2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[draynay]

Yeah, that season Pat LaFontaine scored 53-95 for 148 points and Alex Mogilny score 76 goals. Don't know what was up with that season. Is that the year they got rid of the two line pass rule?

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Also we finished 8th in the conference and barely squeezed into the playoffs, lol.

You know its a crazy year when a guy has 95 assists and 148 points and neither leads the league.

[eschatological]

Well, the points leader was Mario Lemeiux, so there's that.

I looked it up, the two line pass lasted all the way to the 04-05 lockout. I think the early 90s was just when equipment/offense was getting better and goalies were still stuck in the 80s without the butterfly and all that. By the late 90s Brodeur and Hasek were playing 1-0 games regularly.

[draynay]

They expanded two years in a row, adding the Sharks, Senators, and Lightning, with a much worse expansion draft then, so we had some truly terrible teams that gave up a lot of goals. They loosened up the draft rules a little with the Ducks and Panthers so they were more competitive. Of course by the time Vegas came around hardly anybody could be protected so they got to draft a playoff team.

[Vetali]

Damn, finally got around to watching the Canucks and Wild highlights from yesterday. What a crazy game.

Going to the Kraken Bruins game Monday. Will be my first NHL game in person.

[draynay]

Another throwback to that 92-93 season, I see Matthews is on pace for 76 goals, nobody has scored 70+ since Mogilny and Selanne reached 76 that year.

Oh and Quinton Byfield scored the best goal I've seen in years.

[Rennadrel]

At the rate he is going, 80 is possible. He's averaging like 2 goals per game right now, having 7 hattys already. Ultimately it won't matter if he isn't in Jesus-mode for game one of the playoffs. But getting depth scoring has been a big factor in the winning streak, I think Keefe finally figured out the 3C problem by sticking JT there where he can play against weaker competition and dominate rather than being put against more regularly shutdown lines as the 2C.

[Vetali]

Jets are really speedrunning the whole relocation process. Went from "we want a new arena" to "not enough fans to sustain a team" within like a week it seems. Kinda weird how there are 2 teams eying relocating and the NHL wants to expand again.

[eschatological]

The whole "we must constantly be making more money" from sports leagues is gonna make hockey unsustainable in all Canadian cities except Toronto and Montreal.

[Vetali]

The whole "we must constantly be making more money" from sports leagues is gonna make hockey unsustainable in all Canadian cities except Toronto and Montreal.

Shits frustrating to see across sports. Too many owners try to run the shit like a business rather than a sports team. If you focus on winning, the fans will come. Focus on winning and people will be more likely to vote on your dumb stadium taxes. Not really rocket science.

Anyway, back from the Kraken game. The arena renovations are very nice. Unlike football where I feel I'd rather watch on TV than go to the stadium, hockey is awesome in person. Now I understand why people hate changing cameras in game or excessively zooming in on the rink. In person you can see the plays develop. You kinda know what they are trying to do beforehand when you see them sub out rather than zoom in on the guy in the trapezoid. I wish OT lasted longer too because 3 on 3 hockey is so good.

[Vetali]

Kraken in a weird spot where they are alive in the playoff race for WC after looking dead less than a week ago, but still should sell. Looks like they got rid of Wennberg to the Rangers.

If they could figure out how to win against shitty teams, they'd be right in the WC race.

Edit: oh damn, Eberle might be on the market too. Kraken tried to extend him for 2 years, 4.5m but Eberle wanted 3 years. Extending him at 4.5m would've been dumb even 2 years unless you are really relying on young talent and possibly getting rid of Grubauer.

[eschatological]

In the midst of another disappointing Sabres season, at least my alma mater Boston College is back in the Frozen Four.

[Logwyn]

Can't wait till Atlanta gets a team again and I can follow NHL!

[Vetali]

Yeah, kraken really stunk and sunk to the bottom after my last post. Don't agree with calling up Shane Wright at all this season.

[draynay]

Yeah, kraken really stunk and sunk to the bottom after my last post. Don't agree with calling up Shane Wright at all this season.

My Kings have dropped 3 straight, maybe they didn't want to face the Oilers again.

[Rennadrel]

The Oilers will get knocked out in the first round again, their defense and goaltending might as well just stay in the hotel because they are absolutely useless. And once again the East gets fucked over because of Gary Buttman's stupid seeding winds up pitting the two of the top 3 teams in the conference against one another in the first round which is terrible for viewership over the length of the playoffs. You want the best teams going deep. At least Boston seems to have slipped on a banana here the last few weeks and the Panthers have also been shitting it up, bodes well for Leafs fans.

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In the midst of another disappointing Sabres season, at least my alma mater Boston College is back in the Frozen Four.

The city of Buffalo and sports disappointment are tied at the hip. The Sabres aren't going anywhere. If it's any consolation though, Craig Button said the Sens were going to make the playoffs and oh boy was he wrong about that!

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The whole "we must constantly be making more money" from sports leagues is gonna make hockey unsustainable in all Canadian cities except Toronto and Montreal.

If anything, both of our cities have proven that our fans are dumb blind sheep who will go to games en masse even when our teams are hot garbage.

[draynay]

Matthews couldn't make it to 70, but not for lack of trying, twelve! shots tonight.

McDavid and Kucherov made it to 100 assists.