The Swamp

What the hell, the season starts in a couple weeks so offseason is over I guess.

Current status is -- "Trying to not get too excited that the Golden Knights are absolutely clowning every one in the preseason because well, it's preseason."

But damn, 19-5 in three games. And that's with half of the top six on defense not even having played a game yet. Weirdly, I'd feel a little better if they had lost a couple of games.

Lose for Hughes, baby.

I got a bit excited after the Sharks playing mostly kids and minor leaguers beat the Ducks last night, with the Ducks playing some of their best players.

I'm more excited for this season than I have been for awhile. Should be a great race for the Pacific division, Brian.

Yeah, the Pacific should be a battle. I think just about every team in the division is better this year except for maybe Anaheim.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 11:05 am Yeah, the Pacific should be a battle. I think just about every team in the division is better this year except for maybe Anaheim.

and Edmonton.

Flames looked ok in China. They looked faster (especially 3rd and 4th lines) but still had trouble scoring. i'm going to the game tomorrow night, will be mostly the B team as the A team is still jetlagged.

Edmonton didn't make any big moves to improve but you have to assume they'll be better than they were last year based off of progression alone. Unless something happens to McDavid. Then all bets are off.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 10:02 am What the hell, the season starts in a couple weeks so offseason is over I guess.

Current status is -- "Trying to not get too excited that the Golden Knights are absolutely clowning every one in the preseason because well, it's preseason."

But damn, 19-5 in three games. And that's with half of the top six on defense not even having played a game yet. Weirdly, I'd feel a little better if they had lost a couple of games.

I'm nervous as hell for the same reason. The Bolts have been unable to get anything going in their back to back with the Canes. How much does "losing" Stevie Y affect the room? Probably way less than I'm afraid of, but still.

Taking the youngest to his first game on Saturday. Perhaps he's the good luck charm.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 11:11 am Edmonton didn't make any big moves to improve but you have to assume they'll be better than they were last year based off of progression alone. Unless something happens to McDavid. Then all bets are off.

No wingers and no defense. It's all McDavid and Talbot. They should split McDavid and Draisitel but the latter pouts when that happens.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:00 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 11:11 am Edmonton didn't make any big moves to improve but you have to assume they'll be better than they were last year based off of progression alone. Unless something happens to McDavid. Then all bets are off.

No wingers and no defense. It's all McDavid and Talbot. They should split McDavid and Draisitel but the latter pouts when that happens.

I'd bet (and have) they'll have more points than last season though. Don't think they'll win the division or anything, but they'll be better. It's almost impossible to be worse considering they have two of the five best players in the division probably and I wouldn't even equivocate on that before the Sharks added Karlsson.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:13 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:00 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 11:11 am Edmonton didn't make any big moves to improve but you have to assume they'll be better than they were last year based off of progression alone. Unless something happens to McDavid. Then all bets are off.

No wingers and no defense. It's all McDavid and Talbot. They should split McDavid and Draisitel but the latter pouts when that happens.

I'd bet (and have) they'll have more points than last season though. Don't think they'll win the division or anything, but they'll be better. It's almost impossible to be worse considering they have two of the five best players in the division probably and I wouldn't even equivocate on that before the Sharks added Karlsson.

Opinions are opinions, but you clearly have a much higher opinion of Draisitel than I do.

Maybe he meant Lucic.

Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:04 pm Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

Karlsson might not be better than Burns.

And I have to defend Gaudreau. 84 points last year on a dysfunctional team.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:08 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:04 pm Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

Karlsson might not be better than Burns.

And I have to defend Gaudreau. 84 points last year on a dysfunctional team.

I meant William Karlsson. No, just kidding. And I would much rather have Karlsson (Erik) than Burns. Good for SJ they have them both I guess, but I wouldn't put Burns above Karlsson unless you're talking about offense only.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:13 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:08 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:04 pm Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

Karlsson might not be better than Burns.

And I have to defend Gaudreau. 84 points last year on a dysfunctional team.

I meant William Karlsson. No, just kidding. And I would much rather have Karlsson (Erik) than Burns. Good for SJ they have them both I guess, but I wouldn't put Burns above Karlsson unless you're talking about offense only.

