Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I never realized how ugly the woman who dumped her beer on Pardy was. She's awful.

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John Scott proving again why he doesn't belong in the NHL. Leino, who is hilariously on the fourth line, stole the puck in the Flyers zone and set up Scott with the most open net ever and he fumbles the puck. :lol

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How bad is Patrick Kaleta when John Scott is still on this team?

John Scott. Got power play time. For the Blackhawks. In the playoffs.

I'm not joking.

Coach Q rocks.

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Downie-Couturier-Read line just made this a 2-1 game in 100 seconds. They are playing incredible tonight.

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Flyers have been playing so much better. Can't wait for the inevitable slide

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Did you really expect someone sitting in the 100 level that poured beer on someone to be attractive?

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That's amazing man! Congrats!

I don't know how I missed this post. I've said it 100 times, but I'll say it again...as much as I love watching hockey, the NHL, and the Blackhawks...I love playing the sport a MILLION times more. There's no pro sports team I love more than my Hawks, but I've missed watching Hawks playoff games so I can play in a 8:40 PM men's league game before (multiple times). No brainer. Sit on the couch and watch other people play the best game on the planet, or actually participate in the best game on the planet?

It's really a feeling that you can't truly comprehend or understand until you've experienced it. There are guys at my work just picking up the game at ages 30+ and 40+, and God bless 'em. It's never too late to pick up hockey, and I'm so glad you're running with this thing.

This guy at my work that's (I think) 46 is in his first ever hockey league. Beginner's league in Buffalo Grove, IL. He thanks me almost every single day for convincing him that it's never too late to lace up the skates for the first time. Whenever I see him, he's walking over to my desk with a giant smile on his face, and I know exactly what he's coming to talk to me about. "CHRIS! There was a 2-on-1, I was on defense, and I managed to turn around without falling, and broke up a pass, knocking the puck out of the zone! Led to a 3-on-2 and we scored!!" It's the little things. Every year I just can't WAIT for it to get consistently cold so I can play pond hockey. Oooooohhhhhhhhhhh I cannot WAAAAAAAAAAAIIIITTTTT.

I've sent this to Matty before, but I always loved this commercial. Exactly how it works whenever a chick comes to watch me play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N63LeOyB8x8

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:thumbsup Awesome story. I am really starting to think about getting a pair of skates and starting to learn how to skate a bit.

You work in the city Chris?

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http://colorofhockey.com/2013/11/20/...ells-good-too/

Speaking of guys learning to play the game...Old Spice Guy is apparently picking up hockey and absolutely loves it.

He's 39.

It's NEVER TOO LATE for the greatest game ever.

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Yep, work at the Sears Tower and live about 4 blocks west of it, just east of Greek Town.

I play at Johnny's Ice House (typically East). If you have any questions, feel free to ask me (and I'll volunteer Matty too). Be more than willing to help.

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2 wins in a row? I didn't realize this was allowed in the rules. Fantastic, another solid effort from the Oil last night. Why couldn't they be doing this a month ago? They've looked really, really good the past couple games.

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So that's what win is like...win one more and that's two in a row. Win another and that's what they call a winning streak. They better pull their heads out of their asses. You have a team in front of you without their best player, who happens to be one of the top 5 in the league, so time to take advantage of that.

Wings have some decisions to make. Nyquist belongs on the big club, and proved it in his only game this year, but if he plays one more you can't send him back down without clearing waivers. That's not gonna happen. If they keep him they don't have a lot of room for injuries.

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Isn't it 3 now?

I'm going to the game here in Columbus next Friday, honestly not looking forward to it :lol

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Tough game for Tuuka last night judging by the highlights.

Remember when bonzo said the blues wouldn't make the playoffs? :lol

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Remember when Chris had a hard on for Derek Roy? lol

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Holy hell, you're right!!! Totally forgot about the Calgary game on Saturday hahahaha

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Absolutely. Be happy to help wherever I can. I really can't add anything to what Chris said, other than just "agreed". No matter your age or background in sports, I guarantee you will have fun playing hockey. There are few environments more accepting and respectful than a men's rec league locker room. Kind of like the Ants NHL thread - a lot of banter and ribbing, but all in the right spirit. And nothing - NOTHING - beats the feeling of that cool breeze on your face when you step on to the ice and take that first lap around the ice. Take that from a guy who took two years off of hockey while living in Brazil.

