Around The NHL Part XXX

[aufheben]

I was shocked when they named Tavares captain. It seemed like it was always going to Matthews (and probably still will at some point).

 

[rangers1314]

I was shocked when they named Tavares captain. It seemed like it was always going to Matthews (and probably still will at some point).

I doubt it. All signs point to Matthews bolting Toronto when that deal is up.

 

[NYR94]

NHL media: The game is all about speed and the transition game.
Leafs: Sign Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds and re-sign Jason Spezza.

 

[NYSPORTS]

NHL media: The game is all about speed and the transition game.
Leafs: Sign Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds and re-sign Jason Spezza.

playoff hockey is about more than your first line

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

NHL media: The game is all about speed and the transition game.
Leafs: Sign Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds and re-sign Jason Spezza.

The playoffs are definitely not about speed.

 

[Leonardo87]

Damn. Lol

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Damn. Lol

COLDDDD BLOOODDDEEDDD

 

[Rongomania]

COLDDDD BLOOODDDEEDDD

Damn. Lol

Too perfect. Simmonds/Spezza/Thornton, their incompetence on D and extremely 'meh' goaltending - Can you imagine them playing the Colorado Avalanche .....

......

 

[egelband]

So I finally got the chance to drive a Zamboni

Ice Resurfacer Bursts Into Flames on Ice Rink in Rochester

Hope you’re ok. I bet you’re looking forward to beating the Leafs whenever the season starts.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

 

[Maximus]

playoff hockey is about more than your first line

I get what your saying and your not wrong but common Pope, it's one thing to have some gritty guys for the playoffs on your bottom 6, it's another when said players are slow as molasses and corpses of their previous selves...just sayin!

 

[NYSPORTS]

I get what your saying and your not wrong but common Pope, it's one thing to have some gritty guys for the playoffs on your bottom 6, it's another when said players are slow as molasses and corpses of their previous selves...just sayin!

you’re not responding to what i posted. You’re just guessing and assuming

 

[kovazub94]

you’re not responding to what i posted. You’re just guessing and assuming

Then explain yourself (or maybe try making it more apparent originally). @Maximus post was in reference to Toronto having Spezza, Simmonds and Thornton signed for the upcoming season. Do you think these are good signings?

 

[NYSPORTS]

Then explain yourself (or maybe try making it more apparent originally). @Maximus post was in reference to Toronto having Spezza, Simmonds and Thornton signed for the upcoming season. Do you think these are good signings?

kirk said it above. It’s not all about speed and transition. If that was true, the same Rangers team who skated circles around the Stars and Canes during the Regular season would have been more successful in the playoffs.

Regarding the Leafs, that figure skating team needS not only some physical play but is desperate for leadership. Odds are Thorton would help with that.

 

[LokiDog]

Depth is obviously huge in the post season, but there’s depth in the way that a team like Dallas has, where they’re getting contributions from guys like Hintz, Gurianov, Dickinson, Janmark, Faksa, Kiviranta, Comeau, etc. in bottom six roles and then there’s just signing cheap guys who were once very good players. Dallas built most of that depth internally, so they’re cheap, youngish, good skaters who check and kill penalties. Toronto adding Spezza, Simmonds and Thornton is adding over the hill guys who are super slow and were never known for their two way ability to begin with. Can they help potentially provide some extra offense from the bottom six? Sure, I suppose, though they’re all pretty cooked. Do they actually make Toronto better or fix the fact that they play no team defense and have no penalty killers or adequate checking players? Nope. They’re cheap signings, so if we think Thornton and Spezza bring some leadership, that’s not a bad perspective, but Toronto will continue to fail because their team has no dimensions. The forward group is a Frankenstein of offense first players. No real strategy in building out that roster.

 

[Maximus]

you’re not responding to what i posted. You’re just guessing and assuming

I actually did respond and was not guessing or assuming. Was merely stating the obvious hoss from the eyeball test. The corpses of Thornton, Simmonds and Spezza are pretty much done as the kinds of players you would want in the playoffs if you even make the playoffs which is no sure thing if your rostering 3 players like that who can't even keep up with 95% of the opposing players they'll be competing against.

 

[kovazub94]

kirk said it above. It’s not all about speed and transition. If that was true, the same Rangers team who skated circles around the Stars and Canes during the Regular season would have been more successful in the playoffs.

