Observations, Part VI

[Roman Yoshi]

I would be ok with the above argument if...

1. We didn't piss the division away
2. Pissed the Presidents trophy away.
3. Repeatly fail in the playoffs

Regardless of if we over achieved during the season, the complete collapse of Rinne and our forwards is almost unprecedented (except it has already happened once in our franchise's history). I've been watching hockey since 1996. I've worked in college hockey. Everything I have seen in those 18 years doesn't compare to the incompetence we witnessed in the last 35 games of the regular season.

Did we get beat by a more experienced team? Yes. Did we get beat by a better team? Hard to say because we aren't healthy. Did we ever have to be in the position? No. No we didn't. As far as I can tell, we beat ourselves.

The team has busted their ***** off this playoff series. I wish they had done it to close out the year.

Oh and we aren't cursed by back up goalies. Our forwards just aren't good enough to consistently score.

 

[Byrddog]

And none of this should be a surprise to any of us. When we started this season this very same statement is what would have been said about this team. The talent was young, the vets weren't that skilled, it was a transition year that we hoped we could squeak into the playoffs.

I realize after the start we had that this has all been a huge let down. We put our hopes on the back of a bunch of kids, aging vets, and a goalie that was having an insane year. We bought in after knowing at the start it should be a rough season. We knew this team wasn't as good as the record showed, but we said the hell with it and went for the ride.

Yes sitting here today it feels like a let down, I get that, I was as bummed as anyone about the result. I'm hoping however that once we step back away from this season that we realize it wasn't a complete waste.

Players like Jones, Josi, Forsberg, Jarnkrok, etc. all now see just exactly what it takes. They now see that the playoffs are a different level, that its not just a cliche.

The guys last night weren't just beat by talent, they were also beat by experience. Even the Great One got his teeth kicked in by a more experienced team in the playoffs before they became the Edmonton team we know from history.

This group of guys gave one of the most experienced teams in the playoffs all they wanted, and they did it without some of there best players, their leaders, and their most experienced.

I know we all want that cup, we want to be able to rub it in St. Louis and Minnesota's face. However this team isn't there yet, its not ready. We knew that all season long, heck several of you kept reminding us of it all season long.

But you know what as disappointing as it all became, its not a total loss. This team, this group of guys learned in one season what it feels like to win, and also what it feels like to lose. As fans, all we can do is sit back and once again hope that they take that and run with it and with a bit of help from the GM, do become that team we want them to be.

As painful as it has been your right there is some good out of it the younger guys did get some playoff experience which will be helpful down the road. Pekka had a better night in game 4 but hes still off kilter somewhat. One thing important in my eye is how they approach game 5. As fragile as they have been what compete level do they have left.

Josi IMO had a good game but Jones held him back. The more responsibility Jones gets the more concerned I become. He is just not learning from the mistakes he makes. Faila is a rookie and it made no sense whatsoever to put him in last night unless Beck was injured, and that did not appear to be the case as it was announced he was a gametime decision. The defense can survive without Weber but his experience was missed same with Fish. Kinda expect we hear some type surgery for Weber today and what has been holding him back the last half of the season.

The second goal came at 17:02 of the second from Neal so there was 62 minutes of scoreless hockey for the Preds. That's been a soapbox I have been on for a long while. The first goal was one of the lucky bounces a team needs from the deflection and Neals goal was more about Darling, it was another that should have been stopped. Not one nice hockey play resulting in a goal all night for the Preds. As good as Forsberg has been all year something he lacks is being a team member. He has been taking too many selfish shots for a while and trying to do too much by hisself. That has been compounded by the rest of the team encouraging it for some reason. How many times have we seen players just refuse to take the shot to move the puck to FF9 (Ribs im looking at you). At some point last night Lavi put Neal back on the 1st line to little avail. For better or worse Lavi has not been afraid to move players from line to line to try and spark something.

I about half expect the team to just fold up and be done in game 5. I hope that does not happen it would go a long way if they could put something together and win one more. It would make the summer less painful, but again they are primed to just get shut out in game 5. If Fish is able to go I hope he is that difference maker it takes.

Poile is now faced with making roster decisions and ownership is looking at making some coaching changes. Total rebuild???? Well there are indicators there that it should be done. Now however there is question about the core they build around long term. The team faces something we have never experienced, no solid answer who the goalie will be in 5 years to build around since Pekka will be done by then. If the decision is made to build arround Fiala and Forsberg the rebuild train is set in motion. If the decision is made to move a defenseman for that 1C prospect to build around things get more complicated.

