GDT: 1/4/15 - 7:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Ottawa

[dbieon12]

I'm so tired of us setting the bar that low for this guy. He's past the point where that's all he needs to do.

I'm not going to criticize Connolly but we get the same 'skating and competing' from JT Brown.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

W!!!

 

[Brie]

Done and we win, this game (well period 2 and 3 anyway) was much more fun then last game.

 

[DFC]

That was a pretty dominant game.

 

[DFC]

I'm not going to criticize Connolly but we get the same 'skating and competing' from JT Brown.

Because the bar IS lower for JT Brown. When he skates and competes he's effective. Connolly needs to do more because he's not nearly as tenacious as JT.

 

[c_robio]

He hasn't looked great, but he's skating and actually competing. It's not what he's best at though. He's being used differently than his skillset really promotes. Connolly on a line with Stamkos is kinda silly imo.

There's really no room for him on this team. He's not a puck hound, he's not a setup man, he's a trigger on the wing. Where do you play him? He can't be used on the 3rd line shutting down people while providing some offense. Don't know where he'll live on this team really. People passing him.

And now he takes a dumb-ish penalty.

The best place for him now is with Morrow and Boyle imo, only place he's looked good. Gives that line a boost offensively, and he continues to see weak pairings. With more time he might work his way up. I think too early to trade him myself but I've only been watching this season.

 

[xteesy]

Because the bar IS lower for JT Brown. When he skates and competes he's effective. Connolly needs to do more because he's not nearly as tenacious as JT.

Exactly.

JT Brown = Undrafted

Brett Connolly = 6th Overall 2010

Can you REALLY keep trying to compare them and saying you expect Brown to be just as good?

 

[iwtb*]

Lol I woke up at 4.30 am. Just came here to ask how did we do?

 

[Maelmoor]

Good win away, solid performance, Stamkos scored, TKO continues to produce points and we even got a powerplay goal

 

[LightningStrikes]

TKO saved the day. Again. TyJo had six SOG tonight (two went in), Kucherov with two beautiful assists and Palat winning every puck battle.

I don't know how Cooper could justify not going with 17-91-27 after tonight. Unfortunately Connolly had another rough game. Once Drouin got half a shift with Stamkos there was action in the O-zone.

And they need to fix that "1st" PP unit. Why is Stamkos on the right point? Get him on the left circle - that's worked for years - even this year! Remember the fake-slap-passing between him and Callahan/Filppula? Why mess that up?

 

[FinnLightning26]

Aside from the first period a good effort. The PP still needs work. We're really going to need it next month.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

6 points for Hedman (2g+4a) in his last 4 games

1/4/15 @ Ottawa - 1g, 1a
1/2/15 @ Pittsburgh - 1g, 1a
12/31/14 @ Buffalo - 0g, 0a
12/29/14 @ Toronto - 0g, 2a

 

[DFC]

Hey, I agree. This is why he reminds me of Benoit Pouliot. He's got low hockey IQ and needs the players around him to set him up and create ice for him. He doesn't fit on this team at all. You can tell that he wasn't selected by Al Murray / Yzerman and was left over from the other administration. Just a tier down in the compete/smarts department really.

Agreed 100%. When you look at Yzerman/Murray selections, just about all of them have unreal compete levels and hockey IQs. I think we're even willing to leave some skill on the table, and we're definitely willing to walk away from size. Connolly, in a lot of ways, resembles exactly the type of player that it's kind of become our M.O. to pass on.

What's frightening is how one-dimensional he is, and adding to what you said, it's that one dimension that has no real place on this team right now. He's "passable" at most things, but the one thing he does really well is score. The only way I see that happening with us is if he sparks some chemistry with Flip.

But lacking that, not only is he a poor fit for the team, but we're almost sure to "lose" whatever trade he's involved with because his value is in the basement, but he has enough skill to be productive with a team in search of a shooter. He'd probably score 30 next to Crosby... with maybe 5-6 assists.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Dominated the entire game. Except on a few of our power plays but what else is new. Great road game against a team we have problems with and in an arena we have problems winning in.

Couple of thoughts:

Connolly is ****ing steaming hot on fire garbage. I mean seriously. He is probably the only guy I didn't notice do something decent tonight. I did notice the dumbass penalty he took and the rest of our skaters doing circles around him. For ****s sake get him off this team.

I love Gudas. I really do. But Nesterov has looked extremely good. Should have had his first NHL goal tonight too. He's a great skater and is aggressive because he can get back. Also he had more offensive chances tonight than I think Barberio has all year. I know he's playing a bit sheltered but I don't care. I would love to keep him here. I also think if he gets a few more games in he makes Barberio for sure and maybe to a lesser extent Gudas expendable.

