2015 Stanley Cup Champions

[Dog]

who does everyone like?

I was raised in Pittsburgh but they're a bunch of choke artists adn crybabies so I highly doubt they do anything this year. That beign said, that's why it'll happen this year when they've faded and been softer the last 5 postseasons than puppy doo doo on a hot summer sidewalk.

I'll take the Lightning. I think it's time Stamkos gets a cup.

[fishtildark]

Dog, never played, loved to watch but am not much of a Hockey expert. MY two greatest hockey moments came.. one... when a little girl poured a coke down my back at the all star game in Pitsburgh in 1990...we couldn't figure out who it was with all the photographers but turned out it was Paulina Gretzky. The other was less with the famous but more fun.. watched game 7 of the pens and red wings in the Temrose in Temiscaming for pens last cup in ...2009 redwing fans and great friendly banter..pens won and I got drunk.

[SgtCrabby]

Many here will be aghast at this.
I didn't even know that hockey existed until the early 2000's when I found out some local team was playing for the big prize in the sport; it was the Dallas Stars and they won the cup that year. 
I have never seen a game live, I try to follow some on the television, but I'm lost to some of what they're doing. I only know the similarities to soccer.

[Oarin]

The Sabres already won. With the 1st or 2nd pick they'll be back! McDavid is amazing. The Bills will be too! 

[Dog]

The Sabres already won. With the 1st or 2nd pick they'll be back! McDavid is amazing. The Bills will be too!

In the erea of clutch and grab and interference hockey, no single player can excel anymore. It's why the Penguins superstar model is so signficanly flawed... the Refs remove time and space by allowing this sort of play and crippling the leagues entertainment value for the sake of the Canadian hardcore fans who LOVE GRIT! I want to see offensive skill and talent but alas the nhl is run by Canadians for canadians so this will not happen and why mcdavid will just be another player on the ice even if he lives up to and exceeds his potential. Scoring is at an all time low and 16 points seperate all the nhl palyoff teams, that kind of parity in a salary cap sport is unprecedented... Sure there are other a factors at play (goaltending equipment has gone from simply protecting the goalie to covering the net over the years, the rink and goal has remained the same size while all the players have gotten bigger and faster due to hgh, steroids and performance drugs) but the overriding reason is the Ref's not calling the penalties that are penalties per the rulebook. It's the good ole days pond hockey out there and it's  joke and why the NHL can't pull bigger ratings than professional bowling or pga golf tournament.
the NHL is the greatest sport in my mind but it can't get out of its own way.

the bills... come on gary?... you don't really think they're gonna make the playoffs, do you?

on a side note Terry Pegula is the man. he not only personnaly built PSU hockey into a D-I program with the ice arena, but he also renovated the area around the arena in buffalo. An impressive task for a single man!

[Dog]

The Sabres already won. With the 1st or 2nd pick they'll be back! McDavid is amazing. The Bills will be too!

In the erea of clutch and grab and interference hockey, no single player can excel anymore. It's why the Penguins superstar model is so signficanly flawed... the Refs remove time and space by allowing this sort of play and crippling the leagues entertainment value for the sake of the Canadian hardcore fans who LOVE GRIT! I want to see offensive skill and talent but alas the nhl is run by Canadians (jabronee 3rd and 4th line grit players if that) for canadians so this will not happen and why mcdavid will just be another player on the ice even if he lives up to and exceeds his potential. Scoring is at an all time low and 16 points seperate all the nhl palyoff teams, that kind of parity in a salary cap sport is unprecedented... Sure there are other a factors at play (goaltending equipment has gone from simply protecting the goalie to covering the net over the years, the rink and goal has remained the same size while all the players have gotten bigger and faster due to hgh, steroids and performance drugs) but the overriding reason is the Ref's not calling the penalties that are penalties per the rulebook. It's the good ole days pond hockey out there and it's  joke and why the NHL can't pull bigger ratings than professional bowling or pga golf tournament.
the NHL is the greatest sport in my mind but it can't get out of its own way.

the bills... come on gary?... you don't really think they're gonna make the playoffs, do you?

on a side note Terry Pegula is the man. he not only personnaly built PSU hockey into a D-I program with the ice arena, but he also renovated the area around the arena in buffalo. An impressive task for a single man!

