GDT: Game 3: Oilers @ Coyotes // 15 Oct 14 // 7:30pm // FSA

[ibroce]

Gagner is just not going to do anything at all on the third line, no matter which two bottom - six forwards he plays with. Love his effort so far, though.

 

[Jakey53]

I wish there was another version of HF Boards for sane people....or at least those of us who understand we're not dealing with a full deck.

LOL, that's funny.

 

[Jakey53]

This is the Internet. Sanity got defenestrated a long time ago.

I like to think our board covers has a better composition of Pollyannas, Debbie Downers, and everything between those extremes compared to other HF fanbases. There's room for everyone you know. Show a little tolerance.

Your right. I have a hoot reading these posts. All of us are giving our own opinion, which makes it fun.

 

[Jakey53]

I think this is just a bridge year.

They wanted to tweak the chemistry on the big club and see if some guys can rebound. Sort of see how this mix plays out. If they decide to call on the young guys they have that option available. Meanwhile, we've got a bunch of contracts expiring anyway. So this is a bit of a "show me" year for many of the team's vets, in addition to the youngsters on the farm.

It would've been an expensive decision to demote one-way deals, so I guess they probably figured they'd give the bubble guys with one-ways a final shot at proving they belong before they go pulling the trigger on a vets down, youngsters up maneuver that's going to burst the budget.

If you are willing to give the benefit of the doubt, you can assume management is being patient and making the best of a basement budget.

The true test will be how management reacts when this fails. It's jumping the gun to call for their heads on account of deciding to go through with this experiment. The appropriate time for criticism is when it fails. Even then, I think it will be their reaction to the inevitable failure that will be the true test.

How do you know it will fail? But I agree, this could be the year we take a step back and next year take two forward.

 

[rt]

It's clealry going to fail. This roster is ****ing awful.

 

[Jakey53]

It's clealry going to fail. This roster is ****ing awful.

From day one I thought this team was a bubble team, and I still do, but I don't think it is awful.

 

[ibroce]

It's clealry going to fail. This roster is ****ing awful.

Bet you said that in 2010 as well. Our best forwards were Upshall, Lombardi, and Doan. I'll take out first line this year easily. We have a very good 4th line. Hanzal is a beast. Not to mention the offense we get from our back end. It's incredibly difficult to believe that you are a "fan" of this team.

 

[rt]

I'm actually a secret agent for the Ducks fanbase. Don't tell anybody, but my efforts here have been instrumental in the Coyotes missing the playoffs for the last two seasons.

 

[Jakey53]

Bet you said that in 2010 as well. Our best forwards were Upshall, Lombardi, and Doan. I'll take out first line this year easily. We have a very good 4th line. Hanzal is a beast. Not to mention the offense we get from our back end. It's incredibly difficult to believe that you are a "fan" of this team.

rt is a fan of this team, I think a very passionate fan, but he was hurt that we sign ed Moss and no rookies made the team. rt was always a DT supporter until the Moss signing then he did a 180. I find rt one of the more knowledgeable fans, but this time I think he is wrong.

 

[rt]

I will admit I've gone completley off the deep end. Haha. I do have full faith that I will return to sanity before too long. We've played two games in a row of "give a **** hockey". We do that a few times and my head will get right. Haha.

 

[cobra427]

It's clealry going to fail. This roster is ****ing awful.

The first sentence I disagree with, the second sentence I agree with. No doubt, talent wise we are not a playoff team. The good news is, making the playoffs in hockey is not all about talent. We are never, and I mean never, going to have the talent Chicago/Boston does to be considered a lock for the playoffs.

The good news is we have Smith, who is capable of being a top 5 goalie in the NHL. We also have Tip, who is good at getting more out of less, and also a great coach for a team that needs a tight defensive system to win. We also have OEL/Yandle, and no team in the NHL has 2 better D men then we do.

The bottom line is that if Smith plays well, if we limit turnovers, if the PP is good, and the PK is good, we can make the playoffs. I would say we are 50/50 to make the playoffs. We are far from a shoe in but it is not 10-1 odds that we get in.

 

[XX]

It's incredibly difficult to believe that you are a "fan" of this team.

Why's that? Because his opinion differs from yours?

 

[BAdvocate]

I will admit I've gone completley off the deep end. Haha. I do have full faith that I will return to sanity before too long. We've played two games in a row of "give a **** hockey". We do that a few times and my head will get right. Haha.

Either that or you are so sane you've blown my mind....

DT is the coach, Doan is the captain, and you're worried about them playing give a **** hockey...that's all DT or Doan accepts....

Is it crazy to think they'd have made the playoffs last year if the spotted Rocky mountain Tick (and I'm not referringto Ribeiro) hadn't poisoned the Captain...

Come to think of it, maybe you should get checked for ticks....haven't seen you like this since you were so incensed Vokoun wasn't signed a few off-seasons ago.

Come back off the ledge and work out a trade to send Moss and Klink for Vrbata.

Chips stays, I'm telling you he has a lot more value and ability than you are seeing...and he's versatile (can play on all 5 lines)

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

We're on pace for 110 points.

