THE 2014-2015 NHL Regular Season Thread

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:29 am

From what I remember of the Kalinin era, you didn't follow the NHL outside of the Rangers, didn't know much about hockey at all, but you knew enough to hate Kalinin. You may have (probably) referred to him as a pylon on occasion.

Speaking of your/our Swamp history, I stumbled upon this in a folder of random old bookmarks recently.

You might want to sit down for this.

You ready?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:38 am

That tattoo is still a point of pain. When it was first conceived, it was just an idea for "a firefighter", then my wife's sister met, dated and married a firefighter ... and he didn't use the idea. I mean ... right???

(I knew Kalinin the name, as in "he is a human who plays for the Sabres", but knew nothing of his awfulness until seeing it first hand. His everyday game was the worst of Anton Stralman, where he would get caught in between and just become this unattractive blonde statue. One grew out of it, the other never did. I hope wherever he is, he's as unhappy right now as he made me in the past.)

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:45 am

mister d wrote:That tattoo is still a point of pain. When it was first conceived, it was just an idea for "a firefighter", then my wife's sister met, dated and married a firefighter ... and he didn't use the idea. I mean ... right???

(I knew Kalinin the name, as in "he is a human who plays for the Sabres", but knew nothing of his awfulness until seeing it first hand. His everyday game was the worst of Anton Stralman, where he would get caught in between and just become this unattractive blonde statue. One grew out of it, the other never did. I hope wherever he is, he's as unhappy right now as he made me in the past.)

I don't see too many Tampa Bay games, but I would like to note that Anton Stralman is having a kickass fantasy season.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:46 am

I hope wherever he is, he's as unhappy right now as he made me in the past.

This didn't go quite where I was expecting it to. I thought that you were going to say that perhaps you were a little over-heated back then, that you wish him well, etc. I've said nicer things about ex-girlfriends. Kalinin is still playing in the KHL, by the way.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:12 pm

The letter never was actually sent to the Wild, but in a happy ending, Jordan Leopold did get traded from Columbus to Minnesota.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:17 pm

bapo! wrote:This didn't go quite where I was expecting it to. I thought that you were going to say that perhaps you were a little over-heated back then, that you wish him well, etc. I've said nicer things about ex-girlfriends. Kalinin is still playing in the KHL, by the way.

I hate the "_______ doesn't care" statement about athletes and 99.99% of the time its total horseshit. Which means 0.01% of the time, I'll atleast listen to the argument. Kalinin is one of the very few where it really, seriously looked like trying was too much effort for him to put in on most nights.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:20 pm

(I should just call that the Brad Richards rule. Eyeball test said getting back on defense or getting off on a change was too much effort and he all but said he didn't prepare during the lockout.)

cerrano · Post by **cerrano** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:40 pm

bruins got an assist from the refs today when down a goal with two minutes left, the flyers were whistled for a penalty that really wasn't. bruins pull the goalie, and finally score on a 6 on 4 with 14 seconds left. very discouraging.

seconds after hitting submit, marchand end the game.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:17 am

That loss really really hurts the Sharks. Up 2-0 against a direct opponent and loses 3-2 in regulation.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:14 pm

degenerasian wrote:That loss really really hurts the Sharks. Up 2-0 against a direct opponent and loses 3-2 in regulation.

Yeah, that almost never happens to the Sharks. Oh, wait, I forgot for a minute. It happens all the fucking time! Look great... get a lead... go into a shell... give up lead... lose.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 9:07 pm

Flames came back from 4-0 down in the 3rd but lost in a shootout.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:31 pm

sancarlos wrote:I'm concerned about the Sharks this season. Lost Dan Boyle and Martin Havlat as UFAs, Raffi Torres, James Sheppard and Tyler Kennedy to injury, and other than young kids (three rookies made the opening day team), the only newcomer is knuckle-dragging goon John Scott. Goalie competition continues. More distressingly, GM Doug Wilson (whom I've always supported previously) seemingly lost his mind (see above) and also supposedly tried to trade Joe Thornton and Patty Marleau. When they refused to waive their no-trade agreements he settled for stripping them of their "C" and "A" letters, which doesn't seem to have helped team morale. A bunch of pissed off guys, as far as I can tell.

And to top it off, fucking Bettman schedules them for opening night in Los Angeles, pouring salt in the wound of blowing the 3-0 series lead by forcing them to watch the Kings receive their rings tonight. (And Bettman gleefully said he told the schedulemakers to do this.)

So, no I'm not as optimistic as I was in years past.

