If your team is not playing, who would you watch on TV?

[yave1964]

  Some fans are fans of their team and don't watch too much NHL unless there team is on, I get it, nothing wrong with that.

 

 This question is for the rest of us.

 

 If your team is not playing, who is your favorite team to watch?

 

  Mine is a no brainer, I love watching the Chicago Black Hawks, absolutely deep skilled club, Toews andKane and Sharp and Hossa and now Saad up front, Keith and Seabrook and a deep, skilled blueline.

 

  And I love that their goalies are average, on any given night the Hawks could give up 3 or 4 goals, if Crawford was not earing more gear than the stay puff marshmallow man he wouldn't be in the NHL. I swear i think he sticks couch cushions inside of his sweater and goalie pants, I am not even certain he can move, Oduya and Shaw get under each arm and kind of slide him in front of the net to start a period and then help him to the locker room when it is over. Even with that, he is average which makes the games interesting.

 So the Hawks, love the skill.

 

  Other teams who I am happy to see on when i am flipping thru the channels when the Wings are not on:

 

The Lightning. So young, so talented, so relentless.

The Leafs. The leagues hottest team could become the leagues coldest team, lterally in one shift. Love watching what comes next.

 Edmonton. Sometimes you just gotta watch hockey played badly. Plus on the Hockey Network, their HD channel when they are at home is the best on TV, nobody else is close. So you get to see bad hockey in striking definition.

Columbus. Young forwards, i live 45 minutes away, my 13 year old daughter is a huge Dubinsky fan so it is nice watching with her. Just wish i could make her a Wings fan.

 

  That is my list and why. Anyone else?

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I don't have a favorite.  I watch whatever game might look interesting.

[JagerMeister]

If Canucks or NJD are not playing i will try to watch Philadelphia or Dallas

[J0e Th0rnton]

  Some fans are fans of their team and don't watch too much NHL unless there team is on, I get it, nothing wrong with that.

 

 This question is for the rest of us.

 

 If your team is not playing, who is your favorite team to watch?

 

  Mine is a no brainer, I love watching the Chicago Black Hawks, absolutely deep skilled club, Toews andKane and Sharp and Hossa and now Saad up front, Keith and Seabrook and a deep, skilled blueline.

 

  And I love that their goalies are average, on any given night the Hawks could give up 3 or 4 goals, if Crawford was not earing more gear than the stay puff marshmallow man he wouldn't be in the NHL. I swear i think he sticks couch cushions inside of his sweater and goalie pants, I am not even certain he can move, Oduya and Shaw get under each arm and kind of slide him in front of the net to start a period and then help him to the locker room when it is over. Even with that, he is average which makes the games interesting.

 So the Hawks, love the skill.

 

  Other teams who I am happy to see on when i am flipping thru the channels when the Wings are not on:

 

The Lightning. So young, so talented, so relentless.

The Leafs. The leagues hottest team could become the leagues coldest team, lterally in one shift. Love watching what comes next.

 Edmonton. Sometimes you just gotta watch hockey played badly. Plus on the Hockey Network, their HD channel when they are at home is the best on TV, nobody else is close. So you get to see bad hockey in striking definition.

Columbus. Young forwards, i live 45 minutes away, my 13 year old daughter is a huge Dubinsky fan so it is nice watching with her. Just wish i could make her a Wings fan.

 

  That is my list and why. Anyone else?

Right now? The Lightning. Having my boy Drouin from the Mooseheads was why I started watching them. Now I just LOVE that team. So much young talent. And most importantly, they are an east coast team.

 

Being a Sharks fan in Halifax atlantic time sucks major donkey Balls. For me, Hockey games begin at 11:30PM if it is a Sharks homegame.

 

Back in the day, no problem. I was a 5-6 night a week partying social drinker. I could go to work on 3-4 hours sleep hungover for a Hockey game or a girl I met at the bar.

 

Now with a steady girlfriend who i want to Marry and 2 year old twins? I want to go to sleep around 9pm/10pm most nights. Last year's playoffs almost killed me. I stayed up till 2:30 most nights praying it would not go into overtime because I had to wake up at 5AM to start getting ready and then get the kids ready for Daycare. Worse, I do not get to nap at home anymore like I used to unless they are napping, which they do less and less of every day.

 

That game 7 loss not only was the most demoralizing game I have ever watched.............I knew work was going to feed me kettles of turd over it. We are a nasty bunch of pranksters in my workplace. Pictures of Dead Sharks all over my office with the words 2015 team. Joe Thornton photoshopped on to milk Cartons left in my office. The department Vacuum sporting a big "Thornton 19". It was a lot to handle on 2 hours sleep lol

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Well, since i have two horses in the race (Lightning and Wild) and both are relatively talented with reasonable chances of making the post season, I have double the chances most fans have of having a team to watch in the playoffs...and they are on opposite Conferences, so that is even better because there won't be any "conflicts"...unless of course, both make it to the SC Finals.

 

That said, if there are no Bolts or Wild in the post season, or both get eliminated, I still watch playoff hockey...though probably not as intently as if my teams were in it.

 

The New York Rangers, with their seemingly endless stream of former Bolts players (MSL on the team, whom I still have loyalties to), are a good bet for me to follow in the post season.

And not only former Bolts, but over the last few years, the Rangers have also had some favorite former Wild players on there as well....Marion Gaborik and Derek Boogaard for example.

About the ONLY thing I don't really care for about the Rangers is Coach Alain Vignault, but then again, that could mostly stem from the fact that he coached rat players like Alex Burrows in Vancouver...and the Canucks were ALWAYS a pain in the Wild's collective arses when Minnesota was still in it's "growing stages".

 

Other teams in the East I could be seen following would be any team that goes up against the Bruins or Pens.

Yea, yea, its kinda vindictive, but I don't care. Pitts and Bos have been winners for so long (and some of their fanbase LOVES rubbing it into the faces of other fanbases), that it is quite easy for me to get behind whomever has a shot at eliminating either one....even if that other team is the Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, or Ottawa Senators.

 

Out West, man, those Flames look pretty damned exciting. They've floundered lately, but I would LOVE to see them get into the post season and see what they can do against the likes of a Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, or St. Louis Blues team (assuming they finish in a WC spot), or perhaps against an LA Kings or SJ Sharks team if Calgary finishes in one of the guaranteed top three slots.

To me, the Flames USED to be a dull bunch (no offense to past great Calgary players like Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff, and Theoren Fleury)....because they just seemed content to get their goal count up to 2 goals and sit on that lead...or simply INCAPABLE of doing anymore..not sure which.

 

Either way, it was dull...but no longer.

Team has lots of good young legs, some good developing talent, some sandpaper players, decent goaltending and in addition to trying to play a responsible defense, now employ a very fast up tempo style.

 

Unless they go up against the Wild in the post season, I can see myself jumping on the Calgary bandwagon for a bit.

 

Also, much like the East, any team that goes up against the Blackhawks, Blues, Kings, or Canucks...again, because those teams have been perennial contenders (though Van had a "down year" last season), and I just like to root underdog against teams that always seem like they are winning.

[jammer2]

 @yave1964  Much like you, when my team is not playing, I love to take in a Black Hawks game. Besides having Towes as a 6 year keeper, they are just fun to watch. The whole team has a big compete level. The presence of Jacob Trouba (well, not now, he's hurt till Feb) makes Jets games worth watching. I think he will get his name on the Norris in a few years, so it's fun to watch him develop.

 

  Quick question, Tarasenko has 2 hatty's this year, when was the last time a Blues player accomplished this feat?  It was a few decades ago, by none other than Brett Hull. This kid's release reminds me *so* very much of Hull's although he's a much better skater, their shots are very similar, thus, the Blues are a fav to watch also..

[ruxpin]

Definitely Chicago for reasons stated.

But I also really like watching the Red Wings and the Bolts. Both have some young kids I really enjoy watching.

[jammer2]

@ruxpin  I specifically love watching Johnson play. He is the straw that stirs the drink on the 2nd line. When Stammer is not on the ice, he makes the Bolts uber dangerous. One of my best 7th round picks in our draft ever. Wanted to pull the trigger sooner, but thought I could wait. I was right, but should have picked him earlier just to be safe. It leaves me with some intriguing options for the keepers in 2015. I have Toews, Tavares, Hall, Ryan Johanson, Tyler Johnson, Bobrovksy, Okposo, Marleau....that is 8 legit keepers....so letting the piece of crap Varlamov go did not really hurt, just embarrassing to have put so much faith in him.

[And1]

If the Pens aren't on I enjoy watching the broadcast on NBCSports done by Doc and Eddie (and Pierre if you count him). I love the way Doc becomes excited and emotional about the game and makes it much more interesting to watch. I also do a killer Doc Emrick impression to all my friends regularly so it's fun collecting more material. 

 

Many people often ask me if the Pittsburgh Penguins were never a team which team would I like..answer: Toronto Maple Leafs. I have always been interested in the Leafs for years now and really enjoy watching them play. They have a great story and was really pulling for them during last season's playoffs against Boston. Plus I met Tyler Bozak and he's a really cool dude 

[InsideEdge]

For some reason I like watching the Oilers. See how they lose. The Jets are fun to watch and I also enjoy watching the Islanders and Canucks.

[Podein25]

Mrs Podein likes to watch the Wings and I oblige. Loves their puck movement and system.

Also have developed a fondness for the Jets. Really rooting for them to make the playoffs and they are playing a nice high tempo game right now.

[flyercanuck]

@Podein25

 

Plus it looks like their pipeline has come through yet again with Hutchinson.

[Podein25]

@Podein25

Plus it looks like their pipeline has come through yet again with Hutchinson.

Yeah Hutch was apparently the difference the other night vs BOS.

That they have been able to win without their top 4 D is testimony to their character under Maurice. IF they make the playoffs, Paul should get Coach of the Year considerations. After which he will surely be fired, of course.

[flyercanuck]

@Podein25

 

Check out the goalie stats....

 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/statshome.htm

 

And of course the top scorer in the entire league.

[Podein25]

@Podein25

Check out the goalie stats....

http://www.nhl.com/ice/statshome.htm

And of course the top scorer in the entire league.

Something people outside of Wpg may not realize is that Hutch did not have a good camp or pre-season. So much so that they signed Budaj a few days before the season started, with everyone thinking he'd be the vet backup.

But Maurice surprised, saying he believed in Hutch and felt the team just needed to player better in front of him. Kept him, sending Budaj down. Smart move it turns out...