2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Greeney]

Forgot to post this the other night, but I fucking hate lotteries man. The Avs were historically bad this year, and they pick 4th? Such a joke

I'll take it over a team like Pittsburgh tanking for Lemieux or Buffalo tanking for McDavid/Eichel. Not like it matters much this year anyway, there's nobody who's going to make the bottom team go from average to a contender. Over the last few decades I'd also say it's harder to get out of the 10-15 range than go from bottom to contender in a few years. Even if Colorado could take Nolan and Hischier they're still far away from being a threat and need to draft decently beyond the first round.

It sucks for the Avs / Canucks / Yotes from a numerical perspective, but this is better than knowing teams are tanking intentionally. First or second pick might be a curse in this draft too if Patrick keeps having injury problems.

[Greeney]

I can't imagine people in Arizona will care. Might get hostility in some bigger markets but only if you're being an ass hat or fans are extra bitter. Even then incidents are very rare.
Arizona would probably just be happy to have people in the stadium and not like detroit has a rivalry with them. You should be fine unless you cheer if a red wings player cripples a Coyotes one.

[FobManX]

Whelp, the Caps tried their hardest to choke another one away, but they pulled it out in OT.

[Nazrark]

I'll take it over a team like Pittsburgh tanking for Lemieux or Buffalo tanking for McDavid/Eichel. Not like it matters much this year anyway, there's nobody who's going to make the bottom team go from average to a contender. Over the last few decades I'd also say it's harder to get out of the 10-15 range than go from bottom to contender in a few years. Even if Colorado could take Nolan and Hischier they're still far away from being a threat and need to draft decently beyond the first round.

It sucks for the Avs / Canucks / Yotes from a numerical perspective, but this is better than knowing teams are tanking intentionally. First or second pick might be a curse in this draft too if Patrick keeps having injury problems.

Patrick's injury problems are probably why he will get picked second. Or maybe even third. New Jersey is definitely picking the Swedish D-man. It all depends what Philly wants. Do they want to take a risk on a high skill talent, but high injury risk centreman, or do they want to pick the next best player (which I believe is a D-man). If Patrick didn't seem to be made of glass this year. He would be still might have gone #2. With the same people picking where they are.

[Puupi]

Patrick's injury problems are probably why he will get picked second. Or maybe even third. New Jersey is definitely picking the Swedish D-man. It all depends what Philly wants. Do they want to take a risk on a high skill talent, but high injury risk centreman, or do they want to pick the next best player (which I believe is a D-man). If Patrick didn't seem to be made of glass this year. He would be still might have gone #2. With the same people picking where they are.

Who is the Swedish d-man?

[Armourboy]

Got a question some might know the answer to. When ESPN stopped carrying the NHL I pretty much stopped watching as the small town in Arkansas I lived in didn't carry any premium sports channels and Dish and such were unavailable where I was. I moved to Arizona last year and am thinking about heading up to Phoenix next season to watch some Coyotes games but I'll always be a Red Wings fan so I'll want to wear my Shanahan jersey, especially if they play the Wings So I'm wondering, is it really rough for people going to a local game wearing an opponents jersey or do most people just not care? I just want to enjoy a game in person for once and don't want to deal with nonsense.

I'd be interested to know which small town that was ( most of my family is from Arkansas ). You should be fine as long as you aren't a drunken asshat.

[Greeney]

Who is the Swedish d-man?

I think he's referring to lillegran but all scouts seem to be putting Hischier second

[Puupi]

I think he's referring to lillegran but all scouts seem to be putting Hischier second

I'm pretty sure Heiskanen is the #1 D in the draft. Just a matter of which team wants a defenseman instead of a forward..

[Toxigen]

Aaaaaaaaand Crosby is officially the new Eric Lindros.

Brains dead

[Puupi]

Didn't look intended by Niskanen. Ovechkin should have got a penalty for that high sticking, too. He slashed Crosby's face and that's why Crosby did that falling angel thing right into Niskanen's arms who unluckily had his stick there to receive him.

[Rennadrel]

Didn't look intended by Niskanen. Ovechkin should have got a penalty for that high sticking, too. He slashed Crosby's face and that's why Crosby did that falling angel thing right into Niskanen's arms who unluckily had his stick there to receive him.

