huzer

Well, now that hockey will be back, I suppose I can return! Let's go Habs! Sure will be a crazy few months coming up.

To be honest, it was easier coaching kids...unfortunately, I'm coaching adults...and all any of them want to do is score. It's tough getting these guys to play positionally, as everyone has their own idea ("down play the body, just poke check the guy every time" grrr). The problem is none of them want to practice at all, just show up, play, lose, and go home whining that they lost again. Oh well, I may have to finally give up on these guys and actually just worry about joining a team with some guys that already know what they're doing. I'm almost 2 years into the venture with this group, and although they've improved, they still suck. We'll see...

Howdy, it's been a while! Just wanted to ask if anyone here has any good defense drills for practice. I'm trying to drill into my team that not all 5 people out there are forwards...we've got a couple that actually try and play D, but end up chasing the puck around and getting outta position. I've tried many many things and I'm looking for new ideas (other than benching some guys). Here are the pts I've come up with so far (some stolen from some coaching sites)... * Closest defenseman play the puck carrier low staying on defensive side and keeping a tight gap. * Second defenseman cover the front of the net - always one man in front - tough. * Be alert for opposition face-off plays. * Finish all checks in the corners and beat your man back to the net. * On 3 on 3's and 4 on 4's one man take the shooter. * Avoid backing in. * When the puck at the point - clear the front of the net and control the opposition sticks by sealing them to the outside. And I don't even want to talk about my forwards getting back to backcheck, that's another thing altogether!

As far as Locke is concerned, if the Habs want him in Hamilton, I'm sure it won't be a problem. Just sign him to a 2 way deal and be done with it!

Well, I would sincerely hope that one single play doesn't improve any players bargaining power, regardless of the competition. I doubt in contract negotiations, that "well...did you see that play on Dec 4th against Carolina when I went end to end, then...etc, etc" would ever come out of anyone's mouth. Just as cool as Crosby's goal was, I doubt that will have any impact on contract. :guru:

I believe that was Amonte he went around, as Chelios was late getting back into the zone. That was a beauty, though. I thought JR was going to pass out after watching that one! IN the understatement of that game..."You folks at home have no idea how hard that is to do." Hehehe.

Not to bring up a sore topic, although he may be relegated to Hamilton, but don't forget about Dagenais, either. Ideally, his 2nd line LW spot is taken, but ya never know. And to be quite honest, although Dags is far from my favorite player, most folks here talk of him as if he's the coming of Satan. But then again, Habs fans always over react to certain players. I agree with Zow, though, that Perreault should not be re-signed. At all. And while I don't mind Dowd, he won't be retained either.

To be honest, although I haven't seen Urquhart personally, I'd be annoyed if yet another Habs center was moved to a wing...Hossa, Kilger, and there's talk of Higgins playing the wing...when are the Habs going to draft a player and let him play his natural position?

I agree, that call against Kono was complete BS. Mario will drop the gloves since he he automatically knows he'll have the entire team skating to his defence..no big shock there. I've never been a staunch supporter of American hockey, but to side with JR, I'm growing weary of Canadian arrogance when it comes to the sport. It's enough to make me root for the Rangers.

Hmm, a one-sided review too. I know the game was largely to the Canadians advantage in the first, but after Canada held a 18-0 advantage in scoring chances, the US came back to have the next 15-3 advantage. Canada did dominate the first, but I'd say the last two were fairly even, if not a slight advantage to the Americans. Nice "impartial" calls at times by everyone's favorite official, too. Dumbass Frazier needs to be shot sometime soon. (As my Swedish friends here in Denver say, everything about this World Cup is slighted towards a Canadian victory, and after tonight, I strongly concurr with their opinion.)

