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2018-19 NHL thread

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Cosmo, Oct 2, 2018.

  1. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    Time for a new thread, as the season starts tomorrow with a certain team from D.C. adding a banner to its arena that is slightly better than those Southeast Division champion banners.

    Some early thoughts:

    * Obviously very curious to see how the Caps start after the summer of partying. They get right into it with a back-to-back against Boston and Pittsburgh, followed by five days off (why?) and a Final rematch with Vegas. I assume they'll be without Tom Wilson for the first two weeks, at least. Even Caps fans are getting sick of his shit at this point. You're paid like a top-six forward. Act like it.

    * The West should be a bloodbath during the regular season. The Sharks have long been called the Caps of the West. Is it their time to finally break through and win a Cup?

    * Can't see a lot of change at the top of the Atlantic. I think Tampa, Toronto and Boston finish in the top three in some order.

    * Love Winnipeg and Nashville in the Central. Not sure anyone challenges that status quo.

    * Who will be this year's Colorado, the team that comes from nowhere to challenge for a playoff spot? Maybe Arizona? The 'Yotes have a nice young core. Not sure they're ready to take that big of a leap, but I didn't think Colorado was ready last year either.
     
  2. Justin_Rice

    Justin_Rice Well-Known Member

    How much do the Caps miss Beagle is the biggest question on my mind.

    And in the minds of Caps fans, what's an acceptable season? It's all gravy for at least another year or two, right?
     
  3. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    I mean, it has to be. Now, missing the playoffs would be an epic disaster, but I don't see that happening. Too much talent. NYR/NYI/CAR probably won't be a factor in the division, and the goaltending in Philly and Jersey is really suspect.
     
  4. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    Lot of optimism here in Boston. More even than in the Cup year prior to that season.
     
  5. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    They'll miss Beagle until they realize Nic Dowd pretty much does the same stuff. As JC has correctly noted several times, don't fall in love with your role players. Beagle was easy to love and he'd been there a long time. Great guy and great at his role. But they made the right call and Beagle cashed in with the Canucks.

    An acceptable season is making another strong run at the Cup. Repeating is difficult, though possible. Beagle and Grubauer are the only notable absences from last year's team. A backup keeper and a fourth-line center. It's essentially the same team that won the Cup, so go win another.

    I'm not ashamed to admit this: I will likely wet my pants and maybe mess them up as that banner gets raised.
     
  6. Vombatus

    Vombatus Well-Known Member

    Are you going to be down here?

    I’m looking forward to the videos posted of it.

    I hope the ceremony has some fire and pyrotechnics.
     
  7. justgladtobehere

    justgladtobehere Well-Known Member

    Then it was announced Krug was going to be in a walking boot for three weeks.
     
  8. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    Krug seems a little snakebit when it comes to injuries.
     
  9. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I have to fall in love with my role players. They are half the team. There is a path where the Rangers can stay in the playoff hunt for most of the season. They still have some decent forwards in Zibanajad, Kreider, Buchnevich, Zuccarello, Hayes, Namestnikov. Filip Chytil is dynamic. If he turns into a great player quickly, they could be decent enough offensively. The rest is rounded out by the Ryan Spooners, Jimmy Veseys, Vinnie Letieries, etc.

    Defensively is a huge question mark. Brady Skjei will be really good. If Shattenkirk is healthy, it will be a step up from last year, and Brendan Smith, who got demoted to the AHL and never got out of the doghouse last year actually showed up in shape and with the old chip on his shoulder. After that, it gets iffy. Mark Staal is old and a bit of a liability at this point. Neal Pionk is nothing special. And Adam McQuaid is past his prime and was being sat down by Boston a lot last season. The team seems to know it. They kept 8 defensemen (Anthony DeAngelo who is too old to still be a "prospect with upside" and Frerik Claussen are the other two). I suspect Lunqvist is going to see 40 to 50 shots a game. I hope I am wrong. Even if he was still in his prime, that is a lot to overcome.

    That said, I am a fan, and I am hopeful. They have a lot of really good 18 and 19 year olds who are a few years away, so hopefully the rebuilding happens quickly. I actually wish they hadn't gotten McQuaid (as much as I like him as a player) and weren't wasting a roster spot on Cody McLeod who has little actual hockey skill. Just get some young guys in there and let them sink or swim. But they sent Lias Andersson to the AHL on the rationale that it's better that he get first line minutes there, than 4th line minutes in the NHL. It didn't quite make sense, because they gave Brett Howden that 4th line center spot, and even though they don't have quite as much invested in him as Anderson, he's the same age, was a first round pick (for Tampa) and why would 4th line center minutes in the NHL not impede his development? Unless the plan is to keep him around until Boo Nieves clears concussion protocol, I guess.

    Anyhow, good luck this season to the fans of other teams. Except for the Caps fans on here. Oh, and the Penguins fans. Everyone else, though, wish your teams the best.
     
  10. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Jesus, the Beagle myth. Please take him back, Canuck fans are stuck with him for 4 years.
     
  11. ChrisLong

    ChrisLong Well-Known Member

    The old and slow Ducks have 5 rookies after final cuts to 28 players -- Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Keifer Sherwood, Isac Lundestrom and Marcus Petterssen.
    Injured reserve asterisks for Perry and Eaves, but not for Kesler and Gibbons at this point. I don't know why Kesler doesn't have one. NHL roster rules are very confusing.
    A Kings analyst the other night was asked to predict the final Pacific Division standings. For 1 through 7, he had "I DON'T KNOW." For 8, he had "VANCOUVER CANUCKS."
     
  12. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    He should have had them at 9. They are horrible and are run by the stupidest man in sports.
     
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