GDT: Game 7: Ottawa Senators @ Phoenix Coyotes | 10-15-2013 | 7PM Arizona Time

Tom Polakis

Eternal Optimist
Nov 24, 2008
4,495
3,736
Tempe, AZ
Canadian team is probably good for 2,000 or so bump. Wouldn't look into it much yet. Need to see a similar jump against vanilla teams.

Canadian presence in the building last night was negligible - maybe a few hundred Sens fans maximum. Now that I think of it, all six other Canadian teams would bring that couple thousand fans, but Ottawa is a long way away, and the Senators are not steeped in tradition, like the other two faraway Canadian teams.
 

Tom Polakis

Eternal Optimist
Nov 24, 2008
4,495
3,736
Tempe, AZ
I am done with Schlemko for a while, a pairing tonight that didn't include him would absolutely have made more sense. He was in Smith's way trying to recover from the trapezoid fiasco, in Yandle's way during the offside fiasco, I could go on...

In Schlemko's defense, that goal with Smith handling the puck outside the trapezoid was 100% on Smith. Schlemko is supposed to be at that location when Smith wanders behind the net. How could he know that Smith would have a brain fart, and just leave the puck sitting there for a defenseman to retrieve?

I agree with everybody that Yandle-Schlemko is an odd pairing. We really need Morris in that slot to cover for Yandle's deficiencies in his own zone.
 

Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
29,982
9,040
Yeah, must have been watching completely different games, haha. Stone only had that bobble on the PP again, other than that, he was hitting and blocking shots effectively. Schlemko looked like crap out there.

Don't get me wrong I love Stone and want him in there. I just have seen him play better. Schlemko is a bottom pairing Dman but everyone expects him to play like a top pairing Dman. I agree he played much better last year than this though. Rundblad has to play. Maybe Tip was worried about the road hangover.
 

kihekah19*

Registered User
Oct 25, 2010
6,016
2
Phoenix, Arizona
Give Ottawa credit. That pass to Conacher was amazing. Nine times out of ten the D would have shot that puck and Klesla would have blocked it. Everyone was fooled.

Both Stone and Klesla started to move up to cover Methot and while Stone dropped back, he did not get his head on a swivel and missed Cacher behind him and to his left. Stone out of position.
 

pfp

Registered User
Sep 4, 2007
682
10
In Schlemko's defense, that goal with Smith handling the puck outside the trapezoid was 100% on Smith. Schlemko is supposed to be at that location when Smith wanders behind the net. How could he know that Smith would have a brain fart, and just leave the puck sitting there for a defenseman to retrieve?

What was smith to do other than touch the puck and get called for DOG or block the defenseman and get called for interference?
 

BAdvocate

Mediocrity is the enemy of any Dynasty
Feb 27, 2003
5,366
1,990
youtu.be
for those of you jonesing for a shootout...

A) you jinxed the Coyotes
B) go lookup WOR and tiebreaker

on the Turd front, interesting to hear Walsh's comments about the Turd being disliked in the locker room, and that he ignored an offer from Doan and the other team leaders who reached out to him during his holdout.

maybe it's just me but it seemed the refs let the Coyotes take some liberties with the Turd. I didn't get any sense the Turds teammates were interested in sticking up for him either.

That's one Turd you can't polish.
 

kihekah19*

Registered User
Oct 25, 2010
6,016
2
Phoenix, Arizona
Rundblad didn't even look bad in his own end. I don't get what's going on. The kid put in a year of hard work, shows up to camp and again looks great. Yet more jerking of his chain. If he isn't going to get into a game with Morris out, then why even bother pretending like you want him around? Trade him so he can have a shot somewhere else. I love Dave Tippett but he is god awful at managing (as in, "get off my lawn rookie" bad) anyone with defensive deficiencies, real or perceived.

While I disagree and think that Runblads defensive defiiencies are indeed real, I don't think they've been any more pronounced than those of a few others that are playing.
 

Dr VinnyBoombatz

formerly ctwin22
Mar 21, 2008
10,912
6,447
Chandler, AZ
Had to tape the game due to kids hockey practice, so after watching, let's hope DeMo gets back quickly and I'm all for replacing Schlemko with someone, he's been awful.

I like the Klinkhammer/Vermette/Doan line it looked good

Boedker/Hanzal/Vrbata looks good as well. We need to go get a fricken winger for Ribeiro on his line. Korpi just isn't doing it for me this year. He's been awful.

