March NHL Game Thread

[veritas]

The Seguin trade is looking like it's going to be a win-win. Good for Seguin for looking like he'll reach his potential, but that doesn't mean he would have done that with the Bruins. Whether that's an indictment of him or the organization's ability to develop star players is another story.
 
Reilly Smith as proven himself as a decent top 6 forward as a 22 year old and Eriksson has been fantastic when he's been healthy. I was looking at some of his advanced stats today and they suggest he's been much much better than his goals/assists/points would suggest, albeit not a huge sample size:  http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=153&withagainst=true&season=2013-14&sit=5v5
 
tl;dr for the numbers in that chart: 1) Bruins score twice as many goals 5 on 5 as they allow when he's on the ice. 2) Everyone that the's played with this season has a significantly higher Corsi% playing with Eriksson than without him

 

[Pumpsie]

If you're bored, the Red Wings/Devils game has been absolutely stupid with insane goals and no defense.

The Devils played like they were on acid. Merely watched the Wings skate around them all night. Hard to believe this was the same team that played the previous 63 games. Ruutu's gonna be a big difference-maker isn't he? It's like he was a ghost out there. 

 

[MoGator71]

The Devils played like they were on acid. Merely watched the Wings skate around them all night. Hard to believe this was the same team that played the previous 63 games. Ruutu's gonna be a big difference-maker isn't he? It's like he was a ghost out there. 

 
I think Ruutu's wheels are gone. That trade puzzled me, though I'll reserve judgement since I presume Lou Lam knows more about hockey than I do.

 

[Pumpsie]

 
I think Ruutu's wheels are gone. That trade puzzled me, though I'll reserve judgement since I presume Lou Lam knows more about hockey than I do.

The only thing I can figure is if the Devils (and the Canes) know that Loktionov is going to follow Kovy back to the KHL after this season or next. Then, the Canes merely got rid of a contract and the Devils roll the dice that Ruutu might be able to help them now when they felt that Loktionov couldn't.  But Loktionov was a +2 player at the time of the trade and Ruutu an astounding -19...well, -20 after last night's debacle.  I don't get this at all. Lou has made a slow team slower.

 

[mikeford]

+/- is a dumpster stat but I forgot Ruutu was even on the team last night. That shit was embarrassing. And DeBoer friggin leaves our goalie in for all 7 goals... yeah I'm sure he loved that. Can't wait til he doesnt sign an extension with us because that FUCKHEAD is still the coach

 

[Pumpsie]

Well, plus/minus is valid over a long period of time, like a career.  Look at who has the best career plus/minus rates...all the guys you'd think should be there.  Season by season it doesn't mean so much.  Ruutu's has been getting worse over the last few seasons and now THIS one is the worst, by far. I think his play reflects that curve downwards. He was a better player earlier in his career and he's steadily been getting worse. 

I don't like DeBoer either but I think he left Schneider in to face that total defensive breakdown in front of him (I mean, one Detroit goal had the shooter just inside the center ice blue line and the puck had to go through six players, four of them Devil defenders, to get through...none of them stopped the puck and all of them blocked their own goalie's vision) for two reasons...first, it wasn't Schneider's fault, it was the skaters...and pulling him would have made it seem like it was.  Second, the team has a back-to-back with Marty going tonight.  Why wear Marty out when he has to go the next night?  So, he left him in but, you're right, Schneider was not a happy camper after THAT game. I, much like you, could see Schneider calling his agent right after to tell him to tell Lou that he's going to test free agency this offseason...and thanks for nothing.

 

[mikeford]

Adam Henrique is on some other shit lately.
 
One of the only reasons to watch this drek

 

[Granite Sox]

Shenanigans in the Canucks-Flames game again. Hartley started some of his pugilists and Torts couldn't resist matching. Bieksa just KO'ed Giordano in a quick bout. Crowd is dead in Vancouver. A couple of miserable franchises right now.

 

[catomatic]

Burns' penalty in SJ for being strong on his stick vs. Mtl…..

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Shenanigans in the Canucks-Flames game again. Hartley started some of his pugilists and Torts couldn't resist matching. Bieksa just KO'ed Giordano in a quick bout. Crowd is dead in Vancouver. A couple of miserable franchises right now.

