CFN – The Hamburglar notched another win as Ottawa is becoming one of the few good feeling stories of this 2014/15 NHL Season or as many are staring to call it; “The Year of the Tank”.
The Sens are now 1 point behind Boston for the last Wild Card spot and they have one game in hand. They are playing inspired hockey that’s fun to watch. They’re worth the price of admission.
Sadly Toronto, a team with much more talent, and with season expectations much greater are not. In the real world you can’t say that a team is tanking without proof and frankly that proof is almost impossible to legally find, but if I were a season ticket holder I’d be outraged. As a casual fan I’m truly not impressed.
I get that two franchise type players are up for grabs in the upcoming draft, but if the Leafs were as successful in attempting to win Lord Stanley’s Cup as they appear to be in finishing in last place there’d be an awful lot more banners in the rafters.
Will they win another game this season? Where is their pride? Why aren’t their player agents screaming? It almost seems that they bench a player like Kadri for trying too hard?
There are no real play off races this season. It seems more attention is focused on finishing last than first?
Add to that talk of expansion and we’re looking at some structural issues that the NHL is going to have to address as the current system is not working. We don’t have 30 teams worth of good top six quality forwards. Does the NHL simply want a league of muckers? If you look at the lower point totals this season it clearly is showing the toll that muckers are taking on more skilled players.
Toronto, Edmonton, Columbus, and even New Jersey. What moves, during the season, did these teams try to do to improve their results?
Integrity is critical to long term success. This season has been ugly. Ottawa was a team that could have tanked. They went a route that has their fans smiling and cheering. Their players are focused on winning. Same story in Calgary. They might not get as good a draft pick this year, but Hockey Karma has a funny way of sorting that out.
Mike Hoffman scored his team leading 25th goal. Kyle Turris his 20th. Hoffman is also +20 for the team.
Carey Price is having a Hall of Fame season. He notched his 9th shut out over San Jose and shut outs are the true stat of great goal tenders. While it takes help from his team, the great goalies excel in zeros. His .938 save percentage and 1.86 GAA are stunning.
Does this season in Calgary for Brian Burke make up for his years in Toronto? Scary that his core team is all signed for next season with goalie Kari Rammo being the only UFA? The team is in great cap shape.
Winnipeg is getting some great goal tending as well and Drew Stafford is a man possessed with 13 points in 16 games for the Jets. Tyler Myers isn’t doing that bad himself as the Peg struggles through with injuries as they cling to a Wild Card berth.
So hockey fans, will the Sens make the play offs? Will the Leafs land Mike Babcock? You can post your comments below.
I stopped watching regular season NHL hockey because of what expansion accomplished. I watch playoff hockey if it reaches a level of expectation that motivates me to want to watch (as a kid I grew up watching the original six). The Senators have been an exciting team to watch the last stretch. Energy, desire and purpose. One almost gets the impression that someone told them they were playing their last playoff game each time that they have hit the ice in their last dozen or so games. All streaks may come to an end but at least the Senators are giving the fans something for their money and loyalty. Not so much with the Maple Leafs for now and hopefully not for ever.
If the Sens catch Boston they have to pass them and stay there. The Sens can’t let Boston remain tied with them, as then we get into a situation where tie breakers come into play.
As for the Leafs…..are they tanking the season to get McDavid? I don’t think they’d ever admit to that due to various reasons. As a Leaf’s watcher I would be outraged.
As for expansion….money speaks volumes to the NHL. It was and still is a factor in why a lot of things are done. Do you really think the NHL does their outdoor games to bring back the outdoor feeling? Nope, it’s pure a money grab.
I quit watching NHL hockey a million years ago when commercials became more important than the game.
I thought the Earth was only 6,000 years old……Furtz are you God?
No David. It’s hockey that is 6,000 years old. The earth is a lot older than that. Maybe our buddy will chime in to set us straight.