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OT: 2021-22 NHL Regular Season Thread

Careful. Without goaltending, you're about to become the butt of your own joke.
Not really, I have not watched hockey in a few years. Yea, I want the Devils to win, but I am just not into it as much anymore. One good thing about getting older and raising children is, realizing what is important. To me a goaltender isn't. Happy Easter. BTW, Rags ain't winning the cup this year. Thought you might want to know in advance so you can be done mourning another failure of a season for the rags before it is over.
 
Not really, I have not watched hockey in a few years. Yea, I want the Devils to win, but I am just not into it as much anymore. One good thing about getting older and raising children is, realizing what is important. To me a goaltender isn't. Happy Easter. BTW, Rags ain't winning the cup this year. Thought you might want to know in advance so you can be done mourning another failure of a season for the rags before it is over.

Sorry. I don't mourn. It's just a game after all.
 
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Not really, I have not watched hockey in a few years. Yea, I want the Devils to win, but I am just not into it as much anymore. One good thing about getting older and raising children is, realizing what is important. To me a goaltender isn't. Happy Easter. BTW, Rags ain't winning the cup this year. Thought you might want to know in advance so you can be done mourning another failure of a season for the rags before it is over.
It’s a good thing you started paying attention to hockey less if you think the only enjoyment a fan can get out of their team is if they win a championship.

The Rangers’ season has already been a success with making the playoffs and a top five point total.

The Devils are right where I predicted when they hired Ruff from the Rangers. They are struggling on defense because his team’s leave the goalie hung out to dry and the Devils goalies aren’t up to it, but they are doing a well on offense and that is the important thing with Hischier and Hughes. A coaching change to a guy with a better system will have a big impact on the record.

The Islanders are in some trouble because they are spending a lot of money on a fairly old team, but Shesterkin’s season has covered up how good Sorokin is doing, so at least they are set at goalie for the future.
 
It’s a good thing you started paying attention to hockey less if you think the only enjoyment a fan can get out of their team is if they win a championship.

The Rangers’ season has already been a success with making the playoffs and a top five point total.

The Devils are right where I predicted when they hired Ruff from the Rangers. They are struggling on defense because his team’s leave the goalie hung out to dry and the Devils goalies aren’t up to it, but they are doing a well on offense and that is the important thing with Hischier and Hughes. A coaching change to a guy with a better system will have a big impact on the record.

The Islanders are in some trouble because they are spending a lot of money on a fairly old team, but Shesterkin’s season has covered up how good Sorokin is doing, so at least they are set at goalie for the future.
You did not READ what I said. Thanks for your concern. Happy Easter.
 
It’s a good thing you started paying attention to hockey less if you think the only enjoyment a fan can get out of their team is if they win a championship.

The Rangers’ season has already been a success with making the playoffs and a top five point total.

The Devils are right where I predicted when they hired Ruff from the Rangers. They are struggling on defense because his team’s leave the goalie hung out to dry and the Devils goalies aren’t up to it, but they are doing a well on offense and that is the important thing with Hischier and Hughes. A coaching change to a guy with a better system will have a big impact on the record.

The Islanders are in some trouble because they are spending a lot of money on a fairly old team, but Shesterkin’s season has covered up how good Sorokin is doing, so at least they are set at goalie for the future.

A coaching change should help improve the Devils, but don't think that alone will be enough.

Their championship teams had goaltending and a solid defense corps. They have Doug Hamilton and no keeper for now.

The 2 young centers are important building blocks, but the rest of the roster needs upgrading as well.

In my opinion, the biggest question is, is it the GM, or ownership? I'm not throwing stones; that is just an honest assessment of the challenge they have.
 
It’s a good thing you started paying attention to hockey less if you think the only enjoyment a fan can get out of their team is if they win a championship.

The Rangers’ season has already been a success with making the playoffs and a top five point total.

The Devils are right where I predicted when they hired Ruff from the Rangers. They are struggling on defense because his team’s leave the goalie hung out to dry and the Devils goalies aren’t up to it, but they are doing a well on offense and that is the important thing with Hischier and Hughes. A coaching change to a guy with a better system will have a big impact on the record.

The Islanders are in some trouble because they are spending a lot of money on a fairly old team, but Shesterkin’s season has covered up how good Sorokin is doing, so at least they are set at goalie for the future.
NYI are a funny team. They are completely built for the playoffs and NOT the regular season. I have no doubt if they had gotten in, they would win 2 rounds…again. But, they were never going to win it all without more scoring. Now, that issue has finally reached such a critical mass that they can’t even get through the reg season. Like krup mentioned, not sure what the options are. For sure the shine of LL has taken a hit here too.

NJD are just repeating history. I put them in the same org cycle that the PENs have. Lose. A lot. Win some lotteries. Get great and lucky drafting. Win some cups. Rinse. Repeat. I have no doubt they will bounce back. It’s just what some orgs do.

