2016-17 NHL Season Thread

[dlbalr]

Let the record reflect that for once, I actually remembered to start this before the first game of the season.  The 2016-17 NHL calendar is a shorter one than usual as all games will be crammed into 180 days (it's usually about 185/186) thanks to the World Cup of Hockey.

 

Here's the annual snapshot of opening rosters with a look at who the biggest, heaviest, and oldest teams are.  The Habs are not dead last in any of those categories (but they come quite close in size): http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2016/10/2016-17-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Top 5 in Height: Winnipeg, Los Angeles, Calgary, Dallas, Washington

Top 5 in Weight: Colorado, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Dallas, Columbus

Bottom 5 in Height: Philadelphia, Montreal, Chicago, Nashville, Florida

Bottom 5 in Weight: Vancouver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey

(Bold: Playoff Team)

(Underline: Stanley Cup champion)

[JoeLassister]

Have a good one Ladies and Gentlemen.

(do we have any lady on this board anymore?)

[Guest Stogey24]

Don, don't be shy ^

[DON]

59 minutes ago, Stogey24 said:

Don, don't be shy ^

Quit picking on me.

[Toronthab]

2 hours ago, Stogey24 said:

Don, don't be shy ^

Hahahaha! 

 

[dlbalr]

So Auston Matthews scores four in his NHL debut (and it's still going).  He's the first player ever* to score four goals in his first career game.

 

Edit: * - In the modern era - two players scored five in 1917 but that was before forward passes were allowed.

[Meller93]

Freakin Matthews. We'll never hear the end of this from leafs fans. 

 

...damn impressive though

[Scott462]

21 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

So Auston Matthews scores four in his NHL debut (and it's still going).  He's the first player ever to score four goals in his first career game.

 

Unreal to watch.

 

He completely undressed Karlsson on the second goal.

[Meller93]

https://mobile.twitter.com/TomSestito23/status/786372418675826688?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

 

Haha figured you'd like that joke Don

 

hope it formats right since it's mobile

[Dalhabs]

1 hour ago, Meller93 said:

Freakin Matthews. We'll never hear the end of this from leafs fans. 

 

...damn impressive though

 

Happy to see they still managed to lose the game. Haha

[Machine of Loving Grace]

2 hours ago, Meller93 said:

Freakin Matthews. We'll never hear the end of this from leafs fans. 

 

"We sucked and drafted a guy first overall who scored four goals against the Senators and we still lost the game."

"Oh cool, so you still suck."

[habs rule]

Austin Mathews is awesome, the rest of the team not so much.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Matthew's historic performance is ominous, suggesting that the Leafs have a true superstar at C - which is one of the standard Cup building blocks.

 

But when the tale of 2016-17 is told, Montreal will stand head and shoulders above all the other Canadian teams. EDM and TO have sexier young talent. But the Habs have a core that has been through the wars and has the seasoning to contend. No other Canadian team can make that claim.

[BCHabnut]

Some bad hockey played last night. Beware of high expectations created by horrible goaltending and poor defensive positioning. Matthews is a big boy too. I suspect he will be better than some of the 1st overall duds we have seen lately. 

 

On McDavid.  This guy is awesome.  His explosive speed with the puck reminds me of lafleur.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Your friendly reminder that Frederick Andersen,who stopped 25 of 30 shots last night, was signed to a five year deal worth $5,000,000 per season before playing a game in Toronto. He's 26. 

[Guest Stogey24]

6 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:

Some bad hockey played last night. Beware of high expectations created by horrible goaltending and poor defensive positioning. Matthews is a big boy too. I suspect he will be better than some of the 1st overall duds we have seen lately. 

 

On McDavid.  This guy is awesome.  His explosive speed with the puck reminds me of lafleur.

Edmonton had quite a few defensive lapses last night. 

 

Mcdavid is in a class of his own for sure. Speed, hands, smarts.

 

He picked up speed through the neutral zone and almost went through the entire team. Like 0-100 in a second. Fun to watch for sure. 

[dlbalr]

11 hours ago, Meller93 said:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TomSestito23/status/786372418675826688?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

 

hope it formats right since it's mobile

 

For the tweet to embed properly, I don't think there can be anything after the number in the tweet (in this case, the ?ref_src=twsrc^ftw).

[Meller93]

18 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

 

For the tweet to embed properly, I don't think there can be anything after the number in the tweet (in this case, the ?ref_src=twsrc^ftw).

Noted!

[JoeLassister]

After what Matthews did yesterday in 40 minutes, it's hard not to think about what Gomez did for 1 full calendar year.

[dlbalr]

Vancouver waived Emerson Etem yesterday (losing him to Anaheim) to make room for Jack Skille.  I know it's shuffling bottom six guys around which isn't a big deal but this makes no sense to me.  Etem's better and younger, two elements that should be important for a team that should be rebuilding. 

[illWill]

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

Vancouver waived Emerson Etem yesterday (losing him to Anaheim) to make room for Jack Skille.  I know it's shuffling bottom six guys around which isn't a big deal but this makes no sense to me.  Etem's better and younger, two elements that should be important for a team that should be rebuilding. 

 

Vancouver and sense are like water and oil 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

2 minutes ago, illWill said:

 

Vancouver and sense are like water and oil 

 

Indeed! My guess is that the "logic" here concerns that nebulous variable "character." They seem to have been disappointed in Etem, a guy who doesn't use whatever tools he has on a night-in, night-out basis. The inaptly-named Skille said he would "chew through rope" to get the job and probably impressed them with his sheer grit and determination. Keeping the much younger player would involve asset management, obviously a foreign concept to Jim "I refuse to trade any of my seven impending UFAs in a non-playoff year" Benning.

[Commandant]

Emerson Etem has had numerous chances with numerous teams.  I don't think he's that great of a loss.  

 

Not that I think Skille is that great a player either. 

 

Lets just say Vancouver has bigger problems than choosing between these two guys. 

[dlbalr]

After failing to land a contract with the Kings and subsequently getting cut from a tryout with their AHL team, former Hab Lucas Lessio has signed with Zagreb of the KHL.