The Official 2013 NHL Regular Season Thread

[albionmoonlight]

Took my son to his first hockey game last night. Go Canes!

Really is a great sport for a kid to follow. Fast moving, and the basic point is about as simple as sports can get--score the projectile. Fun time had by all.

[Logan]

Another game, another key 3rd period goal for Rick Nash. Also made the beautiful pass that created a scoring opportunity in OT, which resulted in a penalty being taken, and then assisted on the game winning PP goal by Gaborik.

I'm in love.

[bhlloy]

Ducks resign Getzlaf for 8.25 million per over 8 years. A huge amount of money for a guy who has been that inconsistent over his career, but you also can't let talent like that walk. Probably the end for Perry, there's no way the Ducks can give him that kind of money as well and it's rumoured he turned down something in the range of 70-80 million before the lockout.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Took my son to his first hockey game last night. Go Canes!

Really is a great sport for a kid to follow. Fast moving, and the basic point is about as simple as sports can get--score the projectile. Fun time had by all.

Sorry he had to see that 10 minute stretch of great play in the second surrounded by horse manure play by the Canes for most of the night. Montreal is just a bad matchup for them for whatever reason. The Staal-Semin-Tlusty line's been shut out in both games they've played so far against the Habs. The power play is also going through yet another wretched stretch of ineffectiveness. Hopefully they'll get themselves righted for the game tomorrow night against New Jersey.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Ducks resign Getzlaf for 8.25 million per over 8 years. A huge amount of money for a guy who has been that inconsistent over his career, but you also can't let talent like that walk. Probably the end for Perry, there's no way the Ducks can give him that kind of money as well and it's rumoured he turned down something in the range of 70-80 million before the lockout.

Is Getzlaf really more important than Perry? Outsiders perspective, but I always thought Perry was the straw that stirs the drink.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Is Getzlaf really more important than Perry? Outsiders perspective, but I always thought Perry was the straw that stirs the drink.

I think Perrys agent is the BOras of the NHL, all his guys go to FA. so they signed the one they could

[MikeVic]

Went to my first Jets game tonight since they've come back. Exciting stuff.

[Fidatelo]

I was there, too! Bought tickets from a friend so I could see the Rangers and got to sit in the upper decks for the first time (my normal tickets are middle-tier). The view isn't as good, but it's WAY louder up there! We were up under the press boxes so the sound was trapped, it was hella fun. I love the "Tor-ta-rel-la!" chants, super hilarious.

[bbor]

And the annual Leaf collapse begins.....4 losses in a row.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I was there, too! Bought tickets from a friend so I could see the Rangers and got to sit in the upper decks for the first time (my normal tickets are middle-tier). The view isn't as good, but it's WAY louder up there! We were up under the press boxes so the sound was trapped, it was hella fun. I love the "Tor-ta-rel-la!" chants, super hilarious.

I was in section 103, went with a co-worker that has tickets through a ticket-sharing group of his. Sat close to even with the goal-line, about 14 rows up or something like that.

The Tortatella chants were funny. What a BS penalty shot called for Gaborik, and it was painful when Henrik got a puck in the balls or whatever the hell happened there haha.

[Logan]

I don't think that nut shot was as painful as watching that game was for Rangers fans. You guys played very well. Team is really struggling right now.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bbor

And the annual Leaf collapse begins.....4 losses in a row.

At least the Leafs only waited 52 minutes to give up a goal and still lose. Boston waited almost 54 Tuesday night.

Best part of this streak for the Penguins, the last handful of games they've given up 1, 2 and 1 GA.

They had the hot streak last year around the same time, when Crosby first returned. But winning those games 8-5 and 6-4 was uncomfortable. And it showed up in the playoffs.

[Suburban Rhythm]

.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Ducks resign Getzlaf for 8.25 million per over 8 years. A huge amount of money for a guy who has been that inconsistent over his career, but you also can't let talent like that walk. Probably the end for Perry, there's no way the Ducks can give him that kind of money as well and it's rumoured he turned down something in the range of 70-80 million before the lockout.

Anaheim going with the Pittsburgh model...

Twitter / Real_ESPNLeBrun: Perry agrees to eight-year, ...

Perry agrees to eight-year, $69 M deal with Anaheim; $8.625 M AAV

[Honolulu_Blue]

Good for Anaheim. I looked at their salary structure and never understood why everyone thought they couldn't sign both Perry and Getzlaff.

[RendeR]

I'm sorry as a Buffalo fan I'd forgotten the season was still being played.....

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Good for Anaheim. I looked at their salary structure and never understood why everyone thought they couldn't sign both Perry and Getzlaff.

