2014-15 NHL Season Thread: BLUEFAN IS IN THE PLAYOFFS

[bluefan]

Yeah. It looks like management are keeping him as an insurance policy. Pavelec is always questionable and Hutchison had a pretty iffy preseason. Still happy with it though, as we managed to dump Tangradi. Our bottom 6 is getting crowded.

[Izzy]

Buffalo going full tank. Assigned Grigorenko to the AHL today.

[Wulfgang]

Buffalo going full tank. Assigned Grigorenko to the AHL today.

Going to be a battle with the Canes this year. The city of Buffalo is incapable of allowing anything good to happen to its sports franchises, therefore BUF finishes 28th ahead of CGY and CAR. CAR wins the lottery and Canada goes crazy because he has to play on an irrelevant Southern franchise.

[bori]

NHL iPhone app was just updated today with a new look. At first glance, it looks pretty sleek.

[BadKarma]

Buffalo going full tank. Assigned Grigorenko to the AHL today.

That's only so reinhart gets his 9 game tryout. He'll be back up

[Vaspinne]

Why do people forget that Calgary, a team that had a worse lineup last year compared to this year, were ahead of 3 other teams by 10 points no less? I mean, we're not gonna be the best team in the league by a longshot, but camaaan, Calgary being the worst is far from guaranteed.

My expectations of the team are quite low if I can be completely honest. But I just have this feeling that we'll surprise a lot of people.

[bori]

Why do people forget that Calgary, a team that had a worse lineup last year compared to this year, were ahead of 3 other teams by 10 points no less? I mean, we're not gonna be the best team in the league by a longshot, but camaaan, Calgary being the worst is far from guaranteed.

My expectations of the team are quite low if I can be completely honest. But I just have this feeling that we'll surprise a lot of people.

I often think of how awesome it would be if - in his last year of his career, Jarome came back to play in Calgary - and scores the OT winner in game 7 for the cup - at home!

[Palin]

I wonder how in Yahoo even with auto draft you can get a good team but seems like in ESPN auto draft always fucks you over lol. Oh well, ill try to make some trades.]

I like that it drafted me a player that hasn't played since 2011 lol.

ESPN is a deeper league. Unlike Yahoo where the last round still has some OK options, ESPN's bottom rounds were picking sleepers/bounce back candidates.

Why do people forget that Calgary, a team that had a worse lineup last year compared to this year, were ahead of 3 other teams by 10 points no less? I mean, we're not gonna be the best team in the league by a longshot, but camaaan, Calgary being the worst is far from guaranteed.

My expectations of the team are quite low if I can be completely honest. But I just have this feeling that we'll surprise a lot of people.

Probably because your starting lineup has like 4 enforcers and a bunch of teenagers (j/k but not really). Also HILLLLLLLLLLERRRRRRRR

[Vaspinne]

I often think of how awesome it would be if - in his last year of his career, Jarome came back to play in Calgary - and scores the OT winner in game 7 for the cup - at home!

I can see him playing his final year in Calgary, but lifting the cup here... well, I can't see it but dare to dream I suppose lol. I feel like he'll just be another one of those players who had a really outstanding career overall but just couldn't win the cup.

Probably because your starting lineup has like 4 enforcers and a bunch of teenagers (j/k but not really). Also HILLLLLLLLLLERRRRRRRR

I don't think there is a single teenager on the roster lol. Sam Bennett is 18, but I really really doubt he'll last past his 9 game in-season tryout. There is a lot of youth (averaging from like 21~26 in age), but in turn a lot of skill that was lacking in the last few years. A 15lb heavier Monahan looks like he's going to have a stellar year the way he played in preseason. And I can't say his name enough, Johnny Hockey is gonna light it up! You watch him play and every time he's near the puck, he's always doing something kind of sensational with it. It might not look like it to the average viewer, but his passes, puck control, just overall ice vision and play-making ability is something else.

That being said, they are still young and need to develop a bit. But they're not bottom of the barrel awful. Hiller and Ramo will be an interesting tandem. Both have looked really good so far, but we'll have to see how well they do in the regular season. Joni Ortio is all sorts of mediocre though and I really hope he barely plays for us this year lol. He was terrible last year and looked terrible in the preseason too

[NynJa]

Unexpectedly, Budaj requested a trade after the game 2 snub. I dont understand Winnipegs move though, Budaj is too good for AHL demotion

[Selamis]

Perhaps Budaj should have....


http://thatschurch.com/wp-content/up.../1527917_o.gif























....been better at Stayin Alive

[Brill Weave]

I hope someone claims him just because the Jets need a real GM.

[Richybear]

Unexpectedly, Budaj requested a trade after the game 2 snub. I dont understand Winnipegs move though, Budaj is too good for AHL demotion

I somehow just pictured the Patrick Roy thing all over again, only playing out like:
"Mr Bergevin, this is my last non-game as a Hab."
"Cool, I'll help you pack."
"Well... shit."

[Vaspinne]

I hope someone claims him just because the Jets need a real GM.

I really hope so too! Would really bolster the thread titles accuracy lol

[NynJa]

What team needs a reliable season backup though at 1.4m cap hit?

He's shown that he can play when its just to give the starter a rest, but when the starter goes down with injury, the pressure gets to him. Untill Price's post olympic injury, Budaj was 6-4-1 with a .929 sv% (Rask finished second in sv% with a .930, Harding lead with a .933), with 10 of those 11 games being away games, 10 of them being back to back games, with 4 being the second game of the b-2-b.

Yes cutriss, I looked that up.

[Palin]

MacD named Captain of the Rangers... at 8:30 PM on a Monday night. Random.

[BadKarma]

Stepan, St Louis, Staal, Girardi are the As

[Richybear]

Prediction time:
Atlantic: Tampa, Boston, Montreal
Metro: Pittsburgh, NYR, Washington
Wild Cards: Detroit, Columbus

Central: Colorado, Chicago, St Louis
Pacific: Edmonton, Edmonton, Edmonton (That's code for LA, Anaheim and San Jose)
Wild Cards: Minnesota, Dallas

Awards
Hart: Andrew Ference, best Captain of all captains. Or maybe some Stamkos guy
Calder: Leon Draisaitl, but it might be Drouin
Norris: Also Andrew Ference, close 2nd will Shea Weber
Jack Adams: Dallas Eakins will lead us to glory! Barry Trotz
Vezina: And not a single puck was Scrivens. Though, it's Price's year
Ted Lindsay: Stamkos
Selke: Nail Yakupov. Nobody else even comes close .... to staying at the other red line while the puck is by your own hash marks. Toews

[BadKarma]

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SCOTT GOMEZ AND THE MISMANAGEMENT OF THE MONTREAL CANADIENS FOR OUR CAPTAIN

[KoalaTrap]

I think I might have to get a McD home jersey now. I was waiting on the announcement.
Stepan with the A is kinda surprising, but cool.

Exciting news though. Sure beats the depressing Hurricanes preseason. Skinner and J. Staal - dead. Even the hot girl from the Canes' broadcast team, Chantel McCabe (who did stuff on NHL network & NHL.com last playoffs) got arrested for DWI this past weekend lol.