Fair enough.

Here's one for you. Who gets more points this year. William Karlsson or Draisaitl?

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:14 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:13 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:08 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:04 pm Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

Karlsson might not be better than Burns.

And I have to defend Gaudreau. 84 points last year on a dysfunctional team.

I meant William Karlsson. No, just kidding. And I would much rather have Karlsson (Erik) than Burns. Good for SJ they have them both I guess, but I wouldn't put Burns above Karlsson unless you're talking about offense only.

Fair enough.

Here's one for you. Who gets more points this year. William Karlsson or Draisaitl?

That is a good hypothetical/question. I lean to Karlsson because I think he'll get more assists this year to offset his almost certain regression in goals and Draisaitl will still keep getting second-line minutes, but it'll probably be close. I'd imagine they'll both be around that 70 point mark.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 4:04 pm Draisaitl being included is based as much on upside than prior production. So in that sense you're right. But I don't think a Pacific Division top five including Karlsson, McDavid, Kopitar, Doughty and Draisaitl is indefensible. I wouldn't trade him for anyone on Anaheim, Calgary, Vancouver, Arizona or Vegas straight-up.

If you are including upside potential, I see your opinion a bit more. But if we were talking about just what they bring to the table right now, I'd rather have your the other four of your top five than Draisaitel, plus Getzlaf, Burns, and William Karlsson for sure. And I'd rank several others at the same level of current contributors as him - Gaudreau, Fowler, Couture, Pavelski, Kane, Vlasic, Marchessault and Pacioretty. And, if we included goalies, you could add a few more.

Flames team host for the China trip shares his experiences on Reddit

This is for Brian:

Neal was hands down the most welcoming out of all of the players: he invited me to the players' dinner and sat next to me, before the Beijing game he came out and gave me his stick that he got the whole team to sign, and just as of now has followed me on Instagram

That’s nice to hear. I’ve heard Neal is a good dude.

Hockey season!

Yeah, that was bad. It's usually the same guys doing it repeatedly, too.

I'm excited for the hockey season, although my Sharks haven't looked too good since the regulars started playing the preseason games. But, that doesn't matter, right?

Fucking hell. Get him out of the league.

Right guys, like a $5MM per year player is going to run around targeting opponents' heads in the preseason.

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Oct 01, 2018 11:16 am Fucking hell. Get him out of the league.

It’s fucking ridiculous by this point.

BREAKING NEWS!

Joe Thornton has shaved his beard!

Alright, game on!

Oh, and yeah, 20 games for Tom Wilson.

So does Washington save 1/4 against the cap?

sancarlos wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:52 pm Alright, game on!

Oh, and yeah, 20 games for Tom Wilson.

Fucking A. About time.

More telling will be the next time. 20 should be his baseline going forward.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:56 pm More telling will be the next time. 20 should be his baseline going forward.

To be sure. If there is a next time it should start at half a season. Suspensions for hits to the head should be compounded.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:56 pm More telling will be the next time. 20 should be his baseline going forward.

See Torres, Raffi.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:56 pm More telling will be the next time. 20 should be his baseline going forward.

Hey guys, maybe this is what makes it sink in for him.

Thing is, unless he's willing to protect his contract, it can't sink in. Without the 49 hits that lead to every 50th bad one, he's Brian Boyle without the ability to play as a shutdown C.

The Bruins didn’t get the news that the season started tonight.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Wed Oct 03, 2018 9:08 pm The Bruins didn’t get the news that the season started tonight.

Neither have the Flames.

China hangover.

Martin Jones didn’t get the memo either. Sharks lose despite vast shot differential. Tale of two goalies.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:01 am Martin Jones didn’t get the memo either. Sharks lose despite vast shot differential. Tale of two goalies.

Sweet lord that backhand goal was Beer-League soft.

I know he's g-d among men, but Karlsson overplayed that breakout at center leading to (Erhoff? I can't remember who scored) to even have a lane to drop his right shoulder and get anything on that backhand. That play should never have developed in the first place.

Tom Wilson got a bigger ovation than OV8 last night so yay Bruins?