Canada v USA

[OumaFan]

Chicago almost seems too good. I need my sports teams to depress me from time to time. Anger.

[Youngblood]

Chicago almost seems too good. I need my sports teams to depress me from time to time. Anger.

If it's a 40 yr long depression you might be looking for, there is always Toronto.

You should be pretty safe with the Nucks tho. they've never won anything and never will, so the expectations are reasonably low.

[Nameless]

Everyone in the League EXCEPT for the Penguins have the chance of winning the me lottery. I hate Crosby's face and his moustache, and I for some reason dislike all Pittsburgh sports teams.

Disliking the mighty Steelers because of the Pens is a dire mistake my friend. However, back on topic, I give you 2 very good choices, my 2 best teams:

1) The Boston Bruins; One of the nicest uniform in the league, member of the original six and always willing to give a good fight, team of the best player of all time: Bobby Orr.

2) Montreal Canadians: A real proud tradition of pure hockey and intensity, most decorated team in the whole history, has more member of the top 10 players of all time than any other team plus, it's all about the East Coast.

Forget the rest, it's rubbish.

[Youngblood]

1) The Boston Bruins; One of the nicest uniform in the league

[OumaFan]

Well, I disliked the Steelers before I ever disliked the Penguins. I don't hate the Steelers necessarily, but I'm not a fan. The Pirates are kind of not worth talking about.

Neither of those teams are a finalist.

[OumaFan]

Hmm. 3-3 going into overtime and the announcer says well at least the Canucks will get a point out of this. So you get a point just for going to overtime? Do you get a full three if you win in overtime? Odd rule.

[CFH]

Well I'm giving the Canucks a try. Their stream works and I have nothing to do and they're in the top 5 possibilities.

I can't say its been absolutely enthralling. Definitely not as intense. The crowd's all playing on their PSP's or some shit.

But I want to have a team by the time the Playoffs start.

And they just scored, that Demitra guy from the Olympics.

I know or at least have heard of the Sedins, Kessler, Demitra, Salo, Luongo and that's about it.

While the Blue Jackets are a terrible team to watch and their arena has all the atmosphere of a funeral parlour, that was a terrible game to watch. It lacked intensity, big plays, and the refs did their best to destroy any flow or emotion the game had (something that is a big problem with the NHL).

They play Detroit tomorrow, that should be a better game. If want an intense Canucks game along the lines of the Olympics (though obviously not the same) watch the next time they play the Calgary Flames. That's one of the best rivalries in all of sports. The players seem to genuinely hate each other.

[CFH]

Chicago almost seems too good. I need my sports teams to depress me from time to time. Anger.

If it's disappointment and heartbreak you look for in a hockey team then look no farther than the Vancouver Canucks, one of the most pathetic franchises in the history of athletics. 40 years of hockey, no championships, and only two trips to the finals. They didn't make the playoffs or have a winning team for something like 15 years straight and yet somehow I love them.

[CFH]

Hmm. 3-3 going into overtime and the announcer says well at least the Canucks will get a point out of this. So you get a point just for going to overtime? Do you get a full three if you win in overtime? Odd rule.

That is yet another of the retarded rules initiated by Gary Bettman and his crew. I hope he doesn't get renewed. In the NHL, some games are worth 2 points and some are worth 3. If a game is decided in regulation the winner gets 2 points, the loser 0. However, if it goes to overtime/shootout the winner gets 2 points and the loser gets 0. Now, most sane people think if they're going to hand out three points in overtime, than a regulation win should be worth 3 points to the winner. Unfortunately, Bettman and the idiots who run the show think that would be too confusing for the casual American fan they so desperately covet (yet so ineffectively target), so we are left with the stupid fucking system we have now.

When hockey had ties, each team got a point when the game ended tied and if it ended in overtime it was the same as in regulation (2 points for the winner, 0 for the loser). That changed after the lockout when the shootout was brought in to create artificial parity in the league, meaning more teams would be in the playoff hunt as a result of the extra point in overtime. It was also justified because it was felt that teams used to play for the tie in order to get one guaranteed point, so it was thought that by awarding an extra point while still giving the "loser point" teams would play a more exciting style in overtime.

[OumaFan]

I'd like to have a feeling that winning is possible. I don't want to necessarily be a fan of an awful team run by a bunch of clowns. Vancouver at least looks like their going to the playoffs.

