And away we go NHL thread!!!!

[clifffclaven]

Chara is a defenseman...not really much of a stand in front guy. In fact, he didn't play in front of his own net that well either.



I knew that I was missing something big in the Khabibulin story. It's so easy to forget about a player when they go to Edmonton.

I was actually surprised that Chicago signed Huet as he was rather half-assed in Washington but came on strong(ish) in the playoffs. There are many many cases of backups stealing the show (particularly this year) but Hasek would have been amazing had Chicago played him - it's just that they had Belfour at the time. Hasek needed to see a lot of pucks to perform well. If he had've spent those prime years of his career anywhere other than Buffalo he'd have a couple of rings to show for it. Definitely one of the best of all-time.

Didnt hasek win a couple with detroit?

[Shawn Lutz]

Didnt hasek win a couple with detroit?

Hasek won one in 2002 and then got yanked for Ozzie for the 2008 cup but yeah, he has 2 cups, one played for, one watching

[Spivonious]

Man, Hasek was quite the character in Buffalo. The only way to beat him was to rattle him a bit. That team had Matthew Barnaby too, right?

[Rupe]

Man, Hasek was quite the character in Buffalo. The only way to beat him was to rattle him a bit. That team had Matthew Barnaby too, right?

For a while, correct. Pens picked him up for a few years and then he was with the Lightening and and the Rangers. Last I recall he ended up in CO prior to the lockout season. He was a great agitator who brought a little offense to the table as well...he'd fight anybody and could beat nobody

[Tekky]

For a while, correct. Pens picked him up for a few years and then he was with the Lightening and and the Rangers. Last I recall he ended up in CO prior to the lockout season. He was a great agitator who brought a little offense to the table as well...he'd fight anybody and could beat nobody

Thankfully the GM who brought him here to Chicago is no longer in Chicago.

[atomic charvel guy]

I don't know about you but I'm dopesick from no hockey already.

[Spivonious]

I don't know about you but I'm dopesick from no hockey already.

The anticipation is making it very hard to stay focused on writing software, that's for sure.

[Shawn Lutz]

I don't know about you but I'm dopesick from no hockey already.

No kidding, not only do we not have hockey until Saturday night. This week the Tigers and the Rangers bot have 2 off days and played day games yesterday so I'm jonesing for some sports

I did see some the Yankee game last night, really just to check out the Twins new outdoor yard, Target Field. Nice ballopark but that tan limestone almost looks like cardboard boxes lol...

[atomic charvel guy]

too many squirrels in that park.

[goodwood]

Didnt hasek win a couple with detroit?

Yes, but that's like Ray Bourque's ring with Colorado...they were winning anyway. I rarely see a Championship the same way if someone is on a team for a while as opposed to being traded or signing with a team that is already loaded.

Anyway...that's my own 'old school hockey' attitude coming out. The main point is that while in his prime he was on a mediocre team. While in Detroit his prime was past.

Although they should have probably won that Stanley Cup vs. Dallas. Tough call.

[clifffclaven]

Yes, but that's like Ray Bourque's ring with Colorado...they were winning anyway. I rarely see a Championship the same way if someone is on a team for a while as opposed to being traded or signing with a team that is already loaded.

Anyway...that's my own 'old school hockey' attitude coming out. The main point is that while in his prime he was on a mediocre team. While in Detroit his prime was past.

Although they should have probably won that Stanley Cup vs. Dallas. Tough call.

I would disagree, hasek in 2002 was still the "hasek" we knew- still on top of his game. the 08 cup, i would agree, Osgood became their #1 guy.

99 vs. Dallas, yeah, the brett hull in the crease was BS, but that was still game 6 with dallas up 3-2. Wouldve been surprised to see buffalo win game 7 in dallas, but you never know.

[goodwood]

Well, I don't mean to suggest that he was ready for the boneyard but had already peaked and was not the Hasek of the '90s. Damn, look at the defense he had in front of him in 2002. Anyone of reasonable competence may have won the Stanley Cup with them.

That's my opinion anyway. I think he was likely in the top few netminders of all time. Save percentage man. That's the only stat that means anything for a goalie in my opinion...wins is what matters to the team.

[Shawn Lutz]

Dom earned the 02 cup, got a few shutouts in the playoffs and a big one in Game 7 against Colorado in the conference finals.

We have hockey tonight boys, finally

[goodwood]

Dom earned the 02 cup, got a few shutouts in the playoffs and a big one in Game 7 against Colorado in the conference finals.

Sure did...as did the whole team...incidentally one of the most stacked teams in history...Yzerman, Shanny, Hull, and some core players that are still on the team like Lidstrom and Datsyuk & Holmstrom. Not to mention Fedorov, Robitaille and Chelios when Chelios could still emerge from the corner scrum with the puck every time. That was an all-star team.

Hasek won the '02 Cup with a .920 save percentage. He had save percentages with Buffalo in the playoffs in '98 and '99 of .938 and .939 (and Belfour had .930 when Dallas beat Buffalo in '99)

By comparison, Brodeur won the '03 cup with a .935 save percentage (and incidentally a higher than .920 for all three Stanley Cups that he won), Khabibulin won in '04 with a .933. and as for regular season save percentage, Dom had a .915 for the season in 2001-2002 with Detroit which was lower than any of his previous 8 seasons with Buffalo on teams that had nowhere near the defense that Detroit had.

So statistically speaking, there was a bit of a decline from his peak in 1996-1999 where he had a save percentage of .930 or better all three of those seasons leading up to the battle against Dallas in the finals.

I've always been a big fan of great goalies so when Hasek started making his presence known in the NHL I was immediately a fan of his. Anyway, Detoit didn't need the Dom of old...they just needed the Dom of the day which was still good enough.

We have hockey tonight boys, finally

It should be a blast of a game!

[atomic charvel guy]

I really hate that Amstel Light goal song.
5-4 hawks in the 2nd.