Official 13-14 NHL Regular Season Thread

[CeeBee]

The league has changed as well. There are no easy games anymore. Sure, there are the occasional blowout but most games are very close right to the end and any team can realistically win on any night. Plus, every team has good or great goaltenders. Back in the 70,s-90,s you had expansion teams, way more naff teams, way less top notch goalies , poorer conditioning by many players, smaller and less effective equipment(skates, goalie pads etc.) Also a different points structure with probably 40%(?)or games being 3 point games which makes the standings much tighter and the pressure much higher.Much of the pressure falls on the goalies and d-men. One giveaway, a one goal loss( like the CHI-VAN game last night) and it's t*ts up. Canucks may not make the playoffs yet they played as good or better than Chicago except for a 9 second lapse. Times have changed and the pressure keeps building. Oh yeah, there's also tons more money involved and that adds pressure too. Probably more reasons as well but I'm outta gas and scared to make a turnover

[philou21]

Just yesterday 6 games finished with a one goal difference.

[philou21]

So what de you guys think about that law suit against the NHL?

[batdad]

Not at all a surprise. And all the media outlets and people saying...how are they going to prove this stuff happened in the NHL? and how are they going to show the NHL is responsible for this stuff? Well...I have this to say.

The NHL players are not the only ones who have played their sport since they were 5. So did the NFL players and how much did they get? I have heard two media members suggest that this could be a defense for the NHL...well it happened in junior or in atom or peewee. LOL. Same for the NFL guys in college or high school or pop warner. USeless rationale Doug Maclean and whoever the other guy was.

The game itself is the cause of these issues. Sure the guys that play it now...today...know of the risks...but back in the day ....NOONE knew what the heck a concussion was. the stuff you hear about how the management, owners and coaches did not knowingly put guys back on the ice is true (and the doctors) for the most part...with some out there who were crazy and did make guys go back out (which is why this lawsuit will be won by the players), but for the most part, the players chose to go back out themselves. They were not stopped from doing so because NOONE had the info medically. Owners, doctors, players, coaches, managers. Not one person. So back out they went.

Later in the 80s with guys like VAive and Leeman..they did have the info. Just not enough of it. Just the beginnings of the knowledge. In fact, we are still in the beginning stage today. We still do not know enough about Brain injury.

Secondly....I see this possibly making a real mess of junior hockey in CAnada, college and high school hockey in the USA and in the amateur programs everywhere. This is going to go further than just the NHL players suing. And the NHL players will win, and the JUNIOR and all UNDERAGE of majority players will win something as well when it comes.

Hockey is going to have to pay up.

[CJ]

Did you guys see the Thornton/Orpik incident? I hope Oprik will be ok! It was a very dirty game.

[MWE]

A proper goal

[philou21]

What Thornton did is a pure act of cowardice. I always thought he was a good and fair fighter but I've changed my mind. He was probably too scare to take him face to face.

MWE how does it feel do be excited 1 time per hockey season?

[MWE]

He has 2 this season

[philou21]

[CJ]

And Neal did a knee to the head hit on Marchand before that. He should be suspended for that imo.

[philou21]

I heard about it but didn't see it. Him and Thornton should be suspended. They will both get 2-3 games probably but Thornton deserves a good 10 and Neal a 5 maybe.

[Primis]

Rinaldo did something pretty awful as well. Similar to what Thornton did, but since it wasn't BOS-PIT it's going under the radar because it "only" happened to DAL and not an east coast or Canadian team. If you ever wanted a clear case of league bias to the east coast, this situation is absolutely it.

[coombs14]

Rinaldo did something pretty awful as well. Similar to what Thornton did, but since it wasn't BOS-PIT it's going under the radar because it "only" happened to DAL and not an east coast or Canadian team. If you ever wanted a clear case of league bias to the east coast, this situation is absolutely it.

Rinaldo is probably the only person happy that Thornton and Neal decided to do very dangerous things as nobody is talking about his actions.

[batdad]

Thornton was crying after the game about how stupid he was. Lost his rubbish. He is one of the few truly honest players in the NHL and he made a really really dumb play. He is going to be punished harshly for it, and he knows he deserves it.

Neal shot was brutal as well. I have not seen Rinaldo as of yet so cannot comment. But yeah, the league totally does tend to avoid dealing with things that happen to western teams. Unless of course...someone on the idiot team in my city does something stupid to a player on another Western team...any western team.

[CJ]

Here's what Rinaldo did. Really, really ¤/%"#! stupid aswell.

