NHL 2012-13 - Half Season Thread

Merrith_sl said:

Crazy that after Ovechkin's really slow first 10 games, he's got 21 goals in his last 28 games, or an 82 game pace of 61.5 goals.

Click to expand...

What's crazy to me is that someone that talented could EVER have a bad run like he did over that...100some game stretch. He's still got that ridiculous 6th sense for the goal where he can get the puck on net from anywhere at any time, no reason he shouldn't be scoring all the time.

I hate the motherfucker for various reasons, but it's nice to have one of the best players in the world playing like it again. Good for the game even if it's not good for me personally.

Grimmlokk_sl said:

What's crazy to me is that someone that talented could EVER have a bad run like he did over that...100some game stretch. He's still got that ridiculous 6th sense for the goal where he can get the puck on net from anywhere at any time, no reason he shouldn't be scoring all the time.

I hate the motherfucker for various reasons, but it's nice to have one of the best players in the world playing like it again. Good for the game even if it's not good for me personally.

Click to expand...

I'm right where you are with Ovechkin with regards to Crosby. Ovechkin still isn't where he was, but Oates has helped him make some changes to his game (and the move to right wing has helps, as has the new power play). There's still some underlying stuff that makes me wonder if it's sustainable (really his puck luck on the PP this year just can't be sustainable, I do think our PP is much better this year but his shooting % while on the PP is just ridiculous right now)...but it's nice to think he might be able to be a 40+ goal guy again and over a point a game average. There's no debate right now that when Sid is healthy he's the best player in hockey, it was a legit debate for about 2 or 3 years, but it's not anymore.

Another plus from his hot run is that Backstrom seems to have found his game again as well, he hadn't looked right for a long while after missing 40 or so games with that concussion last year. Of course, Erat who we just moved Forsberg for got hurt tonight on a pretty bad hit. Back to back games we lose Laich and now Erat to injuries...so much for that forward depth we thought we might now have. I know you know what I'm talking about Grimm, you guys have had it even worse with injuries.

And just like that...Ovechkin tied for league lead in goals. Pretty much down to just us and Winnipeg for the Southeast at this point. Not sure which asshole on the Tampa bench put his stick over wall to try to stop Ovechkin from the game sealing goal but something should happen to that guy. Maybe it was Milbury.

I have no expectations for the Caps in the playoffs (screw that noise, I've been crushed way too many times the past few years), but I like the way they're playing lately. Even if it's against the chumps in the division.

Elurin_sl said:

I have no expectations for the Caps in the playoffs (screw that noise, I've been crushed way too many times the past few years), but I like the way they're playing lately. Even if it's against the chumps in the division.

Click to expand...

After the hole they dug themselves early, I wasn't expecting playoffs at all, thought we should tank for a draft pick. But Florida kept winning and teams ahead of us kept losing, it kept options open. Really I just wanted to see Oates use the rest of the season to implement his system and have the team get comfortable with it (since the whole 1 week "training camp" wasn't nearly enough time). He's far exceeded my expectations, and his work with Ovechkin if we end up winning the division should at least have him in the discussion to be a finalist for the Jack Adams.

Elurin_sl said:

I have no expectations for the Caps in the playoffs (screw that noise, I've been crushed way too many times the past few years), but I like the way they're playing lately. Even if it's against the chumps in the division.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same. I see them playing against either the leafs or the sense. All are fast teams, should be entertaining. I dont see any other team in that division taking 3rd place. Seems like they all gave up already.

ooo6_sl said:

I was thinking the same. I see them playing against either the leafs or the sense. All are fast teams, should be entertaining. I dont see any other team in that division taking 3rd place. Seems like they all gave up already.

Click to expand...

Winnipeg has a pretty easy schedule down the stretch, although Buffalo twice might not be as easy as it sounds they've been playing better of late I think. If Caps do make it in, going to be tough to stack up against any of the other playoff teams if we don't stop having a forward go down every game. Laich is seeing a groin specialist I read, which is not good news...and I haven't heard anything about Erat since he took the bad hit the other knight. Looked like a knee thing.

