2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Spectral]

I fucking hate the Sabres hires. This is the equivalent of me starting a company, looking high and low, and declaring that a couple guys that I grew up with just happened to be the best possible candidates for CFO and manager. Sure, it might be true, but it looks like a hell of a coincidence, and I couldn't blame someone if they suggested that I didn't actually have a real process for finding talented people to run things.

[Zoma]

Kadri's getting a hearing for the Backstrom hit. No mention of the Granlund hit. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6...d=nhl:topheads

The Backstrom one was definitely bad. He wasn't pushed into the goalie or anything, he just skated through the crease and hit Backstrom right in the head with either his forearm or elbow.

I have mixed feelings on the Granlund hit. Granlund definitely had his head down. At one angle, you can see Granlund's shoulder is level with the top of his helmet. Every time I see the hit from a different angle, it looks like a different part of Granlund is the main point of contact. Some angles it looks like head, others it looks like body.

[Elgefar]

In Rennadrel's world running a goalie is fine if you are Nazem Kadri. I find it amusing how he has been bitching the last 2-3 weeks about players running goalies, and suddenly when a Toronto player does it, it's perfectly fine.

[Rennadrel]

In Rennadrel's world running a goalie is fine if you are Nazem Kadri. I find it amusing how he has been bitching the last 2-3 weeks about players running goalies, and suddenly when a Toronto player does it, it's perfectly fine.

Oh, I think he will get suspended or at least fined, and I thought it was pretty bad, but it's still fucking ironic that no one suspended Gionta for fucking bowling into Reimer's head a couple of years ago. You can't tell one guy he can't touch a goalie and let everyone else off Scott free for running over goalies. I doubt Kadri gets anything for the Grandlun hit though since he had his head down and an attempt was made to avoid the head. When will European players learn to keep their heads up.

[VanillaO]

The Granlund hit didn't really look that bad... the Backstrom hit was just super careless. I'd be surprised if they suspend him further than the match penalty he received for a hit that was only bad because the player had his head down. Elbow was tucked, he didn't leave his feet... in reality, that's typically a clean hit if the guy is aware of his surroundings.

Suspension definitely possible, but I don't expect it.

The NHL Board just had meetings about possible rule changes, too.. and I don't remember reading anything about goalie safety... just more bullshit about the overtime blues.

[Rennadrel]

The Granlund hit didn't really look that bad... the Backstrom hit was just super careless. I'd be surprised if they suspend him further than the match penalty he received for a hit that was only bad because the player had his head down. Elbow was tucked, he didn't leave his feet... in reality, that's typically a clean hit if the guy is aware of his surroundings.

Suspension definitely possible, but I don't expect it.

The NHL Board just had meetings about possible rule changes, too.. and I don't remember reading anything about goalie safety... just more bullshit about the overtime blues.

Well they did mention on SportsNet the possibility of suspending goalies for fighting at the GM meetings, but that's about it. The only reason they discussed that was because Emery assaulted Holtby, that wasn't even a legit fight.

[VanillaO]

That's not even the issue in the NHL. It's players just hitting goalies on purpose... some not even trying to hide the fact that they're hitting goalies.

But, let's be honest... if you're the Leafs (or anyone), playing Minnesota... wouldn't you rather have Backstrom in net than Harding with his 9-2-2 (now 10)/ 1.21 / .947 line?

Either way, I didn't realize a hearing was already schedule for this afternoon for Kadri... so odds are he gets a suspension over it after all.. maybe a fine if the Leafs are lucky.

[Rennadrel]

Well, having watched the replay multiple times, Backstrom was outside of the crease (or at least on the very edge) when Kadri hit him, so people say Kadri entered the crease, well that was the result of the hit. They do need to protect goalies more, but if a goalie leaves the crease, well, you can't fault players for making contact.

[BicycleMafioso]

Well, having watched the replay multiple times, Backstrom was outside of the crease (or at least on the very edge) when Kadri hit him, so people say Kadri entered the crease, well that was the result of the hit. They do need to protect goalies more, but if a goalie leaves the crease, well, you can't fault players for making contact.

So, what you are saying is that if a player sees the puck go one way, goes the other (without getting pushed in the slightest) and makes sure to get as much of the opposing team's goalie not only is fair game, it's the goalie's fault?

[Tradewind]

Mentioned in another thread, I'm more upset at the Wild for not beating Kadri's fuckin ass after running Backstrom like that. Protect your goddamn goaltender.

[Rukentuts]

Mentioned in another thread, I'm more upset at the Wild for not beating Kadri's fuckin ass after running Backstrom like that. Protect your goddamn goaltender.

Yeah, thankfully Harding is good.

[Tradewind]

lol only 3 games for Kadri blatantly elbowing a goaltender.

Banahan is totally fucked in the head.

[VanillaO]

So I was pretty bored and having a debate with myself, and I came to conclude that Finland has the best trio of goalies if the Olympics started right now.

[Tradewind]

So I was pretty bored and having a debate with myself, and I came to conclude that Finland has the best trio of goalies if the Olympics started right now.

Rask, Rinne

Niemi/Lehtonen?

I'd wager Canada's got a more impressive camp, at least in the top 2 department with Giguere and Harding. From there it's just...a laundry list of possibles, most likely Mike Smith or Crawford.

[Rennadrel]

lol only 3 games for Kadri blatantly elbowing a goaltender.

Banahan is totally fucked in the head.

Yeah? That's pretty right for a first time offender actually, and it wasn't an elbow unless you are missing an eyeball, you can clearly see Kadri's forearm hit Backstrom in the head. If he had actually elbowed him, his elbow would have been bent, it was pretty damn straight though so it wasn't an elbow to the head. Also, goalies are naturally lower in position, that would have been a normal check if he had been standing up straight, hence why it wasn't a blatant attempt at elbowing. Also, Shanny just set a precedent, yet it took far too long for the league to actually fucking act on goalie hits. They should have done something 2 or 3 years ago to protect them which is when I was calling for them to do it.

[VanillaO]

Not sure how you think of Giguere as a real candidate... is it his stats? He's played 5 games and those #s are nowhere near his career averages. Same with Harding's stats, but at least his sample is much larger.

- - - Updated - - -

So according to the summary video posted by the NHL, Kadri gets 3 games for unintentionally running into a goalie who is sliding out of his crease to make a play. He's suspended 3 games for not knowing where the goalie is, and not doing a better job to try and stop himself going full speed into the goalie with about 1 second of reaction time after turning his head towards the net. I mean, I get why he's suspended... I still continue to not understand the NHLs reasoning for the length of a lot of suspensions, though.

[Tradewind]

I was under the impression giguere was getting more time in net these days with Varlamov's "issues."

I'll stand by Harding and then Smith/Crawford as still being a pretty damn good trio.

[VanillaO]

Well now he's played 5.67 and boy did he and the Avs get lit up tonight.

[Garbles]

52 shots on Mike Smith, forces a shootout. Imagine him on a team that plays defense.


Oh and, Kris Versteeg is back in a Hawks sweater.

[Tradewind]

My Flames making me turn to drinking again, woooooooo. Drown the memories!