NHL 2024/2025

Should have said I went to Gothenburg to watch the Oilers v Devils at the start of the month. My first Oilers game in 30 years and they didn't turn up. Made me think of all the day trippers going to OT these days. Mind you we did have the Newcastle game streaming so at least we had something to cheer.

Saying that McDavid is better than I thought, and faster than I expected. Television doesn't do his speed any good what so ever. It's like watch F1, they look quite normal going over 100+ mph on the TV, yet in the flesh they are gone in a flash. That is exactly like McDavid, once he puts on the afterburners I don't think anyone in the league will catch him.

As for the Oilers start, happy with how it's gone so far, 4 win, 3 straight losses and one in OT, after a punishing scheduled that included the trip to Europe and playing most of the favourites for the Stanley Cup this year. Bouchard has been great, but I suspect he's going down after 9 games to the juniors, but he's full of potential. Loved last nights results, us beating the Caps 4-1, whilst the Pens turned the Flames over 9-1. Hockey in Alberta was good last night for sure.
 
A solid win against the Blackhawks last night for the Oilers, more so with us playing Kostinen. A 40 shot shut out the most shots he's faced certainly in the NHL before last night. Slowly but surely the Oilers are starting to get everyone singing on the same hymn sheet and not having to rely on McDavid to weave his undoubted magic. If they can maintain this, they'll be on the cusp of the play off picture for sure. Hopefully no matter what we won't get what happened last year and just because of McDavid and Neon Leon, where the pundits will expect us to run for the cup. We are a way off that yet.
 
How good is Elias Petersson? Genuine question. 16 points from his first ten games. Peter Forsberg, for example, had five points. No comparison but..
 
Tribec said:
Should have said I went to Gothenburg to watch the Oilers v Devils at the start of the month. My first Oilers game in 30 years and they didn't turn up. Made me think of all the day trippers going to OT these days. Mind you we did have the Newcastle game streaming so at least we had something to cheer.

Saying that McDavid is better than I thought, and faster than I expected. Television doesn't do his speed any good what so ever. It's like watch F1, they look quite normal going over 100+ mph on the TV, yet in the flesh they are gone in a flash. That is exactly like McDavid, once he puts on the afterburners I don't think anyone in the league will catch him.

As for the Oilers start, happy with how it's gone so far, 4 win, 3 straight losses and one in OT, after a punishing scheduled that included the trip to Europe and playing most of the favourites for the Stanley Cup this year. Bouchard has been great, but I suspect he's going down after 9 games to the juniors, but he's full of potential. Loved last nights results, us beating the Caps 4-1, whilst the Pens turned the Flames over 9-1. Hockey in Alberta was good last night for sure.
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Strangely enough, like you I would bet that McDavid is the fastest but Drouin and Larkin had better times at the All Star skills competition.
 
A change of coach for the Oilers, which will be a relief for many Oilers fans. I wasn't calling for his head, but McClellen wasn't taking us beyond what we'd done previously and it was time to move on. I'm not sure that Hitchcock is the long term solution, but a new voice and new eyes will help them in the short term. Giving them some confidence and getting them winning will help. I don't think we are quite ready yet to challenge, but we aren't that far away from being a team to challenge.
 
Tribec said:
A change of coach for the Oilers, which will be a relief for many Oilers fans. I wasn't calling for his head, but McClellen wasn't taking us beyond what we'd done previously and it was time to move on. I'm not sure that Hitchcock is the long term solution, but a new voice and new eyes will help them in the short term. Giving them some confidence and getting them winning will help. I don't think we are quite ready yet to challenge, but we aren't that far away from being a team to challenge.
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I think he'll most likely be a one and done coach no matter what happens this season. Interesting situation in Edmonton.
 
Tribec said:
A change of coach for the Oilers, which will be a relief for many Oilers fans. I wasn't calling for his head, but McClellen wasn't taking us beyond what we'd done previously and it was time to move on. I'm not sure that Hitchcock is the long term solution, but a new voice and new eyes will help them in the short term. Giving them some confidence and getting them winning will help. I don't think we are quite ready yet to challenge, but we aren't that far away from being a team to challenge.
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Chicarelli needs to go, he's doing a terrible job as GM. To have the best player in the league and still be awful is quite the feat.
 
Jagga7 said:
Chicarelli needs to go, he's doing a terrible job as GM. To have the best player in the league and still be awful is quite the feat.
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The Oilers haven't had a decent GM really since Slats left, Lowe, Tambellini, MacTavish and now Chicarelli. You can't see any of them getting another GM job anywhere can you.. At least Chicarelli made a bit of an effort compared to the previous 2.

As for Hitch one season, he's only got a contract till the end of the year, but from what we've heard if he wants to stay on and the team does good another contract will be in place. I'm not sure though, and I can't see coach Q coming to town either.
 
Tribec said:
The Oilers haven't had a decent GM really since Slats left, Lowe, Tambellini, MacTavish and now Chicarelli. You can't see any of them getting another GM job anywhere can you.. At least Chicarelli made a bit of an effort compared to the previous 2.

