On The Eve of the New Season: North of the Border Editio

[xcanuck]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
   

Originally posted by xcanuck:
  4 hrs, 10 mins to The Battle of Ontario. Got my six pack of Molson chilling in the fridge. Can't wait to see Darcy Tucker get bitch-slapped.

molson?  really, i would have gone for something finer... like moosehead.
 
 aside: is it possible to find sleemans around here?  they were selling in boston, i wonder if that delicious nectar made it this far... mmmmm, cream ale... (wow, a hockey conversation turning into a discussion about beer - shocker) [/b]

No Sleeman in the area. That is - by far - my favorite beer back home. Especially now that they've bought out my other favorite brewer (Upper Canada). *sigh* It's a shame that you can't even get it as an import. I wonder if it's available in NJ, DE, or PA...

[xcanuck]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  despite the abuse one takes in hockey, some vets manage to eek out lengthy careers in the NHL - i've always admired those who can still play well into their 30's, and kinda breaks my heart when they haven't won the cup yet.  below is a list of vets that have never held the cup over their heads - according to  this poll, Pronger is favored to get off this list. who's your prediction?
 

I think the following have a better than average chance:
 
 â?¢ Teppo Numminen, Buffalo Sabres
 â?¢ Tony Amonte, Calgary Flames
 â?¢ Jeremy Roenick, Phoenix Coyotes
 â?¢ Chris Pronger, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
 
 The following have an outside chance:
 
 â?¢ Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
 â?¢ Paul Kariya, Nashville Predators
 
 The rest don't have a snowball's chance:
 
 â?¢ Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs
 â?¢ Petr Nedved, Philadelphia Flyers
 â?¢ Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis Blues
 â?¢ Owen Nolan, Phoenix Coyotes
 â?¢ Eric Lindros, Dallas Stars
 â?¢ Alexei Yashin, New York Islanders
 â?¢ Michael Peca, Toronto Maple Leafs
 â?¢ Todd Bertuzzi, Florida Panthers
 â?¢ Saku Koivu, Montreal Canadiens
 â?¢ Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers

[sonickteam2]

why do you think Montreal doesnt have a snowballs chance?
 
   they are probably the best goaltending team out there with Aebischer and Huet.
 
   their D is solid with Dandenault, Souray, Markov and the addition of Niinimaa.
 
   and then put, Koivu/Samsonov/Kovalev on your top line, with Ryder, Bonk and rookie Latendresse as the wild card...you have a pretty fucking awesome team.  
 
   they definitely win the division and i think, the whole shootin' match.

[xcanuck]

Originally posted by le sonick:
  why do you think Montreal doesnt have a snowballs chance?
 
   they are probably the best goaltending team out there with Aebischer and Huet.
 
   their D is solid with Dandenault, Souray, Markov and the addition of Niinimaa.
 
   and then put, Koivu/Samsonov/Kovalev on your top line, with Ryder, Bonk and rookie Latendresse as the wild card...you have a pretty fucking awesome team.  
 
   they definitely win the division and i think, the whole shootin' match.

Ah, Sonick...I wish I had your optimism. Montreal has always been my team. I bleed the bleu, blanc et rouge.
 
 However, how many times have we watched a goalie have a career season and follow it up with a huge stinker? Giguerre in Anaheim, Khabibulin after going to Chicago, Nabokov in SJ, Theodore in Montreal, etc. Huet has had HALF a good season. That's not enough of a track record for me. And Aebischer isn't a full time playoff goalie.
 
 When your best defencemen is Sheldon Souray...ouch. He's got a rocket for a point shot but I watched him get turned inside out way too many times last year (Jason Spezza totally made Souray his bitch).
 
 Koivu is STILL having problems with his peripheral vision. And being able to see the whole ice is something that's been a strong point for him.
 
 And, Gainey still has to get the Habs some size up the middle. They don't have that power forward/centre that they really need. I think the Habs might have one of the smallest offences in the league - and that hurts them during the playoffs.
 
 Their first five games will say an awful lot about this team. They start on the road against Buffalo, Toronto, and Philly - then host Ottawa and Calgary at home. Brutal.
 
 My hope is that they finish second in the division, sixth in the conference and then make it deep in the second round. That would be improvement. A key aquisition before the trade deadline would REALLY help.

[sonickteam2]

man that Calgary / Montreal game last night was the best game of the season.....i didnt even turn away for the baseball game!

[xcanuck]

Agreed!! Calgary and Montreal are some of the fastest teams in the NHL (though Buffalo has them all beat). There were solid hits, great playmaking, some outstanding saves - that game had it all!! And the telecast was in French!! Nice to hear Jacques Demers again, even if I can't understand that thick accent of his.
 
 I'm already revisiting all my predictions. Buffalo coming out of the east, hands down. Still going with Anaheim and Calgary fighting it out for the west. Did you see that bitch slapping Buffalo gave Philly last night? Sweet....

[sonickteam2]

yeah, buffalo looks the best now out of the east.
 
 
    and dont forget Minnesota out of the west.
 
  whats up with the Flyers all of a sudden? sheesh
 
 
   no matter what though, i just hope the cup goes back to a city that actually gets snow.  

[Venerable Bede]

Originally posted by le sonick:
  yeah, buffalo looks the best now out of the east.
 

too bad buffalo has the worst jersey in the nhl. . now if only vancouver would wear their throwbacks for every game.

[sweetcell]

Originally posted by xcanuck:
  And the telecast was in French!! Nice to hear Jacques Demers again, even if I can't understand that thick accent of his.
 

huh?  in fronche?  what station - NHL on directTV?
 
 GO HABS GO

[xcanuck]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
   

Originally posted by xcanuck:
  And the telecast was in French!! Nice to hear Jacques Demers again, even if I can't understand that thick accent of his.
 

huh?  in fronche?  what station - NHL on directTV?
 
 GO HABS GO [/b]

On DirecTV. The only feed was apparently the RDS one (French TSN).
 
 I can't believe the Habs lost to Chicago...after such a strong start!!

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by xcanuck:
   

Originally posted by sweetcell:
   

Originally posted by xcanuck:
  And the telecast was in French!! Nice to hear Jacques Demers again, even if I can't understand that thick accent of his.
 

huh?  in fronche?  what station - NHL on directTV?
 
 GO HABS GO [/b]

On DirecTV. The only feed was apparently the RDS one (French TSN).
 
 I can't believe the Habs lost to Chicago...after such a strong start!! [/b]

same with Dish Network.
 
   dish Network usually has two feeds for each game, so you can pick which announcers you want to hear...
   Chicago, of course, blacks out everything!

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
   

Originally posted by le sonick:
  yeah, buffalo looks the best now out of the east.
 

too bad buffalo has the worst jersey in the nhl. . now if only vancouver would wear their throwbacks for every game. [/b]

worse than Nashville?  can't be!

[Venerable Bede]

Originally posted by le sonick:
   

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
   

Originally posted by le sonick:
  yeah, buffalo looks the best now out of the east.
 

too bad buffalo has the worst jersey in the nhl. . now if only vancouver would wear their throwbacks for every game. [/b]

worse than Nashville?  can't be! [/b]

uhhh, yeah. . .buffalo's logo and jersey are much worse than nashville.  it looks like a slug.

[sonickteam2]

<img src="http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pG01-3083599reg.jpg" alt=" - " />

[sonickteam2]

well, i dont think it looks like a slug, but i like they went back to their old colors.