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    The "It's Time For a New NHL Thread" thread

    Because the old one has been around for a few seasons

    How do you feel about your club's prospects this year?

    Canucks are a big question mark. They started off so poorly in the accelerated competition last time round there was never any real hope they'd recover, and they didn't. This year looks a bit better. They've made a lot of changes, mainly on defence and the bottom two lines up front. There's a lot riding on it working. The playoffs are the absolute baseline, if they don't happen we will almost certainly say goodbye to Travis Green and possibly Jim Benning too. We need to look good out of the gate, otherwise local support will turn sour very quickly.

    #2
    I am quite afraid that Vancouver will luck into the playoffs as an eight seed, lose in the first round, and not clean house again

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      #3
      It's true, that might be the least desirable eventuality.

      If it's down to one thing it's that Benning has staked his reputation on Oliver Ekman-Larsson becoming the defenceman he used to be. He's Loui Eriksson Mk 2, or could be if it doesn't work out, and no GM can survive two of those high-priced screw-ups.
      Last edited by Amor de Cosmos; 13-10-2021, 22:31.

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        #4
        GM of a Canadian NHL team provides a lot more job security than it should.

        I’m most interested in the Lightning and Wild.

        I think the Lightning will finish second or third in the division but still challenge for the Cup, barring no injury problems.

        I think the Wild will make the playoffs, but aren’t good enough to win a cup before the cap issues related to the Suter and Parise buyouts kick in. That was the right move, however.

        For Canada’s sake, I hope the Leafs can get out of the first round someday and I hope the Sens find a way to stay in Ottawa.

        I don’t care about Arizona.

        #freejackeich

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          #5
          I realise that it is completely quixotic, but I think that the single best thing the Wild could do would be to rebrand as the North Stars

          I also think that your expectations for those two clubs are spot on and that all of the Canadian teams are going to struggle without an all- Canadian division.

          It does my head in that the State of Florida has two teams that are likely better than any in Canada.

          Comment


            #6
            They should stay as the Wild. The North Stars and Norm Green betrayed them. Or maybe change their name to the Millers. The Millers were the name of their hockey team and baseball teams back when.

            It’s easier to get free agents to come to a place where they pay no income tax and won’t be very famous, but also because the Florida teams have to be good to draw fans.

            Toronto and Edmonton will be good in the regular season and Winnipeg could do well. Ottawa and Vancouver will do better. The Habs may have a lot of issues. Calgary is a mystery.

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              #7
              Do the Twin Cities still have any flour mills?

              Buffalo still has one and a cereal factory.

              The NHL would be much richer visually if the crests and colours of the North Stars, Whalers and Nordiques were still in the league.
              Last edited by ursus arctos; 14-10-2021, 01:54.

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                #8
                They have a mill museum and General Mills is based there, but I don’t know how many actual mills are left.

                l like the Wild’s colors a lot, but a lot of people who commented on The Hockey Guy’s jersey Countdown really like the North Stars colors. It seems that there’s a lot of interest in brighter colors, although I prefer the saturated colors that become more popular about 20 years ago.

                The Nordiques are one of my favorite looks ever. As a young kid, I thought Nordique meant elephant, because the N logo looks like an elephant. But before they left, they were going to switch to a husky dog as their mascot and logo.

                The Whalers is an all time great logo design.

                I can’t imagine a circumstance where Hartford could get an NHL team again. It’s just not a very big city and it’s hemmed in by three other teams’ territories. On the other hand, there is a lot of money in Connecticut and they might like a major pro team of their own.

                They did almost get the Patriots, though. Somehow that chapter of NFL history is mostly forgotten.

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                  #9
                  The Malt O'Meal factory is in Northfield, 45 minutes south of the Twin Cities.

                  I can't see the Sharks doing much of anything, it was iffy before and then the Kane situation means that probably the best outlook for this year is finding takers for our aging stars and trying to accelerate a rebuild.

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                    #10
                    The first is a fact of which knowledge is seemingly necessary for any graduate of Carleton or St Olaf

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                      #11
                      It's. Showtime.

