NHL 2022-23

[Natsinpwc]

It's got to be tough for a Philly / Washington fan to root positively for any of the eastern teams. While watching Toronto find new ways to get knocked out is almost as funny as watching Spinal Tap drummers find a way to be replaced (to put it kindly), I don't think there's any way a neutral shouldn't be rooting for the end of their hex. They are Original 6, which should count as a factor.

I suppose a case could neutrally be made for Boston - hockey city, end the Presidents' trophy curse, a few fun players to watch, but yes, Marchand and Frederic are guys you can only like when they play for your team.  Tampa is rooting for the dark side, and the Hurricanes are only likeable if they wear Whalers colors.

Boston has been over allocated championships the past sixty years.  Probably need fifty or so years with no sports titles for it to even out. LOL.

[1995hoo]

I kind of like watching the Canadian Stanley Cup drought continue. I love to visit Canada, but their hockey fans can be exceptionally obnoxious and possessive about the game and I enjoy seeing them stew.

I don't plan to pay a lot of attention to the playoffs since the Caps are out. Had the Coyotes qualified, and had they had a home game when I'm in Phoenix for business, I might have tried to go because I think it would be interesting to see an NHL game at their tiny arena, but they didn't qualify so it's moot.

[Five Banners]

I kind of like watching the Canadian Stanley Cup drought continue. I love to visit Canada, but their hockey fans can be exceptionally obnoxious and possessive about the game and I enjoy seeing them stew.

Was generally fine with Canadian hockey success until 2010, where they played the games in an arena that IIRC was not adjusted for international play, where they had to Canadian refs in the final rather than making sure to have a nonaffiliated crew, followed by the entitled attitude that seemed to pop up with some after getting that and then having the NHL finals return there, only to have the reported unpleasant aftermath after the Canucks lost to the Bruins.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Vancouver_Stanley_Cup_riot

(The whole us versus them thing that seem to permeate the Crosby versus Ovechkin portrayals from their side of things also factored in.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Eh, you guys riot over civil rights, we riot over losing in the Stanley Cup finals.  #priorities

Was generally fine with Canadian hockey success until 2010, where they played the games in an arena that IIRC was not adjusted for international play, where they had to Canadian refs in the final rather than making sure to have a nonaffiliated crew, followed by the entitled attitude that seemed to pop up with some after getting that and then have any NHL finals return there, only to have the reported unpleasant aftermath after the Canucks lost to the Bruins.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Vancouver_Stanley_Cup_riot

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I have to say that last night's game was the most fun I have had at Cap One all season...there must have been a couple thousand Islanders fans in there, it started to feel like it was going to be Jonestown 2.0.

[Natsinpwc]

Penguins or Islanders for the last spot. Talk about some bad choices.  I feel that if Pittsburgh does not make it the league will make sure they get Bedard.

[1995hoo]

Very simple tonight: The Islanders need one standings point to eliminate Pittsburgh because the Islanders hold the tiebreaker if they finish with the same number of points.

Penguins or Islanders for the last spot. Talk about some bad choices.  I feel that if Pittsburgh does not make it the league will make sure they get Bedard.

I have no doubt the league will manipulate things somehow. This time, at least, they couldn't plead non-interference: A couple of years ago, they changed the draft lottery rules so that a team's position cannot improve by more than 10 spots. So only the bottom 11 non-playoff teams can get the top pick (as of this morning, in order from worst to least worst, those 11 are CBJ, ANA, CHI, SJ, MTL, AZ, PHI, WAS, DET, VAN, and STL; the teams outside playoff position who wouldn't qualify for the lottery are, again in ascending order, OTT, BUF, PIT, NAS, and CGY).

[imref]

Oilers beat Avs in OT but Vegas wins as well

[Natsinpwc]

Oilers beat Avs in OT but Vegas wins as well

Looked at the West standings. Everyone in between 100 and 109 points. Except Winnipeg with 95. So looks like anyone could make the Finals. Don’t think home ice is much of an advantage anymore.

[Natsinpwc]

Very simple tonight: The Islanders need one standings point to eliminate Pittsburgh because the Islanders hold the tiebreaker if they finish with the same number of points.


I have no doubt the league will manipulate things somehow. This time, at least, they couldn't plead non-interference: A couple of years ago, they changed the draft lottery rules so that a team's position cannot improve by more than 10 spots. So only the bottom 11 non-playoff teams can get the top pick (as of this morning, in order from worst to least worst, those 11 are CBJ, ANA, CHI, SJ, MTL, AZ, PHI, WAS, DET, VAN, and STL; the teams outside playoff position who wouldn't qualify for the lottery are, again in ascending order, OTT, BUF, PIT, NAS, and CGY).

Thanks. Good to see Pittsburgh can miss the playoffs AND not have a chance at first pick. Islanders play Montreal so they should get one point.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Geaux Habs!

[1995hoo]

.... Islanders play Montreal so they should get one point.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh played Chicago last night and came away with zero, so who knows. The Islanders really need to get that point because Pittsburgh's last game is tomorrow night at Columbus (worst record in the league).

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Pittsburgh and DC sports

[1995hoo]

A few years ago, one of our ticket partners sent a video of his daughter, who is now 7 or 8 and so at the time was probably 3 or 4, standing in front of the TV when the Caps were on and repeatedly yelling, "No more Penguins! No more Penguins!" I found that video and played it last night in honor of the occasion.

[imref]

Pittsburgh and DC sports

uh..

[1995hoo]

Blackhawks announced Toews will not be re-signed.

[Natsinpwc]

Only Betman and the NHL could end the regular season on a Friday, skip the weekend and then start playoffs on a Monday.

[1995hoo]

Only Betman and the NHL could end the regular season on a Friday, skip the weekend and then start playoffs on a Monday.

The season was originally scheduled to end yesterday, but force majeure caused postponements: The huge Buffalo blizzard in December caused Buffalo at Columbus to be pushed to today (original date was December 27; the Sabres were unable to get out of Buffalo to play the game then) and a water main break at the arena in Nashville resulted in the Avs' game there being postponed to today (original date was November 25). The Sabres and Predators each had one other game postponed due to the same events, but those games were rescheduled to dates in January.

One thing that makes rescheduling games tricky is that the CBA prohibits teams from playing three nights in a row. That seriously limits the number of available dates.

[imref]

McDavid ends the season with 153 points on 64 goals and 88 assists. Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas, and Colorado are tops in the west. All four are coming in hot.

[Natsinpwc]

Thanks. They certainly could start series Sunday and even the East Saturday as the teams playing today are not in the playoffs. Just seems like they ceded the weekend to the NBA.

[1995hoo]

Thanks. They certainly could start series Sunday and even the East Saturday as the teams playing today are not in the playoffs. Just seems like they ceded the weekend to the NBA.

Definitely seems odd and I assume it probably had something to do with their TV networks' preferences.

[Natsinpwc]

Definitely seems odd and I assume it probably had something to do with their TV networks' preferences.

USFL starts this weekend!

[1995hoo]

I was thinking more in terms of TNT. Don't they air the NBA as well? They and ESPN are the NHL's two national carriers.

[Natsinpwc]

Did my bracket challenge. Picked Toronto over Edmonton in the Final. I mean if you go with a Canadien team why not 2?

Will never happen but would be fun.

[imref]

Did my bracket challenge. Picked Toronto over Edmonton in the Final. I mean if you go with a Canadien team why not 2?

Will never happen but would be fun.

toronto, in the finals??