2021-22 NHL Season Thread

[JGibson]

What a comeback win by the Blues, as they were down 3-0 in the 1st period and tied it 3-3 to send the game to OT and a shootout. The Blues won in the shootout 4-3 [1-0] over the defending champions Tampa Bay.

[JGibson]

It's time to relocate the Coyotes to Houston or Kansas City.

ESPN.com

The Arizona Coyotes appear to be running the risk of losing access to their arena even sooner than expected, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The news was first reported by The Athletic, which says that the City of Glendale will lock the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena if the club does not pay its delinquent tax bills and unpaid arena charges by Dec. 20.

Sources told ESPN that earlier this month, the Arizona Department of Revenue filed a tax lien notice against IceArizona Hockey LLC, which owns the Coyotes, for unpaid state and city taxes in excess of $1.3 million.

[The Dowager Mod]

Ben Bishop's career is over. 

[dead0man]

Blues are regressing badly recently.

this is going to be a roller coaster season.  Here's to hoping they get hot as the playoffs start.  Crazy young talent on this roster though, the future looks good.

[sting in the rafters]

Halfway thru and getting outshot 2:1 by the worst in East Habs, can't afford to waste a bounceback season by Hart like this.

[JGibson]

The COVID wave has been hitting the NHL, as more and more teams have had their games postponed, and in a couple of cases, either reduced capacity(WPG, VAN) or banned spectators (MTL).

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

The COVID wave has been hitting the NHL, as more and more teams have had their games postponed, and in a couple of cases, either reduced capacity(WPG, VAN) or banned spectators (MTL).

I hope the NHL decides to cancel their participation in the Olympics. If a player tests positive for Covid in China, they would have to do a 3-5 week quarantine. It's not worth it to risk losing your star player for that long.

[JGibson]

Starting today until the Christmas holiday break, all games involving cross-border travel between US-based and Canada-based teams have been postponed.

Participation of NHL players in the Beijing Winter Games may be in jeopardy.

[JGibson]

Effective with the conclusion of Tuesday's games, the NHL will take a COVID-extended Christmas holiday break.

[JGibson]

The NHL will not be participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics, owing to COVID quarantine concerns. Expect the time that would've gone to an Olympic break to used for games postponed due to COVID. 2026 could be the next time that NHL players take part in the Olympics.

[JGibson]

The NHL has brought back the taxi squad from the COVID-shortened previous season on a temporary basis until the All-Star Break.


NHL.com:
 

The NHL and the NHLPA have agreed to the formation of a "Taxi Squad" in order to provide Clubs with readily-available Players who can be recalled to the NHL in order to minimize the chances that Clubs have to play shorthanded or games have to be postponed due to pandemic-related issues. Specifically:

• Clubs will be permitted to form Taxi Squads on a temporary basis beginning on Dec. 26, 2021 (subject to Holiday Roster Freeze restrictions), and lasting through the date of their final game prior to the scheduled dates for the 2022 All-Star Break. After each Club's final game before the All-Star Break, its Taxi Squad will dissolve. Clubs may then recall or Reassign the Players that were assigned to the Taxi Squad.

• Clubs will be permitted to assign a maximum of six (6) Players to their Taxi Squad. All such assignments will be subject to Waiver requirements as applicable. No individual Player may spend more than twenty (20) cumulative days on the Taxi Squad during the temporary formation period.

• Players on Loan to the Taxi Squad will be permitted to travel and practice with the NHL Club, however, such Players can only play in an NHL Game if recalled and placed on the NHL Club's Active Roster before such NHL Game (and no later than the appropriate 5:00 p.m. deadline).

[sting in the rafters]

40+ shots allowed 3x in the past 10 games including 46 in Sandstrom's debut tn and somehow the Flyers are on a 7-game point streak my god. After nearly 2 decades of inconsistent 'tending the skaters go to s--- when they finally have solid play in net.

[bagelman]

Major scandal going on in Chicago as a former Blackhawk accused former video coach Brad Aldrich of sexually assaulting him in 2010.

Here's a good video talking about it. It's been proven true, he sexually assaulted others including underage boys, and the execs covered it up to protect their sorry asses. Blackhawks in 2010 is the only time I enjoyed watching the NHL for fun and now it's irrevocably tainted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhH6MkivrTk

[Poirot]

Montreal Canadiens played their game today with 11 forwards and 5 defensemen. There are 14 names on the covid list. In addition there are injured players. The team on the ice had not enough regular players to be acceptable for rules of a pre-season game.

The next four home games were postponed. The team is suspending all activities through January 6.

I don't know what will happen to home games later in January. I imagine at that time it would have to be in front of empty stands. If the league doesn't like that. 

[JGibson]

The St. Louis Blues won the Winter Classic 6-4 over the Minnesota Wild in Minneapolis last night in very cold air. This was supposed to have been played last year, but it got delayed this year due to COVID causing the shortening of the previous season.

[JGibson]

The Blues, with less than a minute left in regulation down 1-0 to the Stars, scored two power play goals to win the game 2-1 to swipe home two points.

https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1480293694217486337

[JGibson]

The 2022 NHL All-Star Game rosters and Last Men In voting list has ben revealed.


