Author Topic: NHL 2009 - 2010  (Read 33316 times)

Offline Morgbug

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #105 on: March 1, 2010, 01:04 PM »
So rumours are flying about a couple of announcements by the week's end.  A couple of trades and some possible team moves.   :o  Wonder if any of it will come to fruition. 
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #106 on: March 1, 2010, 02:01 PM »
Well written article for the most part.  Some parts are a little iffy, the bias is obvious, but overall reasonable. 

It was spooky around our place yesterday during and after the game - it was dead quiet, no traffic noise - even less than at 3 A.M.  Apparently the same across Canada, with estimates that only 1% of the population did NOT watch the game - surely an exaggeration, but by how much you have to wonder. 
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #107 on: March 1, 2010, 03:13 PM »
I liked watching Sid/Orpik.  I fought with guys on my team(s) in scrimages so I am not surprised.  Orpik plays hard and Sid's aggressive play has stepped up in the last 2 years, so I liked it really.  For the most part though it seemed like other lines were focused on Crosby and Orpik was out against others.  I figured they'd focus Orpik on him knowing him and all, but I guess not.
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Offline JesseVader08

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #108 on: March 1, 2010, 03:23 PM »
Yeah, that win was almost more a relief than a celebration.  Ok, yeah, I definitely hooted and hollered, but there was so much riding on that game.

I give total credit to the US team, they were absolutely fantastic throughout the Olympics and Miller was almost god-like with his play.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #109 on: March 2, 2010, 10:47 PM »
Some interesting things tonight in Pittsburgh...

First, and foremost to me, was a trade...  Luca Caputti and Martin Skoula to Toronto for Alexie Ponnakerovsky (I'm sure I'm butchering that).  For us that's a big move right now.  I hate seeing them give up on Caputti that fast, but still I think we need something to happen at wing.  It makes some odd roster dilemma's now though.

And...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-millercheered&prov=ap&type=lgns

I'm proud of the people at the game, to have cheered Miller so loudly when he was on the ice tonight.  I also think it's good to cheer Crosby because A) he's fantastic and beloved here, and B) he's an Olympic hero.  I think though, you have to (as an American mind you) tip your hat to Miller, Orpik, etc., while they're in town and fresh from the Olympics...  Crosby's goal got some boos too, and I think that's fair too.  That's the weirdness Pittsburghers were going through.

I wanted America to win, but the way it ended was as positive (for me) as could be given the final tally. :)

I thought that was pretty cool though that Miller got bigger cheers from our fans tonight...  It made me feel sorta good.

Plus we beat Buffalo.  :P

BTW Crosby looked "annoyed" a little bit by some of the boos...  I love him, but you cannot expect Americans to cheer for you beating their team.  You just can't.  I hope he actually wasn't annoyed because it's a little irrational.  He got a standing ovation at first, but the second time they showed his goal (bad move on the Penguin's arena staff) during a break there were pretty audible boos and that's when he looked a little more annoyed.  It's like whoever decided to air that again forgot Pittsburgh is south of the border.
« Last Edit: March 2, 2010, 10:52 PM by Jesse James »
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Offline GrandMoffNick

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #110 on: March 3, 2010, 06:55 AM »
Did he pout and whine about it? If L.T. doesn't sign with someone (I know he will), he'll be the biggest whiner in professional sports.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #111 on: March 3, 2010, 02:28 PM »
I don't view Crosby as a whiner...  I know others do, but to me every "star" on everyone's team pretty much is seen all game yapping at the refs, as are every team's captain/altnernates since it's part of the job.  Crosby just takes **** because he's always got the spotlight on him. 

In every interview he's humble, so I doubt he ever gripes about the booing, but he did sorta look annoyed.  I think he, and whoever's decision it was to air the goal (twice), thought Pittsburgh was going to just love it like we were north of Toronto, and then reality set in that we're still a US city.  He got his ovation for the first showing with a few boos, but the second showing during the break the boos/cheers were equal at best.
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #112 on: March 3, 2010, 02:58 PM »
Yeah, pretty foolish to air the goal in a US hockey city.  Honestly, outside of some displaced Canucks living in Pittsburgh I imagine it looked like any Canadian city except cheering for the American squad.  Why would anyone expect them to be happy about Crosby's goal? 

In other news, there are suggestions that Gary Bettman is in Winnipeg right now having arrived yesterday.  I wonder why?
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Offline Jeff

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #113 on: March 3, 2010, 03:02 PM »
You've got a lot of wheat there, right?  Just change one letter...  Atlanta Winnipeg Threshers.   ;D
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #114 on: March 3, 2010, 03:14 PM »
Nice.   :D
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Offline Jeff

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #115 on: March 3, 2010, 03:30 PM »
I must be reading/hearing a lot of the same rumors as you...

Phoenix --> Kansas City
Atlanta --> Winnipeg

Winnipeg --> into West/Northwest
bumping Vancouver --> West/Pacific
Kansas City --> into West/Central
bumping Nashville --> East/Southeast

It's all rumors, but it sure is interesting...


-----
edit - trade deadline -

Doesn't look like my Wild did much other than dump journeyman Belanger for a 2nd round pick.  Would have been nice to pick up something for a push to that 7/8 playoff spot... instead I guess we're giving up.   ::)
« Last Edit: March 3, 2010, 03:37 PM by Jeff »
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #116 on: March 3, 2010, 04:01 PM »
The goal got played twice, which I think was the kicker that instigated equal booing the second time...  The first time though when he stepped on the ice and the intro's and things started, he got a standing ovation...  But Miller's was longer.

