GDT: 4/13/16 - 7:00PM EDT - #3 Detroit VS #2 Tampa Bay [ECQF GAME 1]

[Volodya Krutov]

Yeah, in a perfect world Vlad shares 15 minutes on the "two second lines" with Killorn,Cally,Flip,Drouin and Brown... but 9 minutes is better than the ludicrous idea to scratch the kid I guess.

---
We have apparently the youngest roster in the playoffs, The Rangers have the oldest.

 

[These Are The Days]

Yeah, in a perfect world Vlad shares 15 minutes on the "two second lines" with Killorn,Cally,Flip,Drouin and Brown... but 9 minutes is better than the ludicrous idea to scratch the kid I guess.

---
We have apparently the youngest roster in the playoffs, The Rangers have the oldest.

Well I don't think it's any secret anymore that I advocate getting rid of some forwards.. well maybe just Filppula; I really think Namestnikov needs to get hit own line and soon. Let's pretend Stamkos leaves but we can convince Drouin to stay.

Palat-Johnson-Callahan
Drouin-Namestnikov-Kucherov
Killorn-(UFA)-JAM
Paquette-Boyle-Brown/Condra

It's incredibly difficult to justify that this would not be an ideal top 6 going into next year. The love affair with Filppula has got to stop. By this point, Namestnikov's role is clearly defined and you have a few guys that can swing like JAM, Killorn, Palat and Callahan. If Filppula stuck around we'd never see Namestnikov get a regular role. Yzerman went out of his way to draft this kid because he's the kind of player we want to build the team around. It needs to happen sooner or later

 

[These Are The Days]

I know some of you probably don't want to see this but it was good vibes at the time and we DID make the SCF after all

 

[HotPaquette]

It's incredibly difficult to justify that this would not be an ideal top 6 going into next year. The love affair with Filppula has got to stop. By this point, Namestnikov's role is clearly defined and you have a few guys that can swing like JAM, Killorn, Palat and Callahan. If Filppula stuck around we'd never see Namestnikov get a regular role. Yzerman went out of his way to draft this kid because he's the kind of player we want to build the team around. It needs to happen sooner or later

Couldn't agree more, every time Names has gotten minutes in the top six he has been on fire, no matter who he plays with. Time to start feeding this kid minutes and it needs to start NOW. Hate seeing this kid stuck on the fourth line with Boyle and Blunden when we've seen how much of a difference-maker he can be.

This idea that Cooper has where we need to grind in order to win is a huge mistake. This team plays at their best when they are controlling the tempo and playing with speed. We shouldn't change that just because Detroit is a defensive, grinding team.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Well I don't think it's any secret anymore that I advocate getting rid of some forwards.. well maybe just Filppula; I really think Namestnikov needs to get hit own line and soon. Let's pretend Stamkos leaves but we can convince Drouin to stay.

Palat-Johnson-Callahan
Drouin-Namestnikov-Kucherov
Killorn-(UFA)-JAM
Paquette-Boyle-Brown/Condra

It's incredibly difficult to justify that this would not be an ideal top 6 going into next year. The love affair with Filppula has got to stop. By this point, Namestnikov's role is clearly defined and you have a few guys that can swing like JAM, Killorn, Palat and Callahan. If Filppula stuck around we'd never see Namestnikov get a regular role. Yzerman went out of his way to draft this kid because he's the kind of player we want to build the team around. It needs to happen sooner or later

That's what I said previously. Yzerman MUST trade Flip in the offseason for 2 obvious reasons:

1.) Vlad outplayed Flip by a good margin but Cooper still gives the Finnish(ed) more minutes and better linemates, it's automatic. I don't trust Coop's judgment to suddenly shift in favor of the Russian next year. Flip had his worst campaign this season, rookie year aside, he's also becoming a minus machine but in the end, Coop never holds him accountable. By not accepting that Vlad is today a better player than Filppula, Coop is being partial and that clearly hurts our team.

