OT: Around the NHL - Good hocket is good

[Bingo71]

Honestly, the whole main board could be boiled down to "I love my favorite player and I don't want to hear anything good about any other player."

You know, I really thought that after the Caps won the Cup last year that all the Crosby vs Ovechkin crap would die down. I felt like Caps fans (and a lot of other fan bases as well) always tried to claim that OV is better than Sid because they didn’t have the team success that the Pens have had so that’s all they had. Same thing in Edmonton with McDavid. Oilers fans know that the team is a disaster but they can cling to their belief that McDavid is better than Crosby. Now Toronto fans are jumping in...

If anything, the Caps winning the Cup has ramped up the “Ovechkin is better than Crosby” talk, with some people claiming that OV is the greatest goal scorer ever...

The Sid hate is real. The Pens hate is real. And it will never end...

 

[Zirakzigil]

You know, I really thought that after the Caps won the Cup last year that all the Crosby vs Ovechkin crap would die down. I felt like Caps fans (and a lot of other fan bases as well) always tried to claim that OV is better than Sid because they didn’t have the team success that the Pens have had so that’s all they had. Same thing in Edmonton with McDavid. Oilers fans know that the team is a disaster but they can cling to their belief that McDavid is better than Crosby. Now Toronto fans are jumping in...

If anything, the Caps winning the Cup has ramped up the “Ovechkin is better than Crosby” talk, with some people claiming that OV is the greatest goal scorer ever...

The Sid hate is real. The Pens hate is real. And it will never end...

Wouldn’t have it any other way. In my opinion, people fighting so hard to try and prove he’s not the best just proves that he is.

 

[66-30-33]

Crosby will just win cups and Smythes while the others don't.

 

[Turin]

People conveniently forgetting that OV is a year removed from a 60 point season.

 

[mpp9]

Erik Karlsson has been horrendous defensively in every Sharks game I have watched. And tonight's game has been no different. Just awful.

The high end offensive D-men in the league seem to take awhile to adjust to new teams/systems. Gonchar was getting booed his first year here. Subban was a bit up and down his first year in Nashville. Shattenkirk was shit for Washington as a rental.

Makes sense if you think about it. Karlsson went from being the clear cut best option on offense for his team where he could control the flow of play as he saw fit within a pretty conservative system to being on a team a couple years removed from a Finals appearance, way more offensive weapons up front who want the puck and a #1D to contend with in ice time and role.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Looks like MacKinnon wasn't a one year wonder after all.

 

[ColePens]

Looks like MacKinnon wasn't a one year wonder after all.

He is actually similar to McDavid with that speed, but his hands/mind are not on McDavid's level. McDavid can play at his top speed consistently. Mac is just a step behind his overall speed.

But DAMN is he a blast to watch. So freaking good.

 

[ColePens]

Erik Karlsson has been horrendous defensively in every Sharks game I have watched. And tonight's game has been no different. Just awful.

So spot on. He seriously looks like a guy who has no clue what he's doing on that team. It looks like 4 players + EK out there every shift he takes. It's bad. It couldn't have gone any worse. But then again, it's 100% reasonable to wait 40-50 games until he gets into the system.

I feel like now, more than ever, players need a lot more time into their system to be a crucial player. Rentals and 1 year deals are not really working as much as they used to.

 

[EightyOne]

So spot on. He seriously looks like a guy who has no clue what he's doing on that team. It looks like 4 players + EK out there every shift he takes. It's bad. It couldn't have gone any worse. But then again, it's 100% reasonable to wait 40-50 games until he gets into the system.

I feel like now, more than ever, players need a lot more time into their system to be a crucial player. Rentals and 1 year deals are not really working as much as they used to.

You could argue average skill level is up so high that individuals really don't stand out as much. Late 90s were like 20 overpowered players. Now, there's so many who have that skill level. It's rare to find a game breaker.

And systems hockey can negate players as much as nurture them.

 

[Gurglesons]

The high end offensive D-men in the league seem to take awhile to adjust to new teams/systems. Gonchar was getting booed his first year here. Subban was a bit up and down his first year in Nashville. Shattenkirk was **** for Washington as a rental.

Makes sense if you think about it. Karlsson went from being the clear cut best option on offense for his team where he could control the flow of play as he saw fit within a pretty conservative system to being on a team a couple years removed from a Finals appearance, way more offensive weapons up front who want the puck and a #1D to contend with in ice time and role.

