NHL 2013

[Jeff]

Man, when our other lines figure out how to score, we're going to be a wicked good hockey team...  too bad they haven't figured it out yet.  Parise-Koivu-Heatley is awesome - 21 points (10G-11A) and they account for 10 of our 13 goals so far. Just too bad that no one else can score right now.

I'll give our second line a bit of leeway.  Bouchard is just getting back from a long concussion layoff and Granlund is still getting his NHL feet under him so I'll give him a pass.  At least they've both potted a goal this year, but man I have been extremely disappointed with Brodziak, Setoguchi and Cullen so far.  I was really expecting a lot more out of them based on the way they played last year.  Unfortunately, with their contracts, it's going to be hard to dump them in the AHL in order to bring up some of the young guns like Zucker, Coyle, and Larsson.

It's going to be a long spring if we've got to rely on one stud line and goaltending to get us into the playoffs.   

[Morgbug]

Road woes return.  Not a believer in the Habs, but they had our number as we laid out a stinker the other night.  Another stinker tonight.  Doesn't help being the most penalized team in the league.  Lazy stick work is no help boys. 

[Morgbug]

We suck.  That is all.

[Jesse James]

Seen our power play lately?  Neither have we.

[Jeff]

Road woes return.

Same here.  0-3-1 on the road so far.  We looked better in PHX last night, but man there were times we were really flat and just out hustled. Still, at 4-4-1, the playoffs are still within reach and that is still my measuring stick.  We get into the playoffs and it was a good year, regardless of what happens in the playoffs (though a 0-4 sweep would suck).


Oh, and Coyotes drew 9,508 for our Mon night game.  And that was the announced attendance, so you know there was actually less than that really there.  Now that Jamison missed his deadline with the city and his deal with the NHL appears dead, is the league finally going to let someone step in and save this franchise?  They remind me a lot of Le Nordiques.  Really good young hockey team that is going to reward their next home with a cup...  maybe that's the best reason to give them to Quebec to make up for the Avs' cup win in '96   

[Jesse James]

You got Rupp.  I wish we had Rupp back.  He's a tremendous locker room guy even if he's aging a bit.

[Jesse James]

Just wanna say what a bunch of dirtbag fans the Islanders have...  By far the most ignorant in the sport.

[Jeff]

Not like the penguin fans...

[Jesse James]

I'll take a couple hockey hoes over the half-assed crowd applauding a guy on the ice bleeding profusely.  **** even I was worried for DiPietro when he got popped because I knew he wasn't ready for a real fight, and I wouldn't applaud a guy getting hurt.

Islander fans cheered Crosby on the ice bleeding after a puck hit him solid tonight.  Not even sure Philly fans would've acted like that.  Seriously. 

I'm much more tolerant of girls being glaring hoes if they feel like it.   I think the only ones with applicable anger to that would be her mother and father.

[Jeff]

Ouch.  What a horrible thing to happen to a great young defenseman. 

If I'm a Sens fan, I'm really bumming today.  Hopefully Karlsson will be able to make a full recovery.  I'd hate to see a top young D-man taken out by a cheap injury like that.

[Nicklab]

Read a little bit about the possible realignment that might be in the works for the NHL.  There's a proposal on the table for the league to be split into 4 divisions, similar to the NFL.  And it may just benefit Winnipeg, too, since they have a pretty grueling travel schedule with the current conference/division structure.

There's also a good deal of talk about what's going to happen with the Coyotes.  The cities that seem to be in contention for the relocation of the failing Phoenix team are Quebec City, Seattle, or possibly Toronto.  The Toronto market seems to be the one city in Canada that could truly support a second team.

[Jeff]

Ouch.  What a horrible thing to happen to a great young defenseman. 

If I'm a Sens fan, I'm really bumming today.  Hopefully Karlsson will be able to make a full recovery.  I'd hate to see a top young D-man taken out by a cheap injury like that.

Sounds like it was a 70% cut to his achilles.  Out 3-4 months at least.  Season over for him...  and potentially the Sens with Spezza expected to be out at least another month or two too. 

[Jesse James]

Ouch.  What a horrible thing to happen to a great young defenseman. 

If I'm a Sens fan, I'm really bumming today.  Hopefully Karlsson will be able to make a full recovery.  I'd hate to see a top young D-man taken out by a cheap injury like that.

Absolutely...  A terrible injury and it didn't even look like anything at first but on the replays, ouch.    Don't like seeing anyone hurt...  I figured when Giroux got hurt overseas this year what a ****** thing that was, and how I wished no NHL'ers were playing overseas.

Congrats to Winnipeg on Tangredi by the way.  I liked him...  Don't think he was used right here.

[Jeff]

Also from the files of horrible injuries, it sounds like Manny Malhotra may be done now too.  Lingering after-affects of his brutal eye injury two years ago. 

Sounds like his vision has just gotten worse this year instead of better so the Canucks are putting him on IR for the rest of the season.

[Morgbug]

And it may just benefit Winnipeg, too, since they have a pretty grueling travel schedule with the current conference/division structure.

I think Minnesota's is far, far worse than ours.  That said, I'm big on that proposed alignment and not the one that appeared in an Ottawa paper with us, MN, EDM, CAL, VAN.  Blech to that. 

Not sure what we're getting with Tangredi and I'm not at all sure how to respond to us moving Ponikarovski out already either.  Net result is we moved Poni and got Tangredi + 4th round pick, so ok there though the early moves are either encouraging or discouraging, I'm not sure which.   

Bummer for Karlsson given how bright his light was shining.  Same thing happened to Selanne in his second season in Winnipeg so you can come back for it, but this and Spezza hurts Ottawa a lot.