2021-22 NHL Season Thread

[T'Chenka]

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

[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.

[T'Chenka]

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.

Chiarot will be traded, as well as several of Petry, Kulak, Hammond, Hoffman, Lehkonen, Gallagher, Anderson, Paquette. Caufield could be sent to the AHL if he is playing to well and hurting Montreal's chances of finishing in last place.

[T'Chenka]

Hasek is wilding. What do you expect Ovechkin to say? Realistically.

[T'Chenka]

Tampa Bay made a big move. Going for the three-peat.

[T'Chenka]

What the hell is it with the Blues lately? 2 weeks ago, the club had a firm grip on a Top 3 spot in the Central. Now, the Blues could be left out in the cold if they don't kick it into high gear.

They're looking alright in the last week. Odds of getting into the playoffs are high. They're probably going to play Minnesota (if they finish the season strong), Calgary or Colorado (if they almost miss the playoffs).

[T'Chenka]

My Leafs are looking pretty good right now... we just need the goaltending to not falter, to keep the goals against down and to hold onto leads when we get them. If they can do all three, we have a decent shot in the playoffs of getting past the first round.

[T'Chenka]

Losing Tristan Jarry for the playoffs is going to make it a tougher road for the Penguins.  He wasn't a world beater last year but he's had a very good regular season and DeSmith just isn't as good.  Hextall could have shored up our goalie situation better, but he didn't. 

Oh damn, I haven't paying attention for the last week. Yeah, that's rough. We also didn't extend Malkin or Letang, and I suppose there's some chance they don't re-sign in the off season. The next few months will be interesting, and maybe not in a good way.

[T'Chenka]

I'm doing really good in my work hockey pool right now.
I have:

COLORADO - MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar
ST LOUIS - Tarasenko

CALGARY - (Calgary's team goaltending), Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Hanifin

FLORIDA - Huberdeau, Barkov, Giroux
TAMPA BAY - Kucherov, Hedman

CAROLINA - Aho, Svechnikov, DeAngelo

for the record, my prediction (from before the playoffs started is Florida (or Tampa) vs Calgary in the Finals. Florida vs Calgary if a third team caveat is not allowed.

[T'Chenka]

Wanna share some butthurt Rangers fans with y'all...

I don't even know what the f*** this means. Is that some sort of slur because he's Russian?

Your team needed a f***ing three bounces in the first and a softy in the third and won the game by 1 not counting empty net goals. I wouldn't be bragging about your scrub ass team. Your superstar Hall of Famers also couldn't score on even 5% of their shots in the first two games on a goalie you said is crap in the playoffs. Your team is trash and will f***ing move to Kansas City after Crosby and Malkin retire like they should have until uncle Bettman gave them Crosby.

Did your goalie who will be working at Arby's in three years not allow four goals on less than 30 shots

Your team was gifted a goal that never occurred. Got two penalties in quick succession after, one of which was about as soft of a call as you will see and the other took our best PK'er off the ice because the referee couldn't correctly assess who committed a penalty. Goals were scored on both PP's. Then later your team scores a goal after one of our defenseman was hounded with no call about as much as the penalty we committed that led to that first penalty. Just no consistency. It's all to favor Bettman's favorite team.

If only Crosby could play in goal. The position would come naturally to him seeing how he has already made a career of diving and flopping around the ice.

No, actually I don't know who Don Koharski is. Had to look him up. He retired 13 years ago. Why would I know a referee from 13 years ago who has so little knowledge about the league that he can't even name the main players in a series? He's been gone so long that he hasn't even refereed a game with any player on our team, so that should tell you how relevant he is.

Your fan base is whining. You guys are so worried about a supposed flop by our goalie, who once again you guys can't score against. Thats 10 goals in more than 20 periods of hockey this season. I can't even search his name on twitter without seeing the incessant whining from Penguins fans and alleged Penguins journalists. It just proves my point. I think it's clear as day that Carter hit him, but regardless, why don't you worry about why you lost instead of whining about the Rangers?

[T'Chenka]

Trouba injured Crosby with a dirty play, unclear if he'll face any consequences. Also referees have started giving Pens players penalties for things they didn't do. But never forget, Uncle Gary loves Pittsburgh!

[T'Chenka]

I have no sympathy for that detestable little sh**t.  The hockey equivalent of a spoiled little brat.  I can't ******* wait for this little asshole to be out of the league. 

He can't hear you, he has 3 stanley cup rings blocking his ears.

[T'Chenka]

Blues and Avs will meet in the 2nd round, as they beat the Wild 5-2 last night to win the series 4-2.

The winner of this series will likely be the Western Conference's Stanley Cup Final participant.

I'm still predicting Calgary. We'll see...

[T'Chenka]

I genuinely feel awful for Toronto.

I can't even fathom what it must be like to be a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.  I mean... Again?  AGAIN?! 

It sucks.

[T'Chenka]

Tristan Jarry is 2-6 in the postseason. Fewer wins than Louis Domingue. Let this be the beginning of the end.

I watched the highlights and assumed it was Domingue. Not a good sign for Jarry.

[T'Chenka]

Florida and Calgary are disappointing me.

[T'Chenka]

Here's hoping Calgary can tie 'er up tonight. I'm cheering against the Rangers tying it up though.

Tampa vs Carolina
Colorado vs Calgary

... would be ideal at this point, for me.

[T'Chenka]

Time to get some revenge for 2015.

Tampa wins this unless Shesterkin stands on his head.

[T'Chenka]

2022 NHL ENTRY DRAFT
T'Chenka prediction

01 - MON - RC - Shane Wright
02 - NJD - LW - Juraj Slafkovsky ***
03 - ARZ - LC - Logan Cooley
04 - SEA - RD - Simon Nemec
05 - PHI - LC - Cutter Gauthier
06 - CBJ(CHI) - RD - David Jiricek
07 - OTT - RW - Joakim Kemell
08 - DET - RC - Frank Nazar
09 - BUF - RC - Matthew Savoie
10 - ANA - LD - Pavel Mintyukov

*** if Devils trade pick, the team that drafts with it still drafts Slafkovsky

[T'Chenka]

Bruce Cassidy out as Head Coach of the Boston Bruins.

Hired by the Vegas Golden Knights.

[T'Chenka]

Hoping Tampa Bay wins Game 5 so I can see Game 6 on my day off.

[T'Chenka]

I think Colorado hoists 'er tonight.

[T'Chenka]

Cale Makar is your 2021-2022 Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Taking Patrick over him in the ‘17 draft is gonna sting for a while. All the scouts wanted Makar. At least NAK got his :/

Patrick was the consensus top 2 pick. People didn't know where Makar would go in the top 15, because the league he played in wasn't as good as the CHL, and it was hard to project if his game would still be as impressive against tougher competition. It's kind of funny / sad though if Philly's scouts were smart enough to want Makar anywsys but were overruled by management.