Random Hockey Observations

[troyomac 0]

Outdoor game @ Fenway park Bruins vs. Flyers on new years dayhttp://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=442699&...vid=DL|NHL|Home

I love it!

[troyomac 0]

So because of preparation for the winter olympics, Vancouver has a 14 game road trip!

[runthemover 39]

So because of preparation for the winter olympics, Vancouver has a 14 game road trip!

yea. with 2 weeks off after the 8th game

[ajs510 122]

yea. with 2 weeks off after the 8th game

Along with the rest of the league.

[Gonger 0]

I cannot wait for that 2 week break. Olympic hockey is the best, its gonna be pretty intense this go around with all the young talent all over the world!

[fryer98 30]

This date in 1988...

[runthemover 39]

Along with the rest of the league.

yea. no duh. . I'm just saying it's not a 14 game road trip.

[dEv~ 19]

Max Talbot handled playing with shoulder problems by collecting 4g/2a in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Pens were 4-0 in games in which he got at least a point.Marian Hossa handled playing with shoulder problems by collecting 0g/3a in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Wings were 1-1 in games in which he got at least a point.

[Fenxis 99]

Marian Hossa handled playing with shoulder problems by collecting 0g/3a in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Wings were 1-1 in games in which he got at least a point.

DownGoesBrown -- twitter"Blackhawk doctors are trying to determine how Marian Hossa tore his rotator cuff.Already ruled out: trophy lifting"

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Max Talbot handled playing with shoulder problems by collecting 4g/2a in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Pens were 4-0 in games in which he got at least a point.Marian Hossa handled playing with shoulder problems by collecting 0g/3a in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Wings were 1-1 in games in which he got at least a point.

ok, i laughed, but come on, let it go. its over, he lost, now he's in Chicago.I cant believe the amount of hate this guy gets, when all he did was turn down MORE money to play for a team he thought could win. I LOVE that about him.He chose the wrong team, and he lost. When did making the finals 2 years in a row become a bad thing? And if I recall correctly, without him, the Pens weren't making the 08 finals.Sorry, but Ill take Hossa over Talbot any day.

[ajs510 122]

Sorry, but Ill take Hossa over Talbot any day.

So would everyone, but that "trophy lifting" thing is hilarious.

[dEv~ 19]

ok, i laughed, but come on, let it go. its over, he lost, now he's in Chicago.I cant believe the amount of hate this guy gets, when all he did was turn down MORE money to play for a team he thought could win. I LOVE that about him.He chose the wrong team, and he lost. When did making the finals 2 years in a row become a bad thing? And if I recall correctly, without him, the Pens weren't making the 08 finals.Sorry, but Ill take Hossa over Talbot any day.

I don't hate him and would certainly take him over Talbot but there's nothing wrong with making fun of him. He took less money and less years from a team he thought gives him the best chance to win the cup and scorns the team/fanbase that was only 2 wins from everything the year before. It couldn't have worked out any better for Pens fans.Personally I like the new starbucks drink made especially for Hossa that comes without a Cup.Then there's sportspickle who fake quoted Hossa saying..."I just wanted to sign with the team that gave me the best opportunity to earn the most money over the longest period of time."- Marian Hossa, on signing with the Blackhawks

[Zach6668 513]

No one would make fun of Hossa if he didn't open his ****ing mouth, saying how Detroit is a better chance to win the Cup than Pittsburgh. It may have been true, but it's a retarded thing to say. This time, when he signed with Chicago, he said it's going to be great to play in a real hockey town! He just doesn't know when to shut up, lol.I love him as a player, to be honest, and I don't care what he did. If he signed in Pittsburgh, then we're in cap hell right now, and we probably don't have a Cup.

[dEv~ 19]

2:11 is what it's all about.

[Piddle Duck 0]

No one would make fun of Hossa if he didn't open his ****ing mouth, saying how Detroit is a better chance to win the Cup than Pittsburgh. It may have been true, but it's a retarded thing to say. This time, when he signed with Chicago, he said it's going to be great to play in a real hockey town! He just doesn't know when to shut up, lol.I love him as a player, to be honest, and I don't care what he did. If he signed in Pittsburgh, then we're in cap hell right now, and we probably don't have a Cup.

He didn't use the word "real". I think there is a big difference. Hockey is growing in Chicago because they have put together a very impressive team and if a player or fan wants to say it is becoming a hockey town or is a hockey town then I see no problem. If he indeed said it was a "real" hockey town then I could see where people in Detroit might think he was putting Detroit down but he didn't. Just my take on it.

