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Matt_Roberts85
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
936 Posts |
 Posted - 01/27/2009 : 10:01:37
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The only problem I had with the game was the 'lets all bathe in the glory of the montreal canadiens' theme. I understand its the 100 year anniversary and all, but seriously, there were fans from 29 other teams who just wanted to punch every hab fan in the mouth on sunday.
I respect all those hab legends a great deal, but shouldn't something like that be reserved for a HABS game...? Also, the city of Montreal is acting like they have the 1970;s team back again.... have they forgot that they have been crap for 15 years?... until now of course, they are pretty good this year 
There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E". |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 14:40:47
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Axey: I was giving my take on the three stars of the game. I thought it was a bit surprising how well Souray produced. 
CanucksMan: Of course Bettman laughs off the boos. What do you want him to do, start crying and get into the fetal position? And I know it's not only the Habs fans. I commented on it when it happened in Ottawa at the draft. But it is disgusting. Just because fans have the freedom of expression, doesn't mean the feelings they express and the fashion in which they express them are correct. Aside from the fact that he hasn't even been bad for the game. Assuming he had all but killed hockey, he still wouldn't deserve it, because his power is limited, and every decision that he makes is made in what he considers to be the best interest of the game.
Slozo: When you have the privilege of playing in the best league in the world, and being one of the best players; moreover, when the fans express their gratitude to you and vote you in to a game because you're the player they want to see; and when the game is not even anything strenuous, and you want to play in a real game just 48 hours later; and, above all, when the rule was clearly spelled out and there was no room for error, than yes, a thousand times yes, you should be missing a game for skipping the ASG.
MattRoberts I'm discussing your post two blogs from now. So don't think I forgot about you. |
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fat_elvis_rocked
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
902 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 15:01:09
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I commented on this on the other all-star suspension thread, but let me reiterate. The All-Star Weekend is for the fans, period. In the grand scheme of the playoff push, and the standings and the whatevers, yes, it means naught. But, if these high-priced prima donnas can't take one weekend out of there oh, so tough lives, to at least make an appearance at an event that the fans are totally interactive with, then yes, of course there should be repercussions.
Don't give me all this crap about how the poor guys are ailing, and they have busy travel schedules, and they need downtime, and wah wah wah...
While they make excuses for their inability to apear at an event in which their expenses are covered, to give a little bit of themselves back, to the fans that voted them into the spotlight, the rest of us, the fans, not only toil away daily as well, through injury at times(it's hard to type when my oldmanitis kicks in sometimes), but sacrifice our personal time to support them!! And for those lucky enough to get tickets to the weekend itself, at a substantial cost out of pocket!!
Some don't think they should be suspended?? I personally don't think the punishment is enough!! |
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Axey
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
877 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2009 : 17:45:46
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| Ok good stuff, I thought so ahah I also thought that Savie was a definite star, played awesome. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2009 : 11:04:30
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January 28, 2009
There is so much strategy in sports, and that’s a good thing, because it’s one of the few aspects of the game that the fans can really get into. If chess and baseball are on one end, and the Lotto 6/47 is on the other, than hockey would fall somewhere in the middle where strategy is concerned.
The most obvious among the ‘strategy fans’ are those of the tallapi-chicken variety (see: Top 10 Pro Line commercials ever.) They often alienate the rest of us, because after all, how big of an impact can we have on the game, especially on a strategic level?
But today, to hush all the naysayers, the Alex Blog presents to you the single most valuable way a fan can help his team. I’ve dubbed it ‘strategic cheering.’
You see, when the average fan goes to a sporting event, he cheers for the home team when a favourite player comes out, to applaud a nice play, or to motivate his team. But what he doesn’t realize is that he could be much more effective doing quite the opposite: ‘negative’ cheering. This variety of cheering, on shelves at your local Wal-Mart this March, comes in three different flavours.
1) The ‘boycott’ cheering.
