The Syndicate

Hey there hockey fans! I figured we could use a generic thread to talk about the under-appreciated sport of ice hockey. I've been watching hockey for over 20 years now and it is by far my favorite sport to watch. I live less than an hour's drive from an minor league affiliate team (Hershey Bears), so I get more than my share of hockey each year.

Anything strike your eye on the current season (2015-16)? I for one am saddened by my favorite team, Montreal. They started so strong and then the wheels fell completely off.

On a side-note, this year I plan to grow a playoff beard. I'll post pictures of my facial hair progress (or lack thereof) when the playoffs arrive.

The playoffs are approaching! Sadly, this looks like it will be the second time ever where no Canadian teams make the playoffs. Five of the seven Canadian teams have been eliminated as of last night's games. Here are the standings:

ATLANTIC
1. Florida
2. Tampa
3. Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Montreal
Buffalo
Toronto

METROPOLITAN
1. Washington
2. NYR
3. Pittsburgh
W1 NYI
W2 Philly
New Jersey
Carolina
Columbus

CENTRAL
1. Dallas
2. St. Louis
3. Chicago
W1 Nashville
W2 Minnesota
Colorado
Winnipeg

PACIFIC
1. Los Angeles
2. Anheim
3. San Jose
Arizona
Calgary
Vancouver
Edmonton

I've hardly followed the NHL this year. In recent years I've really enjoyed watching hockey any time I can, but I think the Bruins have just become so depressing that it pains me to watch any team play now.

At least the Bruins are in the playoff picture. My Habs went from awesome to suck early on and never looked back.

The B's are going to get bounced in 5 or 6 games in the first round no matter who they're up against and then probably end up too scared to make any big changes to the roster in the off season. Outside their small group of top players, they're an unproductive mix of washed up veterans and inexperienced young players, and they don't seem to be moving in the right direction.

Buffalo and Montreal were eliminated from the hunt last night. Now that Montreal is out, Ottawa is the only Canadian team with a chance to make the playoffs. Too bad they're dead last in the Wild Card chase. Woe, Canada.

Chicago and San Jose are now locks for playoff spots. The East is still wide open, so at least there is some excitement remaining.

ATLANTIC
1. Florida
2. Tampa
3. Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Montreal
Buffalo
Toronto

METROPOLITAN
1. Washington
2. NYR
3. Pittsburgh
W1 NYI
W2 Philly
Carolina
New Jersey
Columbus

CENTRAL
1. Dallas
2. St. Louis
3. Chicago
W1 Nashville
W2 Minnesota
Colorado
Winnipeg

PACIFIC
1. Los Angeles
2. Anheim
3. San Jose
Arizona
Calgary
Vancouver
Edmonton

Tampa Bay looks plenty capable of winning this series. Seems like everyone wrote them off when Stamkos got hurt but these guys are holding it together well.

G-Man wrote:Tampa Bay looks plenty capable of winning this series. Seems like everyone wrote them off when Stamkos got hurt but these guys are holding it together well.

Yes, when we found out he had to have surgery for that blood clot its like the whole town engaged in one big sigh.

If the caps don't win the cup this year I don't think we ever will.

Bass_the_Clever wrote:If the caps don't win the cup this year I don't think we ever will.

They won't. The Caps are notorious choke artists in the playoffs and the President's Trophy winner usually doesn't win the Cup. I'm all for those trends continuing. :P

So the 2nd round of the playoffs looks like this:

NY Islanders v. Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals v. Pittsburgh Penguins

Dallas Stars v. St. Louis Blues
San Jose Sharks v. Nashville Predators


I'm for the Lightning and the Penguins in the East. As for the West, it's hard for me to get excited there. I guess I'll pull for the Blues this round but that just because I'm not a Dallas fan. I am totally neutral on the Blues and will support whoever they play next. I'm fine with either the Sharks or the Predators. I guess I'm pulling for the Preds just because they're such an underdog. The Sharks are more choke artists than underdogs.

