Big game tonight between the powers in the Central division

My Predz vs everybodies beloved Wings

should be a tight game

I just cant wait to see legwand and walker back in the lineup for nashville they'll be ridiculous then

You're a Predators fan? Are you from there?

no man Im from small town Ontario

I'm super excited for this game tonight. Fraser I thought you were a Leafs fan. Are the predz your number 2?

When you live in Ontario you inherit Toronto
its like the law you cheer for the leafs, I know them inside and out front to back left to right..........

but Nashville is my team I like the organization
i like what they are doing in the minors, their drafting (the young defensive core is absolutely ridiculous) and i like the style of game they play a nice blend of skill and grit with amazing team speed......and Vokoun

no man Im from small town Ontario

Seriously? Please explain how a true blue Canadian could love a team from Nashville, Tenn. I'm certainly not knocking your preference, but I'm certainly stunned.

Theres 2 types of fans
Blind Loyalists
and Educated Officianadoes

Blind Loyalists usually cheer for the team closest to home (IE if they live in an NHL city, state, etc) or they inherit the team they cheer for from their parents/friends and they cheer for this team religiously whether they know what they are talking about or not
like Leaf Nation where people will say Tie Domi is a goal scorer and the best fighter in the NHL and he is worth paying 1.5 mil a year......just pure stupidity

Educated Officianadoes are the ones that are just plain hockey fans they appreciate all aspects of the game, the different styles they watch different teams instead of just watching when their own team is playing
people who know what a 1-2-2 is or the left wing lock or the diamond

I've liked nashville since their inception
i liked the way they built their team
they sell out their building almost every night
they are doing good things down there

Understood and appreciated. I feel the same way about The Wild....it doesn't mean that I don't think that the Red Wings are the greatest in the known universe....but I do appreciate other teams and their efforts to improve the competitiveness of the sport.

haha a Wild fan eh
you definitly know what the 1-2-2 is then
pure defensive shell, but they know how to pop the goals in when the other team screws up

It's not even the 1-2-2 that gets me....it's their goaltender rotation. Totally baffling. Especially this year when so many teams are struggling in goal. How long will they keep both of them? Will this year be the year? I keep hearing rumors, but why mess with a good thing? They certainly have the cap space....

They can afford to keep both for now
its working for them

Im sure more teams will be shopping around for goaltenders after the olympic break. The allstar break is soon look for some of the GMs to get together and hash some shit out

Colorado is still looking
Detroit
Boston might be looking
Pitt is a mess in goal i dont care how good fleury might be later in his career he's just not ready
vancouver is really hurting

LA is platooning goalies much like Minny although garon might have won the job back
NYR is showcasing weekes for a trade i think

the league is a mess right now everybody needs something

Hmmm...

If Detroit is looking for a goaltender over a defenceman, I'll be really dissapointed....however, it sounds like EXACTLY what they would do.

Colorado is surely lost and Vancouver might actually not recover at all without someone...anyone.

Oh, and Pittsburg...well....rest assured that WHATEVER they do it will be the wrong move. 10 games? They've only won 10 games this year? Holy shit. Sid the Kid must sometimes wonder why God hates him so much.

I would also think that Tampa Bay is in the running....yet I have no idea what kind of cap room they have to work with.

Hmmm...

If Detroit is looking for a goaltender over a defenceman, I'll be really dissapointed....however, it sounds like EXACTLY what they would do.
Colorado is surely lost and Vancouver might actually not recover at all without someone...anyone.

Oh, and Pittsburg...well....rest assured that WHATEVER they do it will be the wrong move. 10 games? They've only won 10 games this year? Holy shit. Sid the Kid must sometimes wonder why God hates him so much.

I would also think that Tampa Bay is in the running....yet I have no idea what kind of cap room they have to work with.

I think they are expecting Kronwall to be back after the Olympic break. He made the Sweedish team so that will give the Wings an idea of where he is at in terms of recovery.

quality cheap defensemen will be hard to find for detroit
they'd have to go with young unproven talent and nobody really comes to mind right now

Pitt was shit last year and it was a pipe dream to expect that glut of journymen twilight players to catapult them from obscurity to mediocrity
recchi and leclair have been non existant
palffy and crosby are ok
lemieux before his lastest ailment was atrocious
thibault got waived for petes sake......

and thats before i even mention Mellon freakin arena
the city doesnt want the penguins there and they should relocate to Winnipeg or hartford where they'll be appreciated

and thats before i even mention Mellon freakin arena
the city doesnt want the penguins there and they should relocate to Winnipeg or hartford where they'll be appreciated

Does the new NHL...specifically the salary cap make it easier for smaller market Canadian teams to flourish? I would love more than anything to see Winnepeg and Quebec get their teams back. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to see all of that hockey tradition flushed down the toilet. I guess it worked out OK for the Nordiques...as the Avalance have gone on to be wildly successful....but Phoenix? C'mon....there isn't even any naturally occuring ice in Phoenix...

and thats before i even mention Mellon freakin arena
the city doesnt want the penguins there and they should relocate to Winnipeg or hartford where they'll be appreciated

Does the new NHL...specifically the salary cap make it easier for smaller market Canadian teams to flourish? I would love more than anything to see Winnepeg and Quebec get their teams back. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to see all of that hockey tradition flushed down the toilet. I guess it worked out OK for the Nordiques...as the Avalance have gone on to be wildly successful....but Phoenix? C'mon....there isn't even any naturally occuring ice in Phoenix...





I believe it makes it a feasable proposition to have a team in small market Canada (not necessarily small market america)
the attendance will always be there in a canadian city that was never winnipeg or quebecs problem it was rising player costs and to a lesser extent a horrible tv deal back in the day that drove those teams to supposedly greener pastures

Winnipeg has a world class facility up there just begging for a franchise to be brought home


but is there ice in Tampa, Miami, LA, Anaheim, Dallas, SJ, tennessee might see snow once every 4 years.....

I just think bettman went into some wrong places
phoenix isnt all that bad the players love playing there
practice in the morning golf in the afternoon...


I would really like to see the Whale or a team to replace it back in Hartford that was almost as big of a hockey town in america as boston or Saint Paul, Minnesota Peter Karmanos wont let that happen unfortunately

It's funny that you mentioned Hartford. The last years in Hartford (from what I understand) were pretty grim. Not only was the team playing in a shopping mall, but the players were hardly ever recognized when they were out and about. Brendan Shanahan often recalls a story about he and Sean Burke being out at a Denny's and having no one recognize them....even though both of them were featured on a promotional plackard on all of the table tops. Shit....that's funny.

son of a bitch.....oh well they play at least 7 more times
that was nashvilles 1st loss to a central team

Sorry...it's the Lidstrom factor. I'm still trying to decide where he belongs on a "greatest defenceman of all time list". Maybe I'll save that for a new post soon.

Anyways....Nashville got in big trouble with penalties. This is way to much for any team to overcome against the Red Wings...unless you're Minnesota.

speaking of minnesota
manny fernandez is playing amazing tonight
too bad they're losing 2-1 late in the 3rd