TropicalFruitGirl26

Oh, yea...I know John Scott basically is a pair of fists on skates...got to see him first hand last night as I attended the Sabres-Wild game. 

He basically was just skating around looking for any excuse to punch a guy in the face.

Was just pointing out that since the Sabres won't be contending this year, they will at least have that trio out there to take heat off their developing players.

A very good move that most teams who are at the bottom of the standings with some good young talent employ.

Heck, Minnesota themselves employed this not too long ago.

Apparently Coach Yeo thinks his team is too "skilled" to have guys like Konopka and Rupp patrol lines for them?

Tellin ya...the guy gets more confusing to me week after week.

And he has a few others on his roster who aren't seeing the type of playing time they probably should.

With the kind of payroll Minnesota is putting out, and the kind of talent (even without finishers) they have, they BETTER make the post season...any other scenario, and I don't see how Yeo keeps his job.

I too don't see what Minnesota accomplishes with this move, other than Coach Yeo possibly getting a guy out of the locker room (Konopka) who possibly had the stones to tell the Coach behind closed doors that his team needed to be more assertive on the ice and that they should be allowed to be that way.

When you get your goalie run over, and one of your young players run into the boards by the SAME player, and your retaliation is minimal (assuming the players were under Coach's orders) THEN the Coach goes on to downplay any type of retribution by his team in his presser afterwards, well, I can only imagine that would alienate some players...particularly a guys like Rupp and Konopka.

Brian Burke sounds like he is still trying to put together a Toronto Maple Leafs goon squad and Bobby Ryan didn't fit that mold.

I've always heard Burke had an ego the size of Canada, but these latest comments all but confirmed that.

Hey, Bobby Ryan may have flaws in his game (most notably defensively), but you know, the guy is still a premier player and MANY teams would LOVE to have the guy on their team.

The guy is a goal scorer and playmaker first, yet he can play a physical game a bit as well.

Perhaps not to the tune of what Burke considers "acceptable", but really, his comments were unwarranted.

Yea, does sound personal. And Burke and his ego just couldn't pass up an opportunity to put himself center stage with the media apparently.

Even if he felt Bobby Ryan wasn't worthy of being on Team USA (which is downright ridiculous), the kind of commentary he put out there is just very unprofessional and just shows the kind of character the guy has.

**Sigh**

Yet MORE purging of toughness from the Minnesota lineup.

I realize that Konopka is very replaceable in most respects, but he IS a very good face off man, and let's face it, Minnesota is NOT fielding the best physical lineup in recent weeks, as Coach Yeo seems content to not have that on his team (not sure why).

If his ways were showing themselves in the team results, then no one questions it...but since Minnesota isn't winning right now, I think all eyes will be on him.

Meanwhile, while having all skill isn't necessarily a bad thing, teams like Anaheim, Los Angeles and St. Louis will continue to beat the crap out of Minnesota because they don't have guardians like Konopka, Rupp, Kassian from a couple seasons ago or even borderline tough guy agitators like Nate Prosser playing regularly in Mike Yeo's lineup.

Not understanding his line of thinking at all.

Konopka gone...and being replaced by who exactly in the lineup now? 

Someone more skilled on the hockey side, I am sure, but without protection, most of Minnesota's developing players will left out to dry.

I am starting to frown in Coach Yeo's direction...he better get his team going...or else...

Nice pickup for just about free for Buffalo though.

Not going to really help their standing, but at least maybe THEY are seeing they probably will need guys like John Scott, Cody McCormick, and now Zenon Konopka while their younger players develop.

Some player insights:

Valteri Filppula has been an absolutely BRILLIANT signing!

I know that is no real secret, but I just needed to put that out there.

Aside from the play of Ben Bishop and the maturing of some of the younger TB players, this team would be hard pressed to be sniffing any playoff chances without the great play of Filppula...particularly in the absence of Steven Stamkos.

For awhile, Filppula was made the number one center, but in more recent games, he  has been put back into his 2nd center position, and Tyler Johnson has been moved up to the number one spot.

Johnson has stepped up his game, registering a point in each of his last four games and giving teams the opposition fits in their defensive zones with his tireless play and vision in finding his wingmates on the ice in generating scoring chances.

A small player and still only 23 yrs old, I think the ceiling is still quite high for Johnson and the Lightning will have an interesting decision to make once Stamkos returns and if Johnson is still playing the quality brand of hockey he has been playing.

Recent callup JP Cote has done a pretty good job of leaving his physical imprint on the opposition.

With Eric Brewer hurting a bit on defense for the Bolts and Andrej Sustr still finding his physical niche on the team, Radko Gudas now has some help in putting on some hits on opposing forwards looking to skate scott free through the neutral zone.

Not only has the journeyman Cote done his job physically, but he has also shown up a bit on the scoresheet, registering 3 points in six games played since his callup. Nice.

Some divisional playoff notes:

The Bruins, Lightning, Canadiens, and Maple Leafs all seem to be winning and losing at about the same clip (mostly winning lately) and are creating some space between themselves and the bottom half of the Atlantic Division.

Detroit, while only being a single point behind the 4th place Leafs, just seem to be headed in the wrong direction and things don't look to improve for them much as they play Dallas tonight, then go off on a Pacific Division road trip, ending with a road game in New York before seeing the Kings at home once again.

Quite possible the Atlantic Division could put four teams in the playoffs (the top three guaranteed and at least one WC, if not both) and the Bolts are in the mix for that and even challenging Boston for the top spot...record wise anyways.

Bolts need quite a bit of work to actually BEAT the Bruins head to head...hmm..something about physical play, tough defense..... 

Lightning can make some hay with their current road trip: Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, before going home to face the Capitals.

Not going to say any team on that list will be 'easy', but they certainly have their flaws and the Bolts, even without Stamkos, have the ability to really put it to any of those on the scoreboard.

This in turn, should put pressure on the Bruins, Habs, and Leafs to continue to win in order to keep pace.

Wed, Jan 1, Lightning @ Canucks

Final: TB 4, Van 2

Bolts got their current North West Canadian road trip started off right with a very big win against a contending Vancouver Canucks team.

Granted, the game didn't get off to the most exciting start, and there were lapses on both sides in the game defensively, but bottom line was, TB pulled out the win, Ben Bishop, as usual, made the Bolt offense stand, and the Lightning came away with two points against possibly the most talented team they will face on this particular road trip.

Tampa Bay was smart to stay out of the penalty box, limiting the Canucks to just two PP chances, and they pretty much kept the Sedins in check all night.

I know former TB Coach John Tortorella could not have been too happy with the Canucks lack of attention to detail on some plays in the 2nd and 3rd periods, but then again, the Lightning forwards did their jobs in creating time, space, and in finishing plays against Eddie Lack (yes, no Luongo in this one) while Ben Bishop covered up for many Lightning defensive gaffes.

And this game, along with the previous good run the Bolts had, all without the services on one Steven Stamkos.

I always said, that if the Lightning can play at or slightly above .500 while Stamkos is out, they'd still be able to make the post season when (hopefully) he returns.

Right now, that is looking like the case.

I would have liked to have seen some more impactful checking on the part of the Lightning against the Canucks, but I am slowly beginning to realize that this team simply won't play that way outside of a select few players.

This is both good and bad, in the sense that while the Bolts certainly have the talent, speed and scoring ability to just skate and play, they WILL run into teams (such as Calgary and Winnipeg on this trip) who will look to engage the team quite physically, and the Bolts may not have the time and space they need to skate like they'd like.

In that way, Tampa Bay will need to utilize the team size and adapt to a more grinding style...something they have struggled with a bit this season overall.

They got away with some plain vanilla skating against Vancouver..along with some great playmaking and finishes...simply because the Canucks seemed content to try and skate and go play for play with Tampa Bay.

I am sure Torts would have liked to have seen some more physicality out of his team...knowing full well how TB sometimes struggles with teams that employ that strategy.

But this game played right into what the Bolts wanted....very fast, mostly north-south game...with Ben Bishop taking care of keeping pucks out of nets.

Will the Bolts enjoy the same success rate doing what they did in Vancouver against the Flames tonight? Hmm...not so sure.

While the 'Nucks have more talent up and down their roster, the Flames come to play EVERY night...they bring the physicality, and they WILL try to get under the skin of Bolts players and turn the entire game into a complete grinding affair.

Here is hoping the Lightning can adapt and make the Flames adjust to them rather than the other way around.

Calgary may not be anywhere near the top of the league, but taking them lightly would be a big mistake for Tampa Bay to make.

It's about that time of year.

Yes, wherever I have been a member of a hockey or general sports forum, I have usually started up a thread chronicling the Tampa Bay Lightning's attempt at making a playoff run. And I usually start it up around the halfway point in the season...and whaddya know? Here we are where most teams are in the 40-43 games played range!

And since Hockey Forums seems populated with pretty knowledgeable and passionate puck fans, it seems an even BETTER place to do my thing here than in any other place where I've previously done these types of threads.

Just a quick heads up on what to expect from this thread:

Basically I go in-depth as to the doings of the Tampa Bay Lightning...everything from team moves, players on the ins and outs with their coaches, how well players are performing, the team's chances of making the post season, team attitudes, and of course, every so often, I will talk about a specific game, things that went on during that game, and the opponent faced that night.

Posters here are MORE than welcome to chime in on any topics I touch up on regarding the Lightning...but also, if I happen to be talking about a particular opponent or potential opponents, posters can of course, put in their opines on things regarding those teams and how they relate to either the Lightning or the playoff chase in general.

All I ask is any participants to please try to stay on with the theme of the thread, but by no means is anything here a dictatorship. I'd love to get participation from fans of other teams and hear their viewpoints on the Bolts or Bolts recent or upcoming opponents.

Thank you all.

Without further ado, within the next few minutes, I will post my first thoughts on the 2013-14 Bolts and their most recent game against the Vancouver Canucks and their upcoming tilt against the Calgary Flames tonight.

Good stuff @ihabs1993 , gotta say you were pretty spot on with the announce teams you mentioned.

I too have Centre Ice, and have had it for years living in both Clearwater, FL and now in Minneapolis, MN, and can say that it really is nice to get a different perspective on the team one normally follows.

Heck, if given a choice on say,  a Lightning broadcast in Minnesota, I will listen to the other team's announcers just to see what they have to say about the Bolts, knowing full well how the home announcers know the team.

Some commentary on some of the announce crews you mentioned:

1st off, I must say I have to absolutely agree on the ROOT Sports Pittsburgh group.

Normally, I am not one to be too concerned with broadcasters, Errey and 'Steggy' just irritate the crap out of me.

I remember watching a game with those two clowns and the ref made a non call against the Pen's opposition...it didn't lead to a goal or anything...yet one of the announcers kept whining about it the ENTIRE rest of the game!

Then you have the frat-boy like environment they seem to create in the booth, and well, sometimes I have to wonder whether I am listening to an NHL broadcast, or some local college keg filled pseudo broadcast on their lacrosse team.....

ANY set of announcers, and I mean ANY, are preferable than listening to those two.

On the Lightning broadcast, yes, Rick Peckham is a very, very good broadcaster. His voice is pretty much even keel with the right amount of excitement for the plays on the ice no matter WHO makes them. It's one of the reasons a station like VS previously and now NBC Sports has him on doing national broadcasts and playoff games.

The Chief Bobby Taylor on the other hand...well, I must say I am used to his 'style' simply because I have been listening to him for many years...going way back to the mid 90's.

That said, I CAN see how people can find him irritating. He is a SUPER homer and yes, the refs can do no right by the Lightning as far as he is concerned.

He also tends to trip over his own delivery on the mike on occasion, and will also call out a wrong player or go on a mini rant about a call or non call...before realizing that's not what happened.

Many have carried The Chief throughout the years, but Rick Peckham does it with the most style.

Bobby Taylor has many flaws in his broadcast game, and he won't ever be called upon to do national games, but I will admit to being a bit biased towards him just based on the fact I have listened to his hilarity in broadcasting since I was a young girl.

I also do like the Florida Panthers broadcast team. I think they have the right mix of excitement, professionalism AND homerism that should appeal to fans and non fans of the Panthers alike.

The St. Louis Blues have a pretty good tandem as well. John Kelly, I believe, along with Darren Pang (HOOOLY JUMPIN!!)

They can be quite homerish, but not so much that I can't listen to their broadcasts.

Also, out west, Anaheim Ducks Prime Ticket announcers John Ahlers and Brian Heyward do a pretty good job and are quite listenable even to non-Ducks fans.

The Carolina Hurricanes broadcast team of John Forslund and Tripp Tracy, while not being the pinnacle of professionalism, are pretty fun to listen to as well...particuarly Forslund's tone as plays develop ending with a "He SCOOOOOOOOOORES" in an almost singing-like fashion.

Broadcasters I don't really care for, other than the aforementioned wretches of ROOT Sports Pittsburgh?

The Vancouver broadcasters...a bit too subdued. In fact, given the late time slot I would be watching their games, they may downright put me to sleep!!

Also, I know many here love them because of their familiarity, but the Philly broadcasters do nothing for me...especially the main play by play guy who just has an odd delivery in his style. Almost an uneven, no rhyme or reason, style where his voice seems to go UP...then doooownn...when calling plays or even players' names! 

Just too weird and disjointing for me....PLUS, he may be a bit too homerish for any but Flyer fans to really appreciate.

NY Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen bugs me a bit as well. Very homerish and he just has a weird way of saying "Rangers" which bothers me...I dunno, something like RAIN-JERRRS.

He goes from sleepy sounding to very excited when NY scores...in which case he peppers the airwaves with HE SCORES! and the RAIN-JERRRS LEAD 1-0!

Finally, current local Minnesota Wild broadcasts.

They have Anthonly LaPanta who is in his first year being the primary play by play guy. He isn't bad.

He basically works for FSN North, and can be heard doing stuff for not only the Wild, but the Twins, Gophers, and a bunch of other local teams as well.

His partner, Mike Greenlay...arrrghh. 

Not only is that guy too homerish for his own good, but he too often gets calls, plays, and several other things wrong during games.......and for some reason, seems to go out of his way to throw in the team name "WILD" in just about every sentence.

I mean, I KNOW that is the local team, but dammit, we ARE listening to a Wild broadcast..of COURSE it's the WILD. Stop telling us that already!

He too has a funny way of saying his team's name....almost like a drawl-like pronunciation... WYYYYY---LLLD.

Constantly...incessantly.....make it STOP already!!  

Anyways, good topic post, ihabs...I enjoyed it!

From the Toronto Maple Leafs website:

http://blog.mapleleafs.com/gleason-adds-muscle-to-leafs-blue-line/

I agree Bishop should have probably gotten a long hard look if not a starting role, however, as a Bolts fan, I am ok with it.

Hey, if he views this as a major snub and plays like it during the rest of the season (in addition to what he already has done), then the Lightning are almost guaranteed a playoff spot.

And if Stamkos makes it back by then, perhaps a deep playoff run as well.

Would have loved to have seen Bishop represent his country and team at Sochi, but his first order of business should always be (and he seems to handle it that way), the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Stanley Cup!

Pavel Kubina.

Not all sure where he has been since the ending of last season, but not at all surprised to hear he is calling it a career.

For whatever reason, be it physical, mental, whatever..he simply was not, and HAD NOT been much of an effective player for a few seasons leading up to this.

I would dare say the guy had been a shell of his former self since he left the Maple Leafs back around 2008 or 2009.

That all said, at his best, Kubes was an absolute monster on defense. Not so much as being particularly sound defensively, but the guy was big, mean, knew how to hit and I think pretty much intimidated opposing forwards trying to make plays in the Lightning's zone.

He also featured a pretty decent offensive skill set, he would kill penalties, play on the PP, and could be seen ALWAYS sticking up for his teammates by roughing it up, or dropping the gloves even if it came to that.

He was the prototypical "big, nasty defenseman" that every teams seems to want on their team.

But something happened to him from the time he left the Leafs and bounced around from the Bolts again, the Flyers, the old Thrashers, and even some European play.

Maybe his body was starting to give up on him (wouldn't have been out of the question the way he played), or maybe, his heart simply wasn't into going through the grind of preparation for an NHL season, followed by a grueling 82 game schedule, then followed after that by a possible playoff run.

He often looked slow, lost defensively, not particularly fierce, and took LOTS of really bad penalties that hurt his teams.

But did he have an NHL career to be proud of? Absolutely!

The guy was an all star, won the Stanley Cup, and even while still under contract and playing at his best with the Bolts, was highly sought after by other teams because of what he could bring to the table during his productive years.

And for being such a big part of TB's only Stanley Cup in 2004, I give a big "Thank You!" to Pavel Kubina.

Loved watching him play during those days, he never was dull, and although the Bolts won the Cup for lots of reasons, Kubes' play during that entire run was certainly one of them.

Good luck and happiness with you family in retirement, Kubes.

Was a pleasure watching you in a Lightning uniform.

Indeed . Merry Christmas my far flung friends!

Hmm...interesting..I've been called a  number of things (some nice, some not-so-much), but NEVER 'far flung'.

Well, at least I am a far flung FRIEND .....that's a good thing! 

 

The 6th fastest player to 400.

 

1. Wayne Gretzky (436 games)

2. Mike Bossy (506 games)

3. Mario Lemieux (508 games)

4. Brett Hull (520 games)

5. Jari Kurri (608 games)

6. Alex Ovechkin (634 games)

 

That is some seriously elite company right there...

Same to you @pilldoc , and everyone else on HockeyForums for that matter!

Be safe everyone....and look out for the state troopers (or mounties for you Canadians... ^_^  ), they are watching you and itching to fill their quotas for the month and year!

LOL!

Seriously though, enjoy family, friends, and be well.

P.S.: I WISH I could like pilldoc's post more than once...he used Charles Schultz characters!!!  

A grudging congrats to Ovechkin.

Grudging because he has been a pain in the arse to my Tampa Bay Lightning for so many years!

Still though, there is no questioning the guy's skill, tenacity, and when he really sets himself to it, can literally take over a game.

I mentioned elsewhere that despite all his scoring prowess many often underestimate his ability to throw a mean bodycheck.

And I am not talking about the kind of "sort of big bump" you often see from players who are primarily goal scorers.

Oh, no...not Alex.

He delivers the types of hits you'd normally associate with a big stay-at-home defenseman or some large, bruising 3rd or 4th line winger.

Which, honestly shouldn't be a surprise given how fast he is and moving his big 6'3 240ish pound frame around.

Puts to shame other big guys who don't use their size nearly as effective.

Great player, perhaps not as well rounded as some in Washington would like (his defense and judgement of WHEN to antagonize the opponents sometimes comes into question), but then again, when you can do some of the things this guy does, the WAY he does them, one can gloss over his deficiencies in other areas just a smidge.

Oh, and don't be surprised if later on down his career he finally does come up with a solid, steady defensive game, while still maintaining his threat to score.

That would REALLY put him over the top as being in the category of some of the best ever to play the game....oh, and a Stanley Cup wouldn't hurt either...

400 goals and still only 28? Look out....

Didn't watch any of this game, but I must admit, was pleasantly surprised to see Buffalo beat the Bruins...and doing it while being outshot by a hefty margin as well.

Kudos to your Sabres.

I can't comment on the overall effort the B's put out but any way you slice it, a win is a win...especially against a nemesis for the Sabres like Boston.

Oh, by the way @Hockey Junkie , hubby scored some great Club Level tickets for the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center when the Sabres come to town.

Best part? It will be Jason Pominville bobblehead night!  How appropriate for Poms when his current and former team face off in January!

But back to your original topic...so do you think this means the Sabres see some wisdom in trying to retain Miller even though  rebuild may be necessary? Or are wins like this a very good way to raise his stock sky high for a maximum return for him in any trades?

Now THIS is interesting.

I have yet to see, believe it or not, JP Cote play at the NHL level....well, ok, he was up for a "cup of coffee" with the Canadiens years ago...hardly much of a sample size.

Granted, Cote's play really isn't going to set the NHL world on fire, however, he DOES possess a quality that I find has been lacking in the TB Lightning in recent weeks: NASTINESS!

As long as Cote can keep himself from going overboard and not costing his team in regards to taking stupid penalties, his hard brand of hockey, intimidation, and attitude will be VERY welcome on the team.

Right now, only Radko Gudas seems to be playing the kind of hard, rough hockey that the very best of playoff bound teams seem to play on a nightly basis. 

Will be nice to get Gudas some help in that area....and because Cote is a defenseman, it will be even SWEETER to have opposing forwards not only have to worry about Gudas as they go through the neutral zone and in the corners in the offensive zone, but worry about Cote as well.

If JP can do his thing at the NHL level like he did at the AHL level, maybe he can help fire up other D-men who SHOULD be playing a tough style as well, such as Eric Brewer (very good hitter...when he wants to be) and Andrej Sustr.

I always thought Keith Aulie would be a very good 'nasty' type D-man in his own zone, but thus far, he hasn't...and his injuries haven't helped his cause either.

Mr. Cote, here is your chance!

USA Today puts this out as a "case for"  and "case against"

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/12/should-rangers-trade-ryan-callahan-dan-girardi-nhl-preview/

Personally, I think Callahan and Girardi are quality players.

Players who are NOT being managed properly under Alain Vigneault.  But to me, this is no surprise.

Guys like Callahan and Girardi were PERFECT for the systems former Ranger coach John Tortorella employed....tough, defensive, shut down, in-your-face, and opportunistic on the offensive end.

Alain Vigneault is a completely different coach with his own ideas of what it takes to win hockey games.

Is one better than the other? Not necessarily...however, given how both coaches are very different from one another, it only makes sense that they  have players on the team that fit in with what the coach wants to get accomplished.

And that is where I believe the problem to keeping Callahan and Girardi comes in: they simply do NOT seem to fit the mold of "Vigneault Guys".

I will admit, I am not entirely sure what a "Vigneault Guy" is. But if I were to look back at his success with the Vancouver Canucks, it is probably a player who can transition very quickly from offense to defense, and vice versa....one who can skate AROUND most opposition, as opposed to meeting it head on (more Torts style), excels in special teams (on both ends), and if need be and depending on your point of view, excel in douchebaggery as well (see former Canucks Matt Cooke, Todd Bertuzzi, and Darcy Hordichuk, current Canuck Alex Burrows, and yes, even the Sedins, who were known to embellish calls and complain to officials when certain things didn't go their way).

Obviously, Vigneault was successful with that mix and style...not Stanley Cup successful, but very, very, VERY good nontheless.

Guys like Callahan and Girardi simply do not fit those molds. In fact, the article even points out how Girardi has regressed since Coach Vigneault came on.

Certainly both players can either stay or go, and someone, either the current Rangers coach or the two players themselves (or both) have to make some major adjustments to the other, but I think, in the grand scheme of things, the Rangers are probably better off seeing what they can get for those players before they become UFA's at the end of the year.

Whether its picks or some raw prospects that can be molded into "Vigneault Guys", or perhaps even an NHL ready player or two that better fits in with Vigneault's coaching style....though not necessarily "better" than either Callahan or Girardi.

Even if allowed to walk, I don't see either player being out of work for very long. Plenty of teams out there that can use a gritty two way forward, and a very sturdy shut down type D-man.....and the article speculates that Coach Torterella would love to have either one of them over in Vancouver.....I agree with that.

I know this particular site has no love for anything NY Rangers, but I still would like to hear from you guys: Are the Rangers better off gutting it out with these two guys, then attempt to re-sign them at year's end?

Or perhaps hang on to them for the current playoff push (the Metro division is anything but solid....many teams have a shot at that 3rd guaranteed playoff spot!), and see if these guys can really come alive in the post season?

Or get what they can for them, trade them as rentals to another team, and see if they can get further mold the team into a bunch of "Vigneault Guys"?

I say trade.

The NY Rangers that  made the EC Finals not so long ago were purposely built to play a certain way. I think Coach Torts did a HELL of a job with that group.

Despite that, I also realize, that Torts' style was very demanding, and there are many players who probably could not continue to play under his regime for very long without wanting to choke the guy.

But the bottom line is this:

Torts turned that team into a bunch of competitors who were no longer guys with "potential" but guys who were contenders.

From a bunch of rag tag 2nd and 3rd liners to a unified, single minded entity who just wanted to win in the worst way.

Coach Torts picked, one way or the other, and sometimes in heavy handed fashion, who would be part of that group of winners and who simply wouldn't cut it there.

Girardi and Callahan , IMO, were two that COULD......Vigneault brings a world of difference to the team....just seems to me, those two players are back to being 'rag tag second liner' or 'a second or third pair D-man' under him...simply because of the difference in styles of players and coaches.

Once ownership decided to replace Torts with Vigneault, they basically said " We are going in a completely different direction"......and while that is fine, and Coach Vigneault could STILL bring success to the Rangers, he would need guys he better understands.....apparently, Callahan and Girardi are not two of them.

Shipp'em out, better for the Rangers long term plans, and better for those two players, so that they may end up somewhere they can play the way they know best and be the most successful.

Hmm...let's see, I will start with the Lightning...

In recent seasons, it's been teams that are either very  high scoring or bring a very tough, physical defense.

Given that, I would have to say its been teams like Pittsburgh, Boston, New Jersey, and Washington.

Right now, TB doesn't have a 'main rival' per se....in years past its been teams like Philadelphia, Washington and Carolina....but those series have cooled down a bit due to either those teams or TB not being particularly good recently.

And NO, despite what the media would have you believe, the Florida Panthers and TB Lightning are NOT really rivals or nemesis to each other. Media wants people to eat that up simply because both teams are from warm weather Florida, but fact is, whenever one of those teams has been good the other hasn't....or both have been bad at the same time.

Until BOTH are competitive at the same time AND competing for playoff spots against one another, AND better still, meet in the playoffs, no real rivalry exists.

Good GAWD I HATE media manufactured "rivalries"....

For the Minnesota Wild, for the longest time, it's been the Vancouver Canucks as the Nucks have dominated the former North West division and Minnesota could do very little about it.

With re-alignment, I would have to say the Nucks nemesis thing will probably die down a bit...now the Wild have to worry about division rivals (and nemesis teams) like St. Louis, Chicago, and Colorado.  The Blues in particular, simply because they beat and bash their way through games with Minnesota, and the Wild right now, don't have much of an answer for that style of play.

Same goes for Minnesota nemesis teams out in the Pacific such as Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles..teams that the Wild simply have a hard time dealing with their combination of size, physicality, and skill.

I think you won't see that called much (if ever anymore), simply because EVERYONE will be required to wear visors, and there is no protocol for players actually removing their helmets right before a fight...though I would LIKE players to remove the head gear, personally.

Sure, much more dangerous to go bare knuckle with no helmet / visor, but hey, the guys that fight don't worry about that (they know what they are getting into), and they shouldn't have to worry about bashing their hands on headgear either

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

Really?  That might be one of the worst logos ever.

 

@jammer2

 

I do like the baby blues but every other team here is black and gold. I like the continuity.

 

@mojo1917

 

Funny - I had the exact same reaction....kinda Bruin-ish. The gold vs. Bruin yellow helps.  Still - I like the more classic look with strips on the arms and at the bottom of the sweater. 

Well, I DID say I was in the minority, as I have heard many fans (mostly Pens fans) say that....but I stand by it...I think the logo is less 'cartoony' than the current logo, and I just never did go for the cartoony type logos for ANY pro team in any sport...just my tastes on what logos should or shouldn't be.

And worst EVER? You, sir, exaggerate...

You guys all make very good points on all these players, but for my money, the numero uno jack ass HAS to be Sean Avery.

Seriously...at least the other guys on the poll have had consistent, steady NHL employment until they retired or as in the case of Marchand, still employed and playing a role on his team..even if it IS the role of King Rat.

Avery? This guy got traded around, kicked off teams, or simply buried in the minors IN HIS FLIPPIN PRIME....due to his antics not only on the ice, but off as well.

I mean, I am pretty sure there is a talented hockey player hidden somewhere inside the guy, but I gotta tell you, when I think of Sean Avery, I can't really think of any actual HOCKEY memories of him....I just think of his shenanigans off the ice, in hotel rooms, trading barbs with teammates, opponents, even his own coaching staff....oh, and of course, him playing the jumping jack game in front of Martin Brodeur....

Marchand, Domi, Barnaby, Lemieux, etc...for sure, cases can be made for all those guys for being jack asses, but Sean Avery wrote, re-wrote, then updated that book several times over in such a way that even THOSE players are probably saying, "Damn, what a jack ass that Avery is..."

I'd have to agree...

Now all the Sabres need to do is get the RIGHT collection of veterans to help change the culture of not only the locker room, but also, how the team is perceived by the rest of the league.

Sabres should (and probably will) unload whatever vets they have that have value at the trade deadline, see what their young players can do the rest of the year, THEN make some smart signings in the off season regarding vets who don't mind being part of a program that is helping to build a good, solid young foundation.

All with Nolan leading the way on this behind the bench.

Not a Pens fan.....not by a LONG shot....

However...I must say, these unis look pretty sharp. I like that raised, almost metallic look to the logo.

And I know some like the powder blue, but as long as I have known the Pens (mid 90's) they've always been subdued gold n black, so I am good with that color scheme.

I do like THIS Pens logo better (and probably in the minority),

but still, the unis are nice.