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Love the laughing at the fishermen jersey.
Yeah the hometown discount doesn't usually come until they are like 34+ and have made their money and even then...it won't be much.

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Another nice win for the Flyers last night!

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Congratulations to coach Q for the win tonight that gives him sole possession of second place in ALL TIME WINS as an NHL coach in history!

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Al still has more if we include the playoffs and I will hold onto that for a few more weeks, lol. Congrats coach Q.

Big win last night. Rag$ lost for the first time when holding a lead going into the 3rd for the first time in over 2 years. Halak owns Henrik, having beat him now in 8 straight starts against him, a bizarre stat for sure.

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Only 461 behind Scotty. lol Now if you include playoff wins for Scotty too...

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Wings end a 6 game road trip 5-1, with a come from behind victory last night. Down 2-0 with under 10 to go, come back to win in OT against a Yotes team that has been playing well. Thanks to the Hawks for winning, cause now Wings up 4 on the Habs.

Also, look at all the Wings fans at this game.

https://youtu.be/R-MdcE8IfaM

How embarrassing is that for the Coyotes?

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you had to bring Scotty into this, didn't you. He's akin to Connie Mack. He won't be reached ever, imo.

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Least surprising news you'll hear today: the Caps won again

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It'll be tough. Q would have to win 46 wins a year for the next 10 years.

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I had a rather unique experience in watching Q play and coach. Growing up in CT I got to see him play 6 seasons with the Whalers attending many of their home games and now is is the coach of the Hawks who I chose as my favorite team when the Whalers skipped town.

As for breaking Scotty's record, it is doable but will be rather tough. I imagine is is similar to some veteran pitcher winning his 300th game at age 35 or so and thinking - holy shit, I have to win over 200 more games to even have a chance of breaking Cy Young's win record.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

hope you guys get that presidents trophy

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Oh boy oh boy oh boy me too

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Worked very well the last time for the Caps right???

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http://www.tsn.ca/habs-close-to-acqu...nordi-1.423578

Haha

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I've been meaning to tell you, I watched a chunk of their game against the Canucks (first time I've really watched them this year), and they looked fantastic. Balanced contributions from all lines in terms of guys doing their job, good play in the neutral zone, defense moved the puck well (need to be a little tougher in front of the net though) and their breakout was flawless.

Probably the thing I liked most is that Trotz seems to have found a system in which the team plays well, but the stars are allowed to shine. Besides Ovechkin (who did look good in terms of all-around play. I saw one pass of his that gave me a serious boner), I really noticed Backstrom, Kuznetsov, and Oshie. And that's good. I mean, some claim that in a team with a good system, you shouldn't even notice the stars, but I would contend that a good system ALLOWS the stars to be noticed and do what they do best, while still being a part of that system. It was a lot of fun to watch. Ovie-Backstrom-Oshie seems to click well, as we thought they would.

All in all, the Caps seem poised to make some noise. And again, I'm not talking about their W-L record or their past failures. Anyone can talk about that. I'm talking about the product I saw on the ice for that game. If that's consistently how they're playing (something I wouldn't doubt on a Trotz-coached team), they could have a deep run this year.

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So what would happen to his all-star captaincy, now that he's out of the Pacific division?

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if he were a stand-up guy, he'd withdraw from the ASG altogether

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Sounds like considered it. But I appreciated his reasons for committing to it.

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Wanna know what's really scary? Their entire top D pairing has been on the shelf for weeks now. Almost not noticeable.

Man, that President's trophy banner will look awesome up there next to the other one

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Best season ever? I think yes, yes it was

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To expand on my previous response, all of this is why I'm so nervous about the playoffs this year. Anyone who really watches a game of theirs will understand what I mean when I say: this is the year they are actually built to win the Cup. All the pieces are clearly there, both on a tangible basis and on an intangible one too. Roster wise, there isn't anything to dislike really. Two legit lethal scoring lines. Teams truly cannot focus on shutting down 8-19-77 because Kuznetsov will absolutely burn you no matter who is playing wing for him. Like I said, they're proving to be very strong defensively without even having their top 2 in the lineup. Can you imagine what life will be like when John Carlson comes back? Good lord. Two great checking lines that can score as well. Jason Chimera and Tom Wilson have been very strong recently. And obviously, Holtby's season cannot be overstated enough. He's on pace to record one of the greatest seasons of goaltending ever.

Then there's the intangible stuff. The way they play for each other, and really truly give a fuck in a way I've not seen from this team before. The chemistry that developed almost instantly between Ovechkin and Oshie, or Kuznetsov and Williams. The talk the right talk. Braden Holtby got asked "how do you feel about the possibility of setting a record for single season wins?" His response: "none of that stuff matters if we get bounced early." Stuff like that.