2.) Just imagine Filp having a similar season next year ? We're basically having a Carle 2.0 situation where nobody will touch his contract with a ten foot pole until 2019. Do it before it's too late Stevie.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

That's what I said previously. Yzerman MUST trade Flip in the offseason for 2 obvious reasons:

1.) Vlad outplayed Flip by a good margin but Cooper still gives the Finnish(ed) more minutes and better linemates, it's automatic. I don't trust Coop's judgment to suddenly shift in favor of the Russian next year. Flip had his worst campaign this season, rookie year aside, he's also becoming a minus machine but in the end, Coop never holds him accountable. By not accepting that Vlad is today a better player than Filppula, Coop is being partial and that clearly hurts our team.

2.) Just imagine Filp having a similar season next year ? We're basically having a Carle 2.0 situation where nobody will touch his contract with a ten foot pole until 2019. Do it before it's too late Stevie.

Agreed. For tonight, Tyler playing is probably the only real hope we have of winning, unless the puck really bounces in our favor. I'd prefer the latter though.

 

[Leonardo87]

That's what I said previously. Yzerman MUST trade Flip in the offseason for 2 obvious reasons:

1.) Vlad outplayed Flip by a good margin but Cooper still gives the Finnish(ed) more minutes and better linemates, it's automatic. I don't trust Coop's judgment to suddenly shift in favor of the Russian next year. Flip had his worst campaign this season, rookie year aside, he's also becoming a minus machine but in the end, Coop never holds him accountable. By not accepting that Vlad is today a better player than Filppula, Coop is being partial and that clearly hurts our team.

2.) Just imagine Filp having a similar season next year ? We're basically having a Carle 2.0 situation where nobody will touch his contract with a ten foot pole until 2019. Do it before it's too late Stevie.

Don't even want to think about some of the talks this summer that will go on here. That is when I take a break from this place. lol.

I don't think we should really move anyone this summer, well except Carle, and think this was a bad fluke season for pretty much our entire top 6, and if we get bounced first round, we do have a lot of excuses, missing players and banged up players. You don't want to make excuses but there are key guys missing. Like when we got swept without Bishop. We were lucky last year to have mostly everyone healthy, but also Johnson going into "god mode" was a big factor as well.

We are not facing Detroit from last season, and they have a questionable goalie this year and are struggling like we are, so it could really go either way, but still even with our team healthy it just has not been a great season overall. The PP numbers alone are ridiculous. Hate to say this but think we are lucky to be in the playoffs, and most of it is because of Bish.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

I stand by my post from last night for several reasons, mostly due to the fact that it serves perfectly well as a standalone without any specific context, but I do have to say that it is a massive relief, personally, to see that Namestnikov will, in fact, be dressed tonight. I'm still not thrilled that JAM is a scratch but, again, that's a lost cause, I'm afraid, barring injury, and, frankly, I'd rather dress Condra than Blunden, though that's spare 4th line minutes so it's probably not a huge deal (though didn't Condra score two against Detroit last time against them?), but Namestnikov being a healthy scratch would've given me a coronary. I am quite relieved by this return of common sense for Cooper.

--

Green Unit is mentioning that Filppula needs to be dealt this offseason. Lemme add a third reason, and one that I don't enjoy myself because I'm still a bigger Flip fan than most around here, I suspect, but, really, Flip needs to be moved out so that Cooper can't keep falling back on him anymore. Same reason as...Jiri Sekac, I believe it was, was moved out of Montreal for DSP last season. Therrien loved going back to him for important minutes even though Sekac is eminently replaceable and fungible. Same thing with Filppula, really; his cap hit makes him unsatisfying, both short and long term, and he's firmly entrenched as a Cooper Trooper; Cooper will have no choice but to have to adapt to not having Filppula if he is no longer on the roster.

Furthermore, the fear that Cooper would not elevate Namestnikov to 2nd line minutes is the exact same rationale I used in saying that I don't think Slater Koekkoek, at all, has an NHL job waiting for him out of camp next season. Because, as long as Cooper is head coach, I just can't see him entrusting even bottom pair duties to Koekkoek when veteran options still exist.

