GDT: Game 81: Wild @ Coyotes 2.0: The Season That Was - 6PM - 4/8/17

[moosemeister]

Loook at the straight up good fortunes of the Leafs rebuild. Every single damn thing is weling out perfectly. Now look at us. Duke stalled. Domi hurt. Keller overwhelmed. Strome laying a goose egg in the semi finals. And we just can't win a ****ing lottery to save our lives. The Leafs have done a good job but the good luck is undeniable. We need some.

We need Keller to have a Johnny Hockey rookie season that nobody sees coming. Or we need Domi to explode out of nowhere to be a ppg player. Or we need Strome to suddenly become the player we all hoped he would be by now on his draft day. Or maybe a meteoric rebound from Duke to pop in 30 goals. Or maybe we draft Patrick and it turns out that he just had a really tough year, and he end up looking like the pre-draft year, slam-dunk #1 overall stud who comes in as a rookie and is a lights-out #1 NHL center.

We have to catch a break. Something has to give and soon. We need a buzz. We need excitement and hype. We need positive attention for something for once.

Yes. The arena crap needs to end and the attention needs to shift to the team.

 

[_Del_]

If we had drafted Marner he would have spent the year in the AHL. He would have looked timid in his cup of coffee, and we would have marvelled at him talking about getting the puck in deep while he played with McGinn and Jooris.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I agree. I don't want Doan going out like that. If he's not sure, he should come back for one last year where he's positive it's his last year so that he can treat it like it's his last the whole time. Give him the exact same contract and bonuses that Vrbata accepted last summer. It's fair and there's precedent.

Doan's biggest problem this year was that he lost speed and was usually behind the play and late to the puck. If, perhaps, he had a lingering injury, like a hamstring, this year, and he can regain a step he could play one more year. Perhaps he should attend training camp and decide there.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

The Fella with the Mozarella throws the rest of the team under the bus:

He has no business saying this seeing he's been a joke since after the 2012 season. Send he ass to Las Vegas.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

This game left me feeling weird. Doan, Z, Hanzal, Cunningham, poor OEL, retirement uncertainties, another summer with relocation hanging over our heads, the listless performance by the team, the bandwagon Wild fans...ugh...I don't know, I just feel weird. Hope Doan doesn't retire like that and as rt said, this team needs some luck for once.

I'm with you, man. I don't remember a stranger Fan Appreciation Night in the whole time I've been a fan.

Maybe it was the ceiling leaking outside of section 121.

Maybe it was that the only way you could get anyone to start a Coyotes cheer was if the Wild transplant fans were shouting first (and even then, in our section, fans would just say COYOTES really loud in place of WILD - they wouldn't even say the whole chant). I tried seven times to get a "Thank you, Doaner!" chant going, and actually got stared down by annoyed Coyotes fans. What the hell??

Or maybe it was how underwhelming most of the giveaways were. I get that we are never going back to the days of flat screen TVs and cruise vacations and such, but a coupon for a free side item at Papa John's being one of the big ticket items? Sure, I sound ungrateful, but the whole vibe was "cheap."

All in all I spent the night in a very strange state of mind. I guess, from what I have read here and elsewhere, the feeling was much different on the broadcast - one of the few times that Walsh's excruciating maudlinism might have been a benefit.

Doan's biggest problem this year was that he lost speed and was usually behind the play and late to the puck. If, perhaps, he had a lingering injury, like a hamstring, this year, and he can regain a step he could play one more year. Perhaps he should attend training camp and decide there.

I felt bad watching Doan out there. It's so clear that he wants to keep playing. He thinks he's got more in the tank than he actually does. It's not just his speed, though, or his slowing reflexes - it's his lack of edge, which was one of the things that elevated his game.

He's done as a Coyote - I'm almost positive about that, because I can't see the organization offering him anything but the lowest low-ball contract possible. I'd hate to see him pick up with another team to spend next season riding the pine.

 

[rt]

I - one of the few times that Walsh's excruciating maudlinism might have been a benefit.

Correct.

 

[Mosby]

Don't think it's been posted but Craig Cunningham said he's likely becoming a Coyotes scout.

 

[Ebb]

Rough game, for the last of the season as a fan. The broadcast was okay, but it got annoying at times. The highlight of the game for me was probably the post-game show (I actually nodded off within the first few minutes of the 3rd and woke up with like 2 minutes remaining--and this was a fairly early start). I (like the players) didn't care much after the team was down two points.

Random player thoughts:

• Bye Doan
• Please get rid of McGinn (as long as it doesn't cost us too much)
• Leave Smitty vulnerable in the exp draft (they probably wouldn't pick him anyway)
• Trade Holland's RFA contract for a 6th (or maybe 5th), or I guess we could release him
• Move Murphy (even if we have to retain a fair amount) to make room for a better-skilled RHD
• Re-sign Vrbata, Burmistrov, and Duclair
• Trade Pulkkinen's and Gaudet's contracts
• Shop Maritinook, but only move him if we get a sound player in return

Find a few decent centers and a 2/1 RHD (whichever is more easily attained)

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Centers. Anyone who doesn't want Hanzal back should consider just who will win important face offs next year. We have no puck possession, no shots on net because we are awful on face-offs. I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

 

[moosemeister]

Centers. Anyone who doesn't want Hanzal back should consider just who will win important face offs next year. We have no puck possession, no shots on net because we are awful on face-offs. I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

No doubt. Hanzal has to love playing here. Maybe we can convince him to come back like we did Vermette.

I don't think Strome and Keller are making the team next year. Run centers next year as Burmi, Hanzal, Dvo, Richardson. Not the greatest, but not bad. If Hanzal doesn't come back, find a way to get a RHS center for the 4th line.

 

[MIGs Dog]

Centers. Anyone who doesn't want Hanzal back should consider just who will win important face offs next year. We have no puck possession, no shots on net because we are awful on face-offs. I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

We'll have Richardson back too. He wins more FOs than he loses.

 

[SniperHF]

Centers. Anyone who doesn't want Hanzal back should consider just who will win important face offs next year. We have no puck possession, no shots on net because we are awful on face-offs. I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

On the faceoff thing, we do have Richardson coming back most likely and he's a 50%+ guy. I'm not sure Vegas takes a guy who hasn't played in 5 months and is only under control for a year.

I looked up the numbers for Dvorak and it's sort of interesting:
Oct-Nov-December: 318 Faceoffs - 45.5%

Jan-Feb-Mar-April: 688 Faceoffs - 47.3%

So a lot more draws, which is obvious, but he improved along the way.


I'm not really on the Burmistrov train, feels like settling. We can do that later.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

At the risk of sounding like a meme, that's what the Oilers and, later, the Avalanche thought. Our defense is not good right now. We need to shore that up before we worry about faceoff wins - after all, it's what happens AFTER the faceoff that determines the course of the game.

No doubt. Hanzal has to love playing here. Maybe we can convince him to come back like we did Vermette.

I'm sure we could, and I bet he'd even take a hometown discount - but again, like I've said before, the term and the no-move/trade clause will hamstring the team. I don't think Chayka wants to do that, otherwise he'd have inked Hanzal to an extension prior to the deadline.

[*]Please get rid of McGinn (as long as it doesn't cost us too much)

A friend of mine has the theory that instead of picking Schenn, Vegas might pick McGinn instead. That, of course, would require the Coyotes and us as fans to have much better luck than we have historically had.

 

[XX]

At the risk of sounding like a meme, that's what the Oilers and, later, the Avalanche thought. Our defense is not good right now. We need to shore that up before we worry about faceoff wins - after all, it's what happens AFTER the faceoff that determines the course of the game.

Possession is a form of defense, and faceoffs are a part of that. The Coyotes D is perfectly fine, it's the fact that they're constantly leaned on due to poor play by the forwards that is hurting the team. DT's dump and chase style really doesn't lend itself well to being a constant offensive threat. Witness the stretches of offensive famine this year, with periods of 2 or 3 shots. Other teams move the puck up the ice with urgency, whereas the Coyotes have their heads down, their backs to the center of the ice, and aren't looking to pass most of the time. This 'retain possession at all costs' approach ironically leads to less overall possession.

The Coyotes have the worst shot differential in the league and that's not a result