✨🥅 2023-24 NHL GENERAL SEASON THREAD 🥅 ✨

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

6 hours ago, thegx.ca said:

I gotta remember not to pump their tires before games over too

 

You may see me post something about "TFG Juju" from time to time.

It's when I inadvertently curse (or sometimes ADVERTENTLY curse  ) a team or fanbase by heaping praise upon them.
Over the years, it has been uncanny to watch.
I have even had it backfire on my own teams.

TFG Juju....it's a real thing. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Match ups today of interest (at least for me):

PHI @ OTT (starting in about half an hour)
Both teams looking to rebuild, going about it in different ways....who is on the better track?
Most pundits would have you believe the Sens are, but the Flyers, while still looking at perhaps a rough season, I believe are gonna shock a few teams along the way and are gonna pull out some mean spirited, tough defensive games out of their arses when their opponents least suspect it!
The 'Torts Effect'.

TB @ DET (7pm EST):
Naturally, my Bolts boys. 
Their games against Detroit, no matter where the teams are in the standings, always seem to be physical with both teams very engaged.
Some might say the Bolts are trending downward now, while the Wings are trending upwards, but make no mistake, the Wings would STILL like to be where the Bolts are now.
Also, in this game, the 'Yzerman Effect'.

CHI @ MTL (7pm EST):
Teams way down on the rebuild scale but that have very exciting and skilled young talent to facilitate that.
Plus, ONE of them has to win tonight, right? Right??
Unless Bettman re-introduces the tie just for this game if needed....  

MIN @ TOR (7pm EST):
My other set of boys, the Wild, go against the always overblown Leafs.
And dammit...they start at the same time as the Lightning n Red Wings.
Whatever will I do!!??
Where's that clone machine my crazy husband bought me last year......

BUF @ NYI (730p EST):
Can the Sabres scrape themselves off the ice after being plastered by the Rangers?
The Isles are gonna be a tough team to do it against...

SEA @ ST.L (8pm EST):
The Kraken are already 0-2 after having a great year last year and many thinking they are on their way up as well.
Were they a fluke last year and they will now go back to being Expansion Kraken?
Or is it simply early season doldrums and they will right their tentacled ship soon enough?
And what better team to do that against than the Blues....who are STILL loaded (on Smirnoff) by the way  

 

VAN @ EDM (10PM est):
And speaking of scraping themselves up...the Oilers.
Do they turn the tables on the Canuckles and embarrass them on their home ice like Vancouver did them in BC?
And, @JR Ewing, will that scrub Connor McDavid finally up his game, earn his contract and do things to make people believe he is no longer a bust   ?
Will Thatcher Demko stub his toe in his return from  stomach-itis and find himself on yet another three week stint on IR?
This should be good!  

and finally, ANA @ VGK (10pm EST):
Only because the Knights are the Champs, and EVERYONE wants to knock off the Champs. Always.
Even a team in tanking mode wants to take out the Champs if they can.
The Ducks are gonna struggle this year, but they put on a good showing BECAUSE they are visiting the Champs.
As for John Gibson? See above about Thatcher Demko.....

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Good to see Scott Hartnell in the Philadelphia pre-game booth putting down some analysis on the upcoming game against the Senators.
He has some pretty good insight, seems comfortable in front of the camera and is easy to listen to.

And NBC Sports Philadelphia, knowing Hartnell so well, even thought ahead and had him sit between his co-hosts because they KNOW he is gonna trip and fall getting up to go to the restroom.
This way he is insulated.
Good thinking NBC Sports Philly! 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Lightning at Wings, Wild at Leafs....on at the same time.

Jeebus.
Gonna have my virtual head on a swivel!
I really wanted to watch BOTH these games!

[thegx.ca]

I'm watching Calgary of course and Markstrom is a brick wall so far but man Calgary can't keep hanging him out there all the time...Calgary defence really bad so far it's a miracle it's still tied...

[Math]

I'm watching Habs vs. Hawks. The Centre Bell has many empty seats and the only thing this crowd found to do is to boo Bedard everytime he touches the puck. I'm no fan of Chicago at all but the Montréal fanbase is absolutely insufferable and is by far the worst of the League.

[thegx.ca]

39 minutes ago, Math said:

I'm watching Habs vs. Hawks. The Centre Bell has many empty seats and the only thing this crowd found to do is to boo Bedard everytime he touches the puck. I'm no fan of Chicago at all but the Montréal fanbase is absolutely insufferable and is by far the worst of the League.

Haters gonna hate...Swifty quote

[Icechipper]

Poor sportsmanship sucks!

[Math]

Durzi, Trouba, Dumba, Goodrow & co. have had some fun tonight in Big Apple

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Man...after being spoiled by three straight trips to the Finals, and winning 2/3 of those, this season's version of the Bolts are gonna be real hard to watch.

I mean, I knew the dip was coming, but was still pretty sure they could pull out at least one more Cup with the current core.
But so far, the players the Bolts have invested in after dealing with the cap crunch every year are average at best...invisible at worst....and NOW they don't have Andrei Vasilevskiy to bail them out then they are playing as disheveled as they are now.

Buffalo taking it to Tampa Bay 2-0 in the first.
And looking about two or three levels faster than the former recent two time champs.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Ryan Reaves goes viral with the most hilarious chirp for Corey Perry; fans are all saying the same thing about it (msn.com)

 

Ok, soooo...
In further attempts to maintain relevancy, Ryan Reaves got into a "chirping" match with Corey Perry during the Chi-Tor game, and the bulk of the exchange was caught on cameras and microphones, and some fans are making a big deal about it

Reaves calls out Perry for "never backing up what he says" (Reaves isn't wrong there), while Perry continued what Perry ALWAYS does...talk smack and get under the opposition's skin.
I'd say he was doing his job pretty well against Reaves, no?
Then again, with Reaves not really being much of a factor on offense or defense on his team, I guess a good chirping match with one of the King Chirpers in Perry was worth a shot.
It DOES have fans on social media talking at least.

Funny thing is, we all know Reaves is the type of guy who talks stuff, starts stuff, and will get his hands dirty.
But, we ALSO know, Corey Perry talks stuff, starts stuff, takes his cheap shots on the ice, but picks his spots VERY carefully when it comes to dropping the gloves.
So, while Reaves is correct when he says 'Perry doesn't back it up', should he really be surprised? Isn't it then, a waste of his time trying to goad Perry into a physical altercation when every single shred of history on Perry suggest he is more agitator than gladiator?

People can say what they want about Perry....he is a chicken ^%$#, a cheap shot artist, a coward...whatever (and they wouldn't be far off the mark), but Perry has also done more in his prime than Reaves ever has in his entire NHL career to help his teams win.
Even in his old, slow age, Perry still has a bit of a scoring touch here and there, can still skate reasonably well (at least as well as Reaves), and can still be a factor in his team's successes....which is what I am betting the Blackhawks are counting on.

Reaves? Not so much.
So Ryan can thump his chest all he wants, and point out to everyone who will listen that Perry doesn't have the guts to face him down one to one, but the bottom line is, Perry is more valuable even as he is now, to the Blackhawks, then Reaves is to the Maple Leafs.

Reaves' struggle for relevancy is real, people.... 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Chicago Blackhawks look pretty game tonight against the Avs, but it certainly isn't showing up on the stat sheet.

Down 3-0 after two and have only generated 15 SOG have the Hawks.
I would have thought that given some of the young buck players they have on that team, that even by ACCIDENT, they'd generate more than that.
So far, the Avs' Alex Georgiev is sitting on his net couch, sipping a margarita waiting for Chicago to throw anything sorta dangerous his way.

Young Hawks players.....you guys look fired up, not afraid of the big bad Avs, I can commend that.
But Colorado has put a big muzzle on your offensive output!

[SaucyJack]

10 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Young Hawks players.....you guys look fired up, not afraid of the big bad Avs, I can commend that.
But Colorado has put a big muzzle on your offensive output!

I doubt this will bother The Faithful when they finally get to see Their Sweet Boy in his ChiTown home opener debut Saturday night.  And 2-3 ain’t awful for a 5-game tour.

 

The End of the season Beginning can be declared Saturday night…last home openers (CHI, ARI) and last road openers (CLB, NYI).

 

[Math]

As much as talented Bedard can be, Hall and Donato just can't be of any help supporting him. When Crosby or Matthews entered the League, they had decent support. The Hawks might surprise from time to time but they are still trash with a unique PP line rolling over and over. Good match-up with the Sharks and the Habs to finish dead last.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, Math said:

As much as talented Bedard can be, Hall and Donato just can't be of any help supporting him. When Crosby or Matthews entered the League, they had decent support. The Hawks might surprise from time to time but they are still trash with a unique PP line rolling over and over. Good match-up with the Sharks and the Habs to finish dead last.

 

Definitely agree on the support thing.

You can throw in McDavid in there too.
He had Draisaitl to help offload some of the weight while he got his full NHL legs.

There are some pretty solid vets on Chicago like Nick Foligno, and gasp, dare I say it, Corey Perry, but you are right:
Bedard is gonna need HIGH END support if he is to really shine through.
Maybe Lukas Reichel to grow along with him too?
Reichel was an offensive standout at the AHL level...if he can translate some of that over to the big time...

[Math]

Polls are now open: I'm going with 2 games (Maybe only 1)

 

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

4 hours ago, Math said:

Polls are now open: I'm going with 2 games (Maybe only 1)

 

 

 

Ouch....led with the elbow and nailed him high.
I'd be VERY surprised if he doesn't get a game or two out of this.

Not sure off the top what kind of history Rasmussen has.
If he is a first time offender, probably two games (since Laine is now listed as 'unavailable'), but if he has done this sort of thing before, then maybe 3-4 games?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Watching the early Saturday afternoon game between the visiting Detroit Red Wings and the hosting Ottawa Senators, it is fascinating to me how these two up n coming clubs are going about their business in rebuilding.

Both have lots of young talent mixed in with some pretty solid vets.
Obviously both still need more work to be regular playoff teams and more after that to be true SC contenders, but I like what I see from both....perhaps not from a rival Lightning fan's point of view, but as a hockey fan in general.

Ottawa seems to be going in the 'Attack, attack, attack' style.
Their play and personnel seems geared towards being relentless in the transition game and in the offensive zone.
Shooting, hitting, hitting that stretch pass for the streaking skater......albeit this sometimes leaves their defensive zone vulnerable.

Detroit seems to be opting for a more 'two way' approach, which, on paper at least, looks like the more viable solution to being a perennial contender.
They look like they are more methodical in their approach, securing their own zone (or at least trying to against this ferocious Ottawa attack), then moving the puck out zone by zone, then trying to set up in the offensive zone....all anchored by Ville Husso in net.

Classic case of contrasting styles here and honestly, it does make for very interesting matchups and ebb and flow to the game.

I wouldn't say Detroit is 'slow', but at the speed that the Senators are moving, it sure seems that way!
Wings definitely a bit more structured though....and at this point, I'll take Husso over Korpisalo as my netminder every time.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Man...Ottawa on the PP.
Definitely played to their strength.
If 5 on 5 they looked dangerous while attacking, they were downright elite just now on the PP.

Detroit tried their best to keep them at bay, but just too many weapons on the Sens PP.
Husso make some great saves, but ultimately a rocket from Jake Sanderson, after some warp speed puck movement, puts the Sens up 1-0.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And now things are getting nasty....with, surprise, surprise, Ottawa getting THAT started with some hard hitting, to which the Wings showed their teeth about.

@yave1964 if you aren't watching this game, get on this...great game so far.
Fast, physical, snarly, and with lots of skill....YOUR type of game!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And Detroit not only shows their teeth, but score VERY quickly on their chance on the PP.

Seider, Larkin, Gostisbehere....goal.

1-1 game as the period winds down with 1:45 left.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Wow.
Did I sell Jonas Korpisalo short?
He has looked fantastic staving off the Detroit PP.

Wings could have easily had a PP on three different occasions had it not been for 'Korpi'.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Whoops...
And, TFG Juju strikes!

Wings get the goal as Joe Veleno banks the puck off Korpisalo.
That is one way to get on past a goalie on his game...

2-1 Detroit.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Holy crap, Detroit is looking damned good this game.
After weathering several Ottawa bursts, they now sit on a 5-2 lead, and they are frustrating the Sens at every turn...from big saves by Husso, to Wings defensemen giving up the body to block big shots, and Rasmussen even took on Brady Tkachuk and took him off the ice for 5 minutes.

Then the Wings turn around and make their offensive chances count on some fast and beautiful plays.
Ottawa does get one back, but still, outside of the first half of the opening period, this game has been dictated by the Wings.

If Steve Yzerman can get this kind of consistency from this team he is building, could be a case of Bolts 2.0 he has going here!

[yave1964]

2 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

And now things are getting nasty....with, surprise, surprise, Ottawa getting THAT started with some hard hitting, to which the Wings showed their teeth about.

@yave1964 if you aren't watching this game, get on this...great game so far.
Fast, physical, snarly, and with lots of skill....YOUR type of game!

I was GLUED TO THE GAME (sorry about the caplocks, it describes my mood, lol. 

  Last year Wings went into Ottawa for back to back games in early February, 4 points out of a playoff spot. Up 2-1 at the end of one, Tkachuk challenged the entire Wings bench to a fight, nobody answered the bell and he stood their laughing. Sens 7-1 followed the next night by the Sens winning 5-1. Game and season over. Hronek and Bertuzzi dealt within a week.

 

I circled this game above all games since the schedule came out, as must see TV, the Wings had to win period. What a fun game, power play clicking, hitting everything that moved, man it felt good today.

 

  Still a looong season but the Wings are scoring at a fantastic clip, a relentless forecheck. Five games in, it is fun to watch the boys in every game.