NHL Regular Season 2016-17

Oilers go down 3-0 in the first 12 minutes of game three, claw back to make it 3-2 in the 2nd, then McDavid scores one of the nicest goals of the season to tie it 3-3…. aaaaand then The Ducks score 40 seconds later, and ultimately win it 6-3.

It’s heartbreaking, and perhaps a sign The Oilers aren’t quite ready to compete for the Cup just yet.  :-(

Tonight’s match should answer a lot of questions. Get your popcorn ready.

At least The Capitals managed to eke out a win last night.

But somehow Canadian Tire Centre (why isn’t it spelled ‘tyre’?) has become a house of horrors for the Rangers. The first game was lost on a tough angle shot you shrug your shoulders at but the last two games involved horrific defensive breakdowns against an admittedly dogged Ottawa club.

Guess no one here caught Pittsburgh-Smash(blech)ville fever. For all the parity Bettman espouses it seems like it only applies to losers in the Cup Finals, since winners have been usual suspects the last ten years. Of course the cap has hit the Hawks and will affect the Pens but when you have two superstars it’s not hard to mix and match a supporting cast.

@General:

Guess no one here caught Pittsburgh-Smash(blech)ville fever. For all the parity Bettman espouses it seems like it only applies to losers in the Cup Finals, since winners have been usual suspects the last ten years. Of course the cap has hit the Hawks and will affect the Pens but when you have two superstars it’s not hard to mix and match a supporting cast.

I enjoyed the series, but unfortunately wasn’t able to watch the last game. Game 5 was pretty boring. I was excited for Nashville. Just a shame they couldn’t make it happen.

Kinda sucks for Pittsburgh in a way… 3 cups since 2009 and none of them won on home ice.

For poor YG at least Subban doesn’t get his name on the Cup nine months after leaving Montreal.

It also feels like a lot of Cups have been awarded in the loser’s building, which certainly doesn’t help Bettman when he’s presenting it.

It wouldn’t matter if he was presenting the cup at home. People boo him wherever he goes and whatever he does. It has nothing to do with him presenting to the visiting team, more to do with him holding the game as a hostage. A recent example would be declaring that NHL players would not be competing in the Olympics. He’s doing that as a negotiation tactic to try and get more money for his extremely wealthy team owners knowing how much the players want to play. The players will be expected to give up something in order to be “allowed” to play in the Olympics. No thought to the integrity of the game or the wishes of the fans who have made him and his band of billionaires ridiculously wealthy. One of the most hated people in Canada. Just the latest dick move from a man who deserves every boo that gets rained down on him.

@GeneralHandGrenade:

It wouldn’t matter if he was presenting the cup at home. People boo him wherever he goes and whatever he does. It has nothing to do with him presenting to the visiting team, more to do with him holding the game as a hostage. A recent example would be declaring that NHL players would not be competing in the Olympics. He’s doing that as a negotiation tactic to try and get more money for his extremely wealthy team owners knowing how much the players want to play. The players will be expected to give up something in order to be “allowed” to play in the Olympics. No thought to the integrity of the game or the wishes of the fans who have made him and his band of billionaires ridiculously wealthy. One of the most hated people in Canada. Just the latest dick move from a man who deserves every boo that gets rained down on him.

I mean, he is only protecting his side of the business. Minus the unfortunate work stoppages, which are the fault of both sides not just one, Bettman has done a lot of good for the NHL. He is a very easy guy to hate on though and he seems to take it well. I think the boos will always be worse in a road setting… the fans naturally have more to be upset about.

I agree with everything you say GHG, but as LHoffman pointed out Bettman is merely doing the owners’ bidding, which is the role of the modern commissioner. The position is no longer a “caretaker of the game” but a pit bull used in mauling the player unions during collective bargaining agreements.

The funny thing is Nashville fans should have been appreciate of Bettman since sunbelt expansion and team preservation is one of his primary legacies. Let’s see the result of this Cup run on the Predators’ TV ratings next year, which were laughably low this season.

Sitting out the Olympics will be a huge mistake for the league and its branding, I figure the owners will have to blink eventually.