Head hunting season has started: the Official 2011-2012 NHL season thread

[lefty]

Bumping this thread for DeadlyDynasty

[lefty]

Capitals dismiss coach Bruce Boudreau

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By Pierre LeBrun
ESPN.com
Archive
The slumping Washington Capitals fired head coach Bruce Boudreau on Monday, replacing him with former team captain Dale Hunter.
Boudreau paid the price for his club's downward spiral since starting the season 7-0-0, the Caps going 5-9-1 since then -- including weekend losses to New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres.
Via text message, Boudreau declined comment for now when reached by ESPN.com other than to say he's obviously had "better days."
Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesBruce Boudreau had adopted a stricter approach this season, and Alex Ovechkin did not respond well, slumping with 17 points in 22 games.


Capitals general manager George McPhee told ESPN.com the "performance over the past 10 days'" was the tipping point.
Under Boudreau, hired in November 2007, the Caps went from non-playoff team to perennial regular-season contender although the club failed to get over the playoff hump, losing to eighth-seeded Montreal in April 2009 in the first round of the playoffs and to Tampa in the second round last spring when the Caps again had high expectations.
Boudreau changed his ways this season, adopting a stricter approach with his players, knowing his job was on the line this year.
Franchise player Alex Ovechkin did not respond well, slumping this season with 17 points (9-8) in 22 games (54th in league scoring), and that got Boudreau on the hot seat as well.
Hunter had spent the past 11 seasons in the Ontario Hockey League as coach of the London Knights, where he was the fastest coach in league history to reach 400 wins.
The 51-year-old former NHL player will be behind the bench Tuesday night when the Caps host the St. Louis Blues.
Hunter played 19 seasons in the NHL with Quebec, Washington and Colorado, having his number retired by the Caps in March 2000.
In a 5-1 loss to the Sabres on Saturday, the Capitals (12-9-1) looked very much like a team that has been listless throughout a 3-7-1 stretch.
They've lost four straight on the road by a combined score of 19-4.
"We try our best and know how we have to play, but we don't play," Ovechkin said after the loss. "We make mistakes in our zone and it costs us goals and costs us games."
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[lefty]

MTL beat the Kings in L.A

7th straight win vs the Kings

Kings

Kopitar 0 pt

Velik

[velik_m]

Kopitar is in a slump, he'll be ready in the playoffs.

Which team will you root for in the playoffs?

[lefty]

Kopitar is in a slump, he'll be ready in the playoffs.

Which team will you root for in the playoffs?

Habs all the way

But since they wont make the playoffs this year, I will have to root against Boston

[LnGrrrR]

Habs all the way

But since they wont make the playoffs this year, I will have to root against Boston

How does the anti-jinx work for you? Does it only work when you're cheering for the team you want to lose, or does cheering against a team you dislike also activate?

What I'm saying is, please don't root for Boston.

[LnGrrrR]

Hey lefty, what do you think of the new conferences/divisions?

Here's ours:

Boston Bruins
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Buffalo Sabres


The only team I really don't care for is the Panthers.

[lefty]

that

I was hoping for Chicago or Detroit

Dont give a about TB and Florida

But I guess the NHL is glad that vacationing Habs or Leafs fans are filling their sorry arenas.

Notice that our future division has the least teams .... Mmmm ... Coyotes moving to Quebec city ?

[LnGrrrR]

I don't mind Tampa because they're compe ive now at least. Would've loved Chicago or Detroit. Would've preferred Carolina over the Panthers, but to no great extent.

Both the Eastern conferences only have seven... and yes, I think that's by design.

[velik_m]

I don't like the the "divisional" playoffs. Otherwise the new realigment is okay

[Jacob1983]

The alignment is flawed because you could have a Kings-Blackhawks Cup Final or a Sabres-Panthers Final.

[lefty]

How does the anti-jinx work for you? Does it only work when you're cheering for the team you want to lose, or does cheering against a team you dislike also activate?

What I'm saying is, please don't root for Boston.

I didnt try to jinx them last spring, because I didnt think they could go all the way

[velik_m]

Kings fire Murray.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=606089

Hopefully this will get the offense going...

[lefty]

Kings fire Murray.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=606089

Hopefully this will get the offense going...

Yeah Murray's coaching style is not a fit for that roster - considering all the scorers

[lefty]

http://deadspin.com/5868837/

Quote:
After the game, the teams held a shootout just for fun. During this, according to witnesses, Milbury's son tried to pick a fight with the Blackhawk player. Coaches from both teams went on to the ice to break it up, and at this point, says a Blackhawks parent, Milbury grabbed the victim's facemask and screamed at him, asking "What did you say to my son?" Milbury allegedly lifted the kid off the ground and shook him, yelling obscenities all the while, before dropping him roughly to the ice.

Milbury was confronted by the Blackhawks' head coach, at which point he and his son left the ice. According to a grandparent of a player present, Milbury's son told one of the mothers to "**** off."

[LnGrrrR]

Lefty, what do you think about the Canadiens letting go of their coach?

[lefty]

Lefty, what do you think about the Canadiens letting go of their coach?

My balls are running empty


Overall I'm really happy , but at the same time it's not like he was the main reason for our subpar season


The positives:

He has done a good job considering the average roster and all the injuries

The negatives:

- Some questionable decisions, lile not having some of our best offensive players in PP situations and giving PP time to ty 4th liners because they - sigh - go in front of the net

- lack of emotion

- a defensive system that is not adapted to the kind of players we have; we have great skaters, some scorers, an puck moving defenceman; JM's system is fine if your roster is very defensive, I'm sure JM would do well in NJ, but It wasnt for us

- always, always blaming the young players after a loss; I guess when ty veterans like Hal Gill turn the puck over in their own defensive zone, it's OK

- benching good players in the 3rd period for no apparent reason





We still have Gauthier though

[LnGrrrR]

Of all players, why hate on Hal Gill? that's that Boston hate surfacing.

[lefty]

Of all players, why hate on Hal Gill? that's that Boston hate surfacing.

He is good a blocking shot on the PK

Other than that, he skates like Frankeisten and turns the puck over

He did score last Thursday vs the Flyers though lol

[velik_m]

Kings got a new coach: http://video.kings.nhl.com/videocent...d=-6&id=143350

[LnGrrrR]

Revenge!!!!

[lefty]

Revenge!!!!

Meh....








ing Travis Moen and his turnover

[LnGrrrR]

You're still up 2 to 1 this season.

[lefty]

You're still up 2 to 1 this season.

Yeah

Regular season .....


And then you'll beat us in the 1st round


I say Habs should tank ... That Yapukov kid looks good


Our next game is in Chicago; I hope they will on us

[LnGrrrR]

Yeah

Regular season .....


And then you'll beat us in the 1st round


I say Habs should tank ... That Yapukov kid looks good


Our next game is in Chicago; I hope they will on us

That's a long time to tank!