Decent move for the Avs, I guess. Vincent still has some left in the tank, I've always liked the guy. http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=95366&hubName=nhl

Tough one to come up with guys I hate, but here goes: #1 Eric Davis, strictly because I was at an Expos game with me 10 year old neighbor when the Reds were in town. The kid asks Eric to sign his baseball card, and Davis went off on him and told him to ###### off, and then went into a tirade about how "all these little shits" just want his autograph so they can go sell it. Yell at me if you want, but to start cursing at a 10 year old is unforgivable. If I saw him crawling down the street, and run over just to kick him. #2 Darius Kasparaitus. No specific reason, other than he's a kneeing bastard. I applauded the day the same thing finally happened to him. #3 Kurt Warner "Oh, thank you lord for giving me this talent. I'm so glad I don't have to bag groceries anymore. Now give me my $10 million, you cheap St Louis bastards." If I had to listen to another Jesus speech from him, I woulda shot myself. And then he holds out for more money. Sigh. #4 Ray Lewis. Other than the murder thing, he get pissed off a couple of years ago when Jerome Bettis mentioned Takeo Spikes in the same sentence as far as talent level. He said next time he met the Steelers, he was going to take Bettis' head off. I still wonder if he meant that literally. #5 Mark Gastineau. Thanks for single handedly bringing the "sack dance" into the NFL, you classless jerk. Go try your hand at some more Celebrity Boxing. For that matter, I can't stand any "extended" celebrations. So you made a tackle on 2nd and 4, do you really have to act like you won the Super Bowl. EVERY SINGLE TIME. I should wait in the parking lot with a tire iron just to swat out the knees of some of these pompous bastards. #6 Maybe it's kinda classless because he died a few years ago, but in the '80s there wasn't another racer I hated more than Dale Earnhardt, the master of the left turn into the rear quarter panel. He woulda wrecked his whole family to win a race. I'm still amazed he never killed anyone with his actions. I've got lots of guys I don't like, but will stop here for now... (You can include any Dallas Cowboys team since they've existed, or any Oakland Raiders team as well. Add the Rangers, Devils, Mets, Islanders, Jets, Giants, Knicks, Nets, Sabres, Bills, Yankees to that as well. I'm from NY, and can't stand any sports teams from there, other than SU.)

I've no problem with a luxury tax, but it needs to be set at a reasonably low limit to have any kind of real effect. The Yankees are still the only team in baseball that has paid out any tax. Both sides are stubborn, and quite frankly, I don't care if 20 out of 30 teams go bankrupt. Regardless, a cap system, and possibly a tax system, is something that would be phased in over a little time. I doubt a CBA sill be signed that says all teams must be within a certain salary structure immediately. I've never been a big fan of revenue sharing either, to be quite honest (even though that is essentially what a tax is doing). If a team needs hand outs because they are in Columbus or Nashville, instead of a city like New York, Detroit, or LA, then that team shouldn't be there in the first place. The idea of having a franchise is that you are going to be able to keep your on your own, not require handouts from everyone else in the industry. If I bought a McDonalds franchise in a tiny hick town, I wouldn't expect the McDonalds in Denver to have to share their revenue with me because they make more money. That's just silly. The economic system has to be fixed somehow, but unlike baseball, where fans finally started to come back and watch games, the NHL is going to find that it's going to lose fans that just aren't going to come back.

