Around the NHL: Part XVIII

[Edge]

We were on a similar pace last year at this time. And all non-playoff teams are in the lottery.

This is a good point and a reason why I keep pointing to the next 8 weeks because I feel like that's potentially where we come back to earth a little.

In recent years, our starts have tended to exceed expectations, but then everything has evened out as we get into the dog days of December and January.

But looking at the standings, there's only 3 points separating Tampa being in the playoffs from Tampa picking 6th in the draft right now. So the pack hasn't yet begun to separate.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

The way the team is playing now will not lead to a playoff spot. I expect them to settle to a middle of the pack lottery team by the new year.

I also think this CA road trip starts a bit of a losing streak. I could see them losing all 3 of these games

 

[East Coast Bias]

Not sure if this Mike Hoffman stuff was discussed or not, but what a sociopath.

First game he and EK matched up since the whole thing with his gf and EK's wife.

I'm not a big pro fight guy, but I'd love to see him get lit up. Scumbag.

Panthers' Mike Hoffman, Sharks' Erik Karlsson almost fight in reunion after controversy

After the game, Hoffman made it clear that he had this game in consideration for a while now.

"I have been thinking about this game for a long time," Hoffman said, according to The Athletic's George Richards.

"He actually played tonight and I asked if he wanted to go and obviously he did not," Hoffman said. "I chased him around for an entire shift, kept asking and asking. He wouldn't. He kept saying 'I'm not fighting you.'"

 

[NYR Viper]

I know there have been stories written about the whole thing but I can't help but believe that there is a deeper story involved here than what was portrayed in the media. I could be wrong.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

I know there have been stories written about the whole thing but I can't help but believe that there is a deeper story involved here than what was portrayed in the media. I could be wrong.

That would be awesome. Slightly breaking the everlasting "nice Swedish people"-connotation. What a twist that would be.

I'll stay in camp Hoffman's gurl is a legit psycho, he's a legit psycho and I'm pretty sure Hoffman wanted to fight EK in order to get some conditional poon.

 

[Tawnos]

Why does anyone care?

 

[NYR94]

 

[EdJovanovski]

I was at the Canucks game last night so I didn’t get around to posting at the time but Bozo passed it to the leafs right in front of their empty net and they scored

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Damnit, of course we gotta play them tomorrow

 

[Maximus]

Pastranek just plain filth. Didn't think it was possible because he played so amazingly well last year before he got hurt but he actually has gotten better this year.

Tho I'm firmly in the MacKinnon camp for the Hart, I can see some voters heading Pastranek's way cause he's certainly deserving as well.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Tom Wilson is so scared of Lemieux yet he just fought the tallest player in the history of the league in Chara

 

[bobbop]

Damnit, of course we gotta play them tomorrow

Put this piece of information away for future reference...

If the Rangers ever decide to move on from DQ, DeBoer would be a leading candidate to replace him. He is very highly regarded by Ranger management.

 

[Kords]

Tom Wilson is so scared of Lemieux yet he just fought the tallest player in the history of the league in Chara

Has anyone non ironically said he was scared of Lemieux?

If you think about it, Lemmy beat Wilson and Wilson beat Chara so Lemmy > Chara. There will be no debate had, my logic checks out.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Has anyone non ironically said he was scared of Lemieux?

If you think about it, Lemmy beat Wilson and Wilson beat Chara so Lemmy > Chara. There will be no debate had, my logic checks out.

Yes there’s a certain poster with “god” in their name who keeps making that claim

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Put this piece of information away for future reference...

If the Rangers ever decide to move on from DQ, DeBoer would be a leading candidate to replace him. He is very highly regarded by Ranger management.

Ugh. He’s another one though who has teacher’s pet syndrome. Stephen Gionta, Haley. My Devils friends called him DUMBoer.

 

[bobbop]

Ugh. He’s another one though who has teacher’s pet syndrome. Stephen Gionta, Haley. My Devils friends called him DUMBoer.

I think he's been a good coach in some difficult situations. This is not about my opinion though, this is something that I happen to know.

 

[Maximus]

Oshie with the uber sweet dangle between two Bruins and roasting and toasting Halak..

 

[I Eat Crow]

Put this piece of information away for future reference...

If the Rangers ever decide to move on from DQ, DeBoer would be a leading candidate to replace him. He is very highly regarded by Ranger management.

DeBoer will probably have another job by the time Quinn's seat even gets warm.

 

[Tawnos]

Ugh. He’s another one though who has teacher’s pet syndrome. Stephen Gionta, Haley. My Devils friends called him DUMBoer.

Literally every coach has their favorites

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

The Caps using John Denver as their goal song is the most anticlimactic song ever.

 

[Kords]

DeBoer will probably have another job by the time Quinn's seat even gets warm.

For sure, gonna be a "Coaches Market" this summer with all these vacancies. Although his only options currently are Dallas and Calgary.

 

[Maximus]

I think it depends on how this team performs in December and January. That's often been the proving ground to see how the next several months will unfold.

Let's assume they're hanging outside the playoffs, they decide to move Kreider, and there's some wear and tear on the roster. This is a team that could very well finish in that 8-12 range. That probably doesn't get them a top tier skill guy, but it does potentially get them a guy who fits what they're doing and fills a need.

However, if you're sitting further back in the draft order, you hope you get a little bit of Carolina/Chicago luck and move from double digits to the the top 3.

So from what I'm gathering if we miss the playoffs which is likely, we'll have couple of ping pong balls to give us a chance to move up in the draft. The higher we finish the less ping pong balls we have.

A team like Jersey because they'll be so terrible will have no worse than a top 4 pick if I'm reading things right. Do I have it right now?

 

[NYR94]

Did Seattle hire a coach yet? DeBoer could land there. He's a good coach IMO.

 

[darko]

Put this piece of information away for future reference...

If the Rangers ever decide to move on from DQ, DeBoer would be a leading candidate to replace him. He is very highly regarded by Ranger management.

Don't say that.

 

[Maximus]

Flyers Avalanche should be a doozy...looking forward to this one.