 

[rt]

We're on pace for 110 points.

I'm going to disagree a little. We will win zero games that we play like we did against Winnipeg. Nearly all games that we play like we did against LA and only some like we played against Edmonton. We only play that train wreck so many times. Haha.

 

[rt]

Either that or you are so sane you've blown my mind....

DT is the coach, Doan is the captain, and you're worried about them playing give a **** hockey...that's all DT or Doan accepts....

Is it crazy to think they'd have made the playoffs last year if the spotted Rocky mountain Tick (and I'm not referringto Ribeiro) hadn't poisoned the Captain...

Come to think of it, maybe you should get checked for ticks....haven't seen you like this since you were so incensed Vokoun wasn't signed a few off-seasons ago.

Come back off the ledge and work out a trade to send Moss and Klink for Vrbata.

Chips stays, I'm telling you he has a lot more value and ability than you are seeing...and he's versatile (can play on all 5 lines)

Your overall point is mostly fine. Except that this team played about zero give a **** hockey games last season. Which is what has driven me batty in the first place. Residual anger.

Oh and Chipchura is a fine 4th liner when he feels like playing hard. Last season he was mostly coasting. Like a piece of driftwood. Unacceptable for a supposed energy line player. And he's total dog **** above the fourth line. Suggesting he can play on all four lines is crazier than any of my craziness. But he has had one good game this year. I will grant you that.

 

[doaner]

But he has had one good game this year. I will grant you that.

The only game he's seen from ice level too!

 

[XX]

and you're worried about them playing give a **** hockey...

I know you watched last season. It's not unreasonable at all. Hanzal was talking about passengers after the first game.

 

[Lyotes]

I know you watched last season. It's not unreasonable at all. Hanzal was talking about passengers after the first game.

I guess we'll see about half way in. That's when it really became obvious. So far I've been happy with the effort some of the floaters have put in this year, I know its only been three games. The two players I'm most disappointed in are Oel and Michalek.

 

[Jakey53]

I guess we'll see about half way in. That's when it really became obvious. So far I've been happy with the effort some of the floaters have put in this year, I know its only been three games. The two players I'm most disappointed in are Oel and Michalek.

OEL has to play much better and I pretty sure he will come around, and Z I hope rebounds a bit, I'm just not sure his body will allow him to play much better.

 

[rt]

OEL was a train wreck in game one, godly in game two, and double facepalm worthy in game three. It's been an up and down season so far to say the least. Haha.

Let's not allow Mike Smith off the hook so easily, now. He's pretty much been garbage so far. But hot and cold is just the way he is. I expect OEL to level out and play well consistently. I expect Smith to look like a Vezina winner some nights, and Patrick DesRochers on other nights.

 

[BAdvocate]

Your overall point is mostly fine. Except that this team played about zero give a **** hockey games last season. Which is what has driven me batty in the first place. Residual anger.

Oh and Chipchura is a fine 4th liner when he feels like playing hard. Last season he was mostly coasting. Like a piece of driftwood. Unacceptable for a supposed energy line player. And he's total dog **** above the fourth line. Suggesting he can play on all four lines is crazier than any of my craziness. But he has had one good game this year. I will grant you that.

I'll have to give you some time, can't have a reasonable discussion based on exaggerated terms like 'zero' and 'driftwood'...

It's as if you've forgotten about the amount of transition that took place last season with Klesla, Morris, and who knows what chaos Ribs caused...

All that and they barely missed the playoffs (while missing their goalie the last 10 games who was playing some of his best hockey of the year).

We know where Chips belongs, but there are times when he has contributed on lines he doesn't 'belong' on, just like there are times he has played like ****, or played on the 5th line (i.e. healthy scratch).

And as for their effort, you seem to forget that sometimes your opponent can make it appear as if you are playing like ****...think about all the games in the past where fans of other teams only talked about how poorly their team played in losses to the Coyotes, totally ignoring how well the Coyotes had played.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

...think about all the games in the past where fans of other teams only talked about how poorly their team played in losses to the Coyotes, totally ignoring how well the Coyotes had played.

haha you should have seen the kings board after game 2

 

[rt]

Joey Victory!

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=91037721#post91037721

 

[Matias Maccete]

I'll have to give you some time, can't have a reasonable discussion based on exaggerated terms like 'zero' and 'driftwood'...

It's as if you've forgotten about the amount of transition that took place last season with Klesla, Morris, and who knows what chaos Ribs caused...

All that and they barely missed the playoffs (while missing their goalie the last 10 games who was playing some of his best hockey of the year).

We know where Chips belongs, but there are times when he has contributed on lines he doesn't 'belong' on, just like there are times he has played like ****, or played on the 5th line (i.e. healthy scratch).

And as for their effort, you seem to forget that sometimes your opponent can make it appear as if you are playing like ****...think about all the games in the past where fans of other teams only talked about how poorly their team played in losses to the Coyotes, totally ignoring how well the Coyotes had played.

Personally I think it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a team who is made to look bad by a suffocating style and a team who doesn't care. You can see it in board battles and backchecking. Effort level imo is very noticeable and last years team have very little effort.