2009-10 NHL Thread

[Callisto]

Big game out west tonight, can't wait!

[Brill Weave]

For the record, it was most definitely not Ben Roethlisberger's fault the Steelers didn't make the playoffs. He showed up in every game with the exception of one. It was the defense that blew five fourth quarter leads en route to losses that is squarely to blame. I hate the Steelers, but Roethlisberger was a fucking beast this year.

Re: Carey Price, I think it's unfair to keep calling him out. A 2.73/.910 isn't bad, and the guys in front of him aren't exactly lighting it up offensively. They've also given up the second-most shots on goal against. I understand trying to motivate your team, four teams in the East have 55 points, and four more have 54, but it's almost like the Habs are already making Price the scapegoat if they miss the playoffs.

But he doesn't show up in crunch time. Period. While we can quote his regular season stats, the stats that really matter are to be blunt, terrible. Price can put up fantastic numbers in the regular season. But most goaltenders on playoff caliber teams are doing the same exact thing. It's what they do in games that matter that is an indicator of how they are going to be in the playoffs.

Price has a bad habit of choking in the big game. Granted, he's 22, he's got a ton of hockey left in him. But right now we're talking about a guy who in the playoffs is sitting on a 5 - 10 record with a 3.11 GAA and a save percentage of only .895. Compare his stats to Halak's from last year. Halak was 18 - 14 with a 2.86 GAA and .915 save %.

Right now Halak and Price's stats are comparable. But Halak seems to be stronger mentally. I can understand why people in Montreal think Price might be the second coming of Roy. But let's be honest, people have been wrong before. Look at Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Brian Boucher, etc.

Long story short. There are a ton of young goalies who have come up, played great in one season, then sucked the rest of their careers dealing with the pressure of always trying to live up to that previous standard.

There's a reason why people like Tim Thomas are career backups etc. They may have one or two seasons where they shine in the sun and have some success. But in the end they are what they are. A 35 year old goalie who up until 4 years ago was a career minor leaguer. Sun shines on a dog's ass every now and then.

So what is Carey Price?

[Callisto]

So I saw a blog with a mention of the Bruins shopping Tim Thomas, potentially to the Blackhawks for some of their lesser-known role-players(it was some shit like Cam Barker, Jack Skille, and a draft pick lol).

Our goaltending has certainly been a worrying point recently, I'm pretty curious if they'll make a move for it since at the moment that appears to be the #1 obstacle to this being 'the year' for them.

edit: Not that I'd want Thomas specifically...I'm sure he'd shine though, really the number of shots that they hold opponents to is pretty ridiculous, idk if that's almost working against them though.

The bad losses typically involve Huet or Niemi only seeing like 18 shots and letting 4 of them in, maybe this is due to them just not seeing enough shots and being out of sync by the time one finally comes to them?

[Brill Weave]

Wow apparently I'm reading shit nobody is posting. I've gone retarded.

[Callisto]

I don't even know who Boston's other goaltender is, lol.

[Brill Weave]

Tuukka Rask I think.

[Ishido]

It's not the first time a Habs player has called out Carey Price. I can understand wanting to treat the guy with kid gloves because of how old he is. But come on. Markov has been playing for a long time. I tend to believe what he's saying. Look at how we treated Fleury when he arrived here. We tossed his french canadian ass into the fire. Price is going to end up being another Ray Emery with a nonexistent glove hand.

And wtf is up with Detroit? All kidding aside. Last year these guy's were in the finals. They still have the talent and personnel to be a great team. It's almost like we're watching the wheels on the bus fall off as the bus careens towards a school van filled with down syndrome kittens. It's not going to end well.

2nd most injuries in the league combined with underperforming. Injuries shouldn't have them so far down though, it was a combination of that and Zetterberg/Datsyuk not having great years, and no one else stepping up enough. They've also shit the bed a bunch of times, I'd say there are at least a half a dozen games they should have won that turned into losses or OTL. And these are games where the Wings had the lead, not games where it they were a goal down and were just playing better than their opponents. They really need to do what the Pens did last year (winning-wise, not coaching wise), because they have the potential to be one of the best teams in the league if they can just play how they have the past few years once all of the injuries are back, which should happen in the next few weeks.

