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2024-25 NHL Misc. Thread

Here are the officials for the Final

Referees:
Francis Charron #6 - 3rd appearance
Jean Hebert #15 - 3rd appearance
Wes McCauley #4 - 11th appearance
Chris Rooney #5 - 8th appearance

Hebert and Rooney worked the Final last year too.

Limesmen:
Devin Berg #87 - 2nd appearance
Scott Cherrey #50 - 6th appearance
Ryan Gibbons #58 - 1st appearance
Trent Knorr #74 - 1st appearance

Berg is the only returnee from last year.
 
Interesting. I would have thought that Hebert's embarrassing showing in Game 5 of the Canes/Panthers series would have kept him at home. And then I thought about who would be replacing him, and ... you know what? Never mind. Kelly Sutherland has been atrocious this year, as has Dan O'Rourke. Those are two old mainstays. And then there's guys like Steve Kozari and Chriss Lee who appear to have retired while still working games and getting paid.

As for linesmen, they seem to have culled out all the officials who are addicted to long, attention grabbing lectures in the circle for no reason other than Cherry. And he's never been as bad as some. I feel like the league is feeling some heat on that issue from the gambling degenerates who bet on draws ... like morons.
 
Lightening re-sign UFA to be Yanni Gourde, 6 years/$14 million. That’s quite a haircut from the last contract he signed with them, which was 6 years/$31 million signed in 2018. They lost him to Seattle in the expansion draft but got him back at the trade deadline in a 3 way deal that also involved Detroit.
 
He's a shadow of the player he was when he left. I thought Cooper really screwed up throwing him right into heavy rotation like no time had past. It had, and guys get soft playing non-system hockey.
 
So ... Finals start tonight. Anybody got any strong feelings? :0)

I really, really wish I felt like Edmonton could figure this out, but I fear Florida is just too big a hill for them. I feel like it's a long series, but honestly the Panthers could sweep the series and it wouldn't shock me. But the Oilers winning would solve several personal pet concerns. It would rob that bunch of dirt bags in Sunrise of further glory and it would get the Canadian media to shut up about a Canadian team winning the Cup for about 10 minutes.
 
One more nail in the ”Necas to center” coffin. The Avs re-signed Brock Nelson, 3 years/$7.5 million AAV.
 
The Penguins hired Dan Muse and their head coach. He was a Rangers assistant for the last 3 years and a Preds assistant from 2017-20. In between, he was the head coach of the US National Team Development Program, winning gold at the U18 World Championships in 2023.

www.nhl.com

Pittsburgh Penguins Name Dan Muse the 23rd Head Coach in Franchise History | Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have named Dan Muse the 23rd head coach in franchise history, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas. “During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of
www.nhl.com www.nhl.com
 
Hey, at least it's semi-fresh blood. For a guy who has worked in the Development Program, you'd think his teams would have a better track record of developing young players but maybe that's down to Lavi being his boss more than anything else.
 
I have no real sentiments about the finals. I hate both teams. I've enjoyed watching the Oilers squander 1st overall picks year after year. And losing two in a row, 3 out of their last 3 visits to the finals is a pretty bad look. But I truly don't like Paul Maurice (as a coach). And I don't like many of the douchebag players on that team too. Will I be happy to see McDavid finally win it? Couldn't care less. Will I laugh if the Panthers get beat? Maybe. Will I be upset either way? Can't say I really care, to be honest. If I HAD to make a prediction, Panthers in 7. Its going 7 games no matter who wins.
 
TheBigKahuna said:
I have no real sentiments about the finals. I hate both teams. I've enjoyed watching the Oilers squander 1st overall picks year after year. And losing two in a row, 3 out of their last 3 visits to the finals is a pretty bad look. But I truly don't like Paul Maurice (as a coach). And I don't like many of the douchebag players on that team too. Will I be happy to see McDavid finally win it? Couldn't care less. Will I laugh if the Panthers get beat? Maybe. Will I be upset either way? Can't say I really care, to be honest. If I HAD to make a prediction, Panthers in 7. Its going 7 games no matter who wins.
Click to expand...
Truly inspiring. 😁
 
NoMich said:
Leon Draisaitl buries a power play goal at the end of OT 1 to put the Earlers up 1 game to none.
Click to expand...
Ftfy...

I hate it when a playoff game is won on a dogpog ppg... unless it's the Canes winning or a team I hate losing, then it's great! 😃

BTW, Jeff Skinner again on the scratch list after scoring in the WCF clincher, but ex-Canes kid Kapanen huge game with 2A, +2, 5 hits (and a sweet move through the slot making a couple Panthers D look silly, but just didn't cash in on that one.)
 
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StormChaserBH said:
Ftfy...

I hate it when a playoff game is won on a dogpog ppg... unless it's the Canes winning or a team I hate losing, then it's great! 😃

BTW, Jeff Skinner again on the scratch list after scoring in the WCF clincher, but ex-Canes kid Kapanen huge game with 2A, +2, 5 hits (and a sweet move through the slot making a couple Panthers D look silly, but just didn't cash in on that one.)
Click to expand...

That move by Kapanen was slick


View: https://x.com/br_openice/status/1930465483704140055?s=46&t=4d_ggbNsZmyS1Bmjpbp5UA
 
Kapanen's ability to play up and down the lines is bigger plus in Edmonton where they shuffle on the fly all the time. The guy can play anywhere in any system, but you just can't count on him to produce actual scoring. Maybe he finally found his fit since the Oilers have plenty of goals in the lineup and sometimes just need guys to kind of keep the puck moving.

Pretty good Game 1 I thought. I was a little loose and sloppy as you'd expect from the down time, but in a fun way. The Oilers impressed me with how they weathered Florida's big gut punch sequence in the first and limited the damage to a 1 goal deficit. Most everybody else this post season has ended up down 2 or 3 after that kind of quick fire volley. Then they got right back off the mat after Bennett's goal to make it 3-1. At that point, Florida's looking to squeeze you out, but they got back within a goal before the snake could get a good grip. It's easier to be resilient like that at home, but that looks like a team on a mission and boy does getting Ekholm back make a difference to their mix on D.

Florida did all the Florida things, but have to adjust to a team that's also willing to take up whatever slack the refs give ... and it looks like it will be plenty so long as you don't make it obvious. Looking at you Corey Perry. Interference, pick plays and obstruction CAN be fun, it turn out. It just needs to happen at speed and with both teams equally engaged. Yeah, it looks sort of like rugby on ice, but whatever. Edmonton seemed to have the better of it 5v5, but I feel like there's room there for the Panthers to flip the assignments at home and take more advantage of that mess of a Nurse/Kulak pairing. They'll also need to re-think the pressure on the PK. You can get away with being uber aggressive against Carolina, but they pressed too much and got twisted out of shape WAY too easily on that OT winner. Mo talked about them picking their spots to turn up the pressure on the kill, but maybe not doing any of that is better idea. Go soft and blobby and take away the middle. Then if you get beat it will be because somebody bombed one past your keeper and not because they sliced you up like gone off melons.
 
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