Dude, he fucking turned and brought his stick up into Crosby's head. Tbh, both Niskanen and Ovechkin should be suspended for that classless fuckery. And this is coming from a guy who thinks Crosby is an overrated baby.

[Puupi]

Dude, he fucking turned and brought his stick up into Crosby's head.

Yes, but it didn't look intended. A penalty, especially game misconduct, for that was fine considering the injury caused. If Crosby hadn't been injured, it should have been a 2 min penalty for high sticking. No further sanctions should be given.

Tbh, both Niskanen and Ovechkin should be suspended for that classless fuckery. And this is coming from a guy who thinks Crosby is an overrated baby.

Ovechkin was the one causing all this. If someone should be suspended, it should be him. I don't think Niskanen is the one to be blamed here.

[Toxigen]

Dude, he fucking turned and brought his stick up into Crosby's head. Tbh, both Niskanen and Ovechkin should be suspended for that classless fuckery. And this is coming from a guy who thinks Crosby is an overrated baby.

Stop watching it in slow mo and watch it in real time.

[Tradewind]

Stop watching it in slow mo and watch it in real time.

This.

The "high stick" from Ovi is just the retarded flex the guy's got, whipping the blade end at his face, he's clearly giving his arm a chop (which should be a penalty anyway lol). Maybe it's "accidentally on purpose," but I don't consider Ovi a dirty player.

Niskanen was going for a cross check sure, but with Crosby's falling/momentum that cross check went right into his face. Had he not been falling it would've gone into the shoulder/arm.

It's a pair of chippy plays, that in and of themselves are relatively innocuous, culminating in some bad shit happening above and beyond what they should have been individually. But I wouldn't call any of it intent to injure.

[Rennadrel]

I guess the old adage from one Don Cherry about keeping your stick on the ice is foreign to players who come from outside of North America.

And have you forgotten how many times Ovechkin cross checked people from behind in his early years in the NHL? Honestly, the league just needs to tighten up its policies around head hits, intentional or not. Had the stick been down, I doubt Crosby would have been as hurt.

[Puupi]

I guess the old adage from one Don Cherry about keeping your stick on the ice is foreign to players who come from outside of North America.

The game is called ice kendo for a reason.


Was that the 5th concussion of Crosby? This might be his last season.

[jackofwind]

Dude, he fucking turned and brought his stick up into Crosby's head. Tbh, both Niskanen and Ovechkin should be suspended for that classless fuckery. And this is coming from a guy who thinks Crosby is an overrated baby.

Eh, he put his arms/stick out to brace against the collision that was coming so that his legs wouldn't get taken out. Did his stick ride high, sure, but the hit was still at waist height. The only reason it's anything to speak of is because Crosby was injured on the play. It's a high speed play that happens 100 times a game, and it sucks that there was an injury but I really don't see it as intentional (and neither does the League, for that matter).

One thing's for sure though, Crosby is approaching Lindros status. Head's made of paper at this point.

- - - Updated - - -

And have you forgotten how many times Ovechkin cross checked people from behind in his early years in the NHL? Honestly, the league just needs to tighten up its policies around head hits, intentional or not. Had the stick been down, I doubt Crosby would have been as hurt.

But that's kind of irrelevant regarding this hit, because remember that time Crosby's stick took off half of Methot's finger?

The only penalty on the play really should have been Ovechkin for the trip and/or the slash. Niskanen was blameless in this instance I think, just in the wrong place as Crosby was coming down. When you see it in real-time it is a very fast play and Niskanen's arms coming up look like the kind of reflexive bracing you would do in exactly that situation. You don't just let guys fall freely into your knees if you want to skate for very long.

Now, let's talk about the blatant headhunting that Hornqvist attempted, which made him look like a dumbfuck when Eller dodged the flying elbow and he destroyed Sheary.

[Puupi]

Funny trivia: Esa Lindell, the Dallas Stars defenseman, won this year's very popular ice hockey Finnish league general manager online game here in Finland. Thousands of players and an actual NHL player wins it.

[Rorke]

Quality embellishment call there refs. Gotta make sure the game stays close.

[Greeney]

Quality embellishment call there refs. Gotta make sure the game stays close.

Yeah, that's a completely idiotic call that really brings down the integrity of the game.