Wow, I was stunned when I read the news that Craig Anderson was out of Denver and on his way to Ottawa, in exchange for Brian Elliot. Sure, Elliot is a good goalie, but to lose Andy, who was potentially a goalie of the future for us was a tough pill to swallow.

Well, he's a UFA after the season, so maybe we'll try to get him back - I saw good things for him in an Avs jersey.

Why couldn't they have traded Budaj? He was the lacklustre one of the two and Andy was merely let down by struggling defence.

Oh well, all the best, Craig.

At 2/18/11 03:35 AM, AbucusMan wrote: Seattle needs a NHL team. Go Metropolitans! First American team to win a Stanley Cup.

Seattle couldn't handle a basketball team and has issues with baseball attendance when they're not winning 116 games a year. Other than the Seahawks, Seattle's not the best place for sports.

Also, in reference to Craig Anderson getting traded...Budaj couldn't get traded because nobody wants him.

At 2/18/11 07:53 PM, Buddhist wrote:

At 2/18/11 03:35 AM, AbucusMan wrote: Seattle needs a NHL team. Go Metropolitans! First American team to win a Stanley Cup.

Seattle couldn't handle a basketball team and has issues with baseball attendance when they're not winning 116 games a year. Other than the Seahawks, Seattle's not the best place for sports.

Also, in reference to Craig Anderson getting traded...Budaj couldn't get traded because nobody wants him.

Neither is Florida but they have 2 NHL teams, 2 Football Teams, 2 Basketball teams and 1 Baseball team.

At 2/18/11 07:13 PM, Coop wrote: Sure, Elliot is a good goalie,

He is?

At 2/19/11 06:52 PM, MattTheParanoidKat wrote: Neither is Florida but they have 2 NHL teams, 2 Football Teams, 2 Basketball teams and 1 Baseball team.

3 football, 2 baseball, but yeah the NHL already has too many teams in fail markets, they don't need anymore.

Kaberle is gone, kind of glad its to Boston too, in a way. 2 years ago they got to laugh when Toronto acquired a skilled offensive player / PP specialist, who was a complete defensive liability. Well, now... ditto.

At 2/18/11 07:53 PM, Buddhist wrote: Also, in reference to Craig Anderson getting traded...Budaj couldn't get traded because nobody wants him.

Yeah, that's a good point, but we'll just have to suck it up and not sign him again when he's a free agent.

What, we already did that? Last season? Fuck.

At 2/19/11 06:52 PM, MattTheParanoidKat wrote:

At 2/18/11 07:53 PM, Buddhist wrote:

At 2/18/11 03:35 AM, AbucusMan wrote: Seattle needs a NHL team. Go Metropolitans! First American team to win a Stanley Cup.

Seattle couldn't handle a basketball team and has issues with baseball attendance when they're not winning 116 games a year. Other than the Seahawks, Seattle's not the best place for sports.

Neither is Florida but they have 2 NHL teams, 2 Football Teams, 2 Basketball teams and 1 Baseball team.

Yeah, but Florida is a state, compared to Seattle, which is a hole in the ground with train tracks running through it.

At 2/19/11 07:17 PM, EternitySpent wrote:

At 2/18/11 07:13 PM, Coop wrote: Sure, Elliot is a good goalie,

He is?

Yeah - when you've got Budaj as your other option, my dead grandmother is a good goalie.

At 2/19/11 06:52 PM, MattTheParanoidKat wrote: Neither is Florida but they have 2 NHL teams, 2 Football Teams, 2 Basketball teams and 1 Baseball team.

They have two baseball teams (TB Rays, Florida [soon to be Miami] Marlins).

It's really because people continue to think that if they place the right team in the right area, under the right conditions, old people will actually come out and pay for tickets, but they never will. It's one of the worst traps existant in sports. Only teams in Miami draw (excepting the Marlins because they play when it's hot & humid as hell in an outdoor stadium, which is incredibly stupid) and that's because the whole city of Miami is like one giant party as soon as it gets dark. You go to a Heat game, then go out clubbing until 4 AM or whatever. Outside of that, it's really dependent upon continued success of the franchise, and even then it's not a given (see Rays)...Lightning come the closest to that imo.