Basically, this team really should win the Cup this time. In 2010 when they got bounced by the Habs there was noticeable deficiencies, especially in goal and on defense. They relied solely on the ability to score 5-7 goals per game. Then they ran into a freakishly hot goalie and couldn't handle it.

There are no deficiencies this year. This team is built correctly and have proven all season that they can be successful no matter what the situation in the game is. Good team that they blow a lead against? No problem. Go down 3 early? No problem. Play against weaker competition? No problem. The pieces are really all there. Brian McLellan and Barry Trotz have turned this team into a monster.

There's just that big ugly playoff choking thing. They gotta shake that. I'm nervous that they cannot. We thought we couldn't take the Caps seriously before? If they get bounced in round one or two this year, yikes. Especially considering how weak the East has been this year by comparison. They can't choke this time. Any respect they have is gone. And I don't really care about being respected by the rest of the league. I'm just nervous how it affects this franchise going forward.

I'm really just ready for the playoffs. I don't wanna do three more months of season. I wanna see what this team's really all about. And they deserve a better fate this year. They've earned it. But we'll see.

End of Caps novel, we can continue on with our lives now

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Sorry for the quadruple post, but this is getting awfully ridiculous now. This has to be the most bizarre all star inclusion of all time.

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:lol:lol

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Bob McKenzie reporting that Scott was asked by Coyotes and NHL to bow out of all star game and he refused. Now that he's been traded and sent to the AHL he is ineligible. Obviously this whole thing with him has been a huge joke but in a way, good for him. This is what you open yourself up to when you have fans being able to vote for this, especially digitally. This isn't back in the day when you had to mail in ballots. By letting fans vote and vote a shit-ton, this is what you get. The all star game is supposed to be entrainment anyways so who gives a shit if he was there? It would be entertaining to say the least.

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I don't know if it's "good for him" as much as it is "fuck the NHL".

I truly am just baffled how a league can take such good ideas as this "3 on 3 OT" or the Winter Classic, and then fuck them up so bad.

It's the fucking All-Star game. It's meant to be fun. No one takes that shit seriously. Only baseball is dumb enough to try and make that game matter. Just let it be hilarious. He generated more attention for the ASG than any draft or 3 on 3 gimmick possibly could.

I was so excited for the ASG. Now I'm 100% not watching it. That's SO shitty to uproot someone's life and family for this reason. Fuck that.

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So shitty what the NHL and Coyotes did to John Scott.

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Hung out with the Rangers tonight.

Hank is just a model, so unfair.

Dominic Moore, Chris Kreider, and Captain America were awesome.

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Damn, what a show put on by Patrick Kane tonight. 3 goals and an assist, pretty damn impressive. I will admit I was surprised to find out that it was his first regular season hat trick.

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So jelly. I wanna smell Hank. I bet he smells delicious.

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Hate to quote myself but I just saw on the news that both Kane and Vladislav Namestnikov (TB) had hat tricks on "National hat day" - whatever the heck that means as a holiday. :lol

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Pens send Perron and Clendening to the Ducks for Hagelin. Yay?

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Hagelin is one of the fastest skaters I've ever watched. Seriously. The rest of his hockey skills, however, have trouble keeping up.

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^exactly!

I was trying to think of his name, but all I could think of was Benny The Jet Rodriguez.

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Luis Mendoza

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One would think after seeing him all dressed up on interviews and such that its just makeup and stuff.

Not him.

He's just a model. No fair. Future HHOF. Has the looks. Plays guitar in a band with John Macnroe. Like come on, bro.

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:lol :lol

Jim Rutherford said he wanted to add speed, so I guess they did that. Adding some goals, however, would be really nice.

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What a lucky kid to get to play those two roles. He got to be Benny the Jet AND Luis Mendoza. Talk about being jealous.

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Hockey players have hot wives

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The Avs alumni game roster for next month is amazing. I want to watch this way more than the actual game itself.

Craig Billington
Rob Blake
Ray Bourque
Adam Deadmarsh (Coach)
Adam Foote
Peter Forsberg
Claude Lemieux
Sandis Ozolinsh
Mike Ricci
Patrick Roy
Curtis Leschyshyn
Joe Sakic
Chris Simon
Stephane Yelle

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Kopi officially signed, 8yrs, 80m, AAV of 10m.

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I really hope Roy and Osgood stage a goalie fight or the two teams load the ice with the 90's rivals and stage a brawl. Would be amazing :lol

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I wouldn't be surprised if there wee some lighthearted theatrics at parts. Certainly no real animosity.

