GDT: Game 40 - Columbus Blue Jackets - Florida Panthers (12/31, 7pm, @Nat)

CBJ goalie

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May 19, 2005
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CBJ fans: Hey Elvis, congrats on the 1st NHL win!

Elvis:
c778be539a331f5ba54e6bdfc92cb048.jpeg


*sucks I had to miss this game, but just saw the highlights, and looked poised.
And Z with a hat trick?!?! My love-hate relationship with him is back on love.
 
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Madifer

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Since I was at the game I think that Elvis has finally shown what he is capable of being. I've been really high on him and its been a slow ride but this seems like a real turning point for him. The crowd was firmly behind him and you can just see the passion and energy he plays with when he gets some confidence. Let's see if he can string together a few more solid performances in a row but a game like tonight should go a very long way towards banishing the uneasiness he's displayed earlier this season. I knew if he could stop pucks that the fans would love him. I hope this is the first of many more for him.

I want to share this optimism yet caution is advised imo.

Lets see what happens next and its quite exciting I think. Throwing him to the lions to see whether he has a new gear and whether he thrives under the pressure of suddenly being the starting goalie.
 

Finner

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What a game! Is there somewhere video about Bob's comeback? Wasnt in socialmedia. :mad:
 

MAHJ71

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And this is now approaching Philly territory .. (though Philly has started reversing this trend):
 

tchigo

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Promising for the future: "We talked about it from the Chicago game (Sunday)," Foligno said. "We said we have to learn from our mistakes. Chicago, we let that one slip away because we just sat back, so (we said) let's go back at them. I thought we did a great job of that."
Add to that the Werenski show, the trust on Gavrikov with 24+ min, Merzlikins who played as advertised (meaning also that Korpisalo won't be burnt at the end of the season if Merzlikins keeps this level), and the team spirit despite (thanks to?) all the injuries, CBJ could really be the good surprise of the second part of the season.
Disappointed with Texier injury, but Nyquist and Wennberg both had a couple of assists, which confirm their ability to create scoring chances for others. Wennberg does not score a lot, but he brings a lot in term of fluidity in the game (and obviously in PK).
 

Byrral

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7-0-4 streak.

Torts has got to be on the Jack Adams Award radar now.

He may be but it's because of the players, not because of his genius. With all the injuries he's had no choice but to give the guys on the bench the minutes of the injured. Without all of these injuries we would never have seen what some guys are capable of with extended time. Yes his job is to win games but it's also his job to develop young players. Seeing Boone Jenner on the ice in an OT game and Texier on the bench is a recent example of his incompetence. He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future. He refuses to get out of his own way and stop being so old school stubborn.

We'll see how the team responds when some of these guys start returning to the lineup.
 
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CharlotteJacket

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He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future.
Be careful what you wish for. I stream the games on NHL.com and it gives me a chance to listen to the other teams broadcast to get a different perspective on how the Blue Jackets are playing. Almost to a team, they rave about how formidable the defensive structure of the CBJ is and how they can shut down an offense. Torts gets credit for this. Who knows, maybe Torts won't want to go through a rebuilding process and retire after the season. But many teams in different sports have gone down the path of firing a coach who has taken them to heights they've never seen before only to collapse with the new guy.
 
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KJ Dangler

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He may be but it's because of the players, not because of his genius. With all the injuries he's had no choice but to give the guys on the bench the minutes of the injured. Without all of these injuries we would never have seen what some guys are capable of with extended time. Yes his job is to win games but it's also his job to develop young players. Seeing Boone Jenner on the ice in an OT game and Texier on the bench is a recent example of his incompetence. He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future. He refuses to get out of his own way and stop being so old school stubborn.

We'll see how the team responds when some of these guys start returning to the lineup.
Yup, it’s amazing to see what guys can do when they are given ample opportunity to show what they have . The injuries have really forced Torts hand in line and player utilization . You mentioned Texier , and crap like you mentioned above has happened in a lot of our overtime losses . He preaches safe is death , but coaches the exact opposite . Hopefully Tex isn’t out long , but he should be playing center . What happened to he’s staying at center , that’s where his future is ? It lasted 2 games , and when you look at the alternatives we have , it’s head scratching . This team goes nowhere with Jenner or Wennberg as your #2 center . It’s also an example of why Karlsson was able to go be a #1 C in Vegas immediately , and Duclair be a top line forward, and all star 6 months removed from Torts , and on pace to score 42g this year .
 

KCbus

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He may be but it's because of the players, not because of his genius. With all the injuries he's had no choice but to give the guys on the bench the minutes of the injured. Without all of these injuries we would never have seen what some guys are capable of with extended time. Yes his job is to win games but it's also his job to develop young players. Seeing Boone Jenner on the ice in an OT game and Texier on the bench is a recent example of his incompetence. He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future. He refuses to get out of his own way and stop being so old school stubborn.

We'll see how the team responds when some of these guys start returning to the lineup.
LOL.