The reason for that is the Samueli's have had a hard cash cap around 55 million for years. Obviously that's blown out of the water, I think we're at that figure next season with 15 guys signed. I'm absolutely ecstatic, even though it's a lot of money for both those guys it would kill the franchise to see either walk. And at least with the new CBA it's not 12 or 14 years.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by RendeR

I'm sorry as a Buffalo fan I'd forgotten the season was still being played.....

Miller sure has been spouting off lately.....wonder if there is a deal to be struck with Toronto as they need a top notch keeper.Regier is giving away assets (ie TJ brennan for a bag of puck) maybe they can get him cheap.

[Fidatelo]

So here's a greasy move: got notice from the Jets that we have to pay for our playoff tickets again, which of course we may not actually get to use. That irked me last year, but this year it gets better.

Since we have a credit on our account because we paid for a full season before the lockout but only got 48 games, you'd think that credit would be applied to our playoff vapor-tickets, right? Nope. That credit gets applied to next regular season, so first we have to ADD another $10000 to our account credit.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

So here's a greasy move: got notice from the Jets that we have to pay for our playoff tickets again, which of course we may not actually get to use. That irked me last year, but this year it gets better.

Since we have a credit on our account because we paid for a full season before the lockout but only got 48 games, you'd think that credit would be applied to our playoff vapor-tickets, right? Nope. That credit gets applied to next regular season, so first we have to ADD another $10000 to our account credit.

That's pretty crazy. Between installment payments I had already made during the summer + carry over credits from selling tickets online last season, I was overpaid for what I'd owe for the season. We were told immediately that those funds can be applied to 1) additional, current regular season purchases 2) this season's playoff invoices, as they occur (I use the "Pay to Play" plan, which once it's certain the Penguins are in, charges my card for round 1. If they win the round, immediately charge me for round 2, etc) 3) carry forward to 13-14 season or 4) apply a credit to the card on file.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by bbor

Miller sure has been spouting off lately.....wonder if there is a deal to be struck with Toronto as they need a top notch keeper.Regier is giving away assets (ie TJ brennan for a bag of puck) maybe they can get him cheap.

Not sure why everyone is so high on Brennan, to be honest he was a very weak player. The guy showed us nothing here or he'd probably still BE here.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Penguins win 10th in a row last night.

This gives them winning streaks of 10+ games in each of the past 3 seasons, the first time ever in NHL history.

Which I find pretty odd, given the dominant Montreal teams of the 70s.

[Fidatelo]

Those Montreal teams had to deal with a pesky thing called ties. I'm guessing the Penguins had more than 1 win in those streaks come from a shootout.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Since we have a credit on our account because we paid for a full season before the lockout but only got 48 games, you'd think that credit would be applied to our playoff vapor-tickets, right? Nope. That credit gets applied to next regular season, so first we have to ADD another $10000 to our account credit.

$10k? Is that a typo or are you renting a luxury box for the playoffs?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Those Montreal teams had to deal with a pesky thing called ties. I'm guessing the Penguins had more than 1 win in those streaks come from a shootout.

One OT win, one SO win

I peeked out of curiousity:

From 75/76 season to 78/79 season, never more than 12 ties, never less than 52 wins (in 80 game seasons). So agree the lack of OT hurts them, but also partially a timing issue of where the ties fell.

More impressive, looking at the 76/77 team, never lost back to back games. A couple back to back ties, and a few tie+loss or loss+tie, but never back to back losses.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

$10k? Is that a typo or are you renting a luxury box for the playoffs?

Not a typo, the actual amount is $10,725.00, but I believe that is for 4 seats (I only get a share of 2 of them but the 4 are all purchased together). I haven't seen the entire breakdown but they charge us for 16 home games and apparently the tickets for the final round are $250/seat. And our seats are middle-of-the-road for quality/pricing (there are 7 levels of seating, P1-P7, we are P4). I can only imagine what P1 seats are for the finals.

[hoopsguy]

Hawks/Ducks squaring off right now. Ducks have been quietly off-the-charts good this year, only five back of Blackhawks. 2-1 Chicago with about 15 left in the game. I'll be locked in for remainder of this one.

[hoopsguy]

Whelp, I appear to have jinxed them. Ducks put up three with me watching, including empty netter with 20 seconds left to win 4-2. Hawks missed chances to build on their lead early in period, then proceeded to play some 'clown college' style hockey in handing Ducks the go-ahead goal with five left in the game.

[Chief Rum]

Two terrific teams. Good win for the Ducks. They're now just three points back of the Hawks, and have a game in hand.