I posted the above back in early October. But, the Sharks' soap opera continues...

San Jose Mercury News wrote:SAN JOSE -- Long-simmering issues between Sharks general manager Doug Wilson and veteran center Joe Thornton boiled to the surface Friday when Thornton had a direct response to Wilson's latest explanation of why the 'C' was removed from his jersey.

"I think Doug just needs to shut his mouth," Thornton said after his team's morning practice. "I think that's the bottom line."

Thornton added: "All I've got to say is I've been here every day working hard. I haven't taken a sabbatical. He just needs to stop lying, shut his mouth."

In a Thursday night meeting with about 350 season-ticket holders, Wilson was asked again about the decision to strip Thornton of the captaincy. The Sharks have gone with four alternate captains this season and Thornton has that leadership role instead.

The general manager prefaced his remarks with praise for Thornton and what he brings to the team.

"He cares about the game so much. The reason we took the 'C' off him . . . Joe carries the weight of the team on his shoulders and he's got such a big heart that when stress comes on him he lashes out at people," Wilson said, "and it kind of impacts them.

"The pressure and stress, I felt, was getting to Joe," the general manager continued. "And I sat him down and said we need other players to step up and share this. He got it. He didn't like it, but he got it and he understood it."

The public rift comes at a time when the Sharks have won four of their last five games and are in a desperation drive to make the playoffs for an eleventh consecutive season. The exchange would appear to create a serious distraction for coach Todd McLellan and other players.

McLellan played down the problem.

"We have 14 games left and we've got our game going right now in the right direction. I think the guys are committed to playing and winning," McLellan said after hearing Thornton's reaction.

"As far as Jumbo goes, I've been around him every day this year and he's been excellent with the young players, the old players, the coaching staff," the coach said. "I think he can continue to do that and play well and play for each other and get us into the playoffs."

Players did not want to get in the middle of the dispute between Thornton and Wilson. But they said privately that Thornton remains a popular figure in the room and has their support.

There were signals in training camp that Thornton was not happy with the situation and that he disagreed with other things Wilson had to say after the Sharks became only the fourth team in NHL history to lose a playoff series after winning the first three games.

But after six months, the topic had died down until it was raised at the Ice Insights session the team holds for season-ticket holders.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:10 pm

Sharks... 3rd periods....

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:19 pm

Bruins now have the same goal differential as Anaheim. Strangely, this is not an endorsement of the Bruins.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:41 pm

The last time Detroit won in Philly was Game Two of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:48 pm

The season ticket drive in Las Vegas is up to 9,000 (out of a goal of 10,000). Since that doesn't include corporations, casinos, etc. and the like who are expected to snap up tickets as well, it's a pretty safe bet the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas for 2016-2017. I'd be surprised if they didn't make it official sometime this summer after the Stanley Cup Finals. Only question is which city is going to get the other team (likely Seattle, but Kansas City and Quebec City are also in the running).

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:52 pm

brian wrote:The season ticket drive in Las Vegas is up to 9,000 (out of a goal of 10,000). Since that doesn't include corporations, casinos, etc. and the like who are expected to snap up tickets as well, it's a pretty safe bet the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas for 2016-2017. I'd be surprised if they didn't make it official sometime this summer after the Stanley Cup Finals. Only question is which city is going to get the other team (likely Seattle, but Kansas City and Quebec City are also in the running).

I assume they want two more teams in the Western Conference, to even up the numbers. So, if Quebec City got a team, they'd have to move a team from the East to the West. Probably Detroit, right?
I kid!

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:54 pm

DSafetyGuy wrote:The last time Detroit won in Philly was Game Two of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.

The funny thing about that is Philadelphia didn't win in Detroit for 22 years either (from Nov. 1, 1989 until Jan. 2, 2011).

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:55 pm

sancarlos wrote:
brian wrote:The season ticket drive in Las Vegas is up to 9,000 (out of a goal of 10,000). Since that doesn't include corporations, casinos, etc. and the like who are expected to snap up tickets as well, it's a pretty safe bet the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas for 2016-2017. I'd be surprised if they didn't make it official sometime this summer after the Stanley Cup Finals. Only question is which city is going to get the other team (likely Seattle, but Kansas City and Quebec City are also in the running).
I assume they want two more teams in the Western Conference, to even up the numbers. So, if Quebec City got a team, they'd have to move a team from the East to the West. Probably Detroit, right?
I kid!

Yeah, that's the reason Seattle is a pretty safe bet. They also have an ownership group in place. They don't have a new arena that I'm aware of, but they could play in Key Arena for a year or two or three until they get something sorted out. Kansas City has the arena, but no ownership group to speak of.

EDIT: Updated to include Globe and Mail article and likelihood that NHL would only add 1 expansion team in 2016.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 7:19 pm

Gotta have a better name than Black Aces.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 7:50 pm

Aces.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 8:03 pm

Coyotes.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:01 am

fantastic.

sancarlos wrote:Coyotes.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:09 am

also this is complete and utter horseshit. 9000 people put in what, $50 maybe? after how many weeks? sorry i know you're in Vegas and all but putting a team there makes Phoenix look like Maple Leaf Gardens, sweet fuck. Hamilton sold something like 15000 not including all luxury boxes in no time and IIRC required a serious cash outlay.

the NHL is batshit crazy - don't pull this garbage about "oh it's a great market" - if you want to put a team there, just do it without the baloney attempts at justification.

brian wrote:The season ticket drive in Las Vegas is up to 9,000 (out of a goal of 10,000). Since that doesn't include corporations, casinos, etc. and the like who are expected to snap up tickets as well, it's a pretty safe bet the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas for 2016-2017. I'd be surprised if they didn't make it official sometime this summer after the Stanley Cup Finals. Only question is which city is going to get the other team (likely Seattle, but Kansas City and Quebec City are also in the running).

Post by **brian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 7:54 am

People said the same thing about Nashville and San Jose and those two markets are doing fine. I get the reflexive "but what about Phoenix?" braying NHL fanbois like to throw out there every time the NHL doesn't expand to Regina or Moose Jaw, but Las Vegas is not Phoenix is not Carolina is not Miami is not Atlanta. Each market is different.

(And for what it's worth you had to put down 10 percent of a season deposit with a multi-year commitment so several hundred dollars up front with a commitment of several thousand dollars over x number of years.)

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:46 am

I agree with Max here, why go through this charade? At the all-star break they could have announced that Las Vegas is getting a team and this ticket drive would be for this September instead of 2017. If they want a team in Las Vegas because they believe it's a great opportunity then just announce it.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:17 am

I'm pretty sure we talked about this here, but I like the idea of treating Vegas as a high exposure / growth market that isn't held to the same presale standards. Potential for far more one-time fans and non-fans to come through than other places given the weirdo nature of Vegas as a whole. And if they want to become the first league to truly embrace gambling ...

Post by **brian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:59 am

degenerasian wrote:I agree with Max here, why go through this charade? At the all-star break they could have announced that Las Vegas is getting a team and this ticket drive would be for this September instead of 2017. If they want a team in Las Vegas because they believe it's a great opportunity then just announce it.

I don't get the charade you're referring to. For once, I think Bettman was actually acting openly and responsibly. I think the NHL obviously wants to expand to Las Vegas, but he basically said to the ownership group that the big question mark was not if the corporations and casinos would buy up a bunch of the tickets and suites -- obviously they would and will. It was if the average fans in town would support the team or not so he basically said -- "Prove it." And yeah, Las Vegas isn't Hamilton or Houston or Halifax or Quebec or whatever, but 10,000 season tickets sold in six weeks without the promise of a team isn't that bad.

I think a team could succeed here for some of the reasons Mr. D mentioned -- being the first and only pro sports team in a city with 2 million people doesn't hurt. That's where the Phoenix analogy falls flat* -- Phoenix has all four major pro sports teams. And the geniuses there decided to built their arena in a part of Phoenix virtually inaccessible to 80 percent of metro Phoenix. In Las Vegas you're talking about an arena on the Strip. It'll be a spectacle and an event for 40 nights a year.

I know a lot of people who have bought tickets already and I think you'll see it'll be a lot of people like myself and RamsFanny myself. I'll root for the Red Wings the one time a year they play in Las Vegas and the other 40 home games I'll wear my Las Vegas sweater. When they play Chicago or Detroit or Boston, you'll see a lot of opposing fans, but you've also got a lot of people who have lived in this town now for two generations who have been dying for a pro sports team in any league and they'll throw their hat in for hockey if the NHL can get here first.

* - Columbus would probably be a better/closer comp. I think a team here could probably succeed on the same terms financially as Columbus. (On the ice success in Columbus is a different story, but that's not the fault of the market.)

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:02 am

I would bet against the LV team. And I bet they'd take bets on it.

