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Guest8815
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 Posted - 11/09/2008 : 09:46:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest8171
quote:
Originally posted by Guest8815
Im starting to question why you play, or watch hockey for that matter. You seem to dislike the fighting, and now the hitting. So what exactly do you enjoy? Cause that's about 33% of the game right there you dislike.
Are you serious? That's like saying you watch football just to see the players get tackled. And I don't think Alex was saying he disliked hitting, more so he thinks it is not used effectively in most situations.
I know I mis-understood, Alex clarified it for me. As for your football comment you'd be surprised how many fans watch it for that very reason. |
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I´m also Cånädiön
Rookie
Sweden
217 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2008 : 11:16:47
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I agree with you Alex. The fastest object on the ice is without competition the puck, putting too much effort in hitting or hugging your opponents will only slow down you and your team imo.
However a massive hit on the Kovalchuk type of player will only help you. He is a great player with a wicked shot but he has trouble controlling his temper and is likely to spend the rest of the game trying to get back on you taking dumb penalties in the process.
Also I want to add that the reason why hockey is "softer" in many european countries hasn´t so much to do with culture but with the size of the ice. Larger surface = less rewards for physical play.
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2008 : 05:16:13
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November 10, 2008
I've dubbed it 'change you can't believe in!' Most teams are nearing the quarter mark of their season, but a lot of us don't realize it. It's not because we're bad at math - I'm sure you all know that 20 is roughly one fourth of eighty-two - but rather for an entirely different reason. It feels like the pre-season! We're all waiting for the inevitable shift to normalcy, which seems to be taking its sweet time showing up this year.
Maybe it's just me, but none of what was scripted to happen did. It's like a bunch of Sarah Palin's decided to 'go rogue' on the order and routine and go dance to the beat of their own drum. Well, on the one hand the unexpected is fun. On the other hand, COME ON! For poolies (depending on which camp you're in) it sucks. And for fans of the teams expected to go far, it means another sure-investment down the drain. OK, so Fannie Mae can crash once every so often. But Brodeur? Uch.
Let's look at the stats, because poolies tend to gravitate around them. Neither Ovechkin nor Crosby are leading the league. In fact, they're nowhere near it. Alexander Semin is inside running his victory lap and these guys haven't even purchased their tickets yet. On the back end, Lidstrom isn't having a bad season. But compared to 18 other defensemen, he's nothing special. In net, the storyline of the year was meant to be Brodeur officially becoming the best statistical goalie of all time. Someone forgot to send him the memo.
Meanwhile, the standings look as confused as a GPS in a room full of magnets (fun prank to pull on a rainy day by the way.) Detroit isn't miles ahead of everyone. Vancouver is actually scoring, not to mention in third. The Stars have burnt out completely, and Marty Turco can't save a beachball. The Jackets and Blackhawks are enjoying a resurgence and sit comfortably north of the border -- the one that seperates the eight place team from the ninth, of course.
In the east the Rangers are incredible. Their roster said they would be, but everyone had their doubts, including me. After all, they've stacked their rosters on FAs many times before and it didn't neccesarily convert into a bigger win column. The Habs are average. The Sabres and Bruins are riding the two most underrated rosters into second and fourth seeds. The Senators are a far cry from last season, and the Leafs are hanging on past October! Oh, and so much for the Lightning and Flyers.
To emphasize how different this season is, here's the picture if the season ended today.
East Playoffs:
1 Rangers vs 8 Devils
2 Bruins vs 7 Capitals
3 Hurricanes vs 6 Penguins
4 Sabres vs 5 Canadiens
West Playoffs:
1 Sharks vs 8 Jackets
2 Red Wings vs 7 Flames
3 Canucks vs 6 Blackhawks
4 Ducks vs 8 Wild
Art Ross: Evgeni Malkin
Rocket Richard: Tomas Vanek
One thing's for sure. It will make for an interesting betting season in Vegas!
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
Edited by - Alex on 11/10/2008 17:37:44 |
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Guest9874
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Posted - 11/10/2008 : 06:56:52
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im startin to lose hope in crosby and ovechkin
maybe they were just marketed a lil too mch
theyre not as good as every1 makes em out to be
and it just lets the fans down when they dont produce
back to back MVP/art ross's, and now theyre done for their careers?
the media should let the players play and stop hypin em up |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2008 : 14:07:28
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It's a little bit late, but I couldn't get to a computer earlier. Please take a moment to sincerely reflect on the day and its significance.
