2015-16 NHL Season

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins are on the rebound and are playing exciting hockey now. They canned their beta dud of a head coach and replaced him with Mike Sullivan, who has lit a charge under their butts. A couple trades have made them noticeably faster, and an infusion of minor leaguers who play all out has amazingly turned them into a team with a strong work ethic, a most welcome change. And Sidney Crosby is red hot. Don't know if it will translate into a playoff run, but there's no question they're improving now after a couple of seasons of decline.

 

[Flint]

The Red Wings got a good one in rookie Dylan Larkin. A really great story. From the Detroit suburbs, played at Michigan. Has a chance to be one of the best US players ever.

 

[Average American]

The Red Wings got a good one in rookie Dylan Larkin..

I think it's a promising time for the NHL right now.. a good crop of young guys in the league. I'm watching Eichel, who is working hard & playing well (in a bad situation in Buffalo). He's a teenager, playing like a veteran. The league has a lot invested in the ceilings of Eichel & McDavid, could be bright futures for their careers & marketing of the game.

And even tho the Winter Classic ratings fluctuate, I think it's giving the NHL a needed regular season tradition.. which also helps their marketing.

 

[Average American]

For interested parties, this Sunday afternoon, 2/21, NBC will be broadcasting an outdoor NHL game from Minnesota (Blackhawks v. Wild).
I'm appreciating how much use the Golden Gopher stadium is getting right now. I really liked seeing the Vikes outdoors,.. but I also don't have to sit out there in a frigid Minnesota winter with a purple 'V' painted on my naked chest.. So I get why they're rebuilding an indoor venue.

 

[Don Wassall]

Just noticed that all seven Canadian teams are under .500 and well out of playoff contention. I wonder if there's ever been a playoff season without at least one Canadian team involved. Montreal and Toronto rank one-two all-time in Stanley Cups won so it may not have happened even in the long-lasting Original Six era when four of the six teams made the playoffs each year.

 

[Rebajlo]

Just noticed that all seven Canadian teams are under .500 and well out of playoff contention. I wonder if there's ever been a playoff season without at least one Canadian team involved. Montreal and Toronto rank one-two all-time in Stanley Cups won so it may not have happened even in the long-lasting Original Six era when four of the six teams made the playoffs each year.

Don-

The 1969-1970 season was the sole occasion on which no Canadian team qualified for the playoffs.

This occurred only two seasons after the initial NHL expansion that doubled the size of the league to twelve teams, split between an East Division (featuring the Original Six) and a West Division (comprising the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, and Oakland Seals).

To put it into perspective, that was the season in which Bobby Orr scored his iconic "flying goal" that won the Cup for the Bruins in game four overtime against St. Louis...

 

[Average American]

Canadian teams are under .500 and well out of playoff contention.. Montreal and Toronto rank one-two all-time in Stanley Cups won..

I was reading about this in another forum.. Think a big component is the relative decline of the Canadiens. A franchise that piled up Cups decade after decade, has largely disappeared as a Cup contender for the past generation.
If you're a 25 year old Montreal fan, who started watching hockey at the age of 4 or 5, you're aware of your team's legendary greatness, but have never seen or experienced it first-hand. Guess it's similar to being a 25 year old Cowboys fan..

 

[Flint]

Per league policy Montreal had first dibs on all players in Quebec for a long time, that enabled them to be a powerhouse as there were lots of good French players to pick from. Even after their monopoly ended they still had the best scouting network for Quebec. But a combination of things changed that, first losing the rights to the best Quebec players and then the foreign influence and what seems to be a diminished pool of good French players, probably due to some of the same stuff that has happened to american whites.

Toronto hasn't been any good for about 50 years. It's almost hard to fathom how the most hockey crazy city in the world cannot ever put together a decent team. This year they went out and stole the Red Wings coach and even that didn't help. They have the best kids in the world right in their backyard and they still can't put together a playoff team.

