GDT: Game 70: Sharks @ Coyotes - 7PM

[Jakey53]

Quick someone else post something, I feel like Jakey with multiple posts in a row.

I'm not complaining.

Really good period for him in all 3 zones. I chose not to disagree with anyone, but I never did get all of the 'bottom pairing' talk about him that has been tossed around on the board this season.

This year started up and down for Murphy and Stone. Then Murphy was benched for a couple of games and Stone was taken off the OEL pairing. Since then I think they bothhave been progressing nicely.They still have moments of head scratching, but most of us forget how hard it is to play D in the NHL.

I don't think many people would disagree with your assessment of Murphy. People were down on him early because last season he seemed to stagnate and was flat out bad early. He's been playing very well in 2016. Offensive upside is questionable but he's still pretty young.

I agree.

 

[Jakey53]

So Vermette, Doan, Tanguay, Stone, and Connauton on powerplay unit 1, huh?

Was noticing that too, Tip is either tanking or is clinically insane.

Not sure if you guys have noticed, but that group is probably playing the best hockey at the moment. KConn is there because OEL is not.

 

[Jakey53]

Seriously.


In other news I really hate these line combos but our RW options suck so its slightly understandable. But Tik playing with Hanzal, really?

The Coyotes are evaluating the players to see if they have a future here or not and Tik is one of them.

 

[Jakey53]

They aren't thinking about the draft. Smith is a head case that folds under pressure. The rest is just coincidence. Tanguay and Vermette have sparked each other and Domi is more and more confident every day. Connauton is settling in and Stone and Murphy are progressing. Hanzal is healthy. It's just timing on those things.

Agreed.

 

[Matias Maccete]

I get the Smith hate (when he loses he sucks toads)..... BUT.... let's look at a couple of things.

Smith has played 2 games after being out for 40. And there's no way to know how many games he played with those torn core muscles, but it's an injury that doesn't just pop up overnight.

How much this injury affected his play is certainly up for debate, but in that sense if you want to fault Smith for anything it was not taking care of the problem sooner. Because all evidence points to a healthy Smith playing like everyone expects him to.

I have wondered for a while how long he's been hurt. He had games dating back to last year where he'd move oddly, and stretch his groin and quad area a lot during breaks. We'll see if he keeps this up, even if he's been hurt, I still don't think he's strong enough mentally

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I've really come around about Tiks. He has a place on the 3rd line going forward IMO. He is really sound defensively and I think that he is the one who saved the goal when Smith flew out of the goal to stop that breakaway from forming.

Smith is playing well. The lateral movement which was really poor before he had his operation is now just fine. I wonder how long he had been playing injured and if it were the team that asked him to hang in there because they didn't have anyone good to back him up?

 

[MIGs Dog]

Not sure if you guys have noticed, but that group is probably playing the best hockey at the moment. KConn is there because OEL is not.

KConn is playing well, except for that one brutal turnover, which the replay gods saved his ass.

I liked what I saw of Murphs game last night as well.

 

[MIGs Dog]

I wonder how long he had been playing injured and if it were the team that asked him to hang in there because they didn't have anyone good to back him up?

I want to say that I read somewhere the injury occurred before the season started. He played well in Oct and Nov, then the 1st week of Dec went south, and probably triggered the decision to have the surgery.

 

[LuckyNumber11]

3 straight wins without OEL?

The OEL is overrated threads will flourish on the main board.

We should trade him now while his value is still high

 

[MIGs Dog]

Another main board thread *****ing about Domi after his fight tonight.

The main board thread author says Domi jumped his opponent in all 3 fights. He also called him gutless.

A review of the evidence here http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/16755
shows that the only "jumping" maybe occurred in the Ducks game. The other tilts (thanks Tyson) he was face to face with his opponent before throwing the mitts.

