NHL 2012 - 2013

[WayAbvPar]

My first thought after last night's game: I have a party to go to later this month; at least I won't look like a bum with my scraggly playoff beard.

Mine was actually coming in rather nicely this year 

[Speedy Cerviche]

Brodin come on he's solid but he needs to put up some points to get consideration. When Tyler Myers won it he had almost 50 points as a 2-way Dman which is a lot more standout than just a stay at home role with 15-20 if prorated to 82 games.

Yakupov I dunno, I think there was prolly voting bias against Edmonton for the perception that they are a free-wheeling defensive mess (Same reason no Schultz). The voters had to choose 3  guys from a pack of 6 forwards with similar points and went with 2 rookies that had stand out roles on top placing teams, then with Huberdeau for playing a lot of hard minutes on a depleted team.

[Ceryse]

why? They seem solid to me

In my view the nominations should have been; Yakupov, Brodin, Gallagher.

With Brodin edging out Gallagher for the trophy (with rough %s around the lines of 45% for Brodin, 40% for Gallagher and 15% for Yakupov).

But the current list is, well.. a joke and I'll go through why;

1. Huberdeau; this is whom Yakupov should have replaced. Yakupov and he tied in points, but Yakupov did it with ~2:30 less ice time per game (and had more goals, which tends to matter with such things), better plus minus and didn't play with the top line (he played with cheats-for-offense Gagner mainly) and did so on his off wing for half the season. Additionally, Huberdeau had almost 2/3rds offensive zone starts to Yakupov's 50/50 split. But, honestly? I could fathom keeping Huberdeau. Yakupov was more deserving of the nomination, imo.. but I could see the argument against it giving the situation in Florida.

2. Saad; seriously? He had a good year, is a good player and will improve. But playing the vast majority of your ice time with Toews and Hossa should result in good numbers. He also got powerplay time similar to Huberdeau and did almost nothing with it. This is where Brodin should have been nominated. Brodin is young (19 to Saad's 20), playing phenomenal amounts of minutes for a rookie, is a defenseman and played tough minutes. Yes, he was paired with Suter for much of that time, but that doesn't diminish his accomplishments as much as it does Saad's due to position.

3. Gallagher; good player, but between him being 21 (two years older than Yakupov and Brodin), his numbers weren't as high as Yakupov's, nor his position and ice time as demanding (he had fairly easy zone starts, like Huberdeau), but deserves the nomination due to his even strength production (best of the bunch) and just how good Montreal was with him on the ice.

Overall.. there's just no real good reason to have Saad on the list and Brodin off. Yakupov should have been nominated over Huberdeau.. but that one is more forgivable.

Interesting to note that the last time a rookie who led the scoring lead didn't win the Calder was 1950-51 (excluding goaltender wins), and the last time one was left off the nomination list? Never happened before in the history of the NHL.

Like I said, though; Brodin should have won the Calder this year and doesn't even get nominated. And this is coming from someone who thinks the Wild should be nuked from orbit for playing such a boring style of hockey for so many years (and having a bunch of dirty, whiny bitches on their teams!).

[Ceryse]

Brodin come on he's solid but he needs to put up some points to get consideration. When Tyler Myers won it he had almost 50 points as a 2-way Dman which is a lot more standout than just a stay at home role with 15-20 if prorated to 82 games.

Yakupov I dunno, I think there was prolly voting bias against Edmonton for the perception that they are a free-wheeling defensive mess (Same reason no Schultz). The voters had to choose 3  guys from a pack of 6 forwards with similar points and went with 2 rookies that had stand out roles on top placing teams, then with Huberdeau for playing a lot of hard minutes on a depleted team.

Schultz didn't deserve a nomination. He put up a lot of points, especially for a rookie defenseman... but his defensive game went to absolute shit in the last third of the season. Part of that was his partners, but a lot of that was on him. His defensive play rules him out.

[Speedy Cerviche]

Some reasonable points, but you skip the part that Brodin isn't getting on with less than 20 points. A dman needs to 40 to stand out.

[Fordel]

Fucking Leafs.


Mother Fucking Leafs.

[Ceryse]

Ah, yes the Leafs. Losing like they should! I will be extremely pleased if the first round sees the Canadians, Canucks, Leafs and Wild bow out. I'd also like to see the Pens lose out, but I don't see that happening.

