2015-16 NHL Thread

Paul Pain · **on:** June 29, 2015, 05:43:00 PM

I don't know how many people are interested, but I'm trying anyway to start an NHL thread for us to all use!

So, what are what kind of players are you hoping your team gets via free agency?

On my team we're looking for solid defencemen who can protect the goalie and keep the puck on the other end of the ice.

Lefty · **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2015, 10:13:52 AM

Now that I have some time to say a few syllables and utter a few adjectives, here goes:

In last week's NHL draft, the Flyers selected defenseman Ivan Provorov with their first pick (#7 overall) and 6'8" goalie Ivan Fedotov in the 7th and final round. Where was the lucky player Ivan Mazeltov?

Speaking of Provorov, who had been called Provolone on the radio before the draft, he has been touted as possibly the best defenseman of this draft, which I hope will be true. It was a shock to see Flyers' "owner" Ed Snider, along with Bobby Clarke and Paul Holmgren, up on stage when GM Ron Hextall made Provorov their pick, seeing how much the Three Stooges of Moe Snider, Larry Clarke, and Curly Holmgren do not like Russian players. "Nyet, tovarich!" But obviously they were okay with Hextall's choice.

For a team that missed the playoffs last year (thanks to Holmgren's cap inefficiencies and Craig Berube's poor coaching), the Flyers are still a top draw with the networks, as they will have 7 Wednesday night "Rivalry Night" games this coming season - 2 each with Boston, Chicago, and Washington, plus a game at Detroit. And two games with the Penqueens in the final week of the season may turn into national telecasts as well.

Besides my being a Philly native, the other main reason for my wanting the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup is to have the worst commissioner in sports history, Gary Butthead, have to present the Cup to the Flyers or quit his job.

metaldams · **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2015, 11:09:11 AM

I'll just say I can probably only name MAYBE five hockey players all-time. Never been to an NHL game, though I went to a couple of AHL games as a kid to watch the New Haven Nighthawks, a team I think no longer exists in an arena that definitely no longer exists. My grandfather was a huge hockey fan, though, and cheered for the Boston Bruins.

Paul Pain · **Reply #3 on:** July 04, 2015, 05:53:45 PM

So why did y'all trade Chris Pronger?

Lefty · **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2015, 09:56:45 AM

Quote from: Paul Pain on July 04, 2015, 05:53:45 PM

So why did y'all trade Chris Pronger?

Gary Butthead is the worst commissioner in the history of sports, and the salary cap rules are just a part of his "legacy." Because Paul Holmgren, dumber than any GM in Philly history other than Ruin Tomorrow Jr. of the Phillies, signed Pronger to a 7-year deal when said superstar was 35, so when Pronger had to retire due to concussions and an eye injury, the Flyers put him on LTIR so that the cap hit would not count during the season, but it still went on and on and on. The Arizona (nee Phoenix) Coyotes (nee Winnipeg Jets, part 1) need to get to the cap floor, so they took on Pronger's contract, and the money still due Pronger is far less than the cap hit. So it was good for both teams.

Lefty · **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2015, 10:01:39 AM

Quote from: metaldams on July 04, 2015, 11:09:11 AM

I'll just say I can probably only name MAYBE five hockey players all-time. Never been to an NHL game, though I went to a couple of AHL games as a kid to watch the New Haven Nighthawks, a team I think no longer exists in an arena that definitely no longer exists. My grandfather was a huge hockey fan, though, and cheered for the Boston Bruins.

I have been to one NHL game (Flyers 5, Detroit 2, Bill Barber scoring his 300th career goal that afternoon). I was supposed to go to a game at the Spectrum on 2/6/78, but some snowstorm that wrung out 14 inches of the white stuff made the trip impossible for me and 11,858 other people. The game was televised on free TV, a rarity for a home game not on national TV then, and the late, legendary broadcaster Gene Hart said at one point, "If you're in the area, come on in, it's free." I'm not sure how many South Philly residents took him up on that offer.