The NHL heads are probably miffed about only having one high-profile series right now. Without Chicago or LA alive in the West, the league has to invent new storylines to make it sound exciting. Kind of a shame. No Canada, no Chicago, and no LA. Plus the Pens and Caps are playing now means the conference finals and possibly the Cup finals will see lower viewership numbers.

Yay you're rooting for the Lightning! Not that I expect us to do very well with so many hurt, especially Stamkos. Oh, i guess there's a game on now - forgot it was at 3:00 today.

Oh totally the Lightning. I've got nothing specific against the Islanders but they're not a team a cheer for unless they're playing a team I dislike.

Tampa just scored off a defender's skate. That seems to be happening quite a bit these playoffs.

The Islanders are my home team, but I was always a Rangers fan.

If the caps hold off the Pittsburg I think they have a solid chance at winning the cup.

After losing Game 5, I really did not think that the Penguins were going to win the series. They're my #2 team, so I'm glad they made it. I think Tampa Bay is going to be right back in the hunt again next year if they can hold their roster together. For all the injuries they had late in the season and through the playoffs, they're performance was remarkable.

Now I'm spoiled by being content with either team winning the Stanley Cup. I'll be cheering for Pittsburgh but I'm happy for the Sharks. They spent so many years as playoff choke artists, so it's nice to see them make it to the Cup Finals for a change.

As for minor league action, my 'local' (if you consider a 30-minute drive local) team, the Hershey Bears are up 3-0 in their conference finals series. If they win tonight, they'll get to play for the Calder Cup! Bears Bears Bears- WOOO!

We're already ten or so games into the 2016-2017 season! Once again, Montreal is off to an amazing start. I'm wondering what will happen to derail them again this year. After last season's meltdown, I have to be cautiously optimistic.

Okay, football is over and baseball hasn't begun yet, so it's time for... basketball!

Just kidding. Time for some hockey talk. If the NHL Playoffs started today, here are what the match-ups would be:

ATLANTIC*
1) Montreal Canadiens v. WC1) New York Rangers
2) Ottawa Senators v. 3) Boston Bruins

METROPOLITAN*
1) Washington Capitals v. WC2) Toronto Maple Leafs
2) Columbus Blue Jackets v. 3) Pittsburgh Penguins

Right now, the Rangers are a wildcard team but they have more points than Montreal. Seems like the Atlantic Division may be the weak link of the league this year. Thoughts on the Capitals? Could this really be their year or is another playoff choke looming around the corner? Also, I'm still not used to seeing the Blue Jackets being so good.


CENTRAL*
1) Minnesota Wild v. WC2) Los Angeles Kings
2) Chicago Blackhawks v. 3) St. Louis Blues

PACIFIC*
1) San Jose Sharks v. WC1) Nashville Predators
2) Anaheim Ducks v. 3) Edmonton Oilers

For me, it's hard to know what to expect out of the West. Good to see the Oilers in the hunt. They've been terrible for so long.

Note- the * means that the wildcard teams are showing swapped into the other division for these projections because the best team in the conference plays the lowest wildcard.

Still two months of hockey to go before the end of the season. I'll give updates about every two weeks.

Also, what do you think of the upcoming 31st NHL team- the Vegas Golden Knights? Check the spoiler for the logo:

I think within 5 years Vegas will have a team in each major sport. I'm fine if they are trying hockey first! Besides, how awesome to time a Vegas trip to your team being there! And yes, go Oilers!

timmer wrote:I think within 5 years Vegas will have a team in each major sport. I'm fine if they are trying hockey first! Besides, how awesome to time a Vegas trip to your team being there! And yes, go Oilers!

I would go to Vegas in a heartbeat to see any of the Tampa teams play. Cheap flights, lavish hotels, great entertainment and outstanding food.

That's going to be the only long-term problem for the Vegas team... a true fan base. Vegas being Vegas, I can imagine that every "home game" for the Golden Knights will feel like an away game as the visiting team's fans will just time their Vegas trips for the game. How would any player want to be on a team that doesn't really have a home fan base?

