(2014)-2015 NHL Thread

[Shawn Lutz]

SJ has always had questionable D depth and had a habit of choking in the playoffs, going back since before Joe was here. Being a dick hasn't prevented a lot of players from making the finals.

We lost Raffi and Vlassic, and lost to a team that went on to win 4 7 game series... which hasn't happened for a good while. It's not that SJ fell apart as much as Daryl Sutter coming up with better matchups after our top Dman got injured.

SJ just doesn't have the depth that any of the final 4 teams have. Oh well... as someone who has watched most of SJ's games over the last 20+ years, there was a whole bunch of little issues you can't blame one person on.

I think they had some really strong teams...They really should have a couple of cups by now...guess just proof how hard that thing is to win.

[xenophobe]

Yeah, the cup is the hardest sports trophy to win. Even Olympic Gold is easier, I think. lol

And yeah, SJ has had some strong teams but we've never really had good defense depth.

Well, you got your Lightning. I really don't care who wins at this point, I just didn't want the Ducks or LA to go deep.

[goodwood]

I want Chicago to win. Yzerman treating Martin St Louis like crap has me wanting Stevie Y to win nothing. Not only that but Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup parade back in 2004 was a disgrace - I think there was about 5000 people there. F you Bettman. I like the idea of Chicago having a pseudo-dynasty with 3 Cups in the past 5 years. Toews deserves it. The city deserves it for being a hockey city. Stamkos & Bishop: thanks for getting rid of the Habs but please get traded to hockey cities.

[clifffclaven]

That Anaheim series nearly gave me a stroke. Games 5 and 6 especially. Games 6&7, toews, Kane and Keith combined for 12 points, and game 5 i thought toews was gonna single handedly win it after the two goals in 1:12. That's elevating your game at the right time.

Let's go hawks!

[Shawn Lutz]

I want Chicago to win. Yzerman treating Martin St Louis like crap has me wanting Stevie Y to win nothing. Not only that but Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup parade back in 2004 was a disgrace - I think there was about 5000 people there. F you Bettman. I like the idea of Chicago having a pseudo-dynasty with 3 Cups in the past 5 years. Toews deserves it. The city deserves it for being a hockey city. Stamkos & Bishop: thanks for getting rid of the Habs but please get traded to hockey cities.

Have you seen Marty's Playoff stats? invisible.

How about the LA parade or the Duck parade?...bus ride around the rink with a hand full fans in a near empty parking lot

[kmanick]

this is a tough one for me.
I like the hawks but my sister lives down in Tampa now and I've been rooting for the lightning since the start of the playoffs.
But 3 cup wins for the hawks would be pretty cool.

[ulijdavid]

Have you seen Marty's Playoff stats? invisible.

A longtime Lightning fan here - stop throwing tomatoes!!! Anyway....without anybody really knowing what happened between Yzerman and St. Louis, the trade to the Rangers seemed to be all of St. Louis own doing. This coming from a fan with multiple St. Louis jerseys. I actually left work early when I heard he was traded. But, if you are not picked for the Olympic team sorry. There are a lot of great players to choose from. And Marty's play had started to decline - as pointed out with his playoff appearances this season. He showed up for one game. Yzerman had no choice but to trade him after he started whining to anyone with ears. He was a cancer in the locker room that had to be removed. Like I said, I don't think anyone knows the full story. But, I believe he truly wanted to be closer to his Connecticut home with his wife and kids. I have recently seen articles where he has stated his kids are heavily into hockey and is realistic enough to know if the kids are that good they are going to have to play somewhere more competitive than Florida.

As for the Cup, I think the Lightning are up against their toughest challenge. The lightning are built for speed with skill players. Chicago are built the same - but faster and more skill. It will also be interesting to see if Bishop can consistently show up. Game 7 of the Rangers Cooper had the lightning playing tight defense - 12 shots on Bishop not many that challenging. I am hoping for a good series.

[Shawn Lutz]

A longtime Lightning fan here - stop throwing tomatoes!!! Anyway....without anybody really knowing what happened between Yzerman and St. Louis, the trade to the Rangers seemed to be all of St. Louis own doing. This coming from a fan with multiple St. Louis jerseys. I actually left work early when I heard he was traded. But, if you are not picked for the Olympic team sorry. There are a lot of great players to choose from. And Marty's play had started to decline - as pointed out with his playoff appearances this season. He showed up for one game. Yzerman had no choice but to trade him after he started whining to anyone with ears. He was a cancer in the locker room that had to be removed. Like I said, I don't think anyone knows the full story. But, I believe he truly wanted to be closer to his Connecticut home with his wife and kids. I have recently seen articles where he has stated his kids are heavily into hockey and is realistic enough to know if the kids are that good they are going to have to play somewhere more competitive than Florida.

