[Tournament] 2011-12 NHL regular season discussion

Gamingforce may be dying/dead/a zombie but that doesn't mean we can't have a hockey thread for the first time in forever.

The 2011-12 NHL season starts tomorrow, and it is a season of transition. The Winnipeg Jets are back, but they're still in the Eastern Conference, and the former Jets in Phoenix are possibly on the move too, meaning the NHL may have a much different look once the league decides on realignment.

The league is also struggling to deal with the growing issue of concussions. Stiffer rules, but no outright ban on hits to the head. Which other major player(s) will have to be knocked out for months/years/their career before the league will make any serious changes?

Still, the season starts on a high note for many teams wishing to make a long playoff run for the first time in years. For Boston fans, their time came this past June, and that's good news for fans in Los Angeles and St. Louis. Those two teams are figured to be at the very least dark horses and at most Cup contenders (the trade deadline brings good things to those who can wait for Zach Parise).

For the Penguins, it's been three years since everything clicked for them but the last two seasons felt like missed opportunities. Last year was particularly bad; despite challenging for the two-seed down to the last day of the season, the Penguins bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Injuries to Crosby, Malkin and others made a 106-point season a disappointment. Now it seems as though Crosby will be back within the first half, if not the first quarter of the season and Malkin has been playing with a fire unseen from him in a couple of years. As long as injuries do not plague the Penguins again, they should be good for the postseason once more.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

No change on concussions will be made unless it happens to another Crosby type player or Crosby gets knocked out again.

Once again NHL on dumb Versus station that hardly no one gets.

Sabres under new determined ownership. Who knows what may happen. Can the Maple leafs finally make the playoffs? or will those Toronto fans have to come down to Buffalo to get the good hockey? At least they are not Florida though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yay for NHL center ice. All games, bitches.

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I would be more excited about the reincarnation of the Jets if there was any hope in this world that i might be able to go to a game. Alas, tickets are far too expensive for a poor university student to afford, and the place is sold out for pretty much the entire season as far as i know. Upside - probably no blackouts.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Other upside: They gon' suck.

Except Dustin.

Because...

Spoiler:

Every day I'm Byfuglien

Spoiler:

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Spoiler:

I was speaking idiomatically.

Sabres owned Finland today. Oh wait I mean DA Ducks. On to Germany tomorrow!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I've decided I have the best fantasy hockey name of the year: Straight Outta Conklin

Rivaled by my Fantasy Football team: Flacco Seagulls

FELIPE NO

Well, that Jets opener was saddening.... well, better luck Thursday, right!? Looking forward to a great season! Go Canucks!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I dunno if I'd use the word saddening. It was rape, and considering we got a C-grade team, it's not exactly surprising.

Just like they'll lose horribly on Thursday to Chicago.

Maybe, MAYBE Phoenix.

Maybe.

I consider this a blessing, because when all the fair weather retards in this city bail out next season, it won't be expensive at all to get Vancouver tickets.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well I suppose if I want to have a typical Toronto Maple Leafs, they might as well start off good just to build my expectations up only to suck at end. Still they're on a two game winning streak, probably their biggest winning streak of the year.

You know us maple leaf fans, we'll take anything we can get. I hear Toronto is already planning a parade already.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Angel of Light

Well I suppose if I want to have a typical Toronto Maple Leafs, they might as well start off good just to build my expectations up only to suck at end. Still they're on a two game winning streak, probably their biggest winning streak of the year.

You know us maple leaf fans, we'll take anything we can get. I hear Toronto is already planning a parade already.

I can't believe the Leafs blew a four goal lead in the third. After all these years, they STILL have no D.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Malkin's already injured. WHAT IS GOING ON

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Habs fans can't be too happy with losing Cammalleri for 2 weeks, either.

Nor am I, as I had him in my draft.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I bought NHL Gamecentre Live last night.... totally rocks. And its great since I don't have cable or satellite. I really like the options available too. I guess I am going to be watching a LOT more hockey this year!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

YouTube Video

Pretty cool renovation to the St.Pete Times Forum where the Bolts play. Not as awesome as Red Alert, but it's pretty cool to see in-person.

FELIPE NO

Cool BucPride....

So, where are we at these days? Bruins on a 9 game winning streak, Jets actually winning 3 games in a row.... and the Maple Leafs and Oilers starting to struggle a bit. Comments?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It's still early, but I read an article on Boston.com that said that if you want to make the playoffs you should be in the top eight by Thanksgiving. That being said, four points currently separate the 14th-seeded Hurricanes from the 8th-seeded Capitals in the East, while in the West the 14th-seeded Ducks are seven points behind the 8th-seeded Red Wings. A lot can still change.

It's hard to identify Hart candidates right now. Phil Kessel obviously deserves consideration, but he'd get his votes dragged down a little by his own teammate, Joffrey Lupul, as both are in the top five for goals and points.

How about those Panthers, huh? Out of nowhere. The Capitals aren't running away with that division this year.

