Official NHL 17 Discussion/CAG Team Thread - Ausfahrt Banditos: The Res-Erection

Hopefully. Rinne is concerning me though. Seems like he's running out of gas. People were all like "goalies do better when they face more shots". Right...tbe Preds defense was too good and not allowing a shot for 37 minutes was their mistake...

Preds need to take a page out of our playbook and let Subban fire one at Rinne to make sure he's still awake, lol. Can't give up 4 goals on 11 shots again this series.
 
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It certainly doesn't help that Pittsburgh is more protected by the refs than any team I've ever seen.

The Preds just went through hell against St Louis and Anaheim. Players were speared, slashed, crunched, cross-checked, punched, etc...and the announcers talk about it being "playoff hockey".

Then, against Pittsburgh, you blow on them and they're crying murder. It's freaking unbelievable how soft that team is.
 
Just horrendous puck luck combined with not the best goaltending. It's not even like they're really getting outplayed. But Murray is certainly outplaying Rinne.

Laviolette needs to shake the fuck out of the lines before game 3. I'm not even sure Fiddler and McLeod should play again this season. Pittsburgh has way too much speed and skill to keep veteran grinders in the lineup.
 
Hate to say it but, Pulling Rinne means the series is done for. I hope I'm wrong but, Pens just got a full steam of head now going to Nashville.

The thought of back to back Stanley cup champions with Pittsburgh just irks me too.
 
Well, it's not like they're not starting him in game 3. I'd honestly be shocked if Laviolette makes that decision. Starting Saros would be a super bold move that could blow up in his face. If they started Saros and lost with him, it would beg the question of whether they lost because they started their backup goalie. Then, that calls into question Laviolette's coaching ability, player loyalty, and it just becomes a mess.

Like it or not, they have to go with the horse that got them here. If he doesn't have it in him to finish this year strong, then I think that's something you consider in the offseason. I'd start Rinne the rest of the series, and if he can't get the job done, trade him in the offseason (he'll still have some value), and go with Saros next year. At the very least, they need more split starts and stop letting Rinne do pre-season shit like play in World Cups when he's in his mid 30s.

The biggest problem I have is Rinne's history against Pittsburgh. He never does well against them. He now has a 1-6-2 record against them, and has never beaten them as a starter (his win came in relief in 2009). I've called him Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Rinne all season, but it's unreal how he can go from a Conn Smythe favorite to that in the blink of an eye. And if he can't get it done this year, there's no way he'll be any better at 35 or 36. I tried telling people that on Facebook, but then the retard bandwagoners come on telling me "Don't doubt our goalie! He is the best!" .... :wall:

I mean, the Preds have been playing well enough to turn this around. It's not like they're getting completely outclassed. They've been victimized by a 4 minute 3 goal outburst and a 3 minute 3 goal outburst. Basically any time there was a chance for something to go right for the Pens, it has gone right.

But they have to get higher quality chances on Murray...but also stay tight defensively in front of Rinne and make his job as easy as possible. At least they have 2 days to rest and sort it out. I also expect big lineup changes. Really, Cody McLeod and Vernon Fiddler aren't needed at this point. Against goon teams like Anaheim and St. Louis, sure....but against Pittsburgh, they just look slow and unskilled. It's sad, but this is where they really miss Johansen and Fiala. They both would have matched up very well against the Penguins.

 
The more I doubt them, the more they will show me up!! That's the thing though, West is gritty while the East is fast. When I look at West teams, they seem all gritty and want to hit. Except for Nashville. They play like an East team. Like you said though, no reason to be gritty now, they need to match the speed. Sadly as per the norm, Murray is freaking playing lights out again. Maybe it's the Pittsburgh Atmosphere, Well see come Saturday. If it's all about the home arena advantage, well, Not good news.

http://www.rawcharge.com/2017/6/1/15723602/tampa-bay-lightning-victor-hedman-pregame-ritual-sweden-iihf-world-gold-peter-forsberg-evgeni-malkin

Good little read about Hedman. Crazy he changes his skates every 10 games.
 
Yes! Do that, Gary! lol. Jinx Pittsburgh!

At least the task is pretty clear. They have two games at home, and they need to win both of them to reset the series and make it a best of three.

And if they can't motivate themselves to play their best hockey of the year in front of a home crowd in the finals, well, then they don't deserve the Cup. As bad as 0-2 is, the answer for it is pretty simple. Get serious.
 
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Holy shot, it took them how long?

Finally I'll be able to play tonight. I would rather work Monday Memorial day then on a Friday. Ugh.
 
Well, fingers crossed, but I set up port forwarding for NHL 17 so hopefully that solves my issues? Maybe I can see if it's happening tonight.

