# So hockey season's starting, eh. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 5, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560 "2008-10-05T15:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/1 "2008-10-05T15:44:27Z")
It’s a happy time and a sad time. Hockey season has started. That means I get to watch hockey :). It also means that my Red Wings no longer ‘possess’ the Cup. ☹ I subscribe to the school of wisdom that you only have the cup during the off season, and once it starts up it goes back onto that mythical Pedestal where nobody owns it. I feel pretty good about our chances to repeat. Another solid team, no weaknesses and a healthy supply of studs waiting to get onto the big team. All the stars from last year + the free agent stud Hossa added into the mix. We always have a few injury problems, and it shouldn’t be too big a problem. On the other hand we have have good solid teams for the last 15 years or so, and we have failed more often then not. The big question is will Crosby and the other young-uns on the Pens step up even another level this year. If he and they do that team will be crazy, but for one more year I gotta put my (Biased) money on the Wings. Lets go Red Wings ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/2 "2008-10-05T16:02:07Z")
Once again, Ottawa’s season is going to be torpedoed by Martin Gerber. Did anyone catch the Sens-Pens game yesterday? Gerber was terrible on 3 of the 4 goals, and basically gave the game away to the Penguins. Today they’re going with Alex Auld, as if replacing one career backup with another one will do anything. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/3 "2008-10-05T17:55:01Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > lets go red wings `````auto ___ .-' `'. / \ | ; | | ___.--, _.._ |0) ~ (0) | _.---'`__.-( (_. __.--'`_.. '.__.\ '--. \_.-' ,.--'` `""` ( ,.--'` ', __/./; ;, '.__.'` __ _`) ) .---. __.' / | |\ \__..--"" """--.,_ `---' .'.''-._.-'`_./ /\ '. \ _.- ~~~````~~~ -._`-.__.' | | .' _.-' | | \ \ '. `~---` \ \/ .' \ \ '. '-._) \/ / \ \ `=.__`~-. / /\ `) ) / / `"".`\ , _.-'.'\ \ / / ( ( / / `--~` ) ) .-'.' '.'. | ( (/` ( (` ) ) '-; ` '-; (-' ````` ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/4 "2008-10-05T18:30:44Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Once again, Ottawa’s season is going to be torpedoed by Martin Gerber. Did anyone catch the Sens-Pens game yesterday? Gerber was terrible on 3 of the 4 goals, and basically gave the game away to the Penguins. Today they’re going with Alex Auld, as if replacing one career backup with another one will do anything. “Once again”? When was it ever torpedoed by Martin Gerber before? Their season will be torpedoed - and I mean they’re going to miss the playoffs -= by a combination of Gerber and a defense that has been inexplicably pulled apart. I mean, I’m thrilled Mike Commodore’s gone and all, but I don’t like that D at all. Still, I don’t understand why they don’t give up something big for a real goalie. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/5 "2008-10-05T18:43:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Once again”? When was it ever torpedoed by Martin Gerber before? Last season? Not to mention that it would have happened in 2006-2007 if not for Ray Emery. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/6 "2008-10-05T19:34:38Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Last season? Not to mention that it would have happened in 2006-2007 if not for Ray Emery. I don’t think Jesus Christ could have taken that team any further. They just stopped trying with a month left to go in the season. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/7 "2008-10-05T19:38:40Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > They just stopped trying with a month left to go in the season. I put the vast majority of the blame on the goaltending for this. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/8 "2008-10-05T22:17:51Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Once again, Ottawa’s season is going to be torpedoed by Martin Gerber. Did anyone catch the Sens-Pens game yesterday? Gerber was terrible on 3 of the 4 goals, and basically gave the game away to the Penguins. Today they’re going with Alex Auld, as if replacing one career backup with another one will do anything. Huh. Maybe it will do something. Rebound control was pretty bad, but Auld was at least making the saves tonight. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/9 "2008-10-07T01:01:37Z")
The Red Wings are under great scrutiny. The Lions trashed the NFL season in 3 weeks. The Pistons have not started, so the Wings are everything. Tigers blew up so baseball is a bunch of pretenders. Just Hockey for a while. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/10 "2008-10-07T01:11:49Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > I put the vast majority of the blame on the goaltending for this. If they gave up because Martin Gerber was in net, they’re total losers and will never win anything and don’t deserve to. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/11 "2008-10-07T01:32:35Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If they gave up because Martin Gerber was in net, they’re total losers and will never win anything and don’t deserve to. It’s all about confidence. If you don’t have confidence that your goaltender can keep you in the game – and there’s ample evidence out there that Gerber can’t do that – your performance just isn’t going to be up to snuff. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/12 "2008-10-07T01:42:52Z")
I’m actually looking forward to this season. The Phoenix Coyotes could be an interesting team this year. The combination of Jokinen and Doan should be quite exciting. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-hockey-seasons-starting-eh/466560/13 "2008-10-07T06:42:35Z")
I’m feeling pretty good about the chances of a 2nd title for my Ducks. Teemu and Scotty are back on the team - from the start of the season this time - and they got a nice long off-season to rest and get hungry again. And, clearly, the Angels were so afraid of losing the spotlight when hockey season started that they wisely decided to go in the tank against Boston to avoid the embarrassment.