 

[Matra2]

I was reading about this in another forum.. Think a big component is the relative decline of the Canadiens. A franchise that piled up Cups decade after decade, has largely disappeared as a Cup contender for the past generation.
If you're a 25 year old Montreal fan, who started watching hockey at the age of 4 or 5, you're aware of your team's legendary greatness, but have never seen or experienced it first-hand. Guess it's similar to being a 25 year old Cowboys fan..

The Canadiens have had some playoff runs in recent years without ever looking like winning it all. Their collapse this year is entirely down to Carey Price's injury. This highlights the importance of goaltending in present-day hockey. In fact I've changed my opinion on the quarterback being the single most important position in team sports. I can't think of a single more determining factor in a team's success in any sport than the goaltender position in hockey. It wasn't always this way. This is a change for the worse.

 

[Matra2]

Toronto hasn't been any good for about 50 years. It's almost hard to fathom how the most hockey crazy city in the world cannot ever put together a decent team. This year they went out and stole the Red Wings coach and even that didn't help. They have the best kids in the world right in their backyard and they still can't put together a playoff team.

The Leafs are rebuilding under Babcock. It's going to take quite a few years and the fans understand that.

Toronto is not that much of a hockey crazed city. It's a Leaf town, not a hockey town. Don't get me wrong it is the biggest single sport but there's far more passion for it in other places. Apparently there are far fewer kids in the Toronto area playing the sport. A big part of that is the cost of playing - all the equipment, getting ice time, etc, - but diversity is also hurting it. A lot of "New Canadians" prefer basketball and soccer.

If no Canadian team makes the playoffs the rights holder, telecommunications giant Rogers, is going to take a hit. A couple of years ago they got the rights for 12 years for over $5 billion, an astonishing fee when you consider that Canada has only 35 million or so people. I don't want people to lose their jobs but when I listen to their sports talk radio online it I hear plenty of liberal left propaganda. They fired a reporter a few years ago for tweeting his opposition to gay marriage. Knowing that the corporation will lose money due to cratering ratings has me hoping no Canadian team qualifies for the playoffs.

 

[Matra2]

This is long overdue. Goaltender equipment to be downsized next season:

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-goalie-equipment-changes-smaller/c-279642612

 

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins have really turned things around and are the hottest team in the league along with St. Louis heading into the playoffs. They were dreadfully dull under out-of-his-element Mike Johnston; firing him and hiring Mike Sullivan has resulted in the team being infused with some young talent, and the entire squad's compete level is the best it's been since they won the Cup in '09. They play a speed based game now that many opponents can't keep up with.

The Pens have been a perennial playoff disappointment since that '09 triumph, so I won't get my hopes up too much, but they're a lot of fun to watch again.

 

[Average American]

The Penguins..

Watched the Caps-Penguins game last night. Pittsburgh had a backup in net I had never seen (Matt Murray). I checked out his record this season, as of April 8, he's at 9-2. Not bad. Someone to watch..

 

[Flint]

The Red Wings needing a win to make the playoffs for the 25th straight year were unable to get it done against the Rangers losing 3-2, however it turned out the Bruins were even worse chokers losing at home 6-1 to Ottawa. So for the 25th year in a row the Wings are in the playoffs. For the Bruins I think it was the 2nd year in a row they missed the playoffs with a last game loss.

 

[Don Wassall]

I'm hoping the Flyers and Caps knock each other silly in the first round while the Penguins maintain their recent run of very good play. Washington is the clear favorite in the East but their playoff history is spelled with a five-letter word that begins with "c" and ends with "e" plus they haven't looked nearly as dominating down the stretch.

 

[Freethinker]

I think the big story going into the playoffs is there will be no Canadian teams at all. Montreal, who have been a very good team in recent years, had a downright awful year. The proud franchise of Toronto finished dead last in the NHL. In the Western Conference, all 4 Canadian teams finished at the bottom.

Really hard times for the hockey capital of the world.

 

[Matra2]

Game 1 NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh. Henrik Lunqvist, the Rangers' goaltender, injured in the first period. According to NBC he told them he will be listed as "day to day". It should go without saying but I'll say it anyways the Rangers need Lunqvist more than the Penguins need Marc-Andre Fleury (also injured).