Speedy; Brodin is my pick for the Calder, regardless of his point totals. He's just been that impressive in all the games I've seen him in. Either way, I believe he deserves the nomination over Saad who's getting too much recognition due to his plus/minus and point totals ignoring the fact of who he plays with and his relatively easier minutes than many other rookies.

Gallagher should win the Calder given the actual nominations and I'd have been content with him getting it over Brodin with my personal preference for nominations. But Saad and Huberdeau... meh. But the subjective trophies have been jokes for awhile now.

[Shannow]

Fucking Leafs.


Mother Fucking Leafs.

Don't worry the bruins will find a way to make sure this goes 7.

[El Gallo]

Dear Mario:
Please place Bylsma and Fleury in a large sack, fill it with rocks, and toss it into the Mon.

Love,
EG

[Ceryse]

Oh boy... fantastic night! Fleury craps the bed and gives the Isles the even-up. The Canadians lose and get pushed to the precipice alongside the Wild and the Canucks get swept!

The last item is really the best part of the playoffs thus far.

[Bunk]

Well, that was one steaming pile of bullshit. Apparently refs only believe in letting powerplays decide a series when it goes against Vancouver.

25 powerplays for SJ versus 10 for Van in that series. Clearly because Vancouver players like Sedin are mean vicious bastards. Congrats San Jose, you gamed the system and it paid off for you.

I'd like to believe that there isn't some conspiracy by refs to stick it to teams that complain about officiating, but after this... Vancouver complained that SJ was flopping a lot in the first two games and the calls weren't exactly  being handed out evenly (SJ had 9 powerplays to Van's 5 in the first two games). So what happens in games three and four? 16 powerplays to SJ vs 5 for Vancouver. Nope, no bias there.

Worst thing about that shit ass call in OT against Sedin? He could have drawn a boarding call in the third had he stayed down and milked it, but he didn't. Then they call boarding on him in overtime on a shoulder to shoulder hit, where the other guy's forward momentum was the only thing that made him hit the boards. Really flimsy call that ended the series. The "boarding" on Bieksa that setup the tie? Yea, SJ player stayed face down just long enough for the ref to make the late call, then pops up and skates away.

To finalize my rant, do I think Vancouver would have won this series had the penalties been close? Honestly, probably not (SJ played well) - but at least it would have been a series instead of a four game officiating joke.

[Ceryse]

Reffing in the NHL is and always has been a joke.. its just one that everyone is in on nowadays.

However, I personally find it hilarious that Vancouver is getting fucked over by refs considering they used to be the ones benefiting from shit reffing. That said.. I wouldn't say a lot of the calls on Vancouver were shit calls; merely that almost every 50/50 situation went against Vancouver -- which is what will happen if you bitch about the refs and linesmen. Would they have won in an evenly called series? No; they simply didn't have the offense and Schneider, while good at times, was simply not the goalie to lean on.

[Bunk]

Would have been nice to actually see that series played out as opposed to having it predetermined by the refs.

At least half the penalties Vancouver took were 50/50 calls that weren't being called in the regular season. Problem was, the refs didn't call the 50/50 ones on San Jose. There's never an excuse for a 3 to 1 advantage in powerplays over two games.

While I've never fully agreed with the rest of the world's opinion on Vancouver being a "diving" team, the fact is that the refs have been "getting back" at Vancouver for it for about the last four seasons.

[murdoc]

The last couple of penalties were total bullshit - but fuck the Canucks. So happy they are done. It is pretty crazy that 5 straight Northwest division titles, two President's Trophies and the AV will probably be fired.

[WayAbvPar]

They can't fire him fast enough. His fucking bullshit anti-offensive system, his garbage handling of the goalies, his mind-boggling line decisions, his mind games, and his inexplicable 'doghouse' have utterly destroyed this team. He plays favorites, and is a smug fuck. I have never liked him, but tolerated him because they seemed to be winning (whether in spite of him or not remains to be seen). Good fucking riddance.

[Hoax]

If the refs decided to fuck a team over they couldn't find a more deserving team for that fucking. Sayonara Canucks, enjoy the golf!  

That final call was terrible, but most of the calls weren't. Power play disparity doesn't prove ref conspiracies.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Too soon?

[Paelos]

I've hated the Canucks since Pavel Bure played with them and beat Dallas in 5 games.

Nobody likes you Canucks.

[murdoc]

[naum]

Dear Mario:
Please place Bylsma and Fleury in a large sack, fill it with rocks, and toss it into the Mon.