Hell, Lemieux and McCarty are friends now. I can totally see them having some fun. Maybe recreating the turtle? :lol

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Everything cool happened in this post. :thumbsup

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100% this. I'm out unless he plays.

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Well that's embarrassing.

https://twitter.com/nbcla/status/688598112055771141

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Talbot signs 3 year extension. If he's the Talbot of recently? Sure. Earlier in the year? Not so much.

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His career numbers (.926 sv%) are pretty good (though a very small sample size for a goalie his age) and .914 sv% this year is really good compared to other Oilers goalies of the past 5 years. Kinda risky given that he has not been around all that long, but a lot of upside to that deal.

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Yeah good move if he keeps this kind of thing up
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/con...930709&lang=en

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I'm out. NHL is disgusting. The John Scott situation is heart breaking and embarrassing.

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NHL is terrible. I hope if Pavelski takes over as captain be done a Scott jersey or something to tribute Scott, because he seems bummed that Scott can't play

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Bullshit call on Simmonds

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11 in a row for the Hawks! 2 things puzzled me tonight though - on the replay Hossa put that in the net, not Toews and then on the empty net goal Keith put that in, not Hossa unless he tipped it somewhere but I did not see it after watching the replay a few times.

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Also, nice to see the Hawks dump Bickell!

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John Scott is officially allowed to participate in the All Star game.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/jo...ame-after-all/

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:bounce:multi:bounce

awesome

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Good. As it should be. He's a clown. But the NHL allowed this. They should honor it.

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Hawks didn't dump Bickell? He's just down in the AHL with Rockford.

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Doesn't make what they did any better. Really excited to see him play though. Gonna have to grab a Scott ASG jersey.

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Yep, this. Honestly, surprised it took this long for a non star to get voted into the all-star game. We've had instances in other sports where stars who are hurt or having bad years get in but not this. Maybe they'll finally put a limit on it somehow or get rid of it altogether.

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I say this :thumbsup

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I'm guessing the NHL will go back to the method of selecting a pool of stars, and then allowing fans to vote from that pool. Safest way to do it while still giving fans a "say" in the voting.

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I meant dump him from the NHL roster. He just is not contributing at all, if it was the NFL he'd be cut but since it is the NHL I think he is going to languish in Rockford until some team makes the mistake of picking up his contract!

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http://www.theplayerstribune.com/jus...key-red-wings/

Players tribune Abdelkader edition.

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Would be the best way.

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MLB doesn't have this issue with players voting in....N

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Kuznetsov is just ridiculous. I mean it's insane the passes he makes.

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Ugh. Ballz.

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lol nobody gonna take that awful contract off the Hawks' hands. :lol :lol

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4 helpers is sick.

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Amazing, 12 game winning streak for Chicago. Kane is just about unstoppable right now on offense and he has also turned into a much better two way player. I know Saad and Sharpe were tough losses but I really think they are a better team this year buy picking up Panarin, Anisimov, Panik, Rasmussen, Mashinter and Scuderi.

Only thing I have to complain about is that TVR seems to think he is a shooter, love how he puts the puck on net to create chances but he is simply not a scorer like Keith and Seabrook!

Go Hawks! :)

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Lecavalier with another goal tonight. 3 goals in 3 games. Kings resurrect another player.

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I agree - unless some team GM gets all hopped up on booze and drugs and thinks he may help their team. :lol

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I'm glad for him. Even happier his salary is gone

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Was at the Flames game tonight. Fun game! Also, one of the players (I didn't really see who) tossed me a puck because I was wearing a Flames jersey lol. Bad second period put them behind 3-1 and despite a good push late, the Flames couldn't come back.

Good times though.

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The only teams I could see taking him on are borderline playoff teams WITH cap space AND that have a bad contract of their own of a worse player AND that could use a big body in a 3rd/4th line role.

I mean, Ottawa with Chris Neil for Bickell, maybe? And then the Hawks can just bury Neil in the AHL instead of Bickell? Philly with Gagner for Bickell? Maybe the Ducks get desperate and give up a 7th rounder (or future considerations) and the Hawks retain $1m? Maybe Calgary with Mason Raymond?

There are options. I don't know how many of them are even close to plausible, but the Leafs were able to trade David Clarkson...I don't think anything is impossible.

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Awesome read. Especially as a Sparty fan.

It's a good problem to have, though. Let him keep ripping. The Hawks were missing that piece since Leddy left. He's just a kid, it'll get better the more he does it.

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It's not even the amount of assists that I'm talking about though, it's the quality. It's been a while since I've seen players have to do less to score goals. I think it was Jason Chimera who said the other day that sometimes he won't see Kuzy or the puck, he'll just feel it hit his stick and then it's in. The regularity with which he does it is astounding.

