Official 13-14 NHL Regular Season Thread

[CJ]

Vanek refused to sign a new contract with the Islanders. (7 years, 50 million dollars). He wants to become a free agent (if he's not traded).

[philou21]

Yup. That makes the Isles look even stupider.

[RomaGoth]

Vanek refused to sign a new contract with the Islanders. (7 years, 50 million dollars). He wants to become a free agent (if he's not traded).

He will be traded.

[jesterx7769]

I thought the Vanek move was bad when they first made it (conditional first and Moulson really?) and now it looks even worse. I am surprised the NHL does not do sign and trades more like other sports, ie we will only trade for Vanek if he agrees to signing a negotiated contract. I'm not a big fan of his either as I always thought he was over rated and benefited greatly from first line minutes and being the man.

[batdad]

How bad or good it looks completely depends on whether

1. He resigns eventually
2. What they get in return for him at deadline.
3. If they get nothing at deadline, or before July 1 for right to negotiate....then it is bad.

But...still lots of time.

[coombs14]

Two penalty shots already for Patches and two saves for Luongo.

If it goes to a shootout against the Americans you know who Canada should have in net.

[philou21]

The first one wasn't that much of a save come on. Second one he lost the puck at the last moment so Roberto had an easy save the move worked! I was switching channel for the second penalty shot and I thought it was a replay from the other one.

[RomaGoth]

Wings win in Florida. Nice to see Howard looking strong, let's get a winning streak going.

[jesterx7769]

IMO Howard gets way too much blame. Sure his numbers are pedestrian, but the offense is a bigger problem. The wings major shootout problems aren't because Howard is giving up all 3 shots, its bc the Wings aren't scoring. He also kept in the playoffs last year. With that being said I don't think he is super great as he lets in easy goals I think, but I would probably comfortably say he is top 15 in league especially if you factor in age which is why he got a big deal. I think his glove is really good which gets him into trouble playing out so he can make that save then someone eeks one by on the side. Also the Wings D and trainers suck

[Primis]

IMO Howard gets way too much blame. Sure his numbers are pedestrian, but the offense is a bigger problem. The wings major shootout problems aren't because Howard is giving up all 3 shots, its bc the Wings aren't scoring. He also kept in the playoffs last year. With that being said I don't think he is super great as he lets in easy goals I think, but I would probably comfortably say he is top 15 in league especially if you factor in age which is why he got a big deal. I think his glove is really good which gets him into trouble playing out so he can make that save then someone eeks one by on the side. Also the Wings D and trainers suck

Howard is a victim of his defense. He makes an average amount of Saves IMHO, but more of them are "hung out to dry" things. The team plays differently in front of him than in front of Gustavsson or Mrazek most of the time, and it's not always fair to Howard.

The Wings fans that complain about Howard being terrible are absolute idiots though. My own sister is one of them even, and when I see someone bash him for all the team's problems it's a sign that they don't watch or games or have any clue what they're talking about. Just too many games where DET won or got a point that if it weren't for Howard they would have been blown out. It's nice that Gustavsson isn't the wreck he was last year but, he's still clearly just a backup ( a good one though at the moment).


Again, last night it's a "W" but DET didn't look good enough IMO. FLA is a bad team (this is a recording....). With Datsyuk back now too they should not have had the struggles they did. I really don't know where the team would be without Nyquist right now, and they've relied way too heavily on Alfredsson in stretches. Both MTL and TOR seem pretty mediocre and still.... 4 pts ahead of DET. As long as DET is flailing about struggling to hang on to a wild card spot, they're underachieving. They're not division title material or anything, but given who is in their division they should be in the top 3 of it.

[batdad]

Okay. Howard is decent. But he is not great. yes the Wings defense sucks. Yes their forwards are just okay with the exception of a couple of studs. But...Howard is not a star starting goalie. You cannot slam him for being horrible, and you cannot say he is a great goalie. he is just one of those guys. Another Osgood, Vernon type. Detroit always gets by with just decent goaltending. You put Howard on a team that gives up even more chances than the Wings...and he will not look good at all. You put him on a puck possession team and he will look great.

