GDT: Duck Duck Goose | Anaheim Ducks @ Carolina Hurricanes | 7:00 PM | PNC Arena

[Blueline Bomber]

2 points are 2 points, no matter how we get them.

Still hate the shootout

 

[Unsustainable]

Peters is tied with Edmonton in wins.

 

[Wolfpuck]

8-7-4

"winning record"

 

[Vagrant]

Screw that, Dvorak has been a major contribution to our first real fourth line in how many years? You can't expect much more from him in a top 9 role. When he was brought in it was to beef up the 4th line and add another experienced pker. He's exceeded expectations so far. If anyones going to be a healthy scratch, it's Ruutu.

I wouldn't argue in terms of Ruutu going out over Dvorak, but as unfortunate as it is sometimes you have to work the guys that you're paying out of slumps bit by bit. Ruutu hasn't ever been this bad as a Hurricane and he needs to build some confidence back before he can be useful to us, but at his number it doesn't make any sense to put him in the pressbox for a veteran on a league minimum contract who is on his last crack at the NHL when the production disparity isn't so widely obscene that it would be unreasonable. In essence, all things being equal I would probably say the same thing but Ruutu has anchored himself for better or worse to this team and we have to do all within our power to drag production out of him.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

E.Staal is now credited with Semin's goal

 

[Wolfpuck]

E.Staal is now credited with Semin's goal

classless

 

[Novacane]

Pete Dawg singled out Manny and the bad man, Eric Staal as the guys who have kept the guys going over this stretch. Perhaps Eric isn't as bas a leader as people like to say he is.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Dvorak's "production" is in fulfilling his role as a reliable PK'er and 4th liner. His offensive stats are nearly irrelevant, because he's not in a scoring role at all.

Ruutu's role is to be a top-6 scoring threat and sometime PP option. Simply running around putting the body on people is not good enough. His stat line is highly relevant, because his actions need to lead to goals or he will simply be an anchor on his linemates.

IMO the production disparity between these players actually is so wide that it would be unreasonable to scratch Dvorak just to keep Ruutu. It makes no sense to just grab hold of that anchor and sink to the bottom with it.

 

[HisIceness]

E.Staal is now credited with Semin's goal

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Jordan is such a man beast. He was plowing through Ryan Getzlaf and Dustin Penner like they were AHL'ers when they tried to wedge him on the boards. When he's roaring down at full tilt, you can either give him the ice and try to block his passing lanes or maybe slow him down but give him the rest of the ice. If Getzlaf can't stop him....

You can see why the Hockey News/Daddy Staal thought he was the best...he has unrivaled strength and speed as a package. It's insane. Brandon Sutter isn't even in the same stratosphere.

 

[Ole Gil]

IMO the production disparity between these players actually is so wide that it would be unreasonable to scratch Dvorak just to keep Ruutu. It makes no sense to just grab hold of that anchor and sink to the bottom with it.

I didn't read back further...what's the argument? Skinner comes back, Terry goes to the AHL where he belongs, Dvorak stays with Bowman and Malhotra?

 

[Joe McGrath]

E.Staal is now credited with Semin's goal

Did the Semin shot hit Eric in the shaft?

 

[Lazyking]

Leadership goal by Staal.

 

[DaveG]

I still say it: **** the shootout, dunn curr that we were on the right end of the gimmick point tonight.

On another note, I'm all in favor of playing like this if it gets us to the playoffs. It's been far too long since we've tasted the post-season and instead of trying to run and gun our way in like previous years we're suffocating our way in. Kinky, but I like it if it works.

 

[Lazyking]

I still say it: **** the shootout, dunn curr that we were on the right end of the gimmick point tonight.

On another note, I'm all in favor of playing like this if it gets us to the playoffs. It's been far too long since we've tasted the post-season and instead of trying to run and gun our way in like previous years we're suffocating our way in. Kinky, but I like it if it works.

This. Do what you have to do to make the playoffs. Fans might not like it in the short term as "entertaining" hockey but from a business standpoint, the Canes have to do whatever they can to make the playoffs this year. It's been too long.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I didn't read back further...what's the argument? Skinner comes back, Terry goes to the AHL where he belongs, Dvorak stays with Bowman and Malhotra?

Basically, which of Terry Ruutu and Dvorak should sit when Skinner comes back.