As for the Cup, I think the Lightning are up against their toughest challenge. The lightning are built for speed with skill players. Chicago are built the same - but faster and more skill. It will also be interesting to see if Bishop can consistently show up. Game 7 of the Rangers Cooper had the lightning playing tight defense - 12 shots on Bishop not many that challenging. I am hoping for a good series.

dude I didnt throw anything. I didn't mention mar-tan san-louee, goodwood did I thought it was a decent trade and Yzerman knows what he's doing...he has Olympic Gold and hopefully a 4th cup and his first as a GM

[ulijdavid]

No.....No....No.....I was talking in general about being a Lightning fan!!! We don't get any respect because we are not or are near being a hockey town. No....none of my comments were aimed at or criticizing any posts. I just wanted to post a perspective coming from someone that received a lot of information from local news stories.
I really respect your opinions - especially your reference to Tyler Johnson. He was on an upward path in the 2013-2014 season. He and the other triplets (Palat and Kucherov) have been playing well the entire year and came alive early in the playoffs. Not as hot as of late, but very difficult to maintain that pace.
Once again...no disrespect at all. Just making fun of myself as a hockey fan in 90 degree weather.

[Shawn Lutz]

No.....No....No.....I was talking in general about being a Lightning fan!!! We don't get any respect because we are not or are near being a hockey town. No....none of my comments were aimed at or criticizing any posts. I just wanted to post a perspective coming from someone that received a lot of information from local news stories.
I really respect your opinions - especially your reference to Tyler Johnson. He was on an upward path in the 2013-2014 season. He and the other triplets (Palat and Kucherov) have been playing well the entire year and came alive early in the playoffs. Not as hot as of late, but very difficult to maintain that pace.
Once again...no disrespect at all. Just making fun of myself as a hockey fan in 90 degree weather.

I would love for TB to win and hoist the cup. How cool would that be and and Tyler Johnson getting the Conn Smyth? I'm pulling for that...how huge would it be for an undersized, undrafted American player to lead the league in playoff scoring and playoff MVP? I'd love to see, I'm about the same size, 5'9 and real player weight of 175Lbs when I played. Size shouldn't squash any players dreams

The Triplets killed my team, Detroit.

I hear you on no respect, hockey belongs wherever a team can have a solid fan base and they have that in TB. I've lived in the Dallas area since 98 (from Detroit area) and root for the Stars whenever they don't play the Wings and we too put up ith the BS "hockey doesn't belong in TX, FL or CA" banter, winning a cup means nothing to those types. I guess hockey didnt belong on Calgary (Atlanta), Winnipeg (Phoenix) or Quebec City (Colorado) either since they folder way back when

[goodwood]

Everyone'sEveryone's playoff stats on the Rangers roster suck except Lundquist's. The trade...no problem, I would say thatTB actually won the trade...but it was the Olympic team spot that was the nail and the snub. St Louis CARRIED the Lightning that season after Stamkos got hurt. How quickly TB fans forget. Yzerman knows what he's doing? A monkey could have won the gold that year picking Canadians.

...and Shawn, don't ask me what you mean in that last line about Calgary, Winnipeg and Quebec - seems like a doobieous statement (deliberately misspelled, like one would have to be high to make it). Calgary folded? About 20,000 people turned out for a salute when they finished second. Winnipeg? That was Bettman all the way. The 'save the Jets' drive raised way more money than they were told that they would need but the papers were already signed. Phoenix now? Yep...put it in Hamilton. TB was GIVING AWAY tickets to their games when they won in 2004. Joke.

[Razor]

Well, my bracket looked like shit, but I did pick the Hawks to win it all so I finished respectfully. Missed the total finals goals scored by one too. Congrats to the Hawks fan, they're a damn good team!

[clifffclaven]

Good finals. Glad the hawks could win it, especially for kimmo. That's 3 cups in 6 years, dynasty territory. I suffered thru no home games on tv. Trading chelios, to the red wings no less. Getting swept by the pens in 92. The abc line and Eric daze being the 'franchise'.

I like this much better, lol!

Here's hoping for a repeat!

[goodwood]

Perhaps the nearest thing to a dynasty that we will see again(?). In this age, 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years is amazing!

[clifffclaven]

Perhaps the nearest thing to a dynasty that we will see again(?). In this age, 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years is amazing!

Especially in this salary cap era. Honestly, in 2010, i thought "one and done" when they had to dump half the team after winning.