Wings have some work to do. No kidding.They are not going to be Cup Champs. But again....that is the price you eventually have to pay for being one of the best teams in the league year in, year out for 20 years. No team could sustain the level of success the Wings have had for as long as they have had it.

That being said....time for a rebuild or reconfig of that team in order to get back to where they are used to being. I know for a fact that the right people are in place to do it.

[batdad]

Double post but BREAKING NEWS.

Kris Letang suffered a stroke. Partly due to the small hole he has had in his heart since birth. Kris is gone from the league for perhaps ever. Long recovery period. Scary stuff.

[Peter_Doherty]

From what i've read its not career threatening and he will be out for 6 weeks. But hey, you never know when it's the heart.

[batdad]

yeah I read the next tweet.

But man...ridiculously scary for a young man his age.

[Peter_Doherty]

Yeah definitely, always scary when stuff like this happends to young fit guys. You just don't expect it.

[batdad]

And old out of shape bums like me keep on ticking. Touch wood.

[bruins72]

I remember this happening to Tedy Bruschi of the New England Patriots (NFL for those thank don't follow it). He managed a comeback. It's definitely scary though!

[RomaGoth]

Okay. Howard is decent. But he is not great. yes the Wings defense sucks. Yes their forwards are just okay with the exception of a couple of studs. But...Howard is not a star starting goalie. You cannot slam him for being horrible, and you cannot say he is a great goalie. he is just one of those guys. Another Osgood, Vernon type. Detroit always gets by with just decent goaltending. You put Howard on a team that gives up even more chances than the Wings...and he will not look good at all. You put him on a puck possession team and he will look great.

Wings have some work to do. No kidding.They are not going to be Cup Champs. But again....that is the price you eventually have to pay for being one of the best teams in the league year in, year out for 20 years. No team could sustain the level of success the Wings have had for as long as they have had it.

That being said....time for a rebuild or reconfig of that team in order to get back to where they are used to being. I know for a fact that the right people are in place to do it.

Take a look at Howard's career numbers:

Wins: 143
Losses: 79
Shutouts: 18
Save %: .918
GAA: 2.40

He is not a Martin Brodeur or Dominik Hasek; however, he is definitely a star goalie and is top 10-15 in the NHL. This is by far his worst season to date, and I believe it is a combination of things: living up to a new huge contract - (players often struggle with this in the first season of a new big deal), a lingering injury (possibly groin?), and a sieve for defense in front of him (the entire team has not been as good this year). The Wings are 3rd in the NHL in man-games lost to injury, and that's not an excuse it is a fact. Don't have the depth like in the past to cover for it. Howard does not get the credit for winning games and carrying this team (which he has done multiple times, including most of last season after Lidstrom retired).

The Wings are in rebuild on the fly mode, and we are starting to see the results of it with Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, and others getting more ice time while Cleary, Samuelsson (in GR now), and Bertuzzi are hardly playing.

The Wings future looks great, another 2-3 years and we will be legitimate Cup contenders again; for now, it's just a matter of being competitive and trying to make the playoffs while the next generation develops.

[philou21]

Maybe my translator sucks but a stroke is to the heart right? What Letang did is something to the brain. We call that an "Accident vasculaire cérébral" in french but my translator put it as a stroke, which is completely different.

Anyway, luckily is career seems ok for now. First news we got here was that his career was compromised.

[Primis]

Okay. Howard is decent. But he is not great. yes the Wings defense sucks. Yes their forwards are just okay with the exception of a couple of studs. But...Howard is not a star starting goalie. You cannot slam him for being horrible, and you cannot say he is a great goalie. he is just one of those guys. Another Osgood, Vernon type. Detroit always gets by with just decent goaltending. You put Howard on a team that gives up even more chances than the Wings...and he will not look good at all. You put him on a puck possession team and he will look great.

You're wrong here (again).

