DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum The Hockey thread

The league and NBC do an awful job of presentation.

I hate turning on NBC game of the week to find it's either the Flyers, Redwings or Rangers.

I swear, one of those three teams were ALWAYS involved in the match up...

Until the playoffs I had NEVER gotten to see the Jets, Ducks, Canucks or Wild here on local television (except when they played the CBJ).

NBC could do a much better job pitting their primetime matchups together, I agree...

I'm an advent Canucks fan, they're my #2 team behind the CBJ.

Excluding three or four games I watched online near the end of the season, I only saw them play twice on TV here, both against the CBJ....

A lot of hardcore hockey fans get tired of the original six coverage. I myself don't really care. I just want good hockey. I like to watch the younger teams because they tend to play more inspired hockey during the season. There was a point this year around February-March where the Blackhawks looked like a first round out. When you get to the tournament, they're the best product in the league, but there were nights this year where the team looked terrible and uninterested.

I understand not really putting Canadian teams on your national games, because you're adding a market that doesn't exist in the ratings system. They're very select with it. I think every Boston/Montreal matchup should be a national game.

Boston/Montreal is a great matchup.

What I don't need to see ten times a season is the Flyers/Rangers, Flyers/Penguins or Flyers/Redwings, ect.

Ducks, Blackhawks, Blues and hell even the Lightening. Rarely shown on NBC in my area.

I've considered doing the NHL network, but it's pretty pricey.

The NHL network will give you 2-3 extra games a week, one of which is Hockey Night in Canada which is almost always Toronto vs someone or Montreal vs someone. Sometimes you get a western team like Calgary, Edmonton, or Vancouver as a nightcap. Their nightly highlight shows are awesome though. You get a pretty full breakdown of the night's games. It's not like ESPN where they spend 20 minutes breaking down the Yankees game, while they show a guy catching a fly ball in the Indians/Royals game right after. It's pretty equal.

If you can do away with 159$, I would go with Gamecenter. Assuming you have a good internet connection, you get all the games, plus archived games and all that stuff. Home/away announcers, and you can run it on game systems, blu ray players, smart tv's etc... Plus mobile. One of my hockey buddies is from NYC, and he buys it for the Rangers. Runs like a champ for him.

I actually have NHL Network and yes I do recall getting an extra game or two here and there. I'll have to remember to re-order it again at the start of the regular season. I only added it to my cable lineup a month before the playoffs started. I found a real high-quality website where you can watch games, but the real thing on TV is always better obviously.

I don't see one anywhere else, I actually think I'm going to start a separate Columbus Blue-Jackets thread with the draft coming up.

Great to see Chris Pronger make the NHL Hall of Fame.

I got to see him skate during his pre-MVP years when he first came up with the Hartford Whalers in 1993

Pretty awful news for the NHL and the Blackhawks with this Patrick Kane story...

If you haven't heard, Kane was back in his hometown earlier in the month. He lives there in the offseason, and is being accused of rape.

There's been a bunch of articles of misinformation, grandstanding, shaming, and other nonsense. I don't know what to make of the story, I just think it's sad. I feel like I can't even have an opinion, because there are people out there writing this girl off as a liar and money hound and on the other side, you have people shaming anyone who remotely brings up the possibility of Kane being innocent.

I just love the NHL, and this is a huge black eye for the league. He's one of the faces of this league. American-born, and unbelievable to watch.

All I know is that if the story is true that the Blackhawks do what other teams, schools, and organizations failed to do, which is the right thing.

Whether he did it or not, we all know he won't be convicted. I just hope that if the Blackhawks get enough information that they cut ties with him. It's asking a ton because he makes ridiculous money. He has the most lucrative deal in the league which the extenstion part kicks in this year starting at 10m for the 2015-2016 league. They are really going to have to go out on a limb.

The whole thing is really sad.

That about sums it up for me.

I don't know what to think. Initially, I thought he's either a terrible human being who's career is all but over or a guy that's wrongfully getting his name dragged through the mud by an attention starved young woman. More likely, he's some gray version somewhere in between.

I heard the girl was underage too, but she was in a bar drinking. Who knows if that's even true. So much to still find out.

I hope she making it up, not because it hurts my team or Kane, but just because I'd like to hope she wasn't raped at all, regardless of who the guy is. So sad.

This Kane story has gotten pretty bizarre over the course of the last 3 or 4 days.

I'm starting to believe that maybe Kane is innocent after all.

Her lawyer quits, there's some weird stuff about an evidence bag dropped at her mothers doorstep.... who know what happened?
I don't know what to believe, but that's a hellhva thing to be accused of.

On Wednesday the girl's lawyer held a pres conference and nobody had any idea what was coming. He kind of went after everyone else for rumors and other information. He then said that the victim's mother had this empty but ripped open evidence bag mysteriously dropped off to her house. It was just left at the door with no message. The lawyer had hinted that maybe this was a good samaritan dropping this off to show them that the evidence was tampered.

Right after this press conference the police department handling this case said all evidence and evidence bags had been accounted for. The next day the lawyer quits citing that he can no longer represent this girl because of the way this bag was brought to him. He went on to say that he doesn't think the girl is lying and that the girl's mom and the girl are two separate incidents, but if you believe the girl's story still, why would you not continue to defend her? That's a red flag.

After all that the DA came out and attacked this entire story, going after the girl's mom, and saying that the evidence bag was authentic, but it was likely a blank that was doctored to look like it pertained to the case. The lawyer had said during his press conference that this bag was what contained the rape kit. The DA went hard after that, saying rape kits are not stored in bags, but rather boxes. Basically the DA said whatever the mom had was fake. It was a real bag that is used by police, but that bag was never used for the Kane case.

The Chicago Sun Times was also reporting that they have heard from their sources that the accuser's friend is starting to doubt her story, and may be reluctant to testify in fear of being fuond guilty of perjury.

Incredibly weird story, but it's tough to sort through facts and stuff like the last sentence and what "sources" tell you. One theory floating is that there is rumor that DNA found in the girl's undergarments does not match that of Kane, but rather two other individuals. The girl's mom tries to make that evidence look tampered by coming up with this empty ripped bag. Sounds plausible, but why would you go and get a rape kit and accuse Kane of rape when you knew the evidence would say otherwise? Unless she was that messed up that night and truly didn't remember. There are rumors that she had taken molly the night of the alleged assault.

I really don't know what to think but for the first time during this whole thing I am having doubts that Kane did anything wrong. The said thing is if he is proven to be innocent, he will still be treated wrongly in the eyes of those who either still think he did it, or fault him for being put in that situation.

You can't fauilt him for being in that situation, if he's wrongly accused of rape or sexual assault, he's the victim. Hinsight is amazing thing, but he's a guy in his 20's who isn't married, is he not supposed to go out and have fun?

Know what I'm worried about? Not this rape, but that the Leafs are going to suck.

How do the hockey fans here view their teams? The season opens next week.

The Hawks are going to be good again. They do such a good job of improving, even after a cup year. They also manage the cap quite well considering they have a bunch of big contracts.

I think they are going to have a few young guys actually make the NHL roster. Teuvo Teravainen is going to really grow into that system. He was so good in the playoffs last year.

As always though, it's such a long year, that it's so hard to really project how teams are going to do. I really like the Kings this year, and not just because they switch off winning the cup with Chicago. I can't stand Milan Lucic but that's a scary addition considering how big they already are. They know the Blackhawks struggle with big rosters, and that move was probably made for a May series with Chicago.

They also didn't make the playoffs so the players got 2 months of rest. They've gone pretty deep the last few seasons. Quick played hurt a lot of the year, so I think they come firing out of the gate.

I'm excited to see if Connor McDavid can make Edmonton fun again. They have all that young talent but are such a mess. When they are right, they are really good. They've had a bunch of high scoring games versus the Blackhawks over the last few years.

I'm excited for Wednesday.. I enjoy watching Hockey. What I enjoy more is that I don't root for any team in general.

There's a couple teams I like and that's how I'm going to keep it..This way I can relax and just enjoy a game.

I know having a team to root for and be a big fan of is exciting and challenging .. It's also stressful.

I'm going to enjoy watching Hockey as a Hockey fan and not a fan of one specific team...