Very simply, fans will sometimes pick a scapegoat on the opposing team and boo him every time he touches the puck. But they never go through with it long enough to have an impact.
During a Bruins game this season I noticed that for whatever reason, the fans just would not leave Chara alone. They booed him all night long. Do you know what happened? He stopped wanting the puck. He was more eager to pass it off, more eager to dump it in, and barely carried it. That plays right into the hands of defenders and fore-checkers. Genius.
2) The goalie cheering
The single best way of cheering in sports. Substitute goalie for ‘pitcher’ or ‘quarterback’ as needed.
Basically, all the fans do is chant a goalie’s name really slowly. ‘Mar-tyyyyyyy. Mar-tyyyyyyy.’ It drives the goalies nuts. They can’t focus. Once a goalie’s off his game, he’s never back on it. Sportsnet ran a series on nerves in sports a few years back. Many athletes have gotten a bug in their heads and just haven’t been the same since. You just lose it mentally.
3) The amateur ref cheering
This works best in moderation. If a ref calls an iffy – or even not so iffy, just as long as it isn’t a blatantly required – call, make his life hell. Just boo and don’t shut up. Every time he blows the whistle, drops the puck, or anything, boo him like it’s going out of fashion.
Referees have a tendency to give out make-up calls, and they do it all the time. If you can get the official on your side, you’re doing well.
I’m not suggesting that the fans have the ability to brainwash opposing captains, goalies or even the referees just by their cheering. But what I am saying is that in every game, at least one of these techniques can be used effectively and become a turning point in a game.
So there you have it. My theory on ‘negative cheering’, and why it’s the most effective kind. Thoughts? |
Edited by - Alex on 01/28/2009 15:55:06 |
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Canucks Man
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
1547 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2009 : 12:31:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex
Slozo: When you have the privilege of playing in the best league in the world, and being one of the best players; moreover, when the fans express their gratitude to you and vote you in to a game because you're the player they want to see; and when the game is not even anything strenuous, and you want to play in a real game just 48 hours later; and, above all, when the rule was clearly spelled out and there was no room for error, than yes, a thousand times yes, you should be missing a game for skipping the ASG.
First off niether Lidstrom or Datsyuk were voted in by the fans. Secondly, the Red Wings had an entire week off to heal there injurys and there is no way the team should have been punished because of the ASG. Thirdly the rule was not clealy spelled out untill the night before they had to be there, you can ak anybody involved no one new what the punishment was going to be, I think your love for Buttmen is blocking you on this one.
CANUCKS RULE!!!
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 14:58:09
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January 29, 2009
Friends, it is with great pride that the Alex Blog presents to you today the hundredth installment in what has become one of the most storied threads on this website. Following in the footsteps of the greats who reached their various milestones before me, we shall channel the air of exuberance and choose to celebrate with a nice hockey post rather than fireworks or birthday cake. So buckle up.
Fittingly, the topic of today’s Blog will be something that the NHL has never experienced before until this season: the 100th season of one of their franchises. Many people just accept the hoopla surrounding the Canadiens hundredth season and move on with their lives, but there is a lot to discuss and it baffles me that the debate hasn’t opened up as much as it could have.
For the fans of Montreal, it’s incredible. They are celebrating the most vibrant part of their culture in a great way. But, what the NHL probably didn’t realize is that by awarding every notable event to the Canadiens, they are setting a precedent.
Think about it this way. In the next 17 years, five other teams will be celebrating 100 years. The Canadiens have been fortunate enough to ice a good product this year, and will likely do pretty well. They have the added incentive of going for broke this year, seeing as they want to continue the streak of a Stanley Cup in every decade. (For this reason, I feel, they should sacrifice a good part of their now and really do all that is in their power to win this year.)
But how many other teams will be able to do that? If the Maple Leafs have a team that doesn’t even make the playoffs in their hundredth season, can you imagine how ridiculous the city would look?