On a baseball blog that I have visited for several years, there is a running joke about veteran "presents"; the take-off that phrase is from is pretty obvious. With Cooper, we might really have to think about co-opting that phrase to this subforum as well.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Well I don't think it's any secret anymore that I advocate getting rid of some forwards.. well maybe just Filppula; I really think Namestnikov needs to get hit own line and soon. Let's pretend Stamkos leaves but we can convince Drouin to stay.

Palat-Johnson-Callahan
Drouin-Namestnikov-Kucherov
Killorn-(UFA)-JAM
Paquette-Boyle-Brown/Condra

It's incredibly difficult to justify that this would not be an ideal top 6 going into next year. The love affair with Filppula has got to stop. By this point, Namestnikov's role is clearly defined and you have a few guys that can swing like JAM, Killorn, Palat and Callahan. If Filppula stuck around we'd never see Namestnikov get a regular role. Yzerman went out of his way to draft this kid because he's the kind of player we want to build the team around. It needs to happen sooner or later

i love talking about this type of stuff cause i usually disagree so often with others

yet im going to refrain and try to do my best to keep this out of game days playoffs etc.. and talk it into the 2016 place etc.. im down to talk about it big time my biggest thing is carle moves but id bet we could lose jam also based on numbers etc..

stamkos is going to sign

 

[DFC]

That's what I said previously. Yzerman MUST trade Flip in the offseason for 2 obvious reasons:

1.) Vlad outplayed Flip by a good margin but Cooper still gives the Finnish(ed) more minutes and better linemates, it's automatic. I don't trust Coop's judgment to suddenly shift in favor of the Russian next year. Flip had his worst campaign this season, rookie year aside, he's also becoming a minus machine but in the end, Coop never holds him accountable. By not accepting that Vlad is today a better player than Filppula, Coop is being partial and that clearly hurts our team.

2.) Just imagine Filp having a similar season next year ? We're basically having a Carle 2.0 situation where nobody will touch his contract with a ten foot pole until 2019. Do it before it's too late Stevie.

I agree with #2, but not with #1. If your coach is making choices that are so bad that you have to make personnel decisions just to take it out of the coach's hands, then the problem is way, way deeper than just moving Flip. I do believe we've seen Yzerman make these types of moves (Connolly), for these reasons, but that in itself is terrifying.

It's terrifying because I don't think Coop is realistically in any danger of being fired, despite routinely making decisions that show a downright defiant attitude toward logic.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

I stand by my post from last night for several reasons, mostly due to the fact that it serves perfectly well as a standalone without any specific context, but I do have to say that it is a massive relief, personally, to see that Namestnikov will, in fact, be dressed tonight. I'm still not thrilled that JAM is a scratch but, again, that's a lost cause, I'm afraid, barring injury, and, frankly, I'd rather dress Condra than Blunden, though that's spare 4th line minutes so it's probably not a huge deal (though didn't Condra score two against Detroit last time against them?), but Namestnikov being a healthy scratch would've given me a coronary. I am quite relieved by this return of common sense for Cooper.

--

Green Unit is mentioning that Filppula needs to be dealt this offseason. Lemme add a third reason, and one that I don't enjoy myself because I'm still a bigger Flip fan than most around here, I suspect, but, really, Flip needs to be moved out so that Cooper can't keep falling back on him anymore. Same reason as...Jiri Sekac, I believe it was, was moved out of Montreal for DSP last season. Therrien loved going back to him for important minutes even though Sekac is eminently replaceable and fungible. Same thing with Filppula, really; his cap hit makes him unsatisfying, both short and long term, and he's firmly entrenched as a Cooper Trooper; Cooper will have no choice but to have to adapt to not having Filppula if he is no longer on the roster.

Furthermore, the fear that Cooper would not elevate Namestnikov to 2nd line minutes is the exact same rationale I used in saying that I don't think Slater Koekkoek, at all, has an NHL job waiting for him out of camp next season. Because, as long as Cooper is head coach, I just can't see him entrusting even bottom pair duties to Koekkoek when veteran options still exist.