Oops! I forgot to keep up with the playoff death-watch. Oh well. The playoffs begin tomorrow!

Here are the match-ups:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1) Montreal Canadiens v. WC) New York Rangers
2) Ottawa Senators v. 3) Boston Bruins

1) Washington Capitals v. WC) Toronto Maple Leafs
2) Pittsburgh Penguins v. 3) Columbus Blue Jackets


WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1) Chicago Blackhawks v. WC) Nashville Predators
2) Minnesota Wild v. St. Louis Blues

1) Anaheim Ducks v. WC) Calgary Flames
2) Edmonton Oilers v. San Jose Sharks


My predictions for Round 1:
-Montreal and New York could go seven games. I'd love to see the Habs win but the Rangers match up pretty well against them. The goalies will be the difference-makers here. (Toss-up)

-Ottawa is the one Canadian team I'd feel blah about winning the Cup this year. Even though the Bruins are rivals to the Habs, I grew up away from the influence of that rivalry. Ottawa has the fewest goals scored of all 16 playoff teams and they have a negative goal differential. It's the playoffs. Those things matter. (Bruins in 6)

-I can't stand the Capitals and the Maple Leafs have the longest active Cup drought in the league (50 years!). That being said, I don't see the Capitals choking this early. (Capitals in 5)

-Pittsburgh scored more goals than any team this season. Columbus allowed the second fewest number of goals this season. This series will be a doozy. Lots of hate. (Penguins in 7)

-Chicago and Nashville are two teams I like, so I won't actively cheer for either team. This should be another fun series to watch. (Blackhawks in 6)

-Wild-Blues is such an unexciting sounding match-up that I probably won't even watch unless it's overtime. The Wild seem to have more pieces together though. (Wild in 6)

-Calgary used to be my #3 team for years. I love seeing them back in the playoffs and I hope they can play spoiler here. I don't see it happening though. (Ducks in 5)

-Normally, I would cheer for San Jose but it's nice to see Edmonton come back from years in the basement. I think they're a legitimate contender this year. (Oilers in 7)

I'm pleasantly surprised to see the Bruins back in the playoffs. I took last year and most of this year off from watching them because they kinda disgusted me with their weak play. I tuned back in down the stretch when they emerged as a genuine contender for a playoff spot. I'm relieved they managed to avoid Washington by the skin of their teeth. I go into every season with them as my know-nothing Stanley Cup prediction.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS FUN FACT #1:

It may be the last day of the regular season, but the teams making the playoffs are all known now. The only Original Six teams in the playoffs this year are the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since the NHL moved to a 16-team playoff format in 1980, this is only the fifth time that only two Original Six teams made the playoffs. It happened previously in 2000, 2001, 2007, and 2018.

Columbus Blue Jackets.

My Lightning! Wtf is going on with them? So saaaaaad.

My favorite takeaway from today's Bruins win is that ESPN is rolling with this headline on their front page for all to see.

Sloonei wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 12:42 am My favorite takeaway from today's Bruins win is that ESPN is rolling with this headline on their front page for all to see.

That was an instant click for me earlier today.

oh look, a boston team is going for a league championship

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 10:49 pm oh look, a boston team is going for a league championship

Fun fact- Boston has a chance at joining a very exclusive club if they win the Stanley Cup this year. In the history of the four major US/North American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey), no city has ever boasted a champion in all four sports in a 12-month span of time. Plenty of cities have double-dipped (as Boston currently enjoys via the World Series and Super Bowl) but a triple-dip has only occurred twice, and you have to go back before the NBA existed to find both instances.

October 8, 1927: The New York Yankees win the World Series (their 2nd WS title ever)
December 4, 1927: The New York Giants clinch the NFL championship (their first NFL title)
April 14, 1928: The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup (their first NHL title)


October 7, 1935: The Detroit Tigers win the World Series (their first WS win)
December 15, 1935: The Detroit Lions win the NFL Championship game (their first NFL title)
April 11, 1936: The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup (their first)

We've basically disowned the Celtics. That franchise just isn't up to snuff for Boston sports.