I don't hate players, I don't hate ownership, but there are many things wrong with both groups. And obviously, the Rangers are a bad example, but when you have a hockey team with 25 or so players that has a higher team salary than any team in the NFL, that says a little something, about both the state of salaries (I know, I know, it's the owners fault, right?), and the misguided state of management. Lets not forget the NFL has 53 players on their roster, and is a much more lucrative venture than hockey. Every other major sport has some form of salary control, and for the NHLPA to greedily stick by its guns to say they won't accept any form of "cost certainty" is just asking for a lockout. There needs to be some form of compromise on both sides of the issue, and it looks like neither is willing to budge, or at least blink first. Are the owners also greedy? Sure, as an owner why would I go into a business proposition and not want to make money. I think everyone is greedy. Hell, I want more money. The owners are also responsible (in my mind, so is the commissioner) for the ridiculous contracts that have been dished out in recent years. From a player standpoint, why would I want to give up the chance that I could end up like Bobby Holik and make 9.5M a year? Welcome to greed on the players end. I'm so sick of hearing professional athletes thank God for their talent, and that they are playing the game they love for a living, then threaten to sit out the final year of their contract because they think they just get an extra 1.2M on the 5M they already make. That's not all athletes, but they are the ones that make everyone's eyes roll. I don't have a contract with my employer, nor do most people. Most folks are happy to keep their jobs. If I signed a 3 year deal with a company, I would expect both to honor that deal, that pout and whine that after 1 potentially good season, maybe I shoulda asked for more money. Negotiate all you want, but when you sign a deal, you've signed it. Right, Mr. Yashin? As far as player movement, go ahead and lower the UFA age, or take it away altogether. I don't care, but if the players want that, they better be willing to budge on other issues (Hello, salaray cap). Contraction? I've been on the boat about that ever since some of these teams have been added. Take me back to, at a maximum, the 21 team league and I'd be much happier. While you're at it, give me back the real division names, since Mr Bettman couldn't figure out what the Adams, Norris, Patrick, Smythe were.

I really liked Carbonneau. As far as current players go, I've always been a Saku fan. I've always been pretty much more of a team fan though, as I've never really singled out one player that I like the most.

Neither Langdon, Dackell, Juneau or Quintal matched Dowd's performance last year. If you watched the playoffs, he did some really critical things on Defense. I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. Since Dowd is a UFA, Hickey saying that the Habs definitely have to figure in his salary next year is wrong. I would welcome Dowd back, but there's nothing stating Dowd won't sign with another team. Of course I prefer Dowd to Langdon and the other players I listed. But for a columnist to say that Dowd is automatically on the Habs payroll next season is a bit of a stretch, IMO.

I like Dowd. He's still an awesome 3rd line center and his performance was well worth the trade. I don't mind Dowd (although a certain fantasy league trade comes to mind every time I think about him), but to have him in the group of "needs to be re-signed" is kinda stupid, since he's a UFA. Listing him as counting towards next year's salary is like including Langdon, Dackell, Juneau, Quintal....

I agree, I'd rather have Kovalev than Selanne. Hopefully the Habs can get something done, but even if they can't with Kovy, I'd still rather go fishing for someone other than Selanne.

Cool, but what's up with the goofy schedule makers? December looks like ass...3 home games and 9 road games? And they aren't easy teams, either. Then you've got Feb, with 11 home games and 3 road games. That's literally a game every other day (including 8 games in 12 days. Yikes) Oh well, at least they come to Denver this year. I guess I know what I'll be doing on Jan 19th, as long as there's a season!

Ditto for me. The Habs were in Denver 2 years ago (that entertaining 7-6 OT game in December) but that's been their only visit since I've lived out here. Every time I go back to NY to visit in the winter, they're on a road trip. Grrrrrr.

The link for the above article is http://post-gazette.com/pg/04194/345211.stm However, the more realistic approach is in an article for today. The same author states that if Kovalev is to play in Pittsburgh he will more than likely have to take less money than other teams will likely offer. So we'll if Kovy really wants to play in the Steel City based on whatever contract he ends up signing.

Man, looks like they kinda suck, if you ask me. Yuck.

Where'd that come from? Savran isn't even a hockey beat writer for the Pens, he's just a general sports guy.

Possibility for a deal similar to Thornton's. http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=90622&hubName=nhl

I don't think we get information "after" everyone else has already posted it. And even if that's the case some of the time, we like to verify information before reporting it as the truth. I wouldn't want this place to become one of the sites that tries to scoop everyone else, but is wrong 90% of the time. Summertime traffic is always dirt slow. I'm pretty impressed with what Habsworld has accomplished, since it was only officially launched at the start of the season.