Pre-Vacation Ranting
Posted 7:26 PM ET | Comments 11
I hadn't gotten into the blogging game until after this season has ended. But I have had a lot of NHL opinions bottled up inside for many years. Though most of my blogs have been (and will continue to be) based more on statistics, I figured since I leave for vacation tomorrow let me just pop the cork and let some bottled NHL rants come flying out. No stats, just unfiltered thoughts.
I'm sick of the post retirement Chris Osgood love-fest. He was a great goalie in his era but should NOT be in the Hall of Fame. Yes he accumulated a ton of wins, and championships...two things that are very TEAM dependent. From an individual standpoint Osgood was never a dominant goalie, and I for one believe the Hall of Fame should be reserved for players who dominate their era. Chris Osgood...classy player, great goalie, champion, NOT a Hall of Famer!
Am I the only one who cringes every time Pierre McGuire opens his mouth? Who cares where Johnathan Quick's uncle went to med school, or that Chris Drury's college roommate dated a girl who looked like a blond version of Ed Olczyk. The useless information far outweighs the occasional nugget he has to offer and relegates him to being muted anytime they frame the camera on him...well atleast when I'm watching TV that is. The same goes for Darren Pang, it's hard to take his goaltending analysis seriously when replays of beach balls going through his legs run through my mind. Or Mike Milbury...how does history's worst GM get to sit on television and say "Well I like this trade because..." blah blah blah, you had your chance to play GM Mike and you blew it, keep your opinions to yourself.
I don't like any of these proposed realignment ideas. Without predicting any other franchise movement, how about just sliding Nashville into the Southeast and moving Minnesota into the Central. Winnipeg can then occupy Minnesota's slot and we'd have balanced divisions that make better geographical sense. I don't like to fix things that aren't broke, and I for one like the current system.
Speaking of fixing things that aren't broke, TSN reported some rule changes that will be in discussion at this weeks R&D camp. I'm vastly opposed to most of them listed here <a href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=373620" target="_blank"></a>.
Hybrid Icing-NO!!! Right now icing is cut and dried. Implement the hybrid rule and you are adding subjectivity to the game. Linesmen will be booed and criticized and the game will suffer.
No icing while shorthanded-Seriously? This has to be a joke because this rule will turn the league into a power play centric sport.
Overtime 4/4 then 3/3-I didn't specify the time durations because it doesn't matter. 3 on 3 hockey is what kids play when they can only find six people. It should never have a place in the professional game. Especially in sudden death.
No line change for team committing and offsides-Ok this I can buy. It's better than the next rule.
After offsides faceoff goes back to offending teams end-Not a terrible idea, but it will slow down the game, and I think I like the previous rule better. However it has to be one or the other, I don't agree with implementing both, and i prefer the former.
Removing the trapezoid behind the net-Finally they hit a home run! Lets face it this rule was put in initially for a handful of guys, namely Brodeur and it's dumb. How about this, remove the trapezoid and if the goalie plays the puck BEHIND the endline he is fair game to be hit like anyone else. In front of the goal line the same rules apply as now.
Install In-Net Goal Line Camera-Well they finished strong. This is a no-brainer, and as soon as the technology for the back of the goal camera was available they should have done this then! Better late than never...get it in immediately.
Ok lastly a few observations. JP Dumont is really being overlooked. He still has some gas in the tank, and on a team where he can play on a line with some uptempo guys I think he'll return to form. He'll be cheap because he's getting paid buyout money by Nashville, and he's only 33 not 43. Tampa Bay would be a great fit.
Darcy Regier it's time to break your no negotiations in-season rule and lock up Myers now. Look at this off-season with Doughty, Schenn, Bogosian, and Weber. Do you really want to go through this? No, I didn't think so...let's make a deal.
And with that I'm packing my bags and takin' the girl up to New Hampshire for the week. Now is probably a good time to get away because I'm sure many of these comments will inspire some of you to chase me down and torch me in one of those wicker man type things. Gimme a head start....ok go!
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @SabreHess
________________________________________________________________
I'm sick of the post retirement Chris Osgood love-fest. He was a great goalie in his era but should NOT be in the Hall of Fame. Yes he accumulated a ton of wins, and championships...two things that are very TEAM dependent. From an individual standpoint Osgood was never a dominant goalie, and I for one believe the Hall of Fame should be reserved for players who dominate their era. Chris Osgood...classy player, great goalie, champion, NOT a Hall of Famer!
Am I the only one who cringes every time Pierre McGuire opens his mouth? Who cares where Johnathan Quick's uncle went to med school, or that Chris Drury's college roommate dated a girl who looked like a blond version of Ed Olczyk. The useless information far outweighs the occasional nugget he has to offer and relegates him to being muted anytime they frame the camera on him...well atleast when I'm watching TV that is. The same goes for Darren Pang, it's hard to take his goaltending analysis seriously when replays of beach balls going through his legs run through my mind. Or Mike Milbury...how does history's worst GM get to sit on television and say "Well I like this trade because..." blah blah blah, you had your chance to play GM Mike and you blew it, keep your opinions to yourself.