 

[chis]

Didn't get to see the game: how was Fiala?

And by the way, it's not over just yet.

 

[FossilFndr]

And by the way, it's not over just yet.

Well the fat lady is booked for a performance in Nashville Thursday, tee times, plane flights home and doctor visits are being scheduled. Hearts broken in the stands and across Pred nation.

Sure feels like it's over.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Again, we were in a perfect position to not have to play Chicago. It just boggles my mind. We could've won the division, potentially played Winnipeg. Hell, if we had just won a couple of games against Minnesota maybe they don't make the playoffs and we end up facing the Jets.

I'm upset we are going to lose again in the first round, but I am even more upset we threw away what was a magical year.

 

[101st_fan]

Another game where we generated a lot of shots but too few were elevated or screened ... too few second chance attempts.

Unless Fiala got hurt in the 3rd, Lavi's decision making put us a man down for over two periods of play. There's shortening the bench and double shifting lines then there is throwing away tools before the job is done.

Pekka fought the puck most of the night but made enough stops to keep us in the game and give the team a chance to win.

 

[handtrick]

I am emotionally spent.
preds certainly have battled.
If Chicago didn't have Toews and Keith [our Fisher and Weber] we would be up 3-1 instead of them.

 

[Dave is a killer]

Why does Poile continually get to make decisions ? (2-8 as our GM (6-14 as GM of the Capitals) 8-22 that is an absolutely ****** record as a GM, why does he get to come back after another flame out

 

[Byrddog]

Why does Poile continually get to make decisions ? (2-8 as our GM (6-14 as GM of the Capitals) 8-22 that is an absolutely ****** record as a GM, why does he get to come back after another flame out

Because every once in a while he trades Filip Forsberg for Martian Erat

 

[PredsV82]

I am emotionally spent.
preds certainly have battled.
If Chicago didn't have Toews and Keith [our Fisher and Weber] we would be up 3-1 instead of them.

this is the same sad truth that we faced in 2007. In a 7 game series, sometimes the difference between winning 4-1 and losing 4-1 is a couple of random bounces not going your way.

taking the long view, its encouraging to see Rinne getting his head screwed back on, even if we end up losing the series

in a month, I'll be able to remind myself what our expectations were back in October, and have some hope for next year...

 

[PredsV82]

Why does Poile continually get to make decisions ? (2-8 as our GM (6-14 as GM of the Capitals) 8-22 that is an absolutely ****** record as a GM, why does he get to come back after another flame out

you "fire polie" folks dont get it... poile was tasked with changing the team from a Trotz tream to a Laviolette team, and to get us back to the playoffs. He has accomplished the nominal goals that he had going into this season. The moves he makes this summer will be designed to further turn this into a Laviolette team.

he's not going to get fired because he obtained what most reasonable observers thought was the best possible outcome heading into this season.

The teams record under Trotz wont be held against him, at least not until he's had several years of Laviolette as coach.

 

[Pred303]

i have never looked upon this year as a transition year. we have an aging franchise goalie that we are damn near totally dependent on. our window to make noise is probably only 2-3 more years with him at best. sure forsberg and jones will improve. but you balance that with these being near the last years for fish-ribs-gaustad. these are the peak years for neal-wilson-smith-weber-josi.

now do i hope we bring in new people? you betcha, because the ones we have aren't good enough to see what i want to see.

 

[PredsV82]

i have never looked upon this year as a transition year. we have an aging franchise goalie that we are damn near totally dependent on. our window to make noise is probably only 2-3 more years with him at best. sure forsberg and jones will improve. but you balance that with these being near the last years for fish-ribs-gaustad. these are the peak years for neal-wilson-smith-weber-josi.

now do i hope we bring in new people? you betcha, because the ones we have aren't good enough to see what i want to see.

I think Poile knows the "window" is the next three years as well, which is why it wont surprise me if he cant get a young center like Nugent Hopkins he may settle for a Joe Thornton.

I think he's got a crucial call to make this summer as to what to do with Fisher and Ribiero. I think he probably signs them both because we need depth at center but they both are probably just about done, with maybe one more good year each at best.

But surely to goodness Poile can get over his mancrush on Jones and realize that he is our best trade chip to get a top line center...

 

[originalpredfan]

A question I have is who was making the decision on a back up goalie for us last year. Was it Mitch Korn? It appears that both Minnesota and Chicago have done pretty well picking up a couple of our cast off/pass-overs. They saw something apparently we didn't. Instead we end up with a nice guy who gives good commentary during the 3rd period break in action.

 

[Enoch]

The biggest mistake Poile continues to make is his inability to land a centerman.