 
Wow, that is awesome. I like how Pens fans keep trying to say that Bridgestone "isn't that loud" or use that douchebag line of "I know you guys aren't used to the playoffs..." But this picture made me laugh my ass off. I'm not sure if it's actually from the game (for some reason, it looks familiar). But it's still hilarious.

[attachment=26750:18893207_10212824759271366_9106143573990672772_n.jpg]

Also, the viewing party was so big outside of the arena that they had to break it up and move people further away. They estimated 50,000 people were there, and it got so congested, people literally couldn't move, and it was creating safety issues.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2017/06/04/preds-viewing-party-vacated-then-reopened-before/368598001/

 
I just love how awesome the Arena is, that chant last night to Murray "It's all your fault." made even the announcers chuckle. I really hope the Wife and I can go to a game there next season. Hell, I think we might make it a vacation.

On a side note, does anybody have GCU I can use for some PS4 games?
 
Looks like UbiSoft are trying out a preview version of UPlay on PC that introduces group chat functions.  I set up a group for us but am not sure if it will work if you aren't in the preview.  Not a huge deal since we don't use it often but still good to see.

 
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Anyone want a steam code for Worms Clan Wars or 80 Days? Bought the cheap bundle just for Her Story, I know for a fact I won't play Worms and not sure on 80 Days. Just PM me if you want it.

 
TheN8torious said:
Wow, that is awesome. I like how Pens fans keep trying to say that Bridgestone "isn't that loud" or use that douchebag line of "I know you guys aren't used to the playoffs..." But this picture made me laugh my ass off. I'm not sure if it's actually from the game (for some reason, it looks familiar). But it's still hilarious.

18893207_10212824759271366_9106143573990672772_n.jpg

Also, the viewing party was so big outside of the arena that they had to break it up and move people further away. They estimated 50,000 people were there, and it got so congested, people literally couldn't move, and it was creating safety issues.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2017/06/04/preds-viewing-party-vacated-then-reopened-before/368598001/
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That's crazy, but I'm definitely glad to see that for Nashville.

Vulcan2422 said:
I just love how awesome the Arena is, that chant last night to Murray "It's all your fault." made even the announcers chuckle. I really hope the Wife and I can go to a game there next season. Hell, I think we might make it a vacation.

On a side note, does anybody have GCU I can use for some PS4 games?
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Ditto. I was going to try to get one there this year, but I'm thinking next season I'll get them checked off the list for sure. I'm aiming for Nashville, Vegas and possibly LA in one trip, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and maybe Buffalo in another. I'm hoping tickets for the new Detroit arena won't be nearly impossible to come by.

 
Reason 11 why hockey is better than basketball: Charles Barley agrees

https://twitter.com/DefPenSports/status/871913284827525122?s=09
 
I think it's just hard for the NBA to be competitive because basketball in its nature is much easier for one player to take over a game. And the rule changes to not allow tough defense just makes it worse. The fact that in Lebron's 13 year career, he's never lost a game in the first round says a lot. He's not even being challenged. And now it's the same with the Warriors in the West. When you have teams just sweeping their way to the Finals, it's going to be boring as shit. There basically has never been parity in the NBA. Just looking at the list of champions shows that.

Also, Barkley said the only arena that came close to the atmosphere in Nashville was the old Chicago Stadium during the Jordan Bulls era. That's a pretty high compliment. And yet, I still see people around the internet bitching about the chants and saying that telling another team's players they suck is "classless". Right...because pumping an obnoxious horn through your PA system all game and your star player slashing people's fingers off is...

02142198cf7a9ef76091d65d2d17c5a52c38ea0d7e0bfcf3e600b202c283174a.jpg


 
I say ditch Montreal, Only because when Montreal play the Lightning, Montreal fans take a flight to Tampa and watch because they say it's cheaper to do that then to get a ticket for the game.

Also, was a good video on Reddit about how Basketball is all skill based where as hockey is really all luck. I'll have to find it when I get home.

Edit: EA posted on Facebook (I still go on the wifes from time to time) that tomorrow will be a first look at NHL 18 and at the NHL Awards will be a full reveal. WHO'S READY FOR MORE HUT MADNESS FOR NHL 18??!! WHOOOO YEAAAHHH BROS!!!
 
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I'm trying to wrap my head around how one could argue that basketball is more skill based than hockey. I mean, maybe there is MORE luck in hockey (ie. you can score a goal by the puck hitting off another player...but you're almost never going to score a basket if the ball hits off another player). But passing is still passing, and shooting accuracy is still shooting accuracy.

I guess it depends on what you define as a skill. For example, battling in front of the net, blocking the goalie's vision, and not getting hit by the puck coming in is definitely a skill. But is it "lucky" that the puck got through and the goalie didn't see it? You could probably argue baseball as being luck based in the same way. The fact that the best players are only successful 30% of the time and even if you hit the ball well, you're largely not in control of where it goes.

So, maybe in that way, shooting a basket in a hoop is the most definable skill...but it probably also has the least resistance (ie. no goalie, no pitcher). Maybe that's what makes it easier to consistently control the outcome in basketball. A great goalie or a great pitcher can single handedly stymie the opposition's offense. But in basketball, you're not going to shut down a great player the same way. So, the teams with the most talent always win.

Find me that video, Gary. This is interesting, haha. :)

 
As for NHL 18, I've decided, I don't give a crap what they do with online leagues or the lack thereof...we can at least do continuous tournaments or a round robin "season" like they used to have. The vs games we played and streaming them so we could all watch was too fun not to do anything with that. I wouldn't be totally against starting one now...but I'm not sure how much interest we'd get with the season ending.

So, we could either do like RNG brackets and best of 3 series (so they can be played in one sitting), and just progress through a tournament. Or do a "schedule" of everybody plays each other 3 times, tally points, and then have the top 4 teams advance to the playoffs. It would be nice if we could do it on a night where we're all on, and we could just alternate and watch the games.

I'm mostly over HUT, EASHL has been stale for years now, and Draft Champions is largely pointless. VS games are really the only area where this game doesn't totally suck.

 
TheN8torious said:
I think it's just hard for the NBA to be competitive because basketball in its nature is much easier for one player to take over a game. And the rule changes to not allow tough defense just makes it worse.

Also, Barkley said the only arena that came close to the atmosphere in Nashville was the old Chicago Stadium during the Jordan Bulls era. That's a pretty high compliment. And yet, I still see people around the internet bitching about the chants and saying that telling another team's players they suck is "classless". Right...because pumping an obnoxious horn through your PA system all game and your star player slashing people's fingers off is...
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It's not even so much rule changes as it is protecting the madonnas of the league. I use to like basketball a lot as a kid, and I played up until college... But since at least the late 90s the professional side has became an absolute joke that lacks any of the basic fundamental values that are instilled in kids at a young age.

As for the "classless" argument. I haven't heard that, but that is an absolute joke. I can remember doing the "(Goalie name) 5x, you suck!" chant back 15+ years ago here in GR. The chants, and tormenting are part of the home-ice advantage. Watching the games in Nashville is bittersweet for me. It reminds me of the Joe from the mid-90s to the last cup appearance in 2009. Unfortunately the Joe's tickets became so scarce and attendance began to drop because they had so many seats that were corporate/sponsorship and they either weren't filled or the people in them weren't necessarily fans.

Vulcan2422 said:
I say ditch Montreal, Only because when Montreal play the Lightning, Montreal fans take a flight to Tampa and watch because they say it's cheaper to do that then to get a ticket for the game.

Also, was a good video on Reddit about how Basketball is all skill based where as hockey is really all luck. I'll have to find it when I get home.
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I still hate Chicago sports fans above all else. Part of it might be because of the fact that I come across so many being only 3 hours away, but they are just ignorant as all hell. Chicago sports fans are incapable of having a sports related discussion about any team that isn't theirs without somehow bringing up their own teams and they are just so high on riding the dick of whatever good player they have at the time.

TheN8torious said:
I'm trying to wrap my head around how one could argue that basketball is more skill based than hockey. I mean, maybe there is MORE luck in hockey (ie. you can score a goal by the puck hitting off another player...but you're almost never going to score a basket if the ball hits off another player). But passing is still passing, and shooting accuracy is still shooting accuracy.

I guess it depends on what you define as a skill. For example, battling in front of the net, blocking the goalie's vision, and not getting hit by the puck coming in is definitely a skill. But is it "lucky" that the puck got through and the goalie didn't see it? You could probably argue baseball as being luck based in the same way. The fact that the best players are only successful 30% of the time and even if you hit the ball well, you're largely not in control of where it goes.

So, maybe in that way, shooting a basket in a hoop is the most definable skill...but it probably also has the least resistance (ie. no goalie, no pitcher). Maybe that's what makes it easier to consistently control the outcome in basketball. A great goalie or a great pitcher can single handedly stymie the opposition's offense. But in basketball, you're not going to shut down a great player the same way. So, the teams with the most talent always win.

Find me that video, Gary. This is interesting, haha. :)
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ESPN did an article a few years back about the toughest sport to play. Boxing was #1 and Hockey was #2. They did a pretty good job of analyzing and breaking down each sport. The only ones I thought should have been higher were lacrosse and rugby. Here's their list:

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills?sort=total_rank#grid

 
Vulcan2422 said:
Yes, THE PEKKA RINNE
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ilya-bryzgalov-stanley-cup-finals-video/
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"It is hot...I maybe need like uh...buy some hat."

If he would just grow a mustache, he'd be the Borat of hockey. "Welcome to City of Music. Is nice!" :lol:

Vulcan2422 said:
Here is the video.
https://youtu.be/HNlgISa9Giw
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Interesting. Seems to be mostly along the lines of what I was thinking. As other commentors on Youtube pointed out, it's more like hockey is more complex than basketball...so it's less easy to dictate. And like the video said, basketball is like letting your best player just do everything. It's even more apparent when you consider how few players are used on an NBA team. Some teams don't even use 9 of their 12 players.

I loved the Jordan led Bulls growing up, but watching old game footage, it's crazy seeing how the gameplan was mostly "give the ball to MJ and get the hell out of the way". Really, it's the only sport where you give the guy the ball at one end, he takes it all the way down to the other end, does some moves, and then just scores. How often does an end to end play happen in hockey? It happens in basketball all the time. I'm not sure I'd call that a more skill based sport...but definitely a simpler sport.

 
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fuck EA, I can't say it enough. It's like EA is mocking people for ACTUALLY playing like a real fucking team.

Oh look, a hanging mouth guard. Also, two different sticks he uses and two different tape jobs. WTH? Also, Guess what, ONE HANDED DEKES!! BRAND NEW TO THE NHL SERIES!! Ha Ha. Oh you mean that thing you could 3 to 4 years ago?

https://youtu.be/Q9PeYyhfyRw
 
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Wow...yeah, they actually went from "Play together, Win Together" to "Where's The Fun In That?" Awesome...it's like they've accepted that they can't make the game play realistically, so they're just embracing the douchebags. Seriously, we are the only good thing about the NHL series.

Like I said, even if they add nothing worthwhile to the game, I'm motivated enough to set up a VS league where we can stream the games, watch each other play, eat snacks, have laughs, and have a more enjoyable time than anything EA could ever make. And I've even got the ability to 3D print trophies now...which I'd be happy to mail to the winners.  :)

[attachment=26761:caghockeypuck3.png]

Suck my nuts, EA. :lol:

 
I mean, the least they could do if they want to add something stupid is make it enjoyable. Like a penalty box mini game or something. Maybe press buttons to chew on your mouthguard. Or let you look around at the fans. Or shake your stick at people. They've taken so much fun and hilarious stuff out of the game (injuring yourself on the boards when you miss a hit, throwing yourself into the bench when you miss a hit, being able to launch people over you by ducking when they try to hit you after the whistle, etc), you'd think they actually don't want you to have a good time.

 
I was reading an article on Deadspin this morning on all the fighting in last night's game. I went to the comments section, saw a comment I wanted to respond to, hit reply...then noticed the username of the person I was responding to...

[attachment=26781:wpark.jpg]

Are you kidding me, internet? How small is this place getting? I shouldn't just be bumping into people like I'm at Walmart. WTF?

Anyway, the point I wanted to make (which I'm sure as hell not engaging him with) is if things had been reversed, and Subban had been bouncing Crosby's head off the ice like that, can you even imagine the shitstorm that would ensue? To me, that's why it's a problem (not to mention piece of shit, Mike MIlbury praised it by saying Subban "had it coming").

It still blows my mind how much is getting called in this series as opposed to the entirety of the Western Conference playoffs. If they called things in the West like they're calling things for the Pens right now, maybe Ryan Johansen wouldn't have had a season ending injury. These ticky tack calls the Pens are getting was simply "playoff hockey" two weeks ago. That's what Pens fans don't realize (or are in denial of). Everybody hates Crosby because he gets protection that others don't get.

 
So, the EA conference starts with a drumline wearing Tom Brady jerseys... :puke:

Then the Madden 18 trailer reveals that they're going for that NBA 2K16 Spike Lee cinematic story thing. Tons of cut scenes, showing your character learning the game from childhood. Lots of movie quotes being ripped off. I swear I heard the kid and his best friend say "Shake and bake!"

Then you get a monologue of "My dad always said, when life knocks you down...get back up." Really? That's the best version of that saying they could come up with? lol. Come on, EA. Why not "When life knocks you down...look for the referee and start yelling 'penalty'???" Good grief.

Madden 18 is also on the Frostbite engine. I didn't play enough of Madden 17 to know if that's new or not.

 
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