Rooting for San Jose so we can get Massachusetts vs. California x3

and also joe thornton.

CBJ always loses to the eventual cup winner.

Boston has to endure another month without a championship parade.

I'm a life-long and loyal Canucks fan- super excited for the upcoming season as I think it's the first one in quite a few years that they might have the chance of making the playoffs.

I was, last year, skeptical of Jim Benning/management; but now I see a clear direction for the team and am happy to see him in charge for the foreseeable future.

Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

I don't try to predict.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:15 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

I don't try to predict.

How are you doing with this so far?

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:08 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:15 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

I don't try to predict.

How are you doing with this so far?

Down a little bit. I've been somewhat unlucky- had a late scratch hurt me last night and there was an injury another night that cost me.

Tonight I have Morgan Rielly who is putting together a nice performance, but I have him with Auston Matthews who has just one shot on goal.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:14 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:08 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:15 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

I don't try to predict.

How are you doing with this so far?

Down a little bit. I've been somewhat unlucky- had a late scratch hurt me last night and there was an injury another night that cost me.

Tonight I have Morgan Rielly who is putting together a nice performance, but I have him with Auston Matthews who has just one shot on goal.

Have the hockey gods been kinder to you lately?

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:02 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:14 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 9:08 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:15 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 pm Doing DFS hockey all season this time around. Let's go.

Good luck. Hockey is a very tricky sport to predict.

I don't try to predict.

How are you doing with this so far?

Down a little bit. I've been somewhat unlucky- had a late scratch hurt me last night and there was an injury another night that cost me.

Tonight I have Morgan Rielly who is putting together a nice performance, but I have him with Auston Matthews who has just one shot on goal.

Have the hockey gods been kinder to you lately?

Once NBA got going I couldn't keep up. NBA is too much of a beast to manage hockey as well. Plus I had a series of concerts with rehearsals in November and shows in December and there was just no way.

My Canucks are looking GOOD.

I share a birthday with Quinn Hughes... little known fact.

Jack Rathbone is going to take this team to levels unheard.

I am looking forward to that Cup. I am looking forward to that celebration.

-Florence of Vancouver

goddamn guys i loves them canuckies to my regressive episodes and through them

'cuz they're the canuckies

Vancouver is probably my favorite North American City that I Have Never Actually Visited.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:26 pm Vancouver is probably my favorite North American City that I Have Never Actually Visited.

I've never been there either, definitely. :ph34r:

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:26 pm Vancouver is probably my favorite North American City that I Have Never Actually Visited.

There's a new Vancouver you can visit, though! It exists entirely online.

Try old.reddit.com/r/TrueVancouver

I'll even make you a mod.

112 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 29, 2020 12:57 pm My Canucks are looking GOOD.

I share a birthday with Quinn Hughes... little known fact.

Jack Rathbone is going to take this team to levels unheard.

I am looking forward to that Cup. I am looking forward to that celebration.

-Florence of Vancouver

The Canucks have 74 points right now. That might be good enough in the weak, weak, West, but that won't even land you the last wildcard spot in the East. Don't plan that parade just yet...

G-Man wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:45 pm

112 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 29, 2020 12:57 pm My Canucks are looking GOOD.

I share a birthday with Quinn Hughes... little known fact.

Jack Rathbone is going to take this team to levels unheard.

I am looking forward to that Cup. I am looking forward to that celebration.

-Florence of Vancouver

The Canucks have 74 points right now. That might be good enough in the weak, weak, West, but that won't even land you the last wildcard spot in the East. Don't plan that parade just yet...

ehh. I said 'give them two years' at the start of the season. Maybe I'm getting carried away a bit, but the team is coming together faster than an outsider might think imo. I have legitimate ties to the organization, and the reserve roster is scarier than the one on paper.

It could be that they do need a couple more years... but we have a VERY good prospect pool that's not widely recognized as being as good as it is, methinks.

I'm not expecting a Cup this year. But there's more to a team than base points.

[video][/video]