GMDM needs to go out and trade Korpi with a pick and Rundblad (let's face it, he's a dynamo offensively, but since we already have Yandle/OEL, he's redundant and the bottom pairing needs to be more guys built like Klesla who can beat up the other teams skilled line) for a winger who can play with Ribeiro.

In reality, we need two additional players to play with Ribeiro, but since Domi should be up next season, we can settle for just one winger.

Also, anyone else for replacing Chipchura? I'm noticed very little production from him this season and Halpern is exceptional on the dot, so let's bring gritty Brown back up and pair him with Halpern and Biz and give them 6-8 mins a night.
 

rt

The Kinder, Gentler Version
May 13, 2004
96,890
45,266
A Rockwellian Pleasantville
Korpikoski is too valuable a PKer and is frequently one of the only effective forecheckers on the team. He's not a natural offensive whiz, but he contributes enough to justify his place on the team. I think he's a good fit, and I'd rather not deal him. He's just not the ideal winger for a guy like Ribeiro. I think that's fairly obvious, and certainly not Korpikoski's fault. I think he's a keeper for the third line. If anything, I'd like to find Ribeiro a winger and move Moss down a line.

Chipchura is just fine as a 4th line LW, IMO. Chipchura-Halpern-Moss is a great 4th line, even if Moss is overpaid for the role.

If we get Ribs a finisher who isn't fantastic defensively, and/or isn't a tremendous skater (let's be honest, that's likely given what we can afford to pay in salary and assets, I certainly don't expect the total package) than we'll be very glad to have Korpikoski's wheels and back checking skill on that line.

Korpikoski-Ribeiro-Triggerman
Boedker-Hanzal-Vrbata
Klinkhammer-Vermette-Doan
Chipchura-Halpern-Moss
Bissonnette

....looks pretty good to me. How the hell we fit it under budget is another thing. Haha.
 

kihekah19*

Registered User
Oct 25, 2010
6,016
2
Phoenix, Arizona
Odd game in that we really didn't deserve a win, but really should have won. Smith was stellar in the first while the boys napped and the puck bounced from the JOB all the way to the United Airlines Ctr. like a damn basketball - ice was (also) oddly bad to start and improved (much like our boys) as the game progressed.

Nice energy with two strikes to the oppositon early in the second, only to be followed by an unusual and opportunitstic goal for said oppositon.

Early in the third a (take the goood with the bad) miscue by Smith, lead to yet another opportunistic goal. A penalty preceeded by (and perhaps created by) a questionable hit to Klesla lead to the Sens only non flukey (pp) goal in regulation, which could have rounded out the third and ended the game in regulation, but credit the boys for putting the hammer down and coming up with a pp goal to get us to ot.

The hammer stays down in ot and a beutiful opportunity for Vermette is thrwarted by Anderson only to be followed by a clearing by none other than one Jason Spezza which eventually leads to a defensive error and a sudden death (and it felt like it) goal for what has been the struggling visitors.

Good to get the point and probably better to get a loss after a two point lead early in the season - as a message to remain diligent and remember that the small mistakes can lead to big goals for the enemy.
 

KG

Registered User
Sep 23, 2010
4,869
719
Had to tape the game due to kids hockey practice, so after watching, let's hope DeMo gets back quickly and I'm all for replacing Schlemko with someone, he's been awful.

I like the Klinkhammer/Vermette/Doan line it looked good

Boedker/Hanzal/Vrbata looks good as well. We need to go get a fricken winger for Ribeiro on his line. Korpi just isn't doing it for me this year. He's been awful.

GMDM needs to go out and trade Korpi with a pick and Rundblad (let's face it, he's a dynamo offensively, but since we already have Yandle/OEL, he's redundant and the bottom pairing needs to be more guys built like Klesla who can beat up the other teams skilled line) for a winger who can play with Ribeiro.

In reality, we need two additional players to play with Ribeiro, but since Domi should be up next season, we can settle for just one winger.

Also, anyone else for replacing Chipchura? I'm noticed very little production from him this season and Halpern is exceptional on the dot, so let's bring gritty Brown back up and pair him with Halpern and Biz and give them 6-8 mins a night.


Korpi hasn't looked awful at all, he's just obviously not a top six player offensively speaking.
 

IPreferPi

A Nonny Mouse
Jun 22, 2012
11,456
914
Phoenix, AZ
Yeah, I'd rather keep Korpi too, frustrating inability to finish notwithstanding, he's still a very good forechecker and defensive winger. If Lessio can develop into the same mold, then we'll talk about trading him, but for now Korpi is way too valuable as a utility winger for us.