I'm not in favor of fighting in the NHL, but the Max Domi variety is preferable to me because it is an emotional reaction to something that happened on the ice, as opposed to either a staged fight based on some grievance going back 27 shifts, or staged to fire up the losing team (the most lame reason).

Also, Max is not on this team to be an enforcer, nor is he large in stature...all three of his opponents were bigger...how is that gutless?

Max is highly skilled (with the puck), and we want him to remain highly skilled, but it's nice to know he doesn't put up with any ****.

 

[HerrDonut]

I still dislike Smith. Disagree with that one "Mike Smith is the [epitome] of [inconsistency]. If he played like this all the time, we'd have no reason to hate him" comment. He spoiled any immediate interest I had in liking him again after he showboated a routine glove save on his first shot faced upon returning.

People think this roster may actually make the playoffs? Interesting....

 

[strizzy16]

I still dislike Smith. Disagree with that one "Mike Smith is the [epitome] of [inconsistency]. If he played like this all the time, we'd have no reason to hate him" comment. He spoiled any immediate interest I had in liking him again after he showboated a routine glove save on his first shot faced upon returning.

People think this roster may actually make the playoffs? Interesting....

We all know this roster doesnt have the skill level to really compete with the top 7 teams in the west, but hot streaks do happen, and Smith does notoriously get hot late in the season. Stranger things have happened. Remember the Senators last season?

Personally, I think we will fall a bit short, but I also believe we are on the same tier as the avs and the wild. they might be a bit better than us, but not by much.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Smith or Domingue tomorrow night vs TB?

 

[HerrDonut]

I like Domingue and want to see him do well, rack up Ws. So I'm hoping for a Smith start.

We all know this roster doesnt have the skill level to really compete with the top 7 teams in the west, but hot streaks do happen, and Smith does notoriously get hot late in the season. Stranger things have happened. Remember the Senators last season?

Personally, I think we will fall a bit short, but I also believe we are on the same tier as the avs and the wild. they might be a bit better than us, but not by much.

Fair
Hot streaks happen, sure, but the points difference is pretty... present. We're at 69 pts two places out of Wild Card. Minny and Col are above us at 75 and 76, respectively. I don't see the gap closing with our rag-tag bunch.

Smith's traditional(?) late-season form is out of the question in my mind as he has spent over half the season on the sidelines.

Stranger things have happened, indeed. But I don't see this strange thing happening by any stretch of my imagination.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Poor Domi, he's at the point where he knows no one will stick up for him.

Nick Boynton tore the entire team a new one in the postgame on the radio last night - said that he's not surprised Domi is fighting his own battles (and others') and that SOMEONE has to step up and not only fight for his teammates but for himself. Said that too many in the Coyotes room aren't interested in doing either. Ouch... but true. It was very entertaining to see how far back Domi's punch windup went. He looked like a fastball pitcher in Spring Training.

Good job you old goat.

Doan's goal was from such an impossible angle nobody in the arena could figure out how it went in even after the replay.

Smith is brilliant; all hail smitty

I don't know what game you were watching but Smitty was shaky all night. The Sharks had, by my count, about 7 open-net chances that they just whiffed on because Smith was either out of position or slow to react. It's very clear he's not fully recovered - he was really struggling in the butterfly and he looked both winded and in pain for most of the night. Now, how much of that is his propensity to be a drama queen and what was real, who knows - but he's been very fortunate in his first two games back.

And the point where he skated out to the mother-effing blueline to handle the puck was a dumpster fire that was only saved by the lucky fact that his entire team had crashed their own net chasing down the Sharks' puck handler. It was darkly funny to hear the entire arena saying, "no no no No No NO NO NO NO NO GO BACK TO YOUR CREEEEEAAAAAAAAASE" when he was gliding out there, though.

So hey, 7 points out of 8 since Boedker got moved. You think he might have been an issue...?

 

[SniperHF]

Smith or Domingue tomorrow night vs TB?