November 11, 2008
Today is Remembrance Day as we all know. We remember with utmost reverence the brave men and women who fought their lives on the line to get us to where we are today. Their call of duty took them straight into the face of danger and their bold acts of courage will never be forgotten. They went into mortal combat knowing that they could easily lose their lives and took that risk to preserve Canadian values. They were a beacon of light to us all.
More than nine decades later, our nation is still at war. In World War One, brother turned against brother, friend against friend. But today, as bad as war is, it is a very different kind indeed. The world has rallied together to fight under the same flag, against the same common enemy. How far we have come.
Our prayers are with the soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, Canadian blood has been shed overseas. To date, 97 of our troops have died in the mission. Yet their colleagues in the armed forces push on, determined to exterminate the evil forces they are fighting against. Giving up is not a Canadian value.
God bless all Canadian veterans and soldiers. May we know of no more losses. |
Edited by - Alex on 11/11/2008 14:08:27 |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2008 : 20:04:51
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November 12, 2008
There are more citizens in the world than people. That one got you thinking, eh? Well, it’s because you can have a person that belongs to many different nationalities, and is thus counted as a citizen in many different countries, yet only one person.
Today I’m going to do the unthinkable, and say you can apply for dual citizenship in the NHL as well. Watching the Toronto / Montreal game made me realize something disturbing. By way of liberal definition, I belong to both fan bases. This might come back to haunt me when I run for Prime Minister and someone digs it out of the archives, but if Obama could get the Rev. Wright monkey of his back…
Now let’s set down some ground rules. I wanted Montreal to win with every fiber in my body. I shut off the T.V. when Toronto scored their fifth goal, and considered calling Rogers to complain for not censoring such offensive material. When Montreal plays Toronto, I want to see the Leafs get dealt shattering blows. I root for Montreal to go all the way, I only own Canadiens apparel, I grew up a Canadiens fan and my favourite players are Canadiens.
Yet there’s this bipolar entity within me. I try to tuck it under the rug and forget about it, but it’s tough. After all, I live in Toronto. As strong as my ties are to Montreal, I never lived there, my dad’s family did. So the gene was passed on if you will. Unlike most Habs faithful, the Leafs doing crappy and the Habs doing great are not mutually exclusive to my joy as a fan. Try as I might to explain it to my father, he doesn’t get it.
Say the Habs were out of the playoffs, and the Leafs were still alive (in keeping to the constitution of bloggers worldwide, I have taken the liberty of using some imagination.) I would cheer for the Leafs. I would. It may be sacrilegious. Maybe you want to tar and feather me. But that’s what happened in 2002, when Montreal lost to Carolina and the Leafs went on to play them. After all, it’s not my father’s NHL. He tells me stories of his friends skipping Stanley Cup Parades. ‘We can always go next year’ was the line thrown around. That’s not the case anymore. Most teams make it to the final and collapse the next year. If Toronto got that far, which translates into me coming that close to a Cup parade in my city, I could never, ever, ever cheer against them.
Especially this year, when they’re so damn exciting to watch. Last year, I hated them with passion (in Habs circles, we refer to it as ‘the passion that unites us all.’) They didn’t care at all. But now, before every game, do you know what Ron Wilson tells them? He reminds them that most fans are attending the only Leafs game they will ever watch and that it should be a good one. That’s special.
This is a new team ladies and germs. When my Habbies aren’t part of the equation, they’re my team, too. I am a Habs fan, not a Leafs fan. But I want to see the Leafs do well almost as much as I want to see the Habs do well.
Now excuse me while I go take an Advil.
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
Edited by - Alex on 11/11/2008 20:05:27 |
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OILINONTARIO
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
816 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 06:28:26
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As much as I've been an avid Leafs-hater for a long while now, there is something strangely infectious about this year's squad. Perhaps it's the "addition by subtraction" thing. Tucker, McCabe, Sundin, Wellwood, Raycroft- all gone. I think that left many Leafs' fans flat-footed and mouths agape, fearing that the formula that had been utilized for so many years was always seriously flawed. Now it's time for this team to grow, rather than mutate, and experience the inevitable pains that accompany the process. The Habs are my #2, but I couldn't help but enjoy the game the other night (who could?). Having said that, I know where my loyalties will lie when the Buds face the Oil next. That will never change.
