GDT: Game 58 | Columbus vs Tampa Bay | 2/18 7:30 PM

[blahblah]

Shocked that we wouldn’t go Bob tonight and Korp tomorrow but whatever. Seems to be a white flag type of game tonight.

I'm not shocked, it's conventional wisdom. If this was later in the year and we were on the outside looking in, i would be surprised.

 

[EspenK]

I hate "4 point games". It is nonsense. You're either 2 pts closer or 2 points farther away. JFC.

 

[MAHJ71]

Best of luck to Korpi.. he'll certainly need it after riding the pine for almost a month straight now. EDIT: last start was Feb 2 against STL - so not quite a month but still, he should have got at least 1 of the 3 games last week.

Terrible rotation management but whatever..

 

[GoJackets1]

This Duclair/Torts nonsense is starting to get excessive, IMO.

 

[MoeBartoli]

This Duclair/Torts nonsense is starting to get excessive, IMO.

Torts isn’t listening

 

[aRussian]

This Duclair/Torts nonsense is starting to get excessive, IMO.

I’m actually realllly curious what’s going on there. My guess is it has to do with neutral zone play primarily and Duke’s excessive need to try to get a break and sacrificing all positioning to that end.

Still, have to wonder about some of the grittier aspects of it if coach is now saying that stuff to the media

 

[Bobcat110]

5-2 CBJ

I like plan for Bob tomorrow vs. Habs. That game is more important for playoff positioning. Hopefully, beat Habs in OT so Pens slide down to WC2.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

I’m actually realllly curious what’s going on there. My guess is it has to do with neutral zone play primarily and Duke’s excessive need to try to get a break and sacrificing all positioning to that end.

Still, have to wonder about some of the grittier aspects of it if coach is now saying that stuff to the media

 

[MAHJ71]

Man.. I bet Duclair is feeling like he must play an inhuman 100% perfect game and I doubt thats fun or conducive to his confidence.

Reminds me of certain coaches I had growing up.. that wanted to bench or berate over 1 little mistake. I always played better when I had more confidence, and that confidence came from not having to worry about making 1 tiny mistake and losing immediate playing time as a result.

I get Torts wants to hold him accountable but at some point or another you have to realize that not everybody responds to the same style of coaching.

 

[Columbus Jack]

At what point is he singling him out though? I haven't seen any other player healthy scratched for mistakes in the neutral zone and god knows they have happened. I'm not defending Duclair as I don't think he's not deserving of said treatment but it seems to be only him. Surely Riley Nash has been worthy of a healthy scratch for all the empty nets he has missed. No?

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

At what point is he singling him out though? I haven't seen any other player healthy scratched for mistakes in the neutral zone and god knows they have happened. I'm not defending Duclair as I don't think he's not deserving of said treatment but it seems to be only him. Surely Riley Nash has been worthy of a healthy scratch for all the empty nets he has missed. No?

 

[Long Live Lyle]

I hate "4 point games". It is nonsense. You're either 2 pts closer or 2 points farther away. JFC.

It’s not nonsense. If we win tomorrow, we’d be 2 points ahead of Montreal in the wild card race. If we lose tomorrow, we’re 2 behind them. That’s a 4-point swing. If we win tonight, we’re 2 ahead. If we lose tonight, we’re still tied with them.

 

[Monk]

Man.. I bet Duclair is feeling like he must play an inhuman 100% perfect game and I doubt thats fun or conducive to his confidence.

Reminds me of certain coaches I had growing up.. that wanted to bench or berate over 1 little mistake. I always played better when I had more confidence, and that confidence came from not having to worry about making 1 tiny mistake and losing immediate playing time as a result.

I get Torts wants to hold him accountable but at some point or another you have to realize that not everybody responds to the same style of coaching.

Is it "1 tiny mistake" or a trend of making the same "tiny mistake" over and over again that's causing trouble?

 

[Maylo]

Mistake.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Its a good thing Wennberg never makes 1 mistake

 

[Madifer]

5-2 CBJ

I like plan for Bob tomorrow vs. Habs. That game is more important for playoff positioning. Hopefully, beat Habs in OT so Pens slide down to WC2.

thats not a valid reason to give Habs a point imo.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Could also simply be that tonight’s a 2-point game (and probably a loss no matter who’s in net) and tomorrow’s a 4-point game (that we have better odds of winning with Bob).