Just goofy (and a little tacky) to air the goal twice, the second time during a break I guess, when the goalie it's against was in the house too.  Obviously I'm not a Buffalo fan, but come on...  They're both here, but only one's smiling, ya know?  You gotta show it once, and you gotta applaud it as a fan of hockey and I think as a Pen's fan too since you have to be proud of him regardless.  But yeah, just a goofy decision there with the 2nd airing.

I've not had a chance tos ee a recap of trades at the deadline.  I need to look at that stuff here when I get some time.  Nothing from the Pens that I heard earlier, but we'll see.

The rumors of Winnipeg getting a team again are nice.  KC will not do well again IMO.
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #117 on: March 3, 2010, 04:38 PM »
The goal got played twice, which I think was the kicker that instigated equal booing the second time...  The first time though when he stepped on the ice and the intro's and things started, he got a standing ovation...  But Miller's was longer.


I'm in full agreement that Miller should have got the longer ovation.  The love for Crosby will return but Miller was deservingly the MVP and clearly the heart of the American team.  He damn near won them the gold (I can't say stole because we might be the ones that stole the tournament, though we did well to come the long way back).  Again, odd decision to show it, he didn't do it for the Penguins.  

With respect to the Winnipeg stuff, I don't know what to think.  By way of background this rumour started just prior to the Olympics.  And it wasn't a bunch of bitter Winnipeg fans starting it or journalists trying to drum up a story.  It apparently came right out of the MTS Centre which is the arena here in town.  It floated around quickly and then was shut down very, very quickly by MTS making an announcement that no staff were allowed to comment on the rumour at all, either to confirm or deny.  Since then the rumour has been out there, but was mostly pushed aside by the Olympic hockey stuff.  No local papers are talking about it at all but that makes sense because they could easily be shut out of the formal announcement by the players involved if they do, essentially a gag order.  

Now today we're hearing rumours of the local team, the Manitoba Moose, saying they don't want to go to Saskatoon (the Moose are the farm team for the Vancouver Canucks) and as such the NHL will be relocating to Saskatoon.  I think Saskatoon would be ecstatic, but there's only about 150,000 people there and they'd have an even harder time holding a team than Winnipeg (or Atlanta) would so it seems an odd story.  I cannot see the NHL going to Saskatoon prior to Hamilton, Quebec City or half a dozen U.S. cities first so that seems to be just obfuscation on the issue.  

There hasn't been any confirmation that Bettman is here, though he was in town a couple of weeks ago, prior to the Olympics, but only talking about a hockey school apparently. If he is here again, then that makes it real interesting.  

I will say I would be extraordinarily pleased if Winnipeg got a team again, you can dig back to see my stance on that and the evident bitterness in losing the Jets.  At the same time you can also find that I'm not convinced we're a good market for it.  Many of the requirements for it to survive here have come to fruition - salary cap, relative parity of the dollar and failure of southern U.S. markets.  The rumours address the notion that there is now an ownership team of significance - the owner of the Moose, MTS Centre (MTS is the Manitoba Telephone System which is now a much larger telecommunications firm than it once was and has been buying up smaller players) and an unnamed third partner.  I just remain concerned about a number of factors, notably the willingness and ability of locals to pay the new prices.  Winnipeggers are notoriously cheap and most probably think that we'll go back to red seats at $50 per with cheap seats available at $11 like they were back in 1995.  That's simply not going to be the case so I have concern about the number of season ticket holders, especially after the bloom is off the rose.  I think the luxury boxes will sell out instantly and that's a huge plus we didn't have in the old arena but I think we'll go back to seeing the obvious games sell out (Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, Detroit, Chicago) but other will be hurting just as it always was.  If we end up in a division with Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit and St. Louis it might not be too bad because 3-4 of those would draw.  

My other main concern is if we end up like Calgary/Edmonton currently are - undesirable to players and owners without the truly deep pockets.  If we're losing, no matter how much love there is for the team there simply may not be sustained interest.  I guess if baseline attendance of 8000-10,000 (the capacity of the lower bowl in the arena) and the luxury boxes plus associated revenues are enough for the owners to sustain a team then the rest is gravy and good enough.  We'd need to get players and make the playoffs for the interest to sustain.  We'd basically be the Minnesota Twins of the NHL - develop players and then watch them walk away.  

Supposed to be an announcement tomorrow, so we'll see.  I like the Threshers name, I really do.  I think it's funny but I can see issues with the logo not being attractive.  My guess though is the pressure to call them the Jets again will be too much and will be what we end up as.  Lots of emphasis to make it the Manitoba Jets rather than the Winnipeg Jets though to make sure as to not disaffect those living outside the city.  Whatever.  Would need to redo the uniforms though so that there was some potential for sales.  I've never really liked the Sharks colors or logo but there is no denying that it sells well and that is important.  I think they could easily use the old uniform as the third jersey/retro deal that sometimes gets used.  That would probably be ideal. 
« Last Edit: March 3, 2010, 04:39 PM by Morgbug »
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Offline JesseVader08

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #118 on: March 3, 2010, 04:40 PM »
You've got a lot of wheat there, right?  Just change one letter...  Atlanta Winnipeg Threshers.   ;D

 ;D

Offline DSJ™

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Re: NHL 2009 - 2010
« Reply #119 on: March 7, 2010, 12:02 AM »