That’s not even the biggest of the issues. Do you think that every other NHL market, especially the newest ones like Columbus, who are clawing for any bit of attention that they can get, want to see entire seasons devoted to teams with large fan bases, storied pasts, and strong hockey markets? It’s not really that fair.
The NHL is also going to have to deal with a conflict of interest come 2026. Assuming none of the teams fold, and Iran doesn’t nuke us by then (both pretty safe bets), the Rangers, Red Wings and Blackhawks will be going over the hill in the same year. Talk about drama.
The league has sort of painted itself into a corner. They’ve got two big ticket items (All-Star game, and a new one, Winter Classic) and three interested teams. It’ll be interesting to see who gets what. Sort of like last will and testament, but a lot more important.
And on a final note, does anyone realize that the official date of the Canadiens centennial is December 3, 2009? – In other words, next season! After the curtain has gone done, the fat lady has sung, Higgins is in Florida and Tampa has Montreal’s draft picks through 2037, this thing will still be going on. Logistically there was no good way around it, but something tells me that the rest of the hockey planet is going to ostracize us Habs fans until their respective centennial seasons.
Here’s hoping they don’t hold grudges in Atlanta. That would be a damn long time to wait.  |
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Guest0832
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Posted - 01/29/2009 : 17:59:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex
January 28, 2009
3) The amateur ref cheering
This works best in moderation. If a ref calls an iffy – or even not so iffy, just as long as it isn’t a blatantly required – call, make his life hell. Just boo and don’t shut up. Every time he blows the whistle, drops the puck, or anything, boo him like it’s going out of fashion.
Referees have a tendency to give out make-up calls, and they do it all the time. If you can get the official on your side, you’re doing well.
Let me get this straight, it is OK to boo the refs but not Bettman? See previous blogs. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2009 : 19:38:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest0832
quote:
Originally posted by Alex
January 28, 2009
3) The amateur ref cheering
This works best in moderation. If a ref calls an iffy – or even not so iffy, just as long as it isn’t a blatantly required – call, make his life hell. Just boo and don’t shut up. Every time he blows the whistle, drops the puck, or anything, boo him like it’s going out of fashion.
Referees have a tendency to give out make-up calls, and they do it all the time. If you can get the official on your side, you’re doing well.
Let me get this straight, it is OK to boo the refs but not Bettman? See previous blogs.
Yes. For a number of reasons.
1) Booing the refs isn't a personal thing. 99 percent of the fans wouldn't know a ref from a hole in the wall. They're booing his action (whether the booing is 'strategic booing' or warranted) and not him. When Bettman steps on to the ice to hand Kovalev the MVP trophy, he hasn't done anything wrong. But people boo him. Why? It's personal.
2) Booing a ref will get you somewhere. You can milk the makeup calls out of a ref. Booing the NHL commissioner won't do any good. First of all, he's only got as much power as the board of governors gives him. Second of all, he makes his decisions based on what he thinks is right, not based on what fans will boo / cheer him for.
So yes, it is OK to boo the refs. Your team stands something to gain, and the refs don't take it personally. But it is absolutely not OK to boo Bettman.
''Yes we can!'' -Obama |
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Guest8332
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Posted - 01/30/2009 : 06:20:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex
1) Booing the refs isn't a personal thing. 99 percent of the fans wouldn't know a ref from a hole in the wall. They're booing his action (whether the booing is 'strategic booing' or warranted) and not him. When Bettman steps on to the ice to hand Kovalev the MVP trophy, he hasn't done anything wrong. But people boo him. Why? It's personal.
So yes, it is OK to boo the refs. Your team stands something to gain, and the refs don't take it personally. But it is absolutely not OK to boo Bettman.
1 Thanks for giving hockey fans credit for their intelligence. I'm sure I can spot a ref from a hole in a wall. Not all fans are blind. Same can be said for refs.
Is that your experience that booing a ref working? I'd like to know the names of those refs. That's like giving in to a kid that just cries at the top of his lungs. Hockey players and coaches are able to talk and reason with the refs "when they whine". Booing by fans is just noise and would not change my mind about a call.
