The Official 2008-09 NHL Season Discussion Thread

Post by **archibalduk** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:07 pm

The Bruins just keep on winning at the moment. I think they're something like 13-1-1 in the last 15 games. I only saw the highlights from yesterday's game at the Habs, but it looked a lot closer than our 6-1 demolition of them a week ago. Did anybody see Lucic fight Komisarek in that game? He gave pretty much humiliated him!

I'm a really big fan of Lucic (I know Batdad is, too) - he's great in front of goal and he has a very big physical presence. Wheeler and Krejci are two other young Bruins I'm a big fan of.

I watched the Rags-Sens game yesterday night. The Rags weren't really up to much - a very different performance to when they beat the Bruins last week (I felt the Bruins perhaps were the better team for most of that game and deserved to have won). The Rangers' two game losing streak means the B's are now top of the Conference with two games in hand.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:09 pm

Was the retirement ceremony for Patrick Roy's jersey number last night? Watched the OT and shootout and noticed that the Habs players had a #33 patch on their jerseys.

As for Lucic, isn't he sort of a late bloomer?
Obviously not a late bloomer in the mold of Franzén or Huet but still someone that obviously didn't shine as a junior.

Post by **joehelmer** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:47 pm

Yeah, I think they said on Canal+ that he's jersey was going to retired.

I watched the third period of Senators vs. Rangers, and Rangers played very bad, only two players was good in Rangers, Valiquette and Dubinsky.
But it was nice to see two swedish players score goals.

Post by **archibalduk** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:55 pm

There was an interview with Roy during an intermission in the Sens v Rangers game about his number being retired. I didn't catch whether it was being retired that night but it'd probably be fair to assume that.

Yeah the Rangers were really poor. Ruutu started to get somewhat annoying last night. He kept winding people up with niggly little things. Then when one of the NYR players drops his gloves, Ruutu ignores him. It annoys me when people talk the talk but don't walk the walk, if you know what I mean.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:57 pm

Milan Lucic was a very late bloomer Franck. At 16, he could barely skate, and the Vancouver Giants Junior team needed a goon. He played 1 game for the Giants. At 17 Lucic got the call and fought anything that moved that was not wearing a Giant jersey. That year he played about 4-10 minutes a game and got 5 minutes in penalties or more. Then the next year, played a little more, and skated a little better. He went nutso and played great.

This was his draft year for the NHL. He was so good Boston took him in round 2. Then he was to captain the Giants as an 18 year old, and played on the junior national team in the U-18 summer championship. He was outstanding He was awesome in the mem Cup as well before the NHL draft and won MVP of it. Then...he made the Bruins and things have continued uphill for him. He is an amazing success story, but still not as crazy as Alexander Burrows.

Post by **joehelmer** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:59 pm

Yeah, I thought Ruutu was annoying too, but the swedish commentators said that they think that he was good and that he was doing his job.

I can really see him get a big hit in some match, hopefully he won't be like that then.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:10 pm

Ruutu starting to get annoying? That guy has been annoying his entire life. Same as Matt "I don't fight because it makes the other team even madder when I won't drop the gloves after I cheap shot someone" Cooke. At least every once in awhile Jarkku will drop the gloves, and when he does he does not get pummeled. Unlike Cooke, who gets beat up by guys like Lukas Krajicek

Post by **getzlaf15** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:48 pm

batdad wrote:He is an amazing success story, but still not as crazy as Alexander Burrows.

What is Burrows' story? Don't think i have heard it before.

As for Roy, his jersey was deservedly retired by the Habs.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:06 pm

Undrafted into the NHL...played ball hockey. Won a national championship. A scout asked him if he skated. Yep. Got a deal in the ECHL. Played there for 2 seasons with 2 teams. Someone (not sure who) told Manitoba Moose GM Craig Heisinger to come see him play. Craig liked what he saw, and signed him to a PTO (pro tryout). Played 2 games with the Moose. Back to ECHL for a bit, and then the Moose signed him for the next season. Canucks saw and liked it. Called him up with Crow as coach. Played a bit...went back to the Moose. Called up again, and since then has never left.

Started as a plugger, 4th line a few minutes. Became a disturber (Cooke, Ruutu style, yet would fight). IN year 2 with Nucks in about his 10th game scored a beauty goal against Calgary. Eventually with injuries moved up to 3rd line. Started being a great checker with Kesler. Now...he keeps getting better and better.

Talk about a late bloomer...dude was 24 or 25 when he played his first game in the NHL. Now he is 2nd on the Canucks in goals, and is playing on the checking line and noone can stop him and Kesler right now. Or should I say, noone can get past him and Kesler.

Burrows is the reason alot of pluggers keep at it in the ECHL. They say if he can do it, so can I. This is great, except Burrows has a ton...and I mean a ton of skill and desire. For god sakes he is 27 almost 28 and his skating is still getting better at an incredible rate. And he brings more and more skill to the game. Noone else (and no NHL scout, coach or player will say differently) is improving as much as Burrows at this age. It is unreal.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:36 pm

It's kind of like Tim Thomas for the Bruins. The guy didn't make it to the NHL until he was in his 30's. Now he's been playing like one of the best goalies in the league.

Post by **archibalduk** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:21 pm

Aye Tim Thomas has been awesome recently. I'm backing NESN's commentators' campaign to get him into the All Star ballot! Duncan Keith (CHI) is another player worthy of all-star fame, in my opinion.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:26 pm

All of the fans around here (and the media too) were pretty upset that Thomas wasn't even on the ASG ballot. It had more than earned the right to be on the ballot.

Post by **joehelmer** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:18 pm

Start a campaign as they did in Vancouver for Fitzpatrick two years ago, but this time it is a player who deserves it and not as a protest.

