they couldn't have played a better game. The whole team played a solid game and dominated the Devils in a 3-0 win. Giguere gets a shutout in his Leafs debut and is only the second goalie to do so, along side Belfour. Phaneuf brought physicality, energy, and a confidence boost with some big hits and a fight to spark the team. Sjostrom also had a solid game with Wallin and Kulemin and picked up an assist on the first goal. Sjostrom was quick and forechecked well and his line was clearly the best one for the Leafs. Overall, a great game by Toronto and hopefully they can ride this win and get a streak of them going before the Olympic break.

 

[Mr. TM]

Canucks los tthe other day to the Montreal Canadiens in an uneventful game. It broke their streak of 7 games, and also it was only their second lost to eastern teams. Canucks are looking to get back on track as they are in Ottawa right now, and I should be able to review the game after its conclusion.

The big news right now is Ilya Kovalchuk possbily on his way to New Jersey. That will sure give that team the firepower it needs.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Well it's done, Ilya Kovalchuk has been traded to the New Jersey Devils

To Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk and Anssi Salmela
To Thrashers: Jonny Oduya, Nicklas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier, and a 1st round pick

The teams also swap 2nd round picks in 2010.

This deal is great for New Jersey. They have never really been a team that was scary offensively, but always solid defensively and now with Kovalchuk they have that fire power to compete with the best of the NHL. The Thrashers get some good building blocks, but really they had to trade Kovalchuk and they probably believe that this was the best deal. If New Jersey can sign Kovalchuk long term they win this trade.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

The Leafs play the top team in the West tonight as they face the San Jose Sharks in Toronto. Nazem Kadri will make his NHL debut tonight on an emergency call-up because Christian Hanson and Fredrik Sjostrom are battling the flu. I'm very excited to see Kadri's first game and hopefully he makes a good impression and has a solid game.

The Leafs are playing well since the big trade with the Flames, barring the final 3 minutes of the New Jersey game. They seem to be more solid defensively and Giguere has given them great goaltending and a sense of confidence. Hopefully the Leafs keep up the good play tonight against a tough opponent.

 

[Mr. TM]

Canucks are off tonight, but play Tampa Bay tomorrow. I have a friend who moved down to Tampa Bay from my hometown for school, so it is a big game for him.

We played Boston the other morning, 10 am games are fun, drinking at 10 am is also fun. We went down early, 2-0, and it looked bleak. But we got help from other lines that are not BSS highlighted and won in the shootout. Demitre got his first of the season and won it in the shootout.

 

[LSN80]

One of the best games of the 09/10 season took place in washington yesterday with caps rebounding from a 4-1 deficit to defeat my beloved pens in ot on a terrible penalty call. Of course, we wouldnt have made it to overtime had the pens played some defense. So the big stories headed into the olympics are that the caps are riding a 13 game winning streak, the devils add to their plethora of talent in getting kovalchuk, buffalos ryan miller continuing to look like a close second to nhl mvp(behind ovechkin, pains me to say it), and finally, the continued downwird spiral of evgeni malkin. While teammate Sidney Crosby has a career high 39 goals already, Malkin has but 20 after netting 35 last year, and is on pace to hit only 29. So my question is, whats caused Crosby to explode this year, and Malking to spiral downward somewhat?

1.Exhaustion from all the hockey played in the last 2 years with the playoffs?
2. Attempting to stay fresh for the Olympics?
3. Or is he in another long line of maddening Russians( Alexei Kovalev) that is streaky and only plays well when he feels up to it?
4. Ther level of linemates hes played with hasnt been as good as previous years?(hes been playing w effing mike rupp!)

Discuss........

 

[Mr. TM]

Big news out of Anaheim, where Ryan Getzlaf is now injured. Bad news for them, worse news for Canada, as he looked to be a big part. The best news for Anaheim if the MRI goes bad is that the Olympic break will be a saving grace for him, if he cannot play. He will have plenty of time to nurse a minor injury, or if it is serious, he will miss less games.

 

[Mr. TM]

Canucks lost for the third time in five games tonight. They are now two games below 500 on the road, and this has to change. There are 9 games left on this trip, a road trip that has saw the Canucks give up the first goal in all of the games, forcing them to have to work to come back, which they did twice, but failed on a further three times. Their big line isn't playing right now, with something like 1 point in the last 4 games. St Louis's first line on the other hand scored 3 goals.

Luongo failed in net again, and he wont be starting for Canada, nor playing if he keeps this up. Niitamaki saved 39 shots, luongo only saved 16, and let in 3. This is disgraceful for the man who is a much better goalie than this.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Another trade to announce:

The Atlanta Thrashers traded G Kari Lehtonen to the Dallas Stars for D Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth round pick.

I believe this trade signals the end of Marty Turco's career with the Stars. There have been rumours of Turco being traded all year long and this seems to be the first piece of the puzzle to make that happen. The Philadelphia Flyers are rumoured to be interested in Turco, but other teams could and probably will emerge.

As for the trade, Lehtonen has a lot of potential to be a good goalie in this league and people have been waiting for him to finally emerge as a number 1 goalie, but injuries and inconsistent play have stalled his progress. A fresh start may be exactly what he needs to regain his potential and prove that he can be a number 1 goalie in this league.

 

[Mr. TM]

Fucking great step in getting Turco out of the west. Very few people dominate Vancouver like Turco (Not this season included), and him in Philly is good news for me. Turco has been below desired in Dallas for a while now, so I can see him being traded before the All Star Game.

 

[LSN80]

Pens won 3-1 last night versus the Isles, but it wasnt easy. Chris Kunitz scored twie in his first game back from injury, and Evgeni Malkin added a goal and an assist, although Sidney Crosby had a 9 game point streak snapped. Nice win, didnt come easy, as the Pens didnt score til the halfway point of the second. The Isles, for some reason, are always tough on the hometown boys....

But the big news today in the NHL is obviously the end of the Capitals 14 game winning streak. It looked like The Caps would pull magic out of a hat, as Brooks Laich connected for the hat trick to tie it at 5 with just 18.1 seconds remaining. On Sunday, the Caps had rebounded from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Pens, who seemed delated after Ovechkin tied it at 4 with the HT. But The Canadiens didnt, carrying the play to the Caps in the OT period, and Tomas Plekanic finally scored with less then 8 seconds left to go in OT to break the streak, and keep the Penguins 17 gamer set back in 1992-1993 alive as the longest in NHL history!

 

[Mr. TM]

Canucks got the win last night, in a great game against the Panthers. A battle of two great goalies, both in the Olympics as Luongo did get the shutout, Vokoun did not. Canucks got a quick second period goal by their leading scorer, Burrows, and then at the end of the second. In the third, Canucks again scored. It gives Canucks a 3-3 record on their road trip, as they look to get the win tonight in a very large gap in distance, as they fly from Florida, to Ohio to take on the upstart Blue JAckets. It should be a great game.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

A couple of trades happened today just before the Olympic roster freeze. The Senators acquired Matt Cullen from the Hurricanes for Alex Picard and a second round pick. Cullen should help the Senators' depth and give them an extra shot on the PP. It can't hurt the Senators and the Hurricanes get some building blocks.

The Blackhawks also made a move and it was widely speculated that they would because of their cap issues. They traded Cam Barker to the Minnesota Wild for Kim Johnsson and Nick Leddy. This helps the Blackhawks get a little wiggle room, but they also get an experienced defenceman for the Cup run. The Wild get a really good young defenceman and it's a shame Chicago lost him, but in the cap era these are the tough choices you have to make.