NHL 2006-07

[Jesse James]

Hats off to Toronto too for a most thorough ass spanking of Boston...  I saw the 10 and had to rub my eyes to believe the score.  You don't see those double digits often, even in today's NHL.

I've been trying to keep up with the WJC, but coverage is so-so down here Dale...  We get usually only news on it in little blurbs in the paper and during the Pen's games they play highlights usually...  I never followed "the minors" and stuff as much though but I like to keep up on it when they do mention it on TV.  Canuckia goes at it again.   

[Morgbug]

Of perhaps interest to Brent and some others, Pittsburgh's slots license news is in and the Penguins plan did NOT get the slots license...  Bettman released a statement today saying the Pen's future in Pitt is in question now, as did anyone else involved with the Pens on any level... 

Of interest yes, but it's not like Winnipeg will do anything about it   Really, we don't have that one big investor or group of investors clamoring for a hockey team, like Kansas City does.  We're a good hockey town and the fans are dying for a team but that means nothing in the current NHL.  Do I think the team should move to Winnipeg?  Sure, because we'll actually have fans at the game that aren't strictly corporate clients or wealthy individuals.  We'd actually have real, honest, blue collar people at the game.  And we'll pay for the tickets too; no monster promotions or bull**** about attendance at the game based on giveaways or phantom bodies in the seats.  I still get seriously angry when I watch highlights of a good hockey game and see maybe half the seats full and that's the lower bowl.  All this league sponsored bull**** about attendance in all arenas of 15K per game is crap.  Maybe when Detroit comes to town, but so many of those southern teams play, there's so few fans in the stands, especially when the team isn't winning. 

Bah, we won't get a team.  I'd rather see the team stay in a good hockey town like Pittsburgh but that may not happen either.  Instead it will go somewhere that some millionaire/billionaire needs a plaything/tax writeoff and Bettman will be pleased, never having really understood what hockey or its fans are about.  I think the games are being played well and are exciting.  I confess I think the shootout is a good idea (for the regular season ).  But pushing teams into non-traditional markets isn't really a good idea.  I hope KC does as well as Colorado did with their second chance, but I won't be cheering for them. 

[Morgbug]

In a happier statement, Canada defeats Russia 4-2 at the world junior championship.  Boo-yah

[DSJ™]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!   

[Jeff]

I hope KC does as well as Colorado did with their second chance, but I won't be cheering for them. 

Let's say that the Penguins do move to KC... how would that affect re-alignment?  You can't have a team that far West in the Eastern Conference, can you?   

Hmmm... I suppose you could:
- move the Capitals to the Atlantic
- move the Predators to the Southeast

That would put the new KC team in the Central Division with St. Louis, not too shabby.

Of course, I'm still rooting for the Pens to stay... too bad I don't have any say in that matter.   

[Morgbug]

Of course, I'm still rooting for the Pens to stay... too bad I don't have any say in that matter.   

You meant to say you hope they go to Winnipeg, didn't you?  Winnipeg Penguins?  It could work, without messing with the logo even.  Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis and Winnipeg in the same Conference.  Not even much in the way of time zone change there really.  Think of the cost savings for those teams for travel.   

[Jesse James]

Nooooooooooo...  Pittsburgh Penguins, and that's that.  Now...  Winnipeg Coyotes...  Eh I'd accept it despite the obvious issues of animal + location.   There's no penguins in Pittsburgh afterall and we can't even get snow like we used to (no global warming, my hairy white ass).

Seriously though, things sounded actually fairly promising Thursday after Lemieux/Rendell/Other local officials met out (I think) in Harrisburg about the matter (after Lemieux got back from KC).  The word both Rendell and Lemieux used was "optomistic", and not many local sports guys are saying the Pens aren't likely to stay at this point...  That plus there's issues of the Pen's actually having the attendance to back up the team, the TV market here's pretty large for the NHL...  More than a couple have worded it that the NHL needs Pittsburgh more than Pittsburgh needs the NHL so I too am optomistic but I'm also keeping in my mind that they could leave and I'll go into a deep depression about it.  Still I'm optomistic about it.

A lot of this is being blamed on the routine posturing at the 11th hour to get the job actually done...  Lemieux's made it clear he likes this city because many felt he'd leave for Montreal upon retirement but he instead laid it out that his roots are here now...  I don't think even he wants to leave at this point.

Anyway I just hope they stay here...  I need hockey in this town where I just can't stand baseball, the NBA and any basketball is loathed by me as well, college sports aren't my thing, and the Steelers are fun but never take away from my Pens every year, and I enjoy both for a while at the same time...  I need hockey since it was such a big part of my life, so think happy thoughts for me.  Please.   

[Jesse James]

Pens played the lightning tonight and lost to them in a shutout, which isn't really the news since I think they're lucky they got one point given their play for over half the game was "flat" to say the least.  It really took some work to get the scores needed just to tie it near the end so I was happy with the point.

Anyway though, the "news" was Andre Roy flipped the crowd off I guess as he left the ice tonight because they were booing him...  He kicked Fleury earlier in the game and so he was getting a definite response all game from the crowd, pretty hostile but not much more than booing very loudly at him, and his reaction was to whip off the crowd...  I thought it was pretty tactless considering Crosby gets booed by many teams regardless of his actions, so when you are seen taking a shot at the goalie like he was I would think he'd expect it...  I hate seeing tacky **** like that in the NHL because that's not something you see as often as you do in other sports. 

