What are your unpopular hockey opinions?

[Randall Flagg]

About the NHL, the Sabres, or the sport in general. Put em in here so we can all yell or laugh at you! 

Mine:
- Goalie equipment is fine. This is a recently-developed opinion.

 

- Jacob Slavin is a top 5 defenseman in the Eastern Conference. I was going to say 10, but after  Karlsson, Weber, Letang, and Hedman I was having a lot of trouble coming up with any others.

 

- Rob Ray does a good job. 

 

- Jeff Skinner is awesome.

 

- Jonathan Toews is not a top 50 player in the world, despite being ranked number two by THN a little over a year ago. He's currently something like 150th in scoring, and is paid $10 mil to pace for 45-55 points while being the 4th best player on his team (5th this year, Panarin/Kane/Keith/Hossa all ahead)

 

- If Matthews was 3 days younger he would be a Buffalo Sabre right now. It doesn't bother me one bit that this didn't happen, but I think Tim would have taken him over Jack.

 

- The NHL season should be around 68 games long, and shootouts shouldn't exist.

 

- The Hurricanes have the best goal horn in the NHL (not sure why I'm loving Carolina so much here, I can't stand them haha)

 

- The Sabres will not have another goalie as good as Ryan Miller in my lifetime, even if they get guys that post better stats. Those stats will be a product of the era/system/whatever.

 

Tell me how stupid I am, and add your own! About NHL teams, players, rules, anything hockey.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Randall Flagg

[sodbuster]

If a game isn't decided after overtime, it should end in a tie.

 

The NHL season is too long.

 

Brad Marchand is great.

[Thorner]

Was going to post the Toews one, haha. Spot on, in my view.

 

- I don't dislike the Penguins. Mostly cause I like Crosby. But Kessel too.

 

- 3 on 3 OT is a gimmick and I don't particularly like it. 4 on 4 would be fine.

 

- I like listening to Pierre McGuire. Mostly in an "I enjoy bad movies" kind of way.

[Randall Flagg]

Good stuff guys. Announcers, didn't think about that. 

I love Emrick. And Jack Edwards is pretty good. 

[Doohicksie]

- I like listening to Pierre McGuire. Mostly in an "I enjoy bad movies" kind of way.

 

Without the qualifying sentence I was going to request the mods hit you with the ban hammer.  When I hear McGuire now I hear Dave Leggio doing McGuire.

 

[drnkirishone]

keep your ###### head up!!! and if you do not? get your ass up and to the bench when someone alters your perception of reality by bouncing that thick skull you have off the ice.

 

 

Also... if you turn your back to the play along the boards with the puck!!!! I do not feel bad when someone drives you face first into the boards

Edited January 4, 2017 by drnkirishone

[Brawndo]

Toronto wins the Cup before the Sabres do.

[Claude Balls]

Get rid of the instigator rule, let the players police themselves.

 

Linesman break up too many would be fights, let the players police themselves.

[Taro T]

Coincidental minors should not result in replacement skaters hitting the ice until it would cause there to be fewer than 3 skaters per side. 3v3 in regulation is awesome; still ticked they essentially got rid of it ~30 years ago. OT should be a full 20 minutes of 5v5. If they're tied after that, so be it. ALL games should have the same # of points up for grabs - preferrably 2. Having some worth 3 and most worth 2 is dumb.

 

The trapezoid is silly but so is making goalies off-limits to contact anywhere on the ice. Get rid of the trapezoid but also make "body contact" on a goalie playing the puck outside his crease legal. You can't blow the goalie up like he's Tyler Ennis but you can make contact (basically, if the hit would be legal on a skater in a beer league, it's good; if it'd get called a check there then it's a penalty).

 

The "instigator" penalty is not what has more or less driven fighting out of the NHL. (There's been a version of that rule dating back to the mid-70's.) Following Detroit's model of having useful 4th liners, the reduction (though nowhere close to elimination) in obstruction post-lockout, & a (half-hearted) attempt at cutting down on concussions have had a far greater impact there.

 

The Pegulas have not been as horrible of owners as the BN would like one to believe. They definitely got sold a bill of goods by DR regarding just how much "suffering" instituting a tank would induce & the necessity of that suffering, but once DB is gone this team will pick up its play & they WILL make the playoffs next season.

[SwampD]

We have players that are really good at getting the puck back along the boards so, the D+C often isn't that bad of an option for us.

 

 

Most people who talk about a "system" don't know what they are talking about,… myself included.

 

 

Maybe Gionta leads our 5v5 scoring because he's a savvy 20 year vet that actually understands and can do what DD is asking of him. Once the kids grow up a little they'll catch on, too.

 

 

Losing Larsson wasn't that big of a loss for us.

[Thwomp!]

The shine has worn off of GMTM.  I bought into the "aura" at first, but he's made one decent trade, the rest have been meh to awful in grade.  He's also done absolutely nothing to the roster or in regards to the coach as the team has severely under performed this year.  He's brought in his players, spent way too much of the tank assets, and spent to the cap and got this current bottom of the conference version of the Sabres.  This team could be in big trouble under his guidance, yet many still think he's the greatest GM ever.  I just don't see it and if anyone looked at his record with this team objectively, they wouldn't either.  

[Stoner]

Good topic. This one's tough for me... :rolleyes:

 

I also like Jack Edwards.

