GDT: Game 2: 10/6/2019 - Dallas Stars @ Detroit Red Wings - 7 PM ET (FS-D, ESPN+)

[TheMule93]

I like that I can just enjoy wins without the race to the bottom in the standings looming in the back of my mind (for now).

 

[Lampedampe]

I like that I can just enjoy wins without the race to the bottom in the standings looming in the back of my mind (for now).

"For now"is the key, with the way these guys are playing I'd say we have a legit 1st line that can go toe to toe with the best, probably won't best the best but atleast hold their own. The thing is though that they're not in teens, they're entering their prime age, and by picking between 5-10oa we're probably picking a guy that will take 2-3 years before they can contribute in a meaningful way unless we hit a steal.

I just hope we don't waste their prime by failing to bottom out, only to slowly progress and fail to draft elite talent.

 

[Gyldenlove]

That Mantha one-timer, a thing of beauty.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

"For now"is the key, with the way these guys are playing I'd say we have a legit 1st line that can go toe to toe with the best, probably won't best the best but atleast hold their own. The thing is though that they're not in teens, they're entering their prime age, and by picking between 5-10oa we're probably picking a guy that will take 2-3 years before they can contribute in a meaningful way unless we hit a steal.

I just hope we don't waste their prime by failing to bottom out, only to slowly progress and fail to draft elite talent.

My hope is that at least two of Veleno, Rasmussen, Zadina, Svechnikov are able to become second liners within two-three years. I don't think that is too big of an expectation. What the team really needs are defensemen. I think Cholowski and Hronek are both going to be second/third pair tweener guys. Seider might be first pair. The team needs another first-pair guy, whether through signing, trade, or development.

With the emergence of BLM as a legit scoring line, and AA's ability to score at least 25 goals from any spot in the lineup, the team is actually closer to set at F than you would think. They really just need a couple of decent second/third liners, and those are easily acquired in FA. With the forward group coming up likely being locked to RFA contracts, the Wings could feasibly build a very strong, stacked F group over the next 3 years. I feel like th defense is going to hold them back.

 

[Sentinel]

I keep pointing this out, but teams have made the playoffs with worse defense and goaltending.
2007-08 Washington Capitals Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

In any case, this is still a rebuilding year. I just want to watch exciting hockey and that top line makes the team worth watching.

You keep bringing this up, and it's wrong every time. The defensive corps of peak Green, Poti, Schultz, Erskine, and Jurchina is better than what we have now. Having a historic season from Alex Ovechkin doesn't hurt either.

 

[Sentinel]

My nickname for him is "Mantha Ray"

 

[ArGarBarGar]

To be fair, Mantha struggled hard for a lot longer than we've had Zadina. Like 4 years longer.

Short memories round here.

Yeah, people are kind of missing the fact Mantha is six years older and is now looking like the Mantha we drafted.

Really hoping he keeps it up this season and beyond.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Remember when we almost traded him for RNH?

 

[Lampedampe]

My hope is that at least two of Veleno, Rasmussen, Zadina, Svechnikov are able to become second liners within two-three years. I don't think that is too big of an expectation. What the team really needs are defensemen. I think Cholowski and Hronek are both going to be second/third pair tweener guys. Seider might be first pair. The team needs another first-pair guy, whether through signing, trade, or development.

With the emergence of BLM as a legit scoring line, and AA's ability to score at least 25 goals from any spot in the lineup, the team is actually closer to set at F than you would think. They really just need a couple of decent second/third liners, and those are easily acquired in FA. With the forward group coming up likely being locked to RFA contracts, the Wings could feasibly build a very strong, stacked F group over the next 3 years. I feel like th defense is going to hold them back.

To add to your list of potential second-liners there's also Berggren and Mastro (btw we should call him Maestro) with a solid shot at becoming top-6 wingers. So yeah I definitely believe that there's enough forwards in our system to make up a solid fwd group, especially if you can add a FA signing. However I don't see that group capable of making the wings true contenders, this is ofcourse up for the debate, but that is my opinion atleast.

For the defense, well this is a hard nut to crack. If you look at the current 1#D's in the league and then look at how long it took them to become true 1#D, even though the numbers vary you're atleast looking at a average of 4 years with some exceptions. With 4 years in mind I don't see that lining up with the time-line of our current FWD group, they will all be pushing 30 at that point.

