Sprsquirt7

Joey macdonald in goal for calgary too, playing well!

This is just an awful idea. Pieces should be moved but what you are suggesting is not only wrong but irresponsible to the organization and the fans.

I want to just make some thing clear for some people suggesting various things about this 2-3 system. Well any system really. You can run ANY system with ANY 5 players. I have ran a 1-1-3 offensive zone in my career (used when you are substantially weaker than your opponent). This means that you have 1 hard forchecker, one secondary forechecker that reacts with strong side pressure and 3 across the blue line. You essentially then pinch wherever you need to, middle left right. You then have 2 D back the whole time. This is almost identical o a 2-3 system referred to. You just simply have players that need to be in a certain area regardless of their designated position. Also there are a few things about the transition from offense to defense. Say you had Datsyuk and Franzen as the two offensive players. You are almost 100% limiting them to covering the opposing teams D in the defensive zone. Now when you think about it that is a complete and utter waste of talent to station Datsyuk up there. Every team in the NHL has 2 D and 1 Center playing down low in their own defensive zone. That center can be the guy who takes faceoffs or the first guy on the backcheck who knows what he's doing. That center while he is considered a forward on paper, is a defenseman in the defensive zone until we break out. This is why guys like Datsyuk, Bergeron, and Backes are far more valuable in hockey than just their stats. This is the purpose of a center for the most part, granted there are some centers that are so offensively gifted that their defensive liabilities are overlooked. So just so everyone has this straight: Offensive zone systems are about filling a PLAYER into a need. That player can have any designation they want on paper, but as long as they perform the specific duties of a 2-1-2, 1-3-1, 1-1-3, or any other combination the coach deems appropriate they can run it. Defensive zone has various ways to play defense against the other teams but that is more dependent on what the other team is doing. So for simplicity sake you have 3 PLAYERS responsible for the individuals playing down low. While 2 other PLAYERS are responsible for the Defenseman of the other team. The actual make up of who plays what designated position is almost irrelevant. Granted you want to have the best players suited for each role in their specific role. The real question is should we be more passive in the system or more aggressive or let things play out. Right now we clearly don't have the defenseman to leave them by them selves, I wouldn't mind seeing a more passive counter attack type of game while our injured get healthy. But it also doesn't matter your system when your team makes really bad turnovers that lead directly to goals.

I think people are way to critical on missing the net here. When you are playing the game at full speed you have very limited time to "setup" the shot and hit a spot. You see people in the all star game, directly in the slot trying to hit 4 targets substantial in size and you have them miss quite a few. This is done with no pressure from defenseman, no reading of the goalies position to beat him, etc. To reasonably expect someone in a game to hit the net/spot most of the time is ludicrous. Another aspect that is typically ignored, more for franzen than sammy, is that in todays hockey in order to beat the goalie on a clean shot (no deflections or rebounds) it has to be nearly a perfectly placed shot. You miss by 6 inches and its hitting the goalie (obscene sizes of pads make it hard). So if theoretically you need to shoot almost perfectly to beat the goalie, you attempt to hit that perfect spot each time and unfortunately all the perfect spots are right against the post. So if you miss by 3 inches you miss the net. Obviously you want your players to hit the net more often but i'll take attempts at perfect shots that have a chance of going in vs the "on net" shot that is caught, swallowed up. Shooting for rebounds is a skill, and a totally different shot and style of play than what they play.

The anouncers were the worst part... its like they describe a narrative that isn't actually happening.

This aggravates me to no end... They better come out flying and destroy them tonight.

The guys voice isn't that great but if you go with the overall feel of the ad I still love it. Especially with the personalization they've given teams.

Yea after trying to find the answer, looking through the rules, I'm fairly confident nothing would happen as even strength goals are exactly that and don't result in the removal of a penalty.

I'm almost positive nothing would have happened had they scored, it was 4 v 4, an even strength situation. Unless there is a specific rule for major vs minor penalty... then id like to know the exact ruling. Google to the rescue!

It happens at every level in every country. Its always a competition and whole organizations will threaten kids/parents that they won't be welcomed back if they go play spring or summer league somewhere else. It is one of those negative aspects of the game, good old politics. This interview was awesome though, his answers are real...

I'm fairly certain it can't be used as a precedent since it happened in another countries legal system. Althoughthe inadvertant influence could happen.

Its quite aggravating to read this stuff... I can't understand why laws haven't been stricter on these types of crimes.

Pretty much everyone who has had a concussion it is generally disclosed from what I can remember, especially with extended time out. The thing is as you see in the original post, they are still calling it an uper body injury. Bert and cleary both had them in the playoffs last year and it was nearly immediately they were said to have them.

I live in chicago so I get news on the Blackhawks much more than the red wings in general media outlets. The thing about the blackhawks is they are so damn secretive about their players injuries its ridiculous. For example you have the red wings with quite a few injuries and we all know what they are. We don't have any rumors going around its pretty cut and dry. Toews has supposedly had this concussion before his accident but the entirety of the injury has been Upper Body. And thats all they ever say. Eventually it all gets figured out by some leak, but tome its ridiculous how they shroud all their injuries in secrecy. But basically he most likely has a concussion, the team just won't ever tell you the exact injury.

Doesn't this seem like a slight over payment? 5.5mil cap hit is really high for someone who's production is around 60 point per 82 games. Are they paying for potential (which on the outside he does have)? I hope Fil doesn't ask or expect that much... no way we should pay him that much though.

Long but well worth the read. Enjoyed it very much.

Hrmmm this is odd.... Seems like a set up move of some kind.

Had to stop reading a few times on the train so as not to just start crying in front of people. Its really sad for that family. Those what if's and the blame have got to be hell to deal with. I really hope she gets Ruslan's paycheck soon.

I love me some bertuzzi! Woot!

Damn I was going to throw some money on the game tomorrow because I will be in vegas. I don't bet ever but I figured hey while in vegas I'll throw some money on my favorite team and just hope it works out. Second guessing it without Z.

I believe the story for it being 22 isn't because of some rogue road/home game thing. The bruins I believe won their last 20 home games in that season, then won the next 2 home games the following season. NHL does not count records through seasons, they end with the season. The flyers lost their home opener after their 20 game streak. So if it continued to the following season the record would be 22, but since the NHL doesn't recognize it that way the wings have the record at 21 right now.

The suspension was a message more than a direct punishment for the hit. It was a borderline hit with him leaving his feet. If this was the first time he had gotten into trouble or had been a clean player beforehand he would likely get away with a fine or less. But he had two fines from one game last week in which he was let off easy, you only get so many chances with shanahan. This is a culmination suspension.

www.didgomezscore.com

Watched most of them, very cool stuff. I know most of it but to put it into hockey terms is nice.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=611948 Sweet!