League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[g00n]

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the East WC race decide to pull this maneuver (if the math points that way).

Pulling the goalie in OT is a Hail Mary, but what about a team pulling its goalie with four minutes left when they were up by six? That happened when the NHL's first tiebreaker after points - this was before RS overtime - was total goals scored.

Had to look it up to verify when this happened. It was the last day of the 1969–70 NHL regular season. I remember watching this afternoon game on tv in NJ. Rangers coach Emile Francis pulled Eddie Giacomin with about 4 minutes left when they were leading Detroit 9-3 (the Wings got two empty netters, Rags didn't score). That left the Rangers and Canadiens tied for fourth in points, but with the Rags up by 4 in total goals. In the evening, Canadiens coach Claude Ruel, whose team was losing 5-2 but needed 3 more goals to top the Rags using the tiebreaker, yanked their keeper with 9:16 remaining in the third (and the Hawks got five empty netters).

The Rangers outshot the Red Wings 39-15 through two periods, but they knew they couldn’t let up. Balon, New York’s top goal-scorer, kept the momentum going when he beat Crozier 1:21 into the third period, then completed a hat trick at 9:48 with his 33rd goal of the season.

But even a 9-3 lead wasn’t enough for Francis. With the Rangers firing at will against Crozier, he pulled his own goalie, Ed Giacomin, for an extra attacker with less than four minutes remaining. Pulling the goalie to build on a six-goal lead was something no one had ever seen.

“I decided to pull the goalie and I told Ed in the intermission he was coming out,” Francis remembered years later. “He understood and the players all understood. We had the game well in hand. So they scored a couple of goals, but we threw all caution to the wind.”

Rangers-Wings

Background from wikipedia:

Canadiens/Rangers tiebreaker​

The last two playoff berths in the East Division were contested by three teams entering the final weekend of the season. The Detroit Red Wings were in third place with 93 points, followed by the Montreal Canadiens with 92 and the New York Rangers with 90.[1] The Red Wings captured the third seed with a 6–2 win over the Rangers on Saturday night. The Canadiens needed just one victory to clinch the fourth and final berth. A New York win and a Montreal loss in their final games would give each team identical 38–22–16 records. At that time, the next tiebreaker was goals scored, in which the Canadiens held a 242–237 advantage. The Rangers also had to outscore the Canadiens by at least five goals in order to qualify for the postseason.[2] The Rangers peppered Red Wings goaltender Crozier with a franchise-record 65 shots on goal en route to a 9–5 triumph and a four-goal lead over Montreal.[2]

Later that evening, the Canadiens either had to win, or score at least five goals in defeat, but were up against a Black Hawks team needing a victory to clinch top seed in the divisional playoffs. With Montreal trailing 5–2 and desperate for three more goals with 9:16 remaining in the third period, coach Claude Ruel pulled netminder Rogie Vachon for an extra attacker. Instead, the Canadiens surrendered five empty-net goals in a 10–2 defeat and missed the postseason for the only time within a 46-season span from 1949 to 1994.[3] Montreal's Yvan Cournoyer commented on the Red Wings' effort in the afternoon, bitterly stating, "Those guys have no pride."[2]

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Carbery for Addams award?

 

[Ridley Simon]

I happened to catch the end of this, and it actually wasn’t stupid. The Wild have ~ 3% chance of making the playoffs. Getting 1 pt isn’t gonna help. So, f*** it, why not go for broke?

At this point, the 8 teams in the West look pretty set (even with LAK foundering a little). It’s just about seeding at this point.

Will be interesting to see if any of the teams in the East WC race decide to pull this maneuver (if the math points that way).

Of course it was stupid. The Wild could’ve won in regular OT, or in the SO. It shows little confidence in your goalie.

People assume they were only going to get one point, if they didn’t pull this stunt. Why, exactly?

 

[trick9]

Was a really stupid decision. He got lucky the first time. So of course he gets skewered this time.

Net net, he got 2pts outta 2 games. Which was the *absolute* worst he could’ve gotten. Do nothing and get the 2 losers points. Do something and perhaps get 3 or even 4, depending.

He’s an idiot.

All or nothing tank commander?

You either get the extra point or then you get to fire up the tank and lose a point you already earned.

 

[Ridley Simon]

All or nothing tank commander?

You either get the extra point or then you get to fire up the tank and lose a point you already earned.

I suppose.

 

[um]

Devils lost.



Pretty interesting comments. Taking shots at his own team while shitting on the opposition. Which is pretty funny considering they are right next to each other in the standings and Devils and Sabres are basically the same team. Great offense with shitty defense and goaltending.

Seems like the Devils players really bought into the hype they received this offseason. Him and Hughes are too cocky considering they’ve won one playoff series.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Seems like the Devils players really bought into the hype they received this offseason. Him and Hughes are too cocky considering they’ve won one playoff series.

I don’t care for the Devils but in fairness to them, you can understand their frustration. There’s not much more frustrating or deflating in hockey than consistently having a bad goalie. I don’t care how good your team is — there will be moments in a game and stretches in a season where things break down on the ice and you need your goalie to bail you out.

