NHL

[dgreco]

another shut out by osgood. He looks unstoppable, and so does Detroit. I think they have a chance to sweep the cup finals. We'll see how the games in Pittsburgh go.

[dgreco]

Penguins win a close won 3-2. They were up 2-0 and it got close, but they pulled out a win. I still think Detroit wins this series with a sort of ease.

[facilities man]

Penguins win a close won 3-2. They were up 2-0 and it got close, but they pulled out a win. I still think Detroit wins this series with a sort of ease.

It would have been more convincing if Pittsburgh had won 3-0 instaed of 3-2. Pittsburgh looked good and wanted this win bad. If they win game 4 I thinks it's almost like a brand new best of three series where the first four games didn't even matter. If Detroit wins game 4 it's over.

[dgreco]

It would have been more convincing if Pittsburgh had won 3-0 instaed of 3-2. Pittsburgh looked good and wanted this win bad. If they win game 4 I thinks it's almost like a brand new best of three series where the first four games didn't even matter. If Detroit wins game 4 it's over.

I agree with that, except I think Pittsburgh has a little shot of winning game 4. Osgood has been really good and he wasn't horrible in the game the other night. I think it will be a 4-2 type series, but i dont think it will be close.

[dgreco]

Detroit wins a close won 2-1, and I think they have a good chance to close this series out with a 4-1 outcome. They were the best team all year and come the finals they are are keeping it up.

[Avocado]

Excellent game thus far tonight, heading into the second OT...

[The Voice of Reason]

Excellent game thus far tonight, heading into the second OT...

this game is one of the best playoff games in a long long while

[Avocado]

this game is one of the best playoff games in a long long while

Indeed, let's play another period...

[The Voice of Reason]

Indeed, let's play another period...

I will not spoil this for anyone that had to go to sleep and tivod it. but its over in the 3rd OT

and I am pleased with the result.

night night!

[dgreco]

I will not spoil this for anyone that had to go to sleep and tivod it. but its over in the 3rd OT

and I am pleased with the result.

night night!

Great game the other night. 3-2 now, and Pittsburgh showed heart. I do not think they will win the series, which i have been saying for the week(and keep being proven wrong), but I think this helps the NHL. Even if Sid the Kid doesnt win the Cup he made a statement and so did the penguins.

[The Voice of Reason]

Great game the other night. 3-2 now, and Pittsburgh showed heart. I do not think they will win the series, which i have been saying for the week(and keep being proven wrong), but I think this helps the NHL. Even if Sid the Kid doesnt win the Cup he made a statement and so did the penguins.

Well with the young talent in net the Pens will be a cup winner soon if not this year.

[dgreco]

Well with the young talent in net the Pens will be a cup winner soon if not this year.

The NHL is hoping for this too. And Ovehkin (sp) out of Wasington to be the faces and the franchises now. They will help the league grow. The game so far tonight 1-0 detroit.

[Avocado]

Stanley!

[dgreco]

Red Wings had a great win, and Osgood made a HUGE save to close out the game

[The Voice of Reason]

Red Wings had a great win, and Osgood made a HUGE save to close out the game

Yessir

another good game.

I do not think that anything else in sport is like Playoff Hockey. the only thing that comes close in the World Cup in Soccer.

so amny games so much heart and energy. crazy dudes smashing heads but also tip toeing through amazing acts of skill and finesse. No wonder soccer and Hockey are my two favorite sports to watch.

[nashvillwill]

So, it's almost that time again! What's new? what's happening?

Who is tired of the Sundin drama?

What will come of the player defections to Russia(i.e. Radulov)?

How's your team gonna do?

I will start...

First off, i just can't wait for the season to begin. That empty feeling in my soul is beginning to fill slightly. Next week i will be at the practice facility watching the guys practice. I have always told people that my favorite thing about hockey is the way that it SOUNDS. I know that might be weird, but it's just my thing. When you hear a hockey game, it is unmistakable. You know what going on, and any fan of hockey could tell what is happening on the ice without sight or commentary. It's beautiful.

about my team...

The Predators will be every bit as good this season as they were last season. Having said that, i think our division has gotten much more competitive. Detroit only got stronger, Columbus added some much needed depth, and the long anticipated (and long overdue. i pull for them, really!) return of Chicago is in the works. St. Louis might be a little stale still, but they certainly haven't gotten worse. I remain optimistic, but am afraid i am in for disappointment.

the schedule...

I love it! Eastern fans might disagree, due to the increase in travel, but i think it will only be positive for the league. All fans will get a chance to see the talented so-and-so, that they keep hearing about, finally play against their own team! I only hope the season is extended allowing a home-and-home with each inter-conference team.

