Clacquam

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Everything posted by Clacquam

  1. I went to a half a dozen Lake Erie Monsters games and a few Ohio State games last year during the lockout, and saw some pretty damn good hockey on a different level to get my fix. I meant to bring up before what I felt are the biggest differences between the AHL and the NHL from what I have seen. The two biggest are, by far: Rebound control: goalies are from what I have seen big, quick, near nhl caliber but the biggest difference between the NHL and AHL is the use of the catching glove. An NHL goalie can control the tempo of the game, slow it down by forcing faceoffs, catching the puck to allow his team to get tired players off the ice, ect.. while this happens in the AHL it is no where near as common. Ahl goalies are competent and I saw some amazing saves but they did not seem able to control the tempo of the game. Less crisp passing is the number two thing. The players can shoot amazingly well but the passing is horrible. Dump and chase and pushing the puck in along the boards seems to be the prevalent way to move the puck into the zone. Speed is near the same, hard to tell a discernible difference, defense seems to be the same or close to it shooting is not bad. It really is the subtle things, passing and puck control that I noticed as being where the AHL is deficient.
  2. When the Wings get knocked out, I still watch playoff hockey right on through to the Stanley cup finals, with the exception of some of the games with 10:30 starting times. I just have a hard time staying up until one in the morning for a Kings versus Ducks game. I always root for whoever knocked the Wings out, for instance, the Wings pushed the Hawks to a seventh game last year and lost in overtime, a great series and when the Hawks won I could justify in my mind saying the Wings were the second best team in hockey because they were the only team that actually pushed the Hawks in the post season (my rules, I make them up). I watch to root against the teams I do not like, the Canucks for instance, not much gives me the pleasure of watching them doing the handshake with their heads down after getting knocked out in four games by the Sharks or Hawks. A few others. I always pick a team to root for in the other conference, last year I chose the Senators as my team, and the spanking of the Canadiens in the first round including a line brawl in the playoffs of all things was a delight to watch. When they lost to the Penguins it hurt almost as much as when the Wings lost. So yeah, I watch, I hate when the Cup involves two teams I do not like, the Bruins and Canucks in 2010 comes to mind, I had no vested interest and didn't like either club a single bit. Equally, I have a hard time when two teams I have enjoyed in the playoffs meet in the cup final, such as when the Flyers played the Hawks. After three rounds of rooting for two teams it is hard to get a good hate on for one of them. The Penguins are a team I love to hate. I was shocked when they fell apart so unprofessionally to the Bruins in4 straight last year. Shocked but not saddened. Not saddened at all. I respect Crosby and even love to watch him play, it might be a bit harder disliking them now that Matt Cooke and Kennedy have moved on. Sorry, a bit rambly and off the beam, but the question is do you watch teams other than your favorite in the post season?
  3. Things i do not like about the Wings. 1. I believe Ken Holland, a great architect of the game to be sure needs to retire. I believe the game has passed him by and i wish that he had moved on before either Jim Nill or Stevie had left, i was hoping one of them would take his place. 2. I hate the way our intensity level seems to drop in the final few minutes. I do not know how many goals this club has given up in the final few minutes of a period but it is easily the most i have ever seen from any Wings team ever. I put a lot of blame on Howard but it is not just him. The whole team seems to sag at the end of a period. 3. I think the trainer needs to be questioned and possibly replaced. Too many injuries, and way too long to come back from them. When a player is out for two weeks according to the team, more often than not it turns into three or more. Many times this year (and truthfully for several seasons) this has happened. I am not satisfied with our sports medicine staff. 4. I do not like our lack of fire on the ice. With a few exceptions the club always seems to hustle but not have that emotional connect to the game. I know the club is composed of over half Europeans who are less emotional but come on, a little fire on the ice would be great. That is about it. Anyone else?
  4. Okay, folks ... you had to have known this thread was coming! What is your all-time favorite hockey rivalry, whether it be from today's game or in previous decades, and whether it involves your team or other teams? I liked Detroit-Colorado and Dallas-Edmonton when I first began watching hockey. The 1996 playoffs, where Claude Lemieux laid that nasty hit on Kris Draper in the final game of that playoff series, was the first season that I watched the playoffs. In the 1997 playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers scored a huge upset by knocking off the up-and-coming Dallas Stars. As for the Blackhawks, I like the Chicago-Vancouver rivalry, although the teams have not met in the playoffs for the last two seasons.
  5. The fine books you will find in this library are written by some of the most astute writers and teachers in the NHL. Pick up YOUR copy, start reading, and you will be a pro in no time..... . I am interested in seeing what the HF crowd can come up with here! I will start...... "Winner With the Fans, Loser With the Bookies" -- Wayne Gretzky, co-written by his wife, and special advisor, Rick Tocchet. "The Last Real Islander" -- Pat Lafontaine "Guaranteeing Victory: The RIGHT Way" -- Mark Messier, advised by Joe Namath "Beating Up Punks at age 70 In The IHL" --Gordie Howe "How To Tell Off Your Boss...And Find Another Job Immediately" -- Patrick Roy "Scoring Goals and Maintaining Your Goon Status" -- by Chris Neil "Goaltending Past Your Prime" --- Martin Brodeur...and right next to his book, you have: "The Fountain of Youth DOES Exist" --- Teemu Selanne "Rat Play for Aspiring Youngsters" -- by Brad Marchand
  6. YouTube channel IcompilationTV has made a sick Freestyle Football compilation! Check it out! I would like to hear what you guys think of Freestyle Football and Street Football. To be honest I always thought it was kind of boring, until I watched this video. do you know some proffesional Freestyle Footballers? Thanks!
  7. I'm a radio presenter from Coventry. As part of my radio show, I like to get the opinions of fans from far and wide on matters of all kinds. Wayne Rooney's goal against Estonia nudges him closer to Bobby Charlton's all time England scoring record. It seems inevitable he will break that record before he hangs up his boots. But I wanted to know, is he the greatest Striker England has produced? And if not, who is? If you don't want your opinion read out on my radio show, please say so. Thanks a lot guys!
  8. Title says it all. I'll list 5 in order. 5. Manchester United - Manchester City 4. Napoli - Roma 3. Real Madrid - Barcelona 2. Universitario - Alianza 1. Boca Juniors - Riverplate
  9. Whos your earliest football hero? Mine were Mark Stein and Gavin Peacock, two great players for Chelsea from when i was a lad.