Hockey,
 

Soon be here., Two trades I'm watchin' Phil (the net) Kessle at Coyotes and
Looch at Flames. . They have problems. Phil is contrary and Looch has lost his way.
He does well at the bank though. I kinda like these two, hope they can contribute
something to these new teams.

Cue up the traditional pop Christmas song
"Its the most wonderful time of the year..."

Kessel is high maintenance but he does produce He is a skill player but slow and his biggest problem is his personal skills. He doesn't get along with others on the team and doesn't care to try. I really thought he found a home with the Pens since there seemed to be chemistry with the lines he was on.

I'm curious to see how the Bruins will handle the loss last year. Its funny how the fact that they went all the way to game 7 in the cup finals is a negative to overcome rather than a positive on how good they played throughout the season even with a bunch of key player injuries at different times.

I also wonder if the Blues are going to be one hit wonders or if they can repeat.

Yes

Didn't see any of Kessel's game, but Looch was on more than one highlite.

The last game against Oilers, he and Rieder (also ex Oiler) combined for 3 goals.
Hope they can have some decent games from here on in.

Just sayin'

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https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-20-projects-bruins-to-win-stanley-cup/c-309640762?tid=281396148

No argument from me!

Decent game Blues/Caps and a nice O.T. win for the Caps. I sure do love when Doc is calling the game.

Good game (Go Caps!), although my wife would disagree with you. She does NOT think this is the most wonderful time of the year :(

Doc can make a tea party sound life or death exciting. I like him, but I guess lots do not. He does keep pronouncing Vrana's name so it rhymes with a south American carnivorous fish. Boy is he quick on the ice and with the puck.

Lots of talk about the swap between Flames and Oilers (Lucic and Neal) and as I'm a big fan of Lucic, was quietly hoping Neal wouldn't go all crazy and show Lucic up.

Well his (Neal) four goals last night didn't help as far as Lucic goes, but Neal sure fits into that Oiler team.(Four goals is a big night!!)

McDavid and Draisaitl must be real happy. The Flames seem fairly pleased with Milan
but might be regreting that trade a bit. Just sayin'

Do is the finest Sports announcer alive today in IMO maybe the finest ever. He thinks quick, calls the game well, and best of all he throws in things that make you feel like he's talking to you in your living room. You can tell he loves what he does and he loves the sport. He pairs up nicely with Edso too.

Lucic fit well in the Big Bad Bruins mentality and style of play. I was upset when he was traded but he does have a problem with letting emotions get the best of him and taking bad penalties (like Marchand used to but Luc doesn't have as much skill).

The Devils are taking a beating in the third period tonight. I'm not a big fan of theirs but I had hoped that between Subban, Simmonds and Hughes added to the team that tonight would have been a closer match. That kid is fantastic. No telling how great he can be as he matures.

In other news, Malkin is out and the Pens aren't looking like a contender this year. I would keep an eye on the Avs. I think they will do well. I'd like to see the Rangers make a run for Henry's sake if the Bruins aren't going to hoist the cup. I think this is his last year.

Alright, we're well over a quarter way through the regular season. Any updates or thoughts from the peanut gallery? Any surprises?

C'mon Joe, the Bruins are looking pretty strong. Marchand was making a lot of noise (for the right reasons) to start the season. No cup hangover for Blues apparently, either, although injuries may make them vulnerable.

My Caps are looking good right now. And they have some decent scoring depth, as it appears Ovi is starting to slow down a bit for real now.

C'mon, fellas. Let's hear it!

https://media1.tenor.com/images/1693...temid=12454757

IMO you called the 3 strongest teams.
1)Caps have the most depth and consistency.
2)Bruins have been the "Comeback Kids". The top line is still the finest in the NHL. If the 2-3rd lines can pick it up we will look strong. We really need Bergeron healthy so Krejci can strengthen the 2nd line. Marchand has kept himself out of the doghouse. If he keeps playing at the level he is at now and doesn't do more stupid stuff, he may some day be a Hall of Fame pick. Chara is getting slower. :( He's still a force to be reckoned with and a great leader. If he stays well, he may have one more season in him.
3)The Blues look good.
Honorable mention: Avs and the Isles are looking decent.

Big surprises:
-Preds are sucking.
-Habs are terrible (que crocodile tears). They say Claude has a stable job but I don't think that will stay true if they don't turn it around.
-The Pens just "aren't all that and a bag of chips". Before you say that Crosby is hurt, keep in mind they weren't doing any better when Cindy was playing.

All in all there has been some good games to watch so far. They say if you ain't in it by Allstars you won't be a contender. Except for the Blues miracle turnaround, that is usually the case. Some teams are about to do some desperate things to try to up their game.

What no mention of my Flyers ?

You've got the best mascot, hands down. That's gotta be worth SOMETHING, right?

https://api.time.com/wp-content/uplo...600&quality=85

They're finally on the right track after decades of drifting rudderless

Yup, Flyers currently stand as #1 Wild Card in the East, so that is big progress from recent years.

Still gotta give credit to Gritty, though :)

1st time in a decades that the Broad St Bullies have a goalie.

Speaking of goalies, guess who is a Hall Of Famer?

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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1576207860.jpg

The Hart / Elliot tandem has played well. I almost forgot what it looks like to see solid goal tending in a Flyers sweater. Last guy was Hexy in his first run with the team.

Come on. The Pens have been playing great hockey. It's not just Crosby who is hurt. Here is a partial list of everyone who has been/is injured and missed significant time this year--Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Bjustad, Rust, Dumoulin, Hornqvist, Murray. Pens played last night without their top (3) centers and beat the Blue Jackets.
Despite all of the injuries they are (2) wins and (6) pts behind the Gooniuns. I would like to see what those chowder eating dum-dums could do without half of their top talent.

ITs over for the Flyers... 1/3rd of their top forwards are out of the lineup now.