The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

[dickey1331]

Glad to see the Stars win tonight.


Do you really care where I sent this from?

[Fiddy]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

yeah, im pulling for the Stars to sneak in..

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

So the Canucks unveiled a statue of Roger Neilson last night but they still haven't retired Pavel Bure's number..............

This is the best team the Canucks have ever had (not having Malhotra hurts) entering the playoffs. I'm still not use to the 10pm start times for Canuck games so I hope I don't see too many OT games.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

So the Canucks unveiled a statue of Roger Neilson last night but they still haven't retired Pavel Bure's number..............

The Canucks have done such a good job of embracing their (admittedly checkered) history this year, it's a shame they couldn't patch things up with Bure.

For those of you too young to remember: Pavel Bure was the most exciting player I've ever seen (and I've seen everybody who'd be in the running for that title except for Rocket Richard and Bobby Orr). Five-time 50-goal scorer (including two of 60 goals, and 58- and 59-goal seasons during the depths of the Dead Puck Era). Think of a smaller, less physical, faster Ovechkin. Ovechkin has a slightly better wrist shot, Bure was a slightly better stickhandler. Breakaways and end-to-end rushes galore. Nobody in league history could stickhandle at top speed like Bure could. Nobody.

Bure wasn't as good as Ovechkin, don't get me wrong. Bure was 4 inches and 40 pounds smaller. One-dimensional and often selfish, a classic cherry-picker at times. Created a ridiculous amount of scoring chances for himself (more than any player in NHL history, I'll bet), and didn't cash in as often as he could've (usually due to skating too fast or trying too many dekes). Still...check out the first minute and a half of this clip (gets repetitive afterwards):

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0cQt743C3gw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Another L coming up for us today

[SidVish]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Another L coming up for us today

Tonight's your night. I can feel it.


Also, I loved Pavel Bure growing up as a kid. He had crazy speed and was fun to watch.


Chicago off to a 2-0 lead on Detroit. Keep it up boys!

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Wings are gonna be one and done.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Wings are gonna be one and done.

Unless they somehow draw the Kings or Coyotes while Vancouver and San Jose get stuck with the Hawks and Ducks respectively. Which is entirely possible.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Unless they somehow draw the Kings or Coyotes while Vancouver and San Jose get stuck with the Hawks and Ducks respectively. Which is entirely possible.

The Coyotes would dispatch the Red Wings in 6. They might get past LA if they played them only because Kopitar is out. But that's it. There is no fire or passion left in this team. The window's been closed.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

The Coyotes would dispatch the Red Wings in 6.

Am I the only one on these boards who's actually seen this franchise win a series? A series best remembered for Dale Hawerchuk almost eating a booger on live TV?

There is no fire or passion left in this team. The window's been closed.

I wish. Considering Detroit's window has been open since 1991 or so, it's about time someone slammed that sucker shut.

[Psyblast]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Am I the only one on these boards who's actually seen this franchise win a series? A series best remembered for Dale Hawerchuk almost eating a booger on live TV?

Despite the curb stomping the Wings put on them in Game 7 last year, the Coyotes played very, very well in the first six games. It's an intangible, sure, but they'll be much more motivated if they get a chance at payback.

I wish. Considering Detroit's window has been open since 1991 or so, it's about time someone slammed that sucker shut.

It's been open since #5 started patrolling the blueline, and even while he's still there and had a very good season, the defense isn't there anymore. If you go back and watch the 2008 playoffs, the way the Wings strangled the life out of the Penguins in the Finals - that's gone. I swear it seems like they had more giveaways in the first period against Chicago tonight than they did in the entire 2008 postseason. When Todd McLellan left and Paul MacLean was promoted and Brad McCrimmon was brought in to babysit Hossa (and then was kept even when Hossa left for Chicago), this team's defensive excellence left too. They went from 184 goals allowed in 07-08 to 244 in 08-09. Got it back to 216 last year only because they had no choice but to tighten up on defense because the offense was decimated by injuries and they scored the fewest goals they've ever scored in a season since 1977 (when they lost 55 games), not counting the abbreviated 94-95 season. And this year it's right back up to 237. That's currently tied with Tampa Bay for the most goals allowed by any team qualified for the postseason this year.

And that's WITH Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. Lidstrom may be gone after this year, Rafalski in the next year or two. With all the youth in the West, the "Wings are too old" line that's been going around for 10 years or so is finally starting to show through. Unless something drastic happens (like if Lidstrom retires and the Wings offer all that money to Shea Weber), the window is closed. They simply don't have the capability to contain teams like Vancouver and San Jose and Chicago defensively, and they're either too cold or too hurt on offense to keep up.

They're finished as a Cup contender for the time being.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

It's been open since #5 started patrolling the blueline, and even while he's still there and had a very good season, the defense isn't there anymore. If you go back and watch the 2008 playoffs, the way the Wings strangled the life out of the Penguins in the Finals - that's gone. I swear it seems like they had more giveaways in the first period against Chicago tonight than they did in the entire 2008 postseason. When Todd McLellan left and Paul MacLean was promoted and Brad McCrimmon was brought in to babysit Hossa (and then was kept even when Hossa left for Chicago), this team's defensive excellence left too. They went from 184 goals allowed in 07-08 to 244 in 08-09. Got it back to 216 last year only because they had no choice but to tighten up on defense because the offense was decimated by injuries and they scored the fewest goals they've ever scored in a season since 1977 (when they lost 55 games), not counting the abbreviated 94-95 season. And this year it's right back up to 237. That's currently tied with Tampa Bay for the most goals allowed by any team qualified for the postseason this year.

And that's WITH Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. Lidstrom may be gone after this year, Rafalski in the next year or two. With all the youth in the West, the "Wings are too old" line that's been going around for 10 years or so is finally starting to show through. Unless something drastic happens (like if Lidstrom retires and the Wings offer all that money to Shea Weber), the window is closed. They simply don't have the capability to contain teams like Vancouver and San Jose and Chicago defensively, and they're either too cold or too hurt on offense to keep up.

They're finished as a Cup contender for the time being.

Psyblast, your perpetual gloominess amuses me. I keep picturing Eeyore in a Red Wings jersey.

[MizzyMike05]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

I'll tell you what, if I were in the Western Conference, I wouldn't want to play the Red Wings in a 7 game series.

[jack1535]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

Nathan Gerbe just scored the sickest goal of the year.

[MizzyMike05]

Re: The Official 2010-11 Regular Season Talk Thread

yesssss i'm so sick of the scumbags on the island. have fun watching the playoffs on your couches!! (yet again) lets go buffalo!