NHL 2016-17

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by headhawg

Hawks/Wild. Worst replay call in the history of replays. Parise is 6 inches offside and they call it "inconclusive". Replay is stupid in all sports because zebras still can't get it right.

Do away with the blue line replay. Last night the refs took over 9 minutes to decide whether it was offside or not.
Goal replays looking for goalie interference are okay in my books.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by HoofedInTheChest

The Canadian Hockey League is the subject of a lawsuit from former players who say they are owed backpay from their time in the league; looking for hourly wages versus the weekly stipend and education packages they were given as players.

If successful, several Junior teams may fold.
Should the Juniors earn more? Likely yes.
But hourly wages?
Would an owner have to pay 21 players travel time per hour as they move between Brandon and Kelowna out West on buses. Then home again?
Some teams just won't be able to afford it.

[HoofedInTheChest]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

If successful, several Junior teams may fold.
Should the Juniors earn more? Likely yes.
But hourly wages?
Would an owner have to pay 21 players travel time per hour as they move between Brandon and Kelowna out West on buses. Then home again?
Some teams just won't be able to afford it.

How certain are you that they can’t afford it? Have you seen their books?

These teams have been cooking the books for ages, how is it that they can lose $200K a season (supposedly), and turn around and sell the team for $10 Million?

Do you think it’s right that you can make more money working at McDonalds than you can playing junior hockey?

I agree that there are certain teams that might be losing money, but there are teams like the London Knights who profit $4 Million a season, how do you justify paying the players $75 a week?

I was not aware that the NHL was pumping in millions of dollars into junior hockey, and it appears as though David Branch did not want that going public. Nor was i aware that players that were still eligible to play junior hockey were being subsidised by NHL teams, your Edmonton Oilers are still paying Erie for Connor McDavid.

This kind of sh*t has been going on since 1917, NHL owners took advantage of the players for decades until the players finally stood up for themselves and started the PA.

Revenue sharing is the only logical answer.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by HoofedInTheChest

Do you think it’s right that you can make more money working at McDonalds than you can playing junior hockey?

Do you think that Junior players don't know that? They are the authors of their destiny,,,as we all are.
If they want to work at McDonalds they can.
But for every one who chooses that option, there are 10 who will gladly take their places.
They are betting that someday they will make a Pro league, preferably the NHL. Most won't.
The Edmonton Oil Kings used to pay for their post-secondary schooling and their billeting in local homes.
Obviously giving them $75 a week is pretty shabby.
But there are some teams where the Owners are not getting rich and the team would have to fold.

[HoofedInTheChest]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Do you think that Junior players don't know that? They are the authors of their destiny,,,as we all are.
If they want to work at McDonalds they can.
But for every one who chooses that option, there are 10 who will gladly take their places.
They are betting that someday they will make a Pro league, preferably the NHL. Most won't.
The Edmonton Oil Kings used to pay for their post-secondary schooling and their billeting in local homes.
Obviously giving them $75 a week is pretty shabby.
But there are some teams where the Owners are not getting rich and the team would have to fold.

Just like the NHL, there are teams that will fail and be relocated. Does that mean the players in the NHL should be paid like slaves?

Do you really expect me to feel sorry for a team like the Flint Firebirds? They have an absolute simpleton running the team, if he loses his shirt on his investment then he has no one to blame but himself, the players don’t deserve to pay a price for a badly run team.

The question that should be asked, does the CHL turn a profit as a whole? If the answer is yes, then pay these kids a decent wage, most of them will never see a dollar from pro hockey.

[Greyfox]

The players should be paid a decent wage, but not by the hour.
As you said, Revenue Sharing might solve the issue.
But having to pay back former players? I have me doobts.

[Track Collector]

Originally Posted by MutuelClerk

My point was the Caps usually do well in the regular season. Then not so great in the playoffs.

Yes, the CAPS always worry their fans when it comes to the playoffs.

They are playing VERY well, and it only stands to reason that there will be some type of regression sometime in the future.

One thing that is different this year is that a lot of different players are stepping up and scoring goals this year. In previous years if you shut down AO with double teams, etc., the CAPS had little else to counter with. The CAPS also have a very good backup goaltender which will allow them to rest and not overwork Holtby.

Hopefully I'm not back here in this thread later lamenting about a 1st-round playoff exit.

[cj]

Another butt kicking by the Caps, this time with the Red Wings as the victim.

[MutuelClerk]

Originally Posted by HoofedInTheChest

Do you really expect me to feel sorry for a team like the Flint Firebirds? They have an absolute simpleton running the team, if he loses his shirt on his investment then he has no one to blame but himself, the players don’t deserve to pay a price for a badly run team.

100% agree. Especially when it comes to the Firebirds. I used to watch a ton of Plymouth Whaler games. When they moved to Flint it really pissed me off. The only positive is my brother lives in Flint so we usually catch at least one game per season now. The Whalers were replaced by the Team USA National Development Program. It's good seeing a solid Team USA but the competition isn't great. I miss seeing London visit, hearing the cowbells of Windsor Spits, and seeing future high picks come in to play. The Whalers probably averaged about 2500 fans. I wonder if Karmonos really was losing money.

[MutuelClerk]

Originally Posted by cj

Another butt kicking by the Caps, this time with the Red Wings as the victim.

I heard the great 8 didn't have a shot on goal. That's odd. Congrats on the February win. We had another OT loss.

[cj]

Originally Posted by MutuelClerk

I heard the great 8 didn't have a shot on goal. That's odd. Congrats on the February win. We had another OT loss.

That I is one reason I'm more optimistic than usual. Ovi had been blanked in many of these high goal scoring games. That rarely happened the last few years.

At least it was a point for you guys. They could come in handy later on.

[HoofedInTheChest]

Balanced scoring is paramount when it comes to a Cup run, teams might be able to shut down one line, maybe two lines, but if you can get production from your 3rd and 4th lines as well as your defence, then you’re pretty much unstoppable.

T.J. Oshie has hands of gold!

I had a quick peek at the Caps previous regular seasons and their playoff results, and there was one glowing stat that stood out. Washington’s “goals per game” decreases significantly in the playoffs, there could be many reasons for that, but i suspect a lack of balanced scoring could be the problem, that or your big guns are clamming up in the playoffs.

It goes without saying that the Caps are the best defensive team in the league this season..... we know what that means.

I think the biggest obstacle for the Caps getting out of the Eastern Conference are the Pens, i compared both teams goal production by position, you can read into it anyway you want, but Cups are won and lost up the middle (Goaltending/Centreman).

Defence
Caps – 18
Pens – 23

Centre
Caps – 38
Pens – 74

Left Wing
Caps – 61
Pens – 36

Right Wing
Caps – 66
Pens – 49

Goals Per Game
Caps – 3.38
Pens – 3.58

Goals Against Per Game
Caps – 2.12
Pens – 2.84

[HoofedInTheChest]

Balanced you say?

Washington’s 3rd line of Andre Burakovsky, Lars Eller and Brett Connolly have been one of the best 3rd lines in the league since Dec 31, accumulating 40 points in that time frame.

Burakovsky leads the way with 16 points (7-9-16) over the stretch, his points-per-game rate almost doubling from .42 (when he had 13 points in 31 games) to .80.

Eller had just three goals and three assists through the first 33 games of the year; he’s doubled that total since, picking up seven goals and five assists over the last 20.

As for Connolly, he’s tripled his output - he managed just four points (3-1-4) to start the season, appearing in just 20 of the season’s first 34 games. Since then? Not only has he not missed a game since joining Eller and Burakovsky, but he’s piled up eight goals and 12 points over that span.

Together they’ve easily become one of the best “third lines” in the League. In fact, among players averaging 15 minutes or less per game, all three rank in the top 10 in points since the New Year; no other team has more than one player on that list.

[ldiatone]

i still do think goal tending in the playoffs is the most important. in '16 playoffs murray stopped all. in the 09 series Fleury stopped when it counted. in the series when the pens got beat by the flyers, fleury could not stop a beach ball that playoff series. when they lost to boston, Tuukka Rask stopped them cold. just a couple of examples, but in my opinion the goalies are the most important.

[HoofedInTheChest]

Originally Posted by ldiatone

i still do think goal tending in the playoffs is the most important. in '16 playoffs murray stopped all. in the 09 series Fleury stopped when it counted. in the series when the pens got beat by the flyers, fleury could not stop a beach ball that playoff series. when they lost to boston, Tuukka Rask stopped them cold. just a couple of examples, but in my opinion the goalies are the most important.

Did Murray win 73% of the face-offs in the Finals?