Unless they want to rest him since he just came off injury, I see no reason it wouldn't be Smith despite the play Feckless outlined.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Unless they want to rest him since he just came off injury, I see no reason it wouldn't be Smith despite the play Feckless outlined.

But then back to Dominigue Sunday vs Sharks right? No way Smith plays back to back coming off injury?

 

[Mosby]

I've really come around about Tiks. He has a place on the 3rd line going forward IMO.

I like Tikhonov as well. If only he had some offensive skill. 6 points in 33 games with Arizona doesn't say much.

 

[HerrDonut]

I like Tikhonov as well. If only he had some offensive skill. 6 points in 33 games with Arizona doesn't say much.

How many of those games saw him lined up with genuine point producers though?

I like him too.
Of course, we're not gonna look to him to lead our offense.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I never see Tiks out of place. On a number of plays I see him positioning himself in front of the net waiting for a feed that never comes. On our side of the ice he is like a rottweiler, absolutely tenacious, and never caught out of position. He is the epitome of a defensive specialist. We need a balanced team with defensive forwards to go along with all the incoming offensive minded forwards. Can we keep him, please??

 

[Jakey53]

I've really come around about Tiks. He has a place on the 3rd line going forward IMO. He is really sound defensively and I think that he is the one who saved the goal when Smith flew out of the goal to stop that breakaway from forming.

Smith is playing well. The lateral movement which was really poor before he had his operation is now just fine. I wonder how long he had been playing injured and if it were the team that asked him to hang in there because they didn't have anyone good to back him up?

I like Tikhonov as well. If only he had some offensive skill. 6 points in 33 games with Arizona doesn't say much.

How many of those games saw him lined up with genuine point producers though?

I like him too.
Of course, we're not gonna look to him to lead our offense.

I never see Tiks out of place. On a number of plays I see him positioning himself in front of the net waiting for a feed that never comes. On our side of the ice he is like a rottweiler, absolutely tenacious, and never caught out of position. He is the epitome of a defensive specialist. We need a balanced team with defensive forwards to go along with all the incoming offensive minded forwards. Can we keep him, please??

He has played well, but is like Vitale, all show and no go. If we add another two rookie forwards and maybe Tanguay or a Guadet, there is no room for him. The only way I sign him would be a two way deal. I would rather keep Gordon if I had a choice.

 

[CC96]

He has played well, but is like Vitale, all show and no go. If we add another two rookie forwards and maybe Tanguay or a Guadet, there is no room for him. The only way I sign him would be a two way deal. I would rather keep Gordon if I had a choice.

Definitely agree with all of this. Tikhonov is alright, but I'd much rather open up another spot for a young gun.

 

[HerrDonut]

Definitely agree with all of this. Tikhonov is alright, but I'd much rather open up another spot for a young gun.

Domi - Hanzal - Duclair
Reider - Strome - ???
Martinook - Vermette - Dvorak
Samuelsson - Richardson- Doan

OEL - Murphy
Stone - ???
Connauton - Michalek

Smith
Domingue

...Is pretty young. New blooded young gun can come up with injuries and child births and ticks and whatnot.

[I hate playing this GM sort of game myself, so feel free to ignore this post. Don't know what I'm doing.]

 

[Mosby]

Personally I'd give Tikhonov a 2-way deal and a chance to compete vs. HankSam for the 4RW slot.

 

[CC96]

Domi - Hanzal - Duclair
Reider - Strome - ???
Martinook - Vermette - Dvorak
Samuelsson - Richardson- Doan

OEL - Murphy
Stone - ???
Connauton - Michalek

Smith
Domingue

...Is pretty young. New blooded young gun can come up with injuries and child births and ticks and whatnot.

[I hate playing this GM sort of game myself, so feel free to ignore this post. Don't know what I'm doing.]

We'll probably add/re-sign 1 vet top-9 winger (i.e., Tanguay, Vrbata) and at least 1 veteran depth forward, so I'd prefer to avoid giving Tikhonov a 1-way deal.