NHL

[dgreco]

Who's ranked #1? GO PREDS!

only because those OTL are killing Anaheim.

[Thrillhouse]

It seems like being #1 in the playoffs doesn't help much anyways. Look at my wings last season 1st round exit to an eight seed.

[dgreco]

It seems like being #1 in the playoffs doesn't help much anyways. Look at my wings last season 1st round exit to an eight seed.

I feel the same, but only for the NHL, I think the NHL truely has parody come playoff time, usually in long series it always shows the better team coming out, but that doesn't seem true with teh NHL.

[MadVlad]

I feel the same, but only for the NHL, I think the NHL truely has parody come playoff time, usually in long series it always shows the better team coming out, but that doesn't seem true with teh NHL.

I disagree, the better team doesn't always have the better record. Although you may have a point, a hot goalie can literally carry an average team far into the playoffs, if not win a Stanley Cup.

[Thrillhouse]

I disagree, the better team doesn't always have the better record. Although you may have a point, a hot goalie can literally carry an average team far into the playoffs, if not win a Stanley Cup.

Some teams might have some key guys injured at times to drag their record down a bit or they may have made a good deadline pickup to make them dangerous in the playoffs. I think goalies are key, maybe the most important componet of any major sports league. Look what Kiprasoff (sp) or Giguere have done in recent playoff seasons. Detroit had Legace last season who was decent but not great and that was one of the main reasons why the wings couldn't get out of round one despite having 124 points last season.

[yankeeblue]

Lets Go Hurricanes!!

Big win over Boston last night, and we're back in the hunt. Well not quite yet but with the re-acquiring of center Josef Vasicek from Nashville, things are looking like we are going to make the necessary playoff moves.

Seriously if we could just score on our PP we would be looking closer to our Stanley Cup selves than we have all season. And with the majority of our games left at home, we really have our own fate in our hands.

[dgreco]

Lets Go Hurricanes!!

Big win over Boston last night, and we're back in the hunt. Well not quite yet but with the re-acquiring of center Josef Vasicek from Nashville, things are looking like we are going to make the necessary playoff moves.

Seriously if we could just score on our PP we would be looking closer to our Stanley Cup selves than we have all season. And with the majority of our games left at home, we really have our own fate in our hands.

boston blew that game, a nautral hattrick in 100 seconds =/

[Thrillhouse]

Nashville gets Forsberg:

Link

I think they overpaid but it could be enough for them to win it all this year.

[satalac]

Nashville gets Forsberg:

Link

I think they overpaid but it could be enough for them to win it all this year.

woo hoo!!! i hate that we lost upshall though.

Edited February 16, 2007 by satalac

[dgreco]

They may have overpaid, but the hockey is not popular in nashville right now, and winning a championship may keep hockey in nashville. Also forsberg is probably just a rent for the season. Hopefully they do something with it.

[Roach-1]

NY RANGERS FAN!!!!!

1 of the few teams not in Canada that has been steadily selling out every game for numerous seasons (others being minnesota, detroit, philly, colorado, and Dallas is close) what happened to the hockey fans in Ol Tyme Hockey Cities like Boston and Chicago, you guys have HORRIBLE attendance records, places like DALLAS, TAMPA, and LA have MUCH MUCH higher records, we need the support of traditional hockey cities to help put the NHL BACK in the limelight, OH and dont say you guys dont go to games cuz your teams suck, the Rangers havent been too good, and Philly is HORRIBLE but they still come to games

[dgreco]

some Sentaors and Sabres fights over the last two games, has sparked a lot of interest in the NHL.

[Thrillhouse]

NY RANGERS FAN!!!!!

1 of the few teams not in Canada that has been steadily selling out every game for numerous seasons (others being minnesota, detroit, philly, colorado, and Dallas is close) what happened to the hockey fans in Ol Tyme Hockey Cities like Boston and Chicago, you guys have HORRIBLE attendance records, places like DALLAS, TAMPA, and LA have MUCH MUCH higher records, we need the support of traditional hockey cities to help put the NHL BACK in the limelight, OH and dont say you guys dont go to games cuz your teams suck, the Rangers havent been too good, and Philly is HORRIBLE but they still come to games

Unfortunatly, the ownership in Boston and *especially chicago have let their teams slide into mediocrity.

[ohioaninSC]

I started following hockey when Columbus got the Blue Jackets. I know they aren't doing all that well again as usual, and they've yet to put a truly good season together, though we thought their first season was actually pretty good for an expansion team. I wonder what it will take to make them a contender for the playoffs at least. I haven't heard how their attendance is doing this season, but their first several seasons were all sell outs no matter the record, and many long time NHL fans that I met when attending games at Nationwide Arena thought it was one of the best arena's in the NHL. I even had a Red Wings fan tell me that. It is getting to the time of the year that I will really follow it pretty closely as opposed to from afar. Once March Madness ends and my Buckeyes win a National Title on the hardwood, I'll get into full hockey mode, especially since I can't stand the NBA or should I call it the National Thug Association.

[dgreco]

Unfortunatly, the ownership in Boston and *especially chicago have let their teams slide into mediocrity.

ownershiop in boston has been horrible for a while, but really what has hurt boston this season is coaching, the coaching is stinking out the joint every other night.