Bruins and Canes on NHL Network...can't say I'm happy I have to listen to Jack Edwards tonight, but for tonight at least go Bruins.

Hahahah Peters out after 2 goals on something like only 4 or 5 shots in the first 8 minutes. Love it.

Leafs going with size tonight, O'Byrne (first game gets a goal),brought up Colborne to centre Orr and Mclaren and the usual pairing of Fraser and Frason.

Exciting stuff.Leafs move up 8 points over 9th place Devils.

I'm happy for you Leafs fans, be curious to see which seed you end up in.

At this rate, they'll end up in 4th, with 15 points more than the 3rd place Caps.


edit: James Neal officially concussed. On an elbow with no penalty or action from a guy that was headhunting the entire game. MORE BLATANT PENS FAVORITISM!

Out at least 3 games. Maybe we can get Bettman to extend the trading deadline just for the Pens so they can get a full roster for the playoffs.

Grimmlokk_sl said:

At this rate, they'll end up in 4th, with 15 points more than the 3rd place Caps.

Click to expand...

If they go 9 points better over the final 9 games than we do, I have doubts we'd end up the 3 seed. But your point is noted Grimm...of course we are 8-1-1 in our last 10. If he had a regular season with an actual training camp and preseason I feel we'd be a much better team from the start. Is what it is.

It wasn't a real prediction, not even sure what the spread is right now=P 6 or 8 points?

Even with a bunch of goals last night, the Bruins are looking worse and worse.

Good luck in your cup endeavors, Canadiens

Grimmlokk_sl said:

It wasn't a real prediction, not even sure what the spread is right now=P 6 or 8 points?

Click to expand...

I know, I know...the spread is 6 points right now. I don't think we're nearly as good as the other top teams in the East this year, but I do think if we had a real training camp and preseason for Oates to install his system instead of the bullshit 1 week we got we wouldn't have started so slow. Pretty much everyone expected it to take time for the team to learn. 2-8-1 over your first 11 games really hurts, it's a miracle we've even dug ourselves out of that hole to begin with. Even if we weren't leading the Southeast we'd be the #7 seed right now with tiebreaker over Rangers and Isles. Since that slow start we're 18-9-1, which isn't world beater status, but it's a 108 point pace over 82 games which would have tied for 2nd in the East last year.

Merrith_sl said:

I'm happy for you Leafs fans, be curious to see which seed you end up in.

Click to expand...

Hopefully 6th!
Kadri is in the doghouse, they have him practicing on the fourth line today. lol
No touch icing was dropped from the AHL a few weeks back, don't think anyone mentioned that.It was a hybrid rule anyways, so pretty lame.I don't care one way or another if the NHL adopts the rule but make it no touch if they do,not some half-baked idea.

Sean Day gets drafted 4th in the OHL and goes to the Mississauga Steelheads.Not that anyone cares but he got exceptional status so someone to watch for in the future.

I think the hybrid icing is a happy medium. That way you can still dump the puck deep if you think your teammate can get there first. Otherwise with no-touch icing it would just be automatically called back. The AHL went back to touch icing when the NHL started back up again, so both leagues would be operating with the same rules.

What's your specific concern with hybrid icing? Every indication is that it worked fine in the AHL.

Alas, looks like the Oilers are in tough to make the playoffs. We'll probably finish 4-6 points back if we play decent hockey the last 9 games. If we win 7 or more games, we've got a shot, but that's a tall task. I'm just glad we've made some progress. Now if management would get off their fucking asses and actually build a team around the young stars, that would be swell.

The hybrid icing becomes another discretionary call, by the linesman no less.It doesn't do what it is supposed to do and that is protect the players from severe injury.If the defenseman looks like he will get to the puck first, icing is called right away,if it looks like a tie, the tie goes to the defender, but if the offense gets there first no whistle, the play goes on.That's is where it fails,the forward doesn't get the protection.