The critics are slowly disappearing around here, and I think there is or should be a gradual appreciation that this is a very good and deep team that will be a serious threat.
Some of us predicted this.
Of course lots of hockey to be played still but it's nice when the team plays like the sum of its parts.
Giving me extreme 17-18 vibes. The thing that really excites me is the way we look off the rush right now. We have several guys who can carry the mail, our speed is making zone entries so much easier. We can hurt you off the rush or the cycle which is a real problem for opponents.
The coaching staff needs to hap on the players about pp movement, we did it well for a few games and the results spoke for themselves.
Goalies keep trending like this and we get our special teams up to the 100% standard and I don't think anyone besides Colorado is a real threat to us in the Central.
Mason is on a heater with his current shooting % (18.8) so I expect him to nomalize at some point but Nino is having a big impact on that line and he and Adam are both normal as far as their shooting % so I expect this line to keep kicking ass as long as they play together even if Apples regresses a bit to the mean.
That trade deadline pick up was really valuable.
Appleton is starting to go to the net with regularity and is finally using his size effectively to impose his will on the boards and protect the puck. All the players on this line are big and do this, it has to be exhausting playing against them.