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I figured you'd like that part. I remember that night, but in a bad way. Was at my in-laws and my mother in-law (MSU grad) had the game on and I remember thinking "gotta watch that when we get home." I fucking forgot and didn't see it. I remember watching that goal a few years later on youtube and thinking "holy shit that's Cory Schneider in goal!"

I think it's so awesome for him (and also Glendenning, DeKeyser and Larkin) to be able to play for the hometown team.

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Huh. They used to say that about another player. Don't remember his name, but I think he wore #99.
:thumbsup Agreed! I love defensemen that aren't afraid to shoot. In today's NHL, goalies are so good at stopping the first shot. The most sure fire way to score is to get bodies in front and create chaos, looking for deflections or rebounds. A defenseman shooting from the point, while forwards clog up the slot and take opposing defensemen with them, is the perfect way to start the kinda havoc that will lead to goals.

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We don't want this nonsense! Stay away! :droids

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Agreed on the age, just seems like every time he fires one from the blue line it is right at the goalie and gets smothered with no rebound. Luckily he will grow up and mature being tutored by guys like Keith and Seabrook!

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Never know, there are teams that could use a big winger on a fourth line who hits hard, plays hard and back checks. Going to be a question of money more than anything though.

Nothing is impossible though, heck John Scott is an enforcer who is not all that skilled but he still made the all star game and was voted captain.....

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Hawks good. Very good. Can't wait for the game here on the 2nd!!

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You'll take him and LIKE IT

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So when Drouin said we'll see what happens in the next few days hmhe was talking about he was not gonna show up for his AHL game.

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This whole Drouin thing = http://i.imgur.com/MrW5mUX.gif

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Give it up. If they could have done it, they would have by now.

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Wow, very exciting game between St. Louis and Detroit. Shame the Blues won though. Steen is a jackass IMO!

Glad Dallas lost again, their D is for shit but their O is damn good.

Cannot believe I am cheering for the Ducks tonight.

Very much looking forward to the Hawks/Lighting game tomorrow!

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Jonathon Drouin is an idiot. I hope he doesn't get his trade and remains in suspension limbo all season.

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Yeah, it's certainly not helping his trade value any, which in the end hurts both him and the Lightning. People would still be willing to pay a lot for a former 2nd overall pick who is still very young and probably just needs a change of scenery. But potential attitude problems to go along with not-up-to-par play? Now THAT gives GMs more pause.

And really, does anyone buy the whole "I thought they were going to trade me so I wanted to avoid being injured" excuse? Come on.

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I believe they asked for it based on those reasons but...TBL said no because sometimes things don't work out in trades. You then just go and play like it says you have to.

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He is like a 5 year old throwing a temper tantrum. Maybe he will end up being a good NHL player at some point but I do not think any GM in their right mind would trade for the little brat right now.

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He was the #3 pick overall actually.

Agreed 100%!

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Been so busy that I haven't been up to date on NHL news. :lol Drouin is certainly making a name for himself and not a good one.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Lets fill ya in Sarah:

Drouin is a horses ass

Kane is still leading the world in almost every offensive category

Edmonton traded goalie Ben Scrivens for Montreal's winger Zack Kassian

Hawks traded Ryan Garbutt to Anahein for Jiri Sekac and sent Brian Bickell down to the AHL.

Kings are still 12 games ahead in Pacific

Hawks have a 12 game winning streak and are now 5 points ahead of Dallas in the Central

Caps still have the best record in the league

Tampa has a 6 game win streak on the line tonight against Chicago

Kings signed Kopitar for 8 years

Anaheim is turning it on finally

Crawford is leadiing the NHL in shutouts

Nothing new on Stamkos - TB is keeping any negotiations to themselves

Dallas's D is not improving at all, if they cannot get it in gear they are in for a quick playoff exit

St. Louis is looking damn good but their penchant for early exits is still hanging over their heads

Lucic wants to stay in LA

That's really about it in terms of teams who have a legit chance to win a cup!

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Honestly though a couple teams I mentioned might gain a wild card or just plain make the playoffs based on record but I see no chance Edmonton, Dallas or Montreal will make deep playoff runs if they don't make some moves before the deadline. I think Chicago, LA, TB and Washington are the front runners for a possible cup title.

Edit: I know the Panthers are leading the Atlantic but I think they will flame out at some point, make the playoffs and exit early

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Caps and playoffs obviously aren't friends but it's clearly their conference to lose at this point. No one even holds a candle to them right now. I don't even really mean the lead in the standings either. I don't see a team in the whole conference that I don't think the Caps can easily handle.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Caps facing either the Lightning or Rangers in a conference final would be damn good hockey to watch!

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They just better not go up 3-1 in a series.