Vokoun to start game #5.

First time Fleury benched in playoffs IIRC.

Also, Pens need to scratch Niskannen -- maybe during the regular season he could impersonate an NHL defenseman but in the playoffs a pylon would serve as a greater impediment to opposing forwards…

[Bunk]

"No cups in Vancouver"

Too soon?

Nah, just inaccurate:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_Stanley_Cup_Finals

Ok, it's been a while.

[Ceryse]

There's a reason most around here call the Canucks the "Dys" with almost sociopathic glee.

The modern team has won absolutely fuck-all and yet for years the fans, media and team itself put the team on such a pedestal you'd figure they were the'80s Oilers who never got fucked over in a dark alley by Peter Puck. There is no such thing as something unfair if it happens to the Canucks -- its just Karma trying to prove its existance.

Sad to see Vokoun start the next game in the Pens/Isles series, though. Islanders winning that season would be hilarious good fun as the Pens are a great team to cheer against (and easy, too!).

[RhyssaFireheart]

There's a reason most around here call the Canucks the "Dys" with almost sociopathic glee.

The modern team has won absolutely fuck-all and yet for years the fans, media and team itself put the team on such a pedestal you'd figure they were the'80s Oilers who never got fucked over in a dark alley by Peter Puck. There is no such thing as something unfair if it happens to the Canucks -- its just Karma trying to prove its existance.

Sad to see Vokoun start the next game in the Pens/Isles series, though. Islanders winning that season would be hilarious good fun as the Pens are a great team to cheer against (and easy, too!).

So you're basically saying the Canucks are hockey's version of the Cubs?  I mean, according to Bunk, it's apaprently been almost as long since either team won their series prize.

[HaemishM]

No. People actually like and feel sympathy for the Cubs.  

[Fordel]

The Leafs would be closer to the Cubs probably. Undying loyal fan base, for no real good reason. 

[murdoc]

If the Leafs are going to lose like they did the last couple of games, I am not going to be REALLY upset when the Bruins beat them. I don't think I expected them to win more than one or two games this series at the most, but they've hung in with one of the better playoffs teams.

Dion was being Dion in OT though - that was the exact stuff that got him chased out of Calgary.

In other news:

[Ingmar]

The Leafs would be closer to the Cubs probably. Undying loyal fan base, for no real good reason. 

The Leafs have THIRTEEN Stanley Cups. They're closer to the Yankees than the Cubs (although the Canadiens are the real Yankees of hockey.)

[Fordel]

Those cups were won when there was like, literally 6 teams in the league.


They haven't won shit since the NHL expansion.

[Shannow]

The gifs are killing me.

Also, David Krecji, most underrated athlete in Boston.

[Special J]

Don't park your car in downtown Montreal tonight. 

[Ceryse]

Don't park your car in downtown Montreal tonight. 

Nah.

Only Vancouver riots after a loss.

[Special J]

Oh, they know a few things about that in Montreal.

[Ceryse]

Oh, they know how to riot... but ONLY Vancouver has rioted after a loss. The other cities riot after a win.

Only exception is the Richard riot when Canadians fans rioted after Richard got a (justified) suspension for basically trying to kill a guy.

[Speedy Cerviche]

I think I got the most angry I've been in years watching that Habs-Sens game last  night. The Habs missed so many great chances, empty nets basically, cannot do that against a red hot goalie like Anderson (final save % for series: .950 cmon !!!). Really pissed me off when Bourque has a wide open net and hit the post, and the crowd starts waving their stupid towels like he accomplished something good lord what a bunch of morons. Between that, the Armstrong breakaway and Gallagher missing the open net on the PP right before the Turris shorty it shoulda been 4-2 Habs going into the 3rd. Not a safe lead certainly but better than 3-1 against.

The Sens remind me of the 2010 Canadiens that upset the Caps & Pens, mediocre team but playing tight, spirited D, clutch opportunistic to net goals, and riding a red hot goalie.

[Special J]

Keep in mind the Senators spent over half the season without:

The league's #1 goalie
Their #1 Center
Their leading goal scorer
Their Norris trophy defenseman and best overall player.

With 3 out of 4 back, this is a better team than their record shows.

Canadiens took a big jump and their kids show lots of promise, but right now they're too soft.

EDIT:  Hart nominees out, same old suspects Crosby & Ovechkin.  Plus Tavares.  Have to agree now, the West gets no love.