NHL 2012-2013 Season- Let's do this. Games start January 19

New NHL alignment for next year...which looks like it will pass.

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/25/4027774/nhl-realignment-2013-west-east-win

nhl-realignment_medium.png


Detroit and Columbus go to the Eastern conference and Winnipeg moves to the Western conference (makes sense). The emphasis is clearly on time zones, here, as it may seem odd grouping teams so far apart north and south, when there are closer teams east/west. But when you're constantly losing/gaining an hour for travel time, it probably puts a pretty heavy burden on the league. I think the realignment looks pretty good, with the competitive balance still being pretty even. And anything that helps the league grow and hopefully reduce the need for future bickering is welcome in my book.

Tampa Bay and Florida kind of get screwed, but maybe that's the league showing how it feels about hockey in Florida. You'd think they could bump the Rangers and Islanders into the "Northern" division (no idea what they're going to call them...it feels silly calling one the "Atlantic" and the other the "Northeast"), and allow TB/Florida to be in the South with Carolina, Washington, etc. but I'm guessing they want to preserve the Rangers current division rivalries.
 
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I always hear/read how these southern teams (Florida/TB/Phoenix) exist for the sole purpose (not completely of course) to have fans from the teams in the north show up. On the few occasional visits to Phoenix I must say I felt like I was at a Wings home game. So perhaps it isn't so bad that the Florida teams get to enjoy a conference full of historical franchises.
If this realignment passes I'd be fine with it. I'm fine with the two series in your own conference before the semi's. To hell with the wild card nonsense. Either you are top 4 or you're not. I'd like to hear some reasons why this alignment would be considered negative. Genuinely not sarcastically. I mean there was a very similar proposal that did not work last time though these small amendments seem to be the best they can be. I say just go ahead and let this be the alignment for the next season. If it turns out to not work after a few years well there can always be a discussion for that.
 
Tampa and Florida are placeholders for Quebec and a potential 2nd team in the Toronto area, they'd rather play more traditional markets than other Southern teams anyway. Phoenix could move to Seattle and would stay in that division.
 
Yea that Tampa Bay team sucks and so do their fans. They can't get anyone to go to their games and their owner puts no money into the team...

The same Tampa Bay team who only ranks 7th in the league in attendance. The same Tampa Bay who out ranks: Vancouver by ~ 200 fans, Ottawa ~300 fans, Buffalo ~300 fans, Pitt ~600 fans, Boston ~1,700 fans, Rangers ~2,000 fans, Edmonton ~2,400 fans, Colorado ~4,300 fans. Yea the league needs to get going on replacing the Lightning :roll: Oh and the Lightning barely rank behind Calgary and Toronto ~85 and ~115 fans

http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance


In fact, since 2005-2006, the Lightning have only been ranked outside the Top 20 in attendance 1 time.
 
I wouldn't compare Tampa to those other franchises considering they're bottom 3 in ticket prices and right around the top 5 in building capacity. Raw numbers tell you nothing, they're 21st in percentage of seats sold if ESPN is to be believed (they're not).

Not that you didn't completely misinterpret what I was saying. The teams aren't moving, but they'll be moved out of that division to make room for the 2 rumored new Canadian teams coming in, possibly through expansion. Whether Tampa and Florida are in a division with the Northeast teams or the Atlantic teams doesn't affect them that much, they don't fit neatly with either group and both groups offer a lot of big markets and traditional franchises coming in, which they'd prefer. Columbus in the East is probably a temporary situation.

If anything they'd rather have the 5 Atlantic teams instead of all those Canadian teams in their division.
 
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Sold out game tomorrow as I was trying to get tickets for my buddy. Hell, some time I watch a non Tampa game and wonder why the hell the terrace level seats are always empty.
 
[quote name='slickkill77']So you did....:whistle2:#[/QUOTE]
Didn't mean to be so mean.

Some teams are pretty much locked in place (the old NE and Atlantic, Western Canadian and California teams), some teams are in a fluid situation and know it going in, they must already know what the plans are if Phoenix moves or if Canada gets expansion teams, but mixing the Southern teams in with the established markets is something they should've done in the beginning.

Tampa's never been a problem franchise at all, things got messy with Koules and Barrie but the new owner has turned that around. Even the Panthers aren't going anywhere.
 
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=416887

I dislike the playoff ideas. Heavily. Do away with conferences and just have 4 divisions. Remove East and West. I'd rather just open it up after the divisional series and let the 4 divisional winners face whoever they would in a proper reseeding. Besides a Stanley Cup final between Central and Atlantic winner would be cool. I'm guessing somebody is terrified of a Stanley Cup final involving a Pacific vs Midwest teams that aren't Vancouver or Chicago (in the foreseeable future). Just deal with it.

More than anything I find the wild card idea to be silly. Just seems tacky.
 
