Pre-Game Talk: Islanders @ SENS, Friday 7:30 pm

Loach

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Jun 9, 2021
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They have to find a way to get 4 points the next two games to weather the inevitable storm.

7 games in 11 days including a 5 game west coast road trip that includes the following teams.

Vegas, Colorado, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Arizona and St Louis.

Wildly tough. 7 games 6 filghts.
100%. They needed to run the table at the start of the year to have breathing room for the schedule after Sweden. Maybe this is the time, or moment, when they find that next gear? When things click. It's a heck of a schedule till the end of the season.

Sounds like you already have an excuse in place to defend your position on DJ if they lose.
Think this was about you, not DJ.
 
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OD99

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Oct 13, 2012
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Beating teams below us, is a must, and then we need a decent winning % against the teams above us as well. The Isles struggle to score, just like Minny, except they have better goaltending.

We need to focus on D and let our talent up front capitalize on their chances.
 

L'Aveuglette

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Jan 8, 2007
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Montreal
They have to find a way to get 4 points the next two games to weather the inevitable storm.

7 games in 11 days including a 5 game west coast road trip that includes the following teams.

Vegas, Colorado, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Arizona and St Louis.

Wildly tough. 7 games 6 filghts.

Which is why their 8-7 record is worst than it looks. They had to capitalize on playing at home for most of their 13 first games with lots of days off, but all they did was thread water. Now with this insanely tough schedule for the next two months they'll have to overachieve which is a lot to ask for a bubble team.
 

Alf Silfversson

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Jun 8, 2011
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I dont think it would matter if they had John Cooper or prime Scotty Bowman behind the bench with the schedule they have coming up.

Except that after 15 games with 11 as the home team, they'd likely be going into that stretch with a 11-4 or 12-3 record. Little less pressure to overplay key players early in the upcoming stretch in that scenario.
 

Cosmix

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All these Euro Trips should be held at the start of the season. Go there after camp, have a couple of preseason games with local teams, two-four games regular season games and come back.
PreSeason games is sufficient. There is no need to have regular season games overseas. What could be next? Playoff games?

Except that after 15 games with 11 as the home team, they'd likely be going into that stretch with a 11-4 or 12-3 record. Little less pressure to overplay key players early in the upcoming stretch in that scenario.
Scotty Bowman would not tolerate the lax defensive play of some of our players in all zones, and would ensure that odd man rushes against would be limited.
 

Cosmix

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"They should be hovering around 3 (goals per game)"

Really?
That would put them around 21st in the league.
Cant see them being that low.
I did not listen to the audio. I would like to know what stats he stated and what was his source.

I agree that "hovering" around 3 G/GP is likely not going to get the team into the playoffs, particularly if the are "hovering" around 3 GA/GP.

Playoffs likely require a 0.25 positive differential between GF and GA such as 3.25 GF/GP versus 3.0 GA/GP. This is a guess as I have not researched the stats.

Just checked the stats on NHL.com

For 2022-23 we were at 3.16 GF/GP and 3.29 GA/GP.

So far after 15 games in 2023 -24 we are at 3.73 GF/GP and 3.27 GA/GP.

We should have a much better record according to these stats; however, it is early in the season and we only have scored 7 more goals than we have given up (56 GF - 49 GA = 7).
 
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Burrowsaurus

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Mar 20, 2013
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Sounds like you already have an excuse in place to defend your position on DJ if they lose.
Well the only measurement that counts at this point is making the playoffs. I mean you simply can’t use “we had a tough schedule” as an excuse for not making the playoffs. I don’t think that’s ever been sued in hockey
 

JD1

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Sep 12, 2005
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I mean its a pretty horrid schedule. I have never seen anything like this up coming month of December. 15 games mixed in with the worst longest trip of the year right in the middle of it. If they were going to have a heavy home schedule it would have been more fair to have it in the busiest month. Adding the travel makes this gauntlet almost impossible for the best teams.

If I am Ottawa I am refusing to go next year. Its a massive disadvantage in a league that already plays way too many games. They should be playing 60 max to begin with.
If you think December is a problem, look at March.

Ya there's a lot of games in December and January but there's only 2 back to backs. You have to go on the road, you have to play the Colorado's and the Dallas's. I honestly don't think it's that bad. It certainly shouldn't be an excuse

March on the other hand has 5 back to backs. That's rough. I think we might need a comfortable buffer on March 1st.
 
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JD1

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Sep 12, 2005
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I did not listen to the audio. I would like to know what stats he stated and what was his source.

I agree that "hovering" around 3 G/GP is likely not going to get the team into the playoffs, particularly if the are "hovering" around 3 GA/GP.

Playoffs likely require a 0.25 positive differential between GF and GA such as 3.25 GF/GP versus 3.0 GA/GP. This is a guess as I have not researched the stats.

Just checked the stats on NHL.com

For 2022-23 we were at 3.16 GF/GP and 3.29 GA/GP.

So far after 15 games in 2023 -24 we are at 3.73 GF/GP and 3.27 GA/GP.

We should have a much better record according to these stats; however, it is early in the season and we only have scored 7 more goals than we have given up (56 GF - 49 GA = 7).
Just looking at goal differential, ya we probably should have a better record.

Goal differential is something I've looked at in the past. It's a remarkably accurate predictor of making the playoffs. It's not common to have a positive differential and miss or a negative differential and make.

I just took a quick look at last year. 16 of 17 teams with a positive differential made it. 15 of 15 with a negative differential missed. You can go back years and it generally looks the same. It happens for sure, but it's not common
 

Tnuoc Alucard

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Nah
Like you said why such a good coach would have a 128-146-32 .477 coaching record?
Baffles me too
I can partially unbaffle it for you.

He started his head coaching career when he joined a team (Senators) when they began a tear it all down to the studs complete rebuild from the ground up.

Do you think the first three years of a (complete) rebuilding team would have any where near a winning (over .500) record?



1700696089286.png
 

Pierre from Orleans

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May 9, 2007
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I can partially unbaffle it for you.

He started his head coaching career when he joined a team (Senators) when they began a tear it all down to the studs complete rebuild from the ground up.

Do you think the first three years of a (complete) rebuilding team would have any where near a winning (over .500) record?



View attachment 771725
The record the first 3 years is what it is given the circumstances but the bad habits that have not been corrected since day one is concerning.
 

Tnuoc Alucard

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The record the first 3 years is what it is given the circumstances but the bad habits that have not been corrected since day one is concerning.
Agree one hundred percent… it is glaringly obvious the defensive zone has been lacking from day one, and unless that changes, the team is not going anywhere soon, and upper management (SS) should be making this clear to DJS, that his job evaluation is going to be heavily weighed on the DZone and he should know his job is on the line if it does not improve soon.

Perhaps J Martin should be brought in as a consultant/coach along the lines of Alfredssons’ job.

His ( team ) option should not picked up at any point during the season… he needs to feel the heat.
 
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Sens of Anarchy

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The record the first 3 years is what it is given the circumstances but the bad habits that have not been corrected since day one is concerning.
The way this rebuild went, with very sparse quality veterans to lean on for any kind of team success vs leaning on these really young players to carry the mail was a double edged sword .
 

Pierre from Orleans

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May 9, 2007
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The way this rebuild went, with very sparse quality veterans to lean on for any kind of team success vs leaning on these really young players to carry the mail was a double edged sword .
I agree.

Lack of proper insulation was a variable that led to poor results. That lies on the GM.

Lack of rectifying terrible habits is on the coach and the players to a degree.
 

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