Paul Pain · **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2015, 11:25:27 AM

Quote from: Lefty on July 05, 2015, 09:56:45 AM

Gary Butthead is the worst commissioner in the history of sports, and the salary cap rules are just a part of his "legacy." Because Paul Holmgren, dumber than any GM in Philly history other than Ruin Tomorrow Jr. of the Phillies, signed Pronger to a 7-year deal when said superstar was 35, so when Pronger had to retire due to concussions and an eye injury, the Flyers put him on LTIR so that the cap hit would not count during the season, but it still went on and on and on. The Arizona (nee Phoenix) Coyotes (nee Winnipeg Jets, part 1) need to get to the cap floor, so they took on Pronger's contract, and the money still due Pronger is far less than the cap hit. So it was good for both teams.

All righty, I wasn't aware of the Coyotes cap floor needs. I am huge pucks fan, so I am a bit distraught with the rules trickery the NHL pulled to get Pronger in the Hall of Fame. Really, what he is doing right now with this "not retiring" business is, to me, a smear on his legacy. And I say this having enjoyed his time as an Edmonton Oiler. I am so glad Moe MacTavish, Larry Lowe, and Shemp Eakins are all gone.

Lefty · **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2015, 10:57:54 AM

The Flyers' training camp for rookies began on Monday. Yesterday the veterans started camp. This Monday, the Flyers will play split-squad games against the Islanders in Allentown PA and Brooklyn NY. No question hockey has the shortest training camps in the sports world as far as getting ready for actual games, even though they don't count.

Paul Pain · **Reply #8 on:** October 02, 2015, 06:23:58 PM

The official hockey season is almost here! Time for the Copper and Blue to rise again (yeah, right; pipe dreaming!)

Lefty · **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2015, 10:50:34 AM

The Flyers are in regular-season form -- slow defense, poor in shootouts, playing down to the level of the opposition, occasional "official" defeats.

Bill McCreary and friend -- separated at birth?

Lefty · **Reply #10 on:** October 15, 2015, 02:53:04 PM

A week into the season, and the Metrosexual Division has four (4) teams with a combined record of 0-13-0, including the great Penqueens and Devil Dogs. Maybe they all want to win the draft lottery next year for Auston Matthews. And my beloved Flyers have recorded back-to-back shutouts by the backup goalie, Michal Neuvirth, to move into second place, early as it is.

The Blackhawks have become the Seth Rollins of the NHL -- the champions losing on national TV every week in non-title matches.

JazzBill · **Reply #11 on:** October 15, 2015, 04:45:10 PM

Quote from: Lefty on October 15, 2015, 02:53:04 PM

The Blackhawks have become the Seth Rollins of the NHL -- the champions losing on national TV every week in non-title matches.

That's because every time they win a championship (3 in the last 5 years) they have to dump good players to get under the cap. Not much they can do about that.

Paul Pain · **Reply #12 on:** October 15, 2015, 06:17:10 PM

Oilers... worst team in the league... again. Someone just drop an a-bomb on Rexall Place when they play the Coyotes next and rid the NHL of these pathetic franchises.

Lefty · **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2015, 11:07:06 AM

Quote from: Paul Pain on October 15, 2015, 06:17:10 PM

Oilers... worst team in the league... again. Someone just drop an a-bomb on Rexall Place when they play the Coyotes next and rid the NHL of these pathetic franchises.

Change the Coyotes to the Penqueens, and the venue to Madison Square Garden, and you got a deal.

Rexall Place is the best arena for TV viewing in the NHL, as it is the only building remaining (just for this season) where the TV cameras are on the side of the players' benches. The Saddle Sore in Calgary is the worst, as they moved the TV cameras to the wrong side with that renovation in 1995, which reduced attendance and the team's success.

Paul Pain · **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2015, 01:29:25 PM

Quote from: Lefty on October 17, 2015, 11:07:06 AM

Change the Coyotes to the Penqueens, and the venue to Madison Square Garden, and you got a deal.

