Neomaxizoomdweebie

Great shutout win by Mrazek. Did Jimmy just become mediocre? Nice to see Nyquist and Nielsen score (on pace for 27). Not bad for being demoted to the 3rd line.

Is anyone else thinking that we should replace the head coach before the GM? Seeing as how the head coach has a lot of input in personnel decisions, I fear that a rookie GM (Draper for example) might listen too much to Blashill's input. Unless its a veteran head coach like a Hitchcock, Babcock, Tippcock, etc then I would be more comfortable with it. If the new GM is a someone like a Lamoriello or Burke than the head coach would matter less I guess.

Agree with your point about ESPN. It's the same with the NFL and NBA. Last I heard, ratings/viewership is suffering in both leagues due in large part to the social/political ideologies being expressed by the players. Being that these are the 2 leagues whose seasons compete with the NHL the most, it's a potential "fan grab" if the NHL marketed itself correctly. These are the people the NHL should be going after, especially when you consider that the demographics of the fans turning off the NFL and NBA are similar to those who follow the NHL.

Yep. Dahlin is going #1 to Edmonton. Count on it.

Witkowski? JK Awesome GDT. Love the western theme. Always thought it would be cool to use a "Young Guns" poster and photoshop in Larkin, AA, Mantha, Frk, Svech, and Rass someday.

Always loved this one, thanks for posting it. Arent they one in the same?

Where do you find all this stuff anyway?

Yep, I'm pretty sure Mantha "scores" in the "slot" and I'm pretty sure Tatar "scores" in close. I don't need a chart to tell me that.

Correct. The NHL doesn't do the best job at marketing itself. Anyone would find a McDavid vs. Matthews game more entertaining. Even someone who has never watched hockey before, and that would grow more interest in the league for sure. The trick is getting people to watch the games first though. Edmonton vs. Toronto just doesn't sound "sexy" enough? Its like that in any sport I guess. Yankees vs. Dodgers will always draw greater viewership than Astros vs. Royals, even in the World Series. I am not disagreeing with you, just playing devil's advocate. And you're right about Gretzky, impossible not to be noticed. IF McDavid tears up the league like that, the coverage will come regardless of where he plays. He's not there yet, give it time.

Maybe in bigger cities with NHL or even AHL teams, but not in a lot of the US, particularly middle America, where its still a niche sport. Someone in Boston knows who Connor McDavid is, or who the Edmonton Oilers are. Someone in Lincoln, Nebraska is less likely to, but they will more likely have heard of the Boston Bruins or the New York Rangers. The league, right or wrong, is trying to grow the game in new markets, with casual fanbases. Therefore they choose team/city recognition over player recognition, even if the product is worse. Not defending it, or even agreeing with it, just answering the question 'Why?' that was asked in the first post.

Was it much different with the Gretzky Oilers tho? (not sure, before my time). American viewers in general (casual ones at least) don't care about teams from northern Alberta. (NO disrespect) That's why. Had those Oilers teams of the 80's played in LA instead, the league would have grown much more during that time. Much more coverage. The league knows that your more diehard fans are going to watch the games regardless of whose playing. They're going after the casual fans with their national broadcasts. Yeah, its Crosby and McDavid, but lesser fans aren't going to know who's who anyway. (Y'know the fans who refer to players by numbers?) Better to put out cities and teams that are more known as far as the league is concerned.

That's awesome.

I once thought this about Witkowski, because of the beard, the size, the right-handed shot, plays both forward and defense; but he's proven to be more of a chapter 11 Brent Burns.

OK. Prepared to eat crow. I didn't like the 'tude, wanted you traded (still do for a good, young dman). I called you a one dimensional 3rd liner. Prove me wrong AA, I dare you. BTW, why is Blashill putting his 2 fastest skaters on the same line? If it works, that's great. But when you have that kind of speed, why not spread it out?

Ok. Thanks for that. My recollection was that his numbers were often related to how healthy he was, but It's been too many years and too many injuries to recall which injuries went with which year with which stats. If I'm wrong, I'm man enough to admit it. And I agree with you that .906/2.8 is not "good". I wasn't trying to argue that those particular numbers are. Just that they're not "throw him under the bus" numbers. And frankly, If those are the worst stats that he's ever had or ever will have, I can totally live with that. Bigger fish to fry on this team. Compared to Mrazek's stats last season and this year, or Coreau's or the hellabad numbers Niemi is putting up, Howard's "bad years" aren't really that bad. I guess I just don't get too flustered until you drop below .900 or above 3.00, but that's just me. Anyway, appreciate the insight. Oh, and threads go off the rails in here all the time as you know, so Howard/Ozzie is nothing. Thanks to the mods for being so lenient, especially when there are other sites out there with cyber-napoleons moderating them. In conclusion, HOWARD=OSGOOD 2.0 BABY!

This. Regardless of skill (for which he's underrated IMO), even if they sent him out there without a stick, he's still making it easier for everyone else on the PP to score. Apparently he's good with a piano.

You're not really bad until you go 50 years w/o a cup. You know who I'm talkin' 'bout.

Does anyone have a catchy name for that line? the MAL line? that's Spanish for "bad" tho. the LAM line? as in baby sheep. it fits, but its cheesy. the LMAo line? Someone out there has something good I hope.

