Re: The NHL Thread
 

oh for the love of god please shorten goalie pads.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Wait, did someone really say Oduya is better than Keith Yandle?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I think you and I are in agreement here. And yes there are a lot of things that need to be fixed with goalies pads, size of goals maybe, and things like that. I was having a conversation with someone a few weeks ago and talking about size of goalies. Compare two guys of equal size of Felix Potvin is 6'1" and Corey Crawford is 6'2". Now look at them in their gear? Not close. Add to the fact 6'1" is becoming short by goalie standards it's getting crazy. I said before I wasn't' a fan of the bigger goals but I'm starting to be.
I'm not sure if we're not heading closer to ties. Clearly fans, managers and players all thought the previous way wasn't working. Half of games that went to OT went to a SO. That's too much. That's a lot of shootouts to eliminate ties that were only roughly 14% of your games prior to the lost season. I don't believe this was the intent of the NHL when they did this. I think we see more teams sitting back to get to a shootout and I think the NHL thought teams would go for it and try to avoid the SO.

I'd still love to see polling done to see how much the shootout affects fans. Ask people if they are watching more hockey than 15 years ago and why? Did making sure only 12 of 82 games have a winner make you watch more? If they went back to ties, would you go away? I really don't think the NHL cared THAT much about ties. They didn't care if Arizona and Detroit had a tie on a Wednesday in December. I think they cared if Detroit/Boston, PHL/PIT, Chicago/St Louis, ended in ties on Saturday or Sunday afternoons in February and March. So I'd be curious as to the fans who watched a game end in a tie one weekend, would they still tune in next weekend all things being equal, meaning they had the free time to watch?

Can they be exciting? Sure. But with the teams getting closer and closer, shootouts are becoming a bigger determination in the standings. They don't seem to want to go to the 3 point system, which has it's issues too. Is it 3 points for regulation and OT or just regulation? If it's just regulation, then we're saying OT is worth as much as a SO? Then do we still have an ROW category to make sure SOs aren't worth the same in a tiebreaker?

I know some people don't like ties but they are fair and balanced. There would be no talk of points being won from a shootout, no more ROW and the only three-point games coming from when a team wins in OT. Do they do it? I wouldn't hold my breath but the love for the SO is dying and players won't go an extra 3 minutes, so if this doesn't work, or they don't like it, what's next?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Was watching the Tampa Bay Rays game last night and they had a bunch of the Lighting players there to take BP and watch the game etc. Ben Bishop was one of the players there, he was hitting homers, I guess his groin is better.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

regulation win = 3 points

OT/SO win = 2 points

OT/SO loss = 1 point

regulation loss = 0 points

ROW would stay the same.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'd be ok with this. Would the NHL? Probably not.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

No, because they are dumb.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

They want it close. And although someone did the math and it really wouldn't change the standings too much, the current way still makes it closer. I just want something that's a little more fair. Now maybe this way helps but just seems weird to be to jump right to 3on3.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'm fine with this, but they could still get rid of the loser point.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Won't happen unless they get rid of the shootout. Even then, I don't think it happens. With the ROW and now this change, they are saying that a SO win isn't worth the same. So no way they make a change that actually makes a SO win worth the same as an ROW. Again, loser point is only a problem because of the shootout. Didn't have all these three point games form 99-04. I like the 3 point system that Matt outlined a few posts ago. Add that and do the AHL model (which for whatever reason the PA doesn't want) then I think you've got the best possible solution while keeping shootouts. But...doubt it happens. It's like the CBA talks a few years ago. We all knew what would get a deal done but neither side wanted to cave and we ended up getting a deal that was close to what so many people not working for the NHL or NHLPA thought.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

The tie is terrible. I hope it never comes back.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Again, never had an issue with it. Would rather see teams walk away 2-2 than my team lose a point in a shootout. The wins they get out of it, do not cancel out the losses in my mind. Was all on board with the AHL model. I truly believe a few more minutes, especially at 3on3, would make a world of difference.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

http://www.tsn.ca/ahl-best-of-3-on-3-ot-1.232282

Best AHL 3 on 3 OT winners from last season. Some are pretty nasty. Still would have preferred the 4 on 4 to 3 on 3 model. But it is kind of exciting to think about some of the skill matchups teams can put out there to start OT and do some damage. Obviously the Toews, Kane, Keith, trio will win every time.....

Re: The NHL Thread
 

On your teams, who are you looking forward to seeing play together in the 3on3?

For me, it's Duchene, MacKinnon, and Barrie.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Am I at the club with that music?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Pavel and Zetterberg together with Kronwall could be fun but my guess is the won't be together unless it's late in the OT and the face-off in the offensive zone and they are trying to finish it before the SO. Gonna go top 2 "lines". Pavel-Tatar-Kronwall and Nyquist-Hank-DeKeyser.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Letang, Maatta, and Malkin would be really fun to watch

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Only one of them will be healthy but....sorry.

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Toews-Kane-Keith and Saad-Hossa/Teuvo-Seabrook will be really fun to watch.

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nah, they'll all be ok for camp

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Giroux, Voracek, insert young defenseman here

Simmonds, Schenn, insert young defenseman here

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Check twitter for opening nights. Those are getting announced right now. Full schedule coming tomorrow at 10am I guess.

Opening night for Wings....against Leafs.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Wish Couts was more of an offensive threat I think he would do fgreat on 3v3

Re: The NHL Thread
 

For the record, I'm in favor of the 3 point system.

3 points - Reg/OT win
2 points - SO win
1 point - SO loss
0 points - Reg/OT loss

Nick, Alex, Captain America

Hmmm...coincidence? (It wasn't). Is the game in Detroit?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

To the first part, with no points for OT loss but a point for a SO loss, I can see teams trying to get to the shootout instead. It's what teams do. Points are so important, they'll do whatever they can to get them.

At home. Would be sort lame for his first game to be against the Wings but be in TO. I return from my Disney World trip on that day too so that works out great for me. Not that I couldn't watch it later on the Tivo but would rather watch it live.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

True. Maybe just lump in all losses as 0 points? No such thing as receiving one standings point. I just like the idea of gaining more points for a hockey win vs a skills competition win

And yes, it would've been incredibly lame. But I wouldn't have put it past the nhl to do something dumb like that

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Should come as no surprise but it's coming boys.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/n...nsion-process/

Re: The NHL Thread
 

3 pts - Reg win
2 pts - OT win
1 pt - SO win

This eliminates any incentive "skate around and do nothing" in the waning moments of regulation and/or OT

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Not locking up Stamkos would be a huge blunder for TB. I know he did not play at his best in the finals but this guy is one helluva hockey player!

http://www.todaysslapshot.com/nhl-ea...e-leafs-rumor/

Re: The NHL Thread
 

They should do it like soccer used to do, one period of OT where a goal wins the game and if that period ends with no goals it is a draw.

Completely agree, they are really amazing to watch.