[Pyser]

broduer gets his 3rd career goal

sure it was an own goal and he made a save and was the last player to touch it, but hey, it was also on a PP!

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Pyser

broduer gets his 3rd career goal

sure it was an own goal and he made a save and was the last player to touch it, but hey, it was also on a PP!

It's pretty much symbolic of the downward spiral the Canes are in right now. Injuries are piling up, the defense is porous at best, and the offensive players have pretty much choked their sticks into sawdust at this point. It was fitting that the only goal Carolina scored for two-plus periods was a one-hundred foot pool shot off the sideboards into its own net. They haven't been able to score any other way of late.

[cartman]

Colton Orr of the Leafs likely set a record last night, racking up 29 minutes of penalty time in only two SECONDS of ice time.

Colton Orr with an unbelievable stat line against Buffalo - CBSSports.com

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by cartman

Colton Orr of the Leafs likely set a record last night, racking up 29 minutes of penalty time in only two SECONDS of ice time.

Colton Orr with an unbelievable stat line against Buffalo - CBSSports.com

A great reaction to that feat:

LFR6 - Game 31 - Down with Goons - Buf 5, Tor 4 (SO) - YouTube

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by cartman

Colton Orr of the Leafs likely set a record last night, racking up 29 minutes of penalty time in only two SECONDS of ice time.

Colton Orr with an unbelievable stat line against Buffalo - CBSSports.com

His mother must be so proud.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

His mother must be so proud.

And she should be, he made his bed!

[johnnyshaka]

DOLA, or did she make it?

Hmmm...

[Logan]

I think Nash should have gotten at least a game, if not two, for that hit last night. I was at the game and couldn't believe he took a run at Kopecky like that.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Pens made 2 deals in the last 24 hours

Brendan Morrow + 2013 3rd round pick for Joe Morrow (D) + 2013 5th round pick

Douglas Murray for 2013 2nd round pick + conditional (if he re-signs with Pittsburgh) 2014 2nd round pick

If anything, the Penguins became harder to play against in April and May...and hopefully June.

But both scare me because of their skating ability...or lack thereof. Morrow going to start as the LW with Malkin-Neal.

[bhlloy]

First thoughts were it was a great deal for Morrow and way too much to give up for Murray. So that probably events out then?

I have no idea how you can get a guy like Morrow and only give up a decent prospect and move up two rounds in the draft. That's a deal I would have love to have seen the Ducks make.

[Wolfpack]

Canes Agree to Terms with Semin on Extension

Basic deal is five years at $7 mil per, leaving his cap hit unchanged from his current one-year deal. I like it, yet I'm not in love with it, though.

Having watched Semin for half-a-half-a-season (thanks NHL), he's done wonders for Eric Staal who basically has pulled a worst-to-first in the league plus/minus rankings since Semin's arrival, but sometimes he reminds me of a more talented Sergei Samsonov: great passing and skating, keen with the puck, and yet is his own worst enemy because he seems conditioned to make the extra pass or look for the perfect shot rather than taking the shot that's there. It's been more noticeable lately because the Canes power play has been dreadful and there has been no consistent scoring other than the first line all year. When the first line can't score, you get what's happened in this losing streak, getting outscored 16-6 and two of those goals happened in the first period of the loss to the Caps that started the slide.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

First thoughts were it was a great deal for Morrow and way too much to give up for Murray. So that probably events out then?

I have no idea how you can get a guy like Morrow and only give up a decent prospect and move up two rounds in the draft. That's a deal I would have love to have seen the Ducks make.

I don't love what they gave up for Morrow, but love the player. I worry a little that he'll be able to mesh with Malkin and Neal, but he's only required to skate a straight line, go into the corners, and be a son of a bitch in front of the net.

Murray...Pens PK has fallen apart. If he plays sheltered 3rd pairing minutes and PK minutes, if there is a team, defensively, that can cover for his immobility, it's Pittsburgh. Letang can move. Martin, Niskanen and Despres are above average skaters. Orpik is actually a very good skater for a big body...he just sucks with the puck.

With all due respect to what Montreal has done so far, the East is between Boston and Pittsburgh. I'm more comfortable having these 2 guys when Lucic does something stupid.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

Canes Agree to Terms with Semin on Extension

Basic deal is five years at $7 mil per, leaving his cap hit unchanged from his current one-year deal. I like it, yet I'm not in love with it, though.

