The Official National Hockey League Appreciation Thread

[sensei8]

It just showed how great Gretzky was that Mario was the closest to him really and the distance was still quite vast

Gretzky is, imo, the best ever, though some do argue for Gordie Howe. Sadly, Gretsky's goal record will likely be broken in the 24-25 season. I say sadly because Gretzky was the reason I became a hockey fan.

Favorite player right now though is Morgan Barron. In a game last week, the dude took a skate to the face. Went into the locker room, needed 75 stitches, then returned to the game. I was at the game when it happened. Legendary toughness.

I wholeheartedly agree with both of you. Gretzky was a pure delight to watch on the ice through and through.

In the Eastern Conference Metropolitan has the Rangers in 1st with the Islanders and Flyers in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In the Eastern Conference Atlantic has the Bruins in 1st with the Panthers and Maple Leafs in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In the Western Conference Pacific has my Knights in 1st with the Canucks and Kings in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In the Western Conference Central has the Avalanche in 1st with the Stars and the Jets in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

GO KNIGHTS!!

[KarateKen]

St. Louis fired head coach Craig Berube shortly after the Blues 6-4 loss to Detroit on Tuesday night. Berube coached St. Louis to their 2019 Stanley Cup win, a year where the team came out of nowhere to make a title run. The current record for the Blues this year is 13-14-1, sixth place in the division.

[KarateKen]

Ovi now has gone 11 games in a row without a goal, the longest streak of his career. He is currently on pace to put in 16 goal this year. If he suddenly got back to his old pace, he would then put in 39, only three short of last season. I'd think something in the middle, maybe 20-28 goals, is more likely. Maybe he can break out of the slump this weekend as the Capitals have two games.

[KarateKen]

Penguins fans were chanting "We Want Fleury" tonight since it is likely Fleury will retire after the season and this was his final chance to play in Pittsburg. However, the fans did not get their wish as Fleury sat on the bench the entire game. Penguins won it 4-3.

[KarateKen]

Don't look now (or do look, idc) but it is January 6 and the Winnipeg Jets have the best record in the NHL.

[KarateKen]

Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard will be out at least six weeks with a broken jaw. Too bad for the league because the first overall pick is a human highlight film of hockey.

Winnipeg is still tearing up the league, they are on an eight-game win streak, a franchise record, and hold the best record in the NHL. You could argue that the two best teams in the league right now are both from Canada, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

The struggling Vegas Golden Knights win in OT against Boston yesterday, a nice win for a team that is still a top contender but has lost seven of their last ten. This five-game home stand for Vegas might be what gets them back on track, though they have some tough teams coming in.

The Oilers have been red hot since the coaching change and are making a push. Seattle is also making a push after a slow start.

San Jose has won their 10th game after losing 11 or 12 in a row, that marks the second time this season that the Sharks had a double didget losing streak.

Fleury has now started over 1,000 games, only the 4th goaltender in history to do that at the NHL level. Last week he tied Patrick Roy for second place on the all time career wins list. Minnesota has been awful but I am happy for Fleury, one of my favorite players.

Boston and the NY Rangers are still on top out east but Carolina is starting to look better, the big question with them come playoffs will be goaltending.

Flyers head coach John Tortorella ripped into a reporter at the press conference the other day because Tortorella accused the reporter of lying about one of his players and writing stories that were not true, dismissing the idea that the anonymous sources should be considered credible. Tortorella has a long history of feuding with the media, making coaches like Billl Belichick or Greg Popovich seem friendly.

See ya on the ice!

[KarateKen]

The Oilers are on a 13-game winning streak. This is a team that was a disaster at the start of the year but they are looking like the Oilers of old now. They are becoming a legit playoff contender as they have passed the Kings for third in the division. While the Oilers have been red hot the Kings have struggled of late. You could argue the three best teams in the league right now are in Canada, they are Vancouver, Winnipeg, and now Edmonton.

[KarateKen]

Oilers win again, now 16 in a row. They are one away from tying the Penguins for longest win streak in NHL history, and two away from setting the record. Because of all All-Star break they have some time off; this could hurt their momentum. The Oilers next game is Feb. 6, in Vegas.

[KarateKen]

Zach Parise has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Parise has over 400 career goals and has bounced around the league a bit between NJ, Minnesota, and the NY Islanders. He's one of my favorite players so I will be interested to see how he fits in with the Avs.

[KarateKen]

Vegas beat Edmonton 3-1 on Tuesday night, ending the Oilers win streak at 16 games, just one short of tying the all-time record.