GDT: Game 3 | Detroit Red Wings @ Columbus | 7 PM EST

[Crede777]

I am fully on board with Pascal benching and scratching players as he sees fit (can Kuraly be next, please?).

But everyone looks bad on a night like this for a reason. Even Tex looked bad. Jenner couldn't get in on the forecheck in the last two periods. I think our three abreast rush is just hard countered by what Detroit is doing. We needed the stretch pass to open things up.

The team doesn't know what to do against a coordinated team that is hard on the forecheck and holds the blue line.

Also, this seems to be the third year in a row (at least) where the team cannot cycle the puck in the offensive zone. If they don't score off the rush, they're not going to score.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Didn’t watch after the first period. Appears to be a good decision.

Going to be a long year. Unfortunate, I had a lot of hope for them that they could take a step in the right direction. Appears not

Laine, Gaudreau, Severson, and KJ are massive concerns. I feel most confident in KJ in this group. Disappointing. I regret buying my 10 game season tickets.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

I am fully on board with Pascal benching and scratching players as he sees fit (can Kuraly be next, please?).

But everyone looks bad on a night like this for a reason. Even Tex looked bad. Jenner couldn't get in on the forecheck in the last two periods. I think our three abreast rush is just hard countered by what Detroit is doing. We needed the stretch pass to open things up.

Feels like Kuraly and Gudbransson are have captaincy related immunity

 

[I3LI3]

fun.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

1st period - CBJ was better by a mile, but missed their opportunities. Not bad.

2nd period - Severson turnover and then they took back-to-back penalties. Game over.

Didnt watch the 3rd, but based on the 2 periods I watched, I dont feel the complete panic some here do. Better puck luck and CBJ leaves the 1st period 2-0 up. 2nd period was f***ed by penalties and Severson, but those are not unfixable issues 3 games into the season

 

[VT]

By the way, I'd like to say an important thing. If I say Laine's line played well, I'm comparing our lines/players, not counting Detroit's lines/players. In that case the evaluation would be different. And not in favour of our players.

 

[BluejacketNut]

We knew they’d be bad, but what always blows my mind with this team, is we only have $2.5m Cap space. it’s not like we’re bad because we’re saving money, we’re damn near a top spending team. Why you would want to stick with this management is beyond me

 

[jonu]

Anyone complaining about Laine's faceoff % being bad right now should really take a deep breath and maybe start thinking things rationally.

Jack Hughes is career 35% in faceoffs, a whopping 31% this season.
This is a player who has been playing C all his life, except of course in Devils but that is 35% FO% in over 1700 faceoffs.

Jack Eichel is career 44.5%, with a low of a whopping 38% in his 2nd season as a center in the NHL.

McDavid averaged around 42% his first three seasons

Wennberg is career 46%

Zegras 41%

Nugent-Hopkins is career 44%

Tage Thompson career 41%

Laine is 42% in FO% this season, though its still early, just give it time and he will improve.

We are 3 games in to the season and some of you are throwing tantrums like the season is over. Look at the bigger picture league wide, there are a lot of teams that are still struggling.

 

[BluejacketNut]

Anyone complaining about Laine's faceoff % being bad right now should really take a deep breath and maybe start thinking things rationally.

Jack Hughes is career 35% in faceoffs, a whopping 31% this season.
This is a player who has been playing C all his life, except of course in Devils but that is 35% FO% in over 1700 faceoffs.

Jack Eichel is career 44.5%, with a low of a whopping 38% in his 2nd season as a center in the NHL.

McDavid averaged around 42% his first three seasons

Wennberg is career 46%

Zegras 41%

Nugent-Hopkins is career 44%

Tage Thompson career 41%

Laine is 42% in FO% this season, though its still early, just give it time and he will improve.

We are 3 games in to the season and some of you are throwing tantrums like the season is over. Look at the bigger picture league wide, there are a lot of teams that are still struggling.

I still don’t understand this Laine at center experiment other than it being an admission that our center position sucks so bad we have to try and make a winger center

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I still don’t understand this Laine at center experiment other than it being an admission that our center position sucks so bad we have to try and make a winger center

Laine is a close to elite winger who is a mediocre defender and who has more goals than assists in his career. It makes zero sense to take him out of his position and put him in as a center where puck distribution and defense are two of the most important qualities Unless you're a CBJ coach.

 

[JacketsDavid]

Laine is a close to elite winger who is a mediocre defender and who has more goals than assists in his career. It makes zero sense to take him out of his position and put him in as a center where puck distribution and defense are two of the most important qualities Unless you're a CBJ coach.

Other thing is except for Duchene (trade deadline) I don't think we've ever had success trading or signing a Center in recent history (or maybe franchise history). Couple draft picks worked out for short periods of time, but besides that we've always had "effort" guys who are likely better suited as 3rd (maybe 2nd) line players assuming that role.
it's been a black hole for this franchise, so i understand wanting to take a look at Laine.

it's not like playing Laine there is going to cost us the cup or even a playoff berth. I'm all for trying it for now.

 

[Doggy]

Well, the CBJ have a long break (three days) to think about this disaster. I can't imagine what practice will be like for the guys this week.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

Even if I didn't like the game or Laine's play, I feel like Laine's floor as a center so far (8 games or whatever) has been way higher than his floor as a winger in previous seasons. His last season was good but even then there were games where he was invisible or didn't get chances. At least now his line is generating chances. I think they should try Fantilli centering the line (maybe it would help Fantilli and Laine might be able to adapt to a winger who helps out if needed) but Laine being the center of that line hasn't been a problem in my opinion.