The Devils issues go beyond goaltending because their defense is trash too but it’s a shitty feeling and really affects your play as a player and your gameplay as a team if you’re worried that every shot will go in.

 

[um]

I don’t care for the Devils but in fairness to them, you can understand their frustration. There’s not much more frustrating or deflating in hockey than consistently having a bad goalie. I don’t care how good your team is — there will be moments in a game and stretches in a season where things break down on the ice and you need your goalie to bail you out.

The Devils issues go beyond goaltending because their defense is trash too but it’s a shitty feeling and really affects your play as a player and your gameplay as a team if you’re worried that every shot will go in.

True. It'll be interesting to see what moves the Devils do this offseason, they can’t rapidly develop their young dman and finding a starting goalie is no easy task.

 

[g00n]

Many here were declaring the Devils a team to model and the Caps dead in the water as a franchise last year.

 

[DWGie26]

True. It'll be interesting to see what moves the Devils do this offseason, they can’t rapidly develop their young dman and finding a starting goalie is no easy task.

They need a veteran goalie, who has won a cup, in the $5M range.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

They need a veteran goalie, who has won a cup, in the $5M range.

These ARE the droids you’re looking for….

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

They need a veteran goalie, who has won a cup, in the $5M range.

Yup.

Selling off Vanecek to them was a wise, underrated move by GMBM. Although we dislike the Kuemper contract based on his performance this year, I am glad that GMBM decided to move on from both Sammy and Vanecek. We never would’ve gotten Lindgren if not for that move.

I was worried he would get rid of one but not the other that summer.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Damn that Lavi…..absolutely RUINED this guy as some predicted he would this year….

Rangers’ Lafreniere Taking Big Step Forward This Season — The Hockey Writers

Apr 1, 2024 | 5:55 AM

apple.news

 

[Ridley Simon]

Damn that Lavi…..absolutely RUINED this guy as some predicted he would this year….

Rangers’ Lafreniere Taking Big Step Forward This Season — The Hockey Writers

Apr 1, 2024 | 5:55 AM

apple.news

The coaching changes worked out well for everyone.

No need to poke the bears (I’m not one of them, FTR, I always appreciated Laviolette)

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Damn that Lavi…..absolutely RUINED this guy as some predicted he would this year….

Rangers’ Lafreniere Taking Big Step Forward This Season — The Hockey Writers

Apr 1, 2024 | 5:55 AM

apple.news

I think he finally developed some confidence in his best attributes, and Panarin having an amazing season helped produce regularly. Still not impressed, he’s outproduced by a 38 year old Ovechkin who had a horrible first half.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The coaching changes worked out well for everyone.

No need to poke the bears (I’m not one of them, FTR, I always appreciated Laviolette)

I’m a poker Rids! Ask my wife!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I think he finally developed some confidence in his best attributes, and Panarin having an amazing season helped produce regularly. Still not impressed, he’s outproduced by a 38 year old Ovechkin who had a horrible first half.

I’m not a fan of the disrespect you’re (probably unintentionally) attaching to Ovi there, the comparison is irrelevant…..and it’s not like Lafreniere scored 40/40, but he’s made a nice step in his development this year when quite a few said it would go the other direction under Lavi.

 

[twabby]

Is Lafreniere taking big steps?

He's fine but he hasn't really noticeably improved since last year according to what really matters: GAR and xGAR

 

[Ridley Simon]

Is Lafreniere taking big steps?

He's fine but he hasn't really noticeably improved since last year according to what really matters: GAR and xGAR

The spreadsheets hath spoken!

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I’m not a fan of the disrespect you’re (probably unintentionally) attaching to Ovi there, the comparison is irrelevant…..and it’s not like Lafreniere scored 40/40, but he’s made a nice step in his development this year when quite a few said it would go the other direction under Lavi.

I obviously didn’t mean this as disrespect towards Ovi, but Lafrenière is a 22 year old 1st OA pick, while Ovi is past the age most players retire.

If he couldn’t figure it out on one of the best teams in the league playing on a line with a 100 point player, then he would’ve been totally hopeless.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Big night tonight on the out-of-town scoreboard... Detroit visits Tampa, the Rangers host Pittsburgh, and the Isles visit Philly.

 

[PlushMinus]

Big night tonight on the out-of-town scoreboard... Detroit visits Tampa, the Rangers host Pittsburgh, and the Isles visit Philly.

Hiring Patrick Roy was sheer brilliance by the Isles - if you hate them as much as I do!

Is Lafreniere taking big steps?

He's fine but he hasn't really noticeably improved since last year according to what really matters: GAR and xGAR

The Expected Pirates fancy stat is my fav! xGAR!!

 

[hockeykicker]

Big night tonight on the out-of-town scoreboard... Detroit visits Tampa, the Rangers host Pittsburgh, and the Isles visit Philly.

so what are we rooting for? obviously a wings loss but do we want an isles win which would put them 3 points behind us or a flyers win which puts them 2 points in front of us but 3 games in hand?

 

[twabby]

so what are we rooting for? obviously a wings loss but do we want an isles win which would put them 3 points behind us or a flyers win which puts them 2 points in front of us but 3 games in hand?

Hockeyviz says an Islanders win is slightly better: