Topic: The NHL Thread

[Mimi]

Sweet Jesus. I’m okay with cancelling this season if this is the price we pay to have a season this year. Hockey has been a good distraction but not at the price of lives or careers.  There is no point in players getting infected in their prime, plus the spread to families.

It would be good if the  NHL specified why so many on the Canucks got it. This must be the largest infection among any pro sports team anywhere. Was it travel or is it because Vancouver is a variant hot spot? If it’s travel, then cancel the season for the North.

[RedG13]

Sweet Jesus. I’m okay with cancelling this season if this is the price we pay to have a season this year. Hockey has been a good distraction but not at the price of lives or careers.  There is no point in players getting infected in their prime, plus the spread to families.

It would be good if the  NHL specified why so many on the Canucks got it. This must be the largest infection among any pro sports team anywhere. Was it travel or is it because Vancouver is a variant hot spot? If it’s travel, then cancel the season for the North.

They could just vaccinate the players also. I have not heard anything about protocol when teams reach certain thresholds of staff/player vaccinated on what the protocol compared  current protocol, like we have seen with the NBA and MLB.
Issue is Canadian teams as the government in Canada supply is low(As a result of not being about to produce it and rely on other countries). Players in US should have no issue getting in most of the states are pretty open for vaccines at this point.

Also with being so close on the bench with bad ventilation  around the rink as a result it being cold makes it the sport where it hardest to stop the spread outside a bubble. NBA and college basketball have had issues also but those arena are much warmer and allow for better ventilation for players.

[rafathegaffa83]

Canucks outbreak now at 25 (4 staff, 21 players). It's a variant traced back to a single person who was infected in the community at a location where there was public exposure

[rafathegaffa83]

Hell of a haul for Mantha

[dalarr]

Hell of a haul for Mantha

Happy for him. Must be nice to be traded to a cup contender.

Boston traded for Taylor Hall. He’s a very skilled player, no doubt. But he hasn’t exactly sat the league on fire since that amazing 17/18-season with the Devils. Now that I’ve pointed that out, he’s probably going to carry Boston to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe trophy.

[Dim Glas]

Happy for him. Must be nice to be traded to a cup contender.

Boston traded for Taylor Hall. He’s a very skilled player, no doubt. But he hasn’t exactly sat the league on fire since that amazing 17/18-season with the Devils. Now that I’ve pointed that out, he’s probably going to carry Boston to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe trophy.

I can see Hall having a good playoffs, signing a huge deal, then proving to be a problem child again next season 

Rangers didn’t make any trades at the deadline thankfully, but they did make a move, signing Zac Jones to a entry level contract. Last week he became NCAA champion with UMass Minutemen.

Rangers have a rather good set of young d-men at this point. Already Adam Fox, K’andre Miller and Ryan Lindgren have already shown themselves to be very good top 2 pairing d-men in this league. Then there’s Nils Lundkvist to arrive, and now Zac Jones. And not to forget Libor Hajek who’s made big strides and been a good bottom pairing guy this seaon.

[dalarr]

Ovechkin just scored his second power play goal against the Flyers. It’s just ridiculous at this point. Everyone knows where he’s going to be. Everyone knows how and when he’s going to shoot. Yet no one can defend against it. He’s unreal.

[dalarr]

Great first period between Avalanche and Blues here. Colorado went 2-0 up early in the first, St. Louis them responded and made it 3-2 at the end of the first. Ryan O’ Reilly is an unbelievable player. Tied the game on his own. St. Louis are fighting for playoff spot here and this game certainly has a playoff feel to it.

[Mimi]

What about the two assaults committed by Tom Wilson yesterday, eh? Rangers fans are rightly furious by the weak response from the NHL. Panarin was genuinely lucky not to get brained by Wilson’s goonery.

Is there any other league that willfully sacrifices talent and skill to yarddogs like Wilson?

[Dim Glas]

it was ridiculous. I would be absoltuely fine with someone taking mattere into their own hands when it comes to that coward.

Panerin was indeed very lucky, Wilson deliberately tried to drive his head into the ice. Buch too, after being punched in the back of the head while face down trapped on the ice.

Like Rangers ‘pundit’ Steve Valiequette said after, if Rangers had someone like Colton Orr still, he’d not have done it.  The league is just ripe for cowardly players like Wilson as the don’t have to be accountable.

Not helped becase the Rangers are one of the softest teams in the league of course.

But Wilson should not be playing in the NHL, and equally worse is how Washington and Lavoilette deal with it, rather than admitting the guy has likely got something wrong with him and getting him help, they pander to him, and play the victim.

 

[rafathegaffa83]

The disciplinary response is absolutely pathetic

[Dim Glas]

The disciplinary response is absolutely pathetic

Indeed.

And also pathetic are the shamefull comments of Ryan Whitney on his twitter.

Guaranteed if Wilson touched his beloved Sidney Crosby, he’d be singing a different tune.

[Mimi]

Indeed.

And also pathetic are the shamefull comments of Ryan Whitney on his twitter.

Guaranteed if Wilson touched his beloved Sidney Crosby, he’d be singing a different tune.

Not surprised that Whitney stands up for goons given that he is part of Barstool and a Chelsea fan to boot. Seems to think he himself is a bit of a tough guy.

Right after his series of posts defending Wilson, he has got one praising Connor McDavid. He does not see the disconnect there. 

By the way, McDavid is having a fantastic season. I really hope that this team can step up and support him beyond the first round of the playoffs this time. We will likely be playing either Winnipeg or Montreal. We have done okay against both this year.

[Dim Glas]

Yeah McDavid is fantastic, as is Leon Draisaitl. 2 players who are very easy to root for.

And the Oilers are a team I can cheer for in the playoffs for sure, being as my team isn't it! 

[Dim Glas]

Wow what a statement from the Rangers, calling on George Parros to be fired. Good on NYR 

https://twitter.com/nyrangers/status/1389704210288152576?s=21

[rafathegaffa83]

Wow what a statement from the Rangers, calling on George Parros to be fired. Good on NYR 

https://twitter.com/nyrangers/status/1389704210288152576?s=21

And they'll get a bigger punishment than Wilson

[dalarr]

At the very least it’s a clear signal from the NHL. Any goon can smash McDavid’s and Crosby’s head into the ice without getting a suspension. Other teams should take notes come playoff time.

Wilson is frustrating to watch. His numbers and production are decent. If he wasn’t such a shithouse he could be a real asset for the Caps. Big, strong guy who can score points as well.

[Mimi]

Good statement by the Rangers. Given that there has been no punishment imposed by the NHL on the Rangers, and it just under 5 hours to puck drop, it looks like the NHL is implicitly saying the Rangers are correct that Parros fucked up the incident, but are hoping that somebody from the Rangers is going to step up and mete out out some on ice justice. 

What an example of cowardice set up by an organization that a few weeks ago fired a ref to make a point about the integrity of the game.

[Dim Glas]

Alas the Rangers have no one that can do anything tonight really.

Rangers are generally one of the ‘softer’ teams in the league, don’t like using that term, because I really have loved watching this team this year, and there is a lot right with it, but I have been frustrated a couple times with the lack of that side of things. That is actually why I loved how they did react the other night, cos you have Panarin, one of the best players in the league, not a big guy, willing to jump on the league's biggest scumbag who attacked his buddy.

Problem tonight is, there really is no one who could go after him, oh to have a John Scott or Colton Orr still here 

Toughest Rangers are Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren and Chris Kreider, I think all 3 are out of the lineup, Trouba and Lindgren are done for the season. So it stops at the door of poor old Brendan Smith, who will do what he can to help his team, but isn’t a big bruiser. We shall see what gives! If Washington had any class, they’d keep him out of the lineup. But their inability to see any problem and to make out he and they are the ones hard done by, I won’t hold my breath.

[Mimi]

Dim, why has your team fired their GM and President?!

[Dim Glas]

No idea, its so odd, cos yesterday everyone presumed John Davidson had issued the statement, but now the word is he and Gorton wanted to distance themselves from it.

Anyway, will see what other news comes out about it, as it’s not long since it first broke. 

Hate this for JD though, after everything he’s done for the team for such a long time as player and broadcaster, he was much beloved, so a shit way to end if, if it was the Rangers a-hole owner James Dolan that has fired him.

Edited to scrap that first part, cos apparently it has sod all to do with that 

Apparently they felt they underachieved? Absolute rubbish. It’s a team of kids. JD has barely been there long enough to make an impact. Why not fire the coach first?

People moan about FSG, try having an owner like James Dolan

[Mimi]

True. But universally, why do owners not seem to get ethos of things they own? Terrible to be a Rangers player now, and even more so for the fans.

[dalarr]

Dim Glas, man. Dude knows everything. I bet if you asked him about consumer’s and producers’ co-operative societies in the 19th century you would get an informed reply

[Dim Glas]

4 fights in the first 50 seconds.

Shame Rangers players can’t fight  But credit for at least doing it.

If the NHL did it’s job properly, wouldn’t need this farcical situation where both benches are already half empty.

6 fights in the first 4 and a half minutes.

Farce all caused by the NHL.

[Mimi]

Well, you guys did what you had to do! Wilson apparently out for the rest of the game. I don’t get why the other Capitals started fighting though.

Edmonton is like you guys in that we don’t really have fighters. I don’t think we have any enforcers other than our goalie, who is fairly terrifying. I’m not worried about Leon because he’s built like a tank, but I can see a Connor getting injured again.

[rafathegaffa83]

Tonight's chaos was nailed on to happen after Parros' lax response

[RedG13]

Tonight's chaos was nailed on to happen after Parros' lax response

Yea and now a rangers player is likely to be suspended after this https://twitter.com/hayyyshayyy/status/1390099868304257026
We know the DPOS is not good at making suspension calls though.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Tonight's chaos was nailed on to happen after Parros' lax response

Nothing wrong with some old time hockey. Tom Wilson is a thug, but Messier was right when he said the Rangers should have been built with a response to this sort of thuggery, and everything would have ended two nights ago.

[Dim Glas]

Nothing wrong with some old time hockey. Tom Wilson is a thug, but Messier was right when he said the Rangers should have been built with a response to this sort of thuggery, and everything would have ended two nights ago.

Well, this would’t have happened at all, because Wilson is a coward and wouldn’t have done what he did if he knew he’d get his arse handed to him, so there is that.

So yes Rangers need some more toughness, but Messier is stuck in the past, which is why Rangers fans are horrified by the idea that he’s in line to be the new team president (if rumours are to be believed). It’d be a horrible move to have him involved in any powerful role. At the moment Chris Drury is GM and president, but no idea if he’ll continue both roles. He will for sure be GM moving forward.

Also, people need to remember that Rangers 3 toughest players where out injured in Trouba, Kreider and Lindgren. They do though need at least a bottom 6 forward who can do that role effectively.

But anyway, the fallout from this will likely be that Pavel Buchnevich will get suspended, cos of course, NHL player safety are so competent with how they work, that they allow a psychopath repeat offender get away with trying to end careers, but will go after a first time offender going after revenge for their uselessness. His cross-check to Matha’s face was fantastic, I wish it’d been Wilson’s face of course, but you can’t have everything. 

[Mimi]

 This was “old time hockey” that preceded Messier’s time! I was around for his last years as an Oiler, and I recall that Messier had a temper and that he was a hard competitor, but I don’t recall his team carrying thugs to protect more skilled players. Or, he himself whaling on smaller players.  He also sounds like he’s trying to get a job with the Rangers.

