2013 NHL Thread

[MasterOLightning]

You can't tell me that it's not a good idea for just the same reason. Wearing goalie masks and helmets was a good idea too, but no one did that for decades. Resting star players to that degree hasn't been tried. But you definitely do see other pro sports franchises rest veteran star players in the regular season. The Spurs would completely phone in games last year by benching their top players. The NBA season is the same length. Playoff seeding is not even that important in the NHL anyway.

Switching up lineups is largely irrelevant when dealing with veteran players who have played together for several years now. The young guys who need the experience would get even more of it.

I would argue that any time you get guys out of the lineup, injury risk is reduced, and that has huge value. A guy like Toews has had a few concussions and is more at risk of losing a lot of time.

Maybe 20 games is unrealistic, but I would like to see vital players sit. Perhaps 10 games? You can't possibly argue that teams and players don't get tired over the course of a season. I don't care how well conditioned they are. Playing a condensed season then 4 rounds of the playoffs, taking a short offseason, playing 82 games with a break for a tournament on the other side of the world, then 4 more rounds of playoffs... It's a lot to ask.

 

[Mort Divine]

Considering how small the roster size is compared to most other sports, it is kind of hard to just "sit" players.

 

[MasterOLightning]

Coaches make healthy scratches at the bottom of the roster every single game. It's not hard at all to find one warm body to skate on the 4th line while giving someone else a little more responsibility.

 

[Mort Divine]

No team is going to scratch a Datsyuk for a Tootoo.

 

[Nephilim96]

You can't tell me that it's not a good idea for just the same reason. Wearing goalie masks and helmets was a good idea too, but no one did that for decades. Resting star players to that degree hasn't been tried. But you definitely do see other pro sports franchises rest veteran star players in the regular season. The Spurs would completely phone in games last year by benching their top players. The NBA season is the same length. Playoff seeding is not even that important in the NHL anyway.

The NBA's standings are more spread out. There's a big difference between the good and the bad teams. In the NHL, every game REALLY matters. 5 games could be the difference between having home ice advantage, and missing the playoffs.

Switching up lineups is largely irrelevant when dealing with veteran players who have played together for several years now. The young guys who need the experience would get even more of it.

Bullshit. If that was true, why don't Toews and Kane play on the same line every night (Since y'know, all that time on the same team should add up to a shit load of chemistry between them)? Playing with new linemates every other game can be very detrimental.

I would argue that any time you get guys out of the lineup, injury risk is reduced, and that has huge value. A guy like Toews has had a few concussions and is more at risk of losing a lot of time.

Well, you guys should never play him then, because then he'd never get injured!

Maybe 20 games is unrealistic, but I would like to see vital players sit. Perhaps 10 games? You can't possibly argue that teams and players don't get tired over the course of a season. I don't care how well conditioned they are. Playing a condensed season then 4 rounds of the playoffs, taking a short offseason, playing 82 games with a break for a tournament on the other side of the world, then 4 more rounds of playoffs... It's a lot to ask.

It's a lot to ask, but these guys can handle it. The 1998 Detroit Red Wings were in the same situation, and they were able to repeat as Cup Champs during an Olympic year, while still playing Yzerman, Lidstrom, Shanahan, Murphy, and Kozlov the entire year (Fedorov was holding out). You're overestimating how tired these guys get, and you're underestimating the negative impact of sitting your top guys for an extended amount of time.

 

[rms]

Well according to my Sabres schedule, there is 1 week of time before the tournament starts and then 3 days after the tournament ends, if the teams head to gold/bronze games.

But international games are never as physical as NHL games, and it's on European sized ice(right?) so it's going to be a puck possession/finesse tournament

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

You assholes are still talking about sitting players? Shut the hell up

 

[SweptbackFlame]

Why? I'm not suggesting all at the same time. Just have some guys sit out some back-to-backs. The travel and game intensity for the Olympics is going to wear guys out. I would think all playoff-bound teams would try hard to rest star players more than usual this year.

Once the olympics end there's like 3-4 days off before the season starts again. Mainly for the rest factor to wear in. There is no way, they're gonna rest their star players. Besides, teams know how to deal with fatigue, it's not going to be an issue for anyone.

Coaches make healthy scratches at the bottom of the roster every single game. It's not hard at all to find one warm body to skate on the 4th line while giving someone else a little more responsibility.

That is retarded. you'll rarely see healthy scratches for any top player for that matter. Sure if they are not playing the way they should be it has been done. But when you say you should rest a star player because the season is long is fucking retarded. And no one knows if Chicago is going to the CUP Final again. It's a new season. shorter off season. I'm sure everyone is prepared for what is ahead.

