NHL 2012-2013: A hooligans game played by hooligans

Woo Devils! Sweeping a home and home series from the Pens is awesome.

I was all "where's Ovechkin" and then I remembered that was the last year of the fugly Capitals jerseys.

The graphic appears to be off a bit in the first row compared to wikipedia. The goaltender Plasse was drafted in 1968, not 1965, for example.

"Marc-Andrew Fleury" pains me a bit.

Thank god the Oilers changed their jerseys back right before they started to really suck.

Erik Johnson :(
He's fine for the Avs, but the Blues have had 1 first rounder ever.

Really poster?? Patrick Kane in that abhorrent black 'Hawks jersey? Couldn't put him in the red one?

It's pretty amazing that Tampa has the second-best goal differential in the league (1st in the East), but they'd be out of the playoffs if it started today. It's still early, so I'm sure that will work itself out one way or the other.

How's that for 1/4 of a season? Don't blink you'll miss the rest.

Can't complain about the Devils, only 1 regular time loss in the first 12. Zach who?

The Caps won their first road game! We're not dead last anymore, just in a four-way tie for last place!


.... yay?

The following .gif, from last night's game, sorta exemplifies the Caps this season:

Having moved to Colorado from Illinois since last season and having a toddler that fights to stay awake every night means that I can start watching hockey at about 8:30 or 9 MST. So, seeing as how the Avs are depressing to watch and the Blues games I want to see are already over by the time I can get to them, I've been watching the Oilers quite a bit. They're so much better than they've been in the past! They are young, quick, energetic, and passionate. Oh, and they lose a lot. And... they still don't know the rules of hockey. But they're fun to watch! I don't care if they win, really, so that helps.

Technically there's 6 guys on the ice there as long as guys 7-9 don't touch the puck. If you wanted to get that technical with it, CBJ also has about 7 skaters on the ice.

It's true. I still think it's funny, though.

Maybe this will make you laugh? It kind of worked, but they didn't hold the V and ended up losing 6-3.

I agree, it's great. Although I do care if they win. But considering the last decade or more (aside from the year they got Peca and Pronger and made it to the final) they've been losing and boring to watch, I'll take fun losing any day.

Taylor Hall needs to hit the steroids and bulk up, though. He's the oldest of the #1 picks yet by far the easiest to bump off the puck. Yakupov is ironically the one who looks the most NHL-ready.

Man, poor Erik Karlsson. As much as I hate the Penguins in general and Cooke in particular, the whole thing just looked like a horrible accident. :(

One of the beat reporters asked how many players on the Caps actually wore the Kevlar socks (that could have prevented the injury) and it was only a few players, but some are now considering wearing them. I'm almost surprised they're not mandatory.

Yeah, that hurt just to watch. What terrible fuckin' luck.

I also had no idea the Kevlar socks weren't mandatory. Oof.

It's crazy that he got a 70% achilles tear but in the video I saw there was no visible blood. Such incredibly bad luck for Karlsson and the Sens in particular. Alfies playoff hopes are basically gone for his last season.

Also I have Anderson in my FHL and I'm not particularly happy that both Spezza and Karlsson are gone. Anderson is still going to put up good SV% and GAA but I can say goodbye to at least 1/4 of his projected wins most likely.

This was just... I mean... Jesus Christ people.

I love his half-hearted drag after he's already six feet across the blue line.

I don't think it was even a drag, more a way to reach behind himself for the puck.

He did what every player should do: play like there won't be a call. This has nothing to do with Duschesne and everything to do with terrible linesmen. One can make an argument that the Preds passed it back into their zone, but even then it is hard to say it was anything but a huge flub.

What a non-call. I thought Kerry Fraser had retired.

Yeah, the commentators even remarked that Duschesne showed amazing awareness to actually shoot, because everyone except the linesman knew he was offsides, and ordinarily if you shoot after an offsides you will get punched at the least, and possibly take a penalty. Play till the whistle!

Of course, the real issue is that the rules currently don't allow that sort of play to be reviewed. That needs to change, video review should be able to account for everything that is not a judgement call, and that includes offsides and icing. Good on the league for admitting it was a blown call, but it doesn't help the Predators much when they lost by one goal.

Lindsey Ruff just got fired!


Er ... Lindy! (I knew that looked wrong when I first posted it.)

Lindy.

Bring back Ted Nolan!

I'll just leave this here ...

What an awesome, awesome game.

Needs Benny Hill music.

I hate you all. Phuck Philly.

That game was both awesome and awful in turns. Also, loudest non-playoff game I can remember being at in a good long while.

I only hate some of you, but agree on the second part.

I seem to have no memory of the awful parts.

Bah!

Someone did something almost as good:

The NHL's stupidest contract is being waived. Of course, 8 years remain on it.

Oh, Islanders. Never change.

Whoever picks him up off of waivers has to do it gingerly, he could pull his groin!

(Although he could be picked up and then amnestied next summer, making for a splendid rental.)

Amusingly enough they need his contract to meet the cap floor even though he'll be "playing" in the AHL. It would be a hell of a troll (stupid, would never happen) for someone to claim him and force the Isles to make up his salary.

So there's a proposed realignment. The biggest news is probably that the Red Wings will be in the east half.

I am personally not a fan of 16 teams in the east and 14 in the west. Makes things a fair bit easier for teams in the west to make the playoffs (8 of 14, vs. 8 of 16). I can only suspect this is in preparation of western expansion (Seattle and ...?). Guess second Toronto team is out.