As for Hitch one season, he's only got a contract till the end of the year, but from what we've heard if he wants to stay on and the team does good another contract will be in place. I'm not sure though, and I can't see coach Q coming to town either.
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It's going to be tough for any coach. Lucic was given a 6 mill a yr contract and has something like 2 goals in 60 odd games, I don't think any coach can sort that out.

The Hall trade looks even worse now, you could only imagine how devastating a Mcdavid - Hall line would be. Draisaitl was over-payed and to make matters worse Talbot has looked really bad.

I really think the front office has badly mismanaged the team.
 
Jagga7 said:
It's going to be tough for any coach. Lucic was given a 6 mill a yr contract and has something like 2 goals in 60 odd games, I don't think any coach can sort that out.

The Hall trade looks even worse now, you could only imagine how devastating a Mcdavid - Hall line would be. Draisaitl was over-payed and to make matters worse Talbot has looked really bad.

I really think the front office has badly mismanaged the team.
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I wouldn't disagree, Talbot got played to death in 16/17 when we got to the play-offs and hasn't looked the same since. He's in a contract year so it will be interesting to see how he goes with Hitch providing a new voice in the room, and him having (as it seems right now a bit of a challenger to the number 1 spot). As for Lucic, were we paying him $2 or $3m he'd be fine. Hitch made a reasonable comment after the game on Tuesday, saying that he's told him to forget about scoring and concentrating on playing the role with the newly formed 3rd line with Brodziak and Kharia. He seemed to play well with them together, no matter what though that $6m salary is always going to be a burden, as no one will take him off our hands for that, not even with us swalling even half of it.

The general feel around the Oilers fans is that it's been to much of the Old Boys involvement rather than someone who is willing to do what it takes to make it a winning club. Lots of rumours about how Hall had been a bad egg in the squad, but that wasn't an excuse to trade him like we did (not that I don't dislike Larsen) we could have got more for him, same with Eberle.
 
Tribec said:
At least Chicarelli made a bit of an effort compared to the previous 2.
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Given his effort involved trading Taylor Hall for spare parts, you'd have been better off if he didn't make the effort :lol:
 
Willie is back :drool:

Matthews
Marner
Tavares
Nylander
Kapanen

Electric 1st and 2nd lines. Very good 3rd line for match up purposes led by Kadri. Terrifying PP and a goaltender in the Vezna conversation.

Only things holding this team back are solid RHD and a stacked division - Lightning, Sabres and Bruins will get it together.

Leafs are on the come though.
 
JJ12 said:
Willie is back :drool:

Matthews
Marner
Tavares
Nylander
Kapanen

Electric 1st and 2nd lines. Very good 3rd line for match up purposes led by Kadri. Terrifying PP and a goaltender in the Vezna conversation.

Only things holding this team back are solid RHD and a stacked division - Lightning, Sabres and Bruins will get it together.

Leafs are on the come though.
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Matthews and Marner are so good. I think only Tampa could really beat them this year.

They're going to be fecked when they have to pay them all though!
 
The National Hockey League is expanding to Seattle. The NHL board of governors unanimously approved Seattle as the league’s 32nd franchise on Tuesday, with play set to begin in 2021 to allow enough time for arena renovations.

“Today is an exciting and historic day for our league as we expand to one of North America’s most innovative, beautiful and fastest-growing cities,” the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, said. “And we are thrilled that Seattle, a city with a proud hockey history that includes being the home for the first American team ever to win the Stanley Cup, is finally joining the NHL.”

The decision was widely expected after the Seattle Hockey Partners group impressed the board’s executive committee in October with a plan that had all the ingredients the NHL was looking for. Strong ownership led by billionaire David Bonderman and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a downtown arena in a sports-crazed city and a season-ticket drive that drummed up 10,000 orders in 12 minutes all cleared the way for the NHL to add another team less than three years after approving a franchise in Las Vegas.

The owners will pay a $650m expansion fee for the as-yet unnamed franchise, up from the $500m the Vegas Golden Knights paid to join the league. The NHL will also realign its two divisions in the West for the 2021-22 season: Seattle will play the Pacific, home to the team’s closest geographic rivals like Vancouver, Calgary and San Jose, and the Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central Division. The remarkable debut by Vegas in 2017, which included a run to the Stanley Cup final, gave the league more confidence about moving forward so quickly.

Seattle has become a city of transplants due to the booming local economy. A hockey franchise would provide those newcomers a team to rally around, much like what happened when the Sounders of Major League Soccer arrived in 2009 the last team added to the city’s sport landscape. The SuperSonics were the first, joining the NBA in 1967, followed by the arrival of the NFL’s Seahawks in 1976 and MLB’s Mariners in 1977 after construction of the Kingdome. The SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, and are now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While Seattle basks in the news, it’s not clear the NHL will be satisfied at 32 teams even with the new team providing balance between the Eastern and Western conferences and a natural, cross-border rival for the Vancouver Canucks. Deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly said recently that there’s no magic number, even though no major North American sports league has ever grown beyond 32 teams. He said simply that expansion is appropriate when it adds value to the league. Houston, Quebec City and Toronto have all been touted as possible new homes someday.
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...am-as-owners-agree-to-pay-650m-expansion-deal
 
Jagga7 said:
Matthews and Marner are so good. I think only Tampa could really beat them this year.