Happened with the Rays in Tampa, Marlins in Miami, Panthers, etc. The Magic and Heat draw good crowds now, and the Dolphins always have. Bucs do alright.

Just as Grabner starts to cool off, Matty Moulson picks up the slack with 5 goals in two games, backing two strong performances by Al Montoya. I've got a lot more hope for Montoya than I do for Nate Lawson, so I hope he gets an extended run and exhibits some of the talents that made him a former first-round pick by the Rags. If he does, our winning ways will continue.

Travis Hamonic is doing some work too, I'm liking that. And of course, Frans Nielsen, the most underrated Euro player in the league. I really hope he gets a Selke one day down the line. He's a true gentleman, class act, and a consistent player. He's also got a serious knack for shorthanded goals, as they make up almost all of his goals this year.

At 2/21/11 08:30 AM, Coop wrote: Yeah, but Florida is a state, compared to Seattle, which is a hole in the ground with train tracks running through it.

Living in the Northwest, I take offense to that lol. Hole in the ground... jeez! Sorry we can't have such a dense population as you do back in the Queen's country...

Fact of the matter is, hockey just isn't very popular in the NW. Neither Seattle or Portland are a big enough market to get a team. I'd settle for Vancouver, but I'm an Avs fan, so screw them.

At 2/19/11 07:17 PM, EternitySpent wrote:

At 2/18/11 07:13 PM, Coop wrote: Sure, Elliot is a good goalie,

He is?

Yeah - when you've got Budaj as your other option, my dead grandmother is a good goalie.

Put me in at this point... UGH

Jason Arnott was traded to the Caps. I don't know what more surprising, him leaving the Devils or the fact that he is still in the league.

At 2/21/11 09:46 PM, SpiffyMasta wrote:

At 2/21/11 08:30 AM, Coop wrote:

I'd settle for Vancouver, but I'm an Avs fan, so screw them.

You mad bro? Sorry that Vancouver is the only team in the Northwest division worth a shit and constantly buries every other team in it.

Stay classy :P

What about those Hartford Whalers? Sure, they moved to Carolina, but I know I can't be the only one still reppin' the area.

Can I?

At 2/21/11 09:46 PM, SpiffyMasta wrote:

At 2/21/11 08:30 AM, Coop wrote: Yeah, but Florida is a state, compared to Seattle, which is a hole in the ground with train tracks running through it.

Living in the Northwest, I take offense to that lol. Hole in the ground... jeez! Sorry we can't have such a dense population as you do back in the Queen's country...

You're in Oregon - not even the same State as Seattle, the "hole in the ground".

8 days and around 100 stitches later, Ryan O'Byrne returns to the ice this morning. Tough guy. Sure, he probably won't play tonight, but that was quite a nasty shot he took from Taylor Hall.

Not as serious as Richard Zednick, but still rather sickening. Hall could quite easily have done more damage, along the lines of Bryan Berrard, which no-one wants to see. I knew Zednicks was bad, but this video actually made me recoil in shock...

If you don't mind, I would like to join the fun.

Favorite Eastern Conference Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Favorite Western Conference Team: Detroit Red Wings

Personally, I would like to see a Detroit/Philly Stanley Cup, considering Philly is the best team in the East, recordwise, and the Red Wings are right up there in the West. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way, but a match between an Original six team and a team that is about as close to an OS team as it gets. {Plus I generally hate all pro Pittsburgh teams with a passion.}

I believe that Florida should have only 1 NHL team, mostly because Tampa Bay has supported their team a lot more than in Miami, which is a Dolphins and Heat town, and always will be. The problem with NHL teams in the south, is that it's rarely ice cold down there, and hockey has never really been very popular compared to the Northeast and Midwest.

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=5 55202

Way to go Iggy!

At 2/21/11 09:46 PM, SpiffyMasta wrote:

At 2/21/11 08:30 AM, Coop wrote: Yeah, but Florida is a state, compared to Seattle, which is a hole in the ground with train tracks running through it.

Living in the Northwest, I take offense to that lol. Hole in the ground... jeez! Sorry we can't have such a dense population as you do back in the Queen's country...