The Oil WILL make the playoffs in 2009. |
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I´m also Cånädiön
Rookie
Sweden
217 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 06:36:14
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Ha ha must be great when Leafs and Habs play each other, that way one of your favorite teams always wins 
I can relate to that, used to root for Avalanche when Forsberg was in his prime and I have always liked the Wings. |
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Axey
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
877 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 08:49:27
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For me, nothing has changed and I still hate the Leafs and love the Habs. Although this past weekend i was forced to wear a Leafs jersey due to being on the losing end of a bet on Saturday night. It was like Carnage and Spiderman, only it didn't infect me as much, it was more of a fungus
Chicago Blackhawks GM
Jesus didn't tap. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 14:02:29
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quote:
Originally posted by I´m also Cånädiön
Ha ha must be great when Leafs and Habs play each other, that way one of your favorite teams always wins
I can relate to that, used to root for Avalanche when Forsberg was in his prime and I have always liked the Wings.
No, it's not. I hate it when the Leafs win. I said in my blog, I want them not only to lose, I want them to get destroyed - just because there's a pride issue.
I don't care when Montreal loses to, say, Florida, because they're still the best. But when they lose to Toronto, it just turns me the wrong way. 
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
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I´m also Cånädiön
Rookie
Sweden
217 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2008 : 01:49:08
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Ok my misstake. I guess a better comparison would be sweden vs our sauna using neighbours . Losing to them is the absolutely worst thing that can happen but when they play say russia or the us I always root for them. |
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n/a
deleted
4809 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2008 : 05:12:25
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Correction - there are way more people than citizens.
In very many of the poorest countries (which make up over 60% of the world's population), people are not a citizen of any country. Citizenship is not guaranteed in every nation like it is in the 1st world . . . so that would more than outweigh the dual citizens, IMO.
Then, there's the scientologists riding the boat with Hubbard, citizens of a fictitious country!
btw - I don't care if Semin is a citizen, or just a person: he needs to be on the All-Star starting lineup. period.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2008 : 15:04:17
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November 15, 2008
''Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes / Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so dear / Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes/ How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?'' -Rent Soundtrack
Indeed, how do we measure a year... in posts? In blogs? In friends made? In rivals appeased? In lessons learned?
Don't look now, but it's been a year since 'Alex' was a registered member on PickUpHockey. Some little punk waltzed on to the scene last November, thinking he would run the show just by clicking ''post comment'' more than the next guy.
Well, it actually started earlier. My first post was about 2000 words in length, a detailed essay covering the mismanagement of the Toronto Maple Leafs that I was entering into a speech contest. I thought I'd get some free advice, and cut my losses there. (''Ew, I'm part of a forum. How nerdy! I better get my advice and run!'') The story could have ended there, but that's not a very fun read, is it?
I started posting on topics and offering my ''insight,'' drawing on a depth of hockey knowledge that came to me courtesy of Steve Dangle. It was a short and sweet honeymoon, and then it got annoying to everyone (except me). It's like a drunk guy speeding down the freeway in the wrong direction, who, as he dodges dozens of oncoming cars thinks to himself ''I can't believe how many idiots are in the wrong lane!'' Then there was the ''Pierre McGuire'' mode. You know, the guy on TSN who tries to find a new angle on everything. Thus came a slew of user polls and debate topics authored by me, that basically wound up being a conversation between myself.
Since then, a lot has changed. I don't attack people like in the Great Debate. I don't post three posts in a row. Unfortunately, school has stolen a lot of my spare time lately, but that hasn't shut me out completely. I posted about two weeks after my going-out-in-style ''GOODBYE!'' blog. Kind of anticlimatic, eh? Well, it's for the better.
At this time I will do two things to mark the occasion. Number one: New Year's resolutions. You know, the ones you make when you're hammered on egg nog?
1) Stop worrying about post count.
At over 7 per day, I think that's the most anyone has had after a year of posting. I used to post to bring it up; then I stopped posting to bring it down. This year, I won't care. I just won't.
2) Find a good avatar.
This will require the help of my good buddy admin. Can you say ''custom avatars by 2009?'' I knew you could. 
3) Diversify my portfolio.
Yes, the economy's bad... what can I say, I picked up a couple terms here and there. What I mean by ''diversify'' is teach this one trick pony a few more tricks. I will, of course, keep the Alex Blog strong and healthy, but it wouldn't hurt to post in some of the other threads every so often!
Number two: here's where you come in! For the first, about, 9 months of my career on this site, my posts were ignored by and large. Make it up to me! Please, please, please: leave a comment and let me know how my first year on this site has been. Praise, criticism, pick-up lines (pun intended) - I welcome all!