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                        #12
                        All three teams in California aren’t likely to do much but the Kings are supposed to be making progress and the Ducks may be in it for Eichel, allegedly.

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                          #13
                          Bruins are stuck in that horrible position of not being good enough to win the Cup and being far too good to miss the playoffs. Unless the goaltending takes a complete nosedive.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            The Bruins are a popular pick for "team that falls off a bit this year."

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Slavia Praha 1 Poruba 5
                              1. Liga
                              Zimni stadion Eden


                              My first taste of mainland European hockey and while the Czech second tier, a small (if atmospheric) Soviet-era arena and a crowd of around 700 may not seem auspicious, we really enjoyed it.

                              Slavia have clearly fallen on hard times with relegation and Sparta dominating the sport in the city from their former home, the 02 Arena.

                              They're now back in their original rudimentary rink and former training ice. One fantastic feature it does have though is a massive concrete terrace, complete with crash barriers, along one side. Sadly the crowd on it is sparse but includes some enthusiastic ultras.

                              Slavia started the game higher up the table but our more knowledgeable hockey friend predicted they would get a sound beating from Poruba and so it turned out. The one home goal was a consolation in the third period when they were already 0-4 down.

                              I'm not quite sure exactly what has gone on to bring Slavia to a low ebb but I'd like to see them turn it around - they seem a decent club.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                I think that was happened to Slavia is that they missed out when new money owners came into the sport and completely changed its economics and traditional structures.

                                There is also the increased drain of players to North America, the KHL and elsewhere, not to mention the whole Ill-advised Lev Praha adventure in the KHL.

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                                  #17
                                  So at the moment, Detroit are leading the Lightning and the Sabres are 2-0 up on Montréal

                                  They all know these games count, eh?

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                    So at the moment, Detroit are leading the Lightning and the Sabres are 2-0 up on Montréal

                                    They all know these games count, eh?
                                    Not clear if the do.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Lightning scored 3 in the last 6 minutes and won in OT.

                                      Noted anti-vaxxer Bertuzzi scored 4 for Detroit. Glad they lost.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        But they're currently beating my Nux. Things we've learned so far about the new season, Halak has seriously lost his bottle, not half the goalie he used to be. Garland's a fiesty little hobbit. We need some of that.

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                                          #21
                                          It would seem my relocation means I will be able to start attending a few hockey and basketball games. I am relatively well located for them, have ins for pre-sale tickets because of work AND both teams kind of blow so it won’t be hard anyway.

                                          I will have an overpriced, racist hockey jersey within months. I can sense it.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                            Slavia Praha 1 Poruba 5
                                            1. Liga
                                            Zimni stadion Eden


                                            My first taste of mainland European hockey and while the Czech second tier, a small (if atmospheric) Soviet-era arena and a crowd of around 700 may not seem auspicious, we really enjoyed it.

                                            Slavia have clearly fallen on hard times with relegation and Sparta dominating the sport in the city from their former home, the 02 Arena.

                                            They're now back in their original rudimentary rink and former training ice. One fantastic feature it does have though is a massive concrete terrace, complete with crash barriers, along one side. Sadly the crowd on it is sparse but includes some enthusiastic ultras.

                                            Slavia started the game higher up the table but our more knowledgeable hockey friend predicted they would get a sound beating from Poruba and so it turned out. The one home goal was a consolation in the third period when they were already 0-4 down.

                                            I'm not quite sure exactly what has gone on to bring Slavia to a low ebb but I'd like to see them turn it around - they seem a decent club.

                                            I went to see Slavia v Kladno in the O2 about a decade ago and it did feel pretty soulless and 2/3 empty - think you got the better experience back in the old arena, RdG.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1450218699743547394?s=20

                                              Counterfeit vaccination card.

                                              The man needs serious help.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                It takes effort to go that far off the rails.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Meanwhile Canuck's Travis Hamonic has been placed on a mysterious "temporary leave of absence."

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