From what I understand, the biggest selling point for Vegas when they were pursuing him is that they weren't going to get a 1C thru free agency or the expansion draft, so he was pretty much promised that he would be their 1C. Then they sent him down to the AHL because he wouldn't have to pass thru waivers. They had to get roster compliant and there were other guys that would have to pass thru waivers that they didn't want to risk losing, so Shipachyov was the odd man out. (Where have I seen this before?) Apparently, he was unhappy about it (rightly so) and that's why he went AWOL. Looks like Vegas will be terminating the contract, and Shipachyov will be heading back to Russia. Don't know what the rules are regarding anyone else signing him at that point. Funny how the team that poached everyone else didn't want to be poached themselves.

Don't mean to single you out Dickie, you're not the only one to say this. But statistically, Howard has had good numbers every season since his first full year in 2009-10. His "worst" year was 2015/16, and even then his save % was .906 and his GAA was 2.8. He also only played 26 games that year because of injury, so of course his numbers go down. I wouldn't expect otherwise. Goalies numbers should go down during seasons that they are battling thru injuries. What I don't recall is "bad" years when he is healthy. That would make him inconsistent, and fairly criticized for it. He is definitely injury prone. Injury season=bad season, healthy season=good season. (Not 100% sure about this, so if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me anyone). I just don't think its fair to criticize him for that. Also, as the defense in front of him continues to decline, wouldn't you expect to see his numbers drop? More shots against, better quality scoring chances against, higher percentage shots against, failure to clear the puck, can't blame the goalies for that.

Mostly agree, which makes what Howard's done that much more remarkable IMO. His career numbers are actually better than Osgood's despite having a significantly worse defensive team in front of him. Yet there is still the idea (not saying you) that he's mediocre because of inconsistency and/or due to injuries. Don't get that. So we disagree on the degree of comparison then. I am guessing that you think their careers are more dissimilar than I do? OK. You seem to think that I am over-generalizing their careers. Fair enough, I don't. So be it. No two players in NHL history have the exact same careers, yet players are compared to each other all the time, regardless. True, Osgood's career was more consistent than Howard's. Never said otherwise. Don't see how that means you can't compare the 2. Never said that Howard didn't deserve any criticism, just that people were being overly critical, and that some of it was unfair. Felt that Ozzie got the same treatment. Again, my opinion, feel free to disagree. True, Osgood wasn't as good as Roy. Which is exactly what I was arguing when I said people thought that he "just wasn't good enough." They wanted something better, which I thought was unfair and unnecessary. BTW, Why do think that Osgood needed to replaced? The team wasn't any more successful with Hasek in net than they were with Osgood. Don't get that one.

Ship has sailed. https://www.nhl.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-suspend-forward-vadim-shipachyov/c-292411212 I'm not really interested, but his camp has reportedly talked to Wings about a possible trade. Thoughts?

Not saying that. Did not say that Howard is as good as Ozzie was. Pointing out that the situations that both faced are similar. Osgood was never quite good enough, underappreciated, undervalued, even though he was a good goalie with good numbers and had proven they could win a cup with him. Wings still went out and got Czech goalie Hasek and hung Ozzie out to dry in waiver draft. Howard also is viewed as not quite good enough, underappreciated, undervalued, even though he is a good goalie with good numbers and they could win a cup with him if he had the same team in front of him that Ozzie had. Still people wanted to replace him with Czech goalie Mrazek and wanted to hang him out to dry in the expansion draft. Ergo Howard=Osgood 2.0 in that context. Also pointed out that Stanley Cups are irrelevant when comparing two individual players. Teams win cups, not goalies. Ozzie won 2 cups as a starter with really good teams. He also had several more seasons where he didn't win cups with really good teams. If "he" won those 2 cups, then who lost the other ones? Can't have it both ways. Also pointed out that even individual trophies are often irrelevant. They are based on one individual season and one season does not make a career. Neither won an individual trophy, although each finished 2nd once. Howard-Calder, Osgood-Vezina. But there have been many players who have won those awards that had average careers overall. If we are talking about actual numbers, then here you go: https://www.nhl.com/player/jimmy-howard-8470657 https://www.nhl.com/player/chris-osgood-8458568 Even the numbers say Howard is the better goalie. I am not. Just saying that if we are going to make comparisons, use relevant stats and information.

Yes, 2008-2009 was Osgood/Conklin. 2009-2010 was Osgood/Howard. Same year, different seasons. Yes, Ozzie was pretty much done by the end of 09. Great career, great numbers, underappreciated. Howard=Ozzie 2.0

Guilty as charged. I've done it. And yeah it's probably unfair. Putting him up against other teams best players is a recipe for disaster. He's playing a role beyond his skill level and that's not his fault. It's his salary that draws the ire of so many I think. If he was making less, I don't think he would get beaten up as much. Again, not his fault. Holland signed him to that contract and then failed to replace/add any legit top pairing guys. So he gets exposed and then berated for it. The same "fans" who wanted Franzen to have permanent brain damage so that he could be taken of the roster and put on LTIR. That was worse. I know there's probably a reason behind the name, but Golden Knights sounds way to cartoonish. What does gold have to do with with knights? Its like the softest metal there is, no knight would ever use it. I have a feeling they will eventually drop the "Golden" and just go with Knights. Just like the Ducks dropped "Mighty".