2020-2021 NHL Regular Season Thread

[bapo!]

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for Evan Bouchard to even crack the line-up in Edmonton.

He's playing tonight, reportedly. This doesn't deserve the Rand Paul 'It's happening' gif, as I've read too many conflicting reports since the 2018 draft. I'm just hoping that he plays okay and looks like a potential NHL player. Also, he's playing in part because Ethan Bear is concussed, which really sucks.

[degenerasian]

Tyler Toffoli now leads the NHL with 9 goals. 8 of them are against Vancouver.

[BSF21]

Colorado has a level of overall speed I don’t think I’ve ever seen before and McKinnon isn’t playing right now.

[bapo!]

Colorado has a level of overall speed I don’t think I’ve ever seen before and McKinnon isn’t playing right now.

Yep. There's a lot to like about this team. Hoping they win the Cup this year. It feels like it's their turn.

It's weird watching Minnesota. I remember thinking that it was kind of neat when Parise and Suter signed there 9 years ago. And this is probably the first time in 9 years that I've mentioned them.

Puljujarvi just scored for Edmonton. Never thought I would type that sentence again. Long strange trip. (McDavid has 2 assists already tonight.)

[govmentchedda]

McJesus skates like a shark swims. It's absolutely terrifying.

[bapo!]

McJesus skates like a shark swims. It's absolutely terrifying.

He's so pretty. I'm guessing you saw the end-to-end rush vs. Toronto, right?

He has 6 straight multi-point games.

[govmentchedda]

That's glorious.

So is this.

[bapo!]

That's a little overexuberant for a midseason win over Nashville, no?

[MaxWebster]

I snort-laughed

That's a little overexuberant for a midseason win over Nashville, no?

[mister d]

[bapo!]

I reluctantly turned on my television for this Lightning/Wings game, and it's already a mistake. 3-0, Tampa, 5 minutes in.

Also, every time I see Anthony Cirelli, I feel sad. He played for Oshawa in the OHL, was probably the best player on a rather nondescript team. My only memory of him is on the night I drove to Erie to see the Otters win the OHL championship. And then some leaky goaltending led to an Oshawa comeback, and Oshawa eventually won the series.

Erie won the next season, but McDavid had left by then, and I didn't attend any games. I enjoyed listening to the radio broadcasts online, but it wasn't the same.

[mister d]

Stutzle, Thomas Chabot playing about 55 minutes per game, The More Tolerable Tkachuk. I'm starting to like the Sens.

And, inexplicably, Derek Stepan.

For now ...



(And yes, every rangers fan is thinking it.)

[govmentchedda]

I reluctantly turned on my television for this Lightning/Wings game, and it's already a mistake. 3-0, Tampa, 5 minutes in.

Also, every time I see Anthony Cirelli, I feel sad. He played for Oshawa in the OHL, was probably the best player on a rather nondescript team. My only memory of him is on the night I drove to Erie to see the Otters win the OHL championship. And then some leaky goaltending led to an Oshawa comeback, and Oshawa eventually won the series.

Erie won the next season, but McDavid had left by then, and I didn't attend any games. I enjoyed listening to the radio broadcasts online, but it wasn't the same.

Lucky you! I can't watch this on YouTubeTV, even though my subscription has NBCSN, because it's also being "shown" on Fox Sports Sun, who's in a fee dispute with YTTV. So, I'm blacked out from something I can't watch here. I'm so god damned frustrated with all of this bullshit. Fuck Sinclair.

[govmentchedda]

Stutzle, Thomas Chabot playing about 55 minutes per game, The More Tolerable Tkachuk. I'm starting to like the Sens.

And, inexplicably, Derek Stepan.

For now ...



(And yes, every rangers fan is thinking it.)

Fading the Sens until they win another game. It oughta be a while.

[bapo!]

Lucky you! I can't watch this on YouTubeTV, even though my subscription has NBCSN, because it's also being "shown" on Fox Sports Sun, who's in a fee dispute with YTTV. So, I'm blacked out from something I can't watch here. I'm so god damned frustrated with all of this bullshit. Fuck Sinclair.

Blackout rules are a mess. This is probably intentionally restrictive so that too many people like you don't drop your cable service. This doesn't even affect me, and I'm still annoyed.

Anyway, you're not missing much. Tampa is rolling. Cirelli looks amazing. (I'm making that up since I've only watched about 45 seconds of this game.)

[govmentchedda]

NHL does a good job with those 5 minute game recap vids, but it's just not the same.

[Ryan]

These Flyers jerseys are so nice. Human garbage wearing them but still...

[Reaper]

These Flyers jerseys are so nice. Human garbage wearing them but still...

I had seen them when they were released and thought, eh. But I'm really liking them seeing them in action.

I still don't understand this Flyers team, how you can average being outshot by 10 goals a game, yet still go 7-2-1 in your first ten games.

[rass]

If we’re giving props to ugly unis then let’s talk the Dallas black and neon green.

[govmentchedda]

If we’re giving props to ugly unis then let’s talk the Dallas black and neon green.

Way better than the Oilers ones. Can't read the numbers on them.

[rass]

If we’re giving props to ugly unis then let’s talk the Dallas black and neon green.

Way better than the Oilers ones. Can't read the numbers on them.

McDavid is the one who skates like a shark.