Best bet would probably be to stack the fwd core with high draft picks, either to make up for the lack of a 1#D or use as trade chips for a trade.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

To add to your list of potential second-liners there's also Berggren and Mastro (btw we should call him Maestro) with a solid shot at becoming top-6 wingers. So yeah I definitely believe that there's enough forwards in our system to make up a solid fwd group, especially if you can add a FA signing. However I don't see that group capable of making the wings true contenders, this is ofcourse up for the debate, but that is my opinion atleast.

For the defense, well this is a hard nut to crack. If you look at the current 1#D's in the league and then look at how long it took them to become true 1#D, even though the numbers vary you're atleast looking at a average of 4 years with some exceptions. With 4 years in mind I don't see that lining up with the time-line of our current FWD group, they will all be pushing 30 at that point.

Best bet would probably be to stack the fwd core with high draft picks, either to make up for the lack of a 1#D or use as trade chips for a trade.

I think the team will need to acquire a true #1 via trade or sign and have them backed up by Moritz, Hronek, Cholo, Dekeyser, and whatever. That would be a pretty solid D. I think I said this before but I could see Yzerman throwing some combination picks of very high picks and prospects, or a huge contract, to solidify the D while the window is open.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Apparently we traded Pope for Biega, Biega is trash.

You are literally the only person I've heard say Biega is trash....

 

[Ezekial]

You are literally the only person I've heard say Biega is trash....

He just got traded for David Pope. He's a 31 year old fringe NHL D that won't be on the team next year, sorry if I don't get excite.
Trash was definitely an overstatement, though.

 

[TheClap]

He just got traded for David Pope. He's a 31 year old fringe NHL D that won't be on the team next year, sorry if I don't get excite.

And David Pope is a 25 year old future career AHLer. He had a nice 13 points in 20 games for the Walleye in the playoffs last season though.

Really no reason to get excited or depressed about this trade. Biega is more of an NHLer than David Pope will ever be though.

 

[TatarTangle]

Nice to see Mantha drive the net, hopefully he continues to do so when he cools off. Like many professional athletes it's all mental and I think playing with Larkin and Bertuzzi will keep his confidence up.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Now that we have the best goal scorer in the league, who do you guys think we should go after at the TDL with our 1st round pick???

 

[Konnan511]

I think the most shocking part of these past two games is that Larkin hasn't taken a penalty yet.

 

[Gniwder]

You keep bringing this up, and it's wrong every time. The defensive corps of peak Green, Poti, Schultz, Erskine, and Jurchina is better than what we have now. Having a historic season from Alex Ovechkin doesn't hurt either.

2007 - 2008 was Green's first full season, I wouldn't call it peak which happened only a couple of years later. Poti was getting old and slow, and if you think Schultz, Erksine, Jurcina, and Morrisson were NHL caliber, history has already proven you wrong. Those 4 were AHL fodder, Schultz couldn't skate and literally couldn't shoot. You should watch some video, he was by far the most horrendous d-man in the history of the league to play on a top pair in the playoffs. He skates like Bambi on ice. Erskine and Jurcina were just as slow as McIlrath. I watched games the whole season, because of Green, Ovy, Backstrom, Semin, and Fedorov at the deadline.

65 goals and 112 pts from Ovechkin is damn impressive, but it's not historic by any means. The top 3 scorers put up a combined 112 goals, something that the Wings' top line is capable of this year.

Not saying that the Wings will make the playoffs, but if the top line and AA manage to have career years, this team won't finish at the bottom despite the defense.

I'm a Caps fan, and you are dead wrong.

Edit: Here's a video of Jeff Schultz #55 getting Dubinsky'ed, worse than a pylon because pylons don't fall over by themselves. There is not a single D on the Wings or GR that skates that bad.

 

[GreytWun]

2007 - 2008 was Green's first full season, I wouldn't call it peak which happened only a couple of years later. Poti was getting old and slow, and if you think Schultz, Erksine, Jurcina, and Morrisson were NHL caliber, history has already proven you wrong. Those 4 were AHL fodder, Schultz couldn't skate and literally couldn't shoot. You should watch some video, he was by far the most horrendous d-man in the history of the league to play on a top pair in the playoffs. He skates like Bambi on ice. Erskine and Jurcina were just as slow as McIlrath. I watched games the whole season, because of Green, Ovy, Backstrom, Semin, and Fedorov at the deadline.

