NHL 2011/2012 Season

[Winterwind]

Figured I'd start the thread since I didn't see one already and the pre-season started last night... with a 4-2 win by the Leafs over Ottawa.

Heh. 2 goals and an assist for Bozak. Wonder if the kid will have the type of season this year everyone wanted him to have last year. With Connolly being brought in as the #1 centre, perhaps Bozak will be more comfortable with less pressure.

 

[tomalak301]

I was watching a bit of that game last night and considering it was only preseason, it was a decent Preseason game.

I'm looking forward to the Sharks starting soon. With the new acquisitions and many possible line combinations, I think I've been looking forward to this season more than any others. 2 and a half weeks until the Puck drops for real.

 

[Garak]

So stoked hoceky is back, I'm really at my happiest when hockey and football are on.

It's going to be tough for my Canucks this year to get back in to the Stanley Cup Final, there's just so many damn great teams out there. San Jose and LA are going to be pretty awesome in the Western Conference this year I think.

Oh and go Jets! So great to have another Canadian team.

Oh and for anyone who's interested, we're doing a fantasy hockey league so please join if you feel like it!

Link

 

[eastman23]

Just got back from the Jets game and it was fantastic! 6-1 over the Blue Jackets (though we apparently didn't fare too well in Columbus), with 2 of those goals (along with 2 assists) coming from our first draft pick, Mark Scheifele.

And boy was it LOUD in there. Damn near close to a sell-out with 15,004 in attendance.

Welcome back NHL!

 

[TheSeeker]

I was looking a the upcoming schedule a week or so ago and it was so weird to see Winnepeg on the schedule again. It's awesome though.

 

[tomalak301]

Just got back from the Jets game and it was fantastic! 6-1 over the Blue Jackets (though we apparently didn't fare too well in Columbus), with 2 of those goals (along with 2 assists) coming from our first draft pick, Mark Scheifele.

And boy was it LOUD in there. Damn near close to a sell-out with 15,004 in attendance.

Welcome back NHL!

I just saw the introductions on youtube and that was mighty impressive. For a preseason game there was a postseason atmosphere. I'm actually looking forward to that Sunday afternoon (My time) affair with Montreal to open the season in Winnipeg. Should be fun and loud when the real hockey begins.

Sharks start tonight, but of course I'm going to be at work and won't be able to follow it. I am looking forward to the NHL Network Vancouver game on Sunday, to see the team for the first time and to see the new guys in action, hopefully.

 

[Winterwind]

While it would have been fitting for Phoenix to move back to Winnipeg, I'm just glad to see hockey back there. Think I'll be cheering for the Jets just because it's good to have another Canadian team.

 

[eastman23]

I think a lot of people around here wanted Phoenix to come back too just so we could get that history back. But at the same time, I've heard several people say that we got a better team from Atlanta than we would have from Phoenix.

 

[Winterwind]

I'm not sure about that. The West has been the tougher conference for quite sometime and Phoenix has been doing better than Atlanta the last couple seasons. Mind you, that's just vague impression. I don't pay attention to either team much, just looking at the overall standings and not the rosters, points, etc.

Either way, Cheers to having a team in Winnipeg again!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, this is disgusting:

LONDON, Ontario - Often as the only black player on his team, growing up in Scarborough, Ontario, Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds dealt with his fair share of racial slurs on the ice as he climbed the hockey ladder.

Few experiences could have prepared him for what happened on Thursday night, as a fan in the John Labatt Centre threw a banana peel at Simmonds as he skated in alone on a shootout attempt during a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

link

 

[Canadave]

^ Stay classy, London.

 

[Winterwind]

I hardly think one moron justifies a "Stay classy London". What about the other 8,000 or so at the game or the 350,000 people living in the city?

 

[TheSeeker]

Maybe he was just trying to make him slip.

 

[Winterwind]

True. There's no proof that it was racial unless they caught the person and he stated it was. Once upon a time a banana peel was just the slapstick "slip and fall" bit.

Reminds me of the episode of Peep Show when Mark (and his office pal who did turn out to be racist) nailed a sausage to another guy's office door and was told the company would be treating it as racial incident because the guy was German.

 

[Canadave]

I hardly think one moron justifies a "Stay classy London". What about the other 8,000 or so at the game or the 350,000 people living in the city?

Sorry, nothing personal. I have some good friends from there, but there's something about the city that's always just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't put my finger on why if you asked me to, but I've just never liked London much.

 

[Winterwind]

Hehehe. Yeah, I know it was nothing personal. And I live here and I've never liked the city that much either. It's a strange city.

Back to hockey... Leafs are 2-2 in the pre season. Both loses were Reimer's. OMG! Cancel the parade!

 

[Canadave]

^ It's at least 50% sports-based, funnily enough, as I hate both the Mustangs and the Knights.

And while Reimer looked shakey in his first start, from what I saw of last night's game he was pretty solid. Though Scrivens may be the big story of the preseason in net, as he's put up some fantastic numbers so far.

 

[Winterwind]

Well, it is only preseason but yeah, Scrivens has the best numbers so far. Once teams start using their actual NHL rosters in the final few preseason games we'll have a better idea. But I don't expect miracles from Reimer. Goalies just have that nasty habit of the "sophomore slump". If he can just be "good", I'll be happy.

 

[Canadave]

All I want of Reimer is a close to league average save percentage. Anything above that is just gravy.

 

[Winterwind]

Indeed. I don't expect much this year. Maybe 7th or 8th seed. We still don't have an elite top line. I don't expect much more from a top line of Kessel/Connolly/Lupul than I do of Mac/Grabovski/Kulemin on the second line. And from the point forecast articles I've skimmed, neither do the "experts". This team is still a couple players and a few years from seriously contending in my view.

Still, with those as your two top lines that should easily be six 20 goal scorers.