On a baseball blog that I have visited for several years, there is a running joke about veteran "presents"; the take-off that phrase is from is pretty obvious. With Cooper, we might really have to think about co-opting that phrase to this subforum as well.

i would play blunden so why would you play condra? blunden has been pretty impressive kinda like paquette was last year

condra has been a whatever player all year kinda like morrow last year

i like the lines i get why some fans dont but we got a shut down line and we have a super good fourth line imho that seriously has a chance to score i like two big guys who drive net with vladdy

 

[Kramerica Industries]

I agree with #2, but not with #1. If your coach is making choices that are so bad that you have to make personnel decisions just to take it out of the coach's hands, then the problem is way, way deeper than just moving Flip. I do believe we've seen Yzerman make these types of moves (Connolly), for these reasons, but that in itself is terrifying.

It's terrifying because I don't think Coop is realistically in any danger of being fired, despite routinely making decisions that show a downright defiant attitude toward logic.

That's terrifying for different reasons, in that Cooper is having decisions made for him and he counteracts them with his own big of dis-logic. I was talking about how last season was supposed to be a gradual addition of duties type season for Drouin, and when Yzerman apparently deemed him ready for Connolly's minutes, Connolly was moved out. I can't think Yzerman moves out a decent possession winger who looked like he could score 15-20 goals in a contending season just for kicks; he did so because he felt Drouin was ready for those duties.

Cooper disagreed. Then Drouin gets scratched, and then the Lightning, inexplicably with their roster, are short on scoring depth during the playoffs, and remain so now after an entire regular season to follow. Jeezus, figure that one out and how, when we were all having fun rosterbaiting line pairings two years ago, this has actually happened. That's a massive indictment on Cooper.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

i would play blunden so why would you play condra? blunden has been pretty impressive kinda like paquette was last year

condra has been a whatever player all year kinda like morrow last year

i like the lines i get why some fans dont but we got a shut down line and we have a super good fourth line imho that seriously has a chance to score i like two big guys who drive net with vladdy

little bit unfair to embolden half that sentence and not point out that I immediately said that, for me at least, it's "not that big a deal". If we're talking about which grinder on the 4th line is the bigger difference like it's actually an important deal, then we've got a bigger spate of issues to deal with than any of us want to realize.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

That's what I said previously. Yzerman MUST trade Flip in the offseason for 2 obvious reasons:

1.) Vlad outplayed Flip by a good margin but Cooper still gives the Finnish(ed) more minutes and better linemates, it's automatic. I don't trust Coop's judgment to suddenly shift in favor of the Russian next year. Flip had his worst campaign this season, rookie year aside, he's also becoming a minus machine but in the end, Coop never holds him accountable. By not accepting that Vlad is today a better player than Filppula, Coop is being partial and that clearly hurts our team.

2.) Just imagine Filp having a similar season next year ? We're basically having a Carle 2.0 situation where nobody will touch his contract with a ten foot pole until 2019. Do it before it's too late Stevie.

i agree yzerman needs to move filppula but that is so can give stamkos a good deal and keep kucherov has little or nothing to do with play

i get a lot of you dont like the numbers of cally and flipper but they actually play the hard minutes while others are able to play offensive moments more deep stats would show this and this is why flipper and cally get those big minutes and others dont

its why it works also you take out too many spokes in the wheel and the bicycle collapses I disagree how it hurts our team so much vladdy is earning his time just like kucherov

just like now jonathan drouin is earning his time (would anyone say jodru is even similar to the player he was?) I doubt if you could get one fan to say hey he could have done this the whole time unless hes a knucklehead

The statement of why draft guys you got to remember stevie is drafting guys looking at a 3-4 even 5 year return not that they are finished products after 1-2 or even 3 years lol

I think cooper is on the stevie plan myself and a lot more comes from stevie than you all think

ive asked this to all of you if not cooper than WHO

who do you want as a coach to me the pickings are slim and none and none left the building

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

little bit unfair to embolden half that sentence and not point out that I immediately said that, for me at least, it's "not that big a deal". If we're talking about which grinder on the 4th line is the bigger difference like it's actually an important deal, then we've got a bigger spate of issues to deal with than any of us want to realize.