Osgood was not a "carry the team" kind of goalie, ever. When circumstances occurred where he needed to be from time to time (and they did, believe it or not), he didn't fare very well. Osgood was a "light load" kind of goalie. Thus how when he went to NYI and STL he never fared very well. I'm always amused then DET fans want Osgood's # retired or in the HHoF or some-such thing. He was the *right* goalie for those teams, but not a dominant one.

Howard is not similar. Howard *does* carry the team on his back (he did it all last playoffs for instance, and he has done it numerous times this year), and Howard isn't much of a "light load" goalie like Osgood was. Your statement about "put Howard on a team that gives up even more chances" is silly, because DET already *does* give up lots more chances. Howard is stopping a lot more shots than Hasek, Osgood, Joseph, Legace, and co. ever did. You still, somehow, really don't grasp how BAD that defense is. You're seeing the winged wheel and it's clouding your opinion, batdad. Those numbers ARE with Howard facing a lot more shots per game. DET doesn't even block as many shots anymore with all those d-men gone, far more get through.

Also, in case you missed it.... DET is now often largely a dump-and-chase team, not a puck possession team that controls the play and flow as you claim. If you watch them, puck possession is no longer a dominant part of their game. They aren't usually capable of it, with that def. corps., because the defense can't start the play like they used to. Instead the defense or a forward chips the puck up, and then in, and they go chase it. Again, I think you're making assumptions because red and white. There are games they manage to recapture the possession ability, but by and large anymore they are chipping the puck in. And then the injuries hit, and they have even simplified further at times.

Not saying Howard's a superstar. But he's not cut of the same cloth as an Osgood. The teams in front of both are completely different, and that's the clue as to Howard's numbers still being good for a bad defensive team.

You cannot just stick any goalie on DET now and have them be OK. Gustavsson showed that last year, when he STUNK and had to completely revamp his game.

[nino33]

Maybe my translator sucks but a stroke is to the heart right?

Wiki describes a stroke as "the rapid loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain...due to lack of blood flow caused by blockage or a hemorrhage"

[Primis]

Maybe my translator sucks but a stroke is to the heart right? What Letang did is something to the brain. We call that an "Accident vasculaire cérébral" in french but my translator put it as a stroke, which is completely different.

Anyway, luckily is career seems ok for now. First news we got here was that his career was compromised.

He had a stroke, which means a blockage/clot blocked off blood flow somewhere and caused problems. Usually it's a blockage to the head/brain, which can easily cause death. I'm miffed, because if he's been out for days and days now, they should have known of this immediately. Why they've continued to portray it as a "mystery illness" kinda' sucks and is scuzzy of them. It's not something they need days to confirm. My nephew had clots this fall in his leg and a lung, and it took them mere hours to diagnose and begin treatment. So I think the wall of misinformation on him is and has been kinda' BS...

There is also apparently a part of his heart that has never grown closed like it's supposed to. I'm unclear on how that pertains to or can cause clots that could cause stroke. Or if it's even related. Some media have tried to claim that it could be related, but I don't know what their sources are.

I would imagine they have him on thinner *and* they will put him under for surgery to put filters in him at some point to catch any other clot(s), and leave filters in for a while.

[philou21]

Thanks for the replies guys. I always thought stroke was a different word for a heart attack. I think if they did not mentionned it right away was maybe just to give him a break. I only heard the "mystery illness" thing this morning and they told it was a stroke this afternoon after confirmation.

[Lazion]

Double post but BREAKING NEWS.

Kris Letang suffered a stroke. Partly due to the small hole he has had in his heart since birth. Kris is gone from the league for perhaps ever. Long recovery period. Scary stuff.

I need to go see doctor.. I'v never heard that this can cause stroke to brains.

[jesterx7769]

My Dad had it. It causes minor strokes that are basically like "blips" to your brain. He wouldn't have even gone to the doctor except he started slurring his words on the phone with my Mom. The problem with this is it can seem so minimal/minor most people don't get it fixed until its too late. With Kris, the medical team was obviously all over him which most people don't have access to. They can do minor surgery to sew up the hole.