I mean their GAA, and save % is nearly the same, but I love the gymnastics going on in this thread. Lets call a spade , a spade. Coach/Gm or both, don't trust Bob against Tampa. Pretty telling

 

[Bobcat110]

At what point is he singling him out though? I haven't seen any other player healthy scratched for mistakes in the neutral zone and god knows they have happened. I'm not defending Duclair as I don't think he's not deserving of said treatment but it seems to be only him. Surely Riley Nash has been worthy of a healthy scratch for all the empty nets he has missed. No?

Duclair is on his 4th team in 5 years for a reason. He seems to have a reputation for disappearing for long stretches and this appears Torts way of refocusing him. I don’t think the comparison of Riley works here. Riley will be 30 in May. He is what he is and no amount of scratches will get more out of him. Duclair is still only 23 and I think Torts sees much more opportunity for him to improve his game.

 

[CBJ VGK]

I would argue that tomorrow's game is more important, hence starting Bob then. Montreal has lost 4 in a row and is suddenly a bubble team with the rest of us. Put Bob in, give yourself a better chance to win against the lesser opponent.

Roll the dice with Korpi tonight, he has played strong at surprising moments before. Either way you look at it, Tampa has only lost 11 games in regulation all year, so anything you get tonight is probably a bonus.

All that said, 6-0 Bolts.

Prove me wrong guys! We're on national TV tonight.

Exactly what he said...^^^^^

I honestly can't understand the mental block against Tampa. We have the perfect combination of size and speed to neutralize a team like the Bolts, who don't have an o-line player over 6' 1". Look what the Caps did to them in the playoffs.

Instead of playing physical and aggressive against them, we end up standing around and watching them cycle the puck around the rink on a perpetual 'power play'. They'll put up double digits on us at some point at this rate.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Duclair is on his 4th team in 5 years for a reason. He seems to have a reputation for disappearing for long stretches and this appears Torts way of refocusing him. I don’t think the comparison of Riley works here. Riley will be 30 in May. He is what he is and no amount of scratches will get more out of him. Duclair is still only 23 and I think Torts sees much more opportunity for him to improve his game.

I don't think keeping a veteran player in the lineup because "he is what he is", is a good reason. Healthy scratching someone every time he makes a mistake doesnt gain you respect when there are other more veteran players doing the same things either.

 

[Monk]

I don't think keeping a veteran player in the lineup because "he is what he is", is a good reason. Healthy scratching someone every time he makes a mistake doesnt gain you respect when there are other more veteran players doing the same things either.

Are these veterans you're referencing actually doing the same things though? With the same consistency?

 

[Columbus Jack]

Are these veterans you're referencing actually doing the same things though? With the same consistency?

I have seen Riley Nash miss 3 empty nets in the past 2 weeks. If turning the puck over in the neutral zone is the only thing we are healthy scratching for, I guess we should continue to play Nash. Do we really need to debate who is more effective Duclair or Nash?

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I mean their GAA, and save % is nearly the same, but I love the gymnastics going on in this thread. Lets call a spade , a spade. Coach/Gm or both, don't trust Bob against Tampa. Pretty telling

So now gymnastics means a potential, realistic and valid alternate explanation?

 

[MAHJ71]

Is it "1 tiny mistake" or a trend of making the same "tiny mistake" over and over again that's causing trouble?

Very well could be the same mistake over and over again.

Others in here have already countered but are other players being held to the same standard? Nash, Wennberg, Werenski come to mind.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I have seen Riley Nash miss 3 empty nets in the past 2 weeks. If turning the puck over in the neutral zone is the only thing we are healthy scratching for, I guess we should continue to play Nash. Do we really need to debate who is more effective Duclair or Nash?

This assumes Torts is benching players for gaffes that have nothing to do with coaching. Missing an open net (unless you think Torts is spending a lot of practice time telling his players not to do it) isn't the same as a neutral zone turnover that has likely been the subject of instruction from the coaches.

Don't hear me defending Riley Nash here. He has sucked. I'm on record with that in the past. But equating his situation to Duclair's just isn't valid.