Rexall Place is the best arena for TV viewing in the NHL, as it is the only building remaining (just for this season) where the TV cameras are on the side of the players' benches. The Saddle Sore in Calgary is the worst, as they moved the TV cameras to the wrong side with that renovation in 1995, which reduced attendance and the team's success.

No deal. I like the Penguins-Flyers rivalry too much to let that happen. It is one of the few rivalries that is built on competition and not media-fed hate. I am going to miss Rexall after this year...

Lefty · **Reply #15 on:** October 18, 2015, 10:24:36 AM

Quote from: Paul Pain on October 17, 2015, 01:29:25 PM

No deal. I like the Penguins-Flyers rivalry too much to let that happen. It is one of the few rivalries that is built on competition and not media-fed hate. I am going to miss Rexall after this year...

If the NHL had half a brain, well, it would have half a brain. The ratings of a Stanley Cup Final series between the Pennsylvania teams would be the best of all time. But, the NHL would rather have division playoffs, meaning that the Flyers, Penguins, and Rangers could have only one representative in the final four teams, with the same teams facing each other year after year (see 1982 to 1993 for that stupidity). From 1975 through 1981, the playoffs were based on overall record, not record within a division or conference. Montreal vs. Boston, anyone? That, and evening out the number of teams within divisions and conferences, and the dismissal by any means necessary of Gary Butthead, would improve things vastly.

Lefty · **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2015, 10:43:35 AM

The Flyers are 1-0 this season in shootouts, the worst gimmick the NHL has ever dreamed up other than the 1st-vs-3rd, 2nd-vs-4th playoff matchups through 1971. The big surprise was scoring twice against King Henrik the VII.5, after having had only 2 goals on 48 shots before that.

And the Columbus Blue Jackets got their first win of the season, beating the "Avalanch-y" in Denver last night. Torts as coach may be what CBJ needs. And the Avalanche wore the old Colorado Rockies logo, which may have been why they lost.

Paul Pain · **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2016, 08:30:42 AM

Another year, another sucky season for the Oilers... *sigh*

Lefty · **Reply #18 on:** April 30, 2016, 10:54:12 AM

When the NHL, led by the abso-100%-lutely worst commissioner in sports history, came up with the current, and extremely awful, playoff format (with uneven conferences, no less), I did not like it because not only did the Western Conference teams have a better opportunity to make the playoffs than the Eastern Conference teams, but it meant division playoffs with the same early opponents year after year. But this year, the league has lowered itself even further, as evidenced by the seedings for the second round -- the top two teams points-wise from each conference facing off against each other, while two series are between teams with fewer points.

I would prefer the first-place team in each division getting a top seed, and the remaining 12 teams with the most points, regardless of where they are, getting the other spots, and having 1-16, 2-15, ... 8-9, with re-seeding after each round, like in 1980 and 1981. Even the pre-2013 alignment with the top 8 teams from each conference (with the same number of teams in each) would suffice. But the current setup reeks -- and not of awesomeness. Everyone knows that the Islanders deliberately lost their last two games so they could face Florida's teams instead of Washington and Pittsburgh. And don't give me that "bracket" dreck -- another useless gimmick, like the shootout, brought on by the Euro-sissy-hockey putz, Gary Butthead.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #19 on:** April 30, 2016, 01:41:57 PM

Quote from: Lefty on April 30, 2016, 10:54:12 AM

When the NHL, led by the abso-100%-lutely worst commissioner in sports history, came up with the current, and extremely awful, playoff format (with uneven conferences, no less), I did not like it because not only did the Western Conference teams have a better opportunity to make the playoffs than the Eastern Conference teams, but it meant division playoffs with the same early opponents year after year. But this year, the league has lowered itself even further, as evidenced by the seedings for the second round -- the top two teams points-wise from each conference facing off against each other, while two series are between teams with fewer points.