[bapo!]

The Flyers look great. Anything orange is top-notch. Tangerines, circus peanuts, these game-worn Clemson football pants that I'm wearing as I type this.

When the 'reverse retro' jerseys were unveiled, I was bummed that the Oilers were one of the teams stuck with the white jerseys. But then I saw them in a game. Orange pants!

(Also, I feel like I have to say nice things about the Flyers because there's a non-zero chance that Ron Hextall will be the next Penguins GM.)

[MaxWebster]

What's going on in Buffalo with the Sabres - and presumably due to their ill-fated 2-game set vs the Devils last weekend - is a potential nightmare unfolding. After them postponing the next 4 games and having <4 players out on the covid list, coach Kreuger just announced that he's Covid-positive.

fk.

[sancarlos]

Nothing like taking off a couple weeks in the middle of the season. Lots of back-to-backs later on.

What's going on in Buffalo with the Sabres - and presumably due to their ill-fated 2-game set vs the Devils last weekend - is a potential nightmare unfolding. After them postponing the next 4 games and having <4 players out on the covid list, coach Kreuger just announced that he's Covid-positive.

fk.

[bapo!]

What's going on in Buffalo with the Sabres - and presumably due to their ill-fated 2-game set vs the Devils last weekend - is a potential nightmare unfolding. After them postponing the next 4 games and having <4 players out on the covid list, coach Kreuger just announced that he's Covid-positive.

fk.

Yeah, it seems that the level of concern around the league is increasing. There's a different feel than just a day or two ago. I'm coping with it by plugging my ears and ignoring everything. That's worked well for me the past 11 months.*

If nothing else, there will be issues with a compressed schedule becoming even more compressed as the weeks go on.



*It hasn't.

[govmentchedda]

The Sabres are PISSED at the Devils and the league about all this. I could have this wrong, but I think each team is responsible for their own testing. Someone somewhere mentioned, "well isn't the league really the teams anyway?". Yes, but if you've got one team with one player who tests positive before a two game series, then on that same team another player tests positive between games 1 and 2 of said series, (and you play game 2 of said series), and then the day after game 2 of the series, team COVID adds like 7 more positives, the other team is right to be furious about the exposure, and are justified when at least 2 of their players test positive a day or two later.

For a league that did so much right in the playoff bubble, this really smells like their lack of a league wide protocol is going to bite them in the ass, hard.

Also, because of the Olympics (if they really do happen), the NHL has very little wiggle room to finalize their season, unless they don't want to air the SC Final on anything but radio.

There's no way this season ends with all teams playing their scheduled 56 games.

[mister d]

After the game Quinn better be all the way up the ass of whichever ref called offsetting penalties on a clear and dangerous knee.

[rass]

Double dog dare someone...

[mister d]

Hmmm ...

[sancarlos]

[degenerasian]

It was so stupid. By the time they pulled the goalie they were too tired to mount an attack.

[BSF21]

It was so stupid. By the time they pulled the goalie they were too tired to mount an attack.

What was stupid is that they couldn’t get a save. Fucking awful.

(I had a non-embarassing amount of money on EDM)

[degenerasian]

[bapo!]

One of the unintended consequences of the weirdness of this season, with taxi squads and the AHL kind of in limbo, is the roster churn among #3 goalies. It's definitely noticeable if you follow a team with sub-optimal goaltending.

The Oilers opened camp with Anton Forsberg at #3. Not bad. Then they put him on waivers just before the season started. Carolina claimed him, then waived him three days later. Then Winnipeg claimed him. With all of the quarantine rules when moving from place to place, he probably hasn't even had time to put on his pads.

Troy Grosenick started the season with the Kings. Then he was waived. Then he was claimed by Edmonton when their #2 goalie was injured. He waited in quarantine for a while, dressed as a backup for a couple of games, then Edmonton waived him. He's now back with the Kings.

I've always felt bad for the guys on the bottom of rosters. Seems like a stressful lifestyle.

[bapo!]

Rasmus Dahlin is on the COVID protocol list. A tough season just got worse.

The Minnesota Wild situation seems to be getting worse, maybe even as bad as Buffalo's. This isn't a good day for the league.

[brian]

Just give the top team in points percentage the Stanley Cup right now. Looks like that would be Vegas. Seems fair.

[bapo!]

Wanted to acknowledge degen's trolling above. Yes, seeing Milan Lucic still affects me physiologically, but it's easier to see him in another jersey. Even if he is scoring against the Oilers.

Mike Smith is starting in goal for Edmonton tonight. Marc Spector wrote an article about how this could bring stability and balance to the Oilers. Forgive me if I have doubts.

The last game I attended, way back in November 2019, Smith started against the Penguins. That was a wild game to witness live. McDavid and Draisaitl were terrible that day, almost never touched the puck. The Penguins dominated, had something like 52 shots on goal, but Smith stopped all but one.

Also, I didn't know it at the time, but I saw Colby Cave's last goal. It was gorgeous, and I was in disbelief that Cave could score a goal like that. And then he died a few months later.

[sancarlos]

I’m a sure Laine and Tortorella would mesh smoothly. Ha ha.

[brian]

STL and Arizona gonna play 7 straight against each other. Season's going great.

[mister d]

Gotta say I'm fine with the Penguins hiring Hextall and Brian Burke.