Cheers to another good year!
Alex. |
Edited by - Alex on 11/16/2008 18:30:30 |
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admin
Forum Admin
Canada
2338 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2008 : 15:12:58
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Hey Alex, well aside from breaking the "no celebratory posts" guideline, (haha!) this is a great post!.
I would say that you have summed up your time here quite well and I love your resolutions...especially the "one-trick pony" one...you'll get a lot more fans of your blog if you particpate in other people's threads.
Anyway it's been a pleasure having you at the site and here's to another year with us. Keep up the good work! |
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leafsfan_101
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
1530 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2008 : 15:25:12
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Hey Alex, I have to say that when you first came to the site I didn't like you ---heck, I hated you. But that was in your 20 post, free-4-all days :P Since then, it's been amazing to see how much your knowledge of hockey has expanded, and how diversified your views are. You truly are one of the few people to have changed pickuphockey.com. I hoped I would be at one time, but nowadays my posting has been less then frequent. To see you still going at a relativly strong pace is fantastic to see, and we all hope you will stick around for quite a while.
If your next year on pickuphockey is as good as your last, then we have not seen anything yet. Keep up the good work kid! Who knows, maybe one day you'll beat me in the Great Debate Part Deux :P. |
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HabsBiggestFan
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
368 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2008 : 20:33:50
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quote:
Originally posted by leafsfan_101
Hey Alex, I have to say that when you first came to the site I didn't like you ---heck, I hated you. But that was in your 20 post, free-4-all days :P Since then, it's been amazing to see how much your knowledge of hockey has expanded, and how diversified your views are. You truly are one of the few people to have changed pickuphockey.com. I hoped I would be at one time, but nowadays my posting has been less then frequent. To see you still going at a relativly strong pace is fantastic to see, and we all hope you will stick around for quite a while.
If your next year on pickuphockey is as good as your last, then we have not seen anything yet. Keep up the good work kid!
Leafsfan 101 said it very well there!
Keep up the good work Alex!
Montreal bandwagon is full! Please catch a different one. |
Edited by - HabsBiggestFan on 11/15/2008 20:35:31 |
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Guest9874
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Posted - 11/16/2008 : 05:40:28
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Congrats Alex.
About the avatar thing -, go back to the helmet one it was good |
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BradTheBadDad
Top Prospect
73 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2008 : 06:24:10
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This blog is what brought me to these forums. Therefore, Alex is the most important member on PUH by virtue of bringing me Ahem..
Seriously though, I must commend you for your commitment to these forums. For a while I thought I'd be one of the regulars, or as LeafsFan put it, maybe one of the revolutionary guys around here. Well, you get busy and unfortunately I haven't been able to.
I think it's remarkable how much you have accomplished in one year Alex and I hope you don't stop! Cheers.
''Eat. Sleep. Hockey'' |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2008 : 16:18:38
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November 17, 2008
You’ve got to sympathize with guys like Dr. Watson, Robin and Diick Cheney. They could kill all the bad guys, piece together all the clues, and shoot all the lawyers in the world, yet get little to none of the credit. We know that everything in life has its parallel in hockey, and this season may just be the best yet to portray what I like to call the ‘Evgeni Malkin’ syndrome.
In a nutshell: Evgeni Malkin will never be the star of the NHL. Maybe that’s too harsh. Evgeni Malkin will never be the star of the NHL in Pittsburgh. The same holds true for Semin in Washington. Please don’t confuse this with Tim Thomas’s situation, because it’s very different.
Looking through purely objective lenses, either Semin or Malkin could be called the best players in the league right now. But it mean’s nothing. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will always, always, always command more attention. Subconsciously or not, we like – no, want – them to be better.
And I don’t know why. But I’m starting to connect the dots, and I think we can learn the lesson from an exterior source: the All Star game. What’s the reason that every team needs to have someone at the game? The traditional answer is ‘to be fair to every market.’ Yes, that’s true. However, I’m starting to think that there is another reason: people just don’t like the ideas of two ‘bests’ on one team.
Call it stupid, but when Rafalski went to Detroit, his star power fell that much lower. It’s like you have your Cadbury chocolate that you love, but when someone offers you a Toblerone, all of a sudden Cadbury is considered cheap in comparison to this premium brand. So too, it just doesn’t feel right to call Rafalski an ‘’all-star’’ when Lidstrom is clearly the heart of their defense.
