Fantasy Hockey - Fantasy Harder with a Vengance

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai




As for Columbus, a couple of winning games does not a season make.

I agree with the statement but they have won FIVE in a row and look at the lineup


AWAY Oilers 4 - 0 W
Tue Dec 5, 2006 AWAY Avalanche 3 - 0 W
Sat Dec 9, 2006 AWAY Blues 5 - 1 W
Sun Dec 10, 2006 HOME Senators 2 - 6 W
Tue Dec 12, 2006 AWAY Stars 3 - 1 W

THats 4 road wins out of the 5, none of them were that close and 4 out of the 5 are playoff teams or playoff contenders. Apparently they just frustrated the heck out of dallas.

Now they will not keep up this pace forever but I predict we see a team that plays better than .500 from today onward. The only thing that prevents them from being a playoff team is the fact theu have spotted far too many points to the opposition. They could conceivably do it but I see the "coach effect" moderating such that they settle into a winning clip that would be into the playoffs if they had mainatained it season long but which is insufficient to bring them all the way back. Heck they would have to win five more in a row just to get back to .500 and a .500 record doesn't make the playoffs in either conference

[Asher]

A good defenseman is one that makes forwards think twice about entering the zone. McCabe does not do that.

On an unrelated note, here's Phaneuf from last night's game.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai
And the crappy teams in the West wouldn't last long in the east where there are players who can score goals.

.

For your convenience, here is the West's record vs the East thus far this season: 37-21-7


BUt ASher we know how he likes to manipulate stats so lets do the East's record against the west which is at 28-29-8 ( amazing how that looks different when it is talking about the same 65 games hey??) Bottom line is that The west has won far more than the east in games between the two conferences

For clarity

WEst won 29 games in regulation to the East's 21 -- 58%

IN OT or SO the West holds an 8-7 advantage

KASLAM

So tell me again how the crappy teams in the west would not fare well in the east????

[Flubber]

Re: I was banned, else I'd have posted by now

Originally posted by Asher


. It's really like two different leagues right now.

Given the hugely unbalanced schedule it is very much like two different leagues

Originally posted by Asher


Actually, the reason why so many of the top scorers are in the east is more of a function of the east's poor defensive play and porous goaltending. 7 of the top 10 goalies are in the West, the best defensemen are in the west, and the style of gameplay in the west is far more close-checking than the wide-open east.

Some of this is the same circular logic employed by Tingkai. If one conference is significantly higher scoring, it MAY be because of better scorers, worse goalies or an emphasis or lack of emphasis on defensive play. Its simply impossible to determine by the play within the conferences

The interconference play might tell you something once there are enough games played ( you probably need a whole season to have enough).

If the west scores at a much greater rate against the east than it does in its own conference it might give some credence to the better defensive teams or better goalie theories. reverse the idea if the east scores more.

Either way, anecdotal or observational evidence is probably as good as the stats from in-conference play in determining things across conferences -- ie not good at all

[cinch]

Originally posted by Flubber
Wow-- where is everyone-- I mean six out of six canadian teams played and nobody has ANYTHING to say

For me, blame it on the Edmonton game being PPV-only.

I know they lost--the paper says they played better, but I don't know if I buy that. It's hard to critique when I've only seen the highlights.

(Although, it certainly looked like Horcoff was out to lunch on the GWG--big surprise!)

[Asher]

Re: Re: I was banned, else I'd have posted by now

Originally posted by Flubber
If the west scores at a much greater rate against the east than it does in its own conference it might give some credence to the better defensive teams or better goalie theories. reverse the idea if the east scores more.

If memory serves, they're almost always low-scoring affairs.

The last two times Ottawa and Calgary played, for instance, Ottawa got precisely zero goals.

[Ninot]

I was working on a take home exam. Thats my excuse.

I DID watch the game however.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by cinch


For me, blame it on the Edmonton game being PPV-only.

Buy the game? It's $12.

I know they lost--the paper says they played better, but I don't know if I buy that. It's hard to critique when I've only seen the highlights.

(Although, it certainly looked like Horcoff was out to lunch on the GWG--big surprise!)

They played better. The game was also called totally differently. It's nuts the way things were called in Chicago vs in Nashville.

They skated better and they played better defence mostly. The big lapse was, as you say, Horcoff totally losing track of Legwand in the last few minutes and allowing him to be totally alone 12 feet out, dead centre. However, Kariya made a really good play (so as not to take away from him).

The other thing that lacked was good shooting, or you could say that Mason was better. Take your pick.

It was a much better game, and the only thing I can say is that a better team beat them.

[Asher]

Rollie's goaltending was also a spectacle/spectacular.

[notyoueither]

You mean the deflection for a fluke goal?

[notyoueither]

Or the shorthanded with the shooter getting the puck 6 feet in front, untouched?

Or the GWG where the shooter was alone 12 feet from him in the slot with all day til quitting time to get the shot off?

[notyoueither]

Or, do you mean you don't have a clue what you are talking about but you'll feel free to blather on indefinitely anyway?

[Asher]

All I know is I laughed my ass off and at least two of those were very save-able.

Letting the team down.

[notyoueither]

Right, it's the last option as usual.

[Asher]

Did you see the Flames game? That's real hockey.

The kicker? The two kid d-men from the minors played a better game than Edmonton's top pairing.

Depth. Woe is the Oil.