In the game there were a couple of times where I thought "it's nice to have two good lines" when both the Laine line and the Jenner line were playing at their best (in this game's standards). Of course those were very fleeting thoughts, but still...

I'll try to take away the positives - Marchenko, Texier, Bean... Gudbranson's fire within?! Bean-Guddy didn't look as bad as I feared coming in...

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Other thing is except for Duchene (trade deadline) I don't think we've ever had success trading or signing a Center in recent history (or maybe franchise history). Couple draft picks worked out for short periods of time, but besides that we've always had "effort" guys who are likely better suited as 3rd (maybe 2nd) line players assuming that role.
it's been a black hole for this franchise, so i understand wanting to take a look at Laine.

it's not like playing Laine there is going to cost us the cup or even a playoff berth. I'm all for trying it for now.

I get your points.

I just don't see a lot of upside in doing what they're doing with Laine. I think that there's more downside to the experiment.

In any case-as you pointed out-the experiment isn't going to cost the team post season success.

 

[Kiekura]

I get your points.

I just don't see a lot of upside in doing what they're doing with Laine. I think that there's more downside to the experiment.

In any case-as you pointed out-the experiment isn't going to cost the team post season success.

I think the experiment is purely to make Laine better defensive player.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I don’t think Laine playing center is even in the top 10 of issues on this team. I think he’s doing fine as a whole, but we need more production from him and Gaudreau.

 

[stevo61]

Laine has been alright, nothing special but not a drag. Gaudreau has been terrible. Looks slow, completely shuts down at the potential for contact and straight up isnt making plays. Vincent is spreading icetime out quite a but, I wonder if he shouldnt load the icetime up on those top 2 lines more. Some of these dudes arent playing or acting like they are in full game shape and not getting any real flow, maybe keep pushing them over the boards and make them figure it out. Its no secret we arent doing anything if the guys getting paid dont lead the way

 

[MAHJ71]

I don’t think Laine playing center is even in the top 10 of issues on this team. I think he’s doing fine as a whole, but we need more production from him and Gaudreau.

Laine has been alright, nothing special but not a drag. Gaudreau has been terrible. Looks slow, completely shuts down at the potential for contact and straight up isnt making plays. Vincent is spreading icetime out quite a but, I wonder if he shouldnt load the icetime up on those top 2 lines more. Some of these dudes arent playing or acting like they are in full game shape and not getting any real flow, maybe keep pushing them over the boards and make them figure it out. Its no secret we arent doing anything if the guys getting paid dont lead the way

I'm probably one of the biggest JG fans here and what I saw last night really pissed me off. Disengaged, no offensive pressure, coasting around watching the puck... When he had the puck he was either turning it over after getting bumped or making a crap pass... I hope for his sake he was just ill.

 

[stevo61]

The team could use Blankenburg now. Right now Tex is the only high energy disruptor. Jenner plays hard but not quite the same thing. Fantilli will be that guy but isnt there yet. Having Blankenburg brings in another guy that will drag teammates into the fight. Send Peeke through waivers if he cant be traded, noone would claim him anyway.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

The team could use Blankenburg now. Right now Tex is the only high energy disruptor. Jenner plays hard but not quite the same thing. Fantilli will be that guy but isnt there yet. Having Blankenburg brings in another guy that will drag teammates into the fight. Send Peeke through waivers if he cant be traded, noone would claim him anyway.

We'd have him for a week until he got injured again.

 

[BluejacketNut]

I wouldnt be surprised at all if JG is experiencing signing regret. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this team is not going very far any time soon, let alone be an actual cup contender. His best hope is for when this team finally moves on from JK and company and whoever comes in next trades him.

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

I wouldnt be surprised at all if JG is experiencing signing regret. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this team is not going very far any time soon, let alone be an actual cup contender. His best hope is for when this team finally moves on from JK and company and whoever comes in next trades him.

I think this is exactly what Johnny wanted. A soft coach in a market that’s not going to hound him after a half ass effort.

 

[CBJ goalie]

This is the earliest I’ve left a game since October 2018. If they’re not going to try, I’m going to head home and finish Starfield.

Lol, funny you say that. In the 2nd intermission we went to check out the BlueLine store - and people are leaving the areana in droves.
I pointed this out to my wife, and she thought they were going out for a smoke break. I'm like 'no way, those people have had enough. If we didn't drive 5 hours, we would be leaving early too'

How wrong you were! Turd game of the year (I hope).

Yep, I was completely wrong. The 1st was entertaining and if they buried a couple of those chances game might've been different - but Reimer stood tall.
I really hope that was their worst game. Don't want to see it get worse than that.

 

[MAHJ71]

This is the earliest I’ve left a game since October 2018. If they’re not going to try, I’m going to head home and finish Starfield.

I thought about it, but what kept me for the entire game was the thought of potentially missing Fantilli's 1st goal ... despite not really ever coming close to it last night.

 

[Dr. Fire]

A bit harsh, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be well prepared for the season


Well, I’ve seen enough of Roslovic, Bemstrom, Foudy, Peeke, Gud and would give the youngsters more chances

Add Kuraly to that list.