AHL- Apolyton Hockey League III-- Olympic edition

[Flubber]

They've also got a brutal schedule: 9-5 split in playing better teams.


Doesn't look good for Calgary fans.

Oh Ben you are right. Calgary does have a tough schedule and the schedule of it and its opponents does not look good for Calgary fans. Congratulations on being correct. Here's a cookie. I give it notwithstanding that

1) its an obvious statement that had been widely discussed on sports radio here over a week ago. Calgary fans were and are aware that Calgary needed to go on a pretty good roll.

2) Your methodology, while reaching a correct conclusion is fundamentally flawed. To call a team a better team versus a worse team based on their points standing without consideration of trends or injuries or any other factors is simply wrong. You will probably reply that a team is better if it has more points since points are what matter. That is correct of course, BUT when looking ahead at schedule we are talking about the likely outcomes of future games so trends matter.

You call a Nashville game as a game between a better team and a worse team and rank it accordingly. Nashville may well win that game but I would favor detroit. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 with Howard playing well and a lineup that was decimated by injuries early in the season (which accounts for why they are behind Nashville)

While St Louis and Carolina are absolutely far back in the standings I would not discount them. Carolina has been a different team lately while St Louis had a horrific start and seem to be slowly getting better all the time






So congrats again on reaching the right conclusion. Have some milk with your cookie

[Ben Kenobi]

Because if it is the latter, I would like to see a non-Canuck website source for that tidbit of information.

I'll see what I can find. I have to work all this afternoon, so it will have to wait until this evening.

[Ben Kenobi]

2) Your methodology, while reaching a correct conclusion is fundamentally flawed. To call a team a better team versus a worse team based on their points standing without consideration of trends or injuries or any other factors is simply wrong. You will probably reply that a team is better if it has more points since points are what matter. That is correct of course, BUT when looking ahead at schedule we are talking about the likely outcomes of future games so trends matter.

You are right that this is circular reasoning and why I should have parcelled out the common games. I was just looking at a quick, back of the envelope calculation.

[Guynemer]

Huge win for the Wings last night. Looks like a dogfight to the wire with the Preds and Flames.

If the Wings are lucky enough to make the playoffs, as odd as it is, I think I'd rather face Chicago in the first round as compared to anyone else. I think they're the best overall team in the West, but their goaltending is highly suspect, and I think the Wings match up well.

[Asher]

Umm, Burrows is one of the most respected players. Sure Oilers and Flamers hate him, but those are Oilers and Flamers.

You are soooooooooo out of touch with reality...

I personally think Iggy is a douche

So Burrows is one of the most respected players, and Iginla is a douche. Right.

And I love this whining over the laser pointers.

Yeah, who cares about idiot fans like you trying to cause permanent eye damage to another human being? It's all just whining, what's wrong with people, right?

[Asher]

Some of us don't rely on "Coaches Corner". Just because Ron Maclean says it doesn't make it so.

Dude, we've ****ing been over this. Burrows has been despised around the league long before Ron Maclean did his editorial. You are mistaking cause and effect: the reason Burrows isn't respected around the league isn't because of Ron MacLean's recent piece, Ron MacLean's recent piece came about because Burrows is not respected around the league.

Look, Burrows pulled himself up as an undrafted player. I don't care who you are, he deserves props for how far he's come.

So you would respect a child-rapist-murderer so long as he was a late-blooming hockey player playing for the Canucks?

I'd wager if he donned a Flames jersey that he'd instantly become Asher's favourite player. Likewise yours if he wore an Oilers jersey.

Very doubtful considering I've never liked the goons even when they played for Calgary (Bertuzzi, Gauthier, etc).

[Asher]

Meanwhile the Canucks defend their status as King Douchebags:

Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said he didn't think Ovechkin should have been suspended.

"It's just one player being stronger than the other," Vigneault said.

[Ben Kenobi]

So you would respect a child-rapist-murderer so long as he was a late-blooming hockey player playing for the Canucks?

I find it enlightening that you equate his 'indiscretions' with child rape. Really, Asher? I think that's a little over the top.

[Asher]

I find it enlightening that you equate his 'indiscretions' with child rape. Really, Asher? I think that's a little over the top.

I never equated anything. You're being a lying douchebag again.

You're the one who said, as I quote:

I don't care who you are

Apparently this statement is not true. You do care.

I'm making the point that people don't respect him because of the kind of character he is. He may have a nice NHL story (worthless player becomes very good player), but when his character is flawed and his game lacks the respect and integrity of his peers (something you know precisely nothing of), then he's not going to be well respected in turn.

Burrows is not well respected around the league, regardless of his skills. You could make the argument that people respect his productivity and his NHL story, but Burrows himself? No.

[Ben Kenobi]

Are you sure you speak English? It's an idiom.

I'm making the point that people don't respect him because of the kind of character he is. He may have a nice NHL story (worthless player becomes very good player), but when his character is flawed and his game lacks the respect and integrity of his peers (something you know precisely nothing of), then he's not going to be well respected in turn.

I think his character is fine. Sure I don't see eye to eye with Ron Maclean, but he's not the arbiter of character.

Burrows is not well respected around the league, regardless of his skills. You could make the argument that people respect his productivity and his NHL story, but Burrows himself? No.

People do respect Burrows. Flamers and Oilers fans do not. Just as Canuck fans hold Iggy in low regard.

[Ben Kenobi]

http://www.faceoff.com/hockey/teams/story.html?id=2ec1395c-69bb-43b8-a309-38374e52415f&add_feed_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faceoff.com%2Fcolumnists.atom

Here's one from Iain McIntyre.

[Asher]

It's not just the Flames and Oilers fans, Ben. Canucks fans view Burrows in high esteem and Iginla in low esteem. The rest of the league holds Burrows in low esteem and Iginla in high esteem.

This is because Canucks fans are the worst in hockey. They've been voted the worst in hockey, and everyone knows it. It's the most ignorant market, the most childish market, the most homerific market, and the most hopeless market.

Vancouver fans wouldn't know character and talent if he was the leading scorer in the NHL Olympic Tournament.

[Asher]

http://www.faceoff.com/hockey/teams/...olumnists.atom

Here's one from Iain McIntyre.

Oh look. A Vancouver Sun columnist defends Burrows. That definitely proves that the rest of the NHL definitely respects him outside of Vancouver. A man who was born and raised in Vancouver and was a beat writer for the Canucks for many years is sure to provide an excellent outside viewpoint on the matter.

[Ben Kenobi]

Now, there is a lot to admire about Burrows as a hockey player. He's a self-made man, a player who was never drafted. He worked his way up from the East Coast Hockey League to be quite a good player. At one point last season, I ruffled a few feathers when I suggested he was the Canucks' MVP.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/?id=305809

There's one from TSN.

[Ben Kenobi]

Asher,

I don't care who you are, he deserves props for how far he's come

What this means is that I don't care whether you are a flames or an oiler fan, Burrows deserves props for how far he's come. I'm frankly surprised you have difficulty parsing it.