Now be honest. Which list of players do you like more? If you could only pick one team, at the exclusion of the other, to go watch tomorrow, which would you?
1) Semin, St. Louis, Malkin, Hossa, Marleau, Rafalski
-OR-
2) Crosby, Ovechkin, Lecavalier, Thornton, Datsyuk, Lidstrom
You’re probably thinking ‘Ya, he wants to make a point so he compares apples to oranges. Obviously team two is better, he stacked it!’ Except for the fact that team one is light-years ahead in production this season.
Point proven? Leave your thoughts.
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame
P.S. (I need to double the letter 'I' in Cheney's first name because apparently the vice president of the USA is offensive. Quite amusing) |
Edited by - Alex on 11/17/2008 16:23:53 |
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BradTheBadDad
Top Prospect
73 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2008 : 17:18:10
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Considering we tend to like the underdogs, the ''Malkin Syndrome'' is perplexing. But I also like Crosby more than Malkin, Ovechkin more than Semin, etc.
I think that's the same reason people don't like Osgood - he was always a good goalie playing under the wings of a better one.
''Eat. Sleep. Hockey'' |
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I´m also Cånädiön
Rookie
Sweden
217 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2008 : 06:14:02
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| I don´t think the differance in talent between the two teams is so big as people may believe. Team one could beat team two, it would be more about on ice chemistry than individual talent that decides wich way the scale would tip. Watching any of the teams play would have been awesome but I would choose the one Datsyuk is on just to see him play. If for instance St. Louis changed place with Datsyuk I would like to see team one more. Like your chocolate comparison, everything is relative and it´s easy to get a bit numb and forget that everyone who play in the NHL does it at a very high level. |
Edited by - I´m also Cånädiön on 11/20/2008 08:07:47 |
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MSC
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
601 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2008 : 07:42:50
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| Professional sports is a funny thing....in 2 weeks the two teams you listed could have completely flip flopped and this topic wouldn't make a lick of sense. It's basically a list of the top tier players who during any given game can put up a 4 point night. The actual skill level between them is extremely close and for the most part the difference is who's getting the bounces and who isn't. |
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Beans15
Moderator
Canada
8286 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2008 : 09:48:53
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quote:
Originally posted by MSC
Professional sports is a funny thing....in 2 weeks the two teams you listed could have completely flip flopped and this topic wouldn't make a lick of sense. It's basically a list of the top tier players who during any given game can put up a 4 point night. The actual skill level between them is extremely close and for the most part the difference is who's getting the bounces and who isn't.
Very good point.
I think another point is based on Marketing. The NHL markets their group of superstars to the point where many other players can't burst that bubble.
However, this is not the case in this situations. Malkin is a superstar in the league, regardless of where he plays. Those who don't think that are not very knowledgable hockey fans. Also, I think that Crosby and Malkin both realize that they need each other to be successful. Rarely does one superstar have the ability to create a dynasty. Gretkzy had Kurri, Lemiuex had Jagr, Yzerman had Fedorov, Howe had Lindsay, Orr had Esposito, the list goes on and on.
And the reason this is also not the case in this example is that Semin is not a super star(yet). He was incredibly hot yes, but superstar?? No. The reason he won't surpass Ovechkin in Washington as the top dog is because Ovechkin is a better player. It's that simple. |
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Guest9656
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Posted - 11/20/2008 : 11:31:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Beans15
quote:
Originally posted by MSC
Professional sports is a funny thing....in 2 weeks the two teams you listed could have completely flip flopped and this topic wouldn't make a lick of sense. It's basically a list of the top tier players who during any given game can put up a 4 point night. The actual skill level between them is extremely close and for the most part the difference is who's getting the bounces and who isn't.
Very good point.
I think another point is based on Marketing. The NHL markets their group of superstars to the point where many other players can't burst that bubble.
However, this is not the case in this situations. Malkin is a superstar in the league, regardless of where he plays. Those who don't think that are not very knowledgable hockey fans. Also, I think that Crosby and Malkin both realize that they need each other to be successful. Rarely does one superstar have the ability to create a dynasty. Gretkzy had Kurri, Lemiuex had Jagr, Yzerman had Fedorov, Howe had Lindsay, Orr had Esposito, the list goes on and on.
And the reason this is also not the case in this example is that Semin is not a super star(yet). He was incredibly hot yes, but superstar?? No. The reason he won't surpass Ovechkin in Washington as the top dog is because Ovechkin is a better player. It's that simple.
