GDT: Feb 26, 7PM | Hurricanes @ Capitals

[tarheelhockey]

Talent is certainly a problem right now with all the injuries to key players, but it's also that the players who are on the ice largely don't seem to try all that often.

It tends to look that way when the other team has the puck the whole game because we're terrible.

I guarantee we get better results with Pitkanen and Skinner back in the lineup, regardless whether they try as hard as Murphy and Westgarth.

 

[Ole Gil]

I thought E Staal had a nice game tonight. Just wasn't able to bury the chances. But he and Semin created a lot of high quality ones. If they play like that every game, we'll see more 3 point nights for that line than 0 point nights.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

It tends to look that way when the other team has the puck the whole game because we're terrible.

I guarantee we get better results with Pitkanen and Skinner back in the lineup, regardless whether they try as hard as Murphy and Westgarth.

Westgarth brings so much to this team just by being on the bench. He lets the other team know that if they have a useless plug who wants to fight in a prearranged meeting off the faceoff, he may fight them and may possibly win that pointless fight.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Westgarth brings so much to this team just by being on the bench. He lets the other team know that if they have a useless plug who wants to fight in a prearranged meeting off the faceoff, he may fight them and may possibly win that pointless fight.

I'd almost rather have Anthony Stewart in than Westgarth.

 

[CanesAvs16]

I'd almost rather have Anthony Stewart in than Westgarth.

^ Agreed.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Or Captain is not a very good leader when things go badly... Every year when the team struggles, you rarely see Eric put them on his back to get them out of it

You mean like literally the last game against the Islanders when they were down 2-0 and he scored to start a comeback? Exactly how short and/or selective is your memory?

 

[Novacane]

I definitely would make that swap. Have no clue what Westgarth's role is on this team other than wasted roster spot and waste of assets.

 

[Identity404]

Westgarth has to know what his role on his team is, he even has it on his ****ing twitter profile. Muller is all about finding a role for everyone on the team. So I can only guess that it is Muller who does not want him doing what every one thinks he should be doing. Maybe Muller even thinks Westgarth can actually be an effective NHL player without gooning it up.

If that is actually the case I seriously question Muller's ability to be a NHL coach.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

The NBC Sports panel says that the call on Jokinen was a bad call.

 

[geehaad]

Forgive me if it's already been said, but what a supreme disappointment the Hurricanes were tonight. They played light it was a Tuesday night game in Ottawa, already out of the playoff hunt. They certainly didn't look like they were playing a divisional opponent, holding onto a tenuous division lead, only hours from bulletin board statements being made by a player from the other team. Listless, pointless, and passionless...not sure how that is even ****ing possible, given the gravity of the situation.

It's nights like this where I question Eric Staal as the captain of this team. He wasn't invisible, but he certainly wasn't the leader you expect in a game like this.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Westgarth has to know what his role on his team is, he even has it on his ****ing twitter profile. Muller is all about finding a role for everyone on the team. So I can only guess that it is Muller who does not want him doing what every one thinks he should be doing. Maybe Muller even thinks Westgarth can actually be an effective NHL player without gooning it up.

If that is actually the case I serious question Muller's ability to be a NHL coach.

AJJ makes this point... the true enforcer is dead.

Westgarth can only fight if someone goes with him. And there is no way Brouwer is going to exchange himself for 5 minutes for Kevin ****ing Westgarth.

The only reason we have Westgarth is so he can go out and fight other useless hockey players like Colton Orr or Tom Kostopulous.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Maybe Muller even thinks Westgarth can actually be an effective NHL player without gooning it up.

He had a front row seat to the disproof of that theory tonight. How many turnovers and whiffs?

At some point sanity has to prevail. Bowman sitting for Westgarth makes no sense.

 

[CanesAvs16]

I think we can all agree that this team is ********* with our injuries. HOWEVER, as someone already pointed out, Ottawa is winning even with their major injuries. Jokinen needs either be benched or traded. His play this year is terrible. LaRose needs to be on the 4th line or traded, he is past whatever "prime" he may have had.

Other teams are dealing with their injuries. Our lines need to stop being switched every single period of every game. How the hell are they supposed to develop any chemistry if they don't play together for more than 20 minutes? I know Tlusty/E Staal/Semin haven't put up great numbers the past, what? Three games? But they were doing great before that. We know they are capable of leading this team.

