2009-10 NHL Thread

[Brill Weave]

Can someone photoshop him pushing Swift away while he's grabbing the shirt lol?

[Sepukku]

Wow did you really just go there?

And that picture is just begging for a Kayne photoshop.

Yes I really just did. They both allow their egos to go unchecked and I (along with many other people in the NHL community, fans and employees) wouldn't mind seeing both get his ass kicked. There is a massive skill difference between the two, but they do have both those facts in common with one another.

[Bregor]

Football/Basketball doesn't bother me as I've grown accustomed to watching mainly-black athletes forget that they're a part of a team and just showboat to all hell and do as many endorsements as possible to maximize their $$$ & ego.

Yeah, Ovechkin embraces the attention he gets but it's not like he's outright disrespectful like Avery is. People seem to think he's disrespectful because he happens to play in a league where anyone who acts outgoing and boisterous is seen as such. But Avery was just a sideshow from the very beginning and now he's barely even a hockey player. He kind of reminds me of Anna Kournikova when she was a "tennis star" in the sense that she would go to tournaments and hit a ball with a racket from time to time, but she was pretty much just a model/socialite at that point.

If it's annoying to you that Ovechkin is seen as the best player in the NHL, or even a great defensive forward because of his big open-ice hits, well just know that everyone who actually follows hockey knows better. Based purely on what happens on the ice, you have to look at Malkin and Datsyuk to be in that conversation because of their defense and their championships. But if they wiped the rosters clean and I had the first pick, I'd take Ovie in a heartbeat, just for the total package of style, marketability, and raw offensive talent.

As for wanting to kick his ass, outside of Don Cherry, and Flyers and Pens fans, I really haven't seen much of it. Maybe it's because I live in DC and live a sheltered life, who knows. Anyway I just think it's funny that you find what's happening with Ovechkin acceptable with other major sports (black) stars, but the NHL is this holy relic of anti-individualism and Ovie is raining on your Stanley Cup parade.

[Brill Weave]

I think that a lot of the problems that people have with AO are his actions on the ice. The elaborate goal celebrations, the "cheap shots" while looking for the Sportscenter highlight hit, the "feuds" with other stars all contribute to that. I'm not bashing AO. He's a phenomenal player. But his stick on fire routine for example, was straight out of Chad Ochocinco's book. I consider myself a hockey traditionalist. I like goal celebrations as much as the next guy. But that was disrespectful towards the team he was playing and the NHL's traditions in general. Celebrate like you've scored a goal before. Not like you just cured cancer. Peace out guys I'm taking off from work now. Good luck to everyone's teams who are playing tonight! Except the Rangers. They can choke on a dick

[Oxyminus]

Ovechkin gets amnesty from me cause he's on my fantasy team.

But otherwise, fuck him. Generational talent, but he plays a dirty game that he doesn't get called on.

Brill - FUCK OFF

LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

[Sepukku]

I don't know about you, but AO didn't rain on our Stanley Cup Parade. When the Caps ever manage to eliminate the Pens from the playoffs, then he's came between our team and it's objective. I'm just sick of hearing about him and his overrated accomplishments. He's good, but hes not the only good player in the league.

I don't even care if he thinks hes the best, its that he has to make sure he does everything in his power to impose that view on everyone else with his over-the-top celebrations (can't wait til he hurts a teammate jumping on them) and outlandish behavior. Tom Brady is confident too, but he doesn't showboat. When the Steelers safety 2 years ago, Ryan Clark I believe it was, ran his mouth before a game against the Patriots, Tom Brady just came up with a unique trick play that really burned Clark for a touchdown and then when he was running down past Clark to celebrate with his teammates, he smiled and gave Clark a nice little tap on the head. He keeps things on the field, he keeps things private and low key. But AO just goes around head hunting Malkin and coming up with, as Brill said, his best Ochocinco routine.

As for drafting him for a real team, I don't know. I heard/read a piece recently that one sportscaster argued that they wouldn't take him because until he learns to actually take a step back, his team will never win because teammates rely on him for a lot of the weight and his actions often overshadow the rest of the team. They argued they'd take Crosby over Malkin and AO not because Crosby is the best all-around player, but because Crosby learned after his first 2 years to take a step back and intentionally not make him, himself, better by always making the play himself but instead just sticks to his role in the system, as well as setting a positive example by always working hard & more than is asked for during training and practice sessions.

[Bregor]

I don't think anyone can defend the stick-on-fire thing, not only was it a really bad error in judgment but it wasn't even clever. You really shouldn't do premeditated goal celebrations, but if you do, make sure it's good.

I guess I just felt like you were hating him for the sake of hating him, as I'm not sure why SC covering a 3-point opening night from the two-time MVP would set you off. I could go on all day being an Ovechkin apologist but it's a losing battle here. I guess I'm just not a traditionalist at all, I see the way other major sports have grown in this country, baseball has always embraced the skills of the individual, and the NFL and NBA have done so since I was old enough to know what sports were. But it's like the NHL is actually trying to avoid that and stay small, and poor, and insignificant in the U.S. I agree we don't want any Ochocincos in the NHL, but we could use a Joe Namath, and I think Ovie is that player.

[Thoronas]

Vokoun and Florida had a pretty good opening game. Making me feel hopeful about my goalie picks. Bigtime LOL at chicago for firing over 50 shots at Vokoun and losing

[Palin]

People give Florida so much shit, but they really do have a decent core of underated talent. Not saying they're going to be huge, but they're not as LOL-worthy as the media claims.

[dritero]

Hey, how are those 2 points?

I eat my words. In all honesty I'm not worried by that game at all. So Luongo and Vancouver had a bad first period. We out shot the flames something like 35-15 in the last two periods and carried most of the play. Kiprasoff (or however you spell his name) played well.

[Sepukku]

Blues beat Red Wings, Chicago falls to the Panthers. The season opening upsets continue.

[BadKarma]

LETS GO RANGERS!

Callahan is the only A on the team currently. I guess they will name the 2nd tommorow. I'm hoping it's either Staal or Girardi.

[Edimir]

1hr 40 before the real season starts, heres hoping our Blueshirts can spoil the Pen's party.

Also some rumors going about that Semenov's contract is in doubt, apparently his wife of all ppl was against the deal :/

[Sepukku]

What a bitch. Cries after he loses and lets his wife walk all over his balls.

(I take this all back if his wife is a slammin hottie)

(Except the crying part)

[BadKarma]

Good game so far. Fleury is standing on his head >.>

[Thoronas]

Kariya with two goals in his first game back. I've got him benched on my team orz.

[BadKarma]

Can't say I expected different, the Rangers played great for 58 minutes, wasnt good enough though. Team needs to gel a bit, lotta new faces.

[Sepukku]

Wooooooooooooooooo!! 2 points down, ~98 more to go!

[Thoronas]

Fuck yes! Hockey from noon until 10pm today. I love having hockey back.


YouTube - Hockey Night in Canada Season Opener Montage Featuring Human by The Killers 10/01/2009

[Ratatapa]

They had to fuck up the video by showing gainey's face