[MadVlad]

I started following hockey when Columbus got the Blue Jackets. I know they aren't doing all that well again as usual, and they've yet to put a truly good season together, though we thought their first season was actually pretty good for an expansion team. I wonder what it will take to make them a contender for the playoffs at least. I haven't heard how their attendance is doing this season, but their first several seasons were all sell outs no matter the record, and many long time NHL fans that I met when attending games at Nationwide Arena thought it was one of the best arena's in the NHL. I even had a Red Wings fan tell me that. It is getting to the time of the year that I will really follow it pretty closely as opposed to from afar. Once March Madness ends and my Buckeyes win a National Title on the hardwood, I'll get into full hockey mode, especially since I can't stand the NBA or should I call it the National Thug Association.

Columbus needs to be very, very careful. They can't have a bad team for years and years and expect to have a team 15 years from now (just ask Hartford). The Whalers were basically one of the worst teams the NHL ever had success-wise, and that's why there were always rumors of bad attendance. The people of Hartford supported a horrendous team for a very long time, better than some other markets with much better teams. Columbus needs to protect itself from this type of problem and get some winning done. The people of the city are supporting the Blue Jackets tremendously and it'd be a shame if that enthusiasm were beaten out of them with year after year of horrible teams....

[Minneapolitan]

So now that the Penguins are staying in Pittsburgh, what team is going to end up in Kansas City? There is more and more talk about Nashville making the move. Any thoughts?

[Thrillhouse]

So now that the Penguins are staying in Pittsburgh, what team is going to end up in Kansas City? There is more and more talk about Nashville making the move. Any thoughts?

I know Nashville has had struggles with attendance so I think they would be the likely candidate. Possibly Florida if not the predators. Kansas City has a nice new arena, but do they really need an NHL team? Could they support a team and sell out five years down the road if their team isn't that great?

I'd love to see a team or two in Canada or Hartford.

[dgreco]

I know Nashville has had struggles with attendance so I think they would be the likely candidate. Possibly Florida if not the predators. Kansas City has a nice new arena, but do they really need an NHL team? Could they support a team and sell out five years down the road if their team isn't that great?

I'd love to see a team or two in Canada or Hartford.

I agree I rather see a florida team move to hartford or canada before KC. I would almost say get a basketball team in KC instead since they have the nice facility. Myabe NBA 2 team expansion? LV and KC?

[MadVlad]

Well, here's some thoughts on this: The Hartford Civic Center, as of Thursday, will now be run by a gentleman that is looking to build a new arena and bring a team to the city of Hartford. The current Civic Center and possibly any new arena that would eventually be needed will be run by AEG, owned by Phil Anschutz, owner of the LA Kings/Lakers. They also run (own?) the new arena in KC. In my mind, it would be awesome for Anschutz to use his leverage as a current NBA/NHL owner to get an NBA team for KC and an NHL team for Hartford.

[eastsider]

I started following hockey when Columbus got the Blue Jackets. I know they aren't doing all that well again as usual, and they've yet to put a truly good season together, though we thought their first season was actually pretty good for an expansion team. I wonder what it will take to make them a contender for the playoffs at least. I haven't heard how their attendance is doing this season, but their first several seasons were all sell outs no matter the record, and many long time NHL fans that I met when attending games at Nationwide Arena thought it was one of the best arena's in the NHL. I even had a Red Wings fan tell me that. It is getting to the time of the year that I will really follow it pretty closely as opposed to from afar. Once March Madness ends and my Buckeyes win a National Title on the hardwood, I'll get into full hockey mode, especially since I can't stand the NBA or should I call it the National Thug Association.

Interesting that you call the NBA the thug league considering the incidents that have taken place in the NHL this season.

[nashvillwill]

The Nashville Predators will not be moving. Alot of talk came about because the team expressed interest in taking advantage of an attendance clause in their contract. If average paid attendance doesn't exceed 14k for a season (which has happened), the team can ask the city to purchase the difference for the next season. only after the following season of below 14k attendance can the team consider relocation. at that point the team would still have to pay roughly 50 million to break the contract.

Sorry KC, the Preds are staying just where they are.

[MadVlad]

The Nashville Predators will not be moving. Alot of talk came about because the team expressed interest in taking advantage of an attendance clause in their contract. If average paid attendance doesn't exceed 14k for a season (which has happened), the team can ask the city to purchase the difference for the next season. only after the following season of below 14k attendance can the team consider relocation. at that point the team would still have to pay roughly 50 million to break the contract.

Sorry KC, the Preds are staying just where they are.

Just so you know, the Whalers paid $20 Mill 10 years ago to get out of Hartford. $50 mill at this time could be do-able, not that I'm saying it will be done. Also, those payments aren't usually bulk payments. The Whalers pay $1 Mill a year for 20 years. A team moving now could, in theory, pay $2.5 Mill over 20 years.

[dgreco]

Anyone watching the Frozen four?

[Thrillhouse]

Anyone watching the Frozen four?

Yeah, Michigan got put out by ND in the first round. It pisses me off that the fourth best team in the CCHA got put in a region that played an hour east of their main campus and happened to make it to the frozen four. Can you tell I'm a little bitter?

North Dakota should win it all provided that their goalie only play average or just good enough to not blow what the rest of their team has done in the 2nd half of this season.