NHL

[mkreku]

No, I am really looking forward to the Olympics. The absolutely best hockey is played in the Olympics and not the NHL or any other league. I love that tournament! I also like the World Cup of Hockey..

 

Anyhow, today swedish newspapers are complaining about how certain NHL teams are telling the swedish national team coaches that their swedish players are way too injured to play in the Olympics.. and then they play them fulltime in their own teams. They're basically forcing Sweden to go to the Olympics with their backup players because the NHL clubs are afraid the stars will get hurt during that short tournament.

 

Hey, here's an idea: how about NOT playing 82 totally pointless games before the playoffs! Lessen the amount of games to 60 and I am sure you'll see a real decrease of serious injuries during the season. It's not the Olympics that are hurting the players, it's the constant pressure to perform day in and day out for almost a year in the NHL that's the culprit.

[Kor Qel Droma]

So I take it you're not impressed with Naslund deciding to sit out then?

[mkreku]

Actually, I am kind of glad he didn't steal one of the roster spots on the swedish team. N

[Kor Qel Droma]

Here's hoping Edmonton can spank the jackets tonight and move within three points of Calgary.

 

edit: and it looks like we met the same fate as Calgary. Curse you Mark Denis!!!

Edited February 3, 2006 by Kor Qel Droma

[Kor Qel Droma]

Sorry for the doublepost, but here is a nice choppy video montage of Scott Stevens' top 10 hits.

[mkreku]

Both Crosby and Ovechkin resting their last games. Weaklings!!

 

Anyhow.. I saw that Alfredsson had 2 goals 1 assist and thought, "wow, now he's gaining on Jagr". But Jagr had 1 goal 1 assist.. You know you're going to lose the scoring race when you score three points in a game and still only gain one point against the leader. Jagr is too good this year.

[Deraldin]

Both Crosby and Ovechkin resting their last games. Weaklings!!

 

Anyhow.. I saw that Alfredsson had 2 goals 1 assist and thought, "wow, now he's gaining on Jagr". But Jagr had 1 goal 1 assist.. You know you're going to lose the scoring race when you score three points in a game and still only gain one point against the leader. Jagr is too good this year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But don't forget that the Senators have played three fewer games than the Rangers so far.

[Hurlshort]

The Western Conference is a mess.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Hurlshot

[Volourn]

"The absolutely best hockey is played in the Olympics and not the NHL or any other league."

 

No. Kinda hard to believe that when they have 10-0 games. Even the worst teams in the NHl don't normally suffer that kind of loss.

 

 

 

"how about NOT playing 82 totally pointless games before the playoffs!"

 

Not pointless games. the Olympics ar epointless as it's a bigoted event all about bashing other countries and the right to claim x country is better than y country.

 

 

"Lessen the amount of games to 60 and I am sure you'll see a real decrease of serious injuries during the season."

 

Uh. Obviously. Less games = less chance to get hurt. Duh.

 

 

"It's not the Olympics that are hurting the players, it's the constant pressure to perform day in and day out for almost a year in the NHL that's the culprit."

 

NHL is more important than the Olympics. for one thing, they get paid REAL money; not fake money. It is their job afterall. The Olympics give nothing to the players. The NHl does.

 

 

"I'll be the first to say Luongo is better than Belfour."

 

 

Possible.

 

 

" IMO he's the best goalie in the league"

 

Your opinion is wqrong. That's Hasek. Even the Rangers' rookie is much better than the overrated (yet good) Luongo.

 

 

"Jagr is too good this year."

 

Only because Jagr is the Rangers' offense. Alfredsson is just one of a bunch of gtreat offensive players on Ottawa.

 

Yeah, yeah. Rangers have other gifted point producers like Prucha and a fe wothers but they live off of Jagr. This is why Jagr should be MVP if he and the Rangers keep up their good play.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Volourn

[alanschu]

IMO Hasek and Lundqvist both have much better teams in front of them.

 

 

It's a lot easier to put up better stats if your team can score and play defense. Hasek hasn't really played for a poor defensive team that on any given night can give up 40 shots against.

 

Having a successful team in front of them puts less pressures on the goalies to perform as well.

[Hurlshort]

It is way harder to score a ton of points on a team like the Rangers than on the Senators. The Senators have quite a few gifted passers, and each line is a threat. That means the opponents are constantly challenged and worn down.

 

Jagre has to do quite a few things on his own. Trust me, my point totals always go up when I have talented people playing with me. A few of the Senators would really struggle on another team.

[Volourn]

"IMO Hasek and Lundqvist both have much better teams in front of them."

 

Not true for the Rangers. Want proof?

 

Check out the Senator back up stats, and compare with Hasek's. Then do the same with Lundqvist's back up. Really big difference. Lundqvist simply makes the Rangers' defense look better than it actually is.

 

Senators are a great team. The Rangers pretty much rely on two players who make the rest of the team look better then they truly are. Hence, why even though the Rangers ar eplaying well are likely not going to go past the 2nd round.

 

 

edit: Oops, seems I rememebred wrong. Hask's back up sucks as well. So yeah, Lundqvist and Hasek both make their teams look good not the other way around.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Volourn

[alanschu]

If you want to compare backups, you shouldn't compare to Flordia's. Florida has won zero games with Luongo out of net.

 

At least the Rangers are capable of actually winning with Weekes in net.

 

Of all goalies in the league with a .910 save percentage or better, only three have records below .500 - Luongo, Roloson, and Huet. Luongo is the only #1 goalie out of those three. The other two are backups (well, Roloson is 1B I guess). He's also the only starting goalie with a goals against average less than three, that does not have a winning record.

