Observations, Part VIII

[Pred303]

this franchise has had many down times and tough stretches of hockey. but we always had enough good hockey posters with perspective and understanding what was needed to keep the blow the team up negativism in check on this and the old boards. it appears momentum has shifted.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

this franchise has had many down times and tough stretches of hockey. but we always had enough good hockey posters with perspective and understanding what was needed to keep the blow the team up negativism in check on this and the old boards. it appears momentum has shifted.

I think people are just fed up with Poile having the assets to get a top line center and not being able to land one. Also, failure to draft a top line player.

Expectations have also killed this team. I think we are all afraid of the team not being as good as we thought. Afraid Pekka is on the declaim. Afraid that Weber will never win a Norries. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to wanting to blow the roster up.

 

[glenngineer]

I think people are just fed up with Poile having the assets to get a top line center and not being able to land one. Also, failure to draft a top line player.

Expectations have also killed this team. I think we are all afraid of the team not being as good as we thought. Afraid Pekka is on the declaim. Afraid that Weber will never win a Norries. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to wanting to blow the roster up.

Star Wars fan are we? This ones for Poile, do or do not there is no try.

 

[101st_fan]

this franchise has had many down times and tough stretches of hockey. but we always had enough good hockey posters with perspective and understanding what was needed to keep the blow the team up negativism in check on this and the old boards. it appears momentum has shifted.

We've had a "fire (somebody)" demographic forever ... fire Trotz ... fire Poile ... trade X ...

My issue with the current "fire Poile" mentality is that it doesn't address the issue. Look at the players on our roster compared to last season ... our healthy top six is pretty much the same ... our defensive corps is pretty much the same ... our bottom six had some change but really nothing too drastic ... yet the performance isn't where we need it although they were a 100+ point team last season with four 20+ goal scorers and Fisher with 19 goals from Thanksgiving on. Firing Poile doesn't address the fact that the same players are not demonstrating the same level of performance ... that players are admitting that the team hasn't practiced 3on3 since the preseason ... that we are seeing discipline issues ... those fall the coaching staff and on ice leaders.

 

[FossilFndr]

wrong forum

 

[glenngineer]

101 all good points. Here's a devils advocate for you though did some of our 20 goal guys last year over perform and this year is more their normal or could it be somewhere in between the two?

 

[101st_fan]

Wilson is probably the only overperformer based on historic data. I'd like to see Wilson play the same style in the regular season that we see from him in the playoffs. This year's team shows it can score when we get a net presence but that is somethin had we see far too rarely this season.

 

[Pred303]

tonight we saw our team again for a pleasant change. and what happens when we have net presence. and what it looks like when pucks go in for us. and what it looks like when rinne makes key saves at key times. and the penalty kill stands up and plays decent. and how it felt last year when Forsberg, neal and Ribeiro couldn't be stopped.

every turnaround has to have a first step. maybe this was it.

 

[PREDilection]

this franchise has had many down times and tough stretches of hockey. but we always had enough good hockey posters with perspective and understanding what was needed to keep the blow the team up negativism in check on this and the old boards. it appears momentum has shifted.

As much as I love to read the great insights from certain posters on this board this constantly wears on me. And even more so is the "I'm not even going to watch the game tonight, I'm going to do such and such" I see in the GDT. I can't NOT watch a game even if I tried no matter how bad we are. Predators hockey is in my blood and I'll watch every game even if we go 0-82. It might destroy me mentally but I'll still do it. To all the rest I say, "Fair weather fan, you are".

 

[PredsV82]

tonight we saw our team again for a pleasant change. and what happens when we have net presence. and what it looks like when pucks go in for us. and what it looks like when rinne makes key saves at key times. and the penalty kill stands up and plays decent. and how it felt last year when Forsberg, neal and Ribeiro couldn't be stopped.

every turnaround has to have a first step. maybe this was it.

I think as important as scoring goals has been, Rinne has been slowly rounding back into form. The way we have been limiting other teams shots is killing his save percentage, and our miserable PK is hurting his GAA, but our recent losses haven't been his fault, which is crucial. Now we need him to get back to where he can actually steal us a few...


and I don't know if its been mentioned but if anyone doubted that we miss Fisher when he's gone, the PK is all the proof you need

 

[triggrman]

I think as important as scoring goals has been, Rinne has been slowly rounding back into form. The way we have been limiting other teams shots is killing his save percentage, and our miserable PK is hurting his GAA, but our recent losses haven't been his fault, which is crucial. Now we need him to get back to where he can actually steal us a few...


and I don't know if its been mentioned but if anyone doubted that we miss Fisher when he's gone, the PK is all the proof you need

I agree Rinne is looking better. Maybe the rest of the team follows.

I'd still like to see some changes, Hodgson is just out of place. Put Watson in his spot and let him watch a few. At least Watson can hit.

I thought Smith had a good game as did Neal and Forsberg. Ribs was just okay, he made some bone headed plays.