Thoughts?

edit; so if anyone gets tickets for Winter Classic II that they just don't want. Fell free to drop me a line!

Edited September 8, 2008 by nashvillwill

[nashvillwill]

my Preds are 2-1-0. get some! since no one else seems to want to discuss it, we can let the outsiders belive that we have the best record(NY?)

[ironyisadeadscene]

bump!

gotta go with the sharks. i felt that way before the season.

[Justadude]

For your amusement, the worst plays of the decade: http://bostonblueline.blogspot.com/2008/12...t-10-years.html

The Bruins have been red-hot in the East but they seem too young to go all the way. The Sharks are clearly the dominant team in the West but they lack a history of winning in the playoffs (quite the opposite actually...). Maybe this is a year when someone makes a Cinderella run...

[droonus2000]

i had a crazy idea, what if the NHL played all games outside, in football and baseball stadiums that sit empty during winter anyways. or at least play outside more then once a year, maybe it would get fans back to the games. the outdoor games always seem to be better then the indoor ones. but i guess if you always played outside the Winter Classic wouldn't be anything special. plus it takes like 2 weeks to set up the rink and you have weather and ice cracking problems to worry about. but it's an idea.

[ironyisadeadscene]

super dooper late, but,

that will never work. it seems that the outdoor game is already over saturated as is. most NHL teams already have wonderful arenas, and then those would go to waste.

[HopHead]

super dooper late, but,

that will never work. it seems that the outdoor game is already over saturated as is. most NHL teams already have wonderful arenas, and then those would go to waste.

It also wouldn't work b/c places like FL, AZ, TX and CA never get cold enough

[droonus2000]

No ,it never would but it might get more people interested in the games, but if you did every game outdoors its not special so no one cares after a while,, plus there is A LOT of work just for one game a year let alone 80+.

The Phoenix Coyotes filed for Bankruptcy yesterday. The CEO of Blackberry has expressed interest in buying them and moving them to Hamilton, Ontario. He was unsuccessful in doing the same to the Nashville Predators a few years back.The NHL wants them to stay in Phoenix. What would be some good locations for a NHL franchise in the US or Canada, if Phoenix is deemed not viable for a hockey team? My picks would be:

Kansas City -fought hard for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has the Sprint center, so no need for a new arena.

Grand Rapids- Michigan is a huge Hockey bed, it currently houses the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings Affiliate, but we would require a larger arena, and a larger population would help

Winnipeg and Hartford are historical locations, Winnipeg has the AHL's Manitoba Moose, Hartford has the AHL's Wolf Pack

Hamilton, On - has the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs an its in CA

Toronto- definitely big enough for a second NHL team, the AHL's Marlies are there now

Houston-- has an AHL team, the Aeros, just need NHL to become a big four sport city,( phoenix will lose that status)

Or they may just contract, but I highly doubt the NHL will play a game Pheonix for many years.

Edited May 7, 2009 by droonus2000

[Lowerdeck]

Like moving to Houston is really going to help matters? I'm not familiar with the Aeros, how well do they do for attendance and can they be something better than a minor league team?

And let's face it, can many cities in the south be any strong hotbed for hockey, esp. if they aren't winning or contending for playoff places?

[The Voice of Reason]

Actually, I think Houston would be a great imrpovement over Phoenix.

do not get me wrong, I, like you am fairly opposed to the southern expansion Hockey went through, and hope to see it come back to the traditional hockey markets starting with Phoenix to Hamilton.

But

Phoenix and Houston are really quite simular in many ways, but the key differences are population.

based on 2006 estimates

9. Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX 5,641,077 raw population growth since 2000 799,262

13. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 4,039,182 raw growth since 2000 760,650

So a city with 1.6 million extra people is likely better suited to support the team. I am not saying its a slam dunk, but its certainly more likely to be successful in that environment. also Houston has a new arena built for the rockets a couple of years ago that was designed for NHL as well, so there would be no barrier in that regard. and the owner of the rockets owns the Aeros and has been vocal about wanting an NHL team some day.

not saying it will happen, or should happen, but its not out of the question.

lastly the Houston Arena is downtown. the Phoenix arenas location basicly is the reason the team is struggling. it is so far off in the western part of the metro area that it allienated most of the fans and especially the wealthier fans.

Phoenix COULD no doubt support an NHL team. its a huge city full of snowbirds from the North East, the arena issue needs to be resolved.

maybe 10 years from now when the city is a million people larger and building a new arena downtown is a possibility a new team will play in phoenix. who knows.