NHL Season begins!

[Timminz]

GO LEAFS!!!

[ben79]

GO LEAFS!!!

represents very well the Leafs as they are and always will be, i pity them

[Timminz]

GO LEAFS!!!

represents very well the Leafs as they are and always will be, i pity them

What they need is another team in their market. The organization might give a f*ck about winning, if they had to actually compete for the money. As it stands now, every ticket to every game is sold, whether they're winning, or not.

Also, what do you call 30, millionaires watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs.

[AgentSmith88]

GO LEAFS!!!

represents very well the Leafs as they are and always will be, i pity them

What they need is another team in their market. The organization might give a f*ck about winning, if they had to actually compete for the money. As it stands now, every ticket to every game is sold, whether they're winning, or not.
Also, what do you call 30, millionaires watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sounds like the Detoit Lions for many years. Maybe if they suck hard enough (like by losing all their games) the fans will stop going the owners might decide they DO need to TRY and build a winning team. You would think having a top 5 draft pick every year would help....

[Timminz]

GO LEAFS!!!

represents very well the Leafs as they are and always will be, i pity them

What they need is another team in their market. The organization might give a f*ck about winning, if they had to actually compete for the money. As it stands now, every ticket to every game is sold, whether they're winning, or not.
Also, what do you call 30, millionaires watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sounds like the Detoit Lions for many years. Maybe if they suck hard enough (like by losing all their games) the fans will stop going the owners might decide they DO need to TRY and build a winning team. You would think having a top 5 draft pick every year would help....

They seem to be trying their best to to just that.

[oVo]

Penguins and Aves are off to great starts.
GO LEAFS! Ha Ha Ha!

[pimphawks70]

Hell of an avalanche game tonight... How about Craig Anderson?

[Optimus Prime]

Hell of an avalanche game tonight... How about Craig Anderson?

Wasn't even supposed to play in that game tonight, but Budaj had the flu so he got the start. Anderson is easily the free agent steal of the season, hands down at the moment.

[Optimus Prime]

Detroit has been off all year so far. I would not be surprised if the Avs win by 2 goals.

He can see the future!!! Eeep!

[Serbia]

The guy stopped 48 shots. Props man. Anytime you fire that many shots, and only get one goal, it's just not your night.

[pimphawks70]

Hell of an avalanche game tonight... How about Craig Anderson?

Wasn't even supposed to play in that game tonight, but Budaj had the flu so he got the start. Anderson is easily the free agent steal of the season, hands down at the moment.

Actually Budaj was supposed to play vs. the Hurricanes. I don't think we would schedule him vs. the Wings...

[Serbia]

Hell of an avalanche game tonight... How about Craig Anderson?

Wasn't even supposed to play in that game tonight, but Budaj had the flu so he got the start. Anderson is easily the free agent steal of the season, hands down at the moment.

Actually Budaj was supposed to play vs. the Hurricanes. I don't think we would schedule him vs. the Wings...

Actually, teams use their backup in games they're "supposed" to lose all the time. The logic is this - when you're playing weaker teams that you're expected to win against, you want to put in your best netminder, rather than risking losing points in the standings by playing your backup. When you're playing a stronger opponent, especially on the road, you put the backup in. This rests the starter, if you lose - well, you aren't surprised, odds were you were going to anyway, but if you DO come away with the win, then it's a double bonus, as your starter is rested and you got an unexpected victory.

Which is why when the Wings have played the Devils, it was not surprising if Broduer didn't play.

[pimphawks70]

Hell of an avalanche game tonight... How about Craig Anderson?

Wasn't even supposed to play in that game tonight, but Budaj had the flu so he got the start. Anderson is easily the free agent steal of the season, hands down at the moment.

Actually Budaj was supposed to play vs. the Hurricanes. I don't think we would schedule him vs. the Wings...

Actually, teams use their backup in games they're "supposed" to lose all the time. The logic is this - when you're playing weaker teams that you're expected to win against, you want to put in your best netminder, rather than risking losing points in the standings by playing your backup. When you're playing a stronger opponent, especially on the road, you put the backup in. This rests the starter, if you lose - well, you aren't surprised, odds were you were going to anyway, but if you DO come away with the win, then it's a double bonus, as your starter is rested and you got an unexpected victory.

Which is why when the Wings have played the Devils, it was not surprising if Broduer didn't play.

True, but a franchise like the Avalanche who struggle to fill seats in the post-lockout era(I think we had a game were there only 13,000 tickets sold out of a possible 18,000) is going to make sure when they play the Red Wings at home we're not going to give them our B-squad. Budaj was scheduled to start against The Hurricanes. http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_13622735 if you don't believe me

[Serbia]

I'm not arguing that Budaj was or was not scheduled to start against the Wings. I'm arguing that it is a common strategy used in hockey to play the backup against better opponents. And starting your backup against a good team will do NOTHING for ticket sales. If you're a casual hockey fan in Denver, there are a handful of games each year that you'd want to see, and games against the hated Red Wings are always going to be on top of the list. It doesn't matter if they play all minor leaguers in that game, they'll sell better for that game than a weekday game vs. Nashville. Besides, coaches may plan out who they want to start for a particular week, but not months in advance, and it's always subject to change, based on injury, or the whim of the coach.

[Optimus Prime]

Today I realized two things.

1. The Avalanche starting goalie is currently leading the league in wins. And has started more consecutive games to begin the season than any other goalie in franchise history (even Patrick Roy).

2. At 12 games in we have already earned 1/3 of the total points we had last season.

My response is to start thinking that this Avalanche team might be a little more legit than a lot of the critics are willing to admit to this point.

[colton24]

Today I realized two things.

1. The Avalanche starting goalie is currently leading the league in wins. And has started more consecutive games to begin the season than any other goalie in franchise history (even Patrick Roy).

2. At 12 games in we have already earned 1/3 of the total points we had last season.

My response is to start thinking that this Avalanche team might be a little more legit than a lot of the critics are willing to admit to this point.

Damnit, I loved Patrick Roy. Well I do say that the Avalanche team is great as always. Hey maybe I'll sign a contract with them after college.

[Serbia]

Today I realized two things.

1. The Avalanche starting goalie is currently leading the league in wins. And has started more consecutive games to begin the season than any other goalie in franchise history (even Patrick Roy).

2. At 12 games in we have already earned 1/3 of the total points we had last season.

My response is to start thinking that this Avalanche team might be a little more legit than a lot of the critics are willing to admit to this point.

Damnit, I loved Patrick Roy. Well I do say that the Avalanche team is great as always. Hey maybe I'll sign a contract with them after college.

Hope so, then I can hate you forever.

[Optimus Prime]

Red Wings lost another scorer last night. Sorry to hear that, Serbia. It's going to be a long season for you guys I think.

[Serbia]

Yeah, rough right now. This time it's Filpulla gone for 4 to 6 weeks with a broken wrist. And they're struggling against teams they should beat (Edmonton).

[pimphawks70]

Damnit, I loved Patrick Roy.

Roy retired six years ago... If you're twelve now you were six then... You really "loved him"?

[Serbia]

Aren't children cute?

[Optimus Prime]

Could the honeymoon period be over for the Avalanche? Their offensive output has gone into the tank over the last handful of games. They owe their survival entirely to Anderson in goal. Let's hope it's just a little hiccup from being on the road for so many games to start the season.

[MengdeNobunaga]

Heck, as a Kings fan I got a lot more than I bargained for when Smyth came in the mixture.
But my predictions are:

stanley cup winner?
I'd say the Pens to repeat, they're playing just as well as they did last season... I would say the Kings but we're pushing it a bit there

MVP - Ovechkin... business as usual for him

Eastern Conference Champs?
Again, the Pens... they've played just as well as last year and it carries on now.

West Conf. Champs?
Avalanche... call me crazy but they've had a shock start considering the setbacks from last season and Sakic's retirement, they look like they'll take the West by storm.

WHO GETS THE FIRST ROUND PICK?
Leafs... it's just that simple... then again they screwed that up for themselves when they traded their first round pick for Kessel.

[Optimus Prime]

I'm not sure I agree that the Colorado Avalanche are going to "take the West by storm." I'm a very big Avalanche fan, but that roster is brimming with inexperience at the moment and while they have started strong, I expect there to be a few bumps in the road along the way with an injury or two or just the effects of that lack of experience. Now, that isn't to say that I don't think they will make the playoffs. With the goaltending they have going for them with Craig Anderson between the pipes there will be few games that they cannot legitimately win during this season. Even Peter Budaj looked sharper than he has in a long time last night against Phoenix. I think not having the pressure of being the #1 goaltender makes him better. He will have a great career as one of the most elite backup goaltenders in the league in my opinion.

I would expect the Avalanche to finish somewhere between #3 and #6 in the playoff seeding this season. They have built enough confidence so far this season that I don't think we'll see an epic collapse (or at least I hope not), but the season will wear on some of these young players a little bit I think.

My thoughts are with San Jose or Vancouver as the #1 seed for the Western Conference this season, but I'll be exceptionally pleased if Colorado holds on down the stretch to be sure.

[pimphawks70]

Down the stretch? ... We're only 16 games into the season. That's roughly the equivalent to 3 weeks of football. I agree with most of your post, but "holding on" really isn't relevant when we're not even 20% of the way through the season.

Pimp