Jay

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/08/stec...

So, I'll be the first to admit that Crosby's injury has been unfortunate. Love the guy or hate him (those who have seen my past comments know where I fall on that one), the guy is a great hockey player, and a huge loss for the league. But when will poor David Steckel finally be able to move on? People keep asking him about the collision (or accusing him), but the fact is, every time, his answer has remained the same, and nothing about that replay looks any more than an incidental collision (Crosby as much at fault as Steckel). Or will this incident be the only thing people associate Steckel with?

Come up with a nickname for the following players:

Karl Alzner (I say Secretary of Homeland Security, since it harkens back to Langway, but also references the times)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (I say Tad, as in "Tad Nugent" from That 70s Show, plus he's young, so he's like a Tadpole in the league)

Tim Gleason

John Tavares

feel free to come up with any others you feel like, these are just a handful guys I can think of who I've never heard a true nickname for

I saw him leave the game, and given the urgency, it looked pretty serious (like possibly severe bleeding or something), but I don't have a functioning audio on my game feed, so I was wondering if any of you who are watching this game have any idea what happened?

So, we're closing in on the start of the 2011-2012 NHL season, but for now, everybody is still undefeated, and optimism runs high for many fans. With that in mind...

1) Who is your favorite team?

2) Which player did your team add are you most excited about?

3) Which player (if any) did your team add who you are not happy about?

4) Which player from your team left this offseason who you were sad to see leave?

5) Did your team get rid of anyone who you were happy to see go?

6) Which player on your team to you predict to have a break-out year?

7) In the most optimistic outlook possible, how far do you see your team going this year?

bq* favorite goalie mask?

Some artist took hockey jerseys and made them into soccer jerseys for every NHL squad. So, here are a few questions:

1) What team do you root for, and would you buy the set for that team (and which of the tops would you buy, or both?)

2) Which SET do you think is the best looking?

3) Which set do you see as being the most realistic for a soccer club?

4) Which JERSEY is your favorite?

5) Which SET do you least like?

6) Which JERSEY do you least like?

find them here: http://majupra.imgur.com/futbol_hockey_kit

First of all, I'm not voicing any opinion on whether this play was dirty or not. However, I'm watching the Caps/Lightning game, and Simon Gagne went down hard after being hit by Scott Hannan. While he was being checked out, the TSN announcers just kept repeating that it was a hard hit, but not dirty. I stopped counting after the 7th time they made the point, but they continued to make it a few more times after. To me, this was absolutely disrespectful to Gagne. Save discussion for a lull in the action or the intermission or post-game show. While the guy is down on the ice, it would be nice to at least show a little concern, rather than just spending the entire time talking about safety issues.

So, the question is simply whether or not the discussion of dirty hits (which between Crosby and Pacioretty this season and Savard last year, and the efforts of all sports recently to take a stand against concussions) has gone too far and has gotten to the point where figuring out if the hitter should be suspended is taking precedent over concern for the actual safety of the players concerned?

Bill McCreary is officiating his final game ever tonight (unless he pulls a Favre/Chelios). 14 or 15 Stanley Cups, Olympic Gold Medal Games, and over 1500 games officiated. Of course, not every call he made was good/correct, and over the years, he's gained some recognition/fame for his calls. To honor the end of his career, here are a couple questions:

1) How will you remember McCreary?

2) What would you consider his defining call?

3) On a scale of 1-100, how would you rate him as a ref?

In 2004, the Washington Capitals traded Peter Bondra to Ottawa for Brooks Laich and a second round pick. At the time Washington fans were devastated, however, looking back, Bondra was an aging star at the end of his career, and Brooksie has gone on to score 100 goals for the Caps, has provided them with vital secondary scoring, has played every position asked of him, and has been one of their key role players. So, the questions, without further ado:

1) Do you think Washington did well on this trade

2) Has your favorite team ever traded away your favorite player? Looking back, was it a good move?

3) Has your team ever traded away a star, in a trade that looked like a poor choice at the time, but which would contribute massively down the line?

4) Who is your favorite role-player on your favorite team

BQ1: what do you expect to see tonight at the Boston/Montreal game?

BQ2: favorite goal celebration of all time?

So, the Caps have killed 11 straight short handed situations (and scored a goal on the last one), and it got me thinking, what was the most in a row a team has killed? Now, obviously, it's hard to measure, since some of those PKs might have been very short ones at the end of a 4-on-4, or something like that, but given the man advantage gives the offense an edge, I'm interested in how long, both in time and total PKs, that was the most short handed opportunities without giving up a goal.

BQ- In the spirit of Mardi Gras coming to an end down here a few days ago, what is your favorite PARTY holiday of the year, how do you like spending it, and if you could go to any holiday celebration in the world, which would you choose and why?

So, it sounds like the Nashville Predators will have at least a new home sweater, if not a whole new set. That got me thinking, because it seems like teams have been changing their jerseys a lot more often since the introduction of the Reebok edge (granted, it might just be noticeable). With that in mind, some questions on jersey changes:

1) Which was the best re-branding since the Edge came out

2) Which team changed their jerseys for the worst?

3) Which specialty jersey (Winter/Harritage Classic, throw-back, or anniversary jersey) was the best?

4) Which specialty jersey was the worst?

5) In soccer, teams get new uniforms every year. sometimes they are subtle, some are complete re-hauls. Could you ever see that happening in hockey?

6) Not counting your favorite team, which jersey, in use this season, looks the best/would you be most willing to buy (if your life depended on it)?

7) I once ready a study about how hockey teams who wear black tend to get penalized more. with that in mind, which jersey in the league do you most associate with rough/physical play?

Rank your favorites from these

1) Dallas @ Minnesota- Dallas wears the old North Stars jerseys

2) Carolina @ Boston- Carolina wears Whalers jerseys

3) Phoenix @ Toronto- Phoenix wears Jets jerseys

4) Colorado @ Montreal- Colorado wears Nordiques jerseys

5) Chicago @ St. Louis- in Busch stadium (Cards and Cubs are huge rivalry in baseball, so have them wear baseball inspired jerseys)

6) NJ @ Colorado

7) LA @ Edmonton- The Trade

8) Montreal @ Detroit- Most successful Canadian team vs. most successful American team

9) Atlanta @ Calgary- Calgary came from Atlanta

10) Washington vs Ottawa- US capital vs. Canadian capital

BQ1- Any other ideas for Winter Classics?

BQ2- Favorite beer(s) for watching hockey?

So, if you missed it, last night, at the Caps/Maple Leafs game, Alexander Ovechkin had a special guest with him in the stands. It was a little boy who's father had just died. The little boy wrote Ovi, saying that meeting him would really cheer the boy up. Ovechkin got him into the game, took him down to the Caps bench during warm-ups, and gave him seats behind the Caps' bench during the game, I believe. He also gave the kid a signed jersey. Ovechkin then proceeds to score his first hat trick of the season (they showed the kid on screen, and he was ecstatic).

So, this got me thinking about real life feel good stories. Obviously, most hockey movies have some degree of feel-good to them. However, the best ones are the real life ones. You have Brooks Laich stopping in the road to fix a tire the same night he was knocked out of the playoffs. You have Mario Lemieux returning from cancer. You have the Wings winning the Cup for Kharlamov (not a particular feel good for me, because they beat the Caps).So my question to you is what is your favorite hockey feel-good story? (can be anything, not just one I mentioned)

Just to be preemptive, I couldn't care less on your opinion of empty net goals (Ovi's third was an EN, hence I've been dubbing it a "Hatty Light"), they all count the same. I also don't want any Crosby bashing (like anyone talking about how happy they were to see him hurt).

Rumor is that the Washington Capitals have traded Tomas Fleischmann to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Scott Hannan (as of the time I am posting this, the Caps bloggers, not NHL.com or the team itself, are the ones reporting this, hence my referring to it as a rumor)

So, from what I hear, the NHL has gotten rid of the YoungStars game. However, I think a good replacement would be the "Black and Blue" game. Essentially, we take the top fighters/goons, split them into two teams, select 2 goalies who won't be playing the the All Star game, and have a game like that (we can even pick the teams the way they are planning to for this season's All Star game). I personally think this could be fun, since it would offer fight fans something to enjoy and gives guys who don't get much credit for their actual game play skills a chance to demonstrate what they can do.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/pos...

Ok, so, I've asked this question before, but I find the answers to be interesting, especially when people get creative. The NHL has decided to create a new team, and you get to be the owner. Here are the rules: There cannot be an NHL team or AHL team in the city/town, there can't be a team that used to exist there but failed, and Bettman hates Canada, so he said it can be anywhere but Canada (does not have to be in North America, but cannot be across the Ocean, since that would cause travel issues).

Which city would you choose, and why?

What would you call the team?

What would the colors and logo be?

What would the mascot be?

Pick Your players: not a full team, but the top 6 forwards, 4 dmen, and 2 goalies (but you cannot choose a franchise player, so any player a team has locked-up long term or who wears a letter cannot be chosen)

Pick Your Captains

best/most creative sell gets Best Answer

Betman has decided to continue his southern experiment, and you have been named owner of the new team. You can pick one of the following cities to place the team: New Orleans (largest city in the south), Mexico City (trying to expand to an international fan base), Austin, Texas (be the only pro sports team in town), or Boca Raton (a lot of snow bird northerners)

What would the team's name be?

What would the logo, mascot, and colors be?

Design the uniforms?

If you could select a "rival" team, who?

You need to pick 2 lines worth of players. No players who wear letters for their current teams, and only 2 players from the same team allowed. Also, pick 2 goalies.

Ok, so this is not a "who's better".. I just want you to pick one of the two for each of the following questions (some light-hearted, some hockey related). Don't have to answer all 15, but make sure to answer #15, because that will be the basis for "best answer"

1) Better nickname?

2) Wost facial hair (because, let's face it, neither's looks good)?

3) Better line-mates in 2009-2010?

4) Better line-mates prior to 2009-2010?

5) Which one has done more to bring fan support to their team?

6) If Ben and Jerry's were to make an ice cream flavor for them, what would it be (pick one of the two)?

7) Which one would you rather party with?

8) Do you think the two will be compared for their entire careers?

9) Which do you see leaving their current team sooner?

10) Hole-in-one or home run, which is more impressive?

11) Which one makes the better commercials?

12) If they were going to each change positions, which position would be their new one?

13) Would you like to see all-star decided like a pick-up game, with Team Ovi and Team Crosby?

14) Who do you get sick of hearing about the most?

15) This comes from a joke between me and some friends. The Caps and Pens are going to hold a charity MMA event. Obviously, Ovi/Crosby would be the main event. What would they title the fight and pick 3 other bouts you think would make for interesting undercard events?

Fact, they are hosting the Superbowl

Fact, no team has ever played a Superbowl in their home stadium

Fact, they've been awful in the playoffs in recent years

An interview with Semyon Varlamov following Russia vs. Canada:

http://www.russianhockeyfans.com/team-russia/semyo...

I like his comment about how "In the first ten minutes Team Canada always plays very actively. They created some moments. But they didn't manage to score, I don't know why." Modesty, immature smack talk, or something else?

There are also his allegations that Corey Perry deliberately attempted to hurt Ovechkin. What do you think of that? Any truth?

And finally: "But in Team Canada there are two players like that. Perry and [Steve] Downie. And the second one really confirms his surname. You know what I mean. He behaved shamefully."

So what do you think of Varly's allegations of Canada playing dirty? (please don't make this an Ovi debate, just keep it to Varly's comments)