So the season has started with 4 games in Europe, Rangers V Lightning and Penquins V Sens. Rangers took both games against Tampa and Penquins beating the Sens in overtime and then the Sens beat Penquins in regulation.

Tonight is the start of the NHL 08/09 season proper in Nth America with

Leafs v Wings
Bruins v Avs
Flames V Canucks
Ducks V Sharks

Think the Wings are still the team to beat this season, be interesting to see how the Leafs get on tonight as made big changes to their roster and Cujo has returned to guard the net.

Hope my team the Hawks can build from the last season and make a real go of the season from the off and make the play offs, time will tell.

Been looking forward to the start of the season for some time now.

I think you are right about the wings, they will be a force again. But my tip for lord Stanley's cup is Montreal, and as a leafs fan that hurts me to say it.

I would imagine that Vesa will still be the starting goalie for the leafs, with cujo backing up. It does not really matter who is inbetween the pipes each night, it is going to be a long, long season for the leafs.

Must admitt to having a soft spot for the blackhawks and would count them as my second team, so I hope they carry on their improvement of recent seasons.

Leafs are my fave Canadian Team and second team as the other half has always supported the Leafs.

Don't think Sundin has helped the Leafs either in the off season by taking the pee a little by apparently not being able make his mind up. He should have made his mind up not too long after the season finished giving the Leafs a good chance with the FA's. Think now Paul Maurice has been replaced by Ron Wilson think the Leafs will fair better than before but still gonna be an uphill season for them.

I think you need a rethink about your fav Canadian team. The Leafs don't deserve your support. They people running that club have been shafting their fans for years. They're not interested in winning, just as long as the money keeps rolling in, which it will because Torontonians are fecking clueless.

...Go Leafs Go

I've been a Hawks fan for over 15 years and I think this the first time since the mid 1990's that they have a team that could challenge for the cup but I think it will be another couple of years till we're raising Lord Stanley.

This season i'm going for the Rangers to beat the Sharks in the finals.

Habs and Wings in the finals, with the Habs winning me thinks

Go Bruins

My other half's stepdad was training Shawn Thornton for a while this summer. He's a former boxer so you can guess what type of training it was.

I will be at the Avs tonight.

I suppose that could be said of a lot of sports clubs the world over. We have had it time and time again at our beloved Hull FC, but we still support the players if not the management.

When you get the jugernaut that is the maple leafs though, it is almost criminal that they have not won the cup in over 40 years. It could be worse though, what about Chicago cubs fans ( that will be me then) , their owners have been shafting them for years, although things have improved the past couple of years. Now 100 years and counting without a world series, but at least the bank balance keeps growing.

Go Buffalo! Though I hardly follow the NHL these days unfortunately.

Will be interesting to see how the Blueshirts get on this season without JJ.

Sather made a great acquisition in Markus Naslund, and good to see Drury given the nod for captain this season.

Only three things that trouble me about this coming season. Firstly, we are pretty light in defense. With six on the roster, it only stretches to two guys on SC1, SC2 and the CHK lines.

Secondly, we really need to work on our indiscipline this season. Time after time, we've been in with a shout with games but then give away stupid penalties and the game goes away from us.

And finally, I can't believe we still haven't re-signed Shanny up from unrestricted. He had 46 points in 73 games last season, which is okay, but his work rate is immense.

First game up against the Hawks at MSG and then the following day have to take a trip to Philly.

Leafs 3-2 Red Wings

Difference with the Cubbies is you can't accuse those in charge of not even trying to put a winning side together. Those incontrol of the Leafs don't want to relinquish it and this is what's holding them back. They like the power too much and so any GM they bring in will effectively have his hands tied from day one. Same can be said of the manager to a certain extent.

Also, the fans do nothing to protest this. We've had plenty of vocal protests at FC over the years when we've been unhappy about the way the club is being run. The Leafs fans just sit and take it. TBH they deserve all they get.

Good win last night though - I am awaiting mass hysteria from the local media.

There already planning the parade down Younge Street

For me the Leafs are the equivalent to a lesser degree as to how the Blackhawks were run the last 10-15 years under old man Wirtz. Old Dollar Bill was happy to milk the fans and their loyalty making money while not really invested in the team as such. Since the passing of Dollar Bill the Hawks have gone from strength to strength and are now seriously investing in the team and we can even watch them on TV now!!!. I see the same things been done at the Leafs, when they let Corson & Roberts go who were 2 players who (admittedly were on the back end of their careers but) would have gone through brickwalls for the Leafs cause and when Pat Quinn left the writing was on the wall as to how the club was to be run.

Granted Pat Quinn had a huge payroll during his tenure as head coach but his teams regularly outperformed the teams with much greater resources and payrolls, lets face it Pat Quinn wasn't the most successful active coach in terms of games won at the time for nothing, but there only so much you can do as a coach when the peiople upstairs arent interested in success only money. What is happening with Sundin, has he decided his future yet?

Always enjoy catching the Leafs in action when I go over to Toronto.

Nothing from Sundin yet. The Leafs should have told him where to stick it back in August.


...and the Leafs need to stop giving players no-trade clauses in their contracts. It's done nothing but bite them on the recently.

Couldn't agree more. For a player who keeps saying the Leafs mean so much to him he can't decide what to do I'd hate to think how he'd treat a club he didn't think anything of.

Bruins beat the Avalanche 5-4

To be fair it has only been in fits and starts that the Chicago Tribune, who own the cubs, have put together half decent sides. They too are usually happy to just milk the cash cow. There has been a big improvement in recent seasons, but as the club is up for sale they have only done this to increase the value of the franchise rather than a genuine attempt to win the world series, imo.

As for leaf fans, I don't suppose I can comment that much and as you have first hand experience of them I will take your word for it. Maybe they have just grown to accept mediocracy.

Picking up on the Sundin issue that others have mentioned, I just feel sad at the way this has all turned out. Sundin has hung the leafs out to dry, he should have let them know what his plans were within weeks of the completion of last season. Even if Sundin had made the decision to move onto pastures new, his legacy would have been safe, just like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor at the miami dolphins. Unfortunately, regardless of how this situation is resolved I feel his legacy will now be slightly tainted.

Great win last night. I have got it recorded and will watch it after the rugby later. I can't wait for tomorrow night's game either and the return of Don Cherry.

Swearing. He was training to swear. I was sat by the Bruins bench and during the second period Thornton came off ice on a line change he let a loud and very clearly audible, single word,"F**K".
Avs lost 5-4 and as the Boston fan sat next to me said "When a team is so outplayed and wins its usually because the winning teams goalie has played an exceptional game. Tonight our goalie was pretty average, your goalie was awfull" (5 goals on only 20 shots). That I think was a fair reflection.

You go nowhere in the NHL without a good N/M and the Avs don't have one,it's going to be up to the forwards to score enough for you to win games this season.

4 and 0 at the moment!



Not getting too far ahead of myself though. Got two tough games coming up, and then the Leafs.



Devils will always be a tough cookie, as will the Sabres after them. Still, we're playing some good, solid hockey and getting the results.

Which reminds me..........I REALLY need to order NASN back sometime soon.

Don't be expecting to watch HNIC. It looks like NASN or ESPN America as it is going to be re-branded in february, have not re-newed the CBC contract. I am waiting for a reply to an email I sent, but up to now all we have had is versus and fox coverage.