Now, NYR are a weird case. This “rebuild” has NEVER been in the orgs dna. They have not finished in the bottom 5 for 60 years. No other locals can say that. Even this rebuild was kind of suspect. They didn’t shamefully tank
like most do. They got lucky as hell to win 2 lottery picks. But in typical NYR fashion, with the wingers they already had, one could argue that not winning and getting 2 Cs - ZEGRAS and LUNDELL probably would have been better than what they got. Regardless, top 5 youngest and top 5 in the league is uncharted waters for this org. I’m sure some fans are still waiting for the next MIDDLETON for HODGE shoe to drop, lol. Maybe. Or maybe doing something different this time around will work for a change. We shall see.
 
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A coaching change should help improve the Devils, but don't think that alone will be enough.

Their championship teams had goaltending and a solid defense corps. They have Doug Hamilton and no keeper for now.

The 2 young centers are important building blocks, but the rest of the roster needs upgrading as well.

In my opinion, the biggest question is, is it the GM, or ownership? I'm not throwing stones; that is just an honest assessment of the challenge they have.
Granted they started with better goaltending, but the Islanders instantly went from one of the lowest rated defensive teams to one of the highest with the Trotz hire.

The right (or wrong) system can make a big difference in hockey. A good example is how I and others predicted exactly how the Devils would look a few years in after the Ruff hire.
 
NYI are a funny team. They are completely built for the playoffs and NOT the regular season. I have no doubt if they had gotten in, they would win 2 rounds…again. But, they were never going to win it all without more scoring. Now, that issue has finally reached such a critical mass that they can’t even get through the reg season. Like krup mentioned, sure what the options are. For sure the shine of LL has taken a hit here too.

NJD are just repeating history. I put them in the same org cycle that the PENs have. Lose. A lot. Win some lotteries. Get great and lucky drafting. Win some cups. Rinse. Repeat. I have no doubt they will bounce back. It’s just what some orgs do.

Now, NYR are a weird case. This “rebuild” has NEVER been in the orgs dna. They have not finished in the bottom 5 for 60 years. No other locals can say that. Even this rebuild was kind of suspect. They didn’t shamefully tank
like most do. They got lucky as hell to win 2 lottery picks. But in typical NYR fashion, with the wingers they already had, one could argue that not winning and getting 2 Cs - ZEGRAS and LUNDELL probably would have been better than what they got. Regardless, top 5 youngest and top 5 in the league is uncharted waters for this org. I’m sure some fans are still waiting for the next MIDDLETON for HODGE shoe to drop, lol. Maybe. Or maybe doing something different this time around will work for a change. We shall see.
Well, the Rangers managed to spend themselves into cap issues next year just a few years after they had a ton of space. Let’s see how the handle the 2C situation (extending Zibanejad should have disqualified them from thinking they can keep Strome, but it’s the Rangers so who knows?).

Ironically, the slowed development of some of their prospects might be the thing that saves them. They should get away with relatively cheap bridge deals on several of their young players, which pushes the most severe cap decisions out to a time several of the high priced veterans lose their NMCs.

It’s much easier to build a defensive structure than manufacture highly skilled offensive players out of thin air, so I am more positive about the Devils future assuming they make the right hire after Ruff. For example I heard that Cassidy could surprisingly be in trouble if the Bruins go quickly in the playoffs. He would be a great hire for the Devils (look at how the Bruins always play tight defense with a bunch of unheralded players).
 
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The NHL Draft Lottery will be held on May 10th!
2 things I can say with absolute metaphysical certitude:
1 - ARI will not win. First, they only have a 16.5% chance. More importantly, the Hockey Gods just don’t seem to like that org, lol.
2 - NJD will absolutely win. They haven’t in a few years. And when they stink, the NHL can’t go that long without them getting a top 3 pick. It’s in the league‘s charter, hehe.
 
2 things I can say with absolute metaphysical certitude:
1 - ARI will not win. First, they only have a 16.5% chance. More importantly, the Hockey Gods just don’t seem to like that org, lol.
2 - NJD will absolutely win. They haven’t in a few years. And when they stink, the NHL can’t go that long without them getting a top 3 pick. It’s in the league‘s charter, hehe.
Great post! One more reason the Devils will probably win, this year's draft has good, not great talent at the top! Definitely not a year a team would want to win it, IMO.
 
Great post! One more reason the Devils will probably win, this year's draft has good, not great talent at the top! Definitely not a year a team would want to win it, IMO.
Right. This seems like a solid draft class, but the REAL prize is BEDARD next year. *drool*

Looks like the best prospect since McDAVID.
 
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I would like to see the Devils land at 2 or 3 and take either, D Simon Nemec or LW Jaral Slafkowsky. It Shane Wright goes #1 I think we will think of this draft, akin to the Stefan draft. Yikes.
 
Copp from Panarin & Trouba
Copp from Panarin & Fox
Copp from Panarin & Strome

3-0 Rangers after 1.

That line is doing ok.
 
Last game of this season and I'm thinking, I really hope Harris and Blitzer do not scrap our classic NJD logo uniforms for the crass Jersey uniforms. Unfortunately I predict they will.
 