no i am in all truthfulness asking the question wasnt putting it down im in the club of play jam lol over both of them but i like or have came to accept mike blunden as a player not like hes going to be here long but he reminds me a lot like pouliot and we all saw what he did this year in edmonton when id consider him a waste of space compared to others lol

i like offensive gifted people the vladdy thing is funny to me i was on vladdy train for two years and felt alone and abandoned now look i am not always right is why i ask questions

i seriously wanted to know why you would want condra in is it the factor of those couple goals or the factor of having a veteran etc.. I was simply honestly very curious

i said last year vladdy would hit the weights and be our next palat well the kid is doing it proud of him proud of all our guys sad fact we cant keep them all some got to go

 

[Todd1a]

i agree yzerman needs to move filppula but that is so can give stamkos a good deal and keep kucherov has little or nothing to do with play

i get a lot of you dont like the numbers of cally and flipper but they actually play the hard minutes while others are able to play offensive moments more deep stats would show this and this is why flipper and cally get those big minutes and others dont

its why it works also you take out too many spokes in the wheel and the bicycle collapses I disagree how it hurts our team so much vladdy is earning his time just like kucherov

just like now jonathan drouin is earning his time (would anyone say jodru is even similar to the player he was?) I doubt if you could get one fan to say hey he could have done this the whole time unless hes a knucklehead

The statement of why draft guys you got to remember stevie is drafting guys looking at a 3-4 even 5 year return not that they are finished products after 1-2 or even 3 years lol

I think cooper is on the stevie plan myself and a lot more comes from stevie than you all think

ive asked this to all of you if not cooper than WHO

who do you want as a coach to me the pickings are slim and none and none left the building

No need to move flipper we are not signing Stamkos Robert

 

[Todd1a]

Is Johnson in tonight ?

 

[Brie]

Is Johnson in tonight ?

He's still game time decision but he did play this morning so I'd say that the chance of him playing is good.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

The ****ing feeling when the game is at 2.00, 6 hours before you need to get to school

So you have plenty of time to watch before you have to leave

 

[Felonious Python]

TB in 3

 

[Stormbreaker]

It's that time again, lets go !

 

[Leonardo87]

i get a lot of you dont like the numbers of cally and flipper but they actually play the hard minutes while others are able to play offensive moments more deep stats would show this and this is why flipper and cally get those big minutes and others dont

Well said Robert, people need to understand, especially on HF boards, when you are put into a 3rd line shutdown role your production is going to be affected. Also their PK TOI is among the top for all forwards this season, think only Boyle has more. So sacrificing offense for defense is what happens. We have a top 10 PK because of their efforts. People look at their price tags and say they are overpaid, but they do things on a grand level, whether it's winning face offs, blocking shots, or hitting, they do it on an elite level and their ability and skillset to play in the top 6 when it goes stale(pretty much all season) is also a plus. That is the difference between a guy making 2 million vs 5 million. As per the offense, well when you put a 4th liner on their LW, it does not help their offensive case, but Brown has actually been good for them, but imagine Palat or even throw Vladdy with them on LW?

People here as usually overexaggerate things, and their seasons did not suck, they were decent, not great, but not terrible. They had issues, some due to injuries, and just very bad luck. Both of these guys should get at least another season to bounce back, especially since the entire top 6 was pretty much down from last season. If they were the only ones struggling this past season, then it's a different story. But our entire top 6 is down or not where they should be. We are in the playoffs because of Bishop. That is why he should win the Vezina, that is what the awards should be about. But that is a discussion for another time. lol.

Anyway, tonight starts a new season, win now, score a goal or two, and no one gives a **** about what happened in the regular season.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

this last hour seemed to drag out into like 24 hours anticipation sucks lol

i mean jeez move ahead clock im readyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to rumbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

hurrrrry

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

It feels like the playoffs came early this year, but that's probably because I didn't spend a lot of time paying attention this season. Regardless, I'm pumped for this game. Go Bolts!!