You make a lot of assumptions of the fans, the refs and the effectivness of your so called strategies. |
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Matt_Roberts85
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
936 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 07:14:13
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In response to your Habs 100th anniversary blog:
I know I was critical of the montreal celebration at the ASG, but when I really reflect on what is going on this year, I have to admit that it is pretty neat to see. I can only dream of a year like this happening in Toronto. Montreal has had the Grey Cup, UFC, The ASG, they will have the draft, the stanley cup playoffs (and maybe the finals), as well as a big ass party down the highway in quebec city which celebrated its 250 year.
There aren't many cities and teams in all of sport, not just hockey, which can equal the awesomeness of what is going on in Montreal this year, and I have to admit I am quite envious.
I don't hold any grudges against hab fans, I will just sit patiently and wait for my turn 
(please God let us poor leaf fans have our turn....)
There is no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E". |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2009 : 16:26:48
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Note: I know you're going to say I got the wrong Superbowl in the title. Since 'X' in algebra is a variable, I figured I couldn't go wrong. Now that I got your attention... 
February 2nd, 2009
Whether you love football or hate it, chances are you watch one game a year: the big one. The NFL operates on a bait and switch: come for the meal, stay for the show. So whether you were tuning in to see Bruce Springsteen, watch the commercials, seem knowledgeable the next day at the water cooler, or actually see who won, chances are the allure of the sport left its impression on you.
What has always made me laugh about the SuperBowl is how much they dumb it down. The referees explain their calls, which is comical enough. But has anyone ever noticed how stupid the commentators to the SuperBowl take us for? They explain every rule and play as the game progresses, to the advantage of most people catching their first game. As silly as it is, it draws in the fringe fans.
It all led me to wonder, ‘If Americans are so stupid, how come their favourite sport is so damn complicated?’ Think about it.
You’ve got four different ways to get points: touchdowns, the kick after a touchdown, field goals, and safeties. You’ve got four sets of downs, an offensive team, a defensive team, a whole array of different penalties, off-sides, a ‘running clock’ that never seems to actually be running, and so much more. You’ve got running plays, air plays, punts, laterals, kneeling (to end the game, which, by the way, makes no sense) and more rules and logistics that escape me.
Compare that to hockey. You’ve got off-sides, icing, face-offs, penalties, and, recently, goalie restrictions. You’ve got only one way to score, and only one way to do it (with your stick.) That’s it. Soccer and basketball are even more primitive. Any less complicated, and you’re looking at marathons or sprints, which only have one rule.
Which leads me to this conclusion. All those who believe that adding rules to hockey will alienate the fans, are simply wrong. Not to say that we should add rules, but it’s not because the sport is too complicated or foreign that the crowds don’t flock to the ice.
Next day, the Alex Blog will look into what exactly it is that football does have over ALL other sports (not just hockey, but that will be the focus.) In the meantime and between times, please chime in with your two cents and let the people know your thoughts.
''Yes we can!'' -Obama |
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Guest4139
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Posted - 02/02/2009 : 19:07:22
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I posted an article here awhile back about why hockey is not popular. There were 3 reasons that were stated.
1. There are not enough breaks/ the game is too fluid.
2. because of 1 liimited TV commercial opportunity where TV will get you the fan base.
3. Normally, you just can't go outside and do it. The infrastructure and equipment just costs too much to play hockey.
If only I can find that post....
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Guest4139
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Posted - 02/02/2009 : 19:09:45
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Oh yeah, forgot, that was a great game. Even better than the Steelers semi final game. |
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Axey
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
877 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2009 : 14:45:59
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| The only reason Football seems complicated is because we are not bred into it. I'm guessing many people probably think that hockey is very complicated if they don't know much about it. Every sport has its rules, strategies, and complications some vary but the thing about Football is that its very predictable, like a chess game whereas hockey is more like a poker game. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2009 : 19:55:56
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February 7, 2008
quote:
Next day, the Alex Blog will look into what exactly it is that football does have over ALL other sports.
