2009-10 NHL Thread

[Sepukku]

I completely disagree. They got into the playoffs cause of pure skill (and 24 games against a shitty Southeast division), and into the 2nd round [barely] cause the Rangers were very mediocre last year. Pure skill doesn't win cups. It takes team chemistry and it takes the right attitude, neither of which AO lends himself nicely too. He may someday win the cup if he matures and quiets down and learns to play a team game, but I have a feeling that may not happen (or not happen in time) and he will go down as "The Greatest Player to Never Win A Cup."

What do the personalities of the leaders of past winners have in common?:
--Colorado (Joe Sakic)
--Detroit (Lidstrom, and Yzerman and later Zetterburg)
--New Jersey (Scott Stevens, Scott Neidermeyer - who also played for the Ducks when they won it)
--Pittsburgh (Crosby, to a lesser extent, Guerin, who I will say was a major locker room presence)

They're mature, stoic leaders, strong in character and big on hard work. AO is a boy in America; acting like a kid in a candy store. Hes rambunctious, rowdy, an ego maniac, and not a team player. He IN NO WAY motivates his teammates to work grindingly hard, to live up to 110% their potential every time they play.

This some day may change, he may grow up. But for now, AO is not alone enough pure skill to get through the NHL playoffs. This is not the NBA, where one player like Michael Jordan can take a team on his back for multiple championships. AO doesn't even touch the ice for 50% of a game, so he needs to learn to become the leader that will affect his team's play for all 60 minutes, even if hes not on the ice, and until he does, he can't take them there.

[Ratatapa]

Ill be at the Garden watching the Rangers try to extend their streak to 8.

didnt the rangers went like 10-0 last year then exploded down?

[Absolutely Virtue]

Sep, come on, dude. OV doesn't encourage his teammates to play hard? Do you really believe that kind of shit? The Caps had 4 guys finish in the top 30 in points last year, and the team's 108 points was the best record in franchise history.

I appreciate that you're butthurt about OV, and you've go that unique kind of PA/NY hate that thinks he's a dirty player. But you're awfully dismissive of a guy (and a team) that took your boyfriends to game 7 last season.

[Brill Weave]

I can agree that Ovie is definitely immature and that he's not a big leader right now in the locker room. In the future, who knows, I'm sure he'll develop into that role. But as it stands right now, he's a phenomenal player who helps his teammates play better. He's not a leader yet because the Capitals don't need him to be one at this point. That's why they have people like Chris Clarke, Michael Nylander, and Brendan Morrison. I honestly think that due to all of the Ovie > Crosby/Malkin animosity that is sometimes here, you kind of minimize his accomplishments.

The bottom line is that Ovie has taken his team to game seven of the semi's whereas Kovalchuk has never made it past the first round. I just cannot agree that Kovalchuk is a better player than Ovie. He's a phenomenal player, that's beyond the shadow of a doubt. But he doesn't have the ability to just take over a game or a series the way Ovechkin can and does. Until Kovalchuk is able to do that it's going to be Ovechkin > Kovalchuk.

[Abraxas]

yea Sepu, you really have gone too far this time.

[Oxyminus]

I can't even read Sep's posts anymore. They're too damn long

[Thoronas]

Sepukku, great hockey troll or greatest hockey troll.

On a completely different note does anyone do any sports betting on hockey games? Is it even legal in the states?

[Brill Weave]

I personally love Sepukku. He gets everyone here riled up.

[Sepukku]

Abraxas, you didn't answer me ^_________________________^

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME YOUR FLYERS WERE UP 3-0 IN GAME SIX???

And then your #1 goon Carcillo got rocked by Max Talbot?????

AND THEN WE RAN OFF FIVE STRAIGHT ON YOU TO ELIMINATE YOU?!?!?!?!

I DO!



And no Thoronas, in most areas of the country, sports betting is illegal in the USA.

And AO took us to 7, but he didn't send us home. I'm pretty sure that moots your point. Taking someone to game 7 in the confrence semifinals isn't winning a championship.

EDIT:
Since I'm obviously the life of this party and the biggest fan of the best team with the best captain who has more rings than Kimmo Timmonen, AO, and Marian Gaborik put together, and some people hate my posts and some people love them, but either way they deserve to be notified as seperate standouts, I'm marking every post with the MysteryMithra symbol so as you're scrolling down a page you see that and then you know to read the critical information follows.

[Brill Weave]

And AO took us to 7, but he didn't send us home. I'm pretty sure that moots your point. Taking someone to game 7 in the confrence semifinals isn't winning a championship.

True. But it's also a far cry from getting swept in the quarters like the Thrashers did in their only trip to the playoffs.

[BadKarma]

didnt the rangers went like 10-0 last year then exploded down?

