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2014-2015 NHL Regular Season Thread

#741
The defending Stanley Cup champs are virtually done for. That loss to the Oilers hurt them bad. They're done. I hate admitting defeat, but it hurts. Lombardi has a lottttt of work to do.

Canucks are officially in the playoffs so I'm pretty happy about that. I ain't even mad that they beat the Kings on Monday; Kings were lacking any sort of desperation.
 
#743
Dreamcatcher said:
Carey Price now has 42 wins, tied now with Plante and Dryden. If he stays healthy, Montreal stands a chance at getting into the final. It is too bad Price doesn't have the teams in front of him that Plante and Dryden had, though. Then it would be a no-brainer.
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Habs and Canucks have the best chance of winning the Cup for Canada. The Cup misses its home. It's our job to bring it back.
 
#744
The Pens are going to mess around and end up giving away their first round draft pick to the Oilers when they miss the playoffs. Lovely performance from the Pens tonight.

It's between Pittsburgh, Boston, and Ottawa for seven and eight. The Pens up one point, but they'll give that away.

-Mike
 
#745
Could be a crazy rest of the week for the final wildcard spots in both conferences.

In the East, Senators could win two there would be the possibility to eliminate Detroit, Pitt, or Boston if any of those fail to get a point from the remaining games.

In the West, the Kings could do the same and bump Calgary or Winnipeg.


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#747
Ugh, pitiful performance by the Kings last night. Kind of saw it coming after they beat the Oilers 8-2 this past Saturday though. Kings need to win both remaining games in regulation and have the Jets lose at least one of theirs in regulation to have any sort of chance.

After last year's first round I learned to never count the Kings out until it's done, but it's getting more and more difficult as they perform the way they did the past two games.
 
#748
Well, it looks like the Wild are in. 11 road wins in a row. I believe the record is 12. We have 2 road games that are winnable this week. I hope they don't "relax" this week and go for that record.
 
#750
Thank you Canucks, thank you Oilers. Calgary has a chance to clinch a spot and eliminate the Kings tomorrow in probably the most important game for the franchise in at least 8 years. They're down another defensemen with Diaz out after the St. Louis debacle (Giordano, Smid, Diaz), but guys keep stepping up and doing the job. Bouma had to leave last night after blocking a slapper in the chest. (Flames have the NHL lead for blocked shots at around 1500). As he was going past the bench on his way to the dressing room I saw this scared looking kid who looked to be around 14 and realized it was their new back up goalie from Adirondack replacing Ramo. Another bonus to winning Thursday would be to give the kid some game time Sat. afternoon against Winnipeg. Calgary better have their "A" game going as the Kings will be like a kicked over hornet's nest given the playoff implications and the fact that they've lost 2 key games in a row. 1st round of the Masters Thursday and then this awesome game - life's good!
 
#752
Seven Hells.
Last night my Islanders pulled one of the all-time emotional pendulum swings....they need 1 pt to clinch a SCP berth.
Down 3-2 with 0:23 left in the 3rd, faceoff in the flyers zone...Tavares man-handles the faceoff going forwards, gathers the puck and flips it to Anders Lee who fires in the tying goal.

Ensuing faceoff at center ice (0:20 left), Isles chip it deep in the flyers zone, all looks like it is going to OT, then the flyers fire it up the left boards, and some shag in a orange jersey fires a prayer that beats Halak with 0:02 left...

It was only just now that I could stomach watching the replay....ugh.
3 Islanders 'let up'...a forward (Cizikas, I think), in the philly zone, McDonald at center ice, and Halak in goal.

Inexcusable.

Home ice is on the line here.
Hell, since they coulda clinched, the playoffs are on the line here.

Tavares has gotta be pissed. That was quite the effort on that face-off to control the puck and get it to Lee for the tying goal.

After leading the Metro for a part of the season, the Isles are stumbling.....this is not the way to go into the playoffs.
I would hate to see the send off to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum being another first round playoff exit.
Get it together guys.
 
#754
MJ5150 said:
Friday's game is an easy win for your guys. If there is a team that cares less about playing hockey right now than the Pens, show them to me.

-Mike
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The LA Kings? I'm serious. Why would they start Jones in net? I'm not saying he's a crappy goalie but at a time like this when they need every point they can get, Quick is the go-to guy. Forget fatigue and back-to-back. Your season is on the line and you wanna start Jones?

Gee, the Oilers sure made a fool out of the Kings. An easy game that was in the bag and they left Edmonton with 0.
 
#755
bachlover said:
Thank you Canucks, thank you Oilers. Calgary has a chance to clinch a spot and eliminate the Kings tomorrow in probably the most important game for the franchise in at least 8 years. They're down another defensemen with Diaz out after the St. Louis debacle (Giordano, Smid, Diaz), but guys keep stepping up and doing the job. Bouma had to leave last night after blocking a slapper in the chest. (Flames have the NHL lead for blocked shots at around 1500). As he was going past the bench on his way to the dressing room I saw this scared looking kid who looked to be around 14 and realized it was their new back up goalie from Adirondack replacing Ramo. Another bonus to winning Thursday would be to give the kid some game time Sat. afternoon against Winnipeg. Calgary better have their "A" game going as the Kings will be like a kicked over hornet's nest given the playoff implications and the fact that they've lost 2 key games in a row. 1st round of the Masters Thursday and then this awesome game - life's good!
Click to expand...

You won't be saying thanks when we face each other in the first round. ;)
 
#757
bachlover said:
"When we meet each other in the 1st round....." Has a nice ring to it, I haven't heard that for a long time now.
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Someone on the NHL comments said it best, I think: "The Flames and Jets want to get in. The Kings expect to get in."

Flames are tired of rebuilding and finishing next to last with Edmonton. This season was the year they proved that their rebuod was done and that they can dance with the other powerhouse teams in the NHL. It's been too long since they saw hockey in mid-April, May, and/or June. They want it badddddd. So bad that they'd be willing to anything to make it. And it looks like they will.

Same with Winnipeg. They never made it before and I remember the article where it said Jets fans are growing tired of supporting a team that always fell short of the playoffs. Well, now it looks like they're getting their wish. Jets management and the team want to appease their fans. Even if it's a first-round exit, at least it's SOMETHING.

The Canucks want to show everyone that 2013-2014 was a fluke year with a terrible management and coach. They want to redeemd themselves not from that year, but their 2011 loss. They tasted a bit of the SCF and they want the whole thing. They're hungry. I'd argue they're the hungriest Canadian team in the NHL that wants the Cup. More than the Habs, I daresay with confidence. They want it. They want it BADDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

The Kings, OTOH, 2 Cups in three years is probably impossible to repeat, even for Chicago. After their incredible run last year, they had this sense of expecting to get in with no worries. Well look at them now. Possibility of becoming the fifth championship team to not make the postseason in NHL History*. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I disappointed? Kind of. Am I expecting them to get past the first round if they make it? Nope.

The Voynov issue has been bugging them. His salary cap hurt their Trade deadline possibilities. Mitchell is gone. A lot of their key players were injured at very critical times. I can tell Doughty is burning out. It's like no one else cares anymore. Except for Chris Sutter. LOL. That guy makes any day's brighter.

So, they don't make it. The Cup is literally up for grabs by anybody now. Kings enter the offseason earlier than usual, licking their wounds, bandaging their pride, and discussing what went wrong and who is to blame. I expect a major overhaul of the team by DL during the offseason. Dustin Brown is not playing or living up to the C he wears. I have seen others who deserve that C because they live up to it on and off the ice everyday.

Excuses, excuses, excuses. Playing 276 games (2011-2012 season, playoffs, 2012-2013 season and playoffs, 2013-2014 season and playoffs and excluding this season) can take a toll on any team. That is a lot of game, if you think about it. Some of the core guys have played all 276 games too.

If Calgary beats LA tomorrow, then they are officially out for good and Flames fans can prepare for the best/worst come playoff time.
 

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