GDT: 2/5/18 - 9:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Edmonton

[Flyers Time]

While you're right we will have to worry about Matthews, Marchand, Pastrnak, possibly the Pens again, etc. If anybody exposes us in the slightest the way the latter part of the road trip has gone, it's going to be a tough pill to swallow when they exit early.

They need to buckle down and play tighter defensively, forwards need to backcheck and get it deep. We have complicated the game into trying to get highlight reel goals rather than getting shots, shooting for rebounds, backchecking, etc. It's pretty simple bit even when they lead, they make it so hard on themselves.

None of them have Mcdavid speed no worries.

 

[Stammertime91]

None of them have Mcdavid speed no worries.

Lol I understand but we've been a lot worse than just getting beat by McDavid and his speed. The games against Calgary and Vancouver should not have been as sloppy. It's fine if that's every now and then but there's been a run of games where we are only putting in 20 minute efforts and major disappearing acts, or gaffes, are coming from our best/most experienced players.

If it wasn't for Peca, Conacher and a miracle performance from Killorn one night we'd be a lot closer to the Bruins than the already close 5 point gap.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Had a feeling this would happen with it being the last game of an almost month long road trip. I would be excited as hell to finally get home so I'm willing to cut them a bit of a slack.

 

[Fabiobest]

See you thursday guys!!!

 

[Steazy Doo]

Not as bad as Dotchin. That wasn't even on him, he went to pinch saw it wasn't gonna work and got himself back in the play. Dotchin would've just tripped someone.

I'd like to see them both play less to be honest. McDonagh would be nice.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

If we got McDonagh, I'd like to see something like...

Hedman - Strålman
McDonagh - Girardi
Coburn playing left or right as needed with the rookies.

 

[TampaJay]

Not necessarily. The intensity picks up. I'm not worried about our forwards pounding the other teams defense every shift because we would need to change our entire identity and game plan. Adding one when we don't even play that style isn't going to change a whole lot. Adding McDonagh or a defenseman that can stabilize our top 4 will be much more valuable. Callahan, Kunitz, Killorn, Palat and our smaller guys will be in the opponents face more often like they do when playoffs come around, but to sacrifice a piece we can use for landing a top 4 defenseman would hurt.

Not disagreeing with the sentiment, I just think adding a defenseman is the priority and adding a power forward is secondary. I'd love to get both but realistically I think we will only get a defenseman.

I’m happy we are a team based on speed and skill, I’m just saying there needs to be more balance. I love guys like Gourde, Johnson, Peca, etc. but you can’t succeed in the playoffs with an entire team of those types. Balance is all I want. The guys we need are in the pipeline, but is it too much to ask for a little bit of size for this playoff run.

 

[Bolt 45]

I’m happy we are a team based on speed and skill, I’m just saying there needs to be more balance. I love guys like Gourde, Johnson, Peca, etc. but you can’t succeed in the playoffs with an entire team of those types. Balance is all I want. The guys we need are in the pipeline, but is it too much to ask for a little bit of size for this playoff run.

Coburn, Dotchin and Sustr are all "big", and I'd say they're more of a problem than the guys you mentioned. Keep in mind that one of Peca/Conacher is really a placeholder for Palat, whose absence in the lineup can't be understated.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I'd like to see them both play less to be honest. McDonagh would be nice.

I’d like to see them play more because when we have that annual lightning April/May playoff injury, I’d like them to have more ice time experience.

That said, I’d also like Dotchin off the top pairing as soon as possible.

 

[TampaJay]

Coburn, Dotchin and Sustr are all "big", and I'd say they're more of a problem than the guys you mentioned. Keep in mind that one of Peca/Conacher is really a placeholder for Palat, whose absence in the lineup can't be understated.

You can’t put Dotchin in the category of Coburn and Sustr. He is the most physical player on a team that lacks physicality, and he is essentially a rookie. He just needs to be properly slotted on a third pair. If you are an opponent of this team, you can go out and pound Kuch, Point, and Stamkos, all night with no repercussions. Dotchin may step up, Coburn and Sustr, HEDMAN, no way. This team has more skill than any team in the league, but if they don’t address the size/softness issue… no Cup.

 

[Sky04]

lol we don't need "size/toughness/physical play" etc, nobody even mentions than stuff when we're winning, all of a sudden we lose a game and there's some made-belief weakness. Morrow brought all of that and how useful was he? You don't become a bigger/grittier team by adding a single player or two, you're talking about changing the entire makeup of the team which is not happening. We can win games here and in the playoffs on skill alone, it's been done before, the forwards just need to show up. Defense is a bigger issue, too many inexperienced kids - we need one more solid vet who can hold his own.

 

[Bolt 45]

You can’t put Dotchin in the category of Coburn and Sustr. He is the most physical player on a team that lacks physicality, and he is essentially a rookie. He just needs to be properly slotted on a third pair. If you are an opponent of this team, you can go out and pound Kuch, Point, and Stamkos, all night with no repercussions. Dotchin may step up, Coburn and Sustr, HEDMAN, no way. This team has more skill than any team in the league, but if they don’t address the size/softness issue… no Cup.

I honestly can't remember the last game where Dotchin didn't look like he was hanging on for dear life for at least part of the game; and frankly, the thought of putting him out there with anyone other than Hedman is just terrifying. Maybe you're right, and it's a "rookie" thing, but I'm beginning to have my doubts.

Plugging just any big guy into the lineup won't make us better. He'd have to be skilled and fast, too, which would make him really, really, really expensive.

 

[Bolt 45]

Not as bad as Dotchin. That wasn't even on him, he went to pinch saw it wasn't gonna work and got himself back in the play. Dotchin would've just tripped someone.

Or tripped himself up while trying to trip someone.

 

[Sky04]

Btw look at the standings, Tampa with their 5'7 forwards atop while Edmonton has their 6'0 slow wingers at the bottom, we lost a single game, learn and move on.

It's 5'7 Gourde and Johnson who hit the scoresheet tonight, so unless you're proposing to trade Stamkos, Kucherov, and Point who are our offensive leaders that didn't produce, the make-up of the forwards isn't an issue.

 

[JoVel]

What we need is an enforcer to play alongside Stamkos and Kucherov. They're clearly scared right now and a John Scott on their line should get them back to that 2 PPG pace they had at the start of the season.

 

[LightningStrikes]

What we need is an enforcer to play alongside Stamkos and Kucherov. They're clearly scared right now and a John Scott on their line should get them back to that 2 PPG pace they had at the start of the season.

What is Zenon Konopka up to these days anyway?

 

[DaBolts]

Thank you whatever defense showed up last night to fulfill my wish of holding McDavid to under 5 goals. Ugh.