Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

in a day and age where most every Canadian freezes their back yard, skating is as natural to them as running and throwing to us Americans. With the growing popularity of the sport here in the states most northeast states are following suit. But to say its the most difficult sport to master is nonsense. A poll was taken in the late nineties of which was the hardest single feat to master in all professional sports and hands down it was facing a major league pitcher. An orb coming at you one hundred miles an hour and breaking twelve to eighteen inches before it hits the catchers glove, you have exactly .3 seconds to make a decision on attacking. I'm no expert in the field, but I bounced around in the minors for 4 years, hands down the hardest sport to make it professionally is baseball, and that's just because of pure numbers, everyone thinks they can do it but few can excel at it.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...hog3/Hossa.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P4VlWucGiY

It's one game.....I may not be a Sidney fan, but he is world class. Just watch. ;)

I play on 3 men's league teams, one I have been playing for for over 20 years.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

A baseball has a lot more surface area than a puck and pucks travel faster, from different angles, at varying distances and hockey players knock the puck down or deflect it on a regular basis. Then you have to deflect a puck that is potentially bouncing (with sticks/skates/legs in the way) into a net, past a goalie... or from a goalie's perspective have to stop a puck that could be coming from 180* and might be deflected at any given time.

...I know the survey, yeah, yeah, "Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do because if you fail at it 70% of the time, you're a hall of famer" but that's not true. Pitches are hit almost every time a MLB batter swings, whether it be a foul ball or a fair ball, whether it's an out or not. It was amazing last year that Stamkos scored on just under 20% of his shots...because the average goalie saves over .900 of shots faced. So that makes scoring in the NHL a fair amount harder than hitting a baseball.

If you take any random pro hockey player and have him play in a men's league baseball game he will do fine. If you put any random baseball player in a hockey game, almost none of them will be able to stand up and move without falling down, let alone play. You VASTLY over estimate the amount of people that can skate decently enough to play hockey...and like I said, just because someone can skate doesn't mean they can play hockey.

I hope that argument isn't "too spirited" but, I've grown up playing and have coached both sports..hockey is far more complex to teach or play.

Geez, 20 years on one team!? That's awesome!

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

I played pond hockey growing up. Does that count:r

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

This thread has been derailed a bit off topic, but I'll throw in my $.02. Fact is, given 500 attempts at shooting a ball in the NBA(running the court, spotting up, you know the drill), Getting a hand off to get a 1 yard gain in football, standing at the plate for 500 AB's ect.....I think I could be successful at least one time. I imagine that most people with more than decent athletic skill could do the same.

I do not think most people, even those with the ability to skate, could keep up blue line to blue line with the NHLers, let alone get a puck by an NHL goalie. Hell, in reality, most adults in the United States couldn't score on a mite team. Say that about baseball, football or basketball.

The caveat with hockey is there is offsides....and the goalie. Not to mention that when that puck gets to you(it's going to be FLYING across the ice from an NHLer, not me), there is going to be a opponent coming at you to put you on the ice in a very violent manner if you don't collect that puck and do something with it QUICKLY....bla..bla..bla... Anyway, I think I could have a chance to hit a ball, shoot a ball, run a ball in the other sports.... I don't think there is a chance in Hell that I could skate on NHL ice, it would almost seem like a feat in itself if I could go blue line to blue line and catch a puck and get it somewhere in my 500 tries, not in the net, but to another player.....tape to tape....but, no....I wouldn't bet on that happening in 500+ tries.

I don't know, people believe what they want to believe....that is where I stand.



I help coach my daughters team.

Agreed.....

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Oh...and my Avs are apparently not going to go undefeated.....;)

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Bumeer, E;J,....it's no doubt the Hawks are going 48-0!




:lr :wo

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Tom, Bruins/Hawks Cup?:D

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further to the "most difficult"to play well at debate...in hockey the hitting is HARDER(and at a much higher velocity) than football and there is no 5 minute break after a hit...players just get up...skate to the other end and hit again.

try this and then hit a baseball.

love hockey
derrek

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

No, I don't play. Just one year when I was maybe 25?
Not the point. Men's softball. Can you smoke a cigar? E.J. can, but on my team he's sitting on the bench because he's not trying enough. We'll still say Yes. Can you play with a date? No. Sport.
There's two parts: Can you take a date? Can you smoke a cigar?

I think you consider the classification as a dig or disrespect. It's not. I full well realize how hard being good at golf is. It's damn hard. But it's still a game of skill like Billiards or bowling which both require great skill to be good.
The definition of Sport:
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.
The definition of Game:
A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

See? You can call a sport a game, but a game isn't sport unless it involves physical exertion. That's why you'd be sitting on the bench at my softball game for not trying hard enough. I expect you to eat a great big mess of dirt at shortstop, brother. :tu

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

I grew up on a northeastern lake. Snow piles made the boards and a garden hose pulled from the basement was our Zamboni. :D
There is no sport, when viewed in it's entirety, that's tougher or more difficult to play. I don't think any MLB or NBA or NFL player in their right mind would even argue the point, not for a second.

Hitting a 90mph breaking ball might be the single toughest skill in all sports, I can buy that. I don't know what the other skills were, but it's insanely difficult even if you swing the bat all day every day, unless you can guess it's coming, then it's just a tiny bit less than insanely difficult. :lr

If a hockey player is both very skilled and very intelligent, in the case of someone like Mario, it takes that guy way over the top. To be standing behind the cage, flip the puck over the cage, and bounce it off the back of a defenseman's head into the top right corner of the goal, the only place open, that's just unreal for 1,000 reasons.

