Re: The NHL Thread
 

just horrible. the bruins outplayed the canucks most of the game last night and lack gets 40 saves. just can't buy a win

Re: The NHL Thread
 

10 weeks would be such a bummer. Derail a potential Hart season. Kane was playing the best hockey of his career.

We'll find out more tomorrow.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

i totally know what you're getting at here, but Dale's crash was by no means mild. he went into a wall at 160+ MPH IIRC with out of date safety features

but i get what you're saying, you'll see cars fly through the air or roll a few times and drivers are no worse for wear

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yeah the cross check itself wasn't all that vicious looking, but it came in that tough danger spot a few feet from the boards, which 9/10 times causes players to go crashing into the boards very awkwardly. Reminds me of the hit Ovie threw on Brian Campbell several years ago. Ovie, by the way, was suspended for that hit.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Patrick Kane and Derrick Rose on the same day, rough one for chi-town

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Just looked at the calendar, 10 weeks could mean he's out until possibly round 3 or maybe late into round 2. God damn, what a blow that would be

Re: The NHL Thread
 

That Ovie hit was much, much worse, but yeah, similar distance from the boards.

The Ovechkin hit for the uninitiated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJYfueAv4l4

The silver lining in losing a top 3 player in the game...Hawks will have lots of cap relief if Kane goes to LTIR. Real life option, trade for an expiring contract and have Kane return for round 1 with a forward they wouldn't have been able to acquire had he not been injured.

And I don't think the Hawks were going to overtake the Blues or the Preds anyway.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Absolutely use the cap space to make a trade....but holy shit make it a d-man. The Hawks will not be going anywhere with the current defense they have.

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There is so much wrong with the Hawks, and lots of it is pretty unnecessary. It's a lot of fun.

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Oh yeah, I understand that it wasn't really mild but yeah to what you said. Guys roll cars and the cars are on fire and nothing.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

what's the deadline talk like in detroit? they gonna make a splash?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Doesn't seem like it. They could use some help on D still but not a lot of guys out there that would truly be upgrades. If they could get Yandle, sure he's an upgrade but can't imagine the cost. They won't give up Nyquist, Tatar or prospects Larkin or Mantha (or Pulkkinen either prolly) or their 1st rounder this year. That's what teams are gonna want (and I get that) but with Zetterberg and Pavel getting older they can't sacrifice that for the short term. I've heard Jeff Petry from the Oilers and maybe they do that for a depth move because Kyle Quincey has been out and if he can't go the depth would be nice. Outside of something like that, I don't see it. Would LOVE to see a big splash because their window with the older guys is clothing and it makes for a fun end of the year, but I understand the future is important too and you make a move for Yandle and lose in round one to Tampa, would that be worth it? I don't see it.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Honestly, I don't think the Hawks were in as dire straits as many seemed to. In 2010 people were hitting the panic button, last year people were hitting the panic button...hockey is a fickle game and there are ups and downs. This time was going to find their stride.

Without 88 though...everything hinges on what they report tomorrow morning.

As for a trade, there's not that much out there. I think Antoine Vermette is a very real option. And Andrej Sekera. I've also heard Curtis Glencross and Daniel Winnik as options.

I like the idea of Vermette now (where as before the injury I was leaning towards Bickell for Glencross). The injury I think forces us to move Bickell this offseason instead, and pick up someone like Vermette and move Shaw to a wing. Top 9 could line up like this:

Saad - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Richards - Versteeg
Bickell - Vermette - Shaw

And with the extra cap they could also afford to grab their guy Sekera as well. Or Jeff Petry, who I've heard the Oil want Raanta for...either one would be a good addition.

Keith - Seabrook
Oduya - Hjalmarsson
TvR - Sekera/Petry

That's pretty awesome. Then hope 88 is healthy come playoff time.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I really, really want them to get Yandle (sorry Matty), just because I know he'll shine. Put him alongside Kronwall. God damn.

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Heard Glencross had them on his short list. Will be interesting to see what they do. Don't make any crazy decisions. Maybe guys will step up now, you never know. I remember 2001 and Forsberg went down going into the Western Finals and I thought there is no way they beat the Blues now, who were on fire, and they handled them and then won the Cup.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'm trying to think of other guys that have broken collarbones before...Marian Gaborik is the only one I can think of last season, and he missed just short of 2 months, I believe.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I agree, the Hawks have too many prospects though, and guys that are just going to be trade bait at this point (see: Adam Clendening/Jeremy Morin).

