The Official NHL 2006-2007 Season Thread

[Neemo]

Just jumping in for the hell of it, Detroit in 6 and Ottawa in 7.

And Bettman creams his pants as the NHL prepares to award a Cup to a fucking Euro captain for the first time in history.

  i was wondering cuz of this post...what if buffalo wins the cup? what captain accepts the trophey? or do Briere and Drury slug it out?

[Malcolm]

The New York Islanders announced Tuesday that the club has signed goaltender Wade Dubielewicz to a one-year, one-way NHL contract for 2007-08.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenceman Ian White to a three-year contract extension on Tuesday.

[Loaded NightraiN]

The New York Islanders announced Tuesday that the club has signed goaltender Wade Dubielewicz to a one-year, one-way NHL contract for 2007-08.

worried about that 15 yr guy??? 

[tim_m]

I'm gonna say Anaheim in 6 and Ottawa in 7. Their weak link is Emery but i think their defense can slow their offense down. The rangers did it a little so i see no reason a much better defensive ottawa can't. I think anaheim will take the cup in 6.

[Neemo]

Detroit in 6
Ottawa in 7

Ottawa in 6 (as much of a wings fan i am, I think this actually may be the Sens year)

[Malcolm]

Leafs' Ponikarovsky signs extention
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs rewarded Alexei Ponikarovsky for a career season Thursday, signing the forward to a $6.315 million, three-year contract extension.
The 27-year-old native of Kyiv, Ukraine tied a career-high in goals (21) and established new personal bests in assists (24) and points (45) in 71 games this season.
The six-foot-four 220-pound left-winger added 63 penalty minutes and finished third on the team with a plus-minus rating of plus-8. He'll make $1.575 million next season, $2.24 million in 2008-09 and $2.5 million in 2009-10. Ponikarovsky has 120 career points (54-66) in 268 games with Toronto. The Leafs selected him in the fourth round (87th overall) of the 1998 draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers have locked up winger Scottie Upshall for the next two seasons.The 23-year old will be paid $1.2 million in 2007-08 and $1.25 million in 2008-09.
Upshall was acquired along with Ryan Parent and a pair of draft picks from the Nashville Predators in February for Peter Forsberg. Upshall recorded six goals and seven assists in 18 games with the Flyers last season.

[Loaded NightraiN]

well buffalo played the same old game, like they did against the 2 NY team... But ottowa made them pay 

they'd better straighten up....

[stolat]

Fast! 

[tim_m]

well buffalo played the same old game, like they did against the 2 NY team... But ottowa made them pay 

they'd better straighten up....

They aren't going to get away with that against ottawa like they barely did against us.

[tim_m]

My god this Buffalo team has a knack for tying games with under 10 seconds left!

[Mal Brossard]

I once said the day a Euro captain lifts the Cup is the day I stop watching the NHL.

Game's over for me.

[Malcolm]

wow....I cant friggen belive the Ottawa/Buffalo series...Jeez...Ottawa has never swept a series in franchise history...Come on Buffalo dont let it happen

[tim_m]

I think the series is over in 4. Buffalo looks like the walking dead. They barely got away with it against the Rangers not happening with Ottawa.

[Loaded NightraiN]

I think the series is over in 4. Buffalo looks like the walking dead. They barely got away with it against the Rangers not happening with Ottawa.

You're right... But you keep saying barley like it was closer than it was with the rangers... Its not like we beat them in double OT in game 7 


This buffalo team really choked though... Last nights game was the most painful game i've ever watched... Helluva time to get shutout for the first time all season...

[Communist China]

If Buffalo wins game 4, I'm confident they'll win game 5. That being said, they've looked pretty bad this series. Although they played good enough to steal either game 2 or game 3. 0-for-18 on the powerplay means you're going to lose the series. I'm not reading to concede defeat but I'm not expecting too much.

Even if they get swept, it was a great year to be a Sabres fan.

