2020-2021 NHL Regular Season Thread

[brian]

That said the rest of this game might not be happening.

[degenerasian]

Losing to the Oilers both ends of a back to back should result in a automatic coach firing.

[bapo!]

Losing to the Oilers both ends of a back to back should result in a automatic coach firing.

I'm quite enjoying my night. (McDavid with 2 goals and 2 assists so far. The goal he just scored was gorgeous.) Might even stay up for the resumption of the Tahoe game.

Crosby played his 1000th game tonight. All kinds of ceremonies and video tributes, etc. Funny moment in pregame. Every player was wearing a #87 jersey. When Crosby retied his skates (his pregame routine is very regimented), every other player retied his skates.

[degenerasian]

Same, I'm waiting for the Tahoe game to resume.

[bapo!]

Same, I'm waiting for the Tahoe game to resume.

I lost track of time and thought this was the third period. 6-1 in the second period? Yeah, this isn't good. Well, the postgame radio shows should be interesting in Calgary tonight, if nothing else.

3 goals for McDavid. 2 goals for Nuge. I'm going to be heartbroken if they can't re-sign Nuge this summer.

[degenerasian]

I'd like the Oilers to score 10. Flames showing nothing.

[Ryan]

Gritty in the dark woods behind the benches is not okay

[Nonlinear FC]

That was some Stephen King shit.


Not ok.

[bapo!]

I hadn't been watching the game, so I had to look up Gritty. Found various other Gritty shenanigans from the past couple days. I'm still entertained by this...thing.

Also, I just wanted to document this line from Gary Bettman, when interviewed during the delay yesterday: 'Sunshine has always been our enemy.' I've never felt a stronger kinship with this gentleman. He also said something like, 'There's cloud cover everywhere except where the sun is shining.'

[Ryan]

That’s some real late-stage Stone Temple Pilots poetry

[mister d]

image.png (12.48 KiB) Viewed 499 times

[wlu_lax6]

I mean I guess I am glad Ovi is aligned with current leadership.

[bapo!]

So, the Sabres are kind of a mess. (I had forgotten that Jeff Skinner was there. Tonight he was a healthy scratch.) But at least Sam Reinhart still does stuff like this. I thought this was just batted out of the air, but it's actually a bit more deliberate than that.

And Trevor Zegras is making his debut for Anaheim tonight. Excited about this.

[brian]

At least they can trade Taylor Hall for some picks and/or prospects?

[bapo!]

At least they can trade Taylor Hall for some picks and/or prospects?

That's pretty much guaranteed at this point. That would be 4 teams in 15 months for a recent MVP. Crazy.

[MaxWebster]

i'm a little biased but I think Sam is day in and day out our best player. the kind that you'll rarely (last night a notable exception) jump out of your seat for but he just does most things right on every shift.

(also there's no way Eichel isn't in some way severely injured. he's been straight-up awful this year in nearly every game. I'm sure in classic Buffalo fashion it'll emerge in a few weeks that he's got an oreo for a kneecap or something....)

i have driven myself nearly crazy the last few years trying to figure out why the Sabres aren't at a minimum mildly-decent. Just goes to show that in hockey even having 7-8 elite players might not matter when the rest of your roster is garbage. or, in some cases, your top 2 defensemen are out for possibly the year (Risto = Covid; McCabe = all kinds of knee explosions at once).


Funny, the impressions you have or get as a kid in your formative years. I remember "forever" (to be fair, it was like the better part of 13-14 years) that the Red Wings were the worst franchise I could think of (~mid 70s-late 80s. they were just waiting for Lidstrom to be born and age....). I keep remembering the great and fun days of the Sabres...exciting teams, can't buy a ticket, etc etc etc but my daughter is 15 and she literally has no recollection of the Sabres even being in the playoffs. It's...astounding.

So, the Sabres are kind of a mess. (I had forgotten that Jeff Skinner was there. Tonight he was a healthy scratch.) But at least Sam Reinhart still does stuff like this. I thought this was just batted out of the air, but it's actually a bit more deliberate than that.

And Trevor Zegras is making his debut for Anaheim tonight. Excited about this.

[bapo!]

After all of the postponements, their schedule is crunched now, too. So, on top of everything else, they're playing about 4 games every week. (I counted 23 games in 38 days.) Things are going to get worse.

[degenerasian]

This is shocking to me. They are 9-5-4. It's like their GM read too many press clippings of how great their offseason was as to me that roster is only good not great. They don't have a single elite forward so while they hit a bit of a rough spot I feel they were at least on course to make the playoffs which is a step forward in the development of the team.

And somehow The Flames still have a clueless no-name coach.

[MaxWebster]

Jeff Skinner scratched for the 3rd straight game tonight.

There's a lot of ammo on both sides of this one - and of course nobody knows what (if anything) is going on behind the scenes.

Yeah his "stats" are atrocious. On the other hand, since coach Ralph came in last year, Skinner mostly plays on the 4th line. Which...seems not ideal on a team that cannot score 5 on 5 at all and for a guy who is i think 7th in even strength goals in the entire league over the past 8-9 years.

So. This is fun. ....

[govmentchedda]

Downquoting in honor of MW.

My understanding is that Skinner's underlying numbers are actually pretty good, he's just gone ice cold (been unlucky) with his shots.

Jeff Skinner scratched for the 3rd straight game tonight.

There's a lot of ammo on both sides of this one - and of course nobody knows what (if anything) is going on behind the scenes.