I'm not far off of doing the same with football.. Not having a specific team to be a fan off... just a fan of football..

I kinda laugh when people get all crazy about hockey. I love the NHL but I'm just not hardcore about any team like I am with the Browns, Cavs, or Indians.

I have a hard time keeping up with the regular season, because of that. I think it's too long, and kinda meaningless. You can say the same for the NBA, but their regular season is a bit more enjoyable I think.

I try to keep up with the Blue Jackets and the Pens, but there are just too many sports going on at the same time... Hockey gets lost in the background for quite a while...

BTW, how are the Blue Jackets supposed to be this year?

I expect the Wings to be a late playoff entry. Datsyuk probably out 4 months and a new coach. It will be interesting to see if one or some of these younger players can make the jump to elite status. Tatar is almost there. Nyquist I think has to turn it up a notch this year. Abdelkader and Helm, who I had high hopes for, are role players. There's a new kid, Teemu Pulkkinen, that's looked really good this preseason and he's only 23.
Same goaltending issues, I'd like to see Mrazec take over for Howard. I think the D will keep us competitive in most games...the addition of Mike Green solidified that unit and gives us 3 excellent pairings.

I think they'll be a little better. They traded for Brandon Saad from Chicago. That one hurts. Really good young player who already has been a part of 2 championships. He's fast, and powerful. Great in front of the net. He's an awesome dude too. The fans in Columbus are going to love him.

He's from Pittsburgh too, so it's nice to see another good young American star in the works. The Hawks really had no choice but to trade him, they just could not sign him with all the money they have invested in their team. It's a tough blow.

I kinda laugh to ...lol your teams suck lmao

I feel the same way, but when football's completely over and the playoff races heat up, I get fired up with the Wings as much as I do the Browns. The only time I watch early season hockey is when there's no football on. I check the injury and trade reports occasionally.

You can't match the intensity of playoff hockey. That's why the NFL and college football are my favorite to watch. Every week is so intense.

Playoff hockey is so amazing though. There's nothing like it.

Sadly, Leafs fans won't have to worry about the playoffs for at least two years. I like the FO's willingness to initiate a total rebuild. Finally, we're gonna do it right by hoarding draft picks and bringing the young talent along slowly. I've waited my whole life for a Stanley Cup, what's a couple more years?

I am excited about getting Babcock as our coach - and glad we get rid of Phatty Phil Kessel. Loads of talent, but too lazy to backcheck and a sullen whiny-arsed loser.
He'll probably get 50 in Pittsburgh though with Crosby and Malkin.

Sometimes when hockey teams get simplified, you end up getting better results. The Blue Jackets have been a better overall franchise after trading Nash. I really hope they stick to their guns with doing things the right way. Too often Toronto gets mixed up with trying to sign role guys from better teams. They've got a few nice young players already. I like Bernier too. I don't know if they are going to go with him or not..

I am thriled they brought in Mike Babcock. That tells me they are serious about not trying to cut any corners. He's a hell of a coach.

24 hours and 24 mins to go for the Hawks game...can't wait

Babcock will turn them around eventually. The front office seems willing to let young guys like Nylander, Connor Brown and Mitch Marner develop until they're ready.

Nylander has sick puck skills - he eventually will be good.
No one except Morgan Reilly is untouchable on our current NHL roster; we will be dealing for draft picks next spring because we sure as hell won't be in the playoff chase.

Bernier is getting the first two starts in net, he didn't have a good pre-season but he's getting a chance to seize the No. 1 role. Babs is on record as saying he wants a clear-cut no. 1 - none of this platooning BS.

3-on-3 OT is sexy stuff. So far, I like it a lot.

I play in a 3 on 3 league every spring and summer, it's run by one of Quennville's buddies from his Toronto days...

It's wild. For us they shorten the rink by about 1/3. We go minute shifts with a horn signaling the end of shift. We play 2 24-minute halves. The pace is incredible. I consider it great conditioning for regular hockey because it's probably 3 shots to every 1 shot you would face in a normal game.

Considering the speed of the NHL, them playing on a full rink and us havin it cut down is probably a similar scale.

