NHL 2010/2011 season....

[Warped9]

Last night Ottawa beats Montreal 6-2 with Price in net all night. At one point he gives up 3 goals within 4 minutes.

 

[Winterwind]

Hehehe. Price. Hehehe.

It's always nice when a long suffering Leafs fans can laugh at the Habs for something.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Y'know, Vesa Toskala is still on the market...

 

[BigFoot]

^ They can always get Dan Cloutier.

 

[Danny99]

I was one of the ones who couldn't believe the Habs traded Halak and kept Price.

I'm a Montreal fan, but I wasn't shocked or disappointed that they traded Halak. He's a sometimes-better-than-average goaltender who had one good playoff run. That's hardly a good reason to give him a big raise.

I say the same about Niemi and I get shouted down.

This is one of the reasons I think the Leafs will finish above the Habs in the standings. Gustavsson/Giguere are clearly head and shoulders above Price/Auld.

But if the Habs can score six goals a game to win 6-5 each night, they'll have no problems making the playoffs.

 

[The Habs Fan]

I was one of the ones who couldn't believe the Habs traded Halak and kept Price.

I'm a Montreal fan, but I wasn't shocked or disappointed that they traded Halak. He's a sometimes-better-than-average goaltender who had one good playoff run. That's hardly a good reason to give him a big raise.

I say the same about Niemi and I get shouted down.

This is one of the reasons I think the Leafs will finish above the Habs in the standings. Gustavsson/Giguere are clearly head and shoulders above Price/Auld.

But if the Habs can score six goals a game to win 6-5 each night, they'll have no problems making the playoffs.

Gustavsson hasn't played very well this pre-season either.

 

[Garak]

Not to mention Chicago is more bombed out and depleted than Afghanistan, which is great.

They lost some talent, sure, but "bombed out and depleted" is something of an overstatement. Let's look at the facts: Niemi to Turco is essentially a lateral move at worst.

I'd prefer Niemi, Turco is just about done I think. Maybe he can bounce back, but he's past his shelf life.

They've still got Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp and Kopecky, and their top-six defense is still incredibly strong (well, fuck you, Campbell).

The core does remain, and it is one of the better cores in the NHL for sure. I just think you're underestimating what the role players you've shipped off brought to the table. I vividly remember watching the Hawks over the past 2 seasons and was amazed at their ability to roll 4 solid, impressive lines. Now you're rolling two solid lines with a serious drop off in talent after that. Like you said, I think you're a playoff team but not a contender. Which after the last two seasons playing you in the playoffs is just fine by me.

 

[Danny99]

I'm a Montreal fan, but I wasn't shocked or disappointed that they traded Halak. He's a sometimes-better-than-average goaltender who had one good playoff run. That's hardly a good reason to give him a big raise.

I say the same about Niemi and I get shouted down.

This is one of the reasons I think the Leafs will finish above the Habs in the standings. Gustavsson/Giguere are clearly head and shoulders above Price/Auld.

But if the Habs can score six goals a game to win 6-5 each night, they'll have no problems making the playoffs.

Gustavsson hasn't played very well this pre-season either.

Well, at least he isn't a pariah in the local media.

Gustavsson and Price have comparable stats, but Giguere is definitely a better goalie than Auld.

 

[TheRealStarbuck]

This is one of the reasons I think the Leafs will finish above the Habs in the standings. Gustavsson/Giguere are clearly head and shoulders above Price/Auld.

Agreed.

But if the Habs can score six goals a game to win 6-5 each night, they'll have no problems making the playoffs.

That's the thing, they can't. Most nights they're hard pressed to score at all, it seems.

 

[Warped9]

^^ They did last night, 6-2 over Florida. Price was more steady although his teammates didn't allow Florida many shots.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Saw my first game in our beautiful new barn.

A close game through 2 1/2 periods, Brent Seabrook sealed the deal for the Penguins by redirecting pucks behind the Chicago netminder on two consecutive shifts. Which is a bit of shame for Seabrook, what with the the fact that he's not a Penguin. God, was he pissed the second time. He slammed his stick to the ice as hard as he could, breaking it into pieces.

 

[Canadave]

Looks like Kadri will start the year with the Marlies. Not really a surprise, but I won't be shocked if we see him make the jump to the Leafs before the end of the year. I saw him play on Wednesday when I went to the Leafs\Sens preseason tilt, and he certainly has some talent. His second goal in that game was particularly impressive:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raxlUZV5Tok[/yt]

That said, he was muscled off the puck fairly frequently, and wasn't as strong in the Leafs end, so I can see where he needs to develop. Still, I think there's a lot of talent there.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Doctors have toldl Ian Laperriere to retire.

Laperriere was hit by a shot just above the right eye during Game 5 of the Flyers' first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Devils. He suffered a concussion, a fractured orbital bone and a brain contusion, but he missed exactly one month, returning for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and playing all six games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, Laperriere hasn't skated in more than a week due to a recurrence of the post-concussion symptoms.

According to the newspaper's report, a Pittsburgh neurologist Friday confirmed a Philadelphia doctor's opinion that Laperriere should retire rather than risk permanent damage to his eye.

Sad that it plays out like this after his big comeback in the Playoffs. Part of me suspects that we'll see him claiming the Masterton in the next year or two, though.

I can't help but wonder about Savard's future in th league as his post-concussion saga drags on.

 

[Winterwind]

Any time an injury forces a retirement is sad.

As for Savard, I don't think he's got much in left his career either.

And... Leafs against the Habs tonight, with the Habs likely missing about five of their better players with various ailments. I'd hoped to see the Leafs win a full strength match up. They'd damned well better win with the Habs missing some key players.

EDIT: Seems Price has recovered enough from the flu to start tonight after all.

 

[Canadave]

Holy shit, the Leafs won their season opener. I haven't been able to say that for a loooooong time.

Props have got to go to Giguere. He really kept things together when he needed to, and was a real rock in net for Toronto. We need that, for sure.

 

[mimic]

Poor Lappy. I like the guy.

Flyers beat Pittsburgh! Always good. Versus was hidden away as channel 719 on my cable package but I managed to find it.

 

[Winterwind]

Holy shit, the Leafs won their season opener. I haven't been able to say that for a loooooong time.

According to what I just read, they haven't won a home opener since October, 2000. So yeah, it's about bloody time!

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

The Avalanche beat the Blackhawks in OT last night. A couple of things I liked seeing from the Avs - they didn't fold when Chicago tied it up late and these boys are quick. They've got a lot of speed and they put a lot of shots on net.

 

[Garak]

The Flames got absolutely shit kicked last night, it is SO great that hockey is back.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

The Flames got absolutely shit kicked last night

Good. The bastards deserve a lot worse for this disgrace.