HOCKEY IS BACK!!!

frank smarra wrote: i think its going to be hard to predict what teams will do, new rules, Mass Player Movement and the injuries that are sure to occur makes this year hard to call. hell the predators could win the cup this year!

the one team that i think will definetly be contenders for the cup are The Flames, they got basically the same team, they are built for the rule changes and they have strengthened their D

teams that have no chance:Rangers, Leafs & Atlanta(Unless they Sign Kovalchuk)

i would love to see the isles do it but i think they need to get stronger on the Blueline, upfront if yashin delivers they will be fine

Yes, this year will be very hard to predict. Who knows how each team will perform??? I am VERY curious to see how the Penguins do, in particular. I really wonder how they will click as a team, and how Crosby will play.

I agree that the Flames are major contenders. But I think that the Flyers, Lightning and perhaps the Wings and Senators are teams to be taken seriously, as well. What do you think about them?

i really think the flyers have made a fatal error on defense signing thease big immobile guys, they are going to take a lot of penalties and they may score a lot of goals but i think they are going to give up even more. ottawa suould still be strong, just have to see if Hasek can shake the rust off and if heatly can recapture that scoring touch of his. Tampa will not repeat they lost their starting goaltender and some important depth, they will still be a good team though

Church of the KLF wrote:

frank smarra wrote: i think its going to be hard to predict what teams will do, new rules, Mass Player Movement and the injuries that are sure to occur makes this year hard to call. hell the predators could win the cup this year!

the one team that i think will definetly be contenders for the cup are The Flames, they got basically the same team, they are built for the rule changes and they have strengthened their D

teams that have no chance:Rangers, Leafs & Atlanta(Unless they Sign Kovalchuk)

i would love to see the isles do it but i think they need to get stronger on the Blueline, upfront if yashin delivers they will be fine

Yes, this year will be very hard to predict. Who knows how each team will perform??? I am VERY curious to see how the Penguins do, in particular. I really wonder how they will click as a team, and how Crosby will play.

I agree that the Flames are major contenders. But I think that the Flyers, Lightning and perhaps the Wings and Senators are teams to be taken seriously, as well. What do you think about them?

I'm pretty curious about the Pens myself. They can either sink or swim. I could easily see Ziggy, Mario, and LeClair all sitting on the sidelines with injuries all year just as easily as I can see those three guys flying all over the ice. Health and how well Crosby fares will the big factors there.

I totally agree that Calgary will continue to be a force. They made solid moves this off-season and already had a great team to begin with. The Wings should always be taken seriously but they've lost a few key guys and Shanny and Stevie Y. aren't getting any younger, not to mention I think they have some question marks in goal. I think Datsyuk and Zetterburg will really have to be the point leaders on this team.

Did Datsuyk sign? i couldnt find it anywhere!

frank smarra wrote: Did Datsuyk sign? i couldnt find it anywhere!

Read all about it here. Two years, $3.8 million.

Ah tsn.ca, the hockey fans best friend.

how did i miss that. he is going to be great with the new rules. there could easily be 25 100+ point getters this season!

frank smarra wrote: how did i miss that. he is going to be great with the new rules. there could easily be 25 100+ point getters this season!

We can only hope.

How long before Kovalchuk comes to his senses?

the Thrashers need him badly, if he doesnt sign it will be a huge step backwards, Hossa should have a great season but Signing Bondra wasnt the solution they need kovalchuk. i know the teams have the edge now but the european players can make some pretty good money overseas not much less than in the NHL and they can stay at home.

Well you could look at it as Bondra and Holik replacing Kovalchuk. But I agree. Atlanta has some nice forwards (Kozlov, Savard, Hossa) but Kovalchuk makes them contenders. Without him I don't think they make the playoffs.

I just don't understand what these are thinking sometimes. The NHL is back, finally some financial stability, the rules favor scoring, so now you decided to hightail it back to Russia. Whatever.

And nice to see the cap working. See New Jersey having to give away Jeff Friesen was kinda nice.

Poor Friesen the caps have no chance this year, it was hard to believe that of all the teams the Devils went over the cap! my girlfriend got me tickets for thursday's Islanders Rangers Pre-Season Game at the Garden, i will have to wear my Denis potvin Jersey

I feel for Friesen as well. I like the guy. But Caps stink. You would have figured that the Devils would have managed the cap better than anyone. But I think the losses of Stevens and Neidermeyer may have made Lou Lamorillo over compensate the D-men he did sign. I kept reading how great it was he acted quickly to sign a bunch of guys but really, are you going to get all that excited about Vladimir Malakov?

You're so lucky. This Thursday I have tickets to the Panthers/Hurricanes pre-season game.

well the Panthers have an Up and COming Team, they could make the playoffs if they win that weak Division, and say what you want about keenan but he usually gets his teams to win and Martin is a good coach too, Luongo is great(you can thank Milbury for that one)they have some great young players and now some vetrans, carolina though

Spotnick wrote: I don't think the Leafs will make the playoffs though... and it pisses any fan if you try to remind them :D

Leafs fans seem to be quite pissy in general.