I disagree Beans. I find Semin to be a better skater and stick-handler than Ovie. Don't get me wrong, I love watching Ovechkin! But when I see Semin with the puck I find him very entertaining to watch. And I think you are wrong in saying that he won't surpass Ovechkin. I think you should say "I think Ovechkin will surpass Semin". (Unless, of course you are talking about stardom). As we all know that Semin is leading the league right now... |
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Beans15
Moderator
Canada
8286 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2008 : 16:38:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest9656
quote:
Originally posted by Beans15
quote:
Originally posted by MSC
Professional sports is a funny thing....in 2 weeks the two teams you listed could have completely flip flopped and this topic wouldn't make a lick of sense. It's basically a list of the top tier players who during any given game can put up a 4 point night. The actual skill level between them is extremely close and for the most part the difference is who's getting the bounces and who isn't.
Very good point.
I think another point is based on Marketing. The NHL markets their group of superstars to the point where many other players can't burst that bubble.
However, this is not the case in this situations. Malkin is a superstar in the league, regardless of where he plays. Those who don't think that are not very knowledgable hockey fans. Also, I think that Crosby and Malkin both realize that they need each other to be successful. Rarely does one superstar have the ability to create a dynasty. Gretkzy had Kurri, Lemiuex had Jagr, Yzerman had Fedorov, Howe had Lindsay, Orr had Esposito, the list goes on and on.
And the reason this is also not the case in this example is that Semin is not a super star(yet). He was incredibly hot yes, but superstar?? No. The reason he won't surpass Ovechkin in Washington as the top dog is because Ovechkin is a better player. It's that simple.
I disagree Beans. I find Semin to be a better skater and stick-handler than Ovie. Don't get me wrong, I love watching Ovechkin! But when I see Semin with the puck I find him very entertaining to watch. And I think you are wrong in saying that he won't surpass Ovechkin. I think you should say "I think Ovechkin will surpass Semin". (Unless, of course you are talking about stardom). As we all know that Semin is leading the league right now...
Is he?? Semin's leading the league?? Did he change his name to Malkin and get traded to Pittsburgh?? He must have because the guy leading the league in points is some guy named Malkin from Pittsburgh.
And so what if Semin started out like a house on fire, the 16 games that Semin played so well in does not at all make him a better player, or a more productive player the Ovechkin. Seriouly, Ovechkin has a weak start to the year and all of a sudden he's not as good as Semin??
Even if I was to agree that Semin was a better skater and stick handler (which I don't), Ovechkin has him in physical play, defensive ability, scoring ability, and speed just off the top of my head.
There is no way that Semin is a better player than Ovechkin. That's ludacris.
Dude, give your head a shake! |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 05:33:38
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November 25, 2008
There’s nothing like the NHL season. At every point along the way, there’s something fun for the fan. Keep in mind, our teams play more games than any other team in North American sports edit (sorry bad slip-up): except baseball. And then there’s the tooth and nail month-and-a-half battle that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now when it’s all said and done, only one team can walk away with the big prize. Being a realist, no fan expects their team to win every year. However, I can’t help but feel let down when a ‘random’ team comes out of nowhere to take the cup. It just seems like a waste of eight months.
In a follow-up to the Malkin / Semin syndrome, I will be looking at something that can be called the San Jose syndrome. When someone started a topic ‘Which team is the best?’ (again) it got me thinking – geez, the Sharks might just be the team to beat.
And honestly. If the season ended today, wouldn’t you feel robbed knowing that we went through the roller coaster ride just to have some team from San Jose win it all?
There’s about half a league worth of teams that would piss me off by winning the cup. But rather than list a bunch of southern American cities, I will tell you who I wouldn’t mind winning:
6 Canadian Teams + Boston or Buffalo
If any of these 8 teams one, in any given season, I would say I got my money’s worth. That’s an exciting finish.
Penguins, Flyers, Rangers, Washington
These teams are either fun to watch, have players that I like, or are at least older than me. If their rosters change, that can make it a whole different story though.
Basically, I don’t want to see a Western team win because I never get to see them play except for in the playoffs. I haven’t followed their season, I don’t know much about their players, and from my point of view they waltzed into relevance with ten games left in the playoffs and stole the cup.
I’m a little more tolerant in the eastern conference, except for the Southeast, because that’s really just a spew of a division. Their collective fan base of about thirty-four should just take up lawn bowling or something and leave the real sport to the real fans.