 

[Jack Lambert]

The Penguins demolished the Rangers 6-3 today and advance to the 2nd round!! Their red hot finish to the year has extended to the playoffs. I've been following the scores and what not fairly close, but due to me being very busy, I haven't been able to watch very much of them until the last couple regular season games and the playoffs. Needless to say they've very much impressed me. Getting Maata and Malkin back was big for the Penguins, as besides a shaky couple of games for Maata as he gets back into game shape, they've played well, with Malkin scoring two goals in Pittsburgh's 5-0 route in game 4. I've been most impressed with the team speed, and the youngsters like Conor Sheary, who's played his way onto the first team line with Hornqvist and Crosby. Sheary, Bryan Rust, Tom Kuhnhackl, and especially goaltender Matt Murray, have all played great in this series. On to Round 2... Let's go Penguins!!

 

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins have been a blast to watch the past few months. The Rangers knocked them out of the playoffs the past two years, so it's sweet revenge (though last year's team wasn't going anywhere). Amazingly, the Penguins' last 17 playoff games have all been against the Rangers so I'm looking forward to the next round and a different opponent. It will likely be Washington, the best team in the regular season, but Pitt rolled into the playoffs as the hottest team so it should be quite a matchup, assuming the Flyers don't pull off a miracle and come back from 0-3 down to beat the Capitals.

 

[Rebajlo]

Don -

Chris Kunitz has managed to maintain his "sparkling" regular season form. No points in five games. The Penguins continue to get their annual $3.85 million worth...

I was hoping that the Blues would finally eliminate Chicago but Game 7 now beckons...

 

[Don Wassall]

Don -

Chris Kunitz has managed to maintain his "sparkling" regular season form. No points in five games. The Penguins continue to get their annual $3.85 million worth...

I was hoping that the Blues would finally eliminate Chicago but Game 7 now beckons...

Yes, Kunitz was one of several aging vets given long-term contracts by former GM Ray Shero, so the Penguins are stuck with him as the weak link on their otherwise potent offense.

Chi-St. Louis Game 7 should be a classic.

 

[celticdb15]

Awesome game last night between Chicago and St. Louis . Really thought the Blues had it in the bag in the 1st period. But that's why you play the game til the end! Blackhawks showed heart, grit , and talent down 3-1. The comeback was unreal Outscoring the Blues 5-0 the rest of the game.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Blackhawks-Blues Game 7 was as good as it gets, with St. Louis knocking off the defending champs in a very close game that went down to the final seconds. Chicago had won 3 Stanley Cups in the past 6 years, the equivalent of the Patriots in the NFL back in the first half of the '00s. The Blues are "rewarded" by having to deal with a very good Dallas team in the next round.

The Stanley Cup playoffs is the best event in sports, an incredibly grueling two month survival of the fittest. I don't understand how any White sports fan can't follow hockey, but then again White people all over the world wonder why Americans can't get interested in soccer.

 

[Average American]

Blackhawks-Blues Game 7 was as good as it gets.. don't understand how any sports fan can't follow hockey..

Epic series, every game was tight.. I thought going into the playoffs, these were the 2 heavyweights. It's a shame either team had to be eliminated so early. I know Pittsburgh got hot late in the season, & Caps put up the best regular season record, but I still feel like the East has become the 8os AFC. West has won 7 of the last 9 Cups, and wouldn't be surprised if St Louis wins it this year.

I'm also disappointed hockey isn't more popular in America. NHL has expanded significantly (& admirably) over the last generation into Sun Belt & southwest markets.. Puck movement translates better to tv now with big HD screens. It's come a ways from the days of small, fuzzy CRT screens. I think it's a more appealing view to lure casual fans now.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins knock off the President's Cup winning Capitals in six hard-fought games and now face Tampa in the Eastern Conference final. Let's go Pens!!!

The West has two game 7s -- St. Louis-Dallas should be as exciting as the St.-Louis-Chicago Game 7 was in the previous round. San Jose-Nashville also face a decisive game.