Pre-Game Talk: 11/25 @ Los Angeles

[The Safe Play]

Haha the amount of hate in this thread is impressive.

Maybe Spooner is a good fit for the top line?
Hitch might be a good teacher for Puljujärvi. Give him some easier minutes on the fourth and when McDavid double shifts.
Excited to see how Wideman looks.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Do you consider any player who is able to tap in McDavids passes useless?

The poster is right. If Spooner pots even one goal playing with McDrai people will be calling him a saviour. The same people that would say Rattie or Cagg are nothing. I know who I would prefer on the line. The players here that worked for it.

If Spooner is on first line its a mistake imo.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The poster is right. If Spooner pots even one goal playing with McDrai people will be calling him a saviour. The same people that would say Rattie or Cagg are nothing. I know who I would prefer on the line. The players here that worked for it.

If Spooner is on first line its a mistake imo.

If Spooner puts in a couple goals on the top line and doesn't hurt them then the ability to have better wingers with RNH will be helpful.

 

[North]

Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-Russell
Gravel-Wideman
Garrison-Benning

I think that may be my single favourite lineup change in a long time.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I think that may be my single favourite lineup change in a long time.

Watch Wideman go like -5 for some reason lol

 

[North]

Watch Wideman go like -5 for some reason lol

Oh God he'd have to be a special kind of bad for that to happen against LA.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Oh God he'd have to be a special kind of bad for that to happen against LA.

With Talbot in net you never know lol

 

[Drivesaitl]

Spooner; 1G 1A 22 games into the season. Gets to play with McDrai as a result. lmfao. Still living a charmed existence I see.

Cagg and Rattie work their asses off and get demoted. I don't get it.

Could there be an expectation of Spooner doing something first? Anything?

 

[North]

With Talbot in net you never know lol

No kidding. Talbot the slump buster.

 

[Mez]

The poster is right. If Spooner pots even one goal playing with McDrai people will be calling him a saviour. The same people that would say Rattie or Cagg are nothing. I know who I would prefer on the line. The players here that worked for it.

If Spooner is on first line its a mistake imo.

Who are these "people" your talking about? I have not heard one person say Spooner was an amazing pickup. I think your painting "people" with the brush of one or two posters you dislike. The point is, if he can produce consistently with McDavid he was worth dumping Stome. Its amazing how these boards hate someone like Strome with burning passion and than when he is traded they all miss him.

 

[Mez]

Spooner; 1G 1A 22 games into the season. Gets to play with McDrai as a result. lmfao. Still living a charmed existence I see.

Cagg and Rattie work their asses off and get demoted. I don't get it.

Could there be an expectation of Spooner doing something first? Anything?

New coach trying out his roster? why is that so hard to understand?

 

[Canada Drai]

Do you consider any player who is able to tap in McDavids passes useless?

Draisaitl?

Dude sure is a bum, needs McDavid to produce. Lets see Drivesaitl work this out.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Who are these "people" your talking about? I have not heard one person say Spooner was an amazing pickup. I think your painting "people" with the brush of one or two posters you dislike. The point is, if he can produce consistently with McDavid he was worth dumping Stome. Its amazing how these boards hate someone like Strome with burning passion and than when he is traded they all miss him.

No need for me to single anybody out. The posters are obvious in every GDT.

This board is regularly about grass is greener. That's the biggest distortion ever going on. Its disappointing though that McDrai have to have another useless player to work with. Wasn't the stupid Yamamoto experiment enough? They get the toughest matchups in the NHL and they have to carry Spoonfed all around the ice?

What exactly is wrong with Cagg and Rattie as options?

I'm not a strome fan, so can't comment on that aspect. I do however think Eberle is imminently more talented and productive than Spooner. Its depresseing that its come to this result. Hey maybe Chia can call up Walker again and put him in topsix. Just to piss off any of the players here that actually work for something here..

 

[fuswald]

Why would that happen when he has zero pts here and only 2pts all season and is a boat tirefire defensively.

He's barely doing anything to warrant being in an NHL lineup.

Because Hitchcock isn't rewarding players he's putting them in the best position for the team.
Now we have a decent 1st 2nd and 3rd. Only the 4th line is questionable.

 

[Drivesaitl]

New coach trying out his roster? why is that so hard to understand?

What was wrong with the first line as is, with Cagg on it? Seemed to be working well outside of the last game, in which McDrai were not playing well.