 
Goddammit, I turned it off after I got creeped out by Fat Anthem Singer not being fat.

 

[LogansDad]

Seguin just scored for his third point of the game..... pretty sure he play the first 4:30 of a 5 minute major and then put away his own rebound.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Brian McGrattan just scored on Eddie Lack. From the red line.
 
Gillis can't survive this.

 

[Pumpsie]

Adam Henrique is on some other shit lately.
 
One of the only reasons to watch this drek

Yeah, that first goal was pretty nifty.  Good idea to try Ruutu on the first line.  Need someone there who can convert what Jagr and Zajac set up.  Zubrus wasn't the right guy for that.  But, that's two real messy games in a row now.  And Brunner was pathetic tonight. On one shift alone he made like 4 or 5 poor plays.

 

[ForceAtHome]

Millertime is working so far in St. Louis. Through 4 games, Ryan Miller's numbers are very good. He's 4-0 with a .933 SV% and 1.50 GAA.

 

[mikeford]

And Brunner was pathetic tonight. On one shift he made like 4 or 5 poor plays.

He made a great pass to spring that breakaway in the 3rd
 
 
Oh wait that pass was to Carolina, carry on.

 

[MoGator71]

Flyers got burned on the old "I meant to blow the whistle so no goal" call last night in (of course) Toronto. I actually thought Bernier had the puck but damn that's frustrating. Also going into the game Toronto was the only team that Kimmo Timonen never scored a goal against (other then the Preds and Flyers, who he played for). Of course, he scored a pair.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Red Wings without Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Helm at C. Kind of Celtics without KG, Pierce, and Perkins.
 
Shell.

 

[timlinin8th]

Kari Lehtonen got what appears to be a concussion last night. Timmy Thomas got his shot in net to finish out the game. Prescient trade on the Stars' part, looks like their going to need Thomas after all if they have any hope of making the playoffs.

 

[kenneycb]

Kari Lehtonen hurt? Never thought I'd see the day.

 

[Pumpsie]

He made a great pass to spring that breakaway in the 3rd
 
 
Oh wait that pass was to Carolina, carry on.

Yeah, if Gelinas had made that blind pass to the other team last night, he'd be in Albany right now.

 

[MoGator71]

Kari Lehtonen got what appears to be a concussion last night. Timmy Thomas got his shot in net to finish out the game. Prescient trade on the Stars' part, looks like their going to need Thomas after all if they have any hope of making the playoffs.

 
He looked awesome in his green Stars uni and red and blue Florida gear. It was like the decided to have a live feed of stick time at a local rink.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

Flyers got burned on the old "I meant to blow the whistle so no goal" call last night in (of course) Toronto. I actually thought Bernier had the puck but damn that's frustrating. Also going into the game Toronto was the only team that Kimmo Timonen never scored a goal against (other then the Preds and Flyers, who he played for). Of course, he scored a pair.

You forgot the most frustrating part: Dean Morton was behind the net signalling a good goal but Kevin Pollack at center ice blew the play dead. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Brian McGrattan just scored on Eddie Lack. From the red line.
 
Gillis can't survive this.

 
Canucks won the game 2-1, so maybe he will?

 

[MoGator71]

You forgot the most frustrating part: Dean Morton was behind the net signalling a good goal but Kevin Pollack at center ice blew the play dead. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.

 
Yes that's right. Shocking that a ref at center would lose sight of a puck in a goalmouth scramble.
 
I don't get half as pissy about that sort of thing as I used to.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

 
Canucks won the game 2-1, so maybe he will?

Here's hoping.

Maybe the Bruins broke them in 2011, but their decline has been so precipitous in only about 200 games. They had talent and a goalie tandem that, at minimum, could have improved the team via trade. Instead, Gillis turns both Luongo and Schneider into Horvat, Markstrom, and Matthias, and a thin forward corps led by the Sedins, who have aged horribly since the 2011 Finals, never truly gets addressed. The kicker is, I thought they were in the right division to stay in the playoff hunt, yet they've fallen off the pace even with Phoenix struggling alongside the Canucks. If Aquilini's paying attention, he has to know this is no way to go forward.

 

[cshea]

Pens/Caps on NHL Network tonight. It's already 1-0 Pittsburgh on a Kunitz goal 45 seconds in. Some good story lines tonight...Kuznetsov is making his debut, the Caps are 1 point behind Columbus for the final wild card in the East and Pittsburgh is a point behind the Bruins for the top spot. Should be a good matchup. 
 
Great time of year. The playoff chase is on. 
 
Edit: 2-1 Pens, goals coming left and right. Fehr tied it, then Crosby on the PP gives Pittsburgh the lead. 3 goals in the opening 3:54. 

 

[TFP]

Well your post inspired me to flip it on...and it's 2-1 Pitt.

 

[kenneycb]

Pens/Caps on NHL Network tonight. It's already 1-0 Pittsburgh on a Kunitz goal 45 seconds in. Some good story lines tonight...Kuznetsov is making his debut, the Caps are 1 point behind Columbus for the final wild card in the East and Pittsburgh is a point behind the Bruins for the top spot. Should be a good matchup. 
 
Great time of year. The playoff chase is on. 
 
Edit: 2-1 Pens, goals coming left and right. Fehr tied it, then Crosby on the PP gives Pittsburgh the lead. 3 goals in the opening 3:54. 

Nice to see Pittsburgh in playoff form.

 

[cshea]

Thomas in net for the Stars 
 

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Something real bad just happened in Dallas. No volume, so someone in the know will have to update.

 

[Greg29fan]

Something real bad just happened in Dallas. No volume, so someone in the know will have to update.

 
Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench and was rushed to the back

 

[cshea]

I was watching it live, it was very scary. Both benches were frantically screaming to try and get medical help to the bench. 
 
Both teams are leaving the ice right now. Peverley has some sort of heart condition, I know he missed time earlier in the season with it. This is really scary, hope Rich is OK. 

 

[Greg29fan]

http://starsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/rich-peverley-returns-to-lineup-after-being-sidelined-with-resurfacing-cardiac-issue.html/

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Both teams just exited out the visitors' tunnel. Kinda worried they don't want the Stars to see what's going on in there.

 

[Titoschew]

aren Millard @darenmillard
Follow

Good news. Lindy Ruff comes out of the hall way and says Rich Peverley is going to be ok

 

[Blacken]

darenmillard: Good news. Lindy Ruff comes out of the hall way and says Rich Peverley is going to be ok

 

[catomatic]

Both teams just exited out the visitors' tunnel. Kinda worried they don't want the Stars to see what's going on in there.

Ugh. Terrible. I just tuned in without knowing anything was up and the white noise with sporadic commentary is very eerie. I think this game is over and Rich Peverley is in the balance. Awful.

 

[catomatic]

darenmillard: Good news. Lindy Ruff comes out of the hall way and says Rich Peverley is going to be ok

That would be fucking great.

 

[Blacken]

JoshRimerHockey: Good news is Rich Peverley is up and talking

 

[TSC]

http://atdhe.sx/hockey/watch-columbus-blue-jackets-dallas-stars-5di28#
 
A stream of Dal/CLB
 
This is scary. Hope Peverley is ok.

 

[Greg29fan]

Pevs taken to the hospital but is conscious per an announcement at the arena

 

[cshea]

Dallas just announced that Peverley was taken to the hospital, but is conscious. 

 

[Blacken]

Game called.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Game called.

 
Yeah, from the looks of things, everyone had the piss scared out of them by what happened. As nightmarish as it'll be to make this up, neither team was going to be focused on this game tonight.

 

[catomatic]

Somehow my feed was 5 minutes behind… Pulling for Rich

 

[Blacken]

I think it was the right call, but this is sort of inconsistent. They didn't cancel the game when Zednik dropped a gallon of blood on the ice.

 

[Greg29fan]

I think it was the right call, but this is sort of inconsistent. They didn't cancel the game when Zednik dropped a gallon of blood on the ice.

 
They did when Jiri Fischer had a similar cardiac episode, though.

 

[Blacken]

I never heard about that one. Holy shit.

 

[cshea]

Atta boy Pevs. Hang in there. 

Dallas Stars ‏@DallasStars  3m
Per Dr. Salazar, Peverley was aware of where he was when became conscious and wanted to get back in to the game.
 

 

[FL4WL3SS]

.....