 

The horn should go (at the very least the obliterating nature of Buffalo's horn, perhaps to be replaced by a more nautical sounding horn that would fit more with the waterfront theme).

 

I'd go back in time to February 22, 2011 and take my chances with Tom, Larry and Darcy over what's happened since.

 

I'll have more later!

[inkman]

I dislike Danny Briere, Chris Drury and Dominik Hasek. Even when they were Sabres.

[WildCard]

I dislike Danny Briere, Chris Drury and Dominik Hasek. Even when they were Sabres.

Curious, why?

 

Oh, and where ya at, pi?

[Doohicksie]

Maybe Gionta leads our 5v5 scoring because he's a savvy 20 year vet that actually understands and can do what DD is asking of him. Once the kids grow up a little they'll catch on, too.

 

For all those who think Gionta should be off the team and soon, I think this is valid point for him to be here.  He's instrumental in following the system and showing the young fowards that brains is just as important as talent.  Girgensons's goal in New York was a direct result of Gionta's savvy in understanding the timing of when to shoot the puck into the slot from the corner.  he delayed just the right amount to get Girgs into position.

 

Reinhart is absorbing all this... from ROR, from Gionta, from all the experienced forwards, and we're just starting to see his playmaking ability.  It's no coincidence he leads all forwards in assists.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Doohickie

[nfreeman]

Matthews-Marner-Nylander is a better young forward core than Eichel-Reino-Nylander.

 

NHL goalies should be subject to height and weight limits (like 6'0", 190 lbs) and should wear Kevlar form fitting body armor instead of current goalie pads.

 

The state of the NHL game is mediocre.

 

Jack Edwards is good at hockey PBP.

[bob_sauve28]

Many of the hits that blow up players are the player that gets hit fault. Many players follow through on hits and nothing bad happens, but the guy who is admiring his pass gets lit up and ya, its ugly, but shouldn't they be expecting to get hit all the time? 

 

the ice surface should be bigger or it should be 4 on 4 all the time 

 

The season should start sooner so that the playoffs end in May 

 

I would like to see the offsides eliminated for entry. But still in effect for clearing the puck. So once the offensive team is in the zone, the defensive team can clear it out and offensive players have to leave zone, but after that they can reenter before puck does. And this would make the game much better! Yes, there would be hangers, but so what? I would be ok with a player standing in front of net and a shot coming in way from the other zone and he can tip it or whatever. 

 

- Rob Ray does a good job. 

 

 

I just don't like him myself. Was nice listening to the NBC guys last night. Though the color guy kept saying one thing that bothered me. Something like, "that was an under appreciated save." I honestly turn the sound off for Sabres broadcasts 

[TrueBlueGED]

- Jeff Skinner is awesome.

You're deader to me than my grandparents, all of whom are actually dead.

[SabresFanInRochester]

If a team does not score during a 5v3 (that lasts for at least a minute) they will lose the game. I would love to see the actual stat on that.

 

Players should be allowed to police the game and fighting should be the end-all.

 

Bylsma over-coaches, mishandles line pairings, is a poor judge of talent, and puts a boring product on the ice. He should have been gone yesterday.

 

When a team looks flat, and unmotivated, it reflects the gm/coach/system/culture and not the players.

 

Watching a hockey game now, even non-Sabres, is not as fun as watching a game 10 years ago.

 

The Winter Classic outdoor game needs to come back to Buffalo and then be reserved for play every 4-5 years.

[Eleven]

If a game isn't decided after overtime, it should end in a tie.

 

The NHL season is too long.

 

Brad Marchand is great.

 

 

I agree with the first two, and, if you substitute "good" for "great," I'm with you on the third one, too.

[Doohicksie]

Yes, there would be hangers, but so what? I would be ok with a player standing in front of net and a shot coming in way from the other zone and he can tip it or whatever.

*cough*cough*Ovechkin*cough*

[bob_sauve28]

*cough*cough*Ovechkin*cough*

Ya, he'd take off for the opposing end as soon as his d-man got the puck and lifted it down the ice. It might open things up more

[North Buffalo]

Good stuff guys. Announcers, didn't think about that. 

I love Emrick. And Jack Edwards is pretty good. 

Better duck on that last one. Reminds me of Steve Ducy on Fox News.... no idea wtf he is talking about.

[North Buffalo]

Need to make net larger and catching glove much smaller. High sticking contact with another players head should be a 5 min penalty down a man. Pads no larger or wider than actual body. Eliminate blue lines, offsides only on redline.

[MattPie]

Matthews-Marner-Nylander is a better young forward core than Eichel-Reino-Nylander.

 

NHL goalies should be subject to height and weight limits (like 6'0", 190 lbs) and should wear Kevlar form fitting body armor instead of current goalie pads.

 

The state of the NHL game is mediocre.

 

Jack Edwards is good at hockey PBP.

 

I'm going to go all meta:

Kevlar is over-used as "ultimate protective material". It is very resistant to puncture, abrasion, and slicing, only one of those properties is useful in hockey. A kelvar balacava would essentially eliminate neck injuries and wouldn't seem to affect the players' abilities. Kevlar itself is nearly useless for blunt impact; the stuff I've seen feels like thick cotton.

 

For goalie equipment, we should be talking about more carbon fiber. Light, hard, and spreads out impacts. I'd be shocked if it wasn't already heavily used, but with the same thick backing that the older plastic used that's somewhat unnecessary now. I bet d4rk and other people who play will argue though.