It is why I laughed when people said we should get him. Too many cooks is already an issue enough here.

 

[ColePens]

It is why I laughed when people said we should get him. Too many cooks is already an issue enough here.

I think it's been happening for the last 5+ years, though. Or maybe it's always been like that. But adding a depth guy is much better than grabbing a big name.

And btw... between Jack Johnson, Oleksiak, and Ian Cole - i'd take Cole 10/10 times.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think it's been happening for the last 5+ years, though. Or maybe it's always been like that. But adding a depth guy is much better than grabbing a big name.

And btw... between Jack Johnson, Oleksiak, and Ian Cole - i'd take Cole 10/10 times.

I said over that summer I’d take Cole at 3 x 4.25 every day of the week over that JJ contract.

 

[td_ice]

Wow, what a play by Forsberg. He has the puck on the EDM goal line, and Darnell Nurse approaches to check him. Forsberg, with the puck, sees it and initiates the contact first. He puts Nurse on his butt. You don't see that often, the player with the puck initiating the hit. Preds retained the puck, and it led to a great scoring chance. Nurse, probably embarrassed, chased Forsberg and went out of position to try and even the score. And Nurse takes a penalty in the process.

 

[BladeRunner66]

I think it's been happening for the last 5+ years, though. Or maybe it's always been like that. But adding a depth guy is much better than grabbing a big name.

And btw... between Jack Johnson, Oleksiak, and Ian Cole - i'd take Cole 10/10 times.

Hence your username.

Seriously though JJ is just starting with the Pens so there's still that adaptation factor figuring in and i kinda like where Oleksiak is going.

I won't remember this post by the end of the season but that's where we could get our answer imo.

 

[ColePens]

Another guy who has just not been himself - Nick Bonino. 25 pts last year. 2 pts so far this year. Just not himself. That 4m contract needed to come with better play.

 

[mpp9]

Wow, what a play by Forsberg. He has the puck on the EDM goal line, and Darnell Nurse approaches to check him. Forsberg, with the puck, sees it and initiates the contact first. He puts Nurse on his butt. You don't see that often, the player with the puck initiating the hit. Preds retained the puck, and it led to a great scoring chance. Nurse, probably embarrassed, chased Forsberg and went out of position to try and even the score. And Nurse takes a penalty in the process.

EDM looks good.

Took us to OT. Beat the Caps. And now up 2-0 on Nashville with a 4 minute PP coming up.

 

[mpp9]

Another guy who has just not been himself - Nick Bonino. 25 pts last year. 2 pts so far this year. Just not himself. That 4m contract needed to come with better play.

Turris trade probably nuked his mindset. At least he got his money.

 

[ColePens]

Why in the world would any coach play a player into the ground like EDM runs McDavid? It's cool that he can do it, but damn... save that man for years and years and years.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Why in the world would any coach play a player into the ground like EDM runs McDavid? It's cool that he can do it, but damn... save that man for years and years and years.

He’s 23rd in the league (for skaters) in ATOI at 24:09.

Build your team better!

 

[Gurglesons]

Another guy who has just not been himself - Nick Bonino. 25 pts last year. 2 pts so far this year. Just not himself. That 4m contract needed to come with better play.

His line was the best line for them in the playoffs.

I assume that is all they care about.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Another guy who has just not been himself - Nick Bonino. 25 pts last year. 2 pts so far this year. Just not himself. That 4m contract needed to come with better play.

And that's exactly why I was fine with JR not offering him that contract.

 

[BladeRunner66]

And that's exactly why I was fine with JR not offering him that contract.

Yeah but that's hindsight isn't it? Let's face it, Nick wasn't as good with the Nucks as he was with the Pens and now it's worst as he's aging and he isn't playing with an O team like the Pens.

HBK line was great though.

 

[Turin]

Incoming McD empty net

 

[Andy99]

Come on Calgary...you were embarrassed last game, time to pull out a win here and beat the Caps!

EDIT..Damn, Mike Smith is a waste of oxygen...

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah but that's hindsight isn't it? Let's face it, Nick wasn't as good with the Nucks as he was with the Pens and now it's worst as he's aging and he isn't playing with an O team like the Pens.

HBK line was great though.

Uh, no? I said even before he walked that I wouldn't want JR to re-sign him at that kind of price (when it was being speculated that what he got from Nashville was the type of deal it would take).