Having watched Semin for half-a-half-a-season (thanks NHL), he's done wonders for Eric Staal who basically has pulled a worst-to-first in the league plus/minus rankings since Semin's arrival, but sometimes he reminds me of a more talented Sergei Samsonov: great passing and skating, keen with the puck, and yet is his own worst enemy because he seems conditioned to make the extra pass or look for the perfect shot rather than taking the shot that's there. It's been more noticeable lately because the Canes power play has been dreadful and there has been no consistent scoring other than the first line all year. When the first line can't score, you get what's happened in this losing streak, getting outscored 16-6 and two of those goals happened in the first period of the loss to the Caps that started the slide.

hes got a big time contract... hell check out now

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

hes got a big time contract... hell check out now

Quiet, you!

Seriously, I do hope we're not sitting here in 2016 talking about buying him out of his last couple of years because he, as you say, "checked out" after getting his money.

Another reason I'm not totally enamored is that between this, the Jordan Staal contract signed under the old CBA, Eric's continuing $8+ million cap hit, Jeff Skinner getting $5+ million per year starting next year, Cam Ward's deal, and so forth combined with a salary cap that's coming down in 2013-14, Carolina will be facing tough budget constraints in the coming couple of years until the cap starts moving back up again. I do wonder if Jim Rutherford will try to negotiate with Eric Staal on getting his contract changed to reduce the cap hit, but stretch out his years beyond the current deal's end in 2016. As it is, if nothing changes with this new deal, the Canes will only have six million left under the cap for next season and eight players are UFAs at the end of this season. Right now, it's unlikely just about any of them will come back except one or two depth players depending on whether they take somewhat reduced salary (such as Chad LaRose who sure as hell isn't getting $1.7 mill in his next deal). If that cap doesn't move up quickly, 2014-15 is looking real painful as Pitkanen and Faulk both come up for new contracts (and Jiri Tlusty if he keeps playing as he has for most of this season).

Hope upper management likes where there team is now because it isn't going to change very much for the next few years barring some trades or buyouts.

[Suburban Rhythm]

This is pretty awesome

A New To-Morrow - Pittsburgh Penguins - Features

Though it was a tough choice marked by lots of emotions, it was certainly the right one, as Morrow shared a touching story about those conversations with his family.

“I had an early flight this morning and got up and gave a kiss to my eight-year-old and said I was taking off,” Morrow said. “She handled it pretty well. We had the talk the night before. I got a text when I landed in Atlanta from my wife. She said, ‘Bryelle came into the room two minutes after you left and saw me crying. And she said, ‘Mom, it’s going to be OK. It’s only a couple months and he’s got a chance to win a Cup.’”

[Suburban Rhythm]

Didn't see this coming from Carolina

Jussi Jokinen, Kaspars Daugavins on waivers; anyone need shootout specialist? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports

[JPhillips]

Jussi Jokinen used to kick ass for me on EHM.

[Honolulu_Blue]

16 years ago today: Greatest regular season hockey game in NHL history? Greatest regular season hockey game in NHL history.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Didn't see this coming from Carolina

Jussi Jokinen, Kaspars Daugavins on waivers; anyone need shootout specialist? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports

Well, we are spending big bucks now so we gotta start clearing out some of the other salaries. However, Jokinen has been almost comically snakebit this year from a scoring standpoint. I can't count the number of times he's whiffed on, gotten stick-lifted, post-rang, or whatever point-blank efforts. If he's not scoring, he's not good enough to do a whole lot of anything else other than shootouts (and even then it's been a while since he was good at those). It's a bummer because he was fun to watch when he was on during his early years here.

Regardless, it made squat worth of difference as the team went out and had another dreadful performance in losing to Winnipeg tonight. More to the point, Jamie McBain (who was once a promising defenseman prospect) had a beyond-awful game being directly responsible for two of Winnipeg's goals including a you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying moment when he screwed up a zone keep which lead to a breakaway. Pitkanen raced back and actually blocked the pass going over the middle which came to McBain. McBain fanned the clear, then somehow caught the puck on his backswing as he attempted to clear it again and batted it back into his own net. Right now pretty much all Canes fans are hoping he's the next one on waivers.

This is as bad of a tailspin as I've seen the team in since they had that horrid start a couple of years ago (although that was worse because it was I think 14 or 15 losses in a row and the team was getting scored on in bunches as a matter of course). I'm just not seeing this as a playoff team at this point. They still have games in hand on Winnipeg and everyone else in the conference, but they're not showing anything that indicates they're snapping out of this skid anytime soon.

[Suburban Rhythm]

13

[Sublime 2]

B's "close" to acquiring Iginla for at least 1st rounder, Koko, Bartkowski, plus.

Would be ecstatic with this, though I think Khokhlachev will be quite a stud in his own right. It's all about the cup!