[Tournament] NHL 2010-11 regular season discussion

So it's a little later than usual, meh. The NHL threads have gotten less and less attention lately, so that's part of the reason, I guess.

The preseason slate began tonight and we're a few weeks away from the first regular season games. It's another season full of hopes and dreams, unless you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, as usual.

Well, wait a minute. While the Leafs say their main goal is to make the playoffs (and, in the Eastern Conference, that's not a lofty goal), the buzz surrounding them suggests they might make a bigger splash than that. Certainly, Brian Burke's arrival has been heralded by many as necessary to bring the kind of change to the much-maligned Ontarian club that would surge them out of their doldrums. But, uh, where, besides Phil Kessel, will the goals come from? They've got a nice defense and a Conn Smythe-winning goaltender, but after line one there is a lot of uncertainty.

One team with which uncertainty isn't the issue but stagnation may be is my team, the Penguins. After winning the Cup last summer, the Penguins fell short of the Conference Finals this year and the same commentary about their forward situation (too deep in center, too shallow on the wings) started being brought up. Then brass came up with a solution that had presented itself before: swing Evgeni Malkin over to the wing and bump Jordan Staal up to the second-line. Staal will be injured to start the season, so this plan will have to wait, but I'm hopeful that we'll see some benefit from this decision. Major problems on defense, again, as the Penguins are looking even younger without Sergei Gonchar manning the point. Will Alex Goligoski take the reins, or will Brooks Orpik be the defensive captain?

My early Cup Final prediction: San Jose will be involved. The East is always a crapshoot. It could be Washington for all I know. (Winter Classic road teams have made and lost every Cup Final the same season. Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philadelphia. Is it a coincidence or a pattern?)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I don't know, Komisarek and Phaneuf should be a good combo. They've got a lot of potential in their young guys, I just figure at best they'll be like the Blackhawks were a few years ago.

At worst, they'll just be the Maple Leafs.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

You're right, Angel of Light, the Maple Leafs haven't had enough playoff appearances in the last 30 years to be able to have that kind of shame. What with all those losing seasons and such.

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

I have never experienced a Penguins team quite like this before. They are on an amazing run right now, winning 11 games in a row, including 14 of their last 16, and this without Evgeni Malkin at 100% and Jordan Staal still out for at least a couple weeks. How are they doing this?

Because Sidney Crosby is channeling Mario Lemieux:

YouTube Video

That is just a small dose of the ridiculous run Crosby himself is having right now. He's had a point in 17 straight games, and all told he's had 20 goals and 15 assists during that run. He's put some distance between himself and Steven Stamkos in both the goal and assist races, and the Penguins now have the best record in the NHL.

Credit also goes to Marc-Andre Fleury, who I think needed his backup outshining his first-overall pick ass to light a fire under it. He's no Tim Thomas (who's also absolutely nasty right now) but he's playing some big-time goaltending right now.

Did I mention they've been doing this without their two next-best players at 100%? Unreal. I daresay they are better than their Cup team from two years ago, and that is a scary thought.

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

Now playing at Consol Energy Center: the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Boy this season really turned around fast huh? Just over a month ago the Penguins couldn't have looked better; after tonight, they couldn't look worse.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

YouTube Video

This probably looks and sounds worse than it is, but I could be wrong. Huge hit either way.

Pacioretti is talking and moving his limbs.

FELIPE NO

Listening to the Canadiens broadcast (and the fans), you'd think they would've wanted Chara arrested for murder right on the spot, or at the very least suspended for life. It's just kind of hilarious, and sad, that those kinds of people emerge, regardless of the fact that it's the Bruins and Canadiens.

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

I'm surprised Chara didn't get suspended. I almost certainly thought anything from 1 to 5 games would've been understandable.

Jam it back in, in the dark.