Re: The NHL Thread
 

omg pens

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Anyone see the Senators shot that appeared to go through the net and wasn't called a goal??


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Thank you. Hockey is a great release.

Appreciate it! Hope they make a long enough run for me to be able to watch games once the semester is over!

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CBJ could end the season with more wins that Pit, Det and Bos but are already eliminated from the playoffs.

#pointsforlosing

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if you're a top team in the east you'd much rather play detroit or pittsburgh than CBJ right now.

so frustrating.
very similar to the season 2 years ago.

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yeah man. agreed.

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ive always been more of a supporter for shoot outs and never liked ties so im not going to be one of those people that turns on the system because it hurts my team in this particular year.

it's just frustrating the season they had with injuries and such.

they are 10-0-1 this year when Jenner and Dubinsky are both in the lineup.

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on another note, it looks like the sabres have all but locked up the 30th spot meaning they'll get McDavid or Eichel.

I thought about it quite a bit this weekend and here is some unsolictied thoughts on the whole tanking issue.

First, if you're upset about the tank you have nobody to blame but the NHL, with the current rule of getting the 30th place team the first or second pick they have created this situation. I know they've already changed it for next season but seriously, you might as well not have a loterry at all based on the current system.

Second, there's no reason to be upset about the tank. The only reason it becomes a problem is if the players on the ice are actively trying to lose, because that obviously begins to hurt the integrity of the sport. I don't think we had that at all in this situation, in fact the Sabres palyers seemed pretty upset that fans were rooting for them to lose. The reason the Sabres were bad was because the front office blew up the roster to benefit the team for the future, I don't think you can argue with anything Tim Murray did. He unloaded the NHL caliber players he had, that were going to be lost in free agency and got back draft picks and players like Evander Kane that won't help the cause this year but certainly will in the future. The reality is there was no benefit for the Sabres to win games this year and the front office managed the roster accordingly, I have no issue with that.

I really wish the NHL would just get rid of the whole lottery, the worst team should get the best player in the draft. If this year proves anything it's that you can't ever create a situation in professional sports where teams are actively trying to lose. You just can't convince a group of guys who are fighting for roster spots and contracts in this league to take a year off, it will never happen.

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they should do what the KHL does

have all the non-playoff teams play each other in a tournament, and the winner of that tournament gets the #1 overall pick. it discourages tanking, increases revenue, and keeps non-playoff cities interested in hockey for a little longer

it's not the best system, but the NHL is already a circus anyway so what's the difference

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:lol that's a nice idea, i didn't realize the KHL did that.
problem is that it gives the number 1 pick to the non-playoff team that needs it least. the idea is to create more parity.
also i doubt the players union would allow for this.

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and how is the NHL a circus? arguably and professional league with tons of money involved is going to have some level of absurdity but compared to the other major sports the NHL has maintained the best product.

IMO, obviously.

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that's not necessarily true, but yes, the worst team probably doesn't end up with the #1 pick. and of course it would never happen in the NHL because it puts guys at a higher injury risk. but man, the revenue would be undeniable and it would be super gimmicky and fun to watch

completely disagree with bolded

hockey is the best sport but has the worst league. and it has the worst league by far

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elaborate on that.

im actually really interested to know why you feel that way because in my honest opinion i feel exactly the opposite.

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more games?
no thanks.
plus, this doesn't help the teams that need it get better.

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It stayed pretty neck and neck the whole week. Good times!

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i'll preface again by saying i think hockey is the purest, most exciting sport to watch and one of the hardest to play at a high level. the NHL also has the best playoffs of any other leagues IMO. However, what's wrong with the league:

1. Too many teams--30 teams is way too many. it dilutes the talent pool greatly. there would be even more parity if we had, say, 26-28 teams tops. Too many cities that won't ever care about hockey.
2. Fighting is legal--i won't get into the whole debate. i know a lot of ppl (cough, matty, cough) think it has a place in the game. and that's fine. however, i really think it stunts the league's growth. it also delays games, turns a beautiful game into a side show more often than not, and facilitates serious injuries. back to point #1, fighting also keeps "goons" and less talented players on rosters simply because they can "enforce" Fighting also dilutes the talent pool
3. Discipline--it's a joke. if you are going to allow fighting, then the NHL at least needs to discourage dirty and unnecessary plays. it's system of punishment is arbitrary at best, and often does nothing to curb future acts of violence.
4. Rule changes--scoring is down (again). we may see bigger nets and smaller goalie pads pretty soon, which is a start. But, every time the NHL attempts to adjust the way the game is officiated, it lasts for about 3-4 weeks then goes back to the way it was. Every other major sport has made rules changes to cater to it's superstars. a sport thrives when it's stars can shine. For example:
A) The NFL has made it almost impossible to touch a QB. it has enforced illegal contact and pass interference more and more each year, to allow for more offense, and in turn, QBs and WRs to thrive. it has only helped the game.
B) MLB has seen it's ballparks shrink dramatically over the years. Chicks dig the long ball. We are now seeing rules being heavily enforced on blocking the plate, speeding up the game, and the long awaited addition of instant replay. MLB was slow to adjust, but at least they did
C) NBA--has Lebron ever been called for a travel? There such a thing as an illegal defense :lol and going back further, the 24 second shot clock and the 3 point line...all meant to increase offense and cater to the superstars.