Yeah his "stats" are atrocious. On the other hand, since coach Ralph came in last year, Skinner mostly plays on the 4th line. Which...seems not ideal on a team that cannot score 5 on 5 at all and for a guy who is i think 7th in even strength goals in the entire league over the past 8-9 years.

So. This is fun. ....

[MaxWebster]

yeah, and even allowing for the fact that sure, he should still have a few... his numbers aren't really any different than Hall's. And Hall <3 Kreuger and vice versa so I have to think there's more to it than that. But man. what a shitshow. year 10.

Downquoting in honor of MW.

My understanding is that Skinner's underlying numbers are actually pretty good, he's just gone ice cold (been unlucky) with his shots.

Jeff Skinner scratched for the 3rd straight game tonight.

There's a lot of ammo on both sides of this one - and of course nobody knows what (if anything) is going on behind the scenes.

Yeah his "stats" are atrocious. On the other hand, since coach Ralph came in last year, Skinner mostly plays on the 4th line. Which...seems not ideal on a team that cannot score 5 on 5 at all and for a guy who is i think 7th in even strength goals in the entire league over the past 8-9 years.

So. This is fun. ....

[govmentchedda]

Puck Soup podcast went through this for quite a bit on this week's episode.

https://pca.st/gv0cgrse

yeah, and even allowing for the fact that sure, he should still have a few... his numbers aren't really any different than Hall's. And Hall <3 Kreuger and vice versa so I have to think there's more to it than that. But man. what a shitshow. year 10.

Downquoting in honor of MW.

My understanding is that Skinner's underlying numbers are actually pretty good, he's just gone ice cold (been unlucky) with his shots.

Jeff Skinner scratched for the 3rd straight game tonight.

There's a lot of ammo on both sides of this one - and of course nobody knows what (if anything) is going on behind the scenes.

Yeah his "stats" are atrocious. On the other hand, since coach Ralph came in last year, Skinner mostly plays on the 4th line. Which...seems not ideal on a team that cannot score 5 on 5 at all and for a guy who is i think 7th in even strength goals in the entire league over the past 8-9 years.

So. This is fun. ....

[sancarlos]

Skinner’s always been a goal scorer. Putting him on the fourth line with a couple pluggers seems seriously wrong-headed. I don’t get it. Krueger seems like a thoughtful guy. Doing that seems more like a Mike Keenan or Tortorella move.

[sancarlos]

[mister d]

Future Ranger Jack Eichel.

[degenerasian]

Ottawa is beating someone 5-1!!!

[degenerasian]

This is the worst Flames team I've ever seen and they are historically a bad team.

[sancarlos]

This is the worst Flames team I've ever seen and they are historically a bad team.

It could be worse (said the Sharks’ fan).

[brian]

This is the worst Flames team I've ever seen and they are historically a bad team.

It could be worse (said the Sharks’ fan).

Yep.

[degenerasian]

This is the worst Flames team I've ever seen and they are historically a bad team.

It could be worse (said the Sharks’ fan).

You guys play hard and are entertaining. And rebuilding. You have a competent coach and GM.
The Flames are not rebuilding. They spent to the cap, signed the best goalie in FA and can't beat anyone. They're lazy and boring.

[wlu_lax6]

So Wilson got 2 for interference. I am not a hockey expert. I am Pro caps and generally pro-Wilson. Looks late to me. Wilson and Malkin chirped about this hit during the game (Wilson said 2 milliseconds.....looks longer than that).

[degenerasian]

It's 2 for interference. Nothing more. Janko should be paying attention.

[mister d]

There’s no dumber hockey logic than assigning partial blame for not anticipating an illegal open ice hit. “Steve Moore might have played another 10 years if he’d simply kept his head on a swivel and felt Bertuzzi approaching.”

[degenerasian]

Really?

Steve Moore was purposely hunted down and assaulted and was 100% aware of it.

[mister d]

Yeah, he should have seen it coming and either avoiding the jumping or atleast braced himself. Gotta blame the recipient.

[sancarlos]

Wilson ought to be suspended.

Blaming the victim is bullshit.

[degenerasian]

I'm not blaming Janko. It's a penalty.
A suspension? You guys think it was predatory?

[duff]

I don't follow hockey like you guys, but to me that hit was dirty and intentional. How is that even determined only a 2 minute minor? And I am with sancarlos on Wilson should be suspended. He could have easily avoided plowing through that guy. It and it clear from the replay that his intent was to inflict an intentional hit on a player outside of the flow of the game.

[MaxWebster]

it's total garbage.

agreed w mr d - the blame the victim mentality is so wrong wrong wrong. i hate hearing the trash notion that "oh the modern people are taking hits out of the game" but fucking watch something from the 70s. those guys are skating in mud (maybe because everyone was out for a 3 minute shift then smoking heaters in intermission...but i digress....) and not often taking runs at guys.

the *entire point* of checking is to separate the player from the puck. that's it. it's not WWF out there, or it shouldn't be.

i'm just so not a fan of this stuff - i don't like seeing guys get hurt at all but especially on useless plays. If a guy gets blown up when he's got the puck and it just happens that way, yeah ok, but things like this I just find really distasteful. And a 2 minute penalty is nothing.


(having said that i've had to sit through a gd decade of boring/bad Sabres hockey and maybe i have it all wrong and they need to just have 18 complete lunatics skating around out there, wtf do i know...)

[Nonlinear FC]

That's a couple of games. No place for it in the game. Janko had his head up, there's nothing he could really do.