EHM The Blue Line

The Hutch wrote:My Flames will do great in the playoffs. That is.... if they buy tons of tickets from scalpers and bring as many fans as possible to re-create the home atmosphere

lol! Would be an option, but hard to do so

Wow... what a wild night in the NHL! I saw the Buffalo/Ott rematch from last night which was a great back and forth game with a fair number of dust ups holding over from the night before, did my old skool heart good. It was also a great back and forth game as Buffalo was down 4-1 at one point and stormed back to tie it 5-5 late in the game before losing it eventually but it was a great game to watch. Sounds like the San Jose game was much the same.

It was so frustrating that the Sens/Sabres game was regional here in Canada, while the rest of us got the Leafs/Flyers one-sided affair. Everytime they would show highlights, I died a little inside.

They finally cut to the better game when there were two minutes left in the Leafs game, so I did get to see the last ten minutes.

Jeers to the Flames for giving up another two goal lead, but cheers to Iginla for taking the game on his back and factoring in on four Calgary goals!

We get hockey night in Canada over here, and every week it's the Maple Leafs as the first game - you wouldn't mind but it's not like they're a great team!!!

I don't complain overall, as the Leafs are one of if not the most popular team across Canada. I just wish that at times like that, they would make a business decision to air a with as much hype and importance as the Sens/Sabres game. It's risky business, you're always going to make people angry when you do that, but two heated rivals on the wake of such a rough game should always take precedent(sp?) over a popular team playing the league doormat.

Heh. Leafs and CBC and Hockey Night in Toronto. Yes Leafs are very popular. Unfortunately. However, what is with CBC two weeks ago. Finally everyone wanted to watch the Leafs as they battled the Penguins. What did we out west get? Calgary vs Buffalo in Buffalo. A great matchup mind you, but *whine sniffle* I wanted the Pens.

Ratings for Leaf games are way higher than any other game though, so not a surprise.

B's play the renovated Flyers tonight!!!!

...and I can watch it!!!!

Cant wait to see the new boy on the block Ward and Wideman!! Hope they do well!!!

GO BRUINS!!!

Holy sh*t!!!

Next time I will think twice before I stay up until 4 o'clock in the morning to watch a "renovated Bruins" game.....that was just painful!!!!

Talking about "strengten" up our defense....55 shots against from the worst team in the NHL....and they are talking about making the playoffs??? C'mon!!!

Iam sorry guys, Iam tired and really pi**ed off, so I better say nothing....

Good night all

I think they did strengthen their defense but this is only the first game. They've got to learn their new teammates. I'm hoping they'll get it together soon.

Philly is a much better team than they were a month ago, IMO. They've got a goaltender, they've added youth to their defense (which was old and decrepit), and Upshall has seemed to come alive since coming there. Mark my words, they'll be a really good team next year.

And Nittymaki wasn't a good goalie?

inSTAALed wrote:And Nittymaki wasn't a good goalie?

He's nowhere near as good especially as far as consistency goes as Biron's been. Niitty has yet to really prove he can handle the full time load, or they wouldn't have made a trade. He's been both terrible and terribly inconsistent most of the year. It's actually been Esche that has played the best of the two. Don't confuse EHM with real life

Minstrel wrote:

inSTAALed wrote:And Nittymaki wasn't a good goalie?

He's nowhere near as good especially as far as consistency goes as Biron's been. Niitty has yet to really prove he can handle the full time load, or they wouldn't have made a trade. He's been both terrible and terribly inconsistent most of the year. It's actually been Esche that has played the best of the two. Don't confuse EHM with real life

Nittymaki always gives us trouble when we play him.

Why does he play godlike against us...

Meh, I'll take your word for it...

Apparently, and this is on fairly good authority, Niittymaki has been battling a hip problem that may end his career early. I don't know how severe it is, or if it's 100% true, but that's the word...

Not an unknown issue. it definitely explains the lack of progress he has shown this season.

Nitty tore his labrum in September 2006, and will likely have to have surgery at the end of the year. In the article it does not mention the surgery...but you can tell the Flyers thought it might go that route at first. It sounds similar in nature to the Kesler injury, more so than the Mo one, which was more complex with cartilige damage to. Not a doctor, but I would think playing through this would be difficult, especially for a goalie.