 

[darth5]

I am emotionally spent.
No, in October, even in November I had no expectations they would finish where they did. After the late season slump, again I lowered expectations, but its the playoffs-- given some bounces and guys finding a new gear, anything could happen.

Now, the roster deficiencies are glaring. This team is crying out for talented centers. The ones they have are inadequate. Otherwise the loss of Fisher would not be so devastating. I think we all suspected this, but in post season it becomes more obvious.

There are some talented youths on the team (FF9, Fiala, Wilson when he is on) but there has to be some rework done on this roster. Do the Oilers now become a potential trading partner since they have McDavid falling in their lap? Heaven knows they need D men, and this team has them. I don't know, but I would not be surprised if we don't hear Weber is done for the season sometime today (someone already posted speculation on this and whoever you are I agree). I need more time to get perspective as not only am I tired as a corpse I am slammed at work today.

 

[gopreds19]

Because every once in a while he trades Filip Forsberg for Martian Erat

He's a better seller than a buyer.

 

[deanwormer]

The biggest mistake Poile continues to make is his inability to land a centerman.

Ribs worked out pretty well.

 

[Pred303]

being burned over trading the superstar Stevens away when he was a new GM, the truth that start up teams could become competitive quicker and much cheaper by investing in d-men, and then the emotional betrayal of suter to him has caused poile to overvalue defensemen and undervalue forwards. it's now a part of his hockey DNA makeup. not sure poile and lavy can ever really be 100% together on the roster they would like to ice.

 

[Dave is a killer]

being burned over trading the superstar Stevens away when he was a new GM, the truth that start up teams could become competitive quicker and much chealer by investing in d-men, and then the emotional betrayal of suter to him has caused poile to overvalue defensemen and undervalue forwards. it's now a part of his hockey DNA makeup. not sure poile and lavy can ever really be 100% together on the roster they would like to ice.

 

[Pred303]

i've been very disappointed in forsberg's play during this bad run of hockey. far too much individual play, far too much trying to do it all himself, far too much stickhandling, far too many turnovers in our offensive zone, and way too many defensive zone turnovers leading to back breaking goals allowed. many, many 'almost' highlight goals that don't go in. too much showboating, not enough team play.

 

[jstreet]

Ribs worked out pretty well.

true, but we all knew that was a hih risk, high reward gamble.

 

[gopreds19]

Ribs worked out pretty well.

For 50 games or so. Hasn't been impressive since the slump and get's manhandled in the playoffs.

He's a #2 center at best.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Poile is now faced with making roster decisions and ownership is looking at making some coaching changes. Total rebuild???? Well there are indicators there that it should be done. Now however there is question about the core they build around long term. The team faces something we have never experienced, no solid answer who the goalie will be in 5 years to build around since Pekka will be done by then. If the decision is made to build arround Fiala and Forsberg the rebuild train is set in motion. If the decision is made to move a defenseman for that 1C prospect to build around things get more complicated.

The problem is, Byrd, as it has long been, that the team is just not bad enough to tank and land the top-flight offensive talent we desperately need. The Jones year was an anomaly, and I would wager that had the season been a normal 82-game affair, we never would have been in the lottery to begin with, even considering the crippling injuries.

As is now, we would have to sell off far too many assets to truly go into a rebuild. Dump off Weber, Rinne, Fisher, Neal, don't bring back Ribeiro, Cullen, Goose, or Franson, and just go with the younger core and I bet we're still very hard-pressed to finish bottom 5.

Sad as it is to say, though, I do not see us as a legit contender during the Weber/Rinne window. I don't think there's any real shot we move either of those guys (or that we would get appropriate value in return), but I would much rather see us try to build a team around the Forsberg/Fiala/Josi/Jones/Ellis/Ekholm group than "go for it" now.

 

[Pred303]

and to all the people screaming we need a drastic makeover. we don't. we have many good pieces. but many of them are forced into roles they aren't best suited for.

ribs would make a really great second line center. fisher would make a really great 3rd line centerman. i look at our roster needs for next year and think;

forsberg-XXXX(trade/signing?)-neal
wilson-ribs-XXXX(fiala,vescey here?)
smith-fisher-XXXX(watson,sissons,arvdsson?)
XXXX(nystrom,bourque,salomaki?)-gaustad-beck

possibly two third pair dmen (if we trade an ellis or jones) and a backup goalie.

these few changes and just some reasonable development from the youngsters (not easy, but few), could turn us from a good 10th-15th type team (which is what we are really now), into an elite top 5 type team.

it's possible. i still have hope.