Pre-Game Talk: CARPHI, 7PM, THU.

[Anton Dubinchuk]

If I had to guess, I think we are fine down the stretch, not world beaters, not terrible, and end up in the playoffs because everyone around us is dropping like flies (both with injuries and with their play). Then we lose in 5 or 6 to Washington or Boston.

Seeding doesn’t matter too much to me - this season is about making the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARCRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

5-1 loss incoming

 

[spockBokk]

Vatanen maybe participating in practice today. Getting him integrated into the top 4 ASAP I think would be huge...

 

[Daeavorn]

We are winning this and we are going to score AT LEAST 3 goals tonight. Ned is gonna play lights out and only allow 1.

3-1 Car.

 

[WhiteTrashAmerican]

We are winning this and we are going to score AT LEAST 3 goals tonight. Ned is gonna play lights out and only allow 1.

3-1 Car.

i disagree, im guaranteeing we only score 0 goals tonight

 

[Chrispy]

Vatanen maybe participating in practice today. Getting him integrated into the top 4 ASAP I think would be huge...

Do you see him jumping immediately to top pairing with Slavin? I don't see him pairing with Skjei, so that leaves him either 1st pairing or 3rd:

Slavin-Vatanen
Fleury-Skjei
Edmundson/Gardiner-TVR

 

[Tryamw]

i disagree, im guaranteeing we only score 0 goals tonight

I disagree it's practice time (Maybe) If so we'll score tons... Poor cardboard cutout is going to get shellacked..

 

[spockBokk]

Do you see him jumping immediately to top pairing with Slavin? I don't see him pairing with Skjei, so that leaves him either 1st pairing or 3rd:

Slavin-Vatanen
Fleury-Skjei
Edmundson/Gardiner-TVR

I'd go:

Slavin-TVR
Skjei-Vatanen

or vice versa so that no one in the top 4 has to play their off side...

 

[My Special Purpose]

Tonight, we sit back, relax, turn on the TV and root for injuries and overtime.

OK, that's wrong. Not overtime.

 

[MinJaBen]

Tonight, we sit back, relax, turn on the TV and root for injuries and overtime.

OK, that's wrong. Not overtime.

I’m not going to root for injuries. However, I don’t see a problem rooting for a bunch of guys to get player safety meetings tomorrow.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

I’m not going to root for injuries. However, I don’t see a problem rooting for a bunch of guys to get player safety meetings tomorrow.

How about A TERRIBLE HANGOVER.

 

[My Special Purpose]

I’m not going to root for injuries. However, I don’t see a problem rooting for a bunch of guys to get player safety meetings tomorrow.

I submit that -- although more eloquent than my suggestion -- one is impossible without the other.

Which kinda makes it perfect.

Carry on.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Tonight, we sit back, relax, turn on the TV and root for injuries and overtime.

OK, that's wrong. Not overtime.

Let’s take inventory of what’s happened in the last few weeks.

NYR missing: Skjei, Kreider, Shesterkin
CBJ missing: Jones, Bjorkstrand
NYI missing: Boychuk, Cizikas, Pelech
FLA missing: Trocheck

There have been some adds over this time too (but none as big as us adding Trocheck and Skjei, “Waddell used Mega Drain! It’s Super Effective!”), but after playing half a season without our Norris candidate, and losing one of our other top pairing caliber guys recently, the other teams are catching up, bodycount-wise.

Also, add me to the list of people that think the goaltending situation isn’t even worth mentioning. Team’s played bad, goaltending won’t steal any games but will be serviceable if the team plays well.

 

[MinJaBen]

Also, add me to the list of people that think the goaltending situation isn’t even worth mentioning. Team’s played bad, goaltending won’t steal any games but will be serviceable if the team plays well.

I don’t get this thinking. Yes, our goalies will not steal any games. But other teams that we are fighting with will have goalies that steal games. Some have already stolen a few from us. Not addressing that deficiency puts us at a disadvantage.

 

[jiitu]

I remember from last PHIL game that I was really impressed their way to deliver puck close to net, either with fast cross-pass or from behind a goal. I rarely get such clear feeling that some team is doing something clearly in different way as I am not tactic wizzard.

I wached few days ago Philli at MGS and jesus, I got scared for upcoming match here. Their fast cross-passing on the far-post...wow, and they are all the time looking for all kind of chances for redirections and onetimers.

So I am not very optimistic.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I don’t get this thinking. Yes, our goalies will not steal any games. But other teams that we are fighting with will have goalies that steal games. Some have already stolen a few from us. Not addressing that deficiency puts us at a disadvantage.

I think we didn’t have goalies that would regularly steal games before the injuries, so to me it’s a net neutral.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

If I had to guess, I think we are fine down the stretch, not world beaters, not terrible, and end up in the playoffs because everyone around us is dropping like flies (both with injuries and with their play). Then we lose in 5 or 6 to Washington or Boston.

Seeding doesn’t matter too much to me - this season is about making the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Man, I wish I could hold that same optimism. I just can't see how this team overcomes the remaining schedule it has. Maybe if the games remaining were more favorable, but when even the national spotlight is taking notice of the brutality of our schedule, it's not a good thing.

 

[AD Skinner]

True but we play the devils and sabres twice and the senators and red wings once each, which are some should-wins. The two games with nyi are also big time swing games, win both of those and you likely take their spot

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Man, I wish I could hold that same optimism. I just can't see how this team overcomes the remaining schedule it has. Maybe if the games remaining were more favorable, but when even the national spotlight is taking notice of the brutality of our schedule, it's not a good thing.

A reply from Micah directly to Greg’s tweet:



I think we are naturally a woe is us group and the last 10 years hasn’t given us much reason not to be. But this is so so doable, we’re not even really playing from behind when you consider the games in hand on Columbus. 2 spots are up for grabs for 4 teams, and there’s a strong case to be made that we’re the best of that group. Doesn’t mean it’s a done deal or anything, but I’m really struggling to see the reason why the sky is falling.

 

[Daeavorn]

i disagree, im guaranteeing we only score 0 goals tonight

You seem pleasant.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

You seem pleasant.

The joke is that there's no game tonight, you see.

 

[Lempo]

The joke is that there's no game tonight, you see.

This obviously isn't evidence to one way or another on whether or not he's a dick.

 

[GoldiFox]

A reply from Micah directly to Greg’s tweet:



I think we are naturally a woe is us group and the last 10 years hasn’t given us much reason not to be. But this is so so doable, we’re not even really playing from behind when you consider the games in hand on Columbus. 2 spots are up for grabs for 4 teams, and there’s a strong case to be made that we’re the best of that group. Doesn’t mean it’s a done deal or anything, but I’m really struggling to see the reason why the sky is falling.

Dom Luszczyszyn's model on the Athletic has the same conclusion. Columbus and NYR actually have tougher schedules than Carolina according to him. His model has Carolina (68%) with better playoff odds than Columbus (25%) and NYR (18%).

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Dom Luszczyszyn's model on the Athletic has the same conclusion. Columbus and NYR actually have tougher schedules than Carolina according to him. His model has Carolina (68%) with better playoff odds than Columbus (25%) and NYR (18%).

Yeah and we’ve gained like 7% since our last game because everyone keeps losing.