[coombs14]

Thornton was crying after the game about how stupid he was. Lost his rubbish. He is one of the few truly honest players in the NHL and he made a really really dumb play. He is going to be punished harshly for it, and he knows he deserves it. .

As a Habs fan I really cannot believe that there are any decent humans on the Boston Bruins with the exception of Iginla.... However...

I did see the Thornton interview. I think you are right, he just lost it for a second and made a very bad decision in that moment. In many ways I think that James Neal's play was as bad. He is just lucky that Marchant didn't get taken off the ice on a stretcher.

[philou21]

Nice brain cramp from Rinaldo.

[CJ]

So Chicago's first goalie now is Antti Raanta. (Crawford and Khabi injured) Raanta: Sv%. 922 & 2.16 GAA in 5 games. Doing good so far.

Is there an explanation to why the save percentage is .922 in US, instead of imo more logic 92,2%?

[batdad]

Because Americans like batting averages....so we Canadians let them have them.

[Primis]

So Chicago's first goalie now is Antti Raanta. (Crawford and Khabi injured) Raanta: Sv%. 922 & 2.16 GAA in 5 games. Doing good so far.

Is there an explanation to why the save percentage is .922 in US, instead of imo more logic 92,2%?

I believe the logic is that if you're going to have tenths of a percent involved, you may as well just go the .XXX route for the sake of formatting.

I'm betting newspapers and typesetting had something to do with it, in terms of formatting.

[typicaljs]

So Chicago's first goalie now is Antti Raanta. (Crawford and Khabi injured) Raanta: Sv%. 922 & 2.16 GAA in 5 games. Doing good so far.

Is there an explanation to why the save percentage is .922 in US, instead of imo more logic 92,2%?

I believe the logic is that if you're going to have tenths of a percent involved, you may as well just go the .XXX route for the sake of formatting.

I'm betting newspapers and typesetting had something to do with it, in terms of formatting.

I think this is pretty spot on

Basically, it would be really weird for the top 5 to all be like 92.1 92.3 92.4... plus .932 just looks nicer IMO. and my opinion is what the NHL goes off of.

Honestly, result aside....what Thornton did once Orpik was on the ice didn't really look that bad. Not trying to defend what he did at all, but when I look at the video...I just don't see what happened. I imagine he got hurt from the slew foot, which should be the issue...I think the visuals of him "roughing up" Orpik down on the ice followed by him needing a stretcher afterwards is what made this such a huge topic. If it wasn't for this all the attention would rightfully be on Neal.

Puck Daddy made a really good argument today about how they're going to throw the book at Thornton because he's one of those 4th line guys. However, Neal's play is infinitely worse imo, and not only that, Neal didn't seem all that concerned with his play after the fact. Neal is a repeat offender that was clearly looking to hurt people last year. literally throws his knee into a guys head, intentionally, and only gets 5 games? If Raffi Torres did that he would never step on the ice again. I don't get it.

[philou21]

Star players gives money to the league. That's simple. I'm still surprised he got as much as 5 games.

[batdad]

LOL. THe league throwing the book at a Boston Bruin player...when has that EVER happened? The Bruins are a special team to the league and for years have been able to get away with everything short of murder. This does not mean I hate the Bs. IN fact as many of you know...one of my faves is on that team.

But the appearance of the favoritism towards Boston has been there for years, and it DID cost Colin Campbell his job that Shanahan now has.

The arrogance of the coach and the GM of that team is now starting to show in hatred from other GMs around the league. The players on ice behaviour is now starting to finally irk many of the teams (Toronto has issues, Pittsburgh has issues, the Rangers have issues, Montreal always has issues,and it is not just "whiny" Vancouver fans any more. People around the league are waking up to the fact that Boston is a bit of an issue in terms of the way they play the game, and that they are HATED for more than just winning. However..the hatred is overdone because of exactly that...the winning.

So....Thornton is likely going to be the message maker for sure.And it does have a little to do with him not being Milan Lucic, David Krecji or a top level dman in Boston like Chara....BUT IT IS NOT ALL BECAUSE he is a fourth line grinder guy. It is also because the league has to now step up and show they are not ALWAYS giving the benefit of the doubt to Jeremy Jacobs, Peter Ciarelli, Claude Julien and that player who is the son of the former VP of DIscipline.

[Primis]

No, it's still a lot of whiny Vancouver fans.

[batdad]

LOL. Yeah there are still quite a few.

But...it is now fully understood by many that they had a bit of a point whining about the Bruins.