Chipchura is fine on the 4th as well; gotta remember that even if he played above his head last season with timely offense, we really shouldn't be expecting offensive production from the 4th line, just crash and bang. Chip still provides plenty of energy on the forecheck and is actually above .500 on FO% this season.

Halpern's ability in the dot is obvious, but to be honest, I didn't really notice him outside of faceoffs last night.

Moss hasn't looked very good at all this season. If he's going to stick on the 4th I'd rather try to package him and Schlemko for a Top 6 triggerman and bring back Brown (tall order, I know, but it could be doable). Moving Moss will probably be the only way to afford a Top 6 forward anyways since we've reconsidered Klesla's value to our blueline (and obviously trading Morris is a non-starter as he's been our best d-man along w/ OEL).

Klink has looked awfully good the past few games. I think he should get extended time with Ribeiro - at the very least, he's at least demonstrated he can finish better than either Korpi or Doan so far this season.
 

knowsthegame

Registered User
Mar 18, 2008
865
0
Tale of 2 NHL cities
Mike Smith is handling the puck too much. It's great that he handles the puck so well, but the risks he takes are not necessary and bad decisions. It's a strength he has that he sometimes turns into a liability.
It's shouldn't be the Mike Smith show- it's a team effort. No freebies
 

IPreferPi

A Nonny Mouse
Jun 22, 2012
11,456
914
Phoenix, AZ
I'd say 9 and out of 10 times Smith's puckhandling is an asset that neutralizes the opposing team's forecheck and springs the transition game. Certainly think it's worth the risk, and I certainly don't think he puckhandles just to feed his own ego.
 

CC96

Serious Offender
Nov 6, 2012
18,098
1,029
Mesa, Arizona
I'd say 9 and out of 10 times Smith's puckhandling is an asset that neutralizes the opposing team's forecheck and springs the transition game. Certainly think it's worth the risk, and I certainly don't think he puckhandles just to feed his own ego.

Pretty much this. Sure there's always a risk when Smitty handles the puck, but he rarely ever gets burned, not to mention his puckhandling works great on the penalty kill.
 

rt

The Kinder, Gentler Version
May 13, 2004
96,890
45,266
A Rockwellian Pleasantville
Smith is a much more effective puck handler when he's not getting cross checked by David Schlemko. That's Schlemko's second own-goal this season, by the way.
 

CC96

Serious Offender
Nov 6, 2012
18,098
1,029
Mesa, Arizona
Smith is a much more effective puck handler when he's not getting cross checked by David Schlemko. That's Schlemko's second own-goal this season, by the way.

That was entire sequence by Schlemko was just awful. He got mesmerized by the puck, and was totally oblivious to Smith trying to get back into the crease. I can't believe an actual NHL player managed to do something so dopey.
 

MP

Registered User
Feb 8, 2008
3,251
1
Should have harassed me, she's just a friend. :P
Maybe this post should not have made me laugh, but it did. As Bugs Bunny put it, he don't know ya very well, do he? ;)

(If she's a Coyote fan interested in impecunious writer wannabes, PM me.)
 
Last edited:

Summer Rose

Red Like Roses
Sponsor
May 3, 2012
90,732
20,425
Gainesville, Florida
Jesus god, Trish. Your posts per day is six times that of mine. Holy crap, sir. Holy crap. Where the hell are you talking hockey? I want in on that sub forum. Haha.

I post a lot in the Off Topic section, as well as the Montreal board (their GDT's are a lot more active; plus I'm usually watching their games at home on GCL, as opposed to going to the game or going out to sports bars like with Coyotes games).
 

Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
29,982
9,040
I'd say 9 and out of 10 times Smith's puckhandling is an asset that neutralizes the opposing team's forecheck and springs the transition game. Certainly think it's worth the risk, and I certainly don't think he puckhandles just to feed his own ego.

Mike Smith of last year yes, but this year he is trying to do that little extra, hanging on to the puck that extra second or two which is getting himself and the team in trouble. But I sure don't want him to stop, just maybe an adjustment.
 

Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
29,982
9,040
Smith is a much more effective puck handler when he's not getting cross checked by David Schlemko. That's Schlemko's second own-goal this season, by the way.

I agree the Schlemko has played like crap this year, but from what I saw that was Smith's fault.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->