For the amount of time they have been given I think our AHL guys are doing what should be expected of them. I like Bowman, Dalpe, and Nash. Give them time to develop. You can't expect them to come in and play like seasoned NHL vets. If I remember correctly, E Staal had a rough first season as well (I compare this to E Staals first season because none of these guys have been given a chance to play a full season in the NHL or even close to as many games)

Sangs has got to go back to the Checkers. THIS should be our main area of concern right now. I believe our forwards will start to produce, however, we have no defensive depth. We need a good stay at home defenseman. We need a defensive defenseman. Saying our offense is terrible right now is acutely accurate, but after what I have witnessed watching all the canes and checkers games this year, I think they can turn it around. I would be more focused on defense than anything.

 

[geehaad]

never mind

 

[Identity404]

AJJ makes this point... the true enforcer is dead.

Westgarth can only fight if someone goes with him. And there is no way Brouwer is going to exchange himself for 5 minutes for Kevin ****ing Westgarth.

The only reason we have Westgarth is so he can go out and fight other useless hockey players like Colton Orr or Tom Kostopulous.

You're right the true enforcer is dead, and has been dead for quite some time now. I can understand Muller dressing Westgarth when there is another goon wasting a roster spot on the other team and we want Westgarth to go toe-to-toe with him. I still think it's a waste of a roster spot, but i'll attribute that to Muller being a bit old-school I guess. What I don't understand is why we continue to dress our enforcer who doesn't even enforce (stick up for teammates after bad hits, etc, not just the staged fight crap) when there isn't one even playing for the other team.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

You're right the true enforcer is dead, and has been dead for quite some time now. I can understand Muller dressing Westgarth when there is another goon wasting a roster spot on the other team and we want Westgarth to go toe-to-toe with him. I still think it's a waste of a roster spot, but i'll attribute that to Muller being a bit old-school I guess. What I don't understand is why we continue to dress our enforcer who doesn't even enforce (stick up for teammates after bad hits, etc, not just the staged fight crap) when there isn't one even playing for the other team.

Agree. It's really weird.

Maybe some players have told Muller that they feel safer with Westgarth in the lineup?

 

[w e l o s t b o y s]

I don't understand why this team can't generate anything off the rush, I feel like our only offense comes from our cycle game and when we can't generate a cycle we get destroyed. Considering some of the speed we have through our lineup I feel that we're really missing that.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I don't understand why this team can't generate anything off the rush, I feel like our only offense comes from our cycle game and when we can generate a cycle we get destroyed. Considering some of the speed we have through our lineup I feel that we're really missing that.

They generate the rushes themselves they just don't score often. Ofcorse the game winner from the last game was a 4 on 2 rush.

 

[Identity404]

Agree. It's really weird.

Maybe some players have told Muller that they feel safer with Westgarth in the lineup?

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bit of nepotism at play. Westgarth seems to be a good locker-room guy by all accounts. The fact that he ended up in Raleigh and we had to overpay to get him here because he skated with the guys during the lockout and has ties to the area kind of already proves that.

 

[MoJoSauce]

Is that interview video on YouTube yet? I cannot find it.

Here you go, link and transcription of the interview
http://www.russianmachineneverbreak...-two-part-english-interview-with-tripp-tracy/

 

[tarheelhockey]

I don't understand why this team can't generate anything off the rush, I feel like our only offense comes from our cycle game and when we can't generate a cycle we get destroyed. Considering some of the speed we have through our lineup I feel that we're really missing that.

Pitkanen and McBain out of the lineup neuters our three-zone offensive game. NHL defenses aren't going to allow a lot of quality chances when we've got AHL'ers making the first pass.

We've been noticeably slower since losing Joni in particular.

 

[DaveG]

Pitkanen and McBain out of the lineup neuters our three-zone offensive game. NHL defenses aren't going to allow a lot of quality chances when we've got AHL'ers making the first pass.

We've been noticeably slower since losing Joni in particular.

Exactly. For all the flak they take this team is SO much more efficient offensively with Joni and Rainier Wolfcastle in the lineup. Basically the entirety of the transition game is generated off the back end, and we're missing 3 of our top 4.

 

[Joe McGrath]

The team is 8-3 with McBain in the lineup, FWIW.

 

[Novacane]

Do we even know what McBain is sidelined with?

 

[Goodafternoon]

Fans: I just want to be clear: my team did win tonight. Oh yes. I will rejoin the #Caps one day.
Alex Semin twitter

Hmmmmm?

Not sure if serious

Ohhp I got fooled by a fake twitter.

Should have known Semin probably didn't have a twitter.