 

[Sasha Cares]

Ruutu

AINEC

 

[Swag Surf Aho]

Basically, which of Terry Ruutu and Dvorak should sit when Skinner comes back.

I don't see Terry as being anybody but a powerplay and shootout specialist in his NHL career.

I'll gladly eat crow on this one but he's small and gets knocked off the puck easily and there's been a couple of instances when he's had somebody trailing down the opposite wing only to end up shooting at the goalie's chest.

Just my two cents, dress Terry but only for what he's good at.

 

[Sasha Cares]

That's more than Ruutu is.

 

[Ole Gil]

Ruutu's play will enhance Jeff Skinner's results via net presence, passing, physical play, and board work.

Terry is different from Zach Boychuk in no ways.

 

[Frank Booth239*]

Plus, this team is playing trap 101 right now. Crashing to the house on every offensive chance and chipping pucks up boards. They're hoping to hold the opposition to less than 3 and trying to muster up theirs by any means required. It's working for us right now, but it creates some really fun draining hockey. But I don't know if we have the production right now to justify any other way of playing. Hopefully they can ratchet up the offense when some of these guys we pay to produce start doing it.

Agreed. It's like watching the Nashville Predators 2.0. And they are boring, but Nashville actually manages to make the playoffs sometimes.

But I say go for it. Obviously, this is what the team needs to do to win. Keep the opposing shots right around 28 or so, and deal with only getting to take that many, and see what happens.

 

[Vagrant]

Dvorak's "production" is in fulfilling his role as a reliable PK'er and 4th liner. His offensive stats are nearly irrelevant, because he's not in a scoring role at all.

Ruutu's role is to be a top-6 scoring threat and sometime PP option. Simply running around putting the body on people is not good enough. His stat line is highly relevant, because his actions need to lead to goals or he will simply be an anchor on his linemates.

IMO the production disparity between these players actually is so wide that it would be unreasonable to scratch Dvorak just to keep Ruutu. It makes no sense to just grab hold of that anchor and sink to the bottom with it.

But the thing about Dvorak is that he's not playing only 4th line minutes, really. And he's not even a primary option on the penalty kill. He's kind of out there.... roving between lines. Not unlike a number of our other guys. The most comparable guy on the roster to him being Riley Nash in his TOI spread. These guys are all over the lineup on any given night and to say that anybody in the bottom six has really cemented themselves in a particular role is difficult as a result of those roles constantly changing. With the way we're being coached right now, everybody on the roster is three good shifts away from playing with Staal and Semin it seems.

Ruutu has been pretty brutal. This much is true. But what is also true is that our commitment to Ruutu, as ill-advised as it seems/was/is/will be, is much more important to our long term success than anything that Dvorak can offer us. We can't afford, literally, to run Ruutu into the pressbox. He has to fight out of this funk and taking him out of the lineup isn't the answer.

I will just say that perception is often skewed by what we know about players, and what we know about Ruutu's salary relative to production compared to Dvorak's story makes Dvorak's relative sins much easier to absolve. I personally don't feel that Dvorak in a bottom six role gives us anything that Ruutu in a bottom six role wouldn't give us.

And as easy as it would be to marginalize Terry for being a one trick pony, it's a trick we really need on the roster. Undersized forward who can play the point on the powerplay and has sweet shootout dangles? Where have I seen this before?

But seriously, give Terry some time to get comfortable in the lineup and I would imagine that his offensive game blossoms a bit. Nothing outrageous, but he has some great hands and we've seen glimpses of what he could potentially provide. I liked a few plays he made backchecking tonight and reading the play well to get that 2 on 1 and not forcing a bad pass. There's something there.

Hell, if anything what Drayson Bowman did tonight should be an eye opener in regards to what an investment can do for a player. Not that Bowman has been blowing the doors down, but he doesn't look as lost up here as he once did. Progress is progress. Sometimes guys just need the right place to jump in.

 

[gocanes88]

Just finished watching the game. What is this I don't even

 

[Roboturner913]

Actually got a chance to watch this one. Hot dog! BTW if you search for "Chris Terry" you will see I was high on him during the offseason. Guy has instincts, period.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

And as easy as it would be to marginalize Terry for being a one trick pony, it's a trick we really need on the roster. Undersized forward who can play the point on the powerplay and has sweet shootout dangles? Where have I seen this before?