Vansicle

I know it's the most recent, but the sample size in St Louis is too small. However bad some people are saying Miller is now, you think Lack is better? He doesn't have the chops yet, and to have a mentor like Miller around for 2-3 seasons would propel Lack's game to another level that would take much longer to achieve without an experienced number 1 to learn from.

Youth is one thing. Comparing Lack and Markstrom to the goalies you listed is farcical. How many cups between the five guys you listed? Even they had tutelage. Miller could mentor Lack to greatness. Seriously. Quick, Howard, Niemi , Crawford and Rask? Could you have tried any harder to cherry pick a better handful of young goalies to illustrate your point? How about a list , now, of all of the worst NHL goal tenders under 26 to offset the list of elites you just trotted out? For christ sake.

This. There is no reason we can't walk an chew gum at the same time. Play for today, plan for tomorrow. That's how a real GM takes care of business. All of the #1 picks in the world don't promise future success. Look at Edmonton. They've had what, three #1 in a row? 4? I've lost count. The only thing they got out of it is suck-cess. Win today, dominate tomorrow. Never tank for magic beans. Ever.

You know zilch. Squat. Nothing. Not a god damned thing.

Careful. That logic/reason stuff can get you into trouble 'round these parts.

For once I actually agree with you.

TV ratings. A real hockey town has better TV ratings? I get it now.

There are some who would say the team that plays the best and wins four games in the finals is the team that "deserved" it. And if hockey is an afterthought, as you say, isn't it good for the league and the game for that "cesspool" to win a couple of cups to elevate awareness of the game? Yeah, I think the real problem is that you are bitter and sour grapes that the Canucks couldn't get it done when they got to the dance and the Kings got it done each of the last two times they went. It would be sad if it weren't so funny.

If losing is losing, what difference does it make how you "go out"? You seem to want to hate the Canucks and love the Rags. But the Canucks played better than the Rags, despite not having as much star power. Did they get abused? Yes. Would stooping to the Bs level give them more dignity somehow? According to you: yes.

By Gary Bettman town you mean what exactly? He's from LA? He built LA? He invented LA? He named LA? I don't understand. Is this a tinfoil hat comment? Did Gary bettman tell Lundqvist to serve up that rebound to Martinez in the second OT? Elaborate . . .

Rolled over and shut Boston out twice and won 3 out of 7. Boy, NY really showed us how it's done by winning only one game out of 5. Funyy how AV was at the helm of both of those situations.

Maybe a bit better than wildcard. But I would argue that if the Rangers were in the West and had Sutter as a coach they'd be pretty close to where they are right now. AV is a good coach. That 's it. Good. He rode Luongo to victory in Vancouver and has ridden Lundquist to victory in NYC. He's great in the regular season: that has been proven already. Those saying he wasn't "the" problem are correct. Those saying he wasn't part of the problem are delusional. His inability to adjust will leave him winless when it counts, yet again.

I think I understand what's going on here. You think you are helping the situation. You think that because you've identified what you find wrong with a few people in this community that you are somehow qualified to stand above the hoi paloi and administer a little dose of "what they need". The way you talk: "As a former mod", "a little tough love", "a whole world out there about to eat them alive". It suggests to nearly everyone who reads it that you think you're pretty special. The truth is, you're just a dude on the internet, like the rest of us, who has an opinion on something. Flashing your credentials and talking in a paternalistic tone doean't add weight to your message, it exposes you as a self important dude on the internet. There are more than enough of those to go around. No need to start a whole thread - as a former mod you ought to know that.

That something is called common sense.

Q: Are you a mod or a rocker? Ringo: I'm a mocker. The forums have zero bearing on whether a player gets traded. Hodgson would still be here if that were the case. Sports fans are fickle. One minute you are the best two way center in the NHL, the next you are old, injury prone and selfish. Try not to let it ruin your day. It's just chit chat. No one's opinion on this message board is worth a steaming pile of dung, anyway - present company included.

Comic Sans.

Because Canucks homers see the world through blue and green glasses.

What's going on with Doug Houda? One of my Bruins fan friends said in FB "First Benning, now Houda. We're going to have to call them the Vancouver Bruins now?" I did a quick Google search that produced no helpful results, then scanned CDC to no avail. Anyone know what he meant?

Torts took the same team AV has now, minus a couple marquis players, to the ECF last year. We can assume a department store manequin could have done that. Conversely, we can assume a department store manequin could have done what Torts did with the Canucks this season. AV wasn't the problem. Conversely, AV is nothing special. He's a coach on yet another stacked team with a goalie, yet again, playing out of his mind. He doesn't het the blame from me anymore. Nor does he get an ounce of the credit.

That's asinine. The Habs are the ones who acted with class in this incident. The Canucks didn't buy into the Bruins antics and lost. The Habs didn't buy into the Bruins antics and won. The difference? The Habs were the beneficiaries of the league growing tired of the Bruins antics, the Canucks weren't.

I'm sure he will sleep fine, too. And he will work again. He has a winning track record. Cup Ring. I'm of the unpopular opinion that Burr is a rat. That means I'll get ganged up on. Who cares? Also, I have no special place in my heart for Torts. Frankly, I think he's a jerk. But people talking smack as though Torts doesn't know what he's talking about. He coached in the NHL. And is a champion. Or, no. Wait. I mean, how dare a coach push for a buyout when a player has an absolutely miserable season!?!?! That's CDC's job.

Brad.

Thank you. Brad. My bad.

Maybe he'll cry himself to sleep on his cup ring. A ring that Burrows will never own.

I can't believe how much this place hates Brad Marchand and loves Alex Burrows. In my mind, they are interchangeable. Yes. I brain farted. Actually, I brain sharted. Brad. Brad.