 

[Nephilim96]

That Leafs-Sabres brawl was pretty fun to see.

http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=pipe42/latest/1/0/1008937/clip/0#pipe42/latest

Clarkson should get 10 games for leaving the bench.

 

[muzmaze]

That was nuts! Scott going after Kessell is maybe the biggest mis-match you could have in the league. Still, Kessell should also be suspended for some nasty stickwork. The fact that it was directed at maybe the most useless piece of crap goon in the NHL in Scott...probably gets Kessell off the hook.

 

[rms]

Kessel should definitely be suspended, what a bitch move from someone. We've all been in fights where it's like oh fuck this dude is huge, but what a little bitch move. He's American and I hate talking shit on any American players. Great moments for pre-season hockey though,

How can you hate Scott? He doesn't even agitate like an Ott or anything, he literally comes out for 2 m a game and fights the other teams enforcer..

 

[Nephilim96]

He's just useless.

 

[rms]

You have no idea what you're talking about. The northeast division was probably the most physical in all of hockey, with Canadiens/Leafs/Bruins all being largely physical and maybe the Senators not so much, but what are you going to do, not get tougher? Go back to Cali with your hockey logic!

 

[Nephilim96]

Coming out for two minutes a game and fighting the other enforcer is what we call useless in my neck of the woods. Lucic is tough, Clarkson is tough, Chara is tough... Scott is useless, Parros is useless, C. Orr is useless.

 

[Sloz]

Lets Go Rangers!!!

 

[muzmaze]

Kessel should definitely be suspended, what a bitch move from someone. We've all been in fights where it's like oh fuck this dude is huge, but what a little bitch move. He's American and I hate talking shit on any American players. Great moments for pre-season hockey though,

How can you hate Scott? He doesn't even agitate like an Ott or anything, he literally comes out for 2 m a game and fights the other teams enforcer..

Im all for good fights and being an enforcer...but Scott has zero game. Todays game requires the enforcer to contribute a bit more other than just fighting. Thorton for the Bs has been as good at this as anyone for sometime. Of course one of his few losses ive seen him take was last year against Scott lol.

 

[rms]

Coming out for two minutes a game and fighting the other enforcer is what we call useless in my neck of the woods. Lucic is tough, Clarkson is tough, Chara is tough... Scott is useless, Parros is useless, C. Orr is useless.

You do understand that hockey is completely different in your division right? Of course Parros/Orr/Scott/Thornton are all 'useless' in a puck possession scoring game, but here in the big boy division, we play physical hockey. Miller got creamed and our team had no weight to throw at Boston and you know what happened? We were the laughing stock of the NHL. We have had great enforcers since i've been alive and to be fair a little more talented than Scott and probably more entertaining to watch fight (May, Ray, Barnaby) but we have him and he seriously just takes a roster spot which right now isn't that much of a problem since our team is in a transition mode

Im all for good fights and being an enforcer...but Scott has zero game. Todays game requires the enforcer to contribute a bit more other than just fighting. Thorton for the Bs has been as good at this as anyone for sometime. Of course one of his few losses ive seen him take was last year against Scott lol.

Scott can sort of be in the way in front of a goalie, but he can't do much else and it doesn't bother me. I wish we had a thornton/orr/parros/jansen but I don't really know the market of the enforcers in the league and we got what we got

Thornton had a concussion! In your face Boston..

ps go Red Sox, you getting hyped?

 

[muzmaze]

Oh man im hyped. They finished strong and are now a legit contender for a title. Didnt think the Sox would finish in the top three in the division. The whole make up of the team has changed drastically from a year ago.

Back to Scott...i totally get why Buff inserted him. Traditionally a tough team that recently had been lacking. Buff needed to do something and quickly with an enforcer.

 

[Nephilim96]

You're not paying attention. I never said that physical hockey is pointless, I said that guys who do nothing but fight are useless. You need guys who can play and provide toughness these days, you don't need that Semenko or Probert type anymore. Most of those guys like Parros don't even hit or enforce. Parros just fights staged fights.

And up until a couple years ago, the Northeast (now Atlantic) teams were a bunch of smurfs on ice outside of Boston. The Pacific was winning Cups with tough teams like the '12 Kings and '07 Ducks (who raped the team who raped your Sabres).

 

[Nephilim96]

Back to Scott...i totally get why Buff inserted him. Traditionally a tough team that recently had been lacking. Buff needed to do something and quickly with an enforcer.

Why did Buffalo need to send Scott to maul Kessel? It's not Toronto's fault Tropp tried to fight somebody bigger.