That was a lie. Actually, it never happened. If it did, someone else typed if for me. It never happened knowingly. I NEVER TOOK STEROIDS!
Now that we’ve had our fun mocking just about every player in the MLB, please accept my sincerest apologies for killing the one-part series dead in its tracks. The idea of devoting more than one post to football didn’t make very much sense in the end.
As you know, my fork is in everyone’s plate. We’ve analyzed games, debated the best athlete of all-time, made up new rules the NHL should implement, predicted outcomes, criticized players, talked about our own hockey careers, and done just about everything else on this thread. And yet, if my memory serves me right, there is one thing we have not talked about: hockey pools.
There are hundreds of different pool types, all accommodated by the do-it-yourself format on this fine website. Every stat out there can be measured, to the decimal. You’ve got your rollover pools, your keeper pools, your box-style pools, and your swimming pools. With all that variety, it’s very hard to know which to pick.
Personally, my involvement in fantasy hockey began back in 2007, on a trial and error basis. My brother, father and I do goals, assists, goalie wins, OT losses, and shutouts. And it’s a rollover style, with one trade every month, plus whatever roster spots need to be filled for injured players. Before the playoffs, we re-draft to fill vacancies opened up by players missing the post-season (that rule is the cause of some controversy.)
Last season, we picked 20 players – 12 forwards, 6 defence, and 2 goalies – and the winner was obvious by about mid-February / early March.
This year we cut all those figures in half, because my family just doesn’t know enough about hockey to know 60 players well. First place is now beating last by three points. Kind of sounds like the Western Conference.
Clearly, at least to me, this is way too close. The problem with picking 30 players in total is that you can almost not go wrong. There are no sleeper picks, no breakout players, no busts… By and large, every pick is a great one.
I’ve considered adjusting the rules so that there is no re-draft before the post-season, or maybe adding players, but it’s not fair for them and, really, too late in the game. Looking ahead at next season, though, I want a new system that works. There are probably many others in the same boat as me.
So here’s the plan. Leave a general overview of your pool rules. Try to give as much detail as possible (how many teams, how often do you trade, rollover / not, etc.) and hopefully there will ideas in there that the readers will consider implementing into their own pools heading forward. Chances are we are all looking to tweak the pool to make it more fun and inclusive, so this will be a lot of fun.
''Yes we can!'' -Obama |
Edited by - Alex on 02/08/2009 05:41:35 |
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Guest2874
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Posted - 02/08/2009 : 07:21:56
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My pool is 12 teams, 10 players per team. It's goals, assists, plus minus, penalties, and all goalie stats. It works well, because all the guys have a pretty decent know-how of the NHL. I've always wanted to join a keeper league but it's too time consuming.
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Guest2519
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Posted - 02/08/2009 : 17:30:09
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| I have a salary cap keep league pool with 8 teams. There's 20 players to each team (12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies) as well as an additional six players that reside on a bench. The bench acts as place to keep injured players without having to drop them as well as keep young talent and have a few players in reserve for possible injuries. We are allowed to do roster changes with our bench every Sunday and every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month we are able to pick up UFA's as well. We count goals, assists, goalie wins, shutouts and OT losses. We also have one designated enforcer on each team that picks up points for penalty minutes. As of today, the lead is about 30 points ahead of 2nd and 3rd place who are tied in points and well within striking distance of first. 4th place also has an outside chance. |
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Guest2519
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Posted - 02/08/2009 : 17:32:45
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| By UFA's I meant any player not already owned by another team. We also had a rule where at least one of our players on our bench had to be 23 years of age or younger at all time or we lose a bench slot. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2009 : 19:47:39
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Feb 21 2009
Hey guys. Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while, been swamped with work. Maybe not so bad to keep a low profile while my Habs go from embarrassment to embarrassment (Carey Price’s play, 3-6-1 in the last ten, keeping Kovalev at home, getting linked to the Mob – take your pick.) Anyways, thought I’d throw out a fun new idea for you guys. Try to come up with the best possible playoff situation that you can. It’s not as easy as it looks!
Remember: Division leaders must take 1-2-3 in the standings, and top seeds always play lower seeds. Have fun!
Here’s mine. I think I’ve done a pretty good job getting just about every single round to feature a rivalry. See if you can top that.
East:
1 Montreal (vs Boston)
2 New York Rangers (vs Ottawa)
3 Washington (vs Pittsburgh)
4 Buffalo (vs Toronto)
5 Toronto
6 Pittsburgh
7 Ottawa
8 Boston
Semis:
1 Montreal
7 Ottawa
2 New York Rangers
5 Toronto
Finals:
1 Montreal
5 Toronto
West:
1 Detroit (vs Chicago)
2 San Jose (vs Calgary)
3 Vancouver (vs Minnesota)
4 Colorado (vs Edmonton
5 Edmonton
6 Minnesota
7 Calgary
8 Chicago
Semis:
1 Detroit
7 Calgary
3 Vancouver
5 Edmonton
Finals:
5 Edmonton
7 Calgary
Stanley Cup Finals: Montreal vs. Edmonton
''Yes we can!'' -Obama |
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Guest8571
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Posted - 02/21/2009 : 23:06:33
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| if you think that calgary is gonna be seventh then this confirms it you are retarted also avs will not be 4th and oil will be hard pressed to be 5th |
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fat_elvis_rocked
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
902 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2009 : 07:20:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest8571
if you think that calgary is gonna be seventh then this confirms it you are retarted also avs will not be 4th and oil will be hard pressed to be 5th
So ... I'm wondering....is being 'retarted' anything like being 'remuffined'. or 'rebageled'.....or some other pastry redo?
Alex,
Montreal in 1st??? homer....
Dibs to you for putting the Oilers in the 5th spot and in the cup finals, finally a voice of reason!!(hey, I can be a homer too!) |
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DangleFest89
Rookie
122 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2009 : 10:20:19
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| Battle of alberta just puts chills down my spine love to see how the kids would play in a series like that....one can just imagine |
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Axey
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
877 Posts |
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Sharksfan
Top Prospect
Canada
10 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2009 : 10:58:32
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Great job Alex,maybe a little unrealistic for this year though.Also I see a little problem with the Rangers playing the Sens first round, and both teams advancing to the semis???
Go Sharks!!!! |
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Guest2143
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Posted - 02/23/2009 : 09:10:24
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| i'm guessing the sens/rangers series would be so good the league would advance them both to the 2nd round? tough break for who wins the pens/caps series.... |
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Guest4803
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Posted - 02/23/2009 : 09:38:04
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| best possible matchup would be a Vancouver Calgary....oh and if u think this is the end of things happening in montreal think again...ive heard that the kostitsyn thing is just the begining of terrible news for the team. |
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tbar
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
376 Posts |
Posted - 02/23/2009 : 10:02:45
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| who said anything about the matchups being realistic. He was trying to match up the teams with rivalries. |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2009 : 15:30:41
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April 12, 2009
Today, my team won the President’s Trophy. FML.
For whatever reason, people seem to like celebrating winning this trophy even less than a thirtieth birthday or nabbing the record for most losses (thanks for inviting me to the post-game party, Curtis.) The latest victims are the San Jose Sharks, who have set the stage for themselves to choke as they have never choked before. And so it is that instead of parading around town with their new accolade, they are praying that Sean Avery comes up with another one of his ‘hey look – a distraction’ moments to get them out of the limelight.
Don’t get me wrong. The Stanley Cup is the trophy everyone wants, everyone plays for, and everyone breaks the tenth commandment over. But nevertheless, I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that we may actually be slighting the honour of a trophy that is harder to receive.
Think about it. How many games does it take to win the Stanley Cup? At most 28. Last year’s champs did it in twenty-two. The Ducks did it in one game less. How many games does it take the Wings to win the Prez? 82, or over three and three quarters times more.
