The Official 2008-09 NHL Season Discussion Thread

Post by **batdad** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:41 pm

Zetts got hurt before the announcement of the contract. That game vs the Jackets was the night before. Plus I mentioned it above that he got hurt already.

Yzerman · Post by **Yzerman** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:15 pm

1st of all hi everybody I've been downloading your stuffs for a while, but now i ''got the courage'' to sign up=D

As a Red Wings fan, i think this is pretty good resign...
Although the city of Detroit sucks, it's nice to see almost of the guys who played with this team, keeping there or coming back someday, and this factor showed up again on this resign as Zetta could have get like 8/9 in FA.

Hypnotist · Post by **Hypnotist** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:55 pm

Welcome and stop in the Arrivals thread to introduce yourself. The whole key to Detroit's long term success at keeping both players and staff is the Ilitch family. Mr. Ilitch talked about it at the Zetterberg press conference. He genuinely cares for those who work for him. He cares about their families. There are many instances of players and staff saying how much the organization cares and how good to its people it is. One example that I only became aware of fairly recently was Sergei Mnatsakanov (the team masseur who got severely injured along with Konstantinov in the 1997 car crash). In an article about Sergei's son in THN, it was revealed that the Red Wings organization (i.e. the Ilitchs) continued to pay his full salary for 5 years after the accident. With dedication to employees like that (plus the culture of winning in Detroit), is it any wonder that players take huge discounts and even smaller roles to stay and top level staff don't even consider going to other clubs. AGM Jim Nill has had NHL teams begging him to be their next GM, but he has even said that he has no intention of leaving Detroit. The Ilitchs are the pinnacle of what team ownership should be.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:04 pm

That they are richer than Croesus certainly helps too.

Post by **batdad** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:39 pm

Sure does. ANd it is not unique to Detroit to treat players and team employee families well. Just they have had some high profile incidents. There are alot of teams that players are very loyal too, and sign for cheaper to play with. There are some that are not.

And again, it may appear on paper the Zetts signing is a good one, but in reality only time will tell. It could either be good or it could be a nagging issue for the team for 12 years. Only time will tell.

Committing that much to 1 guy for that length of time, the way the economy is right now, (especially in Detroit) may or may not be a good thing. How long will people continue to buy pizzas as the economy worsens. It is like with Starbucks...how long will people continue to pay $5 for a coffee as they take in less and less.

We just don't know...everything is turning upside down. Thankfully for now, everyone I know is doing okay. But who knows...

Post by **Shadd666** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 11:08 pm

With no link with Zett, i'd like to talk about something that highly surprised me when i've seen it a while back...

Look at the following stats line, and tell me who it is:
33 GP, 22-9-1, 2.29 GAA, 92.0 Sv%

Nabokov? Kiprusoff? Luongo? Giguere?
Nope.

Brodeur?
Obviously not as he's injured, but you're getting close...

It's Scott Clemmensen's stats! Yes, the exact same guy who had a minimum of 3.15 GAA and a maximum of 88.9 Sv% since the lockout. And it's not even thanks to the Devils' defense, as they are no longer as defensive as they've used to be...

If anyone have any clue on how he turned from backup at best to those #1 goalie stats, i'd be more than willing to know

Post by **batdad** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 11:58 pm

He's always been good. Just never given a chance to play regularly. Now he has that chance. Oh and BTW---The Devils are still good.

Qikdraw · Post by **Qikdraw** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:33 am

Ok, so whats going on with Kaberle, Bouwmeester and Pronger?

I don't get to watch much hockey, the wife is ok with playoffs, but not regular season, but I caught a game the other night and they were talking about these three moving around. So whats going on? Where do you think they are headed?

Post by **Shadd666** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:36 am

Well, i agree that he has always been good, at least good enough to keep a NHL spot, but those stats aren't just good, they're great! Then yeah, it's the first time in his career he has the possibility to show what he can do, and he's clearly not missing that chance. I was globaly thinking he would turn around 90% and 2.70-2.80 GAA as a starter... But 92% and 2.29 GAA? I would have laughed if someone suggested it (except if this someone was you: i would have heard

). Luckily for him, i was darn wrong.

Oh and what about this Steve Mason phenom? He's been awesome! But isn't he a bit young (20 yo) to be given so much responsabilities in Columbus' net? I mean, okay, he delivers big time so far. But isn't there a risk to hurt his development and see him burn in the upcoming years? He seems poised enough to handle such responsabilities easily and continue to develop, and there's no doubt Ken Hitchcock knows what he's doing, so i'm not too concerned about Mason's case. But i wonder what Hitchcock seen that i didn't and that make him think that playing the kid now won't hurt him later on. (then obviously, he knows Mason zillions times better than i do and see him daily at practice, so he has no difficulty to see more things that me

)

Post by **batdad** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:00 am

Nothing with Kaberle. He is hurt, and he has to ogood a contract. UNless the Loafs get the world offered to him he is not going anywhere.

Bouwmeester--If Florida is in the playoff hunt and they move him for anything short of an already established star...they will have to move in a year for sure. (Not that they won't have to without him)

Pronger--Only goes anywhere if Nieds says he is coming back and Anaheim is clearly not making the playoffs.

Mason--Not only has he been strong, but he is playing with freaking mononucleosis. Although his start last night was not very strong. The Jackets did not think he would be ready. They started him in the minors. Injury to Leclaire and Norrena being horrid necessitated starting him. With CBJ desperately needing to make the playoffs for once, they had to ride the hot hand in Mason. Wonder if that drubbing he took last night from Dallas (Yanked early) will be the start of him coming back to earth. that and the mono. And no, it won't hurt him as long as he continues to play well. If they leave him in and he starts to struggle...it might kill confidence, which for goalies is almost the #1 thing.

And again...New Jersey is good, and Scott took advantage of the first opportunity he has ever had to be a #1 goalie. Noone else has ever given him a shot. Always behind Brodeur or some guy the Loafs thought would be good.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:30 am

This season has been the season where the career back-up goalies step up and perform at high levels it seems.

As for Mason, goalies that break through at a young age have a tendency to burn out quickly once things start going badly for them, I really hope Mason doesn't do a Jim Carey on us and dissapear completely from the world of hockey just a few years after being a top goalie.

Post by **batdad** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:02 am

Like I said, if the Jackets are prepared to get him out and rest and lower expectations for him once he has a couple o'bad ones...then he will be fine. I seem to recall Patty Roy having a bad spell when he was young. Oh, and Kenny D, and .... wait those guys were all Habs. Ick.

Then again, there is Steve Penney.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:24 pm

Manny Fernandez was out with a sore back and the Bruins brought up Tuukka Rask to replace him. Since they had games on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, Rask got the start on Saturday vs the Rangers. The kid looked really good and got a shutout! If Fernandez is out much long and Rask gets some more starts and keeps playing well, I could see Fernandez getting traded to a playoff team out West at the deadline.

Post by **batdad** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:49 pm

Okay...everyone pick up Senators for their pool. The boost has shown up. Hartsburg fired today.

Post by **getzlaf15** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:27 pm

Jonas Hiller looks like hes a lock for the Ducks starter now-a-days, Giguere hasnt started since before the all-star break, and his stats are much better than Giggy.

I'm looking forward to Deadline day, could be a few good deals going through.

Qikdraw · Post by **Qikdraw** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:06 pm

batdad wrote:Nothing with Kaberle. He is hurt, and he has to ogood a contract. UNless the Loafs get the world offered to him he is not going anywhere.

I donno, looking around the net the rumour seems to be he's gonna get traded and Vancouver might be a destination. Although it seems that he will only get traded if another deal like Carter and a 1st rounder come up. But we'll see.

Bouwmeester--If Florida is in the playoff hunt and they move him for anything short of an already established star...they will have to move in a year for sure. (Not that they won't have to without him)

I'm just curious if they are going to move him or let him go UFA. Apparently Montreal is taking a look, as are probably a dozen other teams.

Pronger--Only goes anywhere if Nieds says he is coming back and Anaheim is clearly not making the playoffs.

True, and thats pretty much what I have been reading as well.

How much longer is it to the trade deadline?

Post by **batdad** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:44 pm

Rumours rumours rumours. For every deal there are 2200 rumours. No way does Burke deal with Gillis. I would be shocked.

Deadline MAr 4 I think

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:13 pm

Taken from the Bruins blog at Boston.com

The only other time Milan Lucic played at the Wachovia Center, early last season, he paid the price for one of his aggressive forechecks, stumbling around the goal line and hammering face-first into the rear boards, smashing his nose across the top of the dasher.

''Oh, do I remember it,'' said the hulking left winger, wincing over the memory. ''Blood everywhere that day...and it didn't stop bleeding, either.''

In fact, said the 6-foot-4 Lucic, his nose continued to bleed for the better part of three days after the nasty collision. He opted not to have surgery for the broken nose, and noted, while manipulating it with thumb and index finger, it remains slightly out of line from the nasty collision.

''Not bad....but it's just not right,'' said Lucic.

A legendary snorer, even before he broke his nose, Lucic still rooms alone on roadtrips, while the majority of his teammates share hotel digs. But Lucic was assigned a single room less than two weeks after making the varsity, his roomates complaining that they couldn't sleep because of his thunderous rhinoblasts.

I've never had my snoring be a positive. Good for Lucic! He was able to make something good out of it!

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:46 pm

Seriously, how good is Mike Green?
Strong defence, sets up goals and scores himself for over a point per game.
Leads the league for dmen with 42 points in 39 games and thats after missing a bit more than 10 games with injury.

I can seriously see him taking over after Lidström as the most dominant dman in the league for the next few seasons, something made even more likely when you look at who he plays with.

gibson41 · Post by **gibson41** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:27 pm

So Manny Legace was put on waivers, interesting move by Blues, they could wait another month and unload him for something at the deadline, this way they will just let him go, as he could be certainly picked by several teams...maybe Ottawa if they are willing to fight for playoff...

Post by **getzlaf15** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:47 am

Mike Green is on fire, 7 straight games with goals setting the record. He's my vote for Norris.

Hypnotist · Post by **Hypnotist** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:53 am

getzlaf15 wrote:Mike Green is on fire, 7 straight games with goals setting the record. He's my vote for Norris.

Tied the record. He needs 8 to set a new record

Post by **getzlaf15** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:46 am

Indeed. My bad.

Still my vote for Norris though.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:20 am

Like I said in my last post in this thread, Green has been insane this season.
I really hope he doesn't turn out to be a one-season wonder, the NHL could really use a PPG defenceman again.

Post by **Shadd666** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:29 pm

The Habs continue to go down and down... to a point where it starts to become ridiculous. Just after being erased 6-2 without any opposition in Calgary, they "improved" to a 7-2 loss in Edmonton. 13 goals allowed in 2 games... Is it something in the air in Alberta or is it the Habs? Me think the air is not suspect...