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Anonymous
I want to be a hockey fan but living in Texas it makes it kinda hard. I'm looking at ordering a hockey package with my cable company, but I need to pick a "favorite team" to follow and I'd be guaranteed as many of their games as possible.

I refuse to support anything coming out of Dallas so the Stars are out. I'm thinking either Canucks, Flames of Blackhawks. Any input? I don't mind if the team isn't considered a contender for the cup, I'd actually kind of prefer they were just mediocre so I wouldn't be considered a bandwagon fan.
>> Anonymous
>>412510
Hows about the Blues? :3 not that lightning will strike twice but I got a convert in one of these threads the other day.

Out of your choices I personally say the Flames, mostly because I like their style of play and am still bitter about how the Refs robbed them of the Cup a couple years ago.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Flames. IGINLA IS A GOD
>> Anonymous
Still reading up on the teams, somewhat leaning toward the blackhawks for 2 reasons. They play in Chicago which is in my time zone so I'd be more likely to see at least their home games, and they're one of the original 6. I kinda like that they have that kind of history.

The Flames were on my list because of what everyone has said about Iginla, and I'm still not sure I won't pick them but what is is about their play style that you like? Fast paced? Physical?

The reason I was looking at the Canucks was just for the simple reason that their message board on their offical page seemed more active than any other team I'd looked at. Not that I need a huge fan base, but since it was most active I felt like I'd be more likely to get answers to my stupid questions...of which I'm sure there will be many as the season continues.
>> Anonymous
>>412527
Unless something has changed, as I have yet to see the Flames actually play this year, they are an extremely physical hard nosed team. Really like to get out there and wear the opponent down for a few periods and score that way. They hit hard and are very fundamental. It may not be fun for the casual viewer, but it is bliss to a guy like me who loves defensive sports.

Of course with my Blues scoring an average of four point something goals a game I have kind of been :O
>> Anonymous
>>412527
Addendum: As a Blues fan I am required by personal law to hate every fiber of your being if you become a Blackhawks fan. But meh, that is just another way of saying welcome to /sp/.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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i think the blues would be an excellent choice. they have alot of young talent coming up that are going to dominate(Oshie, Berglund, Pietrangelo, Perron, Eric Johnson, Ben Bishop, and alot of others) and if you picked up the blues you wouldn't be accused of being a bandwagoner since they've been pretty shitty for the past 3 years.
>> Anonymous
Flames are a decent group of guys, they lean ALOT on Iggy (Iginla) for the bulk of there scoring. He does everything for the team, but he's not the main draw, Phaneuf is a rugged blue liner who loves to hit and has a howitzer of a shot from the blue line, Regher is huge and loves to crush people on the boards or in open ice it doesn't matter. Goaltending has been a struggle for them in the last little bit Kipprusoff has been shaky for the last three seasons for some reason.

If your looking for mediocrity Chicago is your best bet, they have ALOT of young talent in Kane/Toews/Havlat (if the guy stays healthy). There Blue line might be the most under rated in the league, with young stars like Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell anchoring them on the back end they only have one way to go which is up. They just fired Denis Savard there coach of several years because of the mediocrity, and brought in former Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville, what he can do with that team is yet to be seen, as he recently got fired from Colorado for the same reason Savard did.

The Canucks, are actually a surprise this season (don't take into account the 5-2 loss they just had to my boys in Buffalo tonight into account). They have the best goaltender in the league, arguably one of the better defenses, and with the recent acquisition of Steve Bernier (from Buffalo!) they seem to be on a bit of a hot streak. That being said, Luongo (the goaltender I was raving about) can't score for them in the playoffs, which like in any sport is where they need to go big or go home.

If you want a REALLY good team to cheer for, that doesn't have a huge fan base, I'd look into Nashville. That team gets RAPED every year at the trade deadline and ALWAYS manages to make the playoffs. They make EVERYTHING out of nothing in Nashville.

My two cents
>> Anonymous
>>412540
>>412540
>>412540
>>412540
>>412540
Fucking this. It's the only likeable Boston team left, and the only one without any bandwagon bullshit. They're full of young guys with a lot of talent and a lot of hustle. Plus Marc Savard is the most underrated player in the league.
>> Anonymous
Flyers. You know you wanna.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Pick the Blackhawks, you can wear a racially insensitive jersey. Hockey sucks so go with the most fashionable.
>> Anonymous
Thank you everyone for your input. I went ahead and signed up for the package with the Flames. Not that that ties me to them and they'll be my favorite team for sure but I'll just see more of their games than anyone else. Figure I'll give the NHL a year, and go from there.
>> Anonymous
>>412549
hockey's a very exciting sport. im sure you'll be hooked on it after a month. good luck.
>> Anonymous
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Hop on the bandwagon!
>> Anonymous
>>412541
That and we have only ever seen the Stanley Cup Finals three times... Swept all three times, and all of those occurred in the late 60's
>> Anonymous
>>412558
Can't be an Oilers fan, sorry. Growing up in Houston just the name Oilers makes me see red. Fucking Nashville stole my NFL team.
>> Anonymous
Houston, eh?
You know the minor league affiliate (Houston Aeros) of the Minnosota Wild plays there, right?
>> Anonymous
>>412560