Fair assessment for the playoffs:

2. New York Rangers

Record: 52-24-6 (110 points)

Case for a Stanley Cup run: Let's start with the best goalie in the world. Igor Shesterkin led the NHL in save percentage and goals saved above average, carrying the Rangers for the first two-thirds of the season as New York was near the bottom of the league in even-strength analytics. But right around the trade deadline, the Rangers' play started to pick up and continued to trend upward through the final month of the season under first-year coach Gerard Gallant. There's more to the team than just a dominant goalie, however. Chris Kreider became just the fourth player in Rangers history to top 50 goals. Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. The role players GM Chris Drury added along the way -- such as forwards Barclay Goodrow and Andrew Copp -- have bolstered the team.

Biggest flaw(s): Power plays don't always come easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). Only four teams had a lower expected goals-for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than the Rangers this season: the Sabres, Kraken, Coyotes and Blackhawks. Not exactly the best offensive company to keep.

Player to watch: Mika Zibanejad was back to being a point-per-game center this season, playing the majority of his time with Kreider and assisting on 24 of his goals. He's a dynamic offensive talent who has 11 points in his past 15 playoff games.

Bold prediction: Shesterkin pitches two shutouts in the opening round as the Rangers advance.

 
Fair assessment for the playoffs:

2. New York Rangers

Record: 52-24-6 (110 points)

Case for a Stanley Cup run: Let's start with the best goalie in the world. Igor Shesterkin led the NHL in save percentage and goals saved above average, carrying the Rangers for the first two-thirds of the season as New York was near the bottom of the league in even-strength analytics. But right around the trade deadline, the Rangers' play started to pick up and continued to trend upward through the final month of the season under first-year coach Gerard Gallant. There's more to the team than just a dominant goalie, however. Chris Kreider became just the fourth player in Rangers history to top 50 goals. Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. The role players GM Chris Drury added along the way -- such as forwards Barclay Goodrow and Andrew Copp -- have bolstered the team.

Biggest flaw(s): Power plays don't always come easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). Only four teams had a lower expected goals-for per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than the Rangers this season: the Sabres, Kraken, Coyotes and Blackhawks. Not exactly the best offensive company to keep.

Player to watch: Mika Zibanejad was back to being a point-per-game center this season, playing the majority of his time with Kreider and assisting on 24 of his goals. He's a dynamic offensive talent who has 11 points in his past 15 playoff games.

Bold prediction: Shesterkin pitches two shutouts in the opening round as the Rangers advance.

The writer is pretty inconsistent. First, they mention the Rangers bad 5v5 numbers and how they improved greatly post deadline, but then the biggest flaw they-put as their season long 5v5 play (even though he just conceded they are improving). Finally. they top it off with Zibanejad as the player to watch, even though his counting stats are power play heavy and not great at 5v5.
 
How was that goalie interference? He was hit from behind!
 
How was that goalie interference? He was hit from behind!
Typical pro-Penguins call. Getting hit from behind should have negated any interference, but their twisted logic was that even with the hit, Kakko didn’t do enough to try and avoid the goalie. How is he supposed to react in time to a hit from behind that happens in the same second he is trying to make a move on the goalie?
 
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Typical pro-Penguins call. Getting hit from behind should have negated any interference, but their twisted logic was that even with the hit, Kakko didn’t do enough to try and avoid the goalie. How is he supposed to react in time to a hit from behind that happens in the same second he is trying to make a move on the goalie?
Whether it makes sense or not, that is exactly what the rule says.
 
Whether it makes sense or not, that is exactly what the rule says.

They would have been better using the "in the process of blowing the play dead" excuse.
There was no evidence to overturn the call, only belief that Kakko could have avoided the goaltender. When that is the case, I think they need to defer to the on ice call.

Had it been ruled no goal on the ice. I wouldn't have liked it, but you couldn't argue that there was evidence to overturn THAT call either.
 
Whether it makes sense or not, that is exactly what the rule says.
The rule says that, but the correct interpretation of the rule is that Kakko DID make every possible attempt to avoid the goalie because the nature of the push meant no attempt to avoid the goalie was possible.
 
I am more upset it did not include getting rid of the goalie coach! It looks to me like ownership does not want to pay someone to sit home.

All that money, and a desire to keep buying teams, but no sense of urgency to make the team's they already own, be the best they can be.
 
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Can we all just pause for a minute and send some get well vibes to Tom Wilson who had to leave last night’s Caps-Panthers game early with an injury?

nah, just kidding. He’s a dirty piece of s-.
 
Kinda like what Met fans and rag fans went through for a few decades.
Absolutely!!! I think the Devils have an ownership problem. If they do not get a hockey guy in to solely run the Devils, we will continue to suck for the foreseeable future! What a shame.
 
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After reading what Fitzgerald said, I can now say Ruff will be back. There is no reason that goalie coach, Dave R. is still employed. He should have been fired in-season!

It is apparent to me Fitzgerald-Ruff is like Ash-Nieman. I think it will have the same result. You can't run a franchise by committee. Unfortunately, Harris and Blitzer are.
 
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