They're going to be fecked when they have to pay them all though!
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I think Gardiner is goners and Willie may need to be traded eventually. Just got to enjoy it this year!
 
WeePat said:
Done pal.

Added a threadmark too, to indindcate the crossover into the new season.
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Good man.

Gonna be interesting to see leafs with nylander in Boston tonight. Pastrnak always plays well against Toronto, if they can keep him quiet should be okay.
 
Dare I say Hitchcock has got the Oilers looking a bit like a hockey team.... They may be grinding out wins of late, but the way they defended against the Flames was way better than they've done for some time. They didn't give them any real chances and didn't need a super hot goalie to save the day for them. Get the D right, and the rest will follow.

This latest BOA wasn't quite the old school crash and bash hockey as the first one, but you sense that it could have been. I think this trend for the the linesmen to jump in before a fight takes off is having an effect. Had Lucic and Peluso fight gone further than it did I suspect we could have seen a bit more bumping and barging. However to shut them out was a pleasure and Koskinen is coming in and proving so many wrong so far. That's a 6-0-0 record at home for him with 3 shut outs, not bad for someone everyone was writing off, and calling a horror 1 year 2.5m one way contract. Talbot is has done well the last few games he's played, a few more games like that from him and we may have room to suggest he's clawing his game back.
 
Epic top of the table battle last night

Jets 5 - 4 Tampa in OT

#properhockey

If the Hart trophy was awarded right now Mark Scheifele had better be among the front runners.

Go Jets Go
 
Being a Flyers fan I'm quite used to disappointment, although I was angry back in October over the awful start yet again. I wasn't happy at first Hexy got canned, but quite fast I could see it had to happen. He deserves a lot of respect for the mess he inherited from Holmgren, but his record in free agency isn't that great. And he didn't address the issues we clearly had during the last few years. Now the season's basically over, I hope Chuck Fletcher manages to find new homes for Voracek (doubt it because of his contract) & Simmonds.

Thankfully a lot of contracts expires in the summer.
 
The kids are frankly impressive, the draft top 4 are all scoring points and improving a lot in their rookie year. I wonder how far they can go particularly Kotkaniemi and Tkachuk, lots of people had doubts but they are both excellent.
 
Leafs are pissing me off
 
Blackhawks inching closer to a WC spot :drool:
 
Much-needed win for the 'Hawks last night but looks like we're gonna fall just short of that last WC place. Our brutal run from early Nov midway through December is what will cost us in the end.

Tampa looks pretty unstoppable this season anyway, let's see if they can go the distance this year.
 
RobinLFC said:
Much-needed win for the 'Hawks last night but looks like we're gonna fall just short of that last WC place. Our brutal run from early Nov midway through December is what will cost us in the end.

Tampa looks pretty unstoppable this season anyway, let's see if they can go the distance this year.
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Tampa looks like the Caps did 9 years ago. We (the Caps) had all the speed and talent in the world but could not adapt to playoff hockey. Lets see if they can figure it out quicker than the Caps did.
 
MarylandMUFan said:
Tampa looks like the Caps did 9 years ago. We (the Caps) had all the speed and talent in the world but could not adapt to playoff hockey. Lets see if they can figure it out quicker than the Caps did.
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Well, you eventually did a decade later :lol: Stamkos deserves a ‘chip for me.
 
Playoffs at last!
Predictions for the first round (winner in caps).
West:
PREDATORS vs Stars
JETS vs Blues
FLAMES vs Avalanche
Sharks vs GOLDEN VOMIT

East:
LIGHTNING vs Blue Jackets
BRUINS vs Maple Leafs
CAPITALS vs Hurricanes
Islanders vs PENGUINS
 
Tempted to sign up to NHL tv for the playoffs to hopefully see the Flames have a good run this year

Hopefully
 
OnlyTwoDaSilvas said:
NHL TV is ace, but if you've not already got one, a VPN is essential, especially in the playoffs, or else you'll see pretty much zero games after the 1st round.
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Ah nice one that’s good to know, I hate blackouts. Even worse I’ve just seen it’s that premier sport that has the games, gross.

Does it have the option to replay games? Would rather watch the games the next day seeing as most of the flames games will start at 3am
 
Snowle Gunnar Solskjær said:
Ah nice one that’s good to know, I hate blackouts. Even worse I’ve just seen it’s that premier sport that has the games, gross.

Does it have the option to replay games? Would rather watch the games the next day seeing as most of the flames games will start at 3am
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Yeah the blackouts on NHL tv are annoying, as PS have rights to some games they sometimes don't end up showing, and they're still blacked out. NHL tv plus a VPN is incredible value for money though. Highly recommended. I get great quality feeds even with my dogshit countryside Internet speeds.

And yeah you can watch on demand whenever, full games or 10 minute condensed highlights. Though without a VPN, the blackout carries over for 24 hours, and 48 hours in the playoffs (or it might be the other way around).
 
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