Ongoing NHL thread - Part III

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Former players Sergei Fedorov, Peter Bondra, Valeri Kamensky, Ville Peltonen, and builders Pat Quinn and Ben Smith are the 2016 inductees to the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Sergei Fedorov won three World Championship titles and three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. He finished his NHL career with 483 goals, 696 assists and 1,179 points, leading to his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

Peter Bondra scored Slovakia's version of Paul Henderson's goal in 1972 when he scored the winning goal against Russia in the 2002 World Hockey Championship. Over his 16-year NHL career, Bondra scored 503 goals and added 389 assists for 892 points.

Fedorov among IIHF Hall of Fame class

 

[forty_three]

It can't be as bad as my last game on Friday. Sure I scored a goal but I just confirmed yesterday that I tore my ACL.

May turn out to be my last game indeed.

Sorry to hear Kenny. Good luck in therapy for it. And remember, you're still better than Weircioch.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Sorry to hear Kenny. Good luck in therapy for it. And remember, you're still better than Weircioch.

The detritus they're going to remove from my disabled knee joint is better than Wiercioch.

 

[elocomotive]

...not of Wilson. I plead the fifth on other hockey related questions.

Hahaha. Both fair comments.



(Edit - REPORTED!!!)

 

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Senators' Smith fined for embellishment

 

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The Calgary Flames have discussed taking on his (Bernier's) contract,” NHL insider Eric Francis told Dean Blundell and Company Thursday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “It’s not the craziest idea out there. They need a goaltender next year. Pretty much everyone in the organization is either hurt or their contract ends this year.”

 

[Comeds]

Vincent Damphousse has more points than Sergei Fedorov.

 

[dare2be]

Hahaha. Both fair comments.

(Edit - REPORTED!!!)

c'mom, when "fair" is used by itself, the proper response is:

/to be reported!

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Senators' Smith fined for embellishment

I would have preferred suspension so that Dave Cameron could avoid playing out of position on the top line.

No I'm NOT making this up.

 

[DragonfromTO]

It can't be as bad as my last game on Friday. Sure I scored a goal but I just confirmed yesterday that I tore my ACL.

May turn out to be my last game indeed.

Just let them know, "Y'all wanna win, let Kenny spin!"

Sorry to hear that buddy. Best of luck. The game will be there for you whenever you're ready.

 

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The most improved possession teams (with more than a 2.5% increase):

Buffalo Sabres – It’s a wonder what happens when a team actively tries to win. The Sabres were a disaster in 2014-2015, then brought in head coach Dan Bylsma and upgraded the roster with Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Reinhart, along with young defencemen Mark Pysyk and Jake McCabe.

Highly-regarded rookie Jack Eichel and big-minute blueliner Zach Bogosian haven’t been great relative possession players this year, so there’s still room for the 46.7% possession team to improve.

Montreal Canadiens – Last year, the Canadiens were a subpar possession club carried to the postseason by an outstanding goaltender. This year, there has been dramatic improvement. Defenceman Jeff Petry has played a big part, giving the Habs more stability in their top four on defence.

Also, moving Alex Galchenyuk to centre has worked favourably, even if since-waived Alexander Semin was the most common winger to skate with Galchenyuk and Lars Eller.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Given the cast of journeymen that the Maple Leafs added and sometimes-questionable deployment (eg. Matt Hunwick leads the team in 5-on-5 ice time), it’s a real accomplishment, and likely a credit to head coach Mike Babcock, to take this team from terrible to mediocre in terms of puck possession.

Holdovers James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov have had the ice tilted in their favour with offensive zone starts, while Peter Holland & Brad Boyes have put up good results, too. Maligned defenceman Martin Marincin has struggled to stay in the lineup but, for all of his flaws, he’s effective at shot prevention.


Statistically Speaking: Habs, Leafs make possession gains

 

[DragonfromTO]

The most improved possession teams (with more than a 2.5% increase):

Buffalo Sabres – It’s a wonder what happens when a team actively tries to win. The Sabres were a disaster in 2014-2015, then brought in head coach Dan Bylsma and upgraded the roster with Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Reinhart, along with young defencemen Mark Pysyk and Jake McCabe.

Highly-regarded rookie Jack Eichel and big-minute blueliner Zach Bogosian haven’t been great relative possession players this year, so there’s still room for the 46.7% possession team to improve.

Montreal Canadiens – Last year, the Canadiens were a subpar possession club carried to the postseason by an outstanding goaltender. This year, there has been dramatic improvement. Defenceman Jeff Petry has played a big part, giving the Habs more stability in their top four on defence.

Also, moving Alex Galchenyuk to centre has worked favourably, even if since-waived Alexander Semin was the most common winger to skate with Galchenyuk and Lars Eller.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Given the cast of journeymen that the Maple Leafs added and sometimes-questionable deployment (eg. Matt Hunwick leads the team in 5-on-5 ice time), it’s a real accomplishment, and likely a credit to head coach Mike Babcock, to take this team from terrible to mediocre in terms of puck possession.

Holdovers James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov have had the ice tilted in their favour with offensive zone starts, while Peter Holland & Brad Boyes have put up good results, too. Maligned defenceman Martin Marincin has struggled to stay in the lineup but, for all of his flaws, he’s effective at shot prevention.


Statistically Speaking: Habs, Leafs make possession gains

It's funny how all of this is always portrayed by the media as a credit to Babcock rather than a knock on Carlyle (it is, of course, a combination of both).

My old man thinks that the Leafs are playing better because Babcock is a great motivator. Yeah, that's the difference alright. The players are just trying harder.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

The most improved possession teams

Montreal Canadiens – Last year, the Canadiens were a subpar possession club carried to the postseason by an outstanding goaltender. This year, there has been dramatic improvement. Defenceman Jeff Petry has played a big part, giving the Habs more stability in their top four on defence.


Statistically Speaking: Habs, Leafs make possession gains

Having two PK Subbans will do that for you!!

Especially when you only give up a 2nd rounder for each of them.

 

[Comeds]

Habs might be able to score two goals in four games.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Matured as a player my ass. I hope Bellows fucking rots. Once a piece of shit, always a piece of shit. Certainly lends some credence to Tootoo's claims from earlier this year.

Burrows broke NHL’s trash talking ‘code' with O'Sullivan


Vancouver Canucks pest Alexandre Burrows apologized Thursday to former NHL player Patrick O’Sullivan for stepping over the line with an offensive on-ice comment from some “eight or 10 years ago.”

The incident came to light after O’Sullivan alleged on Twitter that Burrows was the only opponent to taunt him for the well-documented physical and emotional abuse O’Sullivan was subjected to as a child from his father.

“Burrows (was the) only guy who said he wanted to hurt me like my father did,” O’Sullivan tweeted on Thursday. “(That’s) why I can’t stand him.”

O’Sullivan, now 30, has been out of the NHL since 2012. He recounted his gut-wrenching path to the NHL in a new book, “Breaking Away: A Harrowing True Story of Resilience, Courage and Triumph” and with poignant excerpts online.

Burrows owned up to the remarks after the Canucks’ loss to the Flyers.

“I apologize if I offended him back then. I did say some stuff that may now, looking back ... I could see how it would’ve offended him, like a lot of things I said back in the day,” Burrows said. “I read his story on The Player’s Tribune. It’s tough to see.”

Burrows, now 34, said he is a “more mature, older, different player” now. He reasoned his trash talk was a survival instinct. O’Sullivan’s story first came to light in 2003 with a story in ESPN The Magazine after so many questions and eyebrows had been raised about his past during the draft interview process. Burrows carried it to the NHL ice surface at least four years after that.

“At the time, I believed in whatever it took stay in the league,” Burrows said. “In the heat of the moment, especially when I first came in, I was playing six or seven minutes a night on the fourth line. I wanted to help any way I could. And if I could get one guy off his game, get in someone’s kitchen, I was willing to do it to help our team and maybe get on the power play.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Matured as a player my ass. I hope Bellows fucking rots. Once a piece of shit, always a piece of shit. Certainly lends some credence to Tootoo's claims from earlier this year.

Burrows broke NHL’s trash talking ‘code' with O'Sullivan

It does? The NHL investigated it and did nothing about it

 

[pixburgher66]

Matured as a player my ass. I hope Bellows fucking rots. Once a piece of shit, always a piece of shit. Certainly lends some credence to Tootoo's claims from earlier this year.

Burrows broke NHL’s trash talking ‘code' with O'Sullivan

You can trash talk a girlfriend or wife, but not a dog?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

The bar is moving ... society isnt what it was 8 to 10 years ago when a shitload of stuff could be said on the ice and no-one turned to twitter to expose it

what burrows said was horseshit ... what 5 players said to Theo Fleury during the latter stages of his career on ice about getting abused by Graham James was too

 

[jstewismybastardson]

there is no hono(u)r among thieves

 

[KennyBanyeah]

You can trash talk a girlfriend or wife, but not a dog?

Yeah... I found the pet one pretty crazy too.

I guess it depends on what's said. Saying you're going to kill someone's dog is pretty cold.

I HOPE that no one would say the same about a WAG.