2021 NHL Season

If the Habs do not make the playoffs, Bergevin will be on the hot seat.

With all of Molson’s money he has spent with the additions during the off season, and Molson now having to pay Julien for the rest of this season and next. There has to be a limit of what Molson is willing to accept.

I thought he was one of the Fretitta brothers that did. My bad/mistake

Well this might fall into the "no hockey fans care" category perhaps?

So some teams have as low as 15 games played so far, and Vancouver has the high at 24 games. We are not even halfway into the season and only 6 weeks into it.

It appears the impact in Canada has been less, for Montreal and Winnipeg have played 19 games each.

I'm not sure this trend will improve, or will the players be vaccinated in March?

Canucks need to play twice as many games to get half as many wins.

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Looking at the schedule today Saturday 27 February through Monday 1 March, I have a number of observations. I certainly hope next season is a full one and the scheduling with a better US media partner is far better too:

27 February - All the good games are on today especially tonight. The "free game" offered via the NHL site blows. Today in Philadelphia we got the Flyers game, but I don't care. Does NBC SN in all its brilliance show any games tonight? No, and who knows what crap they are showing instead. There are some great games on tonight, but the NHL decided they are only worthy of regional sports coverage as well as somehow that ESPN+ crap.

28 February - These games stink but two of them are on NBC networks only because they are in big cities.

1 March - Vancouver at Winnipeg is the free game, and that looks like a good one to watch via the NHL site. Then there are a bunch of good games out west late at 10PM ET or later but are any of them on the NBC networks? Noooo, too much poker or car auctions or other drivel!

Complicated for the viewer in the US? Yes. The NHL better figure this out via a new media partner in the US. Just get somebody with air time at least 5 days per week and have them put on the games at those times. Do that and also when bars and bar/restaurants are fully open and so forth people will watch at night.

To heck with you NBC - you only care about the East Coast teams plus Chicago and Detroit as if the league is still about the Original Six. :-1: :foot: :zombie: :woman_zombie: :vampire:

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Or even Montreal since they don’t really have a stadium

Why would the Molsons allow a second NHL team in Montreal ?

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They used to be two teams in Montreal back in the day.

The Maroons did win a couple of Stanley Cups in their short existence.

The Canadiens are resisting a team setting in Quebec City.

Sadly I can’t see another team in Montreal unless there’s a privately funded arena and territorial compensation to the Canadiens is determined.

Wonder what the value of that would be.

You mean the same city that once supported 3 NHL franchises at the same time?
It’s not just Toronto that could (easily) host a 2nd team

Like I said right now they don’t have an arena (oops mistyped stadium; still in football mode) but Montreal could easily build a new one and support 2 teams

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Boy - Connor McDavid and the Oilers must be glad to see the Leafs leave town after three straight dominant Toronto wins in Edmonton over the last 5 nights.
4-0 Saturday with no Matthews and Campbell The Leafs #2 goalie in net.
Then on Monday 3-0 again with no Matthews and the Leafs using Hutchinson their #3 goalie.
Then 6-1 tonight with Matthews back and Andersen back in net.

13-1 over the three games with McDavid held pointless.

Impressive stuff Leafs.

The Refs awarded the Leafs a constant stream of power plays in North Division play. The Bruins/Capitals game had better play because the Refs let the teams play.

Gloat now. The Leafs will get hit with Hockey reality when they play the better teams like the Bolts, Bruins, Capitals, Golden Knights, Avalanche in the playoff crossovers.

It will 55 years and counting. The Leafs won’t win the Cup in your lifetime

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How much hitting went on in last night’s game between the Leafs and Oilers?
Looked like a pond hockey game to me.

As you said, if they make it over to see any of the teams you mention, it will be a different game no doubt. Leafs will not be skating as freely as they have in the regular season.

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Are the Leafs overrated? Yes
Is this their best chance at a Cup in 30 years? Yes

They could still choke (ironically the Sens have been the most successful spoilers vs Leafs this year) but I had honestly expected both Alberta teams to be way better than records show.

Montreal could still pull an upset on goaltending alone

Ottawa and Vancouver are jostling for draft picks nothing else

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Actually they already have 4 times. 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. lol

I vaguely remember watching (in black and white) as the recently deceased George Armstrong scored the empty net goal to clinch the last time they won when I was just 7 years old.

Not that beggars can be choosers but if the Leafs are to win just one more time in my lifetime I prefer it be in a year that fans could be at the games and scenes like those for the Raptors championship run in 2019 could be duplicated throughout Southern Ontario.

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Enjoy the memories. My father and best friend died before seeing the Leafs winning a Cup. They were loyal fans to the end

Its strange how badly Leafs have played in modern era vs how well Canadiens played in modern era.

Last time Leafs won the Cup there were only 6 teams in the NHL. It is like another world. And even then the 67 win was a fluke / upset and was not supposed to be their year.

Once expansion hits and you have so many weaksauce teams to beat up on you legit need to try to lose; no team could possibly play that badly.

1974 to 76 Guaranteed Playoff Spot as they get to beat on California Seals
1976 to 79 still beating on relocated team, the Cleveland Barons
1979 to 81 have the weak North Stars and expansion (worthless) Nordiques
1982 formed the pathetic Norris division where all loser teams jostle for playoffs until mid-90s when Chicago and Leafs got good

After that Detroit became a powerhouse so Leafs hopes of surviving division died

But they had decades to try and win while so many teams got their first Cups

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Father of the great one, Walter Gretzky passes away at 82

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Condolences to the Family
A great, great man!
A great, great Canadian! :canada:

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Milestone here in Philadelphia on Sunday - 359 days since the last time! Now I hope NBC shows only the games with actual fans at them. I am about done watching any sports with no fans already.

it will be interesting to see where the Canadian entry into the 3rd round will play their home games.