[Zach6668 513]

He didn't use the word "real". I think there is a big difference. Hockey is growing in Chicago because they have put together a very impressive team and if a player or fan wants to say it is becoming a hockey town or is a hockey town then I see no problem. If he indeed said it was a "real" hockey town then I could see where people in Detroit might think he was putting Detroit down but he didn't. Just my take on it.

Yah, ok, maybe he didn't. I didn't feel like looking up the actual quote, so no biggie.I don't think Wings fans hold a grudge against that anyways, and I don't expect them to. It's still just funny that he said that, whether he meant to or not. I'm assuming it was a complete accident anyways.I'm not one to hold a grudge against Hossa anyways. I loved him when he was on the Pens, and I'll always respect him as a hockey player after finally seeing how great he was in both ends of the ice. I just think the reason people hate on Hossa in Pittsburgh is because of how he opened his mouth when he signed with the Wings.On paper, he was 100% right about the Wings being a better chance to win the Cup. Can't argue with that, they were the same team that beat the Penguins, plus they added Marian fricking Hossa! But coming out and saying that, going to the team that just beat you in the Cup finals, after saying publicly that you would love to stay in Pittsburgh for a long time, and THEN taking less money for a 1-year deal, instead of the multi-year, multi-million dollar deal you were pushing for... well that just pissed people off, and rightfully so, I would think. It was such a slap in the face to the Penguins and their fans.Like I said, I like Hossa, and I don't hold a grudge against him, but winning the Cup in his building was without a doubt the greatest end to the story of Hossa and the Penguins.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Like I said, I like Hossa, and I don't hold a grudge against him, but winning the Cup in his building was without a doubt the greatest end to the story of Hossa and the Penguins.

I dont disagree with anything else you said, but this is my point. I thought the story would be done and gone. I agree, as Pens fans you got to have quite a good laugh at the expense of the guy, and your right, he shouldnt have maybe said what he did. BUT....I dont think he meant it towards Pittsburgh, I think he kept getting asked "WHY 1 YEAR?????...WHY WALK AWAY FROM 80 MILLION?"...and he said, to win the Cup. He could have gone to Edmonton and gotten the most money, but he didnt. Yeah, I suppose he could have gone to Pitts, but come on, Detroit was the one team youd pick if you had to. But anyone with half a mind should know you cant successfully "pick" where to go to win a Cup, doesnt usually work out that well.I respect that he tried, and walked away from a lot of money. I just figure he got laughed at enough. My whole point was that while it was a good story/laugh a month ago, now that he is on Chicago, can we cut the guy some slack? I guess not being a Pens fan, I see it differently.but the trophy thing was hilarous!

[Zach6668 513]

I agree, I'm done with it. I didn't do much with it during the season anyways.

[Fenxis 99]

(deleted)

[fryer98 30]

(deleted)

2nd!

[SBriand 4]

Actually many Detroit fans are taking the Hokeytown thing pretty "sourly" that it results in hours of phone calls into the radio. But to be honest, Detroit fans for the most part are retarded monkeys.Wife and I had to leave our seats at the Tigers game last night and go hang out in SRO because listening to the "fans" behind us bitch and moan about each tiger that came up to bat even though up until the point we left it was 8-1 Tigers and one of the people they were bitching about hit a grand slam in the 1st inning. I can';t wait to move and be a Detroit tigers/Wings fan in another state.

[Zach6668 513]

But to be honest, Detroit fans for the most part are retarded monkeys.

Unfortunately that is the case in pretty much every city.

[TheDaveyG 6]

Minnesota is the Hockey State, so I think that some small town in Northern Minn should be the real Hockey Town. A town where EVERYONE eats, sleeps and breaths hockey.

