Wheel o' Stephanie (formerly Shanny)

I'm usually the last one to compare to older player generations favorably. I do think the overall skill is better now, but I disagree that it's hockey sense, strategery, or hands. I think all 3 of those have been there for a very long time.

I think the physical maturity has been there since before Thornton, he was just an exception to the rule. The league really transformed, in terms of fitness, in the early to mid 90s imo. In terms of hands and 3zone play, I would just throw out Jagr and Selanne. Then I would add a little Datsyuk and even H. Sedin. Crosby and Spezza match the hands of the young studs and can play some defense. Giroux and Kane haven't been used defensively enough because of their rosters but both have shown it.

I think there are two major differences.
The first is the emphasis on skating and quickness, the biggest example of this is seen up and down affiliates at the blueline. There has never been a collection of hands, vision, and hockey sense with dmen prospects on the whole in my opinion, but so much of it is useless unless the skating is exceptional now. It is more a result of the rule changes imo, creativity was worth a little more without 2 line passes and more blatant obstruction. Some forwards can still get away with it in limited roles, now that analytics have taught coaches how to squeeze limited skill sets in there. I don't think they've solved the problem of concrete skates at the blueline.

The other is just coaching. Better staffs, with more resources, allow them to see how players project better than ever and allow coaches to get quicker returns on what works and fails, even at the lower levels. I don't think the players are better prepared than 10 years, I just think they've been much more efficient at weeding out players that will ultimately struggle.

 

Sorry, I addressed some of this before.
I think we saw the hands already with Jagr, Datsyuk, Crosby, Kane, Gaudreau.
I love the hands in the game now, I just think elite hands and elite shots are something that have always had a prominent place in the game.

 

Optics wise, taking the hockey iq out if it, the stickhandling looks much quicker and more advanced today. I'm not sure the players were as challenging to skate around in the 90's as today, the skating is better now.

 

I think over time the athlete has gotten better and better. The competition in sports to be the best has pushed the athlete to be the best possible condition. Overall, in all sports I just think players are bigger, stronger, faster and with technology, more advanced.

In my opinion... Things are far more advanced and faster than when I was a kid growing up on sports.

 

i disagree about the physical maturity of these kids at 18 compared to in the past and I think Joe Thornton was the norm in his time. Over the past 5-10 years the kids come in like robots. the USNTDP turns these kids in to men physically in short order and the rest of it, CHL/NCAA is also on the forefront of this. College kids are now using pilates, yoga and more importantly specialized lifting/stretching programs compared to 10-20 years ago when it would essentially just be a chest/back day, leg day, choose your own adventure day in the gym. there used to be a bigger emphasis on mass compared to strength + flexibilty today

When Jagr and Selanne showed up it was the wild west throughout the entire league. they were not 3 zone players, especially Jagr. not many of the players you mentioned were stars at 18/19 years old. they took a couple years in the league to get there or came in to the league after 20 yrs old.

 

Cody Eakin will have hearing for charging Henrik Lundqvist

Dallas Stars forward Cody Eakin will have a hearing with the NHL?s department of player safety Friday afternoon for charging New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Midway through the first period of the Rangers? 2-0 shutout of the Stars Thursday, Lundqvist was bowled over by Eakin while playing the puck behind his net.
Eakin was called for charging and ejected from the game.

?The league better do something about that hit,? Vigneault told reporters. ?It?s everything that you want to take away from the game ? hit to the head, forward motion, and it?s a goaltender.?

Lundqvist left to undergo concussion protocol but returned for the win.

[video]https://youtu.be/70QMCYCKSmY[/video]

 

Mike Hoffman to have Player Safety hearing

Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman will have a phone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday after cross-checking San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture in their game Wednesday.

Hoffman was penalized five minutes and given a game misconduct at 7:50 of the third period. Couture was helped from the ice and did not return to the game, which the Sharks won 4-3 in a shootout at Canadian Tire Centre.

 

I would pay some good cash to know what the hell Eakin was thinking on that Lundquist run.

 

NEW YORK - Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman has been suspended for two games, without pay, for cross-checking San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture during NHL Game No. 441 in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 7:50 of the third period. Hoffman was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking and a game misconduct.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Hoffman will forfeit $57,638.88. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

 

NEW YORK - Dallas Stars forward Cody Eakin has been suspended for four games, without pay, for charging New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist during NHL Game No. 452 in Dallas on Thursday, Dec. 15, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 9:19 of the first period. Eakin was assessed a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct.

 

little ball of big nose kate gets 10 g's. must be the lack of history

 

Do not touch me...nice retaliation. Nyquist should get at least 5 games. IMO
[video]http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...F7E2CB9CD6E81DCADCF2F7E2CB9CD6E81&FORM=VRDGAR[/video]

 

That was total BS by Nyquist. At least 5 games, maybe more.

He lost his cool and retaliated with the stick instead of dropping the gloves... he's lucky he didn't kill the guy. Ugly stuff and it needs to be dealt with seriously.

 

1. Fine the team (big bucks, not pennies)
2. Fine the player
3. Suspend the player without pay indefinitely
4. Make it so that the player has to file for reinstatement next season
5. Consider it a first infraction
6. Announce that the second infraction will lead to a permanent dismissal from the league
7. USE SOME COMMON SENSE ENFORCING RULES

 

Nyquist offered in-person hearing for vicious high stick on?Spurgeon

Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist will face further discipline from the NHL?s Department of Player Safety for a vicious high stick to the face of Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the first period. He was given only a double minor for high-sticking, however, the league just announced Nyquist has been offered an in-person hearing, which could mean a suspension of six games or more. The date and time of the hearing have yet to be determined.

?I didn?t mean to do that,? Nyquist told the Detroit Free Press. ?My stick gets caught, I am trying to get body position on him. I?m happy he was out there again. I had no intention of doing that. My stick gets caught. It looks bad, but I?m happy he?s OK.
?Obviously, I?ve got to have better control of my stick.?

Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk believed Nyquist should?ve been given a major penalty on the play.

?I just don?t understand how that?s not a five-minute penalty,? Dubnyk told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. ?Obviously he?s not a player that is going to, I want to say do it on purpose except anybody watching the game ? it?s a five-minute penalty regardless.?

Boudreau on Nyquist high stick on Spurgeon: "Two inches closer, the guy could have speared his eye out."

 

it wasn't a 5 min penalty? wow. not sure what the refs are doing there.

Tim-if you fine the player heavily than to me, you can't find the team. He's already being punished pretty severely, what does fining the team do? I think he gets the message that he was wrong here.

 

I think if you fine the team or organization you would force the leadership to put a shorter leash on their players and police them better.

I know my name aint Tim... but, I stayed at a Holiday Inn once or twice...

 

Kenny will still have time to trade him.
Slimball Dead wing

 

Nyquist waived his right to an in person hearing. He will have a phone hearing on Wednesday...