[Dog]

The Sabres already won. With the 1st or 2nd pick they'll be back! McDavid is amazing. The Bills will be too!

In the erea of clutch and grab and interference hockey, no single player can excel anymore. It's why the Penguins superstar model is so signficanly flawed... the Refs remove time and space by allowing this sort of play and crippling the leagues entertainment value for the sake of the Canadian hardcore fans who LOVE GRIT! I want to see offensive skill and talent but alas the nhl is run by Canadians (jabronee 3rd and 4th line grit players if that) for canadians so this will not happen and why mcdavid will just be another player on the ice even if he lives up to and exceeds his potential. Scoring is at an all time low and 16 points seperate all the nhl palyoff teams, that kind of parity in a salary cap sport is unprecedented... Sure there are other a factors at play (goaltending equipment has gone from simply protecting the goalie to covering the net over the years, the rink and goal has remained the same size while all the players have gotten bigger and faster due to hgh, steroids and performance drugs) but the overriding reason is the Ref's not calling the penalties that are penalties per the rulebook. It's the good ole days pond hockey out there and it's  joke and why the NHL can't pull bigger ratings than professional bowling or pga golf tournament.
the NHL is the greatest sport in my mind but it can't get out of its own way.

It also baffles me why the General managers who run the league. They have no financial sake in the game.. they're a bunch of 3rd or 4th line jabronees too who love grit and parity because it's job security for them... let the owners run the league (like a business to make money) and everyone will benefit.

the bills... come on gary?... you don't really think they're gonna make the playoffs, do you?

on a side note Terry Pegula is the man. he not only personnaly built PSU hockey into a D-I program with the ice arena, but he also renovated the area around the arena in buffalo. An impressive task for a single man!

[puckster_guy]

It's not the hardcore Canadian hockey fans that want the clutch and grab game that inhibits the speed and moves that good hockey brings. I know I are one and so are most of my friends. (mostly hockey players too) Anybody that does that to me gets a sharp elbow in the beak!! and more then that if they persist. The problem is most NHL managers want it that way. That covers up for poor drafting and player selection. A few years ago the refs did a major crackdown on the rules and did a good job of cleaning up the game. It sped the game up huge. Much to the chagrin of many managers who were losing more games to the faster teams. So they forced the refs to back off some. I think much too much. It's sliding back to where it was. Which I think makes for a much poorer product. And, yes I agree superstars are overrated. It takes a well rounded team to win. You need checkers and muckers and playmakers as well as gifted scorers to win.

As for me, well I'm a grizzled old Leaf fan whose become highly jaded. I will never ever cheer for the Habs (Montreal) eww. So I'm backing Ottawa this year. They probably won't get past the habs but thats OK. At heart I'm a hockey fan rather a team backer (oh those leafs!!) Gonna enjoy the playoffs no matter who wins. I need to set up a TV and satellite cable or internet at camp so I can catch a few games up north as well seeing a few Jays games too. Love my baseball. I was a pretty decent ball player in my teens. I regret not keeping it up in my later years as I do with hockey. But kids and fishing got in the way, except for a few years coaching kids in a league my son played in.

[Dog]

@puckster_guy Joe, I hear ya on the GM's and you're right. It's good to hear Canadians want a more open game too. I've often though about how the league would look if they simply made the goals 2" higher and 3" wider overall and limit the goalies pads to their present size or smaller. oh well, not for us to decide. Instead the GM's will worry about who puts their stick down first in the faceoff circle at their meetings, what a joke.

I think it's comical player safety is even discussed after what suban did to stone the other night with no suspension. I mean that sends the message do whatever you want on the ice and while you may be out for tht game, you will not get suspended. I also don't understand fighting wrt player safety. Like it or not concussions are an issue in every major contact sport and so why the NHL would expose themselves to the future lawsuits by allowing it's employees to fight baffles me. At least the nfl and baseball have rules to prohibit fighting. The thug mentality of hockey is something I don't understand. I do not understand the urge for a team to fight if one of their players receive a clean hard check. um, that is hockey. give them a clean hard check back.