I don't like any of these proposed realignment ideas. Without predicting any other franchise movement, how about just sliding Nashville into the Southeast and moving Minnesota into the Central. Winnipeg can then occupy Minnesota's slot and we'd have balanced divisions that make better geographical sense. I don't like to fix things that aren't broke, and I for one like the current system.
Speaking of fixing things that aren't broke, TSN reported some rule changes that will be in discussion at this weeks R&D camp. I'm vastly opposed to most of them listed here <a href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=373620" target="_blank"></a>.
Hybrid Icing-NO!!! Right now icing is cut and dried. Implement the hybrid rule and you are adding subjectivity to the game. Linesmen will be booed and criticized and the game will suffer.
No icing while shorthanded-Seriously? This has to be a joke because this rule will turn the league into a power play centric sport.
Overtime 4/4 then 3/3-I didn't specify the time durations because it doesn't matter. 3 on 3 hockey is what kids play when they can only find six people. It should never have a place in the professional game. Especially in sudden death.
No line change for team committing and offsides-Ok this I can buy. It's better than the next rule.
After offsides faceoff goes back to offending teams end-Not a terrible idea, but it will slow down the game, and I think I like the previous rule better. However it has to be one or the other, I don't agree with implementing both, and i prefer the former.
Removing the trapezoid behind the net-Finally they hit a home run! Lets face it this rule was put in initially for a handful of guys, namely Brodeur and it's dumb. How about this, remove the trapezoid and if the goalie plays the puck BEHIND the endline he is fair game to be hit like anyone else. In front of the goal line the same rules apply as now.
Install In-Net Goal Line Camera-Well they finished strong. This is a no-brainer, and as soon as the technology for the back of the goal camera was available they should have done this then! Better late than never...get it in immediately.
Ok lastly a few observations. JP Dumont is really being overlooked. He still has some gas in the tank, and on a team where he can play on a line with some uptempo guys I think he'll return to form. He'll be cheap because he's getting paid buyout money by Nashville, and he's only 33 not 43. Tampa Bay would be a great fit.
Darcy Regier it's time to break your no negotiations in-season rule and lock up Myers now. Look at this off-season with Doughty, Schenn, Bogosian, and Weber. Do you really want to go through this? No, I didn't think so...let's make a deal.
And with that I'm packing my bags and takin' the girl up to New Hampshire for the week. Now is probably a good time to get away because I'm sure many of these comments will inspire some of you to chase me down and torch me in one of those wicker man type things. Gimme a head start....ok go!
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @SabreHess
________________________________________________________________
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01 Sabres add Leino, re-up McCormick....Ehrhoff Thoughts
05 Why Leino is a boom or bust move
08 FA Forwards for 3.5 to 4.5 million, what do you get?
22 Enroth and the Value of Eastern Conf. Backups
26 Northeast Division Defenseman
28 My 5 Riskiest Moves of this Off-Season...So Far
05 Why Leino is a boom or bust move
08 FA Forwards for 3.5 to 4.5 million, what do you get?
22 Enroth and the Value of Eastern Conf. Backups
26 Northeast Division Defenseman
28 My 5 Riskiest Moves of this Off-Season...So Far
Why is my comment not showing?
If you type too much it won't show up at all. Maybe that's it.
Yep, that was it...
Osgood=average. Agreed. I like Pierre... Panger, comic relief. Millbury, joke. Overall I agree with your statements. Myers is gonna get the Scrooge McDuck vault.
Great blog man. This was a great rant that made perfect sense. I agree with pretty much everything you said.. ESPECIALLY the trapezoid rule. But the "No icing while shorthanded" rule... Isn't that already in play? There is no icing when your shorthanded? or am I totally misunderstanding it and it' saying icing will be enforced if your shorthanded and clear the zone..
@AarifDeen-The proposed rule would prohibit the shorthanded team from icing the puck legally. If they ice the puck to clear the zone a whistle will be blown and the face-off would come back in their end...just like at even strength. Let me say again NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Removing the trapezoid, and making the goalies fair game is a bad idea. How about watching a guy like Lucic, with a full head of steam, circle around and blast Ryan Miller while he's handling the puck? You want your star goalie on the sidelines? Didn't think so.
That's my point Eddie. If Boston is on the forecheck and Lucic is bearing down on Miller he won't play the puck. Essentially achieving the same result as if it is outside the trapezoid. The only difference is that if the Bruins are on a line change, Miller can go in the corner and play the puck to jumpstart the rush without being subjected to a minor penalty.
You called him Eddie. You continue to impress.
Nashville to the Southeast!!!! That would be awesome for me... :)