[tim_m]

I think the series is over in 4. Buffalo looks like the walking dead. They barely got away with it against the Rangers not happening with Ottawa.

You're right... But you keep saying barley like it was closer than it was with the rangers... Its not like we beat them in double OT in game 7 


This buffalo team really choked though... Last nights game was the most painful game i've ever watched... Helluva time to get shutout for the first time all season...

It was though! We hold on to games two and 5 and we win 4-1. there were 5 one goal games. You can't get any closer then that.

They really have though. Last nights game was awful they were just running around looking like they didn't have a clue.

[Loaded NightraiN]

[It was though! We hold on to games two and 5 and we win 4-1. there were 5 one goal games. You can't get any closer then that.

In that case you can say they barley avoided a game 7....

[tim_m]

[It was though! We hold on to games two and 5 and we win 4-1. there were 5 one goal games. You can't get any closer then that.

In that case you can say they barley avoided a game 7....

Either way it was a great series and i honestly hope for a rematch next year thats just as good.

[Neemo]

wow detroit killed anaheim at home...whats that all about?

[Mal Brossard]

Detroit vs. Ottawa.  Fucking unbelievable.

Goodbye NHL, you've lost this fan.

It's a shame. Really.

I honestly feel like someone has taken a friend away from me. I've admittedly become bitter and angry at those who took my friend away from me. I'm also frusterated with those who still follow this current product which, in my opinion, is a shadow of it's former self.

Hockey was my hobby. It was my pastime. It was almost my identity.

All my girlfriends used to joke that it was all work, hockey or sex with me. All other conversations need to be had with someone else.

As I mentioned in another thread - it was never about the fighting, for me.

Hockey was the last great sport. The last sport that had not been corrupted by greed and selfishness. Players were smart and thoughtful and respectful of both each other and their fans.

Hockey was played by men. Tough men who would do whatever it took to win a game. It was played with passion and emotion and was, of course, violent. The fights were driven by that will to win at all costs. Fisticuffs were simply a byproduct of the intensity shown on the ice.

Then came the "systems" and the over-coaching. The league took a turn for the worse when the coaches started dictating everything that happened on the ice - rather than letting the play being reactionary. The players own will to succeed was being replaced by a schedule of where they needed to be and when. Now, you make a mistake on the ice, the coach upstairs tells the coach on the bench, and next shift, if you even get to play on it, you don't make that mistake. Teams don't need 5 or 6 coaches and it shouldn't be allowed. You should be able to only have 1 head coach and 1 assistant on the bench. No contact to the guys upstairs during the game. Now, teams have monitors on the bench! That is fucking ridiculous. Coaches like Bowman, Lemaire, Hitchcock win, and it has ruined the game. In minor, junior, and youth hockey, they don't teach kids skill anymore: they teach them systems.

The final nail in the coffin of the NHL was the induction of these new rules which have all but officially removed any chance of diversion from the standards and practices of the new NHL.

This playoff year has shown like no other that the parity that once existed in the NHL is gone. It is now impossible for a less-skilled but harder-working team to triumph over a talented but delicate unit. Power plays and penalty killing rule the day. Teams will now be built around these two factors alone. We're one step closer to a 60 minute shootout.

Detroit should be embarrassed. No one stuck up for a teammate when they went after his head? In a 4-0 game?  Unbelievable.

What is really sad is that the Spurs-Suns NBA series has more passion and hatred between players than any of the NHL post season series of the last few seasons. I have been watching Spurs-Suns, and remembering back some time ago when the NHL had this kind of REAL post-season attitude to it.

David Stern is a genius for giving Gary Bettman to the NHL willingly. He has me, a lifelong NHL and Hockey fan watching NBA postseason over the NHL. NEVER in my life before this season would I even think of entertaining anything other than the NHL postseason. The "brains" of the new NHL have done a great job of showing me about other sports other than the NHL, about playing with real purpose and drive (not to forget passion). Other than the hope that the Ducks might do something, I really see no need to watch anymore of the NHL postseason.