Official NHL 2005-2006 Season Thread

[sandman]

interesting stuff. thanks for describing your experience. and cool site. that's amazing you have all those autographs. how long have  you been doing this?

[Mal Brossard]

I started doing it not long after I came up to Boston-- first day out was MLK day of 2003.  So one and a half full seasons of hockey, and occasionally some baseball games too over the last two years, plus the occasional celebrity here and there.

[sandman]

I started doing it not long after I came up to Boston-- first day out was MLK day of 2003.? So one and a half full seasons of hockey, and occasionally some baseball games too over the last two years, plus the occasional celebrity here and there.

wow, you've made alot of progress in just two and a half years!

big flyers game tonight.....at montreal. they have been playing real well. lots of good skaters, good goaltending. i believe they are 6-2, and these new rules are benefitting them big time. could be a dangerous team come playoff time. if there's not too many penalties tonight, it should be an exciting game.

[Neemo]

Wow, I didn't realize Crosby was like that, what a jerk If i managed to get my kid to go to a hockey game and we were snubbed like that I'd be pissed too.

Ahh well, he perogative i guess.

My Wings are doing awesome BTW I'm actually surprised

[sandman]

habs defeated the flyers 3-2 in OT. good game, but way too many penalties. forsberg doesn't kill penalties, and the flyers got called for 5 penalties in the 3rd period (no penalties on the habs in the 3rd). so forsberg sat on the bench for most of the 3rd.

kudos to hitchcock for not blaming the refs though. he said the flyers took penalties caue they were out of position and not skating hard. hopefully the players adapt soon. i agree that obstruction should be called. if the player adapt it's gonna be a great sport again.

anyway, look out for the habs. the new rules were made for them. they are a fast, fast team. koivu and kovalev are so explosive. some of the shots they got off last night were scary. esche kept the flyers in the game.

that northeast division is scary. all 5 teams look like playoff teams.

[Neemo]

habs defeated the flyers 3-2 in OT. good game, but way too many penalties. forsberg doesn't kill penalties, and the flyers got called for 5 penalties in the 3rd period (no penalties on the habs in the 3rd). so forsberg sat on the bench for most of the 3rd.

Yeah that sucked. I have a bunch of Philly guys in my pool this week

[Laura]

i cant believe the HABS are 7 and 2! I never would have thought they'd eb doing this well especially cause i think Theo is completely over rated and doesnt react as quickly as he should, he often lets in stupid goals!

[Mal Brossard]

but way too many penalties.

Welcome to the New NHL.  Scoring is up.  Power plays are up.  Fighting is down 47%.

It seems to me the mid to late 1980's had the best hockey we have ever seen.  Gretzky and Lemieux putting up 200-point seasons.  Brett Hull potting 70 goals in 3 different seasons.  And you had an average of 3 fights every two games.  Of the 21 teams, almost all were playing to large crowds night after night.

After a dead period, scoring is back up.  But the game has lost its flow thanks to the trap and the constant calls for so much as waving a stick in the general direction of someone.  And look at what isn't being called-- I've seen several major slashes and goaltender interferences go by the wayside, but a "hook" is called for putting your stick near someone, a "hold" for brushing someone with your glove, and a "slash" for someone breaking their stick on a shot while your stick is nowhere near him (I kid you not, Hal Gill got whistled for this vs. Montreal on opening night).

The NHL is forgetting what made it a great game in the 1980's.  It was high scoring, it was rough yet clean, and the game flowed.  I watched the first week of the season, and it's gotten to the point now where I can't sit through an entire game.  And I'm beginning to wonder after talking to many other fans, how many of them feel the same way I do?  And how many are afraid to say anything, thinking they'd rather have a lesser product now than have another year of lockout?

[Neemo]

I'm with you duffman!!!

I think they should've rolled back the rulebook to 1986 or something. Bring back fighting, Call the interference.

In my mind the game is alot like it was back then, It just that players are soo used to grabing a guy skating by that it's natural for them to do now. Once players areused to it again there will be less penalties. In fact they have already started to decline. With fighting back you would see even less stuff. And shit like the bertuzzi thing would've never happened. And that Kicking incident from Havlat. someone would've beat the shit out of him. but people are too scared to instigate now.

I've found it funny that a small, fast guy like St.Louis hasn't racked up the points early on this season, maybe his real talent was being slippery. Of course he got 2 points last night so, i dunno.