Let me know what you think guys. Western fans – do you feel the same way about the east?
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
Edited by - Alex on 11/25/2008 06:57:21 |
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Matt_Roberts85
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
936 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 05:46:24
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Uhhh... don't baseball players play way more games than the NHL. Like 162 or something..
There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E". |
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fat_elvis_rocked
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
902 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 06:48:10
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In my opinion, be it what it may, I think the NHL is finally starting to actually get it right, with the exception of a few bottom feeder type teams. They are approaching that age of what the Bettman era has been espousing for years now....parity.
I for one, actually, find this refreshing as, with the exception of Detroit, after the first quarter of the season, the Stanley Cup playoffs are still a toss-up. This makes for interesting times, as a fan.
Personally, there are favorites, that I pull for to win their respective playoff series, but the beauty of this newfound..semi-parity, is that each year the playoff landscape changes, and as a middle aged hockey fan, this beats the heck out of watching the same old, same old year after year.
Do southeast teams deserve Stanley Cups, with their fans? ie; Tampa Bay, Carolina....
I 'm guessing the Lecavalier's, StLouis's, Weight's and Brind'Amours would say yes, and if these aren't deserving champs, then I don't know who is..
Do Western teams deserve Stanley Cups? California has had teams, since the late 60's, with the Kings and Golden Seals, Vancouver since 1970. I think they've established fan bases that certainly could be understandably rewarded with the grail.... |
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Axey
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
877 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 09:42:21
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What makes this all so difficult is the deserving gans in these cities. They could be bigger hockey fans then you and I, but the problem is that there is overall less of these fans there. But does it make it fair to take the game away from the few fans they have?
Chicago Blackhawks GM
Jesus didn't tap. |
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leigh
Moderator
Canada
1755 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 11:40:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex
...Keep in mind, our teams play more games than any other team in North American sports edit (sorry bad slip-up): except baseball....
The NBA plays 82 games as well. Research, young grasshopper!
quote:
Originally posted by Alex
...And honestly. If the season ended today, wouldn’t you feel robbed knowing that we went through the roller coaster ride just to have some team from San Jose win it all?...
Are you saying that San Jose is not deserving because you think they came out of nowhere? Again, research. San Jose has been amongst the NHL elite in the new millenium (except 02/03) Here is how they have placed since 2000:
08/09 - Currently 1st in league
07/08 - 2nd
06/07 - 5th
05/06 - 11th
03/04 - 3rd
02/03 - 23rd
01/02 - 5th
00/01 - 11th
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MSC
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
601 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 12:08:14
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| Not to mention they've been considered by most to have under performed since big Joe arrived, especially in the play offs...I can't even count the number of experts who've been predicting them to win the big show over the last few years. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 12:34:33
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quote:
Originally posted by leigh
quote:
Originally posted by Alex
...Keep in mind, our teams play more games than any other team in North American sports edit (sorry bad slip-up): except baseball....
The NBA plays 82 games as well. Research, young grasshopper!
quote:
Originally posted by Alex
...And honestly. If the season ended today, wouldn’t you feel robbed knowing that we went through the roller coaster ride just to have some team from San Jose win it all?...
Are you saying that San Jose is not deserving because you think they came out of nowhere? Again, research. San Jose has been amongst the NHL elite in the new millenium (except 02/03) Here is how they have placed since 2000:
08/09 - Currently 1st in league
07/08 - 2nd
06/07 - 5th
05/06 - 11th
03/04 - 3rd
02/03 - 23rd
01/02 - 5th
00/01 - 11th
Ya I'm getting hell for that statement.  Basically, I meant to say they play the most other than the MLB. I know the NBA plays the same amount. And I had it in mind when I wrote that sentence.
And I never said San Jose came out of anywhere. I'm saying they're the best in the league today, and I don't want them to win the cup. It's not cause they came from nowhere that I don't want them to win the cup - it's cause they came from San Jose!
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
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leigh
Moderator
Canada
1755 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 14:13:29
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Alex, I guess when you said "However, I can’t help but feel let down when a ‘random’ team comes out of nowhere to take the cup. It just seems like a waste of eight months" and then lumped San Jose in with that group I assumed that is what you meant...in fact it still sounds like it to me.
