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Perfect And since there's some sensitive people *points* up there who can't handle some levity in the thread, let me be painfully on topic in sharing my opinion on The State of the NHL: The game is changing. The league is changing. The way the game was played 30 years ago would be a bad fit for the current situation on multiple levels. As someone mentioned before, players today are faster, bigger, and stronger than ever before. Gear is more high tech. And we have knowledge now regarding health and safety issues that was not widely available before. The league would be foolish and unprogressive if they dug their heels in and refused to develop the game in a way that addresses these challenges. Do I like every change that is made? No. But I also have no misconceptions that me raging against the machine is gonna make a rabbit's fart of a difference. "Pretend we have an audience.". We *do*. Social media has developed to a point where officials ABSOLUTELY know how fans of the game feel about each and every little thing. They just don't *care*. Because here's the kicker, and if I have to pick the one thing that bothers me the most it would be this: WE are not who the league is reaching out to. The die hard, post on a hockey team's message board, donate money to charity based on playoff performance, contemplate homicide of other players not on our team who are probably pretty nice guys otherwise type people are going to follow our team /the league *anyway*. Our $ is not the growth, because it has always *been there*. These changes, the outreach, the people pleasing (if any) will not be directed at us. It will be directed at Joe Non-hockey Schmo whose ass they're trying to pull into a seat. Trying to pull into the NHL shop. Trying to pull into buying that cable package or GCL. So the game is gonna change. Because hockey is not very accessible to people who aren't familiar with it. Do I like it? Not necessarily, but in a way that mirrors why my grandpa doesn't like it that he can't find a doctor with a name he can pronounce. There are some changes the league is looking into that I think will be beneficial like 4-4 overtime and video reviews, but to opine that the league is "changing" because it's not like it was 30 years ago is short-sighted, unnecessarily nostalgic, and unprogressive. Time marches on. Things change. And now I've forgotten my larger point. Which is why "old man yells at cloud" sums up my feelings perfectly, and isn't as sarcastic as you thought. You...should probably step away from your keyboard for a minute.

I think it was less Stamkos sucking and more the Wings being awesome.

I believe they prefer to be referred to as "Ouverrated Gutteaur Trash du Montreál"

Totally agree. Anyone who thinks that hockey can go back to the way it was 50 years ago is either completely clueless to how much faster/stronger/skilled the players are now a days, or just refuse to accept it. Anyone who thinks the players of 50 years ago are "tougher" then today, have no clue. If Jacques Plante gets hit in the temple with a Shea Weber Slap Shot, he's not shaking it off, he's unconscious. I would even argue if it hits him in the wrong place, could result in death. The reason why the guys from years ago played through injuries is because the guys from 50 years ago were not being hit even close to as hard as the guys from today. Sure guys back then played through broken fingers and toes etc. but so do the guys now a days (ie. Abby). Plus, if all these guys from years back thought that the way it was is better then today, they wouldn't be suing the NHL in 2015.

Blame Holland? Absolutely. He deserves a ton of credit for supplying us with the deepest crop of prospects in the league and great cap position. Kudos Holland.

Sounds like something Crosby would say.

Montreal is overrated gutter trash

I love seeing Montreal losing like this. I don't care who is winning. I just like watching them lose.

Lots of teams? Like who? The first one I can kind of think of is Carolina. And they at least had Staal. Quenneville had an 88 point player in Kane, a 68 point great two way forward in Toews, and a Norris winning defenseman in Keith. And Hossa. So he had three superstar forwards and a great #1 d-man. Quenneville hadn't been to the Cup finals until he coached a team with that talent. Sutter didn't win the Cup until he had Kopitar, Doughty, Quick, along with Brown, Richards and Carter. Sutter had several great forwards, a great #1 d-man, and a great playoff goaltender. Are you really saying those two teams won the Cup without players of the calibre of Datsyuk and Zetterberg?

Babcock is going with ken Holland to the worlds to talk to Dylan Larkin... Doesn't seem like something he would do if he didn't plan on being back.

Great job with the adversity Griffs

This makes me sad that I can only like a post one time

Lightning giving the Habs an a** kicking! Good

GIF of AA's goal https://twitter.com/TheAHL/status/595004805208244225

I used to want to be made into a marionette like Bob barker was for the last five years on the price is right, but no one else was into that.Now I want a viking funeral. Coins on my eyes, and light me on fire on top of a pyre. My family was fighting at my grandpas funeral last month, which made me feel horrible. My poor grandma. So me and her left and went to the casino while they all went to eat... Which she loved, I still have family that won't talk to me because of it... But I think, if you're fighting in front of a woman who's been widowed after 65 years of marriage, you deserve to be hit in the mouth.