5. Canada--we get it, Canada. this is your baby, your thing, your apple fucking pie. But let's have some real talk. The NHL brings the world's best talent because it caught on in the USA. The money is here, the markets are here, but the mentality isn't. It's still run by the good ol' canadian boys who want to keep it a garage league. and it's working. There needs to be fresh, young, and maybe even American faces running things. All of the other major sports leagues are doing everything they can to have a product in line with the year 2015. NHL seems content on a 1970's product.


sorry, long winded, i know.

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yea, i already said that

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i saw.
just wanted to point out how dumb it was though when you said, "they should do what the KHL does"

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i agree with most of what you said except for #4.

the shit you're talking about in #4 is exactly what is wrong with the other leagues. superstar treatment helps attract fringe fans, I get it. I just don't give a shit personally, I'd rather see 20 guys all as equals play their hearts out for their city. honestly hockey is the only sport left like that.

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Agreed with 1 and 5. I think scoring is fine, as is, but remove that damn trapezoid.

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i'd argue soccer is that way, globally, just not hear in the USA outside from teams like Salt Like, Seattle, etc.

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and if you thought i was serious you should kill yourself because of how dumb you are

i don't know, man. i get what you're saying but guys like Crosby, Towes, Kane, Tavares, Malkin, Stamkos etc. should be highlighted because they are so special. More PPs, less obstruction. Guys can still play their hearts out for their cities and teams, but they shouldn't be seen as equals because they aren't equals. Craig Adams is not an equal to Sidney Crosby, but the NHL would have you believe otherwise.

Kris Versteeg is not an equal to Jonathan Towes nor should he be treated as one. a guy making $9 million a year is not equal to a guy making $500,000 per year. otherwise everyone would have a the same salary. let the stars shine and let the role players be role players, IMO.

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Grantland did a piece about this listing a bunch of options.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ho...ing-situation/

I like Option 10 from this article, favored by the author. Once a team is eliminated from playoff contention, they start accumulating points to determine which team gets the first pick. That way, losing teams would actively have to try to keep winning during the regular season to get the first round pick. A post-season tournament is an interesting idea, but they'd be asking players to play extra hockey so their team could draft a player who will take someone's job. I can't see that hockey being any good, or the NHLPA being thrilled about it.

EDIT: ^ And I agree that the league needs to do a better job of highlighting superstars. Everyone knows defense gets the job done, but people love to watch offense. The NFL figured that out, so they altered rules to allow for more offense, and it worked. Whoever wins the scoring title this year will not sniff 100 points, which is not acceptable. And a rule change isn't really necessary. Enforce the rules already in place.

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Carolina and Arizona draw, what, maybe 12k per game? And that's with all the promotions and crap.

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That's a horrendous idea. What about the teams who are just legitimately bad and need the help?

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Uh oh, you knew I was gonna have to chime in on this one. :lol

But not really to rehash old arguments already made, but to point out the disappearance of the goon. The role of the goon has been diminishing for the past 2-3 seasons, but seemed to take a dramatic turn at the beginning of this season as you see virtually no "pure" enforcers on any roster. Guys like Parros and Biz Nasty found themselves without a team, while guys still with contracts like Orr and Bordeleau find themselves in the minors or the press box. Meanwhile, fighting continues, but by guys that can actually play regular minutes and would be in the lineup regardless of their fighting ability. Guys like Cody McLeod, who happens to be a valuable 3rd/4th liner who can skate and logs regular PK minutes.

I agree that having a goon on the roster dilutes the talent pool, but I would contend that that situation is quickly disappearing. Sure, there are still a couple pure "fighters" on a roster here and there. But for the most part, it's regular roster players. I just did a quick skim of all the rosters in the NHL, and I saw only a handful of guys who are there purely for their knuckles.

To the rest of your points, I agree with many of them. Especially the number of teams. I think this, more than the goon thing, dilutes talent. Would love to see even two less teams in the NHL.

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#LoVE that idea

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I feel like hockey definitely could work in Carolina.

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that's what problem #1 on my list does to the NHL