I don't see anything wrong with San Jose winning the cup (aside from this meaning that my beloved Flames did not win!) At least in the west we have been tracking this team for a long time. And like MSC (who lives in Nova Scotia!) says above, they've been labeled year after year as one of the top contenders for the cup by broadcasters nationwide. So I guess since I've known how good they have been it wouldn't surprise me, or bother me, if they won.
You really should expand your hockey universe to teams outside the East considering that 6 of the last 10 cups have been won by the West. In fact, I CHALLENGE you to do so, especially if you are writing a blog about hockey. |
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MSC
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
601 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 14:25:34
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I'm no longer in Nova Scotia, I've been posted to Yellowknife this past summer. I am however still Nova Scotia at heart. Although since the move the games start 3 hours earlier, I can't tell you how great that is.
It really wouldn't put me out to much to see San Jose win. They have alot of great Canadian talent on their team, but to be fair all of them do. I don't think the western domination trend will be ended this year either. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 14:30:59
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My hockey universe includes thirty teams. Just like the real universe includes a bunch of galaxies, even though we only care about one. And just like our galaxy contains more than a half dozen planets, and we only care about two or three.
I am aware there are other teams. I just don't care much for them. You can't tell me you like every single team in the league, Leigh? By saying I follow about eight teams, it means I take the time to watch them play more than five times a year. Does anyone else ''follow'' more than half the league under that definition? It would be quite a feat.
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
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MSC
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
601 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 14:36:13
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| Not to make assumptions, but I think the point Leigh was trying to make is that although you don't have to like all 30 teams you should have a basic understanding on what they've done in the past and what they're currently doing. This is even moreso the case if you want to make educated statements and be taken seriously. Knowledge leads to credibility which is essential in the world of journalism. |
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Greg Smith
Rookie
Canada
158 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 16:26:42
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Alex, I'd like to take the oppurtunity to tell you that I have really enjoyed reading your blogs. I had to step in and say something though when I saw the comment you made about San Jose, I had to step in and voice my opinion.
The NHL is not very good at marketting, that I think everybody can agree on. However, teams from California, San Jose being one of the three don't have that low a fan base. Anaheim is right near LA, but they have many fans.
San Jose also has a large fan base and I'd love to see them win the cup. California is a large spot on the fan maps of the NHL, since they have more teams than any Canadian province.
The Sharks and their fans deserve to see a cup, because of their dedication and love for the game.
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2008 : 19:37:19
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December 3, 2008
I know you guys have come to expect a high standard of writing with my blogs (or maybe I'm just too proud to turn in sub-par quality pieces of writing ) but if I want to keep this bad boy alive I'm going to have to compromise somewhere. So it's one of those ''means justify the ends'' things.
Going to keep this short and sweet. Watching games recently, and also being victim to a couple of these plays in my league (also having been on the upside a couple times, to be fair) I was thinking it's something we should legislate. What am I talking about?
When the puck hits the ref. We all know the feeling. It's damn annoying when they impede the flow of the game. They should be invisible, right? Transparent maybe. Or maybe we should only hire ex-Matrix actors. But in the absence of that in our budget, I have come up with a reasonable alternative.
Blow the whistle whenever the puck touches the ref. Indiscrimnantly. Now there must be some bleedingly obvious con to this idea that hasn't crossed my radar, but from my naiive standpoint it seems pretty smart. Thoughts?
Make sure to cast your votes in the PickUpHockey Hall of Fame |
Edited by - Alex on 12/03/2008 19:38:14 |
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Canucks Man
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
1547 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2008 : 02:01:05
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No offence but I think its a terrible idea. The refs are apart of the play simple as that, both teams have to worry about hitting them so its not like there an advantage to one team. Also stopping the play evertime a ref gets touched by the puck would interrupt the flow of play a lot. Where would the puck be dropped? Pucks hit refs all the time sometimes it is bad for your team others it is good but is the way it always has been and it is the way it should stay.
CANUCKS RULE!!!
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fat_elvis_rocked
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
902 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2008 : 09:31:31
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Not only that, but everytime the puck takes a funny hop on ice that is sub par...... the whistle should be blown.
Anytime a fan is a little too loud and could be determined to be a distraction.....the whistle should be blown.
Anytime the goal judge needs to pee....
See where I'm going with this?
I usually get some of the ideology behind your blogs Alex, but this time methinks you blogged just to hear? yourself
Anyways, I still enjoy 'most' of your topics, this one, not so much.
Keep chuggin' though, you still have interested readers, myself included.
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Canada - Russia rap 
