Official Hockey discussion thread

Last game was really, really good, but the Lightning were just gassing out as the game went on, and that OT, the Avs dominated. It really doesn't look good for the 2x champs, but they have played a ridiculous amount of hockey since the NHL came back in 2021. It wears you down. As an Avs fan, I am hoping for it to be over on Friday. Lord Stanley will be in the building!
 
LooseCannon said:
Last game was really, really good, but the Lightning were just gassing out as the game went on, and that OT, the Avs dominated. It really doesn't look good for the 2x champs, but they have played a ridiculous amount of hockey since the NHL came back in 2021. It wears you down. As an Avs fan, I am hoping for it to be over on Friday. Lord Stanley will be in the building!
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Wish your team had won it Friday. Hope they win it tonight. Glad former Bruin great Ray Bourque was on the Avs back in 2001 when they won the Cup then. I watched every game because he was with them.
 
The President of the Dallas Stars was on TV this morning talking about their community programs around Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Some interesting things.

Before the Stars moved here, there were 0 High School Hockey teams, now there are 6
They have built 20 sheets of ice across the area (not counting the sheets the Stars use)
There are now 600 girls in youth hockey (up from 0)
12 players from Stars youth programs have been drafted into the NHL (up from 0)

They are not my favorite team by any stretch (mostly because they are in the same division as the Hawks and carry over dislike from the North Stars days), but I do really admire what they have done to grow the game in the area
 
I mean, the Stars sell out many games, they have built a lot of rinks, they have driven up a lot of junior registration. When we look back at the southern strategy in the 90s there are a couple big flops - the Thrashers and the Coyotes - but there's a lot of successes. Tough to argue the Sharks, Ducks, Stars, Lightning, and Hurricanes haven't been successful, and Florida might just break through and get there now too.
 
I just came to think about that the swedish hockey leagues stopped using the national anthem pre-game a while ago.

Some teams play their own anthems instead, like this:

This would never happen in North America though!
 
Bruins are still red hot despite a few losses lately. Hope it continues going into the playoffs(obviously). Stanley Cup champs? Ha! Won't say anything about that:) The team I fear the most is their nemesis as of late, the Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers. I'm a Connecticut boy but I have never liked the Whalers, I mean Hurricanes:)
 
So Erik Karlsson is a Penguin.... three team trade with the Habs working as middlemen. The Pens already were the oldest team in the league, they just got much older. Possibly the best just about over the hill group of players. Honestly... I don't get it. Karlsson has ONE bounce back season and the entire league starts salivating. Reminds me of William Karlsson and his first season in Vegas. Now, I'm aware E.K was a superstar before his injuries and this supposedly was him "back to form" after getting healthy, but he's also over 35.... Like the rest of the Pens core.... injury prone.... like the rest of the Pens core.... IF it works and they go on a deep run it'll go against everything the NHL is doing right now. You know, younger, faster, yada yada. Should be interesting

Equally interesting all the non-moves made by the Bruins. Bergeron retires, I think Krejci announced his as well.... Couldn't keep ANY of the trade deadline acquisitions like Bertuzzi, Orlov, Hathaway, etc. Go out ans sign JVR!? seriously? like... why? Along with a bunch of other "meh" to "huh?" moves. Talking heads are saying it was a good think to Keep Ullmark and Swayman. Really? with a shit team in front of them? I much rather they traded Ullmark while his value was high to keep/bring in key pieces. But hey, at least it isn't as bad as Calgary or Vancouver.... or Columbus with Babcock as coach.
 
On the plus side for the Pens they moved out Rutta, Grandlund, and Petry and actually reduced their cap number. I agree Karlsson is a risk. But they helped clear out some overpriced contracts. I think they did pretty well overall
 
Onhell said:
So Erik Karlsson is a Penguin.... three team trade with the Habs working as middlemen. The Pens already were the oldest team in the league, they just got much older. Possibly the best just about over the hill group of players. Honestly... I don't get it. Karlsson has ONE bounce back season and the entire league starts salivating. Reminds me of William Karlsson and his first season in Vegas. Now, I'm aware E.K was a superstar before his injuries and this supposedly was him "back to form" after getting healthy, but he's also over 35.... Like the rest of the Pens core.... injury prone.... like the rest of the Pens core.... IF it works and they go on a deep run it'll go against everything the NHL is doing right now. You know, younger, faster, yada yada. Should be interesting
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Actually, Karlsson is only 33, and the Pens also got a couple of young guys in the trade. They gave up 4 older guys, so technically the team got younger, not older. If anything, I don't understand what the anti-Karlsson movement in social media is about. Sharks got the short end of the stick here.
 
bearfan said:
On the plus side for the Pens they moved out Rutta, Grandlund, and Petry and actually reduced their cap number. I agree Karlsson is a risk. But they helped clear out some overpriced contracts. I think they did pretty well overall
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Yeah, my brother was happy about that, he was happy about moving DeSmith as well.

KidInTheDark666 said:
Actually, Karlsson is only 33, and the Pens also got a couple of young guys in the trade. They gave up 4 older guys, so technically the team got younger, not older. If anything, I don't understand what the anti-Karlsson movement in social media is about. Sharks got the short end of the stick here.
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Fair point, but he´s still over 30, not good for any athlete. And I´m not anti-Karlsson, I'm just not pro Karlsson. I don´t see the hype. Before last year he played 82 games 3 times, once he played 81, aside from that never more than 77. on average 75ish. In his first 5 seasons there was one he played only 17 games. All of the Pens Core, Crosby, Malkin, Letang and now Karlsson is injury prone. I don´t think Malkin has EVER played 82 games. Crosby played 82 last year, as did Karlsson, for the first time in forever. People are quick to get optimistic, but I see exceptions, not the norm. The norm is Karlsson is good for 75 games and like 66 points. Crosby 77 games and 81 points. Malkin 71 games and 64 points. Letang had his migraines under control until last season in which not only were they an issue, he had more serious health concerns. ALL of these guys have MAJOR health issues. Peter Forberg´s career got cut short because of foot injuries, what makes Karlsson any different?
 
Karlsson also won 3 Norris Trophies and is the best offensive defensemen of this era. Karlsson's ankle is a question mark, of course, and it might go terribly, but if last season was any indication he still has quite a lot to give. The Sharks were atrocious last year, even with Karlsson putting up 101 points. The first time that's happened since Brian Leetch in the 90s. This year he gets to play with Sid, Geno, and Guetnzel instead of Couture and...whatever dregs the Sharks had.

The Sharks also clear out 9 million a year starting in 2 years, which is when a lot of their young players will get off their ELCs. The goal is to have the money to afford to pay guys deals like Jack Hughes - 8x8. Instead of having to extend them for short periods like Elias Petterson in Vancouver - they couldn't afford to give him 9.5x8, so they gave him 7 something x3 and now he's got the power to force a trade or they'll have to pony up 10+ million.
 
Yeah, I'm still skeptical. Let me put it this way. Which Wayne Gretzkey would you sign? The one who played in EDM, LA, NYR or St. Louis? Which Eric Lindros would you sign? The one who played in Philly or Dallas? Which Peter Forsberg would you sign?

He can be one of those or he can be another Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios or Niklas Lidstrom. We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath
 
What the fuck are you talking about? lol. In San Jose, Erik Karlsson played 293 games and scored 254 points. Even when he was hurt, he was still roughly an 8-9 million dollar player, which is exactly what Pittsburgh will be paying him. And then in his age 33 season he put up the biggest season from a defenseman since George H. W. Bush was in office. Age is undefeated but Karlsson's clearly got something left in the tank, just like Sid, Geno, and Letang.
 
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