Fact of the matter is, hockey just isn't very popular in the NW. Neither Seattle or Portland are a big enough market to get a team. I'd settle for Vancouver, but I'm an Avs fan, so screw them.

I don't think it's a matter of size, really, considering Portland has an NBA team for nearly 40 years, and Seattle needs to find something to fill KeyArena after the Sonics left. Once upon a time, Seattle actually had a hockey team, but I would imagine they didn't last very long.

It was a tough week for Philly, especially when they got their asses handed to by the Rangers 6-0 at MSG, but I'm really not worried about any other team in the East outside of Tampa or maybe Washington.

Trevor Gillies will push your wife down a flight of stairs and then laugh afterwards.

BACDAFUCCUP

Of all of the players in Detroit, the only ones showing real effort lately are Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Darren Helm. To a lesser extent, Howard and Bertuzzi are working pretty hard, too. Zetterberg has been pretty embarrassing, and Franzen has basically stopped scoring after his 5-goal game.

No other players deserved goals tonight than Lidstrom and Datsyuk though. An awesome comeback. Poor Oilers, tough loss for you guys. Everyone thought it was going to be a shutout.

Datsyuk may have missed a lot of time, but he has got to be in the talk for the Selke still. His winner was a work of patience; the dangle was amazing. What a game; Lidstrom tied it in the last minute of the third, and Datsyuk won it in the last minute of OT. My cousins were at the game, and they were not disappointed in the slightest.

I wasn't able to catch the third period of the Wings-Leafs game on TV because I was out. Actually the game was on at the bowling alley (FUCK YEAH) so I saw the pregame and everything else up until the broken glass panel incident. I heard the rest of the game on the radio on my way home.

I love Original Six matches, and this one sounded good. Seriously, NHL, get your shit straight, I love these matches. We already play Chicago a lot, why can't we play Montreal more than once a year?

I wonder if Dallas is a contender this season.

*checks standings

Nope. See ya next year.

At 3/27/11 05:33 AM, reverend wrote: I wonder if Dallas is a contender this season.

*checks standings

Nope. See ya next year.

If Dallas wins tonight, they're in and Chicago is out.

With Detroit beating Chicago this afternoon, the ball is in the Stars court, and they have their own destiny in their hands. It was an impressive game with a playoff atmosphere that wasn't there on Friday.

You guys ready for the playoffs?

At 4/10/11 03:19 PM, Ronald-McDonald-LoL wrote: If Dallas wins tonight, they're in and Chicago is out.

And they choked.
Good for Chicago; it would have been bad if the Hawks didn't even make it to the playoff after winning the Cup last year.

I'm just happy my Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup for the first time in 50 years last year so i'm not lookin for another one this year thought it would be nice but going up against the President's Cup winning Vancouver Canucks in a 1 vs. 8 matchup though the Blackhawks have been known to give the Nucks problems in the playoffs in recent years so we'll see what happens,i still wish we had Niemi though i miss my awesome goaltender from last year. :(

At 4/12/11 10:18 AM, illuminate wrote: I'm just happy my Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup for the first time in 50 years last year so i'm not lookin for another one this year thought it would be nice but going up against the President's Cup winning Vancouver Canucks in a 1 vs. 8 matchup though the Blackhawks have been known to give the Nucks problems in the playoffs in recent years so we'll see what happens,i still wish we had Niemi though i miss my awesome goaltender from last year. :(

I believe that the key to the series is Patrick Kane. If he can get on a hot streak, then I could see the Blackhawks make this a series, if not possibly win it altogher {although that might be a stretch}, but this year's team is a stripped down version of last year's, and just doesn't have enough consistent goal scorers to get out of the first round.

Winnipeg is to get a team.

At 5/28/11 01:35 PM, hongkongexpress wrote: Winnipeg is to get a team.

And Phoenix is keeping theirs!
From what I've heard, it's going to be Atlanta that is moving. Sucks to be one of their fans, but I can imagine Phoenix fans are breathing a huge sigh of relief and that Winnipeg folks are excited.

I'm so dissapointed by this year's final...

