I hope you guys appreciate that Nashville is one of the hardest places to win in the NHL. It looks like the Oilers are playing better of late. McDavid has a lit a fire under them.
The Official 2018-19 NHL hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
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I heard Austin Matthews was injured in a shoulder to shoulder collision with Trouba. Did anyone see the play? I hope Matthews wasn’t trying to do too much in an effort to upstage Patrick Laine. I have noticed sometimes he takes mad rushes towards the goal in which he tries to do too much and exposes himself to these types of shots. What is the status? Did Trouba get penalized or was the hit clean?
Matthews hurt his shoulder early in the 2nd period. It first appeared like a very harmless play as he rushed the net & Trouba hit his shoulder/upper arm. You could tell Matthews was hurt immediately. It could be a shoulder issue or his humerus. He'll miss today's practice & Monday's game and possibly more time once his injury is re-evaluated. If it is his shoulder it's not the same shoulder he injured last season.
On a more positive note the Leafs made a tremendous comeback last night against the Jets. They were held off the scoresheet until the midway point in the 3rd period when Nazem Kadri scored to make it 2-1 Jets. And then late in the 3rd the Leafs scored two quick goals literally within seconds of one another and the Leafs ended up with a well-deserved 3-1 win against one of the NHL's top teams. Let me point out that Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien is one hell of a player! I'd take him on my team anytime!
On a more positive note the Leafs made a tremendous comeback last night against the Jets. They were held off the scoresheet until the midway point in the 3rd period when Nazem Kadri scored to make it 2-1 Jets. And then late in the 3rd the Leafs scored two quick goals literally within seconds of one another and the Leafs ended up with a well-deserved 3-1 win against one of the NHL's top teams. Let me point out that Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien is one hell of a player! I'd take him on my team anytime!
I never understood why CHI let Byfuglien go.. he was instrumental in at least one of their Stanley Cups. He is big, strong and mean, which is a very desirable trio of qualities. I call it the “bully trio”.
What's going on with Laine? You also mean what's going on with Ehlers! He scored his first goal of the season against the Leafs on Wednesday night.
And what's going on with Patrick Marleau? Babcock did him a huge favor by putting him on the Matthews line and he isn't scoring. He's currently off to his worse start in his career and still has a year left on his contract. His contract is troublesome for the Leafs since they can't even buy him out next season since he's over 35. Not only do they have William Nylander to re-sign but next season it'll be Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner & Jake Gardiner's contracts to be renegotiated. In Gardiner's case he'll be UFA and many observers doubt the Leafs will have any cap money left to re-sign him. He'll expect to be getting offers in the $7 million+ range should he become UFA. Connor Brown has also struggled to find the back of the net, but he isn't playing on the #1 line like Marleau.
Marleau is an old warhorse who has had an impressive career (535 goals, 1129 points), but at 39 years old the time has come to pull the plug on this 1970s baby. When you sign guys who are 38 you are only doing so for veteran leadership but with the hope that they can provide some meager production. There is no way Marleau should be playing on anyone’s first line at this stage of his career. I don’t really understand that and frankly it’s hurting Matthews stats. So they have to either vastly reduce him to a 4th line player or euthanize him and eat the contract and take the cap hit. He will probably be moved to another line.
Conor McDavid now has 17 points in 10 games, a pace for 136 points for the season. However neither his points nor pace is tops in the NHL. That honor would go to another 21 year old, Mikko Rantanen, who some of you guys never even heard of. Mantanen has 21 points in 12 games, a pace of 140 for the season. Rantanen also is leading the NHL in +/-. Rantanen more doubled his points in his second NHL season last year with 84, after a 38 point rookies season. So maybe we should have seen this coming.
With his game winning goal tonight, McDavid has pointed in 9 of 10 games.
With his game winning goal tonight, McDavid has pointed in 9 of 10 games.
Varlamov Top Goalie
So far the best goalie in the NHL this season has been Semyon Varlamov, he of the nifty .950 save %:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3759/semyon-varlamov
He seems to have hit his stride professionally with Colorado.
So far the best goalie in the NHL this season has been Semyon Varlamov, he of the nifty .950 save %:
http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3759/semyon-varlamov
He seems to have hit his stride professionally with Colorado.
hiiiiiiii....bad news for the Leafs....Matthews out four at least 4 weeks with shoulder injury.
EDM 2 CHI 1......McDavid defeated Hawks in ot and what a pass by Draisaitl on that goal.
SJS 4 ANA 3....oufff..Sharks won in ot after Ducks came back from down two.
EDM 2 CHI 1......McDavid defeated Hawks in ot and what a pass by Draisaitl on that goal.
SJS 4 ANA 3....oufff..Sharks won in ot after Ducks came back from down two.
Well well, so far my $100 bet at 25-1 looks pretty good.
A few more games and the GEO could prove themselves worthy.
For now it looks like I trashed Talbot a little too soon, for now.
A few more games and the GEO could prove themselves worthy.
For now it looks like I trashed Talbot a little too soon, for now.
Looks like a shoulder separation. No big deal. I'd rather it happen now than in March. The Leafs have the depth & the talent to compensate for his loss. Too bad William Nylander hasn't signed yet. He could have taken Matthews' spot at centre, his natural position.
^^^^^ Now Nylander would have the upper hand at the bargaining table, his salary would set the tone for future ones. I would not panic if I was a leafs fan, lots of talent.
A number of elite players have come into the NHL in the last yew years including McDavid, Matthews, Laine, McKinnon, Rantanen, and Dahlin. I am trying to get a handle on who will emerge as the best of this generation. They all look pretty good, these young guns. Who will have the longest career? Who will win the most Stanley Cups? Who will win the most MVP awards, regular season and playoffs? Who will emerge as the iconic player of his generation? Who will be the first to become Captain of his team? Who will be most disappointing or injury prone? These are some of the questions I have.
Avs Top Line Rated Best In NHL
This is probably a surprise to many of you but the McKinnon-Rantenen line now is the best in the NHL:
Ranking the NHL's best lines https://es.pn/2SwYNAT
This is probably a surprise to many of you but the McKinnon-Rantenen line now is the best in the NHL:
Ranking the NHL's best lines https://es.pn/2SwYNAT
Not a surprise for me...as i already mentionned in post155.....unfortunately we don't give them all the credit they deserve.....MacKINNON---RANTENEN- LANDESCOG have a total of 55 pts after 12 games and BERGERON--MARCHAND--PASTRNAK 50 PTS after 12 games....they are fun to watch.
Gaby,
That Avs line is a very, very youthful line. McKinnon is 23, Rantanen is 21 and Landsecog is the "old man" at age 25. This is unprecedented to have such youth on a top NHL line. They are puppies!
That Avs line is a very, very youthful line. McKinnon is 23, Rantanen is 21 and Landsecog is the "old man" at age 25. This is unprecedented to have such youth on a top NHL line. They are puppies!
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