not to mention making the playoffs 25 years straight from 1980-2004 and never even making it to the cup finals once in that span.
>> Anonymous
>>412567
Yeah, that's kinda why I decided to give hockey a chance. I went to 3 of their games last year and liked it, not sure it will translate on TV, but seeing a game live was fun even though I didn't understand it.

Didn't realize they were an affiliate of the Wild, but that's cool. I'll try to keep an eye on the Aeros a little more this year to see if I recognize call-ups to the Wild.
>> Anonymous
>>412581
You might like the Wild.
They play a good mix of both the gritty western conference-style of hockey and the more play-centric eastern conference-style.
They're mediocre, in the tightest division in the league and all the fans hate Dallas because they stole Minnesota's previous team.
>> Anonymous
>>412610
Oh man I love watching the WIld theyrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
>> Anonymous
>>412610
The Wild are a lot of fun, ignore the guy that is trolling the trap defense that they play. They are a team with a lot of heart, which means a surprising amount in the grind that is the NHL season.

Minnesota is better without the Stars anyway, they moved to Dallas and immediately became all levels of annoying. I think it has to do something with the water there... they take after the Cowboys so well...
>> Anonymous
>>412622
Its ok, the Wild will move to Hamilton as soon as Craig Leopold raises ticket prices too high and attendance drops :)
>> Anonymous
>>412649
Honestly, if any team can survive that its the Wild. Don't they still have a sellout streak going? Or did that end last season?
>> Anonymous
>>412657
They still do IIRC, but Leopold said he wasnt going to raise ticket prices, and he did it anyway.
>> Anonymous
The Wild are such an exciting team all of their skilled players have either left or want to leave them. Hossa took less money to not play there. Gaborik wants out. The first interview Demitra did when he left he shit talked them and Lemaire's "system" to no end.

So exciting that they can't hold on to any skilled players. Riiiiight.
>> Anonymous
>>412705
Demitra sucked shit anyways. Mittens has replaced him.
Wild have Burns and Koivu, two great under 25 players, and no one outside of MN follows them, so you won't be a bandwagoner.
>> Anonymous
>>412705
Hossa took less money because he thought detroit would be super easy to win a cup, not because he didn't want to play in MN, or any of the other teams throwing money at him.
>> Anonymous
Fellow Texan here. I root for the Maple Leafs.
>> Anonymous
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The choice is obivous.
>> Anonymous
THAT.DOG. laffs @ u.

once again, not a meme, just fact. cya in 6 months.
>> Anonymous
>>412717
>Wild have Burns and Koivu

Oh wow, one good young defenceman and the second best Koivu in the nhl. How long until their contract is up and they demand a trade and you say they "suck shit"?

Demitra is one of the best set up men in the league, led your team in points one year, and is a 3 time all-star.

Oh yeah, you guys couldn't sign Rolston either. I bet he sucks as well.

Wild is where people leave and 3rd liners go to die.
>> Anonymous
thrashers imo

welcome to blueland
>> Anonymous
Honestly, go with the Kings if you don't want to be a bandwagon faggot.

By far, the Kings are the closest you can get to an expansion or 'new' team in the league. They are the 3rd youngest team, and all of their top stars are playing in their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd seasons.

They have a great offense, fun to watch, and can make some noise and maybe even take a playoff spot if they are lucky.
>> Anonymous
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>>412510
>>Canucks, Flames
>>bandwagon fan.
>> Anonymous
>>412768
Canucks are a great team to follow, supposed to suck this year and have been an incredibly fun team to watch through preseason and the few regular season games, save that shitty game they had in Washington.

They look the best out of all the NW teams so far.
>> Anonymous
>>412549
As a Calgary Wingsfag I think you'll have a pretty good time following them. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any team in the NW division, it's always competitive and games between division teams are usually pretty exciting and physical.
>> Negrodamus the 9000th !3GqYIJ3Obs
>>412622
Oh yea, Minnesota was waaaay better off without the Stars. With their Stanley Cup title and multiple division/ conference championships and all.
>> Anonymous
Minnesota is big on calling themselves "The State of Hockey" and bragging about their sellouts, but they never mention how the city let the North Stars down and stood by while they moved away.

No good hockey city will let their team leave.
>> Anonymous
>>412808
And they're all scared shitless of them leaving again, that's why they sellout even though they are considered the most boring team in the league by fans and players.
>> Anonymous
>>412808
point made, can I make the further point, that if they lost their Team to Pierre, Medicine Hat, or Saskatoon, that would be kind of acceptable. THEY LOST THE NORTH STARS TO DALLAS. a city where it never snows. 'Splain dat LOOSEY.
>> Anonymous
>>412517
Yes, but the rest suck.
>>412540
No.
>>412541
Joe Thornton is fat.
There is no "bandwagon", the Oil just rule.>>412748

You would be pure bandwagon, as they've blown in recent years.
>>412558
>> Anonymous
>>412825
The Oilers are not good enough of a team to have more than homer fans.

They havent looked good in any of their games this year, lucky to be 3-0 even against weak teams.
>> Anonymous
>>412825
Lol I can't remember a time where my team was going to play the Oilers and I was genuinely concerned they wouldn't win. Like since the 80s.
>> Anonymous
>>412833
Was that a joke?

The Flames are solid, if the Ducks are bad then who is good? and yea, the Avs blow. The bottom line is they're getting it done when they're playing bad, imagine when they play good. And Lubomir and Souray have looked fucking awesome on the PP, which was always our biggest problem.

>>412834
And what team is that? I can't think of a team that has dominated Edmonton since the 80's. Not even Detroit.
>> Anonymous
And I also forgot, that Garon is setting his sights to be an absolute criminal this year, stealing wins left and right, all you have to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen.
>> Anonymous
Although you said you purchased a package already, I'd look at NHL gamecenter (at NHL.com)... You can watch live games in very good quality (or 1-4 games at once) it keeps track of stats, things like where shots have been taken, keeps a log of the game, and you can access an archive of any game within this year and last year...

For me it cost 160 for the year, but the promo offer is over, not sure how much it is now ($30/month i think?)

i know I sound like a viral marketing fag but it's a good package for a faggot like me who lurvs hockey
>> Anonymous
Minnesota is a fairly boring team to watch... The 5 point night by Koivu was fun, but aside from that it will go downhill in terms of entertainment

Flames are an okay team, especially when Iginla starts scoring... Kiprusoff was a fucking stud a few years ago, but since then he hasn't been the same... He hasn't been doing bad, capable of 40 win seasons, but if he's not fucking up there's a decent chance the defense is fucking up... they can be pretty unstoppable if they're clicking though
>> Anonymous
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>>412882
forgot to mention it's watching games online in case that wasn't clear

and I'm a leafs fan, being born in toronto and all... lots of toronto fans in toronto (duh) despite being treated like shit with ticket prices and trade decisions, and EVERYBODY hates Toronto, ESPECIALLY people in toronto. However, they're in rebuilding mode right now, so I'm excited to see what the next 5 years will bring, and I don't know if a leafs bandwagon exists
>> Anonymous
Be a Preds fan.
Fuck, you lose in the first round in the playoffs, THEN the exciting stuff starts, people leaving to russia, lawsuits, bankrupt owners, not knowing where the hell the team will be..ever, horrid looking 3rd jerseys, its awesome!
>> Anonymous
>>412823

I live in dallas and it snows here -_-
>> Anonymous
Wow, my thread is still alive. Not that shocking I suppose since /sp/ move pretty slow but I figured it'd be buried on College Football Saturday.

Anyway, my cable package is active. I've get 4 games tonight

Calgary at Edmonton
Minnesota at Tampa Bay
New Jersey at Washington
Toronto at Pittsburgh
Boston at Ottawa

Figure I'll DVR like 2 of them since I'll be watching my Texas Longhorns destroy Missouri tonight.

I'm gonna stick with my choice of the Flames so that'll be one game I record to watch, but the second one? Maybe Jersey v Washington?
>> Anonymous
go for nigger hawks
>> Anonymous
>>413006
definitely jersey and washington.
Tampa should be an easy win for the Wild
Toronto's rebuilding and playing the cup finalists, so they'll probably get ripped apart, this coming from a leafsfag
boston and ottawa could be entertaining...
>> Anonymous
>>413006
Personally I'd watch the Pittsburgh game because I am a fag for crosby and malkin... but each game has its fair share of fun players to watch
>> Anonymous
Mediocre you say?
>> Anonymous
>>413006
Bruins at Sens should be a good one, Northeast division hockey FTW
>> Anonymous
>>413006
I'd watch the Washington game. Ovechkin is a lot of fun to watch, along with Green and Semin.
>> Anonymous
A shame you don't like dallas, they're having a pretty exciting game
>> Anonymous
...and then the dallas captain triple fucks his team