65 goals and 112 pts from Ovechkin is damn impressive, but it's not historic by any means. The top 3 scorers put up a combined 112 goals, something that the Wings' top line is capable of this year.

Not saying that the Wings will make the playoffs, but if the top line and AA manage to have career years, this team won't finish at the bottom despite the defense.

I'm a Caps fan, and you are dead wrong.

Edit: Here's a video of Jeff Schultz #55 getting Dubinsky'ed, worse than a pylon because pylons don't fall over by themselves. There is not a single D on the Wings or GR that skates that bad.

65 goals was historic. Go check the prorated numbers and see where he ranks for that season.

2007/2008 wasn’t the 80’s where goalies just flopped all over the place and goals were a joke.

 

[Gniwder]

65 goals was historic. Go check the prorated numbers and see where he ranks for that season.

2007/2008 wasn’t the 80’s where goalies just flopped all over the place and goals were a joke.

If you're talking about dividing the goals by league average, Phil Espisito still wins. It's hard to compare eras because the equipment, goalies, and quiality of training has all changed.

You're also getting lost in something that wasn't my point anyways. The Caps top 3 players had 112 goals, I think the Wings top 3 can do that. 130 goals for the top 4 (the 4th was actually Green), and I'm sure BLM and AA can hit that total.

Plus you missed the other point I was making which is how horrendous the D was for that team. Watch that Schultz video, look at who's flailing at the puck once it becomes a 2 on 1. Yup, that's Green, the Cap's top pair.

 

[Sadekuuro]

If you're talking about dividing the goals by league average, Phil Espisito still wins.

IIRC by that metric Brett Hull's 86 goal season is the best.

 

[Gniwder]

IIRC by that metric Brett Hull's 86 goal season is the best.

I didn't bother doing a spreadsheet, just eyeballed one that would be higher.

It really has nothing to do with my original point anyways, a team can get into the playoffs with a complete crap D, especially if the first line averages 4 goals per game, lol. Poor Ovy got blamed for early playoff exits when the team didn't have anyone who could actually play defense.

 

[Jess Kidman]

Anthony Mantha aka Tony Manthtanna say ello to my lil friend

 

[Sentinel]

2007 - 2008 was Green's first full season, I wouldn't call it peak which happened only a couple of years later. Poti was getting old and slow, and if you think Schultz, Erksine, Jurcina, and Morrisson were NHL caliber, history has already proven you wrong. Those 4 were AHL fodder, Schultz couldn't skate and literally couldn't shoot. You should watch some video, he was by far the most horrendous d-man in the history of the league to play on a top pair in the playoffs. He skates like Bambi on ice. Erskine and Jurcina were just as slow as McIlrath. I watched games the whole season, because of Green, Ovy, Backstrom, Semin, and Fedorov at the deadline.

65 goals and 112 pts from Ovechkin is damn impressive, but it's not historic by any means. The top 3 scorers put up a combined 112 goals, something that the Wings' top line is capable of this year.

Not saying that the Wings will make the playoffs, but if the top line and AA manage to have career years, this team won't finish at the bottom despite the defense.

I'm a Caps fan, and you are dead wrong.

There are many things wrong with your post, but that one is the worst offender of them all. This is the arguably the best individual season since Sakic's 2000-01. You really have no leg to stand on here.

 

[deca guard]

Anthony Mantha aka Tony Manthtanna say ello to my lil friend

no you didnt . lmao

 

[Gniwder]

There are many things wrong with your post, but that one is the worst offender of them all. This is the arguably the best individual season since Sakic's 2000-01. You really have no leg to stand on here.

OK, let's say it is. That still doesn't change my point that the Wings top 4 combined is as capable as the '07 - 08 Caps top 4 combined, and that a team can win with a crap defense.

You think Shultz, Erskine, Jurcina, and Morrisson were NHL caliber defensemen. You might want to see what they did after they left the Caps before you continue the argument.

Edit: want to see Erskine skate? Here you go: