NHL 2011-2012

FWIW, the SI season preview issue has the Penguins beating the Blackhawks in the final. Having said that, they also had my Sharks winning it all a couple of years back!

I went to game 1 at the Tank and they looked *really* good beating the Coyotes 6-3, so that's a start..... This is going to be their year! They're stronger, faster and I should probably just dig up the comments I made last year about 'em!....

Go Sharks!
Cheers,
Ian
PS - Seriously, congrats to your Bruins and thanks for posting those pix in the '10-'11 thread - I *dream* of getting my hands on the Cup!

 

+1

As a Kings fan, I haven't been this excited for the season for a long time. Looks like we have the right elements, but hopefully they will mesh together well during the season.

I think SJ will be a major force this season as well and will make the Pacific division very fun to watch.

Penguins can win it if Sid returns. They proved they can be a great team without him last season, but for another cup, he needs to come back.

I think the Caps again will be a great team, but I'm pretty curious myself on whether they can make this playoffs different than years past.

Buffalo is also very highly ranked and I wouldn't mind seeing Miller get some playoff success.

All in all, it should be a great season......

 

Last season, the Texas Rangers declared bankruptcy and three months later went to the World Series. This year they are going to win.

Dallas Stars ( 2-1-0 so far) declared bankruptcy last month...

just saying...

 

Funny!
Agree with all of your comments above guys. Congrats JayO for your Bruins and nice photo there. Hey FastIan, didn't you want Heatley gone? Well guess it happened...
Kings could be really really good this year. Hope they stay healthy.
Detroit Red Wings off to a 3-0 start, but have so few games this month (nine?).
Grab a box of beer and drop the puck!

 

+1

With hindsight, yes!.... However, I happened to be at his Sharks debut wherein he scored a hat trick - Ergo, I was a Dany apologist a lot longer than many others...... Dunno why, but he just never seemed to "gel" whatever line he was on.

Cheers,
Ian

 

A fast summer, and we are already in to the new season....wow, time flies.

Any predictions for a Stanley Cup match-up and winner?

 

Sharks -v- Penguins (if Sid comes back). Else;
Sharks -v- Someone else.



Cheers,
Ian

 

I wonder if Philly finally can to the top with the addition of a real goalie, and Jagr (although I admit Jagr is way past his prime, he still can contribute)

 

I do hope not!

Totally OT, but I'm intrigued as to how a guy in London, Canada became a '9ers fan?.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

The first time I ever watched NFL football, it was the 49ers and the Rams (Los Angeles Rams at that time, led by Jim Everett)...I was about 14...I fell in love with the logo on their helmet, then I was amazed at how great Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were...there are a lot of die-hard 9er fans here in London

 

Columbus BJ'ers set a new record for worst start in franchise history (0-5-1), even after making some BIG moves in the off-season. Wonder what it's going to take to get this franchise kick-started....

 

Good question. They have a good goalie, a great forward (Nash of course) - both ex-London Knights btw

 

Good enough reasons right there!.....

Incidentally, Steve completed more passes & TD's to Jerry than Joe. I actually moved to the Bay area at pretty much the height of the great Joe -v- Steve controversy and was *amazed* when I met a few folk who said "I used to be a 9ers fan, but now I'm a KC fan since Joe's there!" As a soccer fan, anyone that leaves your team, for whatever reason, instantly becomes enemy #1 - It's your civic duty as a fan to make his life as miserable as possible if he returns to your house!..... OK, 9ers fans love Joe, and knew he'd go into the HoF as a '9er, but when KC visited the 'Stick you've got to boo his ass out of there!.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

I love Joe Montana, and I love Steve Young...when Joe left the Niners, I was heart broken...I was still rooting for my 49ers, but I still loved Joe and never booed him

 

went to the Kings/Blues game last night, not sure if the Kings are really good, the Blues are really bad, or a combination thereof.

Kings fans were really amped about the season, and pretty knowledgeable about hockey, that kinda surprised me.

I wish the season/playoffs wasn't so long, hard for me (a casual fan at best) to stay interested for what, almost 9 months?

 

Chas, that's right, about 9 months of hockey...

 

As you have pointed out, Chas (guyincognito).
That said, yea, the Kings have every opportunity this season to be "that good."

Meanwhile, Mike and Ian will have to move their NFL discourses over to the NFL thread! (Flame suit on!)

 

Lol...no flame suit required, it's all good

 

Canes have four points from Bruins in less than a week...beat the Sabes,too...in their place.
May not last but it's fun while it does...
Go Canes!
Cheers,
RE

 

I dig the season being 9 months. Of course, it is hard being so far out from playoffs, as it's clearly the best time of the season. For me, the playoffs really start in March as all the teams step up for ranking.

I was at the Kings/Blues game too. LA has long had their share of hardcore hockey fans. It was just a big gap between them and the general public until now (i.e. you had a LOT of casual Laker fans, but hardly any casual Kings fans).

When the Kings made the playoffs again a couple seasons ago, there was a huge increase in the casual fans at the games. And now with the NBA lockout, along with the team additions, it's starting to show more. I for one really like that more people are getting into a sport I've long had a passion for. Hopefully more fans will eventually develop here and other teams south of the border......

 

Firstly, I should have apologized up front for the hijack - Sorry guys! We'll pick it up in the correct thread later.

Very interesting comments. Thanks. Hopefully, the NBA will can the season and Lakers fans become Kings (or Ducks ) fans....

It's not something I've experienced though - The Sharks almost always claim "a sellout", but:

- They're perennial contenders with a solid season ticket base.
- Don't really have to compete with an NBA team.... [OK, the Warriors are close, but they ain't the Lakers! ]

Cheers,
Ian

 

2am and I can't sleep, and the only interesting thing on TV is a replay of the Bruins/Maple Leafs game (it's that or infomercials).

I'm watching this game and the ticker from other games on the NHL network, and I'm seeing a lot of high scoring games.

did something change this season to facilitate more scoring (rules change, etc), or is that just a small sample size anomaly?

 

Typically early on in the season you will see some high scoring games, but as the season progresses that will tone down a bit.