I also love how this team plays with the lead in the third. It's like they are down a couple of goals the way they play. It's a beautiful thing.

Stamkos was flying again tonight, what a beauty goal. Wish he played like that every night. And Drouin was great tonight. Was even pretty good in the defensive end and made some nice play there too. Whenever he distributes the puck it is always the right play to create a shot or chance.

Triplets. Yeah. Anyone who thinks they aren't the best line in the league is ignorant or in denial. Fanfreakingtastic.


Now let's see what they do with Montreal. Huge game, hostile arena, Habs looking for payback. Will be interesting.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Lol I woke up at 4.30 am. Just came here to ask how did we do?

That profile pic cracked me up

 

[LightningStrikes]

Speaking of the Montreal game tomorrow: Nabokov will be in net eh?

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Speaking of the Montreal game tomorrow: Nabokov will be in net eh?

Noooo Montreal game is Tuesday. Bish in net.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Speaking of the Montreal game tomorrow: Nabokov will be in net eh?

The game's on Tuesday, thank god.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Noooo Montreal game is Tuesday. Bish in net.

The game's on Tuesday, thank god.

Phew, thank god.

 

[DFC]

TKO saved the day. Again. TyJo had six SOG tonight (two went in), Kucherov with two beautiful assists and Palat winning every puck battle.

I don't know how Cooper could justify not going with 17-91-27 after tonight. Unfortunately Connolly had another rough game. Once Drouin got half a shift with Stamkos there was action in the O-zone.

And they need to fix that "1st" PP unit. Why is Stamkos on the right point? Get him on the left circle - that's worked for years - even this year! Remember the fake-slap-passing between him and Callahan/Filppula? Why mess that up?

This was really a "forgot about Drej" night. The guy won at least two puck battles that he had no business even being involved in. There was one where he seemed to read the Ottawa player's mind and shifted to the right when anyone else would have gone left.

The 1st PP looks like it's mentally broken. But I did notice that Drouin was far more successful with zone entries than the regulars on that line, so maybe Coop will actually give him the keys now.

The best part about this game was that, aside from the big performances (Kuch, Johnson, even Stamkos to a degree), there were a lot of under the radar performances. I thought Drouin had one of his most complete games tonight, Palat was great, and Killer was very good. (IMO, Killer is at his best when his role is clearly defined, which it is as soon as you put Drouin on that line.)

Also, has the (X)FC line been on the ice for a single goal against since they've been put together? I can't think of one.

 

[xteesy]

Suggestion for PP#1: TKO+Stamkos+D.

Sssshhhhh, that would mean that we use common sense on the PP.

Although I might lose Drouin and swap for Hedman (try each one at a time, just to see what happens).

 

[Brie]

Speaking of the Montreal game tomorrow: Nabokov will be in net eh?

Not tomorrow, they play them on Tuesday so they have to tomorrow to rest up for it.

 

[Brie]

The 1st PP unit have to start shoting the puck more, and if they don't want to do it for the team then do it for Cally, let him work his magic because right now he mostly stands there ready but no pucks reaches him (unless he have to go behind the net to break up a play and make a pass).

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

This was really a "forgot about Drej" night. The guy won at least two puck battles that he had no business even being involved in. There was one where he seemed to read the Ottawa player's mind and shifted to the right when anyone else would have gone left.

The 1st PP looks like it's mentally broken. But I did notice that Drouin was far more successful with zone entries than the regulars on that line, so maybe Coop will actually give him the keys now.

The best part about this game was that, aside from the big performances (Kuch, Johnson, even Stamkos to a degree), there were a lot of under the radar performances. I thought Drouin had one of his most complete games tonight, Palat was great, and Killer was very good. (IMO, Killer is at his best when his role is clearly defined, which it is as soon as you put Drouin on that line.)

Also, has the (X)FC line been on the ice for a single goal against since they've been put together? I can't think of one.

Filppula and Callahan are -1 against Pitt, but I'm not sure if they were together that game? I can't remember when we started running that line.

 

[DFC]

The 1st PP unit have to start shoting the puck more, and if they don't want to do it for the team then do it for Cally, let him work his magic because right now he mostly stands there ready but no pucks reaches him (unless he have to go behind the net to break up a play and make a pass).

I think it's less about shooting than it is about the fact that the unit has evolved into nothing but a perimeter unit. When was the last time we saw Flip try to force a pass to Stamkos?