I digress... you got the sens, I got the lightning, @SgtCrabby has no one since he's in Dallas :-) @Oarin is having dreams about the sabres making the playoffs

[SgtCrabby]

Down here, saying I'm in Dallas might get you that interference fight; we accept saying Fort Worth (major rivalry with that city to east).

[pike mike]

 Ever since I was 5 my favorite team and hopeful winner of this years Stanely Cup ,possessing the greatest jerseys in all of professional sports........ The Chicago Blackhawks !!!!
I grew up and live 20 miles from Toronto so understandibly I cant stand the Loafs !!!Sorry to devoted Loaf fan "Smurf" (the leader of our Coca Cola Hamilton group) 
Sorry Reg (3 Seasons) but your beloved Penguins will soon be drifting off into the sunset like the receding ice of Lake Kipawa   

GO HAWKS GO !!!!

[puckster_guy]

 LOL Mike, once you've lived thru the Ballard years you develop a very thick skin. Besides they were the only game on TV till about 10 yrs ago. At least now we can pick and choose who you wanna watch. I may join you with the Hawks tho lol. Kinda lost it on the loafs this year. I liked the billboards in the Hammer when you guys were trying to fill Copps Colosseum. " If we get an NHL team Toronto's gonna want one too" Besides the house league team I play on is called the Hawks. As well I play pick up with Danny Carsillo's dad. We work at the same place. So go Hawks in this play offs.

@Dog Hey Nate I agree with ya, but at the end of the day it's all about money. If you can fill some more seats by slowing down the competition and win a few more games you shouldn't win then clutch and grab it is. About the concussions I think it's the helmets they wear are inadequate. Mine has literally saved my life on some falls where I landed on my back and slammed my head on the ice. It's as hard as concrete.  At the level I play it's non contact and head injuries are almost non existant. Not so in the NHL they play with similar head gear as I do all CSA (canadian safety assn.) approved They're obviously not good enough. They need better lids. No worries on the Souban slash, payback will be a bitch, we police ourselves when the refs don't.

[Dog]

LOL Mike, once you've lived thru the Ballard years you develop a very thick skin. Besides they were the only game on TV till about 10 yrs ago. At least now we can pick and choose who you wanna watch. I may join you with the Hawks tho lol. Kinda lost it on the loafs this year. I liked the billboards in the Hammer when you guys were trying to fill Copps Colosseum. " If we get an NHL team Toronto's gonna want one too" Besides the house league team I play on is called the Hawks. As well I play pick up with Danny Carsillo's dad. We work at the same place. So go Hawks in this play offs.

@Dog Hey Nate I agree with ya, but at the end of the day it's all about money. If you can fill some more seats by slowing down the competition and win a few more games you shouldn't win then clutch and grab it is. About the concussions I think it's the helmets they wear are inadequate. Mine has literally saved my life on some falls where I landed on my back and slammed my head on the ice. It's as hard as concrete.  At the level I play it's non contact and head injuries are almost non existant. Not so in the NHL they play with similar head gear as I do all CSA (canadian safety assn.) approved They're obviously not good enough. They need better lids. No worries on the Souban slash, payback will be a bitch, we police ourselves when the refs don't.

the Leafs will be the envy of the league this offseason as soon as they sign mike babcock to be the coach and GM (assistant) .. they cleared enough front office space for him to do both if he wants. The leafs will of course make him the highest paid coach in nhl history, because they can. It'll be interesting to see how it goes...

wrt. lids yeah I agree.. I also wander about why the players need kevlar anything with regards to body protection.... any piece of kevlar up against an unprotected or underprotected body part is going to hurt a whole heck of a lot more than the standard padding. they run around like a bunch of idiots at eachother I think half the time because they feel invinsible. oh well...

[penner]

Babcock to the Leafs? I would like to see that. Just don't know how they would go about firing the highest paid coach in the league when they continue to suck.

[puckster_guy]

That'll be a major improvemant, Penner.  However how do you motivate those guys??