All-Star Game rosters

Metropolitan Division (All-Star appearances)
F Sebastian Aho, CAR (2nd)
F Claude Giroux, PHI (7th)
F Jack Hughes, NJD (1st)
F Chris Kreider, NYR (2nd)
F Alex Ovechkin, WSH (8th)*
D Adam Fox, NYR (1st)
D Adam Pelech, NYI (1st)
D Zach Werenski, CBJ (2nd)
G Frederik Andersen, CAR (2nd)
G Tristan Jarry, PIT (2nd)



Atlantic Division (All-Star appearances)
F Drake Batherson, OTT (1st)
F Patrice Bergeron, BOS (3rd)
F Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA (2nd)
F Dylan Larkin, DET (2nd)
F Auston Matthews, TOR (4th)*
F Nick Suzuki, MTL (1st)
D Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (1st)
D Victor Hedman, TBL (3rd)
G Jack Campbell, TOR (1st)
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (4th)



Central Division (All-Star appearances)
F Kyle Connor, WPG (1st)
F Alex DeBrincat, CHI (1st)
F Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (1st)
F Clayton Keller, ARI (2nd)
F Jordan Kyrou, STL (1st)
F Nathan MacKinnon, COL (4th)*
F Joe Pavelski, DAL (4th)
D Cale Makar, COL (1st)
G Juuse Saros, NSH (1st)
G Cam Talbot, MIN (1st)


Pacific Division (All-Star appearances)
F Leon Draisaitl, EDM (3rd)
F Jordan Eberle, SEA (2nd)
F Johnny Gaudreau, CGY (6th)
F Adrian Kempe, LAK (1st)
F Connor McDavid, EDM (5th)*
F Timo Meier, SJS (1st)
F Mark Stone, VGK (1st)
D Alex Pietrangelo, VGK (3rd)
G John Gibson, ANA (3rd)
G Thatcher Demko, VAN (1st)

* Fan-elected captain








Last Men In ballot
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy (D)
Buffalo Sabres: Tage Thompson (F)
Detroit Red Wings: Lucas Raymond (F)
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov (F)
Montreal Canadiens: Tyler Toffoli (F)
Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk (F)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos (F)
Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares (F)


Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes: Andrei Svechnikov (F)
Columbus Blue Jackets: Jakub Voráček (F)
New Jersey Devils: Jesper Bratt (F)
New York Islanders: Mathew Barzal (F)
New York Rangers: Mika Zibanejad (F)
Philadelphia Flyers: Cam Atkinson (F)
Pittsburgh Penguins: Jake Guentzel (F)
Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov (F)


Central Division
Arizona Coyotes: Phil Kessel (F)
Chicago Blackhawks: Seth Jones (D)
Colorado Avalanche: Nazem Kadri (F)
Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson (F)
Minnesota Wild: Ryan Hartman (F)
Nashville Predators: Roman Josi (D)
St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas (F)
Winnipeg Jets: Mark Scheifele (F)


Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks: Troy Terry (F)
Calgary Flames: Matthew Tkachuk (F)
Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse (D)
Los Angeles Kings: Drew Doughty (D)
San Jose Sharks: Logan Couture (F)
Seattle Kraken: Mark Giordano (D)
Vancouver Canucks: J.T. Miller (F)
Vegas Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault (F)



Vote: https://www.nhl.com/all-star-ballot

[Badger]

Pens on a 6 in a row streak. 8 out of their last 10.

Philadelphia has dropped 13 in a row now I think?

[Badger]

Pens on a 6 in a row streak. 8 out of their last 10.

Philadelphia has dropped 13 in a row now I think?

And then, we drop one in OT to freaking Seattle. 

[T'Chenka]

Leafs and Penguins both looking like playoff teams. I'm a happy man.

[Badger]

Leafs and Penguins both looking like playoff teams. I'm a happy man.

 It's not sure I agree given the pens just dropped their 4th straight, albeit this one in OT versus the Caps and they played reasonably well notwithstanding..

[T'Chenka]

We're coming down to crunch time for the Vegas Golden Knights now. Jack Eichel will be back soon-ish and that puts them way way over the salary cap. They'll need to give away one or two or three players for pennies on the dollar in order to stay under the cap. In fact, they may have to pay a team to take a player just to move the salary, even if the player is actually half decent. I've been curious to see what's gonna happen here. I'm guessing Marchessault, Smith or Martinez are the likely candidates to be traded.

[T'Chenka]

Starting to wonder where Patrick Kane is getting traded next month... he's still one hell of a player, and Chicago could get a really good return for him in a trade if they retain half of his salary ($5.25m salary cap hit for the team that trades for him, his contract has 1.5 years remaining).

[T'Chenka]

Also wondering where Lindholm and Manson are going as rental D from the Ducks. Two good players that could make a big impact for the teams that trade for them.

[Poirot]

For the first time of the season the Canadiens won two games in a row. If they don't stop winning it will endanger finishing last and having better odds of first draft pick.