10-2-1


They also only scored 28 goals in those 13 games. This year so far they have 32 (not 42 my bad) in 8 games I think. They are a better team this year then last.


Also.

Sep, come on, dude. OV doesn't encourage his teammates to play hard? Do you really believe that kind of shit? The Caps had 4 guys finish in the top 30 in points last year, and the team's 108 points was the best record in franchise history.

I appreciate that you're butthurt about OV, and you've go that unique kind of PA/NY hate that thinks he's a dirty player. But you're awfully dismissive of a guy (and a team) that took your boyfriends to game 7 last season.

Unlike Sepukku I know a thing or two about hockey, Im just pointing out the fact that I LOVE OVECHKIN, and so does everyone else I know. Don't throw us NYers in the bag with Sep, AV.

[Sepukku]

10-2-1


They also only scored 28 goals in those 13 games. This year so far they have 42 in 8 games I think. They are a better team this year then last.

Aslong as Gaborik stays healthy. You can say he looks 100% so far, but all it takes is 1 hit in 1 play on 1 shift in 1 game... and its a looooooooooooong season.

[BadKarma]

Aslong as Gaborik stays healthy. You can say he looks 100% so far, but all it takes is 1 hit in 1 play on 1 shift in 1 game... and its a looooooooooooong season.

And the same can be said for Crosby, and Malkin and pretty much any other fucking person on any team.

[Ishido]

Except that Gaborik has only played over 70 games once in the past 4 seasons.

[BadKarma]

Except that Gaborik has only played over 70 games once in the past 4 seasons.

And this begs another question, is this year the past 4 seasons?

The Penguins were the best team in the NHL LAST YEAR, this is this year. They wont repeat, I'm not saying the Rangers will win either, I'm saying that this is current. Sepukku is no better than any other fan (Yankee fans coming to mind ATM) bring up past victories. I can swing my cock around saying Italy won the world cup if I wanted but that happened nearly 4 years ago, so it wouldn't make much sense.

[Sepukku]

Well now that we all know Badkarma is like 5'6"....

You can't argue that winning the Stanley Cup and then losing essentially no one in the offseason doesn't make you a favorite to win it again. And you can't argue that Gaborik's medical record doesn't lend to him being easier to hurt. Yes, we all start over with 0 points and a 0-0-0 record, but there are some facts that lead to things being more likely than others. Do I expect the Pens to sweep the season series with Washington, Philly, and the NYR? No, we probably won't sweep any of them. But we're already up 1-0 on two of them! ^_________________________________________^

[BadKarma]

Well now that we all know Badkarma is like 5'6"....

You can't argue that winning the Stanley Cup and then losing essentially no one in the offseason doesn't make you a favorite to win it again. And you can't argue that Gaborik's medical record doesn't lend to him being easier to hurt. Yes, we all start over with 0 points and a 0-0-0 record, but there are some facts that lead to things being more likely than others. Do I expect the Pens to sweep the season series with Washington, Philly, and the NYR? No, we probably won't sweep any of them. But we're already up 1-0 on two of them! ^_________________________________________^

Where did the height thing come from? Im 6'2'' actually lol

[Ishido]

And this begs another question, is this year the past 4 seasons?

The Penguins were the best team in the NHL LAST YEAR, this is this year. They wont repeat, I'm not saying the Rangers will win either, I'm saying that this is current. Sepukku is no better than any other fan (Yankee fans coming to mind ATM) bring up past victories. I can swing my cock around saying Italy won the world cup if I wanted but that happened nearly 4 years ago, so it wouldn't make much sense.

If someone has shown themselves to be injury prone in the past few seasons there is no reason to believe they are not now.

A bad history is a bad history, just like a good start is a good start. Neither of those things make any solid conclusions but they both hint toward certain things happening.

I think winning the Cup the year before has little to do with being the best team this year, but I do think starting out with one of the best records does. Of course they still could pull the reverse of what they did last year (we can all hope).

[Absolutely Virtue]

Badkarma I didn't mean to call out all NY fans of course (although you're all faggots zomg!), I just meant I understand the OV hate based on the series last year.

I am a firm believer in preposterous, prejudiced, blinding hatred of players on teams I despise- I just think Sep takes it too far. He's too much of a homer for even me, and I'm the very definition of a homer.

Also I'm 6'0. Sup bitches.

[Abraxas]

Abraxas, you didn't answer me ^_________________________^

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME YOUR FLYERS WERE UP 3-0 IN GAME SIX???

And then your #1 goon Carcillo got rocked by Max Talbot?????

AND THEN WE RAN OFF FIVE STRAIGHT ON YOU TO ELIMINATE YOU?!?!?!?!

I DO!

not sure what game you were watching, but Carcillo actually beat the shit out of Talbot.

and how that is relevant to your saying Kovalchuk is better than OV is beyond me. you should quit while you're ahead