On defense Josi, Webs and Jones were all good, Ellis was exposed and Ekholm had an off night.

 

[hatedandproud]

this franchise has had many down times and tough stretches of hockey. but we always had enough good hockey posters with perspective and understanding what was needed to keep the blow the team up negativism in check on this and the old boards. it appears momentum has shifted.

Now I'm not saying I'm a great Hockey mind and can break down the game like some here (though I was invited to sit in "The box" a couple of times back in the day ) But the time I spend on this board has been drastically reduced because what you point out here 303.
There are only about 6 posters that I bother to read anymore. I just skip over all the nonsense and the over emotional, pseudo-analysis.

 

[Drake744]

I will say lately I have a hard time reading the boards after a loss because of all the negativity I know is coming, and I don't want to hear about it. Not that anyone cares.

 

[101st_fan]

tonight we saw our team again for a pleasant change. and what happens when we have net presence. and what it looks like when pucks go in for us. and what it looks like when rinne makes key saves at key times. and the penalty kill stands up and plays decent. and how it felt last year when Forsberg, neal and Ribeiro couldn't be stopped.

every turnaround has to have a first step. maybe this was it.

The team still deviated from what got them the lead in the first place. Right now the game model is come out hard with net presence early ... lose that presence as the game goes on ... start taking dumb penalties ... try to hang on and do so with wildly varying degrees of success.

 

[FossilFndr]

Wilson wasn't favoring his right hamstring/hip area like he was Thursday. Had over 16 minutes TOI. Gaustad surprisingly had lowest FO% of team last night. Ribero got through for a couple of points and Rinne definitely got into game early with that penalty shot glove save.

All that and keeping Suter from scoring like he did 4 Saturdays ago in our house. Nice to be a Preds fan today.

 

[roseyc]

Wilson is the key to the team he either steps up or he should be encluded in Trade package

 

[101st_fan]

Wilson is the key to the team he either steps up or he should be encluded in Trade package

If he doesn't step up, what team would want to pay him for his current performance?

 

[Pred303]

i disagree as to what the key is for the remainder of the season. in my mind it's rinne. his .908 save percentage versus last year's .924 is the difference so far. if he finishes with an under .910 we won't make the playoffs. if he raises that to above .915 by year end (meaning he would have to have a .920 or so the rest of the way) we will be a 100 point team. he's the key. always has been.

 

[Pred303]

now as far as scoring, to reach last year's average we need to average close to 3 goals per game the last half of the season (2.5 now versus 2.75 last year).

i mentally divide scoring expectations into two groups. the scorers and everyone else.

group one. last year's 8 leading scorers Neal, Forsberg, Ribeiro, Weber, Josi, Smith, Wilson, Fisher and Wilson. last year these 8 guys scored 156 goals or 1.90 per game. this year 54 goals in 33 games, so down to 1.63. if we can get that number up things will improve dramatically.

group two. everyone else. last year we had 70 goals from everyone else or .85. actually this year we are pretty much on that pace with 29 goals in 33 games or .87 per game.

it's all on those top 8, and i think they are showing some signs these past few games.

 

[Pred303]

nothing illustrates our even strength struggles better than comparing last year's plus/minus numbers at the 40 game mark versus this year now after 33 games;

Forsberg, last year +23, this year -4 (a 27 goal difference, the largest on team)
Neal, +14 vs. +4
Ribeiro, +14 vs. +3
Weber, +14 vs. -6
Josi, +10 vs. -3
Wilson, +18 vs. 0
Smith, +4 vs. 0
Fisher, +2 vs. -2
Jones, +8 vs. -2
Jarnkrok +7 vs. -6
Ellis, +12 vs. +5
Gaustad, +6 vs. -2
Eckholm, +11 vs. +2
Nystrom, +5 vs. -1

only 2 on both years rosters that have a better +/- than last year;
Bourque, -3 vs. 0
Salomaki, +1 vs. +3

 

[Pred303]

wondering who we send down when we activate fisher. I'm guessing if it were done today it would be Watson considering he's been the recent scratch.

 

[preds1]

wondering who we send down when we activate fisher. I'm guessing if it were done today it would be Watson considering he's been the recent scratch.

I'd guess Sissons. Either works for me tho.

 

[Pred303]

I'd guess Sissons. Either works for me tho.

yeah you're probably right, with fish as a center sissons would be the logical first. it's when bourque is activated it gets a little more complicated between salomaki and Watson... that is unless we would finally do something with bitteto.

the way it looks to me now, is that we are trying to keep both granberg and bitetto in case we deal ellis or jones I guess

 

[MrJoshua]

the way it looks to me now, is that we are trying to keep both granberg and bitetto in case we deal ellis or jones I guess

That's the only way this makes any sense at all.

 

[roseyc]

If he doesn't step up, what team would want to pay him for his current performance?

By himself nothing but with a package of players somebody looks at him like they do what a number of players saying he is still young enough that maybe a new team and new scenery will turn the lights on for him...