So it's worth using the extra cap space from Kane's inevitable IR for an expiring contract if you have guys that don't have a spot in your roster anyway.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yeah it would be awesome. Haven't had the "holy crap they got that guy" moment since Hossa but that's the reality right now for the game and especially them. My guess is Yandle would probably be with DeKeyser because they seem content on Kronner and Ericsson together. The Wings PP is #1 in the league (although shit last night) can't imagine with Yandle.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yea their blue line hasn't been the same since Lidstrom retired (ovbiously, he's irreplaceable) but i always have faith in Detroit because of their experience both on the ice and behind the bench

i also LOVE Detroit's power play. it's so simple and it's clipping along at 25%

i want to take the entire Penguins teams and force them to watch the Wings' PP for an entire practice and say "do this or you're cut from the team"

there's no reason, with our talent, that we can't have just as an effective PP as Detroit

it's beautiful to watch

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yeah the opposite problem for the Wings since their big guys are older and not in their 20's. Wings were able to do that even after the salary cap cause Hank and them weren't very old.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

http://i.imgur.com/iJ4MhOU.gif

This has always been my favorite Keith Yandle .gif, just because it sums him up so well. The dude has vision and hand/eye that is just insane, but he's one of those guys that gambles sometimes...and sometimes it's a home run (like this) and sometimes he makes you want to smack your head into a wall.

If he missed that puck there...holy shit that would have been awful, but he kept it in when it had no business being kept in, and it lead to the GWG.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I think anyone could potentially shine playing on a team as well-coached as the Red Wings, so no need to apologize there.

I would love Yandle playing on our top pairing with Erik Johnson. Despite his injury, it's been a return-to-form year for EJ at both ends of the ice. I think he and Yandle would work really well together. Some similarities in terms of skill sets, but also some key differences that would make them really dynamic.

And like I've said before, I'm totally willing to give up a first to get him. Don't even care.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Two of my favorite players going at it last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNi1dj4oOro

Landy with a clean - but brutal - hit on Josi, Weber responds. We ALL know how I feel about guys having to fight after a clean hit, so no comment here. Weber got to him fast, and Landy didn't back down... and good for him. I would be scared to death to fight Shea Weber. I think Landy was too... check out his face after the fight is broken up. :lol

Weber ended up with 17 PIMs on that (fighting+misconduct+instigator), but didn't seem to matter for the Preds. Absolute dominant play the whole night against an Avs team that has played very well the last couple weeks. After watching, it is no wonder to me why this team is atop the NHL. So well-coached, every guy does his job, and like Weber exhibited in the fight, they are all playing for each other.

I've been really impressed with the Preds all year, but this just reinforced it.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'd be scared shitless of a guy like Weber wanting to fight me. And yeah, another clean hit, please don't hit my teammate within the rules, play. Sigh...

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i'm seriously so sick of it...

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Really irritates me Nick Backstrom continues to get zero credit from anyone. Watching NHL Tonight and they talked about the Kane injury and they popped the scoring race graphic on the screen, and the dickwad hosting says "there you'll see Kane tied with Jake Voracek at 64 points for the league lead in scoring". Meanwhile there's a third guy, right there in front of him, who also has 64 points. Not too surprisingly, that name was ignored. People like Rick Nash and Patrick Kane and John Taveres, etc are constantly crammed down everyone's throats as the top 5 players in the league. I mean whatever, I guess it's not really all that important whether or not the rest of the league is aware, and fortunately Nick Backstrom gives zero fucks if anyone considers him a top 5 player (which he absolutely is) but it would just be nice to hear him talked about a little more. He's having as good a year as anyone and is playing the best hockey of his career so far, and still when the Caps are talked about it's always how much better Ovechkin has been under Trotz.

End of rant, I just really hope the guy wins the Ross. He deserves some kind of major award, and it obviously won't be one that is voted on.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

honestly, it's kind of like that in every sport..you know what will help backstrom? a deep playoff run where he is productive

for example, Andrew McCutchen had been playing at an MVP level for a few years before winning it. and when he did win it, it wasn't even his best statistical year. you know what the difference was? winning & making the playoffs...

not hatin', just sayin'

it also "hurts" Backstrom that he's playing with Ovie...that's not really fair, but it hurts him

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Love watching old games and seeing all these hits and no fights. Or seeing guys getting hooked and held and not throwing their arms up, looking for a call. I mean I'm ok with them calling it tighter, for the most part, but it has lead to guys wanting a call every time or expecting never to get hit ever.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

i'm not even going to get started because i won't stop...

@Real_ESPNLeBrun: As Hawks shift through their trade options now in wake of Kane injury, hearing that Antoine Vermette is a player they like among others...