It's *still* a great day for hockey!! ~ The 2009-2010 NHL Thread

[TalentedButHumble]

Almost forgot about NHL outdoor game 'til they mentioned during Rose Parade.

But I've been sitting too much! (Even on days off I'm @ PC doing for-fun writing. :fan:) I'll have to stand/stretch/exercise while watching these guys really getting a workout.

[deltask8er]

And I always assumed it was Ovechkin. Silly me!!

He's the captain now

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503307.html

Not that many people heard about it. The announcement of a new Redskins coach resulted in a case of bad timing for publicity.

[piano18]

The Oilers are doing so suckily

[Habs]

The Oilers are doing so suckily

My heart hurts. Sigh.

[KHenry14]

Aragorn, you probably haven't seen much of Drew Doughty play defense (living in LA, I've seen almost every game he's played) , but let me assure you, even though he's only 20, he plays like he's 30. Team Canada is in good shape with him on the blue line. But i'm surprised that Bouwmeester didn't make it, that guys a stud.

BTW, any of you who happened to see the World Juniors Championship saw a classic. Kudos to both team of kids for putting on quite a show.

[bobalina77]

Yeah the final was a pretty awesome game.. Canada fought back so hard! To lose like that had to suck. The US team was fast though.. their skating skills were brilliant!

[AragornElessar]

I know the boys are still bitterly disappointed, but the run had to end at some point and there no shame at all in losing a Gold Medal in the way they did. I hope at some point down the line, this year's Team Canada Jrs will realize they played in one of *the* best Gold Medal Game's I've watched in a long, long time. :)

There's one thing I can't figure out though.

I get Team USA singing The Star Spangled Banner off key. I mean...We've heard some pretty off key versions of Oh Canada the last few years, so no shocker there, but...

How in the name of everything holy did they manage to get two bars ahead of the music!?! I still can't figure that one out. :D

[AshleyN]

How in the name of everything holy did they manage to get two bars ahead of the music!?! I still can't figure that one out. :DThat was hysterical. Every year I watch this thing I'm astounded by the complete lack of singing chops, but this one was even funnier than usual.:lol:

Yeah, I'll concur what a terrific game that final was. I think I felt most bad for Eberle. Dude has saved Canada's butt how many times in the last couple of tournements? His teammates couldn't have popped in one more for him? Oh well, he's still awesome. I think he just likes giving the finger to peope who say there's no such thing as "clutch".

Still, like you said the streak was bound to end sometime, especially considering some of the close calls that Canada has escaped from the last couple of years (that epic shootout against the US, overtime in the final against Sweden, Eberle's first hero moment against Russia), and the Americans were very deserving champions. I just hope we don't have to wait another eight years for gold, like the last time their five consecutive title streak was snapped.

[AragornElessar]

I've been having fits loading FSU all day today and ended up seeing the next page of posts when I finally did get on here in this thread. Therefore missing this by KHenry... :)

Aragorn, you probably haven't seen much of Drew Doughty play defense (living in LA, I've seen almost every game he's played) , but let me assure you, even though he's only 20, he plays like he's 30. Team Canada is in good shape with him on the blue line. But i'm surprised that Bouwmeester didn't make it, that guys a stud.

No, I haven't and I hate that I don't get to see the West Coast US Teams more often for this very reason. I would have loved to have seen the Sharks play more over the last two seasons, because we kept hearing about how great they were playing, but good luck seeing them in Ontario more than once in a Blue Moon.

Thanks for saying that and I'm looking forward to watching him play. ITA w/you about Bouwmeester though. I was really, really surprised by that omission, but even though Stevie wasn't saying anything at the Press Conference following the Announcement, it wouldn't shock me to learn he's on that list that really doesn't exist, but really actually does ( ;) :D ) of Players to call upon if there's an Injury to someone between now and Vancouver.

BTW, any of you who happened to see the World Juniors Championship saw a classic. Kudos to both team of kids for putting on quite a show.

That it was indeed!! BTW...Does anyone know if the US Boys singing The Star Spangled Banner oh so very badly is up over at YouTube? I mentioned it over at my LJ and my friends in the States really would love to see it.

W/me being on Dial Up, trying to find stuff over there and then loading it...Well, I might as well watch paint dry, as it takes up about the same time. Gotta love being in Rural Canada...:rolleyes:

[AshleyN]

Thanks for saying that and I'm looking forward to watching him play. ITA w/you about Bouwmeester though. I was really, really surprised by that omission, but even though Stevie wasn't saying anything at the Press Conference following the Announcement, it wouldn't shock me to learn he's on that list that really doesn't exist, but really actually does ( ;) :D ) of Players to call upon if there's an Injury to someone between now and Vancouver. Well, everything I've heard from the "insiders" (including Bob McKenzie, who's sources I'll trust considering he correctly predicted 22 of the 23 players named to the team) indicates that the final decision they made on the blueline was choosing between Doughty and Bouwmeester. So yeah, I'd be stunned if he wasn't the first replacement in case of injury.

The only exception to that prediction would be if it was Dan Boyle who went down, in which case I think they might consider taking Mike Green as a powerplay specialist (assuming that Boyle is who they have penciled in to run the powerplay as of now).

[bobalina77]

Did anyone watch the Canuck's game last night? I just saw the highlights and Burrows got a penalty for doing absolutely NOTHING! He was standing at the net screening the goalie.. didn't touch him or anything.. and got a penalty for goaltender interference. Now Burrows says that the ref who called it apparently threatened that he would start calling penalties on him for no reason before the game even started.

Alex Burrows Speaks Out (http://www.mynhltraderumors.com/2010/01/12/canucks-alex-burrows-speaks-out-about-referee/)

[AragornElessar]

Just heard all about this on the 6pm News tonight and there's video evidence of the Ref taking Burrows aside to talk to him during the warmup. From the little I've seen, and judging from the penalties shown, I think Burrows might just have a case here.

Taking a back seat in all of this, was the announcement today that Curtis Joseph has officially retired. I think I heard, as I came downstairs where I had Toronto News on halfway through the piece, that his number will be joining the Honoured Numbers of the Leafs hanging from the rafters of the ACC in the near future. When you combine what he did for the Leafs on the ice and all of the Charity work he did off the ice in Toronto, it's a very well deserved honour for Cujo if it's true.

[bobalina77]

I'm pretty sure he does have a case.. that goaltender interference penalty was beyond weak. I've seen some pretty iffy penalties, but this wasn't even iffy.. it was completely made up. The unfortunate part is that if it is true then that ref has kinda made the sport look bad.

[AragornElessar]

Not only that, but now whenever this guy officiates the Canucks, there's always going to be people watching his every move and not for the right reasons. Especially when it comes to calling stuff on Burrows.

I was rolling my eyes big time w/the comments by other players and the Leafs Head Coach Ron Wilson in that piece though...."Oh, I've never ever heard of this happening before in the NHL and...yadda yadda yadda" Yeah, right!! I'm sure it's happened before and they know which Officials those are too, no one's come out and pointed the finger at someone before now is really the big issue here.

And just as I predicted when I heard the news...Nothing's going to happen to the Ref, but Burrows got nailed w/a hefty fine for speaking out. :rolleyes:

[bobalina77]

Of course it's happened before.. we're not stupid :lol:

If I were Burrows I'd refuse to pay it.. that's such crap! If I were the Canucks organization I'd be backing him up too. You know they crack down on the players for doing unsportsman like things.. why do the refs get a free pass? And they say skating is corrupt!