Oh, and

YouTube Video

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I am first in my fantasy league by some ways, and all because of Seguin (15th round pick), Jamie Benn (13th round pick), and Tomas Fleischmann (picked up off of waivers early in season). My high round picks of Getzlaf, Backes and Lucic have only been passable for me, but my young, late sleepers are tearing up the league. Defensively, too. Garrisson (picked up from free agency) and sheldon souray (my last pick of the draft) are carrying it.

Luckily my first two picks went to Rinne and Price, so I'm killing in goaltending.

My point is, fucking start playing hockey, Getzlaf.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Stories of the first quarter

• Toronto Maple Leafs: Stanley Cup contenders?
  Finally, some respectability in Maple Leaf country, as the Leafs are in first place in the Northeast division with 30 points, and in second overall in the East. Leading the charge is Phil Kessel (16g-15a--31p), who seems to be fulfilling the promise of that first-round, #5 pick by the Bruins five years ago. The real surprise however is Joffrey Lupul (11g-18a--29p), who with two more points will have scored more this year than in the last two injury-shortened seasons combined; he's nipping at league-leading Kessel's heels. Toronto is crummy defensively however, allowing almost as many goals per game (3.1) as they score (3.2).
• Panthers on the prowl
  Maybe the red jerseys are getting to their heads, but Florida fans haven't seen their team play this well since 1996 when they reached the Cup Final. No Scott Mellanby or John Vanbiesbrouck here, though; instead it's former Leaf Kris Versteeg (12g-14a--26p) and Jose Theodore (9-4-3, 2.37 GAA, 92.2%) helping keep the Panthers ahead of the meandering Capitals.
• The year of the Breakouts
  Lupul and Versteeg aside, the league's seeing a lot of names on the leaderboard that haven't been there before. Of note:
  • Claude Giroux (29 points), out from behind Jeff Carter's and Mike Richards' shadows, is two points behind Kessel for the league lead.
  • First-year rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (25 points) led the Oilers on their early charge, but the steam has gone out of the engine it seems and Edmonton is out of the playoff race for now.
  • He was brought to Pittsburgh to be Sidney Crosby's linemate, but James Neal (23 points) and the rest of the first-place Penguins have done well enough for themselves without Sid. Not a bad dilemma for the Pens to have.
  • The return for the Kessel investment may not have been worth it for some, seeing how well he's doing, but to others Tyler Seguin (23 points) has certainly proven his worth, even with Boston's slow start this year.
  • The Blues wouldn't be where they are right now without the stellar play of Brian Elliot (10-1-0, 1.31 GAA, 95.1%), an early Vezina candidate.
  • Likewise the Kings without Jonathan Quick (10-6-4, 2.02 GAA, 93.3%), who backstopped Los Angeles to their league-leading fourth shutout this year.

Stories for the second quarter?

• Realignment in the cards
  The winter GM meetings will bring further discussion about the future landscape of the NHL, particularly how the league will be aligned for the 2012-13 season and beyond. There's still great potential for teams to be moving in the next few years, and how the league's Governors decide to divide the league up may mix things up considerably.
• Who will rise and who will fall?
  Already we've seen the Oilers plunge and the Bruins surge, but who else will fade (Washington? San Jose?) and who will rise (Tampa Bay? New Jersey? Colorado?)?
• Crosby vs. Ovechkin
  Now that Sid is back and on fire (9 points in 4 games) and there's been a coaching change in Washington, all eyes will be on Ovechkin (17 points in 22 games) the rest of the year to see if The Great 8 can drag the Caps out of their doldrums.
• A Winter Classic to remember?
  The Rangers and Flyers, fifth and sixth in the conference, will meet on January 2 in Philadelphia in the fifth-annual Winter Classic. Two great hockey cities, two very good teams, and a nice setting (Citizens Bank Park) for what will undoubtedly be an exciting matchup.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Anaheim will get better, probably squeak into the playoffs. No way that much talent stays that quiet that long.

Toronto will fall. Playoff team, yes, but not a serious contender. Not with defense that bad. One slump from the hot again cold again Kessel and they're in serious trouble.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

the rest of the year to see if The Great 8 can drag the Caps out of their doldrums.

Christ, I hope not.

If that man gets hit by a bus tomorrow it would not be early enough.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Filthy Hockey Beast

Anaheim will get better, probably squeak into the playoffs. No way that much talent stays that quiet that long.

Doubt it. I don't see them making it in this year. I've heard that Bobby Ryan is being shopped around to teams like the Rangers and Leafs (Brian Burke connection, here). Maybe they want to start a rebuild there. Anaheim hasn't been a serious contender since they won the cup 4 years ago. Yeah, they have great players like Selanne, Ryan, Perry, and Getzlaf, but beyond that there's virtually no depth.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Why Am I Allowed to CABLE INSTINCTS

Christ, I hope not.

If that man gets hit by a bus tomorrow it would not be early enough.

Ovechkin's just suffering from "I've Got Ten More Years On This Contract With This Team?" Syndrome. He'll snap out of it at some point, almost guaranteed.

FELIPE NO

Bruce Boudreau gets fired by Washington, a team full of underachieving superstars he couldn't motivate, and is immediately hired by Anaheim, a team with even MORE underachieving superstars no one can motivate.

Trolled by hiring?

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Meanwhile Washington still sucks.

Jam it back in, in the dark.