How many teams do you play to win the Stanley Cup? Four. How many do you beat to become the President’s Trophy winner? Twenty nine, or over seven more for those keeping score. When you win the Stanley Cup, what have you in effect done? Won the playoff tournament. That means you beat fifteen other teams. When you win the President’s Trophy, you beat out twenty-nine.
It doesn’t stop there. How many times does an NHL team play the same team more than once in a row during the regular season? Seldom. In the playoffs, you have at least four dates with your opponent before one of you gets dumped. That’s an eternity in which time you can adjust your playing style and custom mould it to your opponent, get used to the weaknesses of opposing goalies and defensemen, and catch the tendencies of the opposing forwards. A team that wins a lot of games in the regular season either has a very versatile game plan, a brilliant bench boss, or both.
Of course, there are a whole slew of factors that make the playoffs harder. The intensity, the pressure, the physical style, the lack of rest, the playing through injuries, the notion that every guy shows up for every shift… Nonetheless, I think that we can very fairly conclude that if we look at two teams in any given season, the team that won the cup or the team that one the President’s Trophy, the latter could aptly be labelled the ‘better’ team.
If we are to define one team as being better from another based on their ability to win the big game, than the nod would go to the Cup winner. But if we are looking at this from a purely academic perspective, the tables would turn. If you took one team, threw them in the ring with all the other teams in the league for a night, and had to come up with the team that had the better record after twenty-nine games, my guess is Vegas would pit the odds in favour of the President’s Trophy winners. Just some food for thought.
The floor is yours. |
Edited by - Alex on 04/13/2009 05:47:20 |
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n/a
deleted
4809 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2009 : 06:35:24
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I have just deleted a post here from Guest 8571, attempting to masquerade as Beans. Any post with foul language, personal attacks, and no hockey content/discussion will be deleted.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2009 : 09:31:58
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April 13, 2009
I've come to notice that my blog is generating more and more readers and yet fewer responses, probably because the thread is so damn big and overwhelming and its easier to comment in a thread that's a couple pages. So for now, I'm changing the format so that (a) I can blog more often and (b) hopefully you guys can respond more. I'm just going to post my thoughts without any order or fancy writing style, sort of like Twitter, and see what you think. Which brings me to today's topic: Home ice advantage.
Is it just me or are the Sharks getting jobbed? Best team in the league and their home ice means diddly squat because they're playing the Ducks. Question for today: which team(s) will benefit most from home ice advantage? Which team(s)will it matter for the least? I'm going to say Vancouver benefits most, and it will matter least for Pittsburgh. Floor is yours. Feel free to comment on yesterday's blog too or any other if you like. |
Edited by - Alex on 04/13/2009 09:34:17 |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 19:19:41
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April 16 2009
I find TSN's coverage of the Flames / Hawks series, after the first game, to be amateur. I love TSN during the regular season and I think they are head and shoulders above any other sports station, but honestly. You could barely hear the commentators, what they had to say was half of the time irrelevant, and what got me the most was the following: a few minutes after David Moss scores to put the Flames up 1-0 in Chicago's first playoff game in seven years, what is captain Jonathan Toews doing? Interviews with Pierre McGuire on the bench DURING the game. This isn't the freaking all-star game.
The CBC manages to find guys that make the game exciting and get the blood pumping. On TSN, you have the commentators telling you what Junior team each guy played on as he gets the puck. I'm happy TSN gets a share of the action, but for now at least, CBC is without a doubt the home for the post-season. TSN needs to pick up their act. |
Edited by - Alex on 04/16/2009 19:21:16 |
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Guest0433
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Posted - 04/16/2009 : 19:32:02
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| fire pierre mcguire and there set if he didn't show him love for phaneuf every 10 seconds it wouldnt get off topic so fast |
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Canucks Man
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
1547 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 19:41:40
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Actually if you had watched a regular season TSN game you would no that they do the interviews during commercial breaks and play them when the play starts.