I totally agree that there's a lot of inconsistency in how the game is officiated, but we can't ignore that the players are getting stronger, faster and more skilled. That above all else is the cause of change we see in the NHL. They did put restrictions on goalie equipment size, while still keeping them protected. Remember, not a single goalie would've been ok being maskless with Weber shots flying by eye level at 100 mph.

How do you define "competitive"? Winning the Stanley Cup every year? Holland's Wings are competitive. They win more than they lose. They go to the playoffs, EVERY YEAR. They're just a couple players away from a championship team. There are 30 teams. 30 GMs. 53% chance of making the playoffs 27% chance of making it to the second round 13% chance of making it to the conference finals 7% chance of making it to the cup finals 3% chance of winning the cup Under Holland since '97, this is how we've done: 100% - Made Playoffs 64% - made it to second round 31% - made it to conference finals 25% - made it to Stanley Cup finals 19% - won Stanley Cup It's time for people to chill. You can't always win, but damn, we sure do win more than we don't.

Agreed. The kids showed a lot of improvement over last year, and I do believe next year they will take it even further. This year they learned how to win in the playoffs. Next year they must learn how to deal with finishing blow in a series. Against Boston they were overwhelmed. This year the started off the same way, but begun to fight back, and fight for space. I thought the kids got better as the series went. With a deeper blueline we'd still be playing right now.

Him being a better all around player. I don't understand all the flack he's getting I thought he was one of our better players these playoffs. There's more to his game than just points. He's developing as a good playmaker and his defensive game is getting better and better. I think the franchise views him as the more valuable asset as well. Tatar was the most disappointing player these playoffs for me

nyquist is too small. he's the guy i would trade and he has plenty of value, especially in a more elaborate package. i'd do a huge splash with the leafs. phaneuf/jvr for nyquist, smith, weiss and a pick. i'm giving the pick because while jvr and nyquist score about the same currently, jvr is big and can hit the dirty spots. by them taking weiss we'll take all of phaneuf's cap hit. sort of reminds me of the shanahan deal. that leaves us searching for a second line centre still. sheahan isn't offensive enough yet to take on that role. i'd have him as the 3rd line centre instead. if sheahan is the 2nd line centre then this... Z, D, Abby jvr, sheahan, Tatar jurco, helm, pulk miller, glend, ???? dion, kron deke, quincey broken toe, marchenko??

Well, the Wings played Datsyuk and Zetterberg from 2003 through 2007, didn't they? How'd that work for us? Oh yeah, they got experience, learned from losing and eventually lead the team to a Stanley Cup. Yzerman and Fedorov were both criticized early in their careers for not "showing up". It takes some players longer than others, especially Europeans due to longer season, smaller ice surface and more physical play. I'm not ready to discard Nyquist, Tatar or Pulkkinen. The team obviously doesn't have the depth that they once did because of the salary cap and lower draft picks. The league is set up for parity and not dynasties. Another thing that seems to be overlooked is that the Wings used to be able to get those late round finds in Europe because of Hakan Andersson. Unfortunately, his success also means he's not a secret anymore. He can't anonymously scout some of the diamonds in the rough like he used to. It's also a must in the salary cap era to bring in young talent. It's not possible to pay a team full of veterans. I find it ironic that two or three years ago, Holland and Babcock were highly criticized for bringing playing the old, slow, tired veterans. Now they're playing the young players and are getting criticized for that, too. With the "home team" having the advantage with UFAs and the restrictions in becoming a UFA, there just isn't much quality out there, but the prices are going higher. There's no way to know if the prospects are more than that unless they are in the lineup. I'd rather lose in the first round with Tatar, Nyquist and Marchenko and at least have them getting the experience than a bunch of old, slow washed up veterans. No team in any sport can compete for a championship every year in the modern era.

Jesus. I'm sorry. Holland's insane. Hopefully he means to offer him a position within the organization but not on the team. I think it would be great to keep him around in a player personnel type role.

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 1h1 hour ago Babcock said winning and his family (wife) are priorities Nick Cotsonika ‏@cotsonika 1h1 hour ago Babcock reiterated he doesn't have skill set to be GM. Not interested in it. "Do I want to have input? Yes. Do I have input here? Lots." Craig Custance ‏@CraigCustance 1h1 hour ago Babcock says he has no interest in being GM. Says there are no better jobs than his current one.

The feeling is mutual with the KH attackers. I guess they don't like multiple cup winners.