Not really sure how I will like this change. I'm fine with everything other than Detroit leaving the west and not sure how I will like the way playoffs are being talked about.
 
[quote name='sendme']Not really sure how I will like this change. I'm fine with everything other than Detroit leaving the west and not sure how I will like the way playoffs are being talked about.[/QUOTE]

The thing is, Detroit should have never been put in the West. They're in the Eastern time zone. They're not even in the same time zone as most of the teams in their division, let alone other Western Conference teams. The same thing applies to Columbus.
 
I realize that and I think I don't like it because of the old revelries from the 90's. I guess it is just nostalgia that makes me not like it.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']The thing is, Detroit should have never been put in the West. They're in the Eastern time zone. They're not even in the same time zone as most of the teams in their division, let alone other Western Conference teams. The same thing applies to Columbus.[/QUOTE]

They had to be. More people live in the east than the west so surprise there are more teams in the east than the west.

This realignment stuff wouldn't be so bad if the playoffs were division winners 1-2 everyone else 3-8. The formats they keep putting out there now are mathmatical messes (and division playoffs are stupid too) and the only fair solution is, surprise, expanding to 32 teams. Ugh.
 
Kinda quiet here. Hows everyone's team doing lately? How about all those suspensions being handed out recently? How come Ottawa is still doing well? Somebody on the east coast give a synopsis. The West is a mess with almost every team competing for a playoff spot. I'd say the only teams that are truly doomed are Columbus and Calgary. Actually the Northwest division is just poor. So everyone except Vancouver may just be considered an afterthought even if they grab a 8th/7th seed.
 
4 games for the Zolnierczyk is ridiculous. 2 games I can see, and would totally agree with, but 4 games really reinforces the arbitrary nature of NHL suspensions. Kronwall got zilch for the same kind of hit on Jakub Voracek last season, and James Neal (or was it Asham) got 1 game for headhunting two players in one game during the playoffs. Erskine (Caps) got 1 game, maybe 2, for a blatant elbow to the face that gave Wayne Simmonds a concussion. Harry Z should have been in the same camp.

Sure, I am a Flyers fan, so that puts me on one side of the issue. I'll admit to that - that said, I'm not screaming no suspension, just that actions in the NHL are suspended (or not suspended) on a completely arbitrary level. Shea Weber got nothin' for boarding in the first round of the playoffs last year. the accountability system is trash. 2 games makes sense, 1 may be too light, but 4 is far too harsh given the history of comparable actions.

Who rec'd 5 games this past week? Somebody did, yeah?
 
The Preds have been playing like complete shit the last week or so. Just getting dominated and taking bad losses. That team really needs a legit goal scorer. They're definitely only a playoff placeholder this year...if they even get in. Hoping for a good offseason.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']4 games for the Zolnierczyk is ridiculous. 2 games I can see, and would totally agree with, but 4 games really reinforces the arbitrary nature of NHL suspensions. Kronwall got zilch for the same kind of hit on Jakub Voracek last season, and James Neal (or was it Asham) got 1 game for headhunting two players in one game during the playoffs. Erskine (Caps) got 1 game, maybe 2, for a blatant elbow to the face that gave Wayne Simmonds a concussion. Harry Z should have been in the same camp.

Sure, I am a Flyers fan, so that puts me on one side of the issue. I'll admit to that - that said, I'm not screaming no suspension, just that actions in the NHL are suspended (or not suspended) on a completely arbitrary level. Shea Weber got nothin' for boarding in the first round of the playoffs last year. the accountability system is trash. 2 games makes sense, 1 may be too light, but 4 is far too harsh given the history of comparable actions.

Who rec'd 5 games this past week? Somebody did, yeah?[/QUOTE]

I think they let the bigger named players away with shit more than they do others. Sure they have have a limit, but that limit is even higher for them. I'm a Blues fan so I'm a bit on one side with things like yourself, but it seems like they have a lot of bullshit calls made one them that cost them the game. The call against Jackman at the end of the game for I think boarding. That was BS. It was a race for the puck for icing and instead they called that and put it at a 5 on 3 if I remember correctly. The Blues got lucking and were able to win.

However in the game against Detroit when Backes was called for the "hit to the head" that was at the end of the game and ended up costing them the game.

When Terasenko was hit and no call being made that was bullshit. if it was a big name player that was hit a call would have been made.

Against Dallas the other day the goal that was "kicked in" by the player that was brought up from the AHL. That rule now needs to be changed to state that even if the player is forced into a kicking motion by a player on the opposing it is still no goal. To me with him being kneed in the leg and forced into a kicking motion that should have been one of two things. It should have been a good goal or a penalty shot.

I have also seen the Blues be called for covering the puck with their hand that is now illegal however other teams have gotten by with it.