I would prefer the first-place team in each division getting a top seed, and the remaining 12 teams with the most points, regardless of where they are, getting the other spots, and having 1-16, 2-15, ... 8-9, with re-seeding after each round, like in 1980 and 1981. Even the pre-2013 alignment with the top 8 teams from each conference (with the same number of teams in each) would suffice. But the current setup reeks -- and not of awesomeness. Everyone knows that the Islanders deliberately lost their last two games so they could face Florida's teams instead of Washington and Pittsburgh. And don't give me that "bracket" dreck -- another useless gimmick, like the shootout, brought on by the Euro-sissy-hockey putz, Gary Butthead.

I agree that the current playoff setup stinks!

While I haven't been following that closely, I'm also appalled that NONE of our Canadian based teams even MADE the playoffs this year! I don't believe that has EVER happened before!

Blame Mr. Bettman? Yeah, I can totally get behind that!

The NHL is in dire need of a better commissioner! In my opinion, Gary Bettman is an utterly pretentious blowhard!

At this point, I don't give a flying fig who wins the Stanley Cup; only that the Canadian Stanley Cup drought is officially dragging on for yet another year--the WORST one yet for NHL Stanley Cup Hockey in Canada!

Lefty · **Reply #20 on:** May 01, 2016, 10:56:25 AM

In 1969-70, the two Canadian teams missed the playoffs -- Toronto because they were not a good team, and Montreal, because they had the same exact record as the Rangers, with an even head-to-head result during the season, but the Rangers got the last spot due to having scored more goals. The following year, the third tiebreaker was changed to net goals rather than goals for.

As for this season, when Carey Price went down, so did Les Habitants. Of course, I would not mind if Punk Kid Suzanne went down for good.

Vancouver and Ottawa used to be contenders, but now they are not bad enough to get a top pick. Calgary jinxed themselves when they moved the TV cameras to the penalty-box side of the Saddledome, and Edmonton needs to learn that defense is very important. Maybe having the 4th pick instead of the 1st pick will teach them to pick the best D-man available. And Winnipeg, they were atrocious in Atlanta and haven't changed much up north.

Toronto will get Auston Matthews, but their blue line needs a lot of work as well. And if expansion takes place next year, vive les Nordiques!

What the NHL really needs is a Philadelphia native for commissioner, and a former Flyer as his right-hand hatchet man, to mete out proper suspensions.

Tony Bensley · **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2016, 12:51:42 PM

I sometimes wonder whether the Commissioner's spot should be subject to periodic elections? Heck, if a job important as POTUS is subject to a public election every 4 years, then why not the same for Major League Sports Commissioners? Why should they have the option of ruling for life, especially when they're not even very good at their job?

In my opinion, 20 years + is way too long a stretch, as even the best leaders have a limited shelf life, let alone the current NHL Commish!

I'm just spitballing (Another sport, I know!), of course!

CHEERS!

Paul Pain · **Reply #22 on:** May 01, 2016, 03:34:07 PM

Quote from: Lefty on May 01, 2016, 10:56:25 AM

What the NHL really needs is a Philadelphia native for commissioner

Have any in mind?

Lefty · **Reply #23 on:** May 02, 2016, 03:02:40 PM

Quote from: Tony Bensley on May 01, 2016, 12:51:42 PM

I sometimes wonder whether the Commissioner's spot should be subject to periodic elections? Heck, if a job important as POTUS is subject to a public election every 4 years, then why not the same for Major League Sports Commissioners? Why should they have the option of ruling for life, especially when they're not even very good at their job?

In my opinion, 20 years + is way too long a stretch, as even the best leaders have a limited shelf life, let alone the current NHL Commish!

Term limits for sport commissioners, the Supreme Court of the USA, and all politicians.

Lefty · **Reply #24 on:** May 02, 2016, 03:04:21 PM

Quote from: Paul Pain on May 01, 2016, 03:34:07 PM

Have any in mind?

Three people for commissioner: Me, Myself, and I -- Poissonally!

For "Hatchet Man": Paul Holmgren, so he doesn't have any more opportunities to screw up the Flyers as he did as GM in his last several years on the job.