Also Andreas Lilja might be coming back soon, he's been out since February '09 with concussion related problems... would be very good for the team and a great story of someone who might have had to end their career coming back and being able to play.

Since everyone is talking about goalies, I have to say how Jimmy Howard is damn good, in his rookie season and putting up good numbers, a week ago he was top 5 in both categories. He was only behind Miller in both categories when looking at goalies who had started the majority of games for their team.

[Arvin]

Marian Hossa is not there to help a little either, don't forget that.


Or Jiri

[Callisto]

They're still going to make the playoffs, I would be amazed if they don't knock someone out in the first round. The organization as a whole is too strong for them to really go out without a fight. I don't think they really are going to be strong enough to take down the likes of Chicago/San Jose/Vancouver, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they ended up against a Colorada/Phoenix club that was still somewhat shocked to be where they're at and end up schooling them.

[Callisto]

Marian Hossa is not there to help a little either, don't forget that.


Or Jiri

I was pretty iffy on giving up Havlat to get Hossa in the offseason, but after seeing Hossa skate in person, Jesus H. Christ. The guy has played half as many games as the rest of the team and is already among their top scorers, and just his ability to find, handle, and shoot the puck in general is incredibly impressive.

[Ivaden]

Oh god my Mass Effect 2 copy came today, wasn't supposed to be until next Monday or so. There's a game on tonight. WHAT DO I DO

BRILL YOU'RE OLD AND WISE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ESPECIALLY AS SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY EXPERIENCED THE GREATNESS THAT IS MASS EFFECT 2

[Callisto]

If you aren't watching Chicago/San Jose tonight you aren't a hockey fan. Fin.

[Ivaden]

First round knock out President's Trophy winners and the current Hossa Curse holders? PASS

[Richybear]

So Carey Price made a scene today after practice by giving Markov a big bro hug.
But while doing it, he was staring up at the media section... gold.

As for Price, he won the World Jrs, then won the AHL championship when he was 19. There's no denying he's got the talent. But the team plays differently in front of him.
As much as I hate to say it, maybe a change of scenery would do the guy a world of good. Get out of the Montreal media frenzy, where in the first period they can be chanting your name, and the next period they're holding up signs saying "The Price Is Wrong!" etc.

[Bregor]

Look at Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Brian Boucher, etc.

icwutudidthar

Also, you don't have to tell me about one-year goalies. I remember when Jim Carey was supposed to be the second-coming in Washington. I just think it's way too early in Price's career to be harping on him for not being "clutch." I talk about it a lot in the baseball thread, playoff stats are such a small sample size to get all worked up about. Maybe he's not mentally tough enough for Montreal, but he's a great young goalie. If he's run out of town and thrives elsewhere, then Habs fans deserve it.

[Ishido]

icwutudidthar

Also, you don't have to tell me about one-year goalies. I remember when Jim Carey was supposed to be the second-coming in Washington. I just think it's way too early in Price's career to be harping on him for not being "clutch." I talk about it a lot in the baseball thread, playoff stats are such a small sample size to get all worked up about. Maybe he's not mentally tough enough for Montreal, but he's a great young goalie. If he's run out of town and thrives elsewhere, then Habs fans deserve it.

And the goalies with the smallest sample sizes are usually the worst or on the worst teams, funny how that works out.

[Bregor]

And the goalies with the smallest sample sizes are usually the worst or on the worst teams, funny how that works out.

I think it's more the former than the latter, but that's just my opinion.

Hell of a third period, Sharks couldn't clear the zone for the life of them. Nabokov and Huet both look really sharp, OT should be interesting.

[Callisto]

fffffffffffffff that game was fucking awesome, #1 in the West again!

[Bebopaloo]

fffffffffffffff that game was fucking awesome, #1 in the West again!

we got a point for that OT bucko, CHECK AGAIN.

[Selamis]

No they still have 1 point on us because of getting to OT, sadly. But we are in their heads at least, they know what's up. I swear, we had 3 goals in the first period on 6 shots, I was having flashbacks to the last game we played them, when we anihilated them 7-2 on their home ice.