CANUCKS RULE!!!
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brattt81
Top Prospect
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 21:28:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Canucks Man
Actually if you had watched a regular season TSN game you would no that they do the interviews during commercial breaks and play them when the play starts.
CANUCKS RULE!!!
Whether it's during play or during a commercial break, it's still not the time to be doing interviews. That's what intermissions are for!! Toews could barely breathe and commercial breaks aren't THAT long that he should be doing interviews instead of breathing, getting a drink and focusing on what needs to be done in a couple minutes. I was completely appalled when I saw that.
I win, you lose!! |
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 19:33:51
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April 18 2009
Everyone's yelling bloody murder over the Havlat goal in game one. I can think of at least twenty guys that deserve blame first, and that's the guys that jumped the bench the minute the goal light went on. It was discussed on HNIC and I think there's a few interesting points to discuss here.
First of all, it's a genius move. When something like that happens the refs have almost no choice but to call the game. What would you do if you were a ref? Second of all, from a team's perspective, coaches should be telling their guys to jump off the bench every time an iffy OT goal is scored. Till now I'm not sure coaches have been telling their guys to do it on purpose (although it looked like that in Chicago), but moving forward its a genius move.
Most importantly, from the league's perspective, something needs to be done. Since when can a team arbitrarily decide a game is over? It's undermining the referees authority. My suggestion is that the league hands out a bench minor or maybe even a bench 'major' (4 minutes) if a team tries that (assuming they go upstairs and the goal is disallowed). You might say 'man aren't you being harsh?', but what's the alternative? Having teams call games in their favour? The league definitely needs to look at this, and until that is done, I think teams should take advantage of this and try to steal as many games as they can, because the referees wouldn't dare do anything after the point of no return has been crossed. |
Edited by - Alex on 04/18/2009 19:37:14 |
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Lunchbox
Top Prospect
Canada
88 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2009 : 19:44:22
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Believe me, the refs could have gotten control of the game if they believed it was goaltender interference. I dont think youre giving referees enough credit. I remember a game a long time ago, i think it was the canadiens and they scored an iffy goal in OT and actually went to the locker room! The refs reviewed it, called it no goal and made the players march back to the bench and play again. Besides, the Havlat goal was a goal, the refs werent even trying to call it off. If they were waving it off, and then the Hawks clear the bench, and the refs then changed their mind and called it, then you'd have something.
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Alex
PickupHockey All-Star
Canada
2816 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2009 : 14:09:01
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April 19 2009
Conventional wisdom says you don't drop the gloves in the playoffs. Conventional wisdom can kiss my rear end.
Watching the Pittsburgh-Flyers game today (it's in second intermission right now), there were a few almost near attempts at a fight. Kunitz I think it was tripped on a stick, if he hadn't, he would have gone with Scotty Hartnell in the first.
Now I know people say that you can't take penalties and what not, but first of all, it takes two to tango. Any fighting penalty offsets itself by definition unless their is an instigator. Second of all, I get that Iginla, Crosby or Richards shouldn't be fighting but why can't Matt Cooke fight Randy Jones? Or Kostoupolos with Kobasew? It's a great way to build momentum and putting a fourth or third liner in the box for five minutes isn't such a blow to the lineup.
I see no reason fighting should disappear come playoffs. Prove me wrong. I dare you. |
Edited by - Alex on 04/19/2009 14:10:00 |
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Canucks Man
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
1547 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2009 : 20:55:04
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Because of the instigater rule, if you dont have a visor you could put you team down for 2 min and if you do you could put your team down for 4, and 1 or 2 power play goals could cost a team the series, not worth the risk at all.
CANUCKS RULE!!!
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Sensfan101
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
500 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2009 : 13:18:11
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Because alot of enforcers are getting fourth line minutes so they rarely face each other. Also Because of what Canucksman said the instegator rule
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take Wayne Gretzky |
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Canada - Russia rap 