[JesseVader08]

Anyway though, the "news" was Andre Roy flipped the crowd off I guess as he left the ice tonight because they were booing him...

Be a man, show some class.

Save the gestures for road rage. 

[Jesse James]

I mean, hell I got booed when I played because I was an ******* but that didn't mean I flipped everyone off for it.  I usually thought it was great.

[Morgbug]

So Bettman's less than entirely antagonistic comments have the chatter in Winnipeg going again.  Suggestions that the league may expand by two teams ( ) to even out the divisions to 16 apiece and talk of the Penguins moving potentially, plus rumors surrounding difficulties in both Florida (entirely believable) and Nashville (unfortunate but probably not surprising) have the papers up here in a tizzy.  A couple of big pocket types have even suggested some interest in bringing a team and both were down at the allstar game in Dallas. 

I'm going to suggest that while I'd dearly love to see the team back here and that yes, I'll buy a pair of season tickets (though not the full season, probably 1/4 of the games) I remain unconvinced that we should actually bring a team back.  I still don't fully believe that this market can or will be able to support a franchise any better than Nashville is currently doing.  When the Jets left in 1996, I could pick up tickets for under $30 in the upper deck and really couldn't afford to do anything but (after all the fees and taxes it was more like $30-40).  I expect the prices now to be more in the range of $50+ for bad seats and $100+ for good seats.  10-11 games x2 tickets in good seats is $2000 plus.  Yup, I can afford that, but how many people can or will pay that price?  It's a blue collar town (hello Pittsburgh) and the pockets aren't that deep and those that are might not actually pony up for tickets. 

The soap opera continues....

oh, and for the division we'd fall in they'd be stupid to do anything other than
Winnipeg
Minnesota
Chicago
Detroit
St. Louis
(Columbus)

I'm wondering though how they'd break up the 32 team spread?  Obviously 16/16 but would it be 2x 8/8 or would they go 2x 5/5/6?  The above makes sense and they could move Nashville into a southern alignment or maybe just move the Preds up here and leave them in the central?  Lord knows it's stupid having Minnesota now (and Winnipeg in the past) in the Northwest division

[Jesse James]

It's a blue collar town (hello Pittsburgh) and the pockets aren't that deep and those that are might not actually pony up for tickets.

We've actually pretty steadily moved far away from blue collar but low cost-of-living for certain...  That said, we've been selling out, or damn close to it, nightly all season long...  We have tickets up there in price too.  Part of the high sales rate has been the deal where if you bring a valid student id to the game like 20 minutes before puck drop, they give you the best seats they can for $20...  Great deal but the line for the "Student Rush" is insanely long, starts usually mid-day for a 7:30 start, and it's for a small number of tickets in the grand scheme...  The high rate of seats getting sold have been one of the huge arguments against moving to KC of course, among other arguments, so I think maybe Winnipeg could too if it's anything at all like Pittsburgh...  I'm sure your prices for tickets would rival ours.  I don't think I can get half decent seats for anything less than $50 a seat (and concessions are outrageously priced...  Like $9 for an IC Light beer).  Generally you're looking at similar prices I'd think for us as for you though I think.  Maybe it'd work?

News here on the Pens leaving tends to lean away from them going...  I think some of us have that fear, but most think the NHL is pushing hard for it to happen in Pittsburgh, pressuring the Pen's owners on it, as the TV market and the fanbase here is just considered that strong...  Even in a football town, the Pens do fantastic, and better than the Pirates by a HUGE margin.  That worry won't leave MY mind till the deal's done though...  I guess the other day the top share owner of the Pens got off the phone with Gov. Rendell and sounded a lot more hopeful than a meeting the other night late downtown that went awry when the ******* that got the slots license showed up at the meeting...  Though that seemed like the Penguin's posturing more than anything.

Anyway, I've vowed not to patronize the slots parlor if that whole thing screws me on hockey...  I'll be pissed, especially given the talent we have now.

[Jesse James]

Watching the Pen's game tonight, there was a brutal fight between Petrovickey and Newbury, that left Newbury unconscious before he hit the ice...  First knockout I think I've seen in years, and I guess he's really hurt.  Took him off the ice on a stretcher to examine him just inside the hallway...  Hope he's ok.   

[JangoTat]

yeah i saw that game. Can't say i like Petrovickey anymore. I was hoping he would get nailed but owell wouldnt really be sportsman like. Hopefully newbury comes out fine.

Right now im just looking forward to meeting Alex Steen today at a local TRU. Maybe i can ask him if he thinks the leafs will ever win the cup again.

[Jesse James]

Hmmm, I don't mean to be critical but the fight was fair, and clearly it was instigated from a hit earlier in the game that drew them both into it...  I don't think Petrovickey intended to hurt Newbury, and given the fact he was tapping the glass from the box while they wheeled Newbury off the ice I think he felt bad he did hurt him...  but when you fight, you get hurt if you don't win, and Newbury didn't win...  NOt saying that to be a prick about it but that's why Petrovickey didn't get ousted from the game for putting a guy on a stretcher...  It's part of the game, and Newbury I'm sure is accepting of that and his 50% involvement in fighting someone who I believe to be substantially larger right off the face-off.

I'm not saying he got what he deserved by any means.  I much prefer the fights that end with a winner/loser but nobody hurt, but getting hurt does happen and it's not anyone in particular's fault generally, as it was last night.