It could be just because I'm a Blues fan that I'm seeing this and that the officiating during Blues games is not as one sided as it some times seems to be.
 
The Lightning are done. Lindback is pure shit. Awful trade there. Unfortunately they aren't in a good position. With Vinny and Marty's ages. Brewer and Salo aren't exactly young either. May just be time to blow up the team and keep only a few guys: Stamkos, Conacher, Hedman, Purcell, St. Louis and Vinny

Steve Yzerman hasn't been a very good GM. It amazes me that most teams can find goalies (even our old goalies succeed, Mike Smith), and yet, year in and year out, the Lightning cannot
 
Hee hee. I can't remember the Preds ever having a legitimate goal scorer. Like the best you guys had for the last 5 years or so was Erat and JP Dumont, Fischer perhaps (I may be totally forgetting somebody)? Oh wait Radulov but that didn't work out and Foresberg was destroyed by injuries when he showed up for a few games. Shame. He's my favorite player and I was excited when he played against us but those ankles man...
Seriously has Nashville ever had a 40 goal scorer on their roster?

Oh looks like people have stormed back into the thread. My post was intended for n8rockerasu.

P.S. That Backes phantom hit to the head was baffling. As a Wings fan I felt a little off after knowing it contributed to that game.
 
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[quote name='slickkill77']The Lightning are done. Lindback is pure shit. Awful trade there. Unfortunately they aren't in a good position. With Vinny and Marty's ages. Brewer and Salo aren't exactly young either. May just be time to blow up the team and keep only a few guys: Stamkos, Conacher, Hedman, Purcell, St. Louis and Vinny

Steve Yzerman hasn't been a very good GM. It amazes me that most teams can find goalies (even our old goalies succeed, Mike Smith), and yet, year in and year out, the Lightning cannot[/QUOTE]


I agree. I saw they called up a goalie. It's a mix of poor goal tending and soft D. How Stamkos turned over that puck still makes me scratch my head from last night. I say rebuild the team as well. Keep Stammer, Pouliot, Vinny, St. Louis and Conacher. Honestly, Conacher can hang with the big boys and I see him and Stamkos being the future of the team. Maybe they also need a new goalie coach as well. Just rebuild the whole organization. Vinick has the cash to do it.
 
[quote name='Nifty_Shark']Hee hee. I can't remember the Preds ever having a legitimate goal scorer. Like the best you guys had for the last 5 years or so was Erat and JP Dumont, Fischer perhaps (I may be totally forgetting somebody)? Oh wait Radulov but that didn't work out and Foresberg was destroyed by injuries when he showed up for a few games. Shame. He's my favorite player and I was excited when he played against us but those ankles man...
Seriously has Nashville ever had a 40 goal scorer on their roster?

Oh looks like people have stormed back into the thread. My post was intended for n8rockerasu.

P.S. That Backes phantom hit to the head was baffling. As a Wings fan I felt a little off after knowing it contributed to that game.[/QUOTE]

Nope...never had a 40 goal scorer. Most was Steve Sullivan, with 33 in 2008-2009. Yeah, that Forsberg trade didn't work so well. They gave up a lot to get him too. They had Paul Kariya for a few years too. They've had a lot of good players, just either not the right guy...or not at the right time.

Radulov is just a dick. I think he sees himself as an Ovechkin...without actually having to earn it. What the team is left with is a bunch of blue collar, two way players who work hard, but just don't put up a lot of goals. I'm still happy to have a team full of hard workers, but somebody has to step up and be "the guy". I'm hoping Hornqvist could be that guy if they can keep him healthy. He's been right around 30 a couple times...in less than 82 games.
 
[quote name='Vulcan2422']I agree. I saw they called up a goalie. It's a mix of poor goal tending and soft D. How Stamkos turned over that puck still makes me scratch my head from last night. I say rebuild the team as well. Keep Stammer, Pouliot, Vinny, St. Louis and Conacher. Honestly, Conacher can hang with the big boys and I see him and Stamkos being the future of the team. Maybe they also need a new goalie coach as well. Just rebuild the whole organization. Vinick has the cash to do it.[/QUOTE]

A lot of fans seem to think that this goalie coach that they have is awful and frankly it wouldn't surprise me. When old man was playing goalie for us the past two years, he attributed his struggles to the goalie coaches suggestions. He said that once he stopped listening to the coach his play improved. I mean honestly, we worked how many years on Mike Smith? Then he goes to PHX and succeeds. Seems to happen to us. I also think part of the problem is that we have an offensive minded team but our system is geared more towards defense. I love Boucher but it may be time for him to go as well
 
Have to laugh at the Sabres breakdown in the third. Nice juicy rebound on the tying goal by Elias. Then Miller gets the worst of it in the shootout.
 