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Chris, I was a bit disappointed to see the Avs make Yandle act the fool last night. Not his best game.

HOWEVER, someone who is really giving me a defense hard-on right now, and especially last night, is Ekman-Larsson. I picked him up for my fantasy team this year, and I'm glad I did. The guy looks great out there, especially beyond fantasy-type stats. EXCELLENT positioning and pacing... an underrated skill among defensemen (i.e., when a guy is bearing down on you entering the zone, the rate at which you close the gap between he and you). Good physically in terms of moving guys off the puck; great positioning in the offensive zone, where he always seems to make the right play.

Very impressed with how he's developing.

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Man, i wish the pens would have signed Jagr a few years ago over Kennedy. Another gwg for Jags last night.

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Matt, have you seen Ryan Murray play much this year at all? Interested in how you feel about him. I fall into the trap when watching defensmen that most do, I just want them to generate offense.

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Just tied Howe for the record in gwg, right?

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I totally get what you're saying about sometimes missing things when watching defensemen because our mindset as fans is set on "score score score!" You almost have to train yourself to watch the game differently. Instead of watching the puck carrier, try watching the defensemen closest to him. It's not always the most entertaining, but you'll learn a lot! I've done it enough now to where I almost flip a mental switch from "defensive" to "offensive" viewing.

Oh man, I'm glad you brought up Murray. This kid has a TON of upside! Prepare yourself for a full-fledged, long winded Matty scouting report ...

The big thing I notice with him is his mobility. He's extremely agile. But, combined with that, he KNOWS where he needs to be. This is a problem a lot of young d-men have when making the NHL transition - they know how to play the game, but aren't always confident in where they need to be to make a play against bigger, faster forwards (Tyler Myers still hasn't figured it out). Murray, at only 20 years old, has that figured out. He gets to the right spots, and he gets there quickly.

He's got above-average offensive skills, so I can't fault you for wanting him to produce more. I would say give him some time for those instincts to mature and adapt themselves to the quicker NHL pace. If his coaches are being smart, they're telling him to focus on his defensive game, and let the offense just come as a result.

Perhaps the thing I most like about him though is his smarts. At TWENTY years old, he plays a fairly mistake-free game. He'll mess up here and there, as even vets do, but it amazes me at how smart he is on the ice. As I've said 8 million times here, the casual fan never notices a defenseman until he makes a mistake, and that's perhaps why Ryan Murray hasn't gotten a lot of press lately... he simply plays smart smart hockey for a kid his age. He looks like a multi-year vet out there already.

In terms of what to work on, I would just say size. He's not overly big (just checked, and he's 6-1, 195), but at twenty I doubt he's done growing. I'm sure he could easily bulk up by a few pounds and still not lose his agility. The sky is the limit for this kid.

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indeed. and Mario for goals all time.

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Great scouting report Matty. I will try to keep an eye on him more away from the puck, which is easier to do when you're at the game.

One thing that has impressed me about him is his passing game. Exceptional accuracy which is nice for a change. Cannot tell you how many times I see Wiz or Tyutin or Johnson (the more heralded d-men) give up a scoring chance for the other team because of a poor breakout pass.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ear-toss-night

this is awesome

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Great point about being at the game. Being live is an excellent way to watch the finer points of the game. Sit a few rows higher if you can, and man you'll get a great view of what's going on in terms of positioning. I also love watching the far-side defenseman, which you can see really well live. Our tendency is to follow the puck in the D zone, but when it's in the corner, try watching what the d-man in front of the net is doing, versus the one in the corner. Also, watch the centerman to get a better idea of where he is. They have such a complex duty in the defensive zone, and you really know a good center by seeing how he plays in his own zone.

Agree about Murray's passing. One of the greatest, most underrated assets a defenseman can posses is making a strong first pass out of the zone. I think defensemen themselves undervalue it and don't work on it like they should, but it can really be the difference-maker between a goal for your team versus a goal for the other team. Chara is one of the best breakout passers in the game. Erik Johnson on the Avs is another great one who doesn't always get noticed.

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Those are incredible sweaters. I want one.

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Wish the Oilers drafted Murray.

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I was both surprised and not surprised when they didn't. The ROI is usually a little higher on drafted forwards than defensemen, but Murray would have really given them that cornerstone defensive piece they are still missing.