I remember when Thomas played in Sweden in 2000/2001, he was very good, the pnly bad thing about his time here was that he played for Djurgården's main rivals AIK.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:52 pm

Meh...Timmy is good for 10 games, then horrid for 10.

Plus no way anyone catches up. Look at the West team...all Dead Things.

Look at the East team...all Habs. I get the Hab ballot stuffing being that they are 100 years old this season, but not a big fan of the dead thing stuffing. Although..Zett, Datsyuk and Lidstrom all deserve to be there, I am sure there must be a better C than Dats in the West...right?

The Hutch · Post by **The Hutch** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:05 pm

Patrick Roy had #33 retired in a nice ceremony, and the Maple Leafs honoured Wendel Clark's #17 on the same night. Both teams went on to lose, d'oh!

mark_htfc · Post by **mark_htfc** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:13 pm

Bruins are on fire this term, I can easily see them taking this Conference and if they can keep it up they have a great chance with taking the Stanley's.

Come on Bruins.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:18 pm

^^^ Now that is a bit over the top. One might suggest jumping the shark there. Or the Red Wing. Um...Boston is good, but well...Detroit and San Jose, and MOntreal in their 100th season...nothing gonna stop one of those three, save maybe Crosby or Ovechkin or Brodeur when he comes back rested and healthy. Sure won't be Boston. No way, no how.

Post by **archibalduk** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:27 pm

I agree - the B's are off to a fantastic start but there's still a long way to go. I think they should make the playoffs but I'm not sure they quite have the depth and quality that the likes of San Jose. Sure the Bruins have some great players but I don't know whether they have sufficient quality depth players to survive the intensity of the playoffs.

Post by **getzlaf15** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:29 am

My money is on the Sharks. The additions over the summer has probably made them favourites. The improvements of Blake and Boyle on the blue line is just what the sharks needed. Plus, guys are stepping up all over the place for them. Like Clowe, Vlasic, Erhoff! and of course Setoguchi. They just need to perform in the playoffs. Which JT apparently doesn't do.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:51 am

batdad wrote:Undrafted into the NHL...played ball hockey. Won a national championship. A scout asked him if he skated. Yep. Got a deal in the ECHL. Played there for 2 seasons with 2 teams. Someone (not sure who) told Manitoba Moose GM Craig Heisinger to come see him play. Craig liked what he saw, and signed him to a PTO (pro tryout). Played 2 games with the Moose. Back to ECHL for a bit, and then the Moose signed him for the next season. Canucks saw and liked it. Called him up with Crow as coach. Played a bit...went back to the Moose. Called up again, and since then has never left.

Started as a plugger, 4th line a few minutes. Became a disturber (Cooke, Ruutu style, yet would fight). IN year 2 with Nucks in about his 10th game scored a beauty goal against Calgary. Eventually with injuries moved up to 3rd line. Started being a great checker with Kesler. Now...he keeps getting better and better.

Talk about a late bloomer...dude was 24 or 25 when he played his first game in the NHL. Now he is 2nd on the Canucks in goals, and is playing on the checking line and noone can stop him and Kesler right now. Or should I say, noone can get past him and Kesler.

Burrows is the reason alot of pluggers keep at it in the ECHL. They say if he can do it, so can I. This is great, except Burrows has a ton...and I mean a ton of skill and desire. For god sakes he is 27 almost 28 and his skating is still getting better at an incredible rate. And he brings more and more skill to the game. Noone else (and no NHL scout, coach or player will say differently) is improving as much as Burrows at this age. It is unreal.

What a story.

Makes me regret that I quit hockey so early due to my poor skating.

bruins72 wrote:It's kind of like Tim Thomas for the Bruins. The guy didn't make it to the NHL until he was in his 30's. Now he's been playing like one of the best goalies in the league.

Thomas is alot more like Huet than he is like Burrows.
I remember watching him play for AIK many years ago and he was pretty good for them, I think he left for Finland after that and was one of the best goalies in their league before a scout obviously noted his talent.

And speaking of Thomas, what's up with his mask? It looks wierd.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:50 pm

batdad wrote:Meh...Timmy is good for 10 games, then horrid for 10.

I really can't recall Tim Thomas having a run of 10 "horrid" games. He's been one of the more solid and consistent parts of the Bruins for the last 2 or 3 years now. Are you sure you're not thinking of someone else?

selne · Post by **selne** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:24 pm

Have you guys seen Shea Weber's stats??
20 Games 10 Goals 11 Assists for 21 Points and +/- 10.

The 10 goals are remarkable. Pretty good numbers for Nashville's new franchise forward!

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:16 pm

Forward? Isn't Weber a d-man?

Post by **batdad** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:26 pm

The reason you don't recall it B72...is because after he has one bad one..his next 7 bad ones are on the bench watching Fernandez....

But he is definitely inconsistent. So far this season...not so. But mah still not that good.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:54 pm

batdad wrote:The reason you don't recall it B72...is because after he has one bad one..his next 7 bad ones are on the bench watching Fernandez.... But he is definitely inconsistent. So far this season...not so. But mah still not that good.

Try again. Fernandez didn't play last season (other than a handful of games... 4 to be exact). He was out injured. Alex Auld backed up Thomas last season. Thomas played 57 games last season with a 2.44GAA and 66 games the season before that with a 3.13GAA. While those seasons weren't as stellar as his current season, they're not "horrid". This season Fernandez has had a hard time getting starts because Thomas has been that good. Manny has a 5-1-1 record, a .910 SV%, and a 2.55GAA and he's definitely the backup. Thomas is 9-2-3 with a .944 SV% and a 1.80 GAA. Sure, Thomas has had some bad games over the past few seasons but I've never seem him hit stretches of bad play and he hasn't had any time to ride the pine. He's clearly carried the bulk of the load for the team.