GDT: G:15 Wild @ LA 9:30 pm CT/5:30 am Finland (FSN)

[TaLoN]

Some very positive signs from the team. D looks good all round.
Coyle looked really good, and Nino looked good. Parise still playing great, Koivu solid, Granlund solid, Zucker showing signs, Ek, too. I didn't even mind Brown.

Btw, remember when Kopitar was one of the best players in the league? Doughty, too?

I thought Brown played rather well tonight.

 

[Bazeek]

Some very positive signs from the team. D looks good all round.
Coyle looked really good, and Nino looked good. Parise still playing great, Koivu solid, Granlund solid, Zucker showing signs, Ek, too. I didn't even mind Brown.

Btw, remember when Kopitar was one of the best players in the league? Doughty, too?

I keep waiting for him to annoy me, but he's been working pretty okay as the waterbug on that line.

 

[Bazeek]

We've seen a lot of Joel Eriksson Eh this year, and far too much Joel Eriksson Ick, but tonight I did see a little Joel Eriksson Ok. He needs to stop whiffing on pucks though.

 

[57special]

Brown is small, so he doesn't have leverage going for him, but he is strong. Also fast. If he was just a bit smarter, or niftier, he'd be something. You notice at the end of the game Coyle, Fehr, and Foligno were out there, with Ek , Greenway, and Brown on the bench. Smart move by the coaches.

Foligno is a really good 4 th line/ PK guy.

 

[MNRube]

I think Foligno has been terrific of late. Probably deserves a look with better line mates. He’s playing with a ton of confidence and is noticeable every shift.

We might have something in this team. They look they are having a good time and playing loose. Very positive signs. Also, I think our blueline is the best in the NHL at the moment. Pateryn and Seeler are a great third pair.

 

[57special]

Foligno is best being the leader on the 4th line, a good PK'er, and part of a " Super" shutdown line with Fehr and Coyle at the end of tight games when they are ahead( has two C's for redundancy).

Foligno is not very good in a designed offense. His comes from scrappy and lone, effort. One things get even mildly complicated, he screws it up.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

He still probably gets paid a little too much for what his role is, but I've been pleasantly surprised. That 4th line has turned into a pretty dang reliable group lately. Please keep scratching Hendricks though

 

[absolute garbage]

You notice at the end of the game Coyle, Fehr, and Foligno were out there, with Ek , Greenway, and Brown on the bench. Smart move by the coaches.

I mean, Foligno took a dumb careless penalty 200 feet from the net with 2 minutes left in a one goal game. Wouldn't exactly say they were rewarded for that decision.

 

[57special]

I mean, Foligno took a dumb careless penalty 200 feet from the net with 2 minutes left in a one goal game. Wouldn't exactly say they were rewarded for that decision.

Well, technically speaking, the penalties in the O zone are the ones you want to avoid.

That penalty wasn't great, nor was Fehr's(?), but both were unlucky more than anything. It's not like Foligno intentionally tried to trip, hold, or slash him.

Are you really making a case that Foligno would not be one of the top 3 players out of the bottom six we played last night because of one unlucky penalty?

 

[57special]

One other thing. I thought that EK, Greenway, and Coyle were borderline dominant out there as forecheckers for a lot of their TOI. Coyle, especially, looked terrific. The other team still aren't the greatest with the puck. Greenway is going to be something when he matures physically.

 

[absolute garbage]

Well, technically speaking, the penalties in the O zone are the ones you want to avoid.

That penalty wasn't great, nor was Fehr's(?), but both were unlucky more than anything. It's not like Foligno intentionally tried to trip, hold, or slash him.

Are you really making a case that Foligno would not be one of the top 3 players out of the bottom six we played last night because of one unlucky penalty?

I'm just saying that they clearly made that late-game change to keep the young guys on the bench and put more experience on the ice to protect the lead, and what they got out from it in the end was 2 minutes of 6 vs 4 (well, would've been 2 minutes if Kings had a non-moron coach).

I think the idea was okay as Folingo had had a good game, but in hindsight obviously that's far from the ideal result that they had in mind. It backfired pretty badly. Whether the penalty was unlucky or what is completely irrelevant. Dumb and careless play at that point in the game is terrible whether it's intentional or not.

In general I think coaches play a bit of fool's game when they use more experienced 4th line muckers who they perceive as "more reliable" over younger guys late in the game. They are still fringe players, and that's for a reason.

 

[Bazeek]

One other thing. I thought that EK, Greenway, and Coyle were borderline dominant out there as forecheckers for a lot of their TOI. Coyle, especially, looked terrific. The other team still aren't the greatest with the puck. Greenway is going to be something when he matures physically.

Greenway's also got to do a better job of figuring out where to be without the puck. No that that's unexpected; I'm sure he'll get better at it over time.

When his objective is simple ("get in front of the net") he's been quite good. I've noticed a few times where he seemed to be testing how much he could get away with physically against other NHLer's and the answer was usually "as much as you want." Even against a guy like Burns he generally came out on top.

I notice similar things from Ek: he's definitely not afraid to hit or go after pucks along the walls, and he seems to have a better idea of where to be. But man, his ability to stay on his feet or handle the puck in those battles can be pretty disappointing. There was at least one case against the Kings where he came away with the puck and seemed surprised... though maybe I'm projecting.

 

[57special]

I think that Ek is stronger and quicker on his skates than Greenway, but he has more time playing against tougher competition. Neither is particularly notable offensively...hope that changes.