[quote name='VipFREAK']Thank fucking god... Now Chicago can stfu with their damn win streak...[/QUOTE]

Hoping it starts a 10 game losing streak for them.
 
As an Av's fan, I am quite pleased we were able to snap their streak. That said, we need to start winning some fucking games, damn!
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Hoping it starts a 10 game losing streak for them.[/QUOTE]

Nash Preds - 26 pts - Currently: 11th seed - -7 diff.

AND your hoping another team has a losing streak :applause::applause:
 
[quote name='HardcoreGamer360']Nash Preds - 26 pts - Currently: 11th seed - -7 diff.

AND your hoping another team has a losing streak :applause::applause:[/QUOTE]

LMAO...who the fuck are you? 2 points separates the #4 seed and the #11 seed. You act like they're just getting bombed out. As for hoping Chicago starts a 10 game losing streak, it would put the conference back into balance. And personally, it would just be funny after the start they had. If that bothers you, I've got some salty nuts you can suck on.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']LMAO...who the fuck are you? 2 points separates the #4 seed and the #11 seed. You act like they're just getting bombed out. As for hoping Chicago starts a 10 game losing streak, it would put the conference back into balance. And personally, it would just be funny after the start they had. If that bothers you, I've got some salty nuts you can suck on.[/QUOTE]

Pens fan and there is no way they lose 10 straight. As for that last part, lol, what are we 12? cmon now!
 
[quote name='HardcoreGamer360']Pens fan and there is no way they lose 10 straight. As for that last part, lol, what are we 12? cmon now![/QUOTE]

If we're not 12, why rip on the Preds and make fun of me for hoping that the 1st place team in their division goes on a big losing streak? Seems a little personal and uncalled for...especially when you're not even a fan of said team.
 
Who does VipFreak cheer for again?

Didn't realize that the Wings only won one game against the Blue Jackets this year. What the hell? We gave the Blue Jackets 4 wins. Almost half of their wins.
 
Not sure why the old thread got closed...or if slickkill had any say in it, but there's definitely plenty more hockey to talk about this season. Lets start with this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTGSVRX6Ayo

Perry given a 5 minute interference major and a game misconduct. Suspension surely to follow.

I gotta say, while the hit may not have been the most vicious ever, it was late as hell...which to me warrants any impending punishment. The timeliness of the hit is probably more dangerous, since the opposing player has let down his guard and is looking at the play going the other way.

And for those needing a refresher on Perry's head hunting history, he had a 4 game suspension for throwing an elbow on Claude Giroux back in 2009. You could probably argue that because of how hard he was coming into the corner, some contact was inevitable, but I think he saw and opportunity to light the kid up and went for it.
 
The last suspension was in 09? That's a long time ago. I really don't know how to judge this one. If you watch in real time from the time the puck leaves Zucker's stick only 1 second passes by so I wouldn't consider this the latest of late hits. Could this be considered a blindside hit? Probably that. He never saw Perry coming and gets caught at a point where they are intersecting from the side. I don't know. If Zucker saw him this probably would have turned out differently. Don't envy the job of the player safety department on this one.
 
Wasn't all that late of a hit, he should have been looking where he was going and not at the puck he just sent backwards.

Clearly targets the head, will definitely be serving time.
 
It looks like a tough one to call when it comes to the timing of the hit. However it does look like he did target the head and I'm not sure if it is just due to the impact or what, but it also looks like he came off the ice when he hit. Not as bad as the player from Phoenix during last years play offs, but it does look like he came off just a little bit. However like I said that could just be due to the impact.
 
The thing is, Perry should have been thinking about what was going to happen as he came stalking into the corner. Either A) Zucker gets rid of the puck...in which case, he's getting there late. Or B) Zucker continues along the boards with the puck, giving Perry his back, causing a hit from behind. I just don't see how Perry thought there was legal contact to be made there...and it definitely looked like he put a little extra oomph on it. It's hard to say whether he "launched" himself because it doesn't look like his skates leave the ice until after he makes contact...but I could see an argument for him pushing off as well. If anything he timed his "launch" perfectly.

And you can say it was "only one second", but Zucker had enough time to be looking at where he was trying to pass the puck and then turn back toward the direction he was moving before the hit came. But it wasn't enough time for Perry to lower the intensity of the contact? Whether he specifically targeted the head or not, I think he saw the opportunity for a big hit, and was going to go for it regardless of where the puck was or how the player was positioned.
 
If I read correctly the NHL put both players at fault. Perry for the obvious reasons and Zucker because he should have been paying attention. They didn't come out and say it like that however the wording “In spite of the fact that all players need to be aware of their surroundings,..." makes me think in a way they are saying it is partly his fault.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/13/ducks-perry-suspended-four-games-for-violent-check


EDIT: Are they still going with the division names they announced the other week?
 
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