His comments fail to grasp the fact that the real issue is Wilson’s anger management problem and the failure of the Director of Player Safety to do their job.

Small mercies that Don Cherry no longer has a CBC platform to address this incident.

[gazzalfc]

Saw a comment on a youtube video of this saying that he 'Went to watch a fight and a game of ice hockey broke out' and it made be laugh.

Sorry for my ignorance but could someone explain to a noob what set that off and what the point of it was? Looked about as orchestrated as WWE.

[Dim Glas]

Saw a comment on a youtube video of this saying that he 'Went to watch a fight and a game of ice hockey broke out' and it made be laugh.

Sorry for my ignorance but could someone explain to a noob what set that off and what the point of it was? Looked about as orchestrated as WWE.

NY Rangers and Washington Capitals had played 2 days earlier, and a Capitals player Tom Wilson who has a history for being a grade A pillock who tries to injure players, and has been suspended multiple times, went after 2 of Rangers players, including Artemi Panarin, one of the best and most skilled players in the league, he basically tried to drive his head into the ice (his helmet had come off in a scrum before hand).  Panarin is now injured, although I don’t think it is a bad injury thankfully, but it was as a result of this incident.

So anyway, the league’s ‘deparment of player safety' in their infinite wisdom, choose only to fine Wilson, a decision vilified by basically everone (apart from Washington Capitals).  Most agree that he should have served a long suspension, many will say he should not even be in the league at this point such is his history. And the Rangers issued a statement bascially saying how disgusted they where at the lack of suspension, and asking for the removal of the man who heads the department of player saftey - George Parros (ex player and dickhead himself, ironic).

I could go on about the leagues department of player saftey - but it has a long history of not doing it’s job properly. The NHL has basically taken the much of the fighting out of the league and allowed players like Wilson to do what they do - because there isn't any on ice governance, and old school retribution and protection now as there used to be in hockey (i.e. Old Time Hockey).

So long story short, it was orchestrated last night, league didn’t help and do their job, so Rangers tried to get their own revenge.  Start of the game, it was a case of the Capitals players basically saying ‘get it over with’, so 6 players dropped the gloves. But it wasn’t over, and on it went with other incidents through the game, with multiple players thrown out for misconduct penalties along the way. And Pavel Buchnevich (the other Rangers player Tom Wilson had gone after), cross-checking one of the Capitals better players in the face as his form of retribution as well.

[Dim Glas]

This was “old time hockey” that preceded Messier’s time! I was around for his last years as an Oiler, and I recall that Messier had a temper and that he was a hard competitor, but I don’t recall his team carrying thugs to protect more skilled players. Or, he himself whaling on smaller players.  He also sounds like he’s trying to get a job with the Rangers.

His comments fail to grasp the fact that the real issue is Wilson’s anger management problem and the failure of the Director of Player Safety to do their job.

Small mercies that Don Cherry no longer has a CBC platform to address this incident.

I honestly would punch my tv screen if I had to hear Don Cherry talk about all this   Nasty POS that he is.

Yeah, Mess defo wants a job, wouldn’t put it past Rangers owner to pander to him either, bring back the godawful ‘Country Club’ days of Messier’s 2nd stint at the Rangers.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Well, this would’t have happened at all, because Wilson is a coward and wouldn’t have done what he did if he knew he’d get his arse handed to him, so there is that.

So yes Rangers need some more toughness, but Messier is stuck in the past, which is why Rangers fans are horrified by the idea that he’s in line to be the new team president (if rumours are to be believed). It’d be a horrible move to have him involved in any powerful role. At the moment Chris Drury is GM and president, but no idea if he’ll continue both roles. He will for sure be GM moving forward.

Also, people need to remember that Rangers 3 toughest players where out injured in Trouba, Kreider and Lindgren. They do though need at least a bottom 6 forward who can do that role effectively.