I don't think its time for too much extreme things here. Any modicum of offense should win against LA. score 3 and its pretty much over. Seems an odd time to hamstring our topline with a useless floater.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Because Hitchcock isn't rewarding players he's putting them in the best position for the team.
Now we have a decent 1st 2nd and 3rd. Only the 4th line is questionable.

Its the best position for the team to put some newby with 1G 1A all season on the topline? How does that work. We're just weeks away from when we screwed Draisaitl, and then McD, trying out Yamamoto on topsix lines. I don't see how putting coolers on toplines is helping the team at all. Cagg was producing and working out fine there, isn't that good for the team?

 

[fuswald]

Its the best position for the team to put some newby with 1G 1A all season on the topline? How does that work. We're just weeks away from when we screwed Draisaitl, and then McD, trying out Yamamoto on topsix lines. I don't see how putting coolers on toplines is helping the team at all. Cagg was producing and working out fine there, isn't that good for the team?

Big complaint of most is poor secondary scoring this might help.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Big complaint of most is poor secondary scoring this might help.

pretty much of a longshot.

Cagg was working well there because he upped his board battle intensity. He has same speed, much better puck battle, and better scoring finish than Spooner. McDrai need a linemate willing to go into the corners to work or into the traffic areas to finish. Spooner services none of that. Spooner is a goal scorer on a level of Ryan Strome.

Its simplistic, jmo, to think "Hey, lets try Spooner, might get him going" without specifically visualizing what role Spooner would specifically play on the line. This is the difficulty with the player. He lacks the strength and compete level to be on toplines and he sucks anywhere else.

I don't like the message this sends to other players either. I could feel different about it if I thought Spooner was doing more and that the players could see he's working hard. I haven't had that impression.

 

[fuswald]

pretty much of a longshot.

Cagg was working well there because he upped his board battle intensity. He has same speed, much better puck battle, and better scoring finish than Spooner. McDrai need a linemate willing to go into the corners to work or into the traffic areas to finish. Spooner services none of that.

Its simplistic, jmo, to think "Hey, lets try Spooner, might get him going" without specifically visualizing what role Spooner would specifically play on the line. This is the difficulty with the player. He lacks the strength and compete level to be on toplines and he sucks anywhere else.

I don't like the message this sends to other players either. I could feel different about it if I thought Spooner was doing more and that the players could see he's working hard. I haven't had that impression.

Shut down McDavid line we are hooped. Worth the risk. See last game.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

LA plays back to back home games. Vancouver tonight then the Oil tomorrow.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Shut down McDavid line we are hooped. Worth the risk.

I'm confused by this. In a recent game, just a week ago in Calgary the McDrai line was hooped because McLellan parked Lucic on it for two periods. That completely screwed the breakout in that game and Lucic stopped McDra better than the Flames D could.

Putting Spooner on the line means McDrai essentially are playing almost short handed. Spooner hasn't put in the work, or shown any willingness to do that, all season. I get what you're saying its just a shot, and attempt, but the line was already working. Seems strange to tinker with the one line that was producing.

 

[Missing smitty]

I'm confused by this. In a recent game, just a week ago in Calgary the McDrai line was hooped because McLellan parked Lucic on it for two periods. That completely screwed the breakout in that game and Lucic stopped McDra better than the Flames D could.

Putting Spooner on the line means McDrai essentially are playing almost short handed. Spooner hasn't put in the work, or shown any willingness to do that, all season. I get what you're saying its just a shot, and attempt, but the line was already working. Seems strange to tinker with the one line that was producing.

It could also mean it's put up or shut up time for Spooner? Show the coach he has something, or ride pine hopefully.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Gald it's revealed now that Talbot is starting so that I have time to put a prop bet up for LA to score first.

I guess it's a good idea to start Talbot against the worst offensive team in the NHL?


Also not sure why everyone is so mad about Spooner on the top line. If players like Caggulia and Rattie can have a chance, why not Spooner? His resume looks a thousand times better than those scrubs before being put up there.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Pretty much a must-win after last game.

 

[CycloneSweep]

What was wrong with the first line as is, with Cagg on it? Seemed to be working well outside of the last game, in which McDrai were not playing well.

I don't think its time for too much extreme things here. Any modicum of offense should win against LA. score 3 and its pretty much over. Seems an odd time to hamstring our topline with a useless floater.

Nothing is wrong with Cags on the first line. The issue is Spooner on the second line and RNH and Chiasson can't cover his mistakes like McDavid or Draisaitl can.