They're kind of like the all reject team with Lindros and Allison. Could go either way but I don't think they'll be making it in either.

i listen to a toronto based radio station at work(Fan 590) and the comments made by leafs fans are laughable, when they did nothing ealry in the free agency period they were all saying how they had to sign Domi because they lost Roberts and Niewy and they needed Tie's Leadership and Scoring Touch? now forget it Allison and Lindros are Hailed to split the Heart Trophy and Art Ross this season. and now the leafs fans, after having gotten creamed by the sabres last night, are crying this mornming about the penalties and saying the game is turning into the NBA. how can you not love the new style of Hockey being played? they were unprepared for the new NHL , like the rangers, draft Terribly, buy for name and not Skill, and think they run the league. not happening, and hey i used to love the leafs(Douggie Gilmour!) but enough is enought they are always crying about something, and just to show how dumb the fans are, remember how they booed Larry Murphy, then they gave him to the wings for nothing and he won 2 more Cups!

Tie Domi has a scoring touch?

Niklas Kronvall is out for at least six weeks.

frank smarra wrote: i listen to a toronto based radio station at work(Fan 590) and the comments made by leafs fans are laughable, when they did nothing ealry in the free agency period they were all saying how they had to sign Domi because they lost Roberts and Niewy and they needed Tie's Leadership and Scoring Touch? now forget it Allison and Lindros are Hailed to split the Heart Trophy and Art Ross this season. and now the leafs fans, after having gotten creamed by the sabres last night, are crying this mornming about the penalties and saying the game is turning into the NBA. how can you not love the new style of Hockey being played? they were unprepared for the new NHL , like the rangers, draft Terribly, buy for name and not Skill, and think they run the league. not happening, and hey i used to love the leafs(Douggie Gilmour!) but enough is enought they are always crying about something, and just to show how dumb the fans are, remember how they booed Larry Murphy, then they gave him to the wings for nothing and he won 2 more Cups!

Larry Murphy played brilliantly with the Wings. He and Nicklas Lidstrom were perhaps the best defensive pairing in the league for several seasons. I miss him.

frank smarra wrote: i really think the flyers have made a fatal error on defense signing thease big immobile guys, they are going to take a lot of penalties and they may score a lot of goals but i think they are going to give up even more. ottawa suould still be strong, just have to see if Hasek can shake the rust off and if heatly can recapture that scoring touch of his. Tampa will not repeat they lost their starting goaltender and some important depth, they will still be a good team though

I aree about the Lightning. There's no way that the tandem of John Grahame and Sean Burke is going to take a team to the Cup, even if they are the defending champs.

And I also agree with you about the Flyers. D-men like Kevin Hatcher are probably not going to be as effective as they used to be, especially with the new rules. Speaking of which, how will the role of the defenseman change with the new rules? Will speedy defensemen become more important than big, bulky bruisers? I think they probably will. Defensemen will need to be smarter rather than tougher. Look for Nick Lidstrom to have another great season for that reason. :D

What do you guys think?

Dan Delgado wrote: Tie Domi has a scoring touch?

He gives people a touch, alright.

Lidstrom will have a great season again, he is perhaps the most steady Defenseman of the last decade and the new rules will only help that.

i got a treat on the dish last night Ottawa V Buffalo

but i didnt discover it until the shootout, ottawa won the game 5-2, but buffalo took the shootout beating the Dominator Twice, heatly scored the lone shootout goal for Ottawa on a nice shot throught the 5 hole

I've hardly even seen any highlights of the pre-season, much less a game.

Tonight I will be hitting that hot ticket Panthers v. Canes though.

Islanders/Rangers Tonight, i will be there!

frank smarra wrote: Islanders/Rangers Tonight, i will be there!

Bastard!

Islanders Won it in the Shootout, Bates and Parrish Scored for the Isles and Jagr for the Rags in the Shootout the regular Games Was 2-2, in all honesty thought the rangers outplayed the islanders for the last period and a half ans hit the posy a couple of times, the isles started strong and scored about a minute and a half in and were all over the rags but early in the second the islanders stopped skating and were playing sloppy. Di Pietro took a penalty for playing the puck in the Restricted Area, and godard fought Purinton, it was a draw. well thats it for the islanders till wednesday when they open the season in Buffalo! Cannot Wait

Also have a happy Birthday dan:baloon:

, mine is on Monday

Thanks Frank.

frank smarra wrote: Islanders Won it in the Shootout, Bates and Parrish Scored for the Isles and Jagr for the Rags in the Shootout the regular Games Was 2-2, in all honesty thought the rangers outplayed the islanders for the last period and a half ans hit the posy a couple of times, the isles started strong and scored about a minute and a half in and were all over the rags but early in the second the islanders stopped skating and were playing sloppy. Di Pietro took a penalty for playing the puck in the Restricted Area, and godard fought Purinton, it was a draw. well thats it for the islanders till wednesday when they open the season in Buffalo! Cannot Wait

Oh man I cannot wait either. So exciting. Sounds like a fun game.

The Wings are down 2-1, midway through the second against the Leafs. Disgraceful.

So it looks like the Devils need to deal another forward...Who will it be???