It's no closer to deciding a game by "real hockey" as a shootout is, but I think it's a lot more fun. I wonder if they will just scrap the shootout and have it go until someone scores. It won't take long. You won't see many shootouts as it is. The NHL will love this because it will put the speed and skill on display. Guys just skate much faster when it's a race down the ice vs them being all alone on a penalty shot play...

A lot of people hate the shootout. I myself don't care because it's regular season and as long as they leave 5v5 playoff overtime alone I don't care what they do, but this will be a lot of fun to watch. There is so much speed in the game right now that every OT you see will be a barn burner..

Am I allowed to just pick a team to root for, even though when the Blue Jackets started I rooted for them, but lost interest because they were terrible?

I also don't really want another ohio team on my fandom list, its pretty ohio heavy, with MI sprinkled in..

I did root for the Ducks that one season JSG went all save crazy.. But them no longer being Mighty is a drawback..

I really dont want to root for the Red Wings, even though their hoodies are nice looking..

I need a young up and coming team I can grow with..and annoying my fiancee with by forcing her to watch..

Buffalo has a really good young and upcoming player in Jack Eichel (also American) but they are years away from contention...

Tampa has a nice young team as we saw last year. Edmonton has one of those teams where if they could just find a way to put it together. They remind me of the way the Buckeyes are playing right now. All kinds of talent but just not playing as a complete team. Downside to Edmonton is lots of 10 and 10:30 EST puck drops.

I recall always wanting to play as Nashville in NHL games, because their unis were slick.. love that logo..

And I'd win points because my lady (for some reason) has a love for the state of Tennessee.

They've got a nice team too. I really want to see a game down there. Blackhawk fans love that trip. It's about 8 hours from us. The arena is right on the main street where all the bars and fun is. It's seriously the perfect situation down there. We went last year for the Browns/Titans game and had a blast. People down there are awesome and they like the Predators a lot more than you would think.

Well then its official..

Nashville will never win anything now.

With this current playoff setup, it's pretty difficult for them as it is. They have to go through the Blackhawks who are insanely tough when April and May roll around.

I wish they'd go back to the standard 1 through 8 seeding. The NHL regular season is not that great to begin with, but with the current format you go through 6 and a half months, 2 games, only to know you are playing someone in your division in the playoffs, more than likely.

Why so much jargon when theres nothing wrong with 1-8?

Beyond over half your league being in the playoffs anyways..

I don't know the real reason, but my guess is they worry about the quality of the product with the lack of an extra day. The NHL formats their playoffs to pretty much have a series go every other day. The NBA works their playoff format so that a viewer can pretty much watch every game, there isn't a ton of overlapping, so NBA teams usually get an extra day thrown in quite a bit... When you're going every other day, and have that travel day in between, you may end up getting worn out players. You can lessen that by having inter division first round games...

Either that or they're really trying to strengthen rivalries. Either way, 1-8 was more fun.

Poor Jackets lost in the last two minutes last night. Saad scores a game winning goal, but then the rangers go up 4-2 in a matter of two minutes to seal the victory.

I wonder how Brandon Saad is feeling nowadays. The Blue Jackets are 0-8-0 to start the season and they just fired their coach. He hasn't experienced losing and dysfunction like this at the NHL level at all.

While with the Blackhawks last year, they didn't lose their 8th game until November 23rd.

It's not fair to question a guy that wanted to get paid, but do you think he'd trade a bit of that contract to still be a Blackhawks player?

I don't think so, but who knows. He's still really young. I don't know what's wrong with Columbus. I've only seen a few games and it was both against the Rangers, and I thought they actually did ok. I mean the Rangers are a title contender. It's just the big picture/consistency issue with the Blue Jackets. It's not just coaching. I think it's on the guys in the locker room more than anyone else. They're obviously better than their record, but The league is a grind. You have to go out and work every night while still pacing yourself as a team, and as an individual with your body.

The Hawks look really good right now. I still can't believe nobody drafted that Panarin kid. Like credit the Hawks for giving him a shot, but even they didn't use a pick. I don't get it. He's very skilled, has good speed, and isn't a liability in the defensive zone. How in the hell did he not get drafted?

I think Torts will hopefully turn the ship around. He seems much more subdued.

The team lost confidence. They need to gain it back.