Official Hockey discussion thread

San Jose getting pushed to 7 games! Who knew this would actually become a series? There is a reason Detroit has been a powerhouse for decades and San Jose is falling into old bad habits of not being able to close out teams. I'm starting to think Datsyuk is superman...
 
Yeah, San Jose is swigging Choke-a-Cola. Datsyuk made Patrick Marleau look absolutely ridiculous with the strip and then the dipsy doodle after in game 5. The guy is obviously hurt but till makes incredible plays. I don't think San Jose is going to win. Detroit is being exceptionally cruel with spotting the Sharks a 3 game lead. San Jose is not getting enough pucks to the net and I think they are trying to help Niemi a little too much. This is the best I've ever seen Joe Thornton play in the playoffs and Setoguchi  has too, but Heatley and Marleau are falling into bad habits. After getting the goal in the 3rd period, with Detroit missing several open nets, I thought they could have shut down the RedWings.

How about Niklas Kronwall in the last two games. Guy is doing everything.
 
Both goalies are playing well and proving their previous success was no fluke, but I agree that SJ is doing too much in front of Niemi. They need to trust him a bit and start crashing the opponents net. It will be a very interesting game.

As for the eastern final I like that the two goalies left are not only the best in the east (maybe even league), but also the oldest. :). Tampa getting Gagne back will be a huge boost as Boston not only has been without Savard, but Bergeron has gone down as well. I wonder if Seguin will be able to fill in well enough to be a key contributor.
 
The Sharks are guilty of puck watching in thier own end. Neimi was outstanding last night, even though they lost. Detoit has been very good about dropping their Defense in the offensive zone on the play and have been killing the Sharks because they are paying too much attention to the puck carrier.

Yeah, the Bruins are going to miss Bergeron. They are lacking a #1 center now. Gagne was a beast last year for Philly in thier series with Boston last year. I told my wife and son who are Bruins' fans that Tampa is going to win. I had to explain that Boston will not have an answer for the 1-3-1 system. I like Tampa because they did a favor for the Rangers by spanking the Hurricanes on the last game of the season and they swept the Caps.
 
So, Norway are out of the IIHF World Championship - a few stupid penalties in the mid period proved costly. We were up 1-0 against Finland and went to 1-4 in less than 15 minutes. In the last 20 we were the better side, but that doesn't help when we don't score.

Good luck to Finland in the semi-finals, no matter who they are going to play (I think it's the winner of Russia v Canada).
 
Well, you can't win if you allow the same goal twice:

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Caught the Czech v. US game last night and I can't believe Jagr is still the best Czech player. They were talking about Shero proposing a contract to him to come back to the Pens. THAT would be cool. Sure it would only be for a season, maybe two, but to see Jagr play with Sid? Priceless.
 
No Czechs on here, are there?
Their program really seems to have gone to shit since peaking in the Hasek heyday and I wonder why.
 
Too true, Shadow ... some lousy defending right there. Disappointing, considering we have had decent penalty-killing so far in the tournament. Finland scored in their first three PPs in the match ...
 
mckindog said:
No Czechs on here, are there?
Their program really seems to have gone to shit since peaking in the Hasek heyday and I wonder why.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm half Czech. ;)

I won't claim to be an expert in Czech hockey, but I don't think it's as bad as you make it sound. From what I've read, it seems that their development programs have been underfunded and badly run, but the last thing I heard was that it's beginning to look better again. There are quite a few promising players in their early twenties, so the national team should be set for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, is there any point in trying to guess how 15-year-olds will develop? The Czechs will be back on top sooner or later.

And speaking of Hasek: the goalie situation doesn't look bad at all, with Pavelec, Stepanek and Neuvirth all up-and-coming.
 
Don't get me wrong, the Czechs are still a hockey power, but in most tourneys they seem to be a longshot to medal instead of a favourite, whereas 10 years ago they may have been the favourite.
They don't seem to have produced an elite player in ages, their supply of high-end NHL draft picks has dried up, and those that do get picked have generally been disappointing, at least over here.
 
They still have some very, very good young players, yes. Plekanec, Krecji, and Voracek come to mind.

But the Czech gold medal team from 1998 didn't have a "super league" of big names. It had Jagr and Hasek (who won about 75% of the medal on his own), but that's it. Jagr was that good in the 1990s, remember, a once-in-a-lifetime talent. As was Hasek. The rest of the team was just pretty good. Some really good players, but nobody great.

The Czechs will always be a threat but their small size of program means they will only be a true contender when they produce a few top-flight players, which may only happen once a generation - if that. Slovakia, I agree, is in trouble once this generation of players is done.
 
I'm from Czech Rep, but I ignore almost all sport events.. so I can't tell. I only know "we" won a few times, because the fans in pub can't stay silent when watching game..
 
Versus is showing the Czech Republic/ Sweeden game.

It seems to me that when a country wins the Olympic gold, that there comes a spike in players from that country being drafted into the NHL. And I am not speaking of the players on the gold medal team, but players from the systems in that counrty. I like watching all hockey. NHL, IIHF, Elitesrien, SM-Liga, KHL and Canadian Major Junior. Wish it would get more coverage here in the states. I like seeing the different styles that are played.

San Jose actually closed it out last night, although Detroit made it interesting. Zetterberg and Datsyuk scored some nice goals off the backhand. Hard to get they much elevation and power on the backhand.
 
NYR enforcer Derek Boogaard has died, without obvious cause of death, and an autopsy will be performed.

If this autopsy shows Boogaard died of a head injury (he's had a couple broken orbital bones from his many, many NHL fights), I think it might be the end of fighting in the NHL, at least as a semi-sanctioned sideshow. This, plus the Probert death and brain biopsy, could move hockey to get away from fisticuffs.

Regardless, it's certainly a very, very sad thing to read.
 
It was very shocking news. I read it in the news ticker while watching the WC and playoffs. I don't know if I can keep watching hockey without fights or hard hits :(


On a brighter note, Vancouver got off to a great start, the Bruins are in a very interesting situation. I find myself liking the Lightning a lot. They are playing VERY well as a team, very well coached, great goalie that has already taken an underdog to the finals (EDM)... this could go 7 games and I HOPE Boston wins, but without Bergeron it will be tough. Seguin did have a goal and an assist as a replacement so it might not bode so badly after all.

Fin v. Swe WC final?! AWESOME! Congrats to Finland in avenging the loss in the Olympics in Torino. Wish I could have seen it, but I'm glad for both countries.
 
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