Echolalia

snap

So who gets the puck?

I would be equally unsurprised if this came back to bite Philly in the ass.

Just curious, where do you get your information from? Every time I feel like I understand the cap another nuance pops up that leaves me clueless.

So Chicago's cap for next year will be larger than what these links imply, because the excess (in the form of incentives) from this year will be rolled over into next year's cap?

I'm sure somebody will mention Howard's name, along with Bryzgalov's name, too. They've had stellar seasons. But will either of them get the majority vote? It seems both of us think not. edit: I also updated the first post, so in fufilling my superstition of Howard playing worse when I update, he'll be good for three goals tonight.

I'm aware of how other goalies have fared in the recent past, but I still think its too little too late. IMO Miller has had the Vezina locked for a while now, barring a complete meltdown.

What Babcock quote are you referring to?

i think i recall mickey saying that on fsn, actaully.

Who knows how Jimmy will react to the pressures of the playoffs. At the very least he will have more than competent defensman in front of him who should soften the burden. Also, I would prefer Jimmy in net to Luongo, but that's just me. I think Loo is quite overrated.

Regardless of how he's played before then or afterwards, today Miller still holds the best save percentage and second best GAA (second to Rask). He's also played in the vast majority of Sabres games (which consequently puts him at 5th place for goalie wins), so he's clearly as essential cog to their team, which is currently sitting pretty at 3rd in the conference. Miller's chances seem pretty good to me.

I just don't see any other goalie besides Miller getting the Vezina.

I certainly think that other teams deserve a shot in the Winter Classic. Ideally, everyone would get a shot at it before seconds started going around. But like I mentioned, the NHL is a business and as a result their decisions are going to be dictated by what will be the most profitable for the league. Ever since Crosby came into the league, the NHL has been exploiting his talent to develop a fan base of people who normally would be uninterested in hockey. Whether that has been successful or not, Crosby is now beyond celebrity status, and when his name comes up, whether you love him or hate him (and you either absolutely love him or absolutely hate him), you're paying attention to what context his name was brought up in. This is evident in every hockey forum and blog that has been in existence since he was drafted. That makes him marketable. Whether for you personally he's being marketed as a villain or a hero is up to you, but he still gets people's attention and that's all the NHL wants. Ovechkin does the same thing. He get's people's attention, and one of the NHL's best moves IMO was marketing him as Crosby's rival, especially after they noticed how people responded to Crosby being shoved down our throats. If you love Crosby, you're going to hate Ovechkin and take joy in his short-comings. If you hate Crosby, then you're going to love Ovechkin and take joy whenever he can put Crosby in his place. This has pretty much become law in hockey fandom (yes there are exceptions, but I'm pretty comfortable guessing that close to 99% of hockey fans fit this bill). That's why a Crosby/Ovechkin battle is pretty much guaranteed to break profit records for a Winter Classic, and to capitalize on this opportunity, the NHL wants to get this WC out of the way before the rivalry subsides or one team falls from their peak. Additionally, with Crosby making a name for himself as the enemy of the US by winning the Olympic gold, its much more likely that the NHL could pick up a number of folks who turned into the gold-medal game but are otherwise not hockey fans, because they heard this Ovechkin guy stands for everything Crosby doesn't and might enjoy retribution in some manner. Finally, I'm guessing NBC may have requested this match-up specifically because they have their own ratings to worry about. I wouldn't be surprised if NBC even threatened to discontinue its partnership with the NHL if this match-up doesn't happen. Bettman seems to take it up the ass when it comes to NBC, and I assume they're holding TV coverage over his head.

From a business standpoint (the NHL is a business first and foremost) this is an excellent move. Crosby and Ovechkin are marketable, whether we want to admit it or not. And while its just a hunch, I'm fairy confident that NBC had a lot to do with this.

I could see Holland using some of the money that will come of Lids' next contract (if it comes) to lock down Howard, assuming next year is as good/better than this year. We also have Larsson and McCollum developing in the minors, so it will be interesting to see how Holland manages the three of them.

Well with Colorado losing in regulation today we are legitimately ahead of them in the standings (ie more points, same games played). We are also one point behind the Preds with a game in hand, as well as another game against them. That puts 6th place in their grasp without having to rely on other teams losing.

Don't hold your breath, but it is something that the Wings have closed the gap so much, compared to before Olympic break.

And the whole US will be watching hoping to see him fall to this Ovechkin fella, who apparently stands for everything Crosby doesn't.

I absolutely want to face Phoenix in the first round. Out of all the potential teams to verse I think they rely on their goalie the most. I see that series as one where the Wings will likely out-shoot them by a much wider margin than if they were to vs Chicago, San Jose, or Vancouver. That bodes well for Howie's first round in the playoffs, imo. Also, while Phoenix has been dangerous, the Wings fans are going to crowd the hell out of their arena, and they'll have strong crowd support in all 7 games. Mentally, Phoenix might be facing 7 road games in that series.

I feel like this place over analyzes everything that gets published in the media. Babs most likely wanted to praise Howie for being a strong goalie and wasn't even thinking about Osgood or Hasek when he said that.

The NHL is a business first and foremost. While it sucks for the other teams that Pittsburgh is likely going to get another shot at it before the majority of the league gets shot number 1, its in the best interest of the league and NBC (I'm sure they had a say in what they want) to utilize Crosby and Ovechkin and the Penguins and the Capitals while they're each in their prime. I know I'd watch it.

I would much rather play Phoenix because every game would be a home game

I think the person who Abby has the best chance of replacing in the lineup is Draper. What does that tell you about his chances?

This shutout will definitely help his case (not to mention 10 of 11 in the subsequent shootout).

Moreso because of Eaves' shootout attempt than because of the win