Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Hagelin with Stephan and gaborik line tonight. Interesting. Next two games for NYR are good tests. Pittsburgh always plays tough at the garden and FINALLY rangers bruins matinee Saturday.

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Ugh. Fedotenko misses a wide open net, pens score on ensuing rush. Pens are skating hard so far tonight.

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Guess I'm the only one watching. :lol. Great first period, both teams really skating hard and plenty of scoring chances for both. I don't understand how Boyle was sent off for that hit...

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why is msg so dark

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if thats anyone else in front of the net besides adams, its probably a goal. sigh.

What feed are you watching? Or do you generally think MSG looks darker?

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its on msg. it looks dark, just different than most teams feeds.

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MSG is generally dark to me as well. Noticed it going back to '09 Caps/Rangers playoffs.

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Yeah. I think it's the ceiling/how bright they light up the ice. When the Knicks play, it's bright.

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Tavares is reaching superstar level play this month. He is owning some very good Flyer defenders tonight. What fun it is to watch his game develop and rise to where it is at right now. Now if only some of the guys would max their potential.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

To be fair, the Flyers D and everyone else played terrible. Tavares definitely is a superstar in the making, but a few of those plays were graciously handed to him.

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http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/f...nd-a-lot-more/

I wouldnt put too much stock into anything Jagr says in January about next season. He is a huge compulsive liar. This is the same guy that said he'd play for league minimum if Mario asked him to, same guy that said its not about the money, then signs with Philly because they offered more. He made up the excuse that he signed in phl because he can only play with left shots. He is a joke. His comment about making so much less than what Geno or Crosby makes shows his true colors. If things go sour, he'll be the first to jump ship and say how he is dying alive, he has done it before and will again. I have no doubt he'll resign in Philly, as long as no one else offers him more money.

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Malkin is on fire right now, another two goals last night. Leads the league in points and has 54 in only 39 games.

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He wanted to play with Datsyuk in Detroit too. Not saying he won't re-sign but he is for sure about the money. Remember his press conference when he went to Washington talking about how he liked it there cause they would pay $10mil a year?

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Exactly, and thats what its always been about with Jagr, money.

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Who the fuck is this Karlsson kid on the Sens? A rookie who has a huge scoring lead for defensemen, and i'd never heard of him before last night...

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I believe he's in his 2nd year. Not very good defensively but he's a great skater who has great vision and a nice shot.

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:thumbsup This. The sophomore slump has not hit him. Needs to mature a little bit in his own end, but that usually takes 3-4 seasons for a good young defenseman. He's awesome to watch skate... reminds of Mike Modano.

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Do you guys think NYR are legitimate contenders To make a deep run or will their weaknesses (PP, inconsistent scoring) hold them back again? I'm trying to get opinions of other fans but devils fans just gimme the old 1994! treatment.

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Devils don't have fans.

NYR can really make a run if they can find a consistency in scoring. They have the hottest goaltender in net this season.

Do you think that means addition by trade or just overall consistency from the guys they have? At different times this year, Stepan, Richards, Callahan, gaborik, anisimov, and hagelin have all put together streaks but we can't just roll out lines with the potential to score on any shift. Plus, the PP is garbage. I guess I'm just pessimistic, though this team is as good I've seen from them in a long time.

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Unless a deal comes up that they just can't refuse, I don't think the Rangers should make any additional moves. I think scoring consistency will come, especially when you look at how far this team has come under Tortorella. He is building this team to be a contender, and he's doing it the only way you can build a TRUE contender - teaching the players to believe in each other and believe in a system. The Rangers are doing this right now, and I don't feel it should be interrupted.

The thing I like most about the Rangers is they are built to be a playoff team. By that I mean they've got those guys that you really start to rely on for a long playoff run. Remember how guys like Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, and Andrew Ference helped the Bruins last year? I see that same stuff from dudes like Brian Boyle, Michael Sauer, Mike Rupp, Ryan MacDonaugh, etc. I like the top of the Ranger's depth chart, but I REALLY like their bottom two lines.

And guys like Brad Richards live for the playoffs.

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Thanks for unbiased opinions. I'm obviously excited about this team and with bank between the pipes the sky is the limit. Finally, a homegrown team rather than overpaid stars.

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King Henrik is having his best year it seems. Either that Or the D got really stingy. They have a shot for sure.

Both I think. With staal missing so much time, girardi became a legit #1 defenseman and mcdonagh and del zotto have both stepped up their game. Plus they lead the league in blocked shots I believe. That's not to take away from hank who has been spectacular.

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I don't think a move is necessary unless someone gets hurt or they get an offer that they feel will improve the team. I don't see them as buyers or sellers but I do see thing being active, at least for a solid 2nd-3rd line forward if something comes about they like.

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Solid thread here. I need to stop in more often. It's pretty hard to find anyone to talk hockey with. What teams do you guys root for?

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I think any time you have a goalie like Lundqvist you have a great shot in the playoffs. I think their offense does need to improv a bit, though. Defense is extremely important, but when is the last time a team without a great offense won the Cup? That's my only criticism.

They do have a very balanced lineup, but they don't have a dominant line, which most Cup contenders will have. I don't know if they could get by a healthy Pitt, and no way are they making it by Boston if they stay healthy.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Any time, buddy :thumbsup I'm the lone Avs fan here, but I like chatting about any team.
Offense is important, and it is clearly the weakest part of their team this year. Obviously you must score goals to win games. But if your team is not structured around a solid defensive system that everyone has bought into, you will not win games. That's why guys like Callahan, Brad Richards, Brian Boyle, etc. are so important come playoff time. It's also why teams like the Capitals have not gone anywhere thus far.

The ideal situation would be for the Rangers to have more balanced scoring, yes. But there is still some season left and some momentum to be gained. Chemistry can still be built and certain players can still learn to click. I personally think the Rangers can go deeper this year than they have in years past. Possible chance at the SCF, although I'm by no means ready to declare them a lock.

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I think the point is....you need to have both, but in the end, IMO, the high-powered offense will find a way to overcome the strong defensive team. So at this point, I don't put them up there with Van, Det, Boston, or potentially Pitt if they can get healthy for the playoffs.

The other side of the coin is that a team like the Hawks aren't legit Cup contenders yet either because they don't keep the puck out of the net well enough, IMO.