Regarding the Leafs, that figure skating team needS not only some physical play but is desperate for leadership. Odds are Thorton would help with that.

What @Loki Dog 74 said. It’s obvious that one line is not enough and depth is needed to get to the SC but these signings are in no way make Leafs a better and deeper team as someone said Leafs seems to try building a team to win 2012 SC

 

[NYSPORTS]

What @Loki Dog 74 said. It’s obvious that one line is not enough and depth is needed to get to the SC but these signings are in no way make Leafs a better and deeper team as someone said Leafs seems to try building a team to win 2012 SC

ok - well, the Leafs couldn’t be any lighter in the Leadership dept. Hope it does fail for them. IMO, the West is a tougher conference. Tampa and Carolina will be a problem while the Leafs should be. Won’t discount Boston but their best days could be behind them.

 

[Kovalev27]

I think it’s quite a shot at Tavares at they need to bring in all these old vets to add some actual leadership to the room. I think we knew already that Tavares was no leader with the islanders. He never got them anywhere.

Matthews and Marner super talented but look like they both have a lot of growing up to do. Matthews thinks he looks like Henrik Lundqvist. He doesn’t.

I don’t see an improved blueline and they’ll go again with mr anti clutch Freddy Andersen. Not good

 

[LokiDog]

I think it’s quite a shot at Tavares at they need to bring in all these old vets to add some actual leadership to the room. I think we knew already that Tavares was no leader with the islanders. He never got them anywhere.

Matthews and Marner super talented but look like they both have a lot of growing up to do. Matthews thinks he looks like Henrik Lundqvist. He doesn’t.

I don’t see an improved blueline and they’ll go again with mr anti clutch Freddy Andersen. Not good

It doesn’t look good on Tavares and Reilly that they can’t be counted as the leadership for this young group. But it’s also interesting to me that Toronto cleared cap by moving Kapanen and Johnson, two young guys who can skate and could fit on a third line with a good defensive center and then signed three slow as molasses players. I get they all cost less and they were able to sign Brodie, which was a good move in a vacuum for them, but they are starting to resemble the Oilers. Just poorly put together. Individually Reilly, Brodie and Muzzin are okay Dmen but they don’t combine to offer much hope of improvement. Matthews, Marner, Nylander... I never got the huge money spent on Tavares when the glaring needs were obviously depth and defensive help (up front and on the back end). Now they have four high octane forwards who don’t play defense and a roster full of slugs outside them. I think Matthews bolts when he hits UFA.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I think it’s quite a shot at Tavares at they need to bring in all these old vets to add some actual leadership to the room. I think we knew already that Tavares was no leader with the islanders. He never got them anywhere.

Matthews and Marner super talented but look like they both have a lot of growing up to do. Matthews thinks he looks like Henrik Lundqvist. He doesn’t.

I don’t see an improved blueline and they’ll go again with mr anti clutch Freddy Andersen. Not good

What, you don’t think this guy is as attractive as Lundqvist??????

the big L is very fitting

 

[NYSPORTS]

I think it’s quite a shot at Tavares at they need to bring in all these old vets to add some actual leadership to the room. I think we knew already that Tavares was no leader with the islanders. He never got them anywhere.

Regardless of circumstances, the Islanders success minus Tavares has to be taken into account too. What’s happening in Toronto is alarming.

 

[Kords]

What, you don’t think this guy is as attractive as Lundqvist??????

the big L is very fitting

Drives me crazy the amount of "fashion" nods this guy gets. I remember him showing up to the bubble in an oversized looney toons shirt, target brand swim shorts and sandals and the media was calling him a fashion icon. Like, that's legit how I dressed in 5th grade.

 

[Synergy27]

Drives me crazy the amount of "fashion" nods this guy gets. I remember him showing up to the bubble in an oversized looney toons shirt, target brand swim shorts and sandals and the media was calling him a fashion icon. Like, that's legit how I dressed in 5th grade.

Fashion is always stupid, but modern fashion is next level stupid. I am old. I am also right.

 

[LokiDog]

Fashion is always stupid, but modern fashion is next level stupid. I am old. I am also right.

So much this. Yes, fashion is always stupid. But modern fashion is next level stupid. These kids - especially Matthews, Nylander and... Justin Bieber, so it must be a Toronto thing - think it’s so ironic to dress like literal 4th graders despite making millions, and the clothes still cost a fortune. Probably the worst trends of all time.