NHL 2021/22 Season Thread

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Mike Bossy - sad to hear he has lung cancer and has to step away from being a tv hockey analyst for treatment. Best of luck Mike!

Wow, sorry to hear that about him. He is one of the best players of all time and a huge part of the Islanders great Cup years. Wishing him well in treatment and hopes for a complete recovery.

[roberts]

A lot of us Ranger fans laughed when the Islanders drafted Bossy. We said he wouldn't go into the corners and would win a Lady Bingh. After averaging 57 goals/year for 10 years we weren't laughing. Bossy could have the puck in & out of the net twice before most guys could get off a shot.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Wow, sorry to hear that about him. He is one of the best players of all time and a huge part of the Islanders great Cup years. Wishing him well in treatment and hopes for a complete recovery.

Originally Posted by roberts

A lot of us Ranger fans laughed when the Islanders drafted Bossy. We said he wouldn't go into the corners and would win a Lady Bingh. After averaging 57 goals/year for 10 years we weren't laughing. Bossy could have the puck in & out of the net twice before most guys could get off a shot.

Bossy was one of the best ever. Classy guy too. I wish he hadn't been forced to retire so early but he retired a Champion.

[catdaddy]

Interesting situation for The Penguins tonight in their game against The Maple Leafs: They will be playing without their top 3 centers (Crosby, Malkin and Carter). Yesterday it was announced that Carter will not play due to being in "the disease which is not to be mentioned" protocol, while Crosby and Malkin continue to recover from off-season surgeries, and have no specific time table for their respective returns. The Pens will also be without the services of one of their best forwards as Bryan Rust is out with an injury that is described as requiring "week to week" re-evaluation. Essentially, half of their forward roster for tonight's game will be AHL calibre and 3 of their 4 centers did not play the position at the NHL level at all last year. So, instead of Crosby, Malkin, Carter and Blueger it'll be Blueger, Rodrigues, Boyle and O'Connor. Yipes!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Interesting situation for The Penguins tonight in their game against The Maple Leafs: They will be playing without their top 3 centers (Crosby, Malkin and Carter). Yesterday it was announced that Carter will not play due to being in "the disease which is not to be mentioned" protocol, while Crosby and Malkin continue to recover from off-season surgeries, and have no specific time table for their respective returns. The Pens will also be without the services of one of their best forwards as Bryan Rust is out with an injury that is described as requiring "week to week" re-evaluation. Essentially, half of their forward roster for tonight's game will be AHL calibre and 3 of their 4 centers did not play the position at the NHL level at all last year. So, instead of Crosby, Malkin, Carter and Blueger it'll be Blueger, Rodrigues, Boyle and O'Connor. Yipes!

Toronto will have no excuse if they lose this game.

How about the Oilers 5-0 start? McDavid has had at least 2 points in every game and is tied for the league lead in both goals and assists and all alone with 13 points.

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Toronto will have no excuse if they lose this game.

How about the Oilers 5-0 start? McDavid has had at least 2 points in every game and is tied for the league lead in both goals and assists and all alone with 13 points.

I don't follow Western Division teams much (they play past my bedtime most of the time ). I had no idea that they were off to such a great start. Maybe this will be the year McDavid gets a real shot at The Cup.

As for Toronto, if they had zero excuses before it just went into negative numbers with the announcement that The Pens #1 defenseman, Kris Letang, will not play tonight because of the same protocol that has Jeff Carter sidelined. I'm gonna need to buy a program so I can follow all the new names and numbers in The Pens lineup tonight.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

I don't follow Western Division teams much (they play past my bedtime most of the time ). I had no idea that they were off to such a great start. Maybe this will be the year McDavid gets a real shot at The Cup.

As for Toronto, if they had zero excuses before it just went into negative numbers with the announcement that The Pens #1 defenseman, Kris Letang, will not play tonight because of the same protocol that has Jeff Carter sidelined. I'm gonna need to buy a program so I can follow all the new names and numbers in The Pens lineup tonight.

Wow, the Pens will resemble a pre-Vegas expansion team tonight. Austin Matthews returned for Toronto's and played in the last 2 games and has zero points. Watch out tonight.

[catdaddy]

I can't believe what I just witnessed: Pens-7 Maple Leafs-1, and the score was truly indicative of the play of the two teams. Kudos to a Pens squad that was playing without many of their best players. Can the Leafs really be this bad?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

I can't believe what I just witnessed: Pens-7 Maple Leafs-1, and the score was truly indicative of the play of the two teams. Kudos to a Pens squad that was playing without many of their best players. Can the Leafs really be this bad?

That's a smoking! Something must be wrong on the coaching side of things and/or in the locker room. Tavares is there for leadership - hopefully he's providing some in the locker room... or soon will be.

[Dru Edwards]

Reading a CBC article on Mark Messier's new book and this pic showed up that I had to post here.

Gretzky, 1979, after his last game played in the WHA (Edmonton Oilers). Check out those shoulder pads.

[roberts]

Just watched the Flames walk into NY and dominate the Rangers and Devils. Don't know if they have enough to hold onto this for a full season but they were really fast through center ice and played a stifling D. Interesting team to watch.

[Lkristians]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Mike Bossy - sad to hear he has lung cancer and has to step away from being a tv hockey analyst for treatment. Best of luck Mike!

Yes, incredibly sad news. I had season tix from 79-85 and was awed by his prowess. Hope he pulls through this.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by roberts

Just watched the Flames walk into NY and dominate the Rangers and Devils. Don't know if they have enough to hold onto this for a full season but they were really fast through center ice and played a stifling D. Interesting team to watch.

What's the feeling like this year among Calgary fans? Are they thinking Edmonton will take the division title and Calgary can make the playoffs as one of the non-division winners?

Originally Posted by Lkristians

Yes, incredibly sad news. I had season tix from 79-85 and was awed by his prowess. Hope he pulls through this.

Rooting for Mike Bossy.

[Dru Edwards]

Crosby going to be out a while. The Pens have been hit brutally this season.

Not sure who created the schedule but the Bruins have only played 7 games to date. Same with the Islanders.

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Crosby going to be out a while. The Pens have been hit brutally this season.

Not sure who created the schedule but the Bruins have only played 7 games to date. Same with the Islanders.

Crosby out for a minimum of 10 days in covid protocol (after having played only one game this season returning from wrist surgery). Pens Head Coach Mike Sullivan also out for 10 days with covid. Defensemen Brian Dumoulin, Marcus Petterssen, and Chad Ruhwedel also out in covid protocol. Of course, Evgeni Malkin is still out after knee surgery this summer and Brian Rust continues to be out with an injury suffered in the second game of the season that has sidelined him week to week. That the Pens record is above .500 is a sports miracle.