Similar injury to Brendan Morrison, who played all last season and then had surgery.And played poorly. Same as Rathje last year and Kesler this year

You can play, but do need the surgery, and you play in an impaired state. I believe it is considered horrid for a goalie and causes real issues with lateral mobility. Something Nitty's style relies upon very heavily. More so than A Luongo, les so than a Hasek. I would not be surprised now that Biron is in Philly if Nitty hits the IR soon and goes for surgery before season end. That is if the Flyers have finally recognized that injuries do exist.

batdad wrote:That is if the Flyers have finally recognized that injuries do exist.

It's getting close to the end of the season when they usually open up the Philadelphia Hospital Flyers Rehabilitation Wing So yeah I'd expect Niitty to check in soon.

So in the Canucks-Lightning game, Jeff Cowan buries two more goals. To give him 5 on the season and 5 in the last three games. Yep. But now he is only three goals behind Henrik Sedin. Heh.

The funny part though, is that there was a bra thrown on the ice after his 2nd goal. Tom Jones song came over loudspeaker apparently. Willie Mitchell picked up the bra with his stick, and said " I think it was about a 36C?" Heh.

Nicknames for Cowan on the radio: Milkman...Cause he is on a line with Mo, Cooke...Mo Milk and Cookie...heh.

2. Cowan the Brabarian.

3. Move him to the Sedin line, all red hair...call them the Niplets...

Just had to share this. Hysterical.

hehe good stuff there batdad. I love the milkman one.

I'm definetly surprised by Cowan, he's certainly being in the right places at the right time. Good for him, I say!

Okay...Cowan scores again tonight.What the heck is going on? But the game was in Phoenix and apparently about 5000 people showed up. Tom Larscheid (crazy old Canucks radio color man) quips: "Well there won't be any bras on the ice this time...In Phoenix, they have no support!!!"

And yep, the next time Cowan scores in Vancouver, expect about 2000 bras on the ice. The radio and the Canucks' players have been playing this up big time.

Kevin Bieksa said tonite:" The way things are going, the next time Jeff gets hit, Alain (Vigneault) is going to send Naslund out after the guy. Cause we gots to protect our sniper!!!"

Honestly, this bra thing and the way the team is having fun with Cowan, is very very interesting. The chemistry on this team is unreal. The way they talk, play and have fun together is very very reminiscent of 1994. And so polar opposite to last season. Even Bulis has been okay lately. Not to say it (Cup Final appearance) will happen cause there are alot of good teams in the west, but Vancouver is going to make it hell on anyone they have to play.

Nashville looked real good tonight too, and Ottawa and Atlanta as well. This is going to be one heck of a playoff season. 2007 SC Champ is going to be one heck of a hockey team, have alot of bounces go their way, and is going to have very very few injuries to top players. Noone could be a heavy favourite like back in the Pre Cap days.

And go ahead and say it is all Luongo...Sabourin played tonite.

And for those who still don't believe in the Canucks....that is 23-4-4 since Xmas, 10-1-1 in their last 12.

It's all Luongo!

You won't riot in the streets like 1994 if you lose will you?

Heh No I think the city has learned its lesson...I hope it has. So disgusting that was. It was not hockey people doing that...kids looking to cause trouble, just waiting to do it til the game was ending. Most did not even watch the game. They were out on the streets before the game started. Just blasted stupid people.

Hmmm Wonder if any Flames fans were in Vancouver then?

And yeah, I know it is all Luongo.....and a little bit of Cowan the Brabarian.

batdad wrote:Heh No I think the city has learned its lesson...I hope it has. So disgusting that was. It was not hockey people doing that...kids looking to cause trouble, just waiting to do it til the game was ending. Most did not even watch the game. They were out on the streets before the game started. Just blasted stupid people.

Hmmm Wonder if any Flames fans were in Vancouver then?

And yeah, I know it is all Luongo.....and a little bit of Cowan the Brabarian.

We know all about that over here Couldn't believe it when it happened there...

I won't believe in the Canucks until they do something in the playoffs. Their performance has been great overall, but Detroit has been unreal in regular seasons and not making more than a peep in the playoffs. It's great that they are doing well, because before the start of this season they got rid of all the guys I truly despised. Can't hate a team that doesn't have any players to hate.

Watch out for them in the playoffs though. For the Western conference I would say Calgary and Dallas are the weakest links, followed not too far behind by Minnesota.

That says an awful lot about the conference if Calgary and Dallas are the weakest links. Sure, I'm a Calgary homer, and I know as well as anyone they're not living up to their potential but they're still a solid team. Dallas has been a contender for quite a long time and seem to be a constant threat to go deep until they run into Colorado...The point I'm trying to make is: the West is brimming with ridiculously good teams. I think the Cup's coming to this side in 07, for better or for worse.