Post by **brian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:02 am

mister d wrote:I'm pretty sure we talked about this here, but I like the idea of treating Vegas as a high exposure / growth market that isn't held to the same presale standards. Potential for far more one-time fans and non-fans to come through than other places given the weirdo nature of Vegas as a whole. And if they want to become the first league to truly embrace gambling ...

From everything I've read, I think the NBA is going to go that route. They've been aggressive as far as promoting the one-day fantasy games and it's apparently been really successful (both financially and in terms of ratings). I would call that gambling every bit as much as betting on the actual games. But I agree with you -- considering gambling on sports is basically legal in Canada already it wouldn't be much of a stretch for the NHL to try and plant that flag as well. I don't think Bettman is smart enough to though.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:04 am

I don't think he is either, especially viewing it through the lens of a Stern protege. The only reason I might hold out a little hope is that he's shown time and again he'll alter the game for the casual fan over the hardcore fan. If he (the owners) sees this as a way to rope in more casuals, maybe he jumps.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:21 am

brian wrote:
degenerasian wrote:I agree with Max here, why go through this charade? At the all-star break they could have announced that Las Vegas is getting a team and this ticket drive would be for this September instead of 2017. If they want a team in Las Vegas because they believe it's a great opportunity then just announce it.
I don't get the charade you're referring to. For once, I think Bettman was actually acting openly and responsibly. I think the NHL obviously wants to expand to Las Vegas, but he basically said to the ownership group that the big question mark was not if the corporations and casinos would buy up a bunch of the tickets and suites -- obviously they would and will. It was if the average fans in town would support the team or not so he basically said -- "Prove it." And yeah, Las Vegas isn't Hamilton or Houston or Halifax or Quebec or whatever, but 10,000 season tickets sold in six weeks without the promise of a team isn't that bad.

I think a team could succeed here for some of the reasons Mr. D mentioned -- being the first and only pro sports team in a city with 2 million people doesn't hurt. That's where the Phoenix analogy falls flat* -- Phoenix has all four major pro sports teams. And the geniuses there decided to built their arena in a part of Phoenix virtually inaccessible to 80 percent of metro Phoenix. In Las Vegas you're talking about an arena on the Strip. It'll be a spectacle and an event for 40 nights a year.

I know a lot of people who have bought tickets already and I think you'll see it'll be a lot of people like myself and RamsFanny myself. I'll root for the Red Wings the one time a year they play in Las Vegas and the other 40 home games I'll wear my Las Vegas sweater. When they play Chicago or Detroit or Boston, you'll see a lot of opposing fans, but you've also got a lot of people who have lived in this town now for two generations who have been dying for a pro sports team in any league and they'll throw their hat in for hockey if the NHL can get here first.

* - Columbus would probably be a better/closer comp. I think a team here could probably succeed on the same terms financially as Columbus. (On the ice success in Columbus is a different story, but that's not the fault of the market.)

That's all fine. Why the need to "prove it". If the next team is Seattle, they wont have to "prove it" and go through this charade. If the NHL has done it's research then they should just give Vegas a team because it will work for all the reasons you listed above.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:50 am

mister d wrote:Aces.

Or Black Ace.

Post by **brian** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:59 am

Meant to post this upthread, but the team will never be named any variation of Ace or Aces. The Triple A team in Reno is called the Aces and potential copyright issues notwithstanding, Las Vegans will never want to be accused of borrowing anything from Reno.

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:01 am

brian wrote:Meant to post this upthread, but the team will never be named any variation of Ace or Aces. The Triple A team in Reno is called the Aces and potential copyright issues notwithstanding, Las Vegans will never want to be accused of borrowing anything from Reno.

Well, I went to trouble of grabbing it from somewhere else, then uploading it again to avoid hot-linking, so I'm posting it anyway:

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:01 am

High Slots

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:06 am

If they did choose Aces as the name, it would be fun whenever they played Los Angeles to hear chants of "Aces beat Kings! Aces beat Kings!"

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:10 am

Just call them the Gamblers and double piss off anyone who was already pissed off about a team in Vegas.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:25 am

mister d wrote:Just call them the Gamblers and double piss off anyone who was already pissed off about a team in Vegas.

I wish that was our new football team's name.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:06 pm

i'm not reflexively "lumping" LV in with anyone else as you're right, each market is different, but there are still gradients here....i think it's the expansion i'm more offended by than the market itself. 30 teams is enough (also said at 26...). there are more than a few existing franchises that are already absurd - i would have no problem moving one to LV as an(other) experiment but the optics on awarding a brand new shiny (?) franchise to LV over [insert your non-KC market of choice here] is annoying at best, insulting at worst.