And away we go NHL thread!!!!

[Shawn Lutz]

I think the West is tougher pound for pound, what do you guys think?

Acually I think there is a bit more parity between the conferences than there used to be. Having said that I'll give the west the nod in strength again...lol

What is tougher if the amount of travel for the western conference teams.
I mean those are some brutal road trips for NYI, NJ, WASH, Philly, BOS, TOR, MTL....lol

[Hellbat]

It's funny. Every time people talk about the west being stronger, the east kills them in the all-star game. Of course the ASG isn't representative of real hockey but it's still funny to me.

Kings are kind of having a Penguins effect. A bunch of crappy years let them stack in the draft ad now they are reaping the benefit. Sort of the same with the Blackhawks too. Thats what sucks if you are Ranger or Canuck fan. The team always makes the playoffs and ends up with middling draft picks.

[atomic charvel guy]

I think the Islanders could be a good team in a couple of years, they're very young.
The travel schedule is ridiculously more tough for the West teams.
I wish the devils would just go away.

[Hellbat]

Well the problem with the Islanders is they are eating a ton of cap space on the DiPietro contract and the guy is fragile. I don't think Grath Snow was a great choice to GM the team coming straight from backup goaltender to GM. Plus the owner is a bit flakey and they aren't really doing well building/fan wise.

At least they owned the early 80's.

[Shawn Lutz]

Hellbat, what is missing from All-Star games?
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Defense and contact so ASG's shouldnt be used to determine strength of the conference. Hell even the Cup cant be, you can have one great team in the east that wins the cup but that doesnt say anything about the rest of the conference as a whole

[atomic charvel guy]

the all star game blows. but I dig the skills competition the day before.

[atomic charvel guy]

what a shellacking of the flyers tonight.
and the Predators keep rolling......................

[Hellbat]

Wonder how long Mike Green will be out for the Capitals after his face becoming one with the boards on the Koci hit from behind. Hopefully he can still play for Canada in the Olympics. It will be interesting to see how hard the league hits Koci too since he took two guys out in the same game.

[atomic charvel guy]

the Kings win again, but they're 9th on the power rankings on NHL on the Fly as their goal differential is only a +4. The Hurricanes are -40, yowza.

[Shawn Lutz]

LamborGreenie will be alright and may not miss any more time

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/green-says-hes-okay.html

The hits form behind and shots to the head are getting outta hand. I mean I love a big hit just like everyone else but you gotta let up when have the numbers are facing you. There is no respect players anymore.

[Hellbat]

Yeah even when you think back to Scott Stevens destroying people, it was all open ice. There may have been head contact but it was when guys were bent over reaching for pucks and stuff. Now it seems like people are trying to drive skulls through glass.

Some of it is gear too. With the way pads have morphed into armor now the players feel invincible, but where an old foam rubber/leather elbow pad had some natural give, the new plastic ones are harder than bone.

[Shawn Lutz]

I hear you on the pads. Look at the shoulder pad these guys wear these days, some of them look like football shoulder pads and have bullet proof caps on them. Hell I still wear my taped up oldies from Juniors (think Shanny and Chelios style).

I did get some new Jofa elbow and chin pads a few years back, super light but man, I I threw a Gordie Howe elbow, I'd kill someone with those suckers

[atomic charvel guy]

i'm fukkin' done after last night.

[Shawn Lutz]

9th Wing down. Zetterberg took a killer (but clean) hit from Ohlund and left with an upper body injury, dunno, shoulder or back...fuck. They have some big games coming up against Dallas and an home and home with the central division leading Blackhawks...shit...I hope its not a major injury...call up another kid, get out the band-aids and duct tape.

[atomic charvel guy]

he did get pummeled.
9 guys out and you're still better than the rangers.
I will say that gaborik right now is almost unstoppable. the crosby's, ovechkins, thorntons, sedins, malkins all have firepower around them but gaborik has nobody
and he is still producing as much as teams key on him. goal and 2 assists tonight
and a win over the islanders who actually outshot and outplayed them, lundqvist saved their wretched asses.