 

The only other starting goalies that have better than .900 save percentage with a losing record are on hideous teams: Fleury, Kolzig (just hit .900) and Denis.

 

 

And when goalies start putting up GAA of 2.00 (in today's NHL), it's not just the goalie that is responsible.

Edited February 3, 2006 by alanschu

[Volourn]

"Florida has won zero games with Luongo out of net."

 

Well... maybe if they allowed the back up to play more than 380 or so minutes (about 6 games) maybe the back up would have a chance to show them something. The guy's GAA is not much worse than Lungo's though his S% is worse.

 

In comparison, Weekes has played nearly 20 games. Of course, he has been able to win.

 

 

"And when goalies start putting up GAA of 2.00 (in today's NHL), it's not just the goalie that is responsible."

 

It's 90% goalie. Explain then why both Hask and Lunqvist's backups have GAA of about 1 full goal higher and a S% not even the same stratosphere yet they play on the same team. Espicially since the Rangers' back up was supposed to be their main starter?

 

It's simple. Lundqvist,a nd Hasek are the reasons why the Rangers and Senators are doing so well defesnively. They make their teams better not the other way around. Afterall, if it was the teams making them better then the back ups would also have great stats... but they don't. Heck, the Rangers' bakc up is brely .500 (and counting OT losses he'd be under).

 

Luongo is good. Possibly even great. But, he's simply not at Hasek's or Lundqvist's level. Or even Brodeur's (not that he's taken control of his game), or even that silly Calagry goalie. Lunongo is a top 10 goalie; but that's it.

 

 

Fernandez (MIN), Legace (DET), and a few others are all having much better years than Lungo. And, I don't think anyone is gonna accuse Minnesota of having a stacked team.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Volourn

[alanschu]

This is the "great" thing about statistics. Especially of goalies.

 

The reason why Ray Emery has a much worse GAA and SV% than Hasek is because he had an 8 goal against game. Given he played a handful of games, it's not surprising he has inflated stats. Prior to his past couple of games, he had a GAA of 2.27 and a save percentage of .920. A couple of bad games, and suddenly he's not even in the same "stratosphere." Ray Emery had also set the record for the most consequtive wins by a goalie to start his career.

 

You guys place waaaaaaay too emphasis on statistics. Watching the goalies play is so much more. I know that that is not possible (I have limited exposure to Lundqvist), but stats only tell so much...and often not very much. There's a reason why Luongo was picked for the Olympic team with lesser stats than Fernandez or Legace. There's also a reason why teams everywhere are interested in the prospect of Luongo being traded, and not so much a Manny Fernandez.

 

Goalie stats are the most bizarre because a tiny bad stretch can make numbers look bigger, whereas a hot streak makes the numbers look way more impressive. Ty Conlin seemed like a solid goalie at the end of the previous season, because the team in front of him was playing absolutely on fire. And it's no surprise that Emery was able to go undefeated in his short career for so long playing on a powerful team like Ottawa.

 

I mean, the Rangers should put in Chris Holt! He hasn't even been scored on!

[Volourn]

Funny. But, now you are being silly. I would never use such a small amount of playing time as a sign of a goalie's worth. Of course, the Rangers' actual back up has played about 20 games. That's not that small of a sample.

 

And, yes, I do place stats up high. It's the best way to rank goalies 'cause like you said, one cna't watch every goalie so stats are the best way to rate goalies just like point totals or PPG are a good way to rate players (as Jagr isn't leading the NHL in PPG).

 

But, I don't just use stats. if I did I'd be the first one bashing Ed Belfour as his stats are not that impressive this year. But, I udnerstand his team is simply dreadful. then again, I wouldn't rate Belfour as one of the best goalies this year either.

 

Lungo is up there; but he's no elite. Elite goalies get their team into the play-offs. Hasek managed to pull it off with Buffalo. Heck, Roy won two cups in Montreal besides having a simply average team in front of him.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Volourn

[Kor Qel Droma]

You mean Hasek in Buffalo, right Volo?

[Volourn]

Oops... yeah.

[alanschu]

Lungo is up there; but he's no elite. Elite goalies get their team into the play-offs. Hasek managed to pull it off with Buffalo. Heck, Roy won two cups in Montreal besides having a simply average team in front of him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I think people don't give those Montreal teams or Buffalo teams enough credit.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Buffalo was actually a hard working, gritty team in the late nineties. The kind that brought the lunchpail when they showed up to the ice. Plus Hasek was a total ass back then as well, beating on reporters, feigning injury minutes before games, and publicly denouncing his coach. Class act, that dominator...

[mkreku]

Does it matter? I don't know any player more headed for the hall of fame than the Dominator anyhow. He might be an ass, he might be feigning injury minutes, but he is still the best goalie the NHL has seen (except for Roy and perhaps Brodeur) in the last 10 years.

 

He really is the dominator.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I dont know, I think as people look back on Hasek they might remember more of his antics than his actual skill. Besides, I think his one cup playing with Detroit won't hold up against the number Roy won or even Brodeur's three victories with the Devils. If he wins this year with Ottawa, my opinion might change, but as it is the only thing I think he should be awarded with is an Oscar for best actor.

[alanschu]

My roommate, while still acknowledging that Hasek IS a good goalie, felt a bit of his accoldaes and achievements came from playing an an excellent defensive team.

[mkreku]

Was it 1998 or 2002 when the Czech's won the Olympic gold? They only had ONE food forward (Jagr) and Hasek. Hasek totally dominated the entire tournament and shut out everyone. That's one of the times when I realized his true greatness. Of course, his stats in the NHL also tell of his greatness..

[mkreku]

I'm drunk and I'm going to bed and the Leafs trail Washington 3 to 1. I hate hockey!!1

 

GOOD NIGHT!