Anyway Hockey is fantastic right now. I hope they keep calling the interference (nothing pissed me off more than seeing defensemen just fall on someone or grab them and hold on, and picks were everywhere, none of that shit existed back in the gretzky/lemieux/yzerman/lafontaine heyday). The scoring to me is where it should be, 3.60 ish was considered good GAA in the 80's. And less talented teams have no chance now (cough cough New Jersey Devils). And comeback games rule!!!! Anything can happen till the dying seconds. Look at the Nashville/Columbus game last night. Wicked. Shoot-outs are fun too. No more ties!!!!! and teams having 20 a year. the only thing I'm not clear on is why is there no stats column for shoot out goals/attempts and save percentages.

[sandman]

one thing that stood out in your post.....21 teams. expansion has hurt the game greatly.

also, the trap ruined the game. they have to call interference. i think it will make the game better. i agree, they are calling too much right now, but if the players adapt, it's gonna be a great game.

i am a little worried that all this will result in a less physical game. there's a balance in there somewhere and hopefully they find it sometime soon.

[Mal Brossard]

If I had my way, the NHL would be 20 teams, composed 75% of North American players, with a 4-tiered minor league system that has an average of at least 5 Canadian teams at each level.  At the end of the season, the two cities with the worst attendance at each level would move down a level, while in the minor leagues, the two best attendances would move up a level.  This way, the teams in cities where people who ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE HOCKEY (Hartford, Quebec, and Winnipeg over Carolina, Nashville, and Florida) will see the higher levels.  More money will be made, and different cities could have the chance of getting upper-level teams for at least a while without having to expand the league and dilute the talent pool.

[Skeba]

Amazing comeback by the pens from a 0-4 defecit 9:50 into the first... 7-5 and the first win is here. Lemieux 2+3.. Now if only they'd start playing before giving 1-4 goals to the opposing team.. That would be nice. But as long as they can turn them around like tonight... I don't care.

[Mal Brossard]

I'd like to send my thanks out to Brian McGrattan of the Ottawa Senators for doing what every hockey autograph collector wishes they could do...

KICK TIE DOMI'S FRIGGIN ASS!!!!!

Oh man, he looked like he got hit by a fucking shovel!

Mr. McGrattan, I can find you 20 people in Boston who would buy you a drink for that.

[sandman]

flyers dominated their game with ottawa last night. real nice win against the team i think is the best in the league.

[Mal Brossard]

Holy hell, did anyone see Ottawa vs. Buffalo the other night?  10-4 and three fights.  Just lower the scoring a tad, and we're back to some 80's style hockey!  Now if only we could get the rest of the league to do it too...

Also wanted to give another update on Crosby and autographs-- He IS signing now.  However, I still haven't been able to get him, as every time he's gotten close to signing for me, he's said "I gotta go guys," and walks off.  I still hope he's another Daigle.  And in related news, I hate autograph dealers.

[Skeba]

So he just hates you... Don't take it personally... =)

[Rob]

I've totally changed my mind regarding shootouts.  After watching that Rangers/Devils game Saturday, I friggin' love shootouts.  That was some of the most exciting stuff I've seen in a while.  A couple years ago that game would have ended in a tie.  It still would've been exciting since the Rangers came back from a 2 goal deficit ot tie it.  But them winning in the shootout was awesome.  With each shot I was flipping out.  Great stuff.

[PhillyRiot]

I don't like the fact that they have taken physical hockey out of the game.  There are less body checks and fighting now.  I used to love the tough guys but they are getting phased out.  I have lost some interest because of this.

[Neemo]

I don't like the fact that they have taken physical hockey out of the game.? There are less body checks and fighting now.? I used to love the tough guys but they are getting phased out.? I have lost some interest because of this.

WHat about Mike Richards? He got in a good tilt there last night or the night before He god his ass kicked but it was and awesome scrap!!!

I can't agree that contact is down, Fighting is but not checking really (Unless you enjoyed the 1-0 games where half the game was in the neutral zone )

Personally i think Hockey is really exciting this year, you can be 2-3 goals down and still be in the game. And talented players are getting a chance to shine.

[Kujo]

I got to witness my first shootout last wednesday between the Rangers and the Panthers. It definitely adds a lot of excitement to the end of the night. Of course it never shouldnt have gone to OT.

Panthers up 3-2 with less than a minute, Rangers have an empty net and the puck in Floridas zone. The Panthers force an offside and get the face off out of the zone, forcing the Rangers to put their goalie back in the net. Panthers win the face off and for some unknown reason Jay Bouwmeester promptly ices the puck. Face off in the Panthers end, plus the Rangers get to pull their goalie again with 20 seconds left. Sure enough the Rangers score on a shot from behind the net that seemed to deflect off of every Panthers player with 3 seconds left.