Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Wings look like the best team to me, but you never know. If the Hawks don't make it that far, I think a Wings/Nucks WCF would be pretty fantastic to watch. However, Sharks seem to have Detroit's number in the playoffs recently so I don't know. SJ never seems to look like that great a team when the Hawks play them but they sure get up for games against the Wings.

Unfortunately the Hawks make a lot of teams (Calgary, Edmonton) look like contenders, so... :rolleyes

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

They do get up for the Wings that's for sure. I don't want to see them in the playoffs unless the Wings get to round 3. The Shark Tank is a tough place to play.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

The picks are irrelevant as they were not ours to begin with. I've heard from several outlets that this draft really isn't anything special this year, and thanks to the Carter and Richards deals, we're all set with young guns like Schenn and Couts. We didn't need the picks neccessarily and getting a Grossman or Gill is all we could do without giving a player away, which Homer apparently doesn't want to do. He likes this team, he's not going to re-shape the roster AGAIN in less than a year.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

^ You gots my back yO!

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Shaw sent down Hayes recalled. Think they both should be up here but gotta make room for Morrison I guess!

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Also, this Stanley Cup talk is bogus. Getting Grossman doesn't get us to the Cup. He's a nice upgrade, but all the work has to be completed in the off-season. We're a great young team with a solid coach who knows how to get his team going. Anything can happen in April.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I liked that move from the Flyers perspective. They can be a dangerous team come postseason but it will be more about getting some of their young guys more playoff experience. Would still be considered about their goaltending issues though.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

What did you give up to get those picks in the first place?

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Much rather have a veteran in Morrison in the lineup, who can play C and win faceoffs, than a few other folks. A lineup of 10-19-88, 25-36-81, 39-17-16, 29-22-15 doesn't look too bad at all. Too bad Q hates Stalberg and is hell-bent on his imaginary "shut-down" third line led by Bolland. I'm done with Frolik. Sure he can play a little defense but at this point I'll take Kruger who has at least shown the willingness to go the front of the net on occasion.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Frolik was a horrible signing, and trade to begin with, but that's been beaten to death already. Thing is this team could be so much more dangerous if they added a competent checking winger who could score a little on the 3rd line with Bolland. That's where this team misses Ladd to death the past 2 seasons.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Horrible trade? It was a fantastic trade. We got a very good goalie prospect AND Frolik for Jack Skille. I mean, really, that was a solid move. The mistake was thinking Frolik would bounce back and be a 15-goal scorer on the 3rd line. Didn't happen, obviously. His shot is horrific.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Salak was the best part of the deal. How Frolik put up 20 in one season I'll never know.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Richards and Carter.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Hal Gill off to the Preds.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Wonderful move by both teams. Nashville is going to be a pain defensively with the addition of Gill. Montreal made a nice move too for the future.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Wow Preds gave up a lot for Gill. Doesn't bode well for Hawks going after Kubina.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Technically it was Richards and Powe. The 2nd rd. pick was an LA one and the 3rd was a MIN one.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Good catch. Forgot it was Powe.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Fantastic trade. The Preds have a lot of young help in the pipeline and could afford letting go of Geoffrion. As Matt said, the draft is not as deep as it's been in the past, which may lead to some GM's being a little less frugal with their picks.

This instantly makes Nashville's D one of the most stingy in the league. This move is particularly astute as it gives an instant guy who can fill in on a top line if either Suter and Weber go down in the playoffs.

EDIT: Also perhaps a bit of a PR move on the part of Montreal, getting another Geoffrion on the roster.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Got excited to hear Crosby on the ice with the rest of the team, but didn't know it was the first time in about a month. I was holding out for him playing tomorrow. Unfortunate. As much as I absolutely loathe to admit, I miss him. :(

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Me too! Oh wait I don't see him ever.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

with the price that a lot of these guys are going for, i won't care if they hawks dn't make a move at all.

adn parton my typing byt i finished medic school today so we went out dirnking afterwards. halleulajgh!

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

:lol:lol:lolCongrats bud. Enjoy your evening...

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

yea heya heyah everyone keep laughing

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

See, I don't really get this. Predators already had one of the most stingy D's in the league without Hal Gill. So, now they have even more defense! But they still don't have nearly enough offense to win a Cup, so it seems to me that those picks could have been better used toward acquiring another F (though admittedly not much out there).

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

:lol:lol Congrats.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Their offense is starting to click a little more than the beginning of the season, but yes, they could use some more scoring.

Who knows, maybe it's just one of those things where they looked at who was available and decided to upgrade their D while they had the chance. The Canucks proved last year that you have to have 7-8 d-men ready to play if you want to make it through the playoffs. Gill is a fantastic #3 defenseman who is about as fast as a tank but kills penalties, blocks shots, and is a leader. Plus, not many Cup rings on the Preds roster.

The Preds understand that winners are built on team defense. They're building from the net out, which isn't a bad way to go about it.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I guess my point is that...under Barry Trotz's system, with a G like Pekka Rinne, they are going to play defense. Acquiring Hal Gill doesn't put them over the hump against Vancouver, if they meet again this year.

Absolutely having a good quality D is important. You can see how the lack of that is putting the Hawks in a bad spot this year. Flyers seem to be unable to get over the hump because of their D as well.

HOWEVER, the key to winning and making it through the playoffs, to me, is having depth on the offensive side that can allow you to dominate the puck possession game. Keep the puck out of your zone for lengthy periods and throw bodies and shots to the opposition's net. That's the recipe for success in the playoffs, IMO. Just don't think you're going to ever get it done in the playoffs with Martin Erat as your leading scorer.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Depth is certainly important, and I don't think you and I are on as opposing sides as it may seem. But all offense stems from playing great defense.It's becoming a lost art, but the great teams still stick to it: You gain possession of the puck in your zone, produce a strong breakout, move quickly through the neutral zone, and create scoring chances. One crashes the net, another trails, and another hovers around the hash marks or heads to the boards to provide support.

Yes, puck possession is critical, but it all starts with playing strong defense (as a team) and producing a strong breakout. And the strong breakout isn't just the responsibility of the defenseman with the puck, it's about the forwards as well being in the right position and covering the right guys in order to give that d-man a chance at success. It's about all six guys on the ice (yes, even the goalie is important for breakouts).

A team that can get it done in their end is the team that will be able to naturally transition to offense and get scoring chance after scoring chance. That's what I mean by building your team from the net out.

Sorry for the long-windedness, it's the particulars of hockey, those small intricacies, that make me love the game so much :)