[coesillian 0]

In the past 4-5 years I haven't been very physically active. University life took it's toll on me, I balanced drinking/partying and studying very well but I didn't do very much in terms of sports. Game nights for me usually meant getting together with the boys with some beers and watching the hockey game. 75% of the guys I hang out with aren't that active either. Things started to change a little bit when we started getting some pick up hockey games going on an outdoor rink near my place. It was chill to get like 5 or 6 guys together and play some pond hockey on frozen night. In May one of my friends was checking out craigslist and he found a ball hockey league looking to add some teams. We started talking about it with some of the guys and surprisingly everybody was willing to commit to it 100% from the moment it was mentioned. Before we knew it 13 of our closest friends we about to join a ball hockey league (shin pads, gloves, helmet mandatory. Played on a indoor hocky rink with refs and a time keeper). My roomate is the goalie using equipement he got from his brother 10 years ago, it's unbelievabnle how small he is compared to the otehr goalies with their full sized equipement. 3 of guys on our team never played any form of organized hockey in their life, one of them never even owned a hockey stick. Game 1: we lost. 10-0. after a 10 goal spread they just stop the game, it was brutal. We had short bench, no practice with those orange balls and most of the team had never played competitive hockey. The other team was organized, had a team of skilled players and matching Whalers jerseys. We were so lost out there, 2 on 0's, 3 on 0's were happening constantly, we got about 3 shots the whole game, our heads spun. After that game I wondered if we'd ever score a goal in this league.Game 2: we added 2 players, 2 guys who have ball hockey experience playing D. We soon realized they are our best players with the most stamina so we put them as our centers. Result: 3-2 win mothafackas! Unbelievable, the team had gelled overnight. We were all pulling tin the smae direction. The game plan was focused on defensive coverage first and the guys were all buying into it. To have the whole hockey room dynamic with all of my old school friends, guys from university, high school and home town all paying together is beyond cool.Last game was our 7th game of the year, a rematch vs the Whalers. Our record thus far was 3-3, better that I had ever hoped for with a team of out of shape beer drinkers. We tied the Whalers that night 3-3 after coming back fromn 1 goal deficits 3 times, one short handed and one with 1:30 left in the 3rd. Over time and shoot-out were unfruitfull, we did hit a post though.Our team name is the DALTS, stands for Drunk and Looking to Score. This team is the highlight of my summer.I just felt like sharing that.

[PhilBluff 0]

In the past 4-5 years I haven't been very physically active. University life took it's toll on me, I balanced drinking/partying and studying very well but I didn't do very much in terms of sports. Game nights for me usually meant getting together with the boys with some beers and watching the hockey game. 75% of the guys I hang out with aren't that active either. Things started to change a little bit when we started getting some pick up hockey games going on an outdoor rink near my place. It was chill to get like 5 or 6 guys together and play some pond hockey on frozen night. In May one of my friends was checking out craigslist and he found a ball hockey league looking to add some teams. We started talking about it with some of the guys and surprisingly everybody was willing to commit to it 100% from the moment it was mentioned. Before we knew it 13 of our closest friends we about to join a ball hockey league (shin pads, gloves, helmet mandatory. Played on a indoor hocky rink with refs and a time keeper). My roomate is the goalie using equipement he got from his brother 10 years ago, it's unbelievabnle how small he is compared to the otehr goalies with their full sized equipement. 3 of guys on our team never played any form of organized hockey in their life, one of them never even owned a hockey stick. Game 1: we lost. 10-0. after a 10 goal spread they just stop the game, it was brutal. We had short bench, no practice with those orange balls and most of the team had never played competitive hockey. The other team was organized, had a team of skilled players and matching Whalers jerseys. We were so lost out there, 2 on 0's, 3 on 0's were happening constantly, we got about 3 shots the whole game, our heads spun. After that game I wondered if we'd ever score a goal in this league.Game 2: we added 2 players, 2 guys who have ball hockey experience playing D. We soon realized they are our best players with the most stamina so we put them as our centers. Result: 3-2 win mothafackas! Unbelievable, the team had gelled overnight. We were all pulling tin the smae direction. The game plan was focused on defensive coverage first and the guys were all buying into it. To have the whole hockey room dynamic with all of my old school friends, guys from university, high school and home town all paying together is beyond cool.Last game was our 7th game of the year, a rematch vs the Whalers. Our record thus far was 3-3, better that I had ever hoped for with a team of out of shape beer drinkers. We tied the Whalers that night 3-3 after coming back fromn 1 goal deficits 3 times, one short handed and one with 1:30 left in the 3rd. Over time and shoot-out were unfruitfull, we did hit a post though.Our team name is the DALTS, stands for Drunk and Looking to Score. This team is the highlight of my summer.I just felt like sharing that.

Ball hockey can be extremely fun and a great workout if you guys never take things too seriously. The guys I used to play with were ultra competitive and it lost its "fun factor" when we would start to argue with each other. Just always remember its an in house league and you are not playing for anything other than bragging rights.