Honestly I may be leaning towards Vancouver. Strangely enough I find that some of these Central and Eastern time zone teams play too early. Regular 6 Central time starts is a bunch of shit. 9 o clock starts actually probably fit my schedule a bit better. 8 would be perfect, get it done people.

So they have decent start times.
They're good but not that good
I can ask CFH who sucks and is good.
I like Kesler and Demitra.
I don't dislike any of their players yet.

Cons
I don't know who any of their defenders are.
That Molson commercial is going to get annoying.

I was just thinking last night I'm sure Gary Bettman is thrilled with somebody like me, I watch the Olympics and then actually start watching the league. And then I realized I was watching a stream.

[generalbulldog]

Chicago almost seems too good. I need my sports teams to depress me from time to time. Anger.

If it's disappointment and heartbreak you look for in a hockey team then look no farther than the Vancouver Canucks, one of the most pathetic franchises in the history of athletics. 40 years of hockey, no championships, and only two trips to the finals. They didn't make the playoffs or have a winning team for something like 15 years straight and yet somehow I love them.

So the Canucks are like the NHL's version of the NFL's Detroit Lions?

[OumaFan]

I don't think they're that bad

[Nameless]

1) The Boston Bruins; One of the nicest uniform in the league

Do you imagine how I am suspicious in the eyes of some of my friends for cheering for the Bruins before the Habs? it really drew a question mark over my head but somehow, they always love me as much as before.


As for the Canucks, bad or good, they are indeed my fav team on the West Coast because I quite like Vancouver.

[CFH]

Chicago almost seems too good. I need my sports teams to depress me from time to time. Anger.

If it's disappointment and heartbreak you look for in a hockey team then look no farther than the Vancouver Canucks, one of the most pathetic franchises in the history of athletics. 40 years of hockey, no championships, and only two trips to the finals. They didn't make the playoffs or have a winning team for something like 15 years straight and yet somehow I love them.

So the Canucks are like the NHL's version of the NFL's Detroit Lions?

You be the judge:

Vancouver Canucks (1970-Present)

[CFH]

I'd like to have a feeling that winning is possible. I don't want to necessarily be a fan of an awful team run by a bunch of clowns. Vancouver at least looks like their going to the playoffs.

Honestly I may be leaning towards Vancouver. Strangely enough I find that some of these Central and Eastern time zone teams play too early. Regular 6 Central time starts is a bunch of shit. 9 o clock starts actually probably fit my schedule a bit better. 8 would be perfect, get it done people.

So they have decent start times.
They're good but not that good
I can ask CFH who sucks and is good.
I like Kesler and Demitra.
I don't dislike any of their players yet.

Cons
I don't know who any of their defenders are.
That Molson commercial is going to get annoying.

I was just thinking last night I'm sure Gary Bettman is thrilled with somebody like me, I watch the Olympics and then actually start watching the league. And then I realized I was watching a stream.

Olympic Demitra and NHL Demitra are two very different players in my experience. Hopefully he keeps up his play.

As for the defense, they're a decent if unspectacular group. Before last year some delusional fans were proclaiming them to be among the best in the league, which has since been proven false. The one knock on them is that they're injury prone. Here they are:

Willie Mitchell - A defensive defenseman who's very sound positionally. Might be out for the rest of the season with a concussion after Evgeni Malkin hit him from behind (just another reason to hate the Penguins)

Christian Erhoff - Aquired from San Jose in the off-season. The most pleasant surprise on the team this year. Solid defensively and above-average offensively, he's been the teams best defender this year. Played for Germany at the Olympics.

Kevin Beiksa - A somewhat undersized offensive defenseman with a bit of a mean-streak. Dumb as nails when is comes to hockey sense. He's about to return from an injury where he had his ankle tendons sliced with a skate (the second time that has happened in the last 3 seasons). I usually can't stand him because of his boneheaded mistakes and I'd love to see him traded for something decent.

Sami Salo - Arguably the Canucks best all around defenseman, but he's always injured. It's like he's made of glass. He has a deadly point shot though, it clocks in at over 100 MPH. He once hurt himself taking a slap-shot. That is not a joke. Played for Finland at the Olympics.

Shane O'Brien - Used to be dumb as shit, used to take a ton of penalties. He's been decent this year even though he doesn't fight anymore.

Alexander Edler - SHould have played for Sweden at the Olympics. Having an off-year but a very young, very promising defenseman.

They just traded for Andrew Alberts from Carolina. Apparent he is big and mean. I like that.

There you go, now you know our defense.