But anyway, the fallout from this will likely be that Pavel Buchnevich will get suspended, cos of course, NHL player safety are so competent with how they work, that they allow a psychopath repeat offender get away with trying to end careers, but will go after a first time offender going after revenge for their uselessness. His cross-check to Matha’s face was fantastic, I wish it’d been Wilson’s face of course, but you can’t have everything.

I found that many enforcers of days gone by are quite split (on Twitter) as to whether or not Tom Wilson did anything of significance there when he dumped Panarin on the ice (what happened to Buchnevich I find happens quite more often than people believe, even now). I think though you're correct in the assumption that he acted like a coward, because everyone thought if someone like Reeves was playing for the Rangers, he wouldn't have been so brazen to do what he did with wanton disregard.

If you read what the skilled players have been saying in recent years though, many of them do appreciate having tougher players playing alongside them in the team. I remember when Auston Matthews for example lamented when Matt Martin left the Leafs, and the players shrunk into their shells whenever physical play was needed. This year, with players like Simmonds and Bogosian in the team, they have been able to play a lot more physical as psychologically they feel like they are able to reassert themselves.

Unless if the NHL stamps out violence completely, you'll always need players on every team to counter the threat posed by the likes of Wilson, especially when it comes to the playoffs. I personally enjoy this to be honest, I'm not a Don Cherry fan, but I do enjoy the rough stuff from time to time, within limits.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

This was “old time hockey” that preceded Messier’s time! I was around for his last years as an Oiler, and I recall that Messier had a temper and that he was a hard competitor, but I don’t recall his team carrying thugs to protect more skilled players. Or, he himself whaling on smaller players.  He also sounds like he’s trying to get a job with the Rangers.

His comments fail to grasp the fact that the real issue is Wilson’s anger management problem and the failure of the Director of Player Safety to do their job.

Small mercies that Don Cherry no longer has a CBC platform to address this incident.

Didn't he have guys like Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith on his teams at the end? They weren't mutants like Semenko, but they certainly weren't lightweights.

[gazzalfc]

Thanks for the explanation.

Just reading that the team have been fined $250k for their statement

[Dim Glas]

Thanks for the explanation.

Just reading that the team have been fined $250k for their statement

Indeed! But a drop in the ocean for the US’s most valuable hockey ‘franchise’!

Truly pathetic though by the NHL again, they of course didn't like being rightly called out in public, but if they where competent and ran the league properly, none of this would happen. 

[Mimi]

An expected disgraceful response by Bettman and the NHL. $250,000 just about reflects the disgrace of their own actions of implicitly egging on the 2 teams to fight yesterday. If the NHL puts out any more ads about sportsmanship or for the love of hockey, they can shove it. Just as hollow as their "celebration" of Black History month.

Other than the weird own goal of firing their GM and President in the midst of this fiasco, the Rangers came out on top of both the NHL and the Capitals.

Didn't he have guys like Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith on his teams at the end? They weren't mutants like Semenko, but they certainly weren't lightweights.

Yeah, we did. I do not recall them being very goonish, but it was a long time ago!

But Messier was waxing on about winning "in the street or the alley." That is not toughness; that is just thuggery. 

We recently had Milan Lucic. He was supposed to bring toughness and a Cup winning mentality to a young team. He did neither, and his presence certainly did not improve McDavid or Draisaitl. Thank God we got rid of him.

[dalarr]

This year’s playoffs will be tasty. So many storylines. I’m going all in and will make this statement: Carolina Hurricanes will win the Stanley Cup. They do not have the best players but they have the best team. And they have unfinished business from that run in 2018/2019.

[mallin9]

Watching video of Chara skating over to the rangers defenders and the rangers defenders asserting that no, no they don’t have a death wish, was one of the funniest things I’ve ever watched

Tom Wilson is a grade a piece of shit. Watched a Steve Moore ten year anniversary and it’s just....brutal. That dudes life got all jacked up by similar cowardly sucker punch bullshit as Tom Wilson favors