The "incompetence" of not putting a guy on the ice in OT who has 14 career NHL points. The shame. And what has Boone Jenner ever done for us?
 

Monstershockey

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He may be but it's because of the players, not because of his genius. With all the injuries he's had no choice but to give the guys on the bench the minutes of the injured. Without all of these injuries we would never have seen what some guys are capable of with extended time. Yes his job is to win games but it's also his job to develop young players. Seeing Boone Jenner on the ice in an OT game and Texier on the bench is a recent example of his incompetence. He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future. He refuses to get out of his own way and stop being so old school stubborn.

We'll see how the team responds when some of these guys start returning to the lineup.
So now that they are playing well, its all on the players and coaching has nothing to do with it. But when times were tough, it was all Torts and not the players. Ok. Whatever.
It is a whole team effort from the top down. Everyone gets the credit for winning and losing.
The last thing Torts is, is incompetent. He is one of the all time top coaches, you don't get there being incompetent. At this level you don't just play players to see what you have unless you have no chance to advance to the post season. The Jackets are still in it so they are playing to win. You want to see what guys have, send them to Cleveland.
 

Cyclones Rock

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Jun 12, 2008
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He may be but it's because of the players, not because of his genius. With all the injuries he's had no choice but to give the guys on the bench the minutes of the injured. Without all of these injuries we would never have seen what some guys are capable of with extended time. Yes his job is to win games but it's also his job to develop young players. Seeing Boone Jenner on the ice in an OT game and Texier on the bench is a recent example of his incompetence. He's been a good coach for this team but he's not the coach for the future. He refuses to get out of his own way and stop being so old school stubborn.

We'll see how the team responds when some of these guys start returning to the lineup.

I'm not going to figure it out now, but over the 11 game stretch, there's no doubt that CBJ shooting percentage has gone through the roof and save percentage for the CBJ is high.

I watched the Chicago game in full. The Hawks looked like garbage despite having 3 future HHOFers in the line up. Would you rather have Colliton as coach? Bob Boughner? Whoever is coaching NJ?

Torts is still a quality coach. The NHL is by far and away the world's best hockey league. Torts just doesn't give a carte blanche to young players to make tons of defensive errors. Given the (lack of ) quality of the forwards corps on this squad, it's the only rational way to coach them. If the forwards aren't playing a good defensive game, this team can't even sniff Bettman .500 hockey.

Bjorkstrand has developed into a very nice hockey player under Torts. Torts was hard on him. He gave him nothing. Unlike Wennberg-who I grow more and more convinced is a GM driven usage-Bjorkstrand had to perform under strict parameters to earn ice time.

This run will end. Probably soon. Probably dramatically. But it never would have happened under a Colliton or many other (inferior) NHL coaches. Torts has handled the goaltending situation brilliantly. I doubt many other coaches would have been so lean with Merzlekins usage. Until last night, Elvis has not shown near enough to start or be used regularly in the NHL. The jury is still very much out on him.

Torts will likely coach this team until his contract expires at the end of 20-21. Get used to him.
 
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Cyclones Rock

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No.

I think he's doing a hell of a job managing this team through this stretch of injuries, and I appreciate what he's done overall. But we're 18-14-8. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

No doubt it doesn't look great when the overall record is used. But the current trend is quite spectacular. But if he guides this team to the playoffs-perhaps even a near playoffs miss-he'll get some support I'd think.
 
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Monstershockey

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Yup, it’s amazing to see what guys can do when they are given ample opportunity to show what they have . The injuries have really forced Torts hand in line and player utilization . You mentioned Texier , and crap like you mentioned above has happened in a lot of our overtime losses . He preaches safe is death , but coaches the exact opposite . Hopefully Tex isn’t out long , but he should be playing center . What happened to he’s staying at center , that’s where his future is ? It lasted 2 games , and when you look at the alternatives we have , it’s head scratching . This team goes nowhere with Jenner or Wennberg as your #2 center . It’s also an example of why Karlsson was able to go be a #1 C in Vegas immediately , and Duclair be a top line forward, and all star 6 months removed from Torts , and on pace to score 42g this year .
It figures you would agree with this. You know, you keep throwing Duclair around like he is this great player and Torts made a huge mistake getting rid of him. Take a look at his stats a little closer. He has 31 points, he is a -2. When he is on the ice even strength, his team is outscored 31-28. He has been on the ice for 4 short handed goals against. He is a wash offensively. All those points and nothing to show for it. And before you say it is because the rest of his team sucks, Pageau has 2 less points and is a +19 for Ottawa. Duclair is an average to below average player, and that is why Torts let him go.
 

ClevelandJacketFan

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...Really?
I have 0 problem with how Torts has handled this team. There is absolutely NO WAY IN HELL anyone could have seen a streak like this coming nor would have predicted anything close to this level of competence with this many injuries.

I understand why some do not like him. He's rough and he relies on Vets more than he should, but look at what he's doing right now. I have a hard time believing there is another coach in the NHL that could be doing more than Torts is doing with this team right now.
 

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