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I could llive with that, Paul. :)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...3/Hossacup.jpg

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/ey...me-misconducts

Old school bench clearing brawl for the Icehogs the other night....look at the number the Icehog's goalie does on the opposing netminder...and whilst wearing pink! :lr

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

"The fight actually occurred in the second period, so it's no wonder that with 13 players tossed from the game the Griffins went on to score a franchise-record 11 goals in an 11-6 win. There had to be some tired defenseive bodies on the ice in that third period."

Emphasis added for truth! I've never seen this word before, but it seems to apply very nicely!

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I like that word, Steve!

Yes, 8 of the ejections were Icehogs, so they only had 11 forwards and d-men on the bench compared to 14 for the Griffins.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

used to play, coach my oldest. Can't afford to play these days as my money goes to the kids fees. He's playing on a travel ice and inhouse ice team as well as a travel roller hockey club. Dad is broke these days 3 teams is expensive.


Gomez is skating with the Sharks if you need him. Would have figured a few other teams would try to get him given their condition.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Nice. Takes us back to a time when players cared more about the jersey on their back and their teammates than their financial situation. I miss those days.

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I haven't jumped in this year yet

But I love it HOCKEY'S Back

and here for at least 8 more years. :D

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Can't believe Avs beat the Kings last night! We don't look very good, but we do have Landeskog...

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L.A. apparently didin't avoid that Stanley Cup hangover even with the extra 3 months...

Edmonton looked bad last night, Derrek....word is, Luongo is coming to Alberta.

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no thanks...edmonton doesnt need another flakey goaler...already got habby.

derrek

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Calling Luongo a "flakey goalie" in an insult to flakey goalies. :lr

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Nice to see the Rangers get off the schnide last night!
You could feel the panic about to beset the city.

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Rangers came out to a strong start, but the Bruins made a good game of it as soon as they showed up to play.

Gaborik with a break away, game winner, overtime, Hatrick.
It's the stuff of play ground dreams.

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Pin this loss on the 4th line CJ just loves to play them.
Rangers have to much skill for that group,and it showed.

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Would like him to go to the east or non contender in the west.

Gomez signed one year deal with the Sharks. Was suprised he didnt go to wings and hold them up for money given their current situation on the blue line.

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Dougie Hamilton, oh boy this kid got it, and it is what the Bruins have been missing on the blue line.
I can't believe how much CJ is praising a rookie:D

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I have watched the kid play, and I have to agree, he looks real good for a rook. :tu

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Losing Downie for the season sucks....

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Hossa again! Hawks come back from 2-0 to win 3-2 on Hoss' OT winner. :wnr

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...g3/Hossa-1.jpg

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Anybody see that Orr/Engelland fight? Damn!

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/115212

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3 games in...oilers are 2 and 1...have had the lead in exactly 0 seconds so far this year.
acceptable record yet frustrating/exciting hockey.


derrek

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Meh.
Sharks down 3-1 with 12 left. Win 5-3 in regulation. Marleau has started the season like Hoss. On fiyah!

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Saw the 3rd period last night, the new kid is bringing it at the right times.


meh yourself.

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Going to the Sabres game tonight. Hopefully they look better with Miller in net tonight after getting shellacked yesterday.

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Miller is my fantasy goalie, so I root for them in the East (unless they are playing Ottawa). :)

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Attachment 13012

Man what a trooper! Gets hit in the face with the puck but returns and scores a goal :banger

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That's what hockey players do! :D

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Tough guy

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Christ, maybe the Avs could put some shots on net......:sh Don't even have to make um at this point, just make Greiss work a little....

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OK, I enjoy watching hockey, but I must admit I haven't really paid much attention in the last couple of years other than an odd game or two...anyone know what ever happened ro Daryl Puppa? I used to enjoy watching him keep goal when he was with the Lightning, but he kind off dropped off the map.

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LOL, I think it's been more than a couple of years, brother: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p...y.php?pid=4415

I'm surprised, though, the name was only vaguely familiar to me, but the guy had quite a lengthy career.

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Is this where Bruins fans come to saw we rock, yet secretly don't trust Rask in goal?

(entire family from Boston and I lived there for 18 years so I'm not a "omg bruins are so good / pink hat'er")

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It's been several years since the "Puppa Scuppa" has been in net, but he was fun to watch back in the day :D

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I like Miller, but the way some people around here talk you think he was a bum. He does whine a bit from time to time but when hes on hes pretty damn good. Now if we could get more than one line to score we might be better off. Our top line has 20 points in 4 games the rest of the team has 11.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Hawks 5-0.


That's all.

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No not me Rask won the No1 job two seasons ago, Thomas got in got hot and went on to win the cup and Vezina.
Rask is fun to watch he stands up and just glides around the net he makes it look easy.

Re: NHL 2013 Thread
 

Amen brother:D

Too bad the Avs looked like crap yesterday :mad:

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Hawks are 6-0.

That's all.

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The only thing easy about Rask are some of the goals he lets in. He didn't win the starting job, I still cringe over the playoffs watching him fall apart, granted out D was soft a few years back but still.

Now that I live in SD, man I miss hockey, I refuse to pay for the "NHL Network" for 1/2 season even if they give a discount so it's going to be a lot of watching highlight clips till the playoffs this year.

"Jesus saves....and Looch scores on the rebound!"