The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

20 or so games left, trade deadline in a week, so many teams still in playoff race, should be interesting.

Atlantic division, Habs leading with 72pts. Bruins who are 5th have 66. Anything can happen. Even Leafs got a shot at 1st lol.

[Splitter77]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

20 or so games left, trade deadline in a week, so many teams still in playoff race, should be interesting.

Atlantic division, Habs leading with 72pts. Bruins who are 5th have 66. Anything can happen. Even Leafs got a shot at 1st lol.

yeah. its tight.
Im going with Florida to take the division though if they stay healthy.
They have solid centers. Great mobile defense and they have 2 goalies that can play.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

yeah. its tight.
Im going with Florida to take the division though if they stay healthy.
They have solid centers. Great mobile defense and they have 2 goalies that can play.

Just based on the remaining schedule:
Leafs:
7 games vs team currently 6+ points better, 12 vs teams within 5 points, 4 vs teams 6+ points worse

Bruins:
5 games vs teams currently 6+ points better, 12 vs teams within 5 points, 6 vs teams 6+ points worse

Panthers:
11 games vs teams currently 6+ points better,9 vs teams within 5 points, 4 vs teams 6+ points worse

Sens:
5 games vs teams currently 6+ points better, 8 vs teams within 5 points,11 vs teams 6+ points worse

So Panthers no doubt got hardest schedule to end season.

[redsox4evur]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Claude Julien threw out a 4th liner to start the shootout last night. Never change Claude.

[rdnk]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

As much as losing sucks, losing to the Isles is probably for the best. I was afraid if we won, Holland would say "I like our team", not sell (or trade a late round pick for someone like Hudler), and hurt us moving forward.

Hopefully, the Wings will trade Vanek, Ott and if they don't plan on resigning him, Smith. Personally, I like Smith as a player, but since the Wings are insistent on keeping Ericsson around and playing Kronwall too much, he may not have a spot. They should shop Green, and if they get a Coburn or Yandle kind of offer, pull the trigger.

As much as many fans want the Wings to go through a total implosion rebuild, I don't see it happening. The new stadium has to be filled the first season. My guess is they'll focus on AHL'ers close to being NHL ready, rather than picks and recent draft picks. Free agency will probably not be helpful, so most of the improvement will have to come from within, or from bounce backs.

[daflyboys]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

I need to find a new team. I hear calliope music every time I turn a Flyers game on any more.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

I need to find a new team. I hear calliope music every time I turn a Flyers game on any more.

Plenty of room on the Minnesota bandwagon for the playoffs. Pretty fun team to watch.

[kehlis]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

NBC has told the NHL that tomorrow night's Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Flyers cannot go past 11 due to the SNL skit that is set to start the show. They've even pushed the puck drop up a minimal 9 minutes (or something like that to help).

Conspiracy theory's be damned but there are those here who are curious to see if there are several questionable penalties called in the waning minutes of the third if the score is tied.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

HNIC with Habs @ Leafs. Leafs just 4 points back of Habs for 1ST in Atlantic! A meaningful divisional battle between these two teams! Habs struggling as of late too, so this just makes it even better.

A Leafs win would equal their win total from last season, and doing it in over 20 fewer games.

NBC has told the NHL that tomorrow night's Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Flyers cannot go past 11 due to the SNL skit that is set to start the show. They've even pushed the puck drop up a minimal 9 minutes (or something like that to help).

Conspiracy theory's be damned but there are those here who are curious to see if there are several questionable penalties called in the waning minutes of the third if the score is tied.

Why even schedule the game during this time of the day? Just start it at 7:30 if you're so desperate to get it to end by 11.

NHL isn't even #1 priority for NBC. Sucks NHL isn't able to find a major US network where NHL is the #1 priority for that network. Feels like NBC just puts on NHL if they got nothing better to show.

[kehlis]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Why even schedule the game during this time of the day? Just start it at 7:30 if you're so desperate to get it to end by 11.

NHL isn't even #1 priority for NBC. Sucks NHL isn't able to find a major US network where NHL is the #1 priority for that network. Feels like NBC just puts on NHL if they got nothing better to show.

I have no idea what you're talking about. NBC has been the best partner with the NHL we've ever seen.

The urgency for this game to get done by 11 has to do with a skit that in recent months has sky rocketed ratings due to recent events we don't need to get into.

This game was scheduled a year ago. There was no way to pre-plan for this.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Still seems like to me they could still do more for NHL on NBC.

Either way, I'm sure players aren't looking forward to a game like that during such an important time in season. Last thing you want to see is some injury during this outdoor game.

[kehlis]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Still seems like to me they could still do more for NHL on NBC.

Like what?

Either way, I'm sure players aren't looking forward to a game like that during such an important time in season. Last thing you want to see is some injury during this outdoor game.

Don't disagree at all, I think the Stadium Series stuff wore out it's welcome a few years ago.

It was 74 degrees here today which crushed a record high and it's going to be followed by high winds and storms tomorrow. There was actually talk about moving the game to Sunday since it will be much cooler and calmer.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Outdoor games are fine, just need to let diff teams get it. I don't care for outdoor games, but seeing leafs in it this year for example made me much more interested. But if leafs are playing in one every other year, I'd be bored of that too.

Let's see some new teams in it like Minnesota, Colorado, Columbus, Nashville and so on.

NHL should combine winter classic with asg. Thursday is winter classic featuring ASG host vs rival team. Friday can be ahl outdoor game,cwhl outdoor game and concerts. Saturday is skills challenge. Sunday is ASG outdoors. Guys take it easy anyways, might as well have the ultimate exhibition game played outdoors. That makes it a big few days, a real attraction for the league.

[kehlis]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Let's see some new teams in it like Minnesota, Colorado, Columbus, Nashville and so on.

Minnesota and Colorado have both played in them.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2016-17 Regular Season Talk Thread

Minnesota and Colorado have both played in them.

Lol, both in 2016. Guess I completely skipped that year of outdoor games.

There's 7 teams who've never been in one. Jackets,coyotes,canes, lightning,Panthers,stars,preds. Too risky(attendance wise) doing the ASG/WC combo at AT&T stadium?

Along with those 7, we've also never had home games for Rangers(not allowed to I think?), Sens(will change in 2018),habs,ducks.

Might be hard doing it outdoors for Southern places, but couldn't lightning go to Tropicana? Other places also probably do have good stadiums too.