Around the NHL 2025-26 Season

[shrader]

Or when it comes to the eastern conference this year, there are no good teams. 

[Taro T]

29 minutes ago, shrader said:

Or when it comes to the eastern conference this year, there are no good teams. 

At least not until Florida gets healthy.

Edited November 26 by Taro T

[mjd1001]

30 minutes ago, shrader said:

Or when it comes to the eastern conference this year, there are no good teams. 

No great teams, but some good teams. 

Carolina is good, but just like most years, not 'good enough' to be a dominant team.

Washington is good.  Not great, but solid.

New Jersey is good. But they just can't get Jack Hughes to be healthy enough to challenge 'great'.

Actually, I thought there would be more. Thats all I have.

 

[ska-T Palmtown]

18 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well the old adage is if you're out of it at Thanksgiving you're out of it so after tonight check the standings.  

It is more that it is a "good indicator" Every year, at least two teams per conference that were NOT in a playoff spot by american Thanksgiving make it in. Last year Montreal was in dead last and rallied to make the playoffs. Do I think the Sabres will do that this year? Not really - but it could happen, I suppose.

[Gatorman0519]

Colorado and Dallas are wagons. Must be fun to be a fan of those teams. 

[St. Pete Gogolak]

All the talk in the Penguin game thread about goaltenders needing to steal a game here and there. Islanders outshot the Bruins 45 - 14 last night.  Boston wins 3 - 1.  Swayman 44 saves.

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Colorado and Dallas are wagons. Must be fun to be a fan of those teams. 

Seattle played Dallas dead even last night. Just lost on a late goal. They're good though. Basically the same as they were. Only one gets out of the division. 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, St. Pete Gogolak said:

All the talk in the Penguin game thread about goaltenders needing to steal a game here and there. Islanders outshot the Bruins 45 - 14 last night.  Boston wins 3 - 1.  Swayman 44 saves.

Swayman was very good but shots were mostly from far out, sight lines were open, net front was largely controlled, most plays were one and done. Team D is very good on the Bruins. If they find more scoring they could surprise. As is I doubt they are a playoff team either. 

The biggest contrast for me with the Sabres would be to watch a guy like Zadorov in front of their net and compare it with Power. Power will skate towards a player and maybe put his stick out to try to get the puck. Zadorov has his body right on the guy, he's muscling him out or tying him up and if he can't he will lift the guys stick off the ice to neutralize him. Watching him battle a strong guy like Anders Lee was a beautiful lesson on defense. 

[eman]

On 11/26/2025 at 5:21 PM, mjd1001 said:

No great teams, but some good teams. 

Carolina is good, but just like most years, not 'good enough' to be a dominant team.

Washington is good.  Not great, but solid.

New Jersey is good. But they just can't get Jack Hughes to be healthy enough to challenge 'great'.

Actually, I thought there would be more. Thats all I have.

 

Don't count out Tampa Bay. They're "reemerging"!

[Brawndo]

He torn His ACL, strips the defender and gets the assist in this sequence 

[Wyldnwoody44]

48 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

He torn His ACL, strips the defender and gets the assist in this sequence 

Not one Sabre would have the ballz to ever do that. 

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

He torn His ACL, strips the defender and gets the assist in this sequence 

That was awesome.

[LTS]

It's these moments that cement the best stories. There's no great play by Palmieri here. He's a forgotten man but on his way to the end of his career he makes what likely becomes his career defining play.

I love it because while it's a once in a lifetime moment, he made it happen.

I hate it because I don't like seeing players end their careers on injuries. I'd love to think he'll be back but he's pushing the age. He's 34 (I had to look it up). I wish him the best, but if this was his moment.. damn what a moment.

He's from Smithtown, NY.  It's Lon Gisland... but I'll throw him some love for this moment only. 🙂

[Ross Rhea]

Bizaar stat is as of this AM, 18 out of 32 teams are at even/zero or negative goal differential. Just an odd stat I noticed.

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, Ross Rhea said:

Bizaar stat is as of this AM, 18 out of 32 teams are at even/zero or negative goal differential. Just an odd stat I noticed.

To me its not unexpected at all. zero is neutral obviously...3 teams at at zero.

Of who is left...14 are positive, 15 are negative.  That is about as close to even as I would expect.

[Doohickie]

On 11/26/2025 at 2:19 PM, Archie Lee said:

Well, the Sabres will be out of it tomorrow morning (standings-wise) regardless. 

The Thanksgiving thing is really just a self-evident observation that 1/4 of the way through the season there will be clear good teams and clear bad teams. Last year at Thanksgiving, Boston, The Rangers, Calgary, and Vancouver were in playoff positions. They missed, replaced by Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, and St. Louis. So, it is entirely likely there will be some changeover between now and April. 

In program management, cost and schedule variance at the 15% mark of a project's timeline are difficult to overcome.  So if a project is overrunning at 15%, barring some radical change, the project will end in the red.

I think the Thanksgiving benchmark is a similar thing:  By November, a team is what it is, and barring a radical change, that's hard to alter.  If there's any hope for the Sabres, it lies in the fact that the Sabres to this point have lost more games to injury than most teams.  If they can get healthy and stay healthy (looking at you, Josh Norris), maybe they can overcome the slow start.

[Doohickie]

On 11/27/2025 at 8:15 AM, Gatorman0519 said:

Colorado and Dallas are wagons. Must be fun to be a fan of those teams. 

Maybe I should start following my local team more closely.

[Doohickie]

16 hours ago, Brawndo said:

He torn His ACL, strips the defender and gets the assist in this sequence 

That's amazing.

15 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Not one Sabre would have the ballz to ever do that. 

Benson totally would.

[Gatorman0519]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Maybe I should start following my local team more closely.

I did. I live in panthers country. Went to some playoff games. 

[shrader]

Colorado lost in regulation on 10/25. That’s it. It has been 39 days now. Can they make it to Christmas?

[Jorcus]

24 minutes ago, shrader said:

Colorado lost in regulation on 10/25. That’s it. It has been 39 days now. Can they make it to Christmas?

Looking at the schedule they have a shot although they are a number of games on the road. Last two are the Wild and Utah they could be tougher. Never know what Islanders team shows up. That is next. 

[DarthEbriate]

8 hours ago, shrader said:

Colorado lost in regulation on 10/25. That’s it. It has been 39 days now. Can they make it to Christmas?

They're pretty silly.

Colorado is on pace for 139 points. Their goal differential is already +50

The Capitals and Stars have excellent records and are currently tied for second place in goal differential at +21.

Victor Olofsson has 6-10-16 in 3rd line minutes (plus PP time) -- basically 10 minutes/game 5-on-5. He's on pace for 19 goals and 50 points.

Victor Olofsson is a -1.

 

 

 

(MacKinnon is a +32.)

Edited 1 hour ago by DarthEbriate

[Stads]

Most teams have played about 26 games. No team in the Eastern Conference is below .500 (excluding OTL). I doubt that has ever happened this far into a season