The Bruins should have been beaten by the Montreal Canadiens on first round. I watched all the matches and they were lucky all the way through. They play cheap, their goaler is such an amateur, he gets lucky all the time. Even after beating the Canadiens, the Lightning should have kicken their butts. They have a way better goaler, and way better offensive players.

Vancouver is ok, I guess... but I would have liked to see the Red Wings or the Sharks make it to the final, not the Canucks. Why... you may ask. Well because they always fail during the series... they almost lost to the Black Hawks. Maybe the fact that they managed to pull this bad streak off makes it more acceptable to me to see them in the final. But not the Bruins.

So em... I have to go with the Canucks. They still have a better team, and they are much more deserving of the victory. They are a good team, let's just hope they don't fuck it up in the final. Cause seeing the Bruins win the cup would make me puke...

At 5/28/11 08:35 PM, HeavenDuff wrote: I'm so dissapointed by this year's final...

The Bruins should have been beaten by the Montreal Canadiens on first round. I watched all the matches and they were lucky all the way through. They play cheap, their goaler is such an amateur, he gets lucky all the time. Even after beating the Canadiens, the Lightning should have kicken their butts. They have a way better goaler, and way better offensive players.

Tim Thomas is a pretty good goalie, at least in the regular season. Otherwise, I agree with you 100%. Bruins got away with a lot of things this postseason, and they should've lost to Montreal in the first round.

Vancouver is ok, I guess... but I would have liked to see the Red Wings or the Sharks make it to the final, not the Canucks. Why... you may ask. Well because they always fail during the series... they almost lost to the Black Hawks. Maybe the fact that they managed to pull this bad streak off makes it more acceptable to me to see them in the final. But not the Bruins.

I picked Detroit to represent the West, and they fell to a San Jose team who bombed in the WCF against Vancouver {which I somewhat expected.} When the Canucks are on their game, they're almost impossible to stop, but they do tend to take games off from time to time this postseason, particuarly against Chicago.

So em... I have to go with the Canucks. They still have a better team, and they are much more deserving of the victory. They are a good team, let's just hope they don't fuck it up in the final. Cause seeing the Bruins win the cup would make me puke...

Barring any major injuries or any freak of nature incindents, the Canucks should run away with this series, considering the talent gap between them and Boston is huge. Personally, I also don't want to see Boston win either because Boston sport fans are arrogant douchebags and I don't want to hear about how elite their teams are.

At 5/31/11 12:15 PM, orangebomb wrote: Barring any major injuries or any freak of nature incindents, the Canucks should run away with this series, considering the talent gap between them and Boston is huge. Personally, I also don't want to see Boston win either because Boston sport fans are arrogant douchebags and I don't want to hear about how elite their teams are.

The Canucks should win, because their team is better, and because the Bruins fans are shit... Not just the fans in fact. Boston players play it dirty all the time. Lucic is easily one of the worst players in the league when it comes to sportmanship, and Chara is not far behind.

The Bruins got so lucky throughout the series, I really don't want to see them run away with the cup, cause there is at least 10 times they got very lucky. Not that luck isn't part of the game. But when it comes to skills and talent, the Canucks are much better.

At 5/28/11 01:35 PM, hongkongexpress wrote: Winnipeg is to get a team.

I'm jealous. I want the Nordiques back damn it. Why does Winnipeg get the Jets back first?

At 5/31/11 04:34 PM, SpiffyMasta wrote:

At 5/28/11 01:35 PM, hongkongexpress wrote: Winnipeg is to get a team.

I'm jealous. I want the Nordiques back damn it. Why does Winnipeg get the Jets back first?

We're keeping our Avs, because French Canadia doesn't deserve any more Hockey teams.

Anyway, the draft gets underway in about 4.5 hours and the Oilers will probably select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first. That will give them two of the longest names in the business for the back of their shirts, pricing the Edmonton fans out of the market for a few more seasons.

Predicted order:

EDM - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
COL - Gabriel Landeskog (Though don't be surprised if Adam Larsson ends up here)
FLA - Adam Larsson
NJD - Jonathan Huberdeau

Your thoughts?

Atlanta Thrashers will be called the Winnipeg Jets. Link

I could not see them being called anything else to be honest.