NHL 2025-26 Season

Ohtobbad

Ohtobbad

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Staff member
Its that time of year. Preseason games underway,
teams making final cuts and trying to sign the last of the hold outs.
One week and the regular season begins.
82 Games to decide who makes it to the playoffs.

Lots of teams have made changes, some more than others.
31 Teams all hoping they are better this year.
What are your thoughts on upcoming season and your team?
 
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I am cautiously optimistic about my Habs.
They squeaked into playoffs last year and lost in 5 but gained a bit more experince.

They improved their team over the summer and all of the kids got more experience.
Expectations are higher from fans and team. I don't think rebuild is complete,
but 3 years along and in very good place. They should be better, we will see.

Biggest problem they play in the Atlantic and every tema got better, it is the toughest division
so not easy roads for any of them to playoffs.

Like all fans, hopeing for a better year and hope even when they lose, they fight hard.
 
Once again Montreal and Leafs open the season, TO this time.
Montreal needs a better start than last year and hopeful play well.

Toronto needs a good start, other wise they get Marner bad choice,
what they gonna do, we got problems, life in the big Smoke
has its problems, poor TO fans never learn.

TSN said which team will have the biggest gain this year. LMAO
Leafs need to win a few rounds,
Montreal needs to make plyaoofs before last game
hmmm who wants to take that bet today
Shows you how stupid a question it was.

Let the fun begin, and us Arm chair GM's can get to work :)
 
Not 10 game sin yet, so not going to do first thoughts per say.
But As a Habs fan, I am happy to see the kids doing well.
they still make mistakes that mae you cringe, but the raw talent
and the work ethic is nice, no quit. Going to be fun to watch them play..

All that said, We have not been to a game since before covid,
last year couldn't pull the trigger on that much $$ with the ups and downs,

But I did this morning,, booked seats flights and hotels for Sunday night game dec 14th
Against the oilers, getting to see Macdavid and Drisaitle will be a bonus, ( hope they lose) lol

Picture of my view from seats so says website
 

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10-11 games in now, so early look.
I would think Sens fans are happy
Canucks so so, Edmonton are fine, but obvious same problem goaltending
Jets doing OK, Calgary already in Trouble..
Leaf fans not happy, not sure they ever are.

As A Habs fan I am real happy, young team doing well, exciting to watch.
They will have there ups and downs, but I think were ahead on rebuild curve at this point.
Should be a fun year. doing far better then so called experts said they would.

US teams, not doing all, Boston Struggling, Rangers who knows,
New Jersey and Canes hot. Florida teams doing alright, will be there at the end
seems they always are. Avalanche and Dallas solid.

Few small surprises but nothing earth shattering at this point,
Christmas will tell us alot, see whos where then,
 
NHL is at the 1/4 mark of season.
Breakdown on season so far,
also Next week is US thanks giving,
which traditional is a marker for NHL Playoffs,
70% how it looks will be playoff Picture.

One thing really noticeable is how close the race is,
most from last to first is less than 5/6 points,
so a losing streak or winning streak can change a teams fortunes
in 1-2 weeks as we have seen over last couple weeks,

Out west Calgary looks done already. going to be a long year

Vancover does not look good, odds are they will miss playoffs,

Edmonton another slow start and 1 point of of wild card
but betting folks say they make playoffs, they need goaltending,
which seems to be story of many teams so far this year.

Colorado the teams to beat, with Dallas looking real strong again
and Vegas is there again, like they have been from beginning.
Anaheim another rebuilding team looks real strong early.
Jets outside looking in and with Hellabuch out for 4-6 weeks
could be tough couple months.

The east, Canes top tema, New Jersey not far behind.
Bruins doing better than expected, Ottawa looking real good even
with tacchuck out, Detroits rebuild looking good now.
Toronto having issues on defence and in nets not looking good,
Could they actually miss they Playoffs?? :oops:
Buffalo, seems to have no way out of basement on track to miss playoffs again.
rangers seems to be coming around, Tampa in it, but not dominant
Pens of having a resurgence, cool to see. Especially for Crosby.
Florida ( cup Champions) on outside looking in, but pretty sure no one is counting them out.
East is tight and likely will be till the end.

My Habs, thank god for good start, otherwise it would be ugly,
Goalies issue here, Dobes looked good last night, Monty looks horrible.
I believe Habs are trying to Protect bluechip Prospect in Fowler in AHL
and he is having a real good year so far.

Young team and exciting to watch, but are making young team mistakes.
Even though outside playoff picture today, by a point.
I think they need a bit more grit and another Center,
Dach seems to be injuried every year for 1,2,3 months
so maybe gone next year. Few others coming off the books and some money for another
good player or two, realistic, solid year this year, could be serious contender as
early as next year,

Next up date, early new year, when we hit the dogs days of the season.

Anyone agree, disagree or have a different perspective?
 
Buffalo winning as of right now against Carolina. 2 points today puts the Leafs in the eastern basement 😝

Imagine that! They need a rebuild in my opinion. They are talking coaching change again. Why? Running out of people to pick from and nothing ever changes. Hmmm maybe it’s the core players? Nahhh that can’t be it 😂😂😂😂
 
the NHL is a very tight race, except for a couple at the top and a couple at the bottom,
everyone else is within 5 points, 2-3 winning or losing streak moves you around alot,
I am not sure i have ever seen it this tight.

I am sure most of us ( unless your team is Colorado)
have said damn this bad or, ok doing ok now
all for minute.

My habs make me want to drink, very average in Nov.
not great in Sept, Beat leafs in Shootout ( hat shootouts)
in very tight game and get ass handed to them after that.
Goalies are bad, niether look even a bit good at the moment.

Enough so that Habs are bringing up Jacob Fowler
I beleive they wanted to leave him Laval and protect him a bit
He is doing very well there and tore it up last two years at Boston college,
He could be the real deal, but at 21 years old and in Montreal,
you could ruin him. Guess we will find out

Players need to smarkten up, with 8 games next 13 days going to be a grind,
best play better than 500 or it could be real ugly.

Me making first trips to see them play, hope they wake up,
win or lose I want to see a game not aaa massacre
 
So fowler Gets his first NHL game tonight against Pittsburg
Interesting fun fact, 3 other Montreal goalies started thier careers against Pittsburg
Ken dryden won 5-1, Patrick Roy 5-3 win, Carey Price with a 3-2 win

Now I am not much into symbolism, but if you want one, thats not
bad foot steps to follow:)

Go Habs GO, Hvae a great game Jacob.
 
Fowler had a great game. I liked what I saw. The whole team seemed to play better defensively in front of him. If they could play like that all the time Montreal may not be on the goalie situation they are either.

Strubble needs to sit out a game or two though. Almost cost us with that Penalty after the whistle for no reason. 5-3 against one of the best power play teams in the league. I find Marty doesn’t treat all of the defence the same way when it comes to discipline.
 
2001BlackGTvert said:
Fowler had a great game. I liked what I saw. The whole team seemed to play better defensively in front of him. If they could play like that all the time Montreal may not be on the goalie situation they are either.

Strubble needs to sit out a game or two though. Almost cost us with that Penalty after the whistle for no reason. 5-3 against one of the best power play teams in the league. I find Marty doesn’t treat all of the defence the same way when it comes to discipline.
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I agree, Marty can be obvious at times, who he likes and doesn't
And they did play well, which does help the goalie,
But Monty and Dobes have let some soft goals in, they need a reset
Both may not be true number 1's but they are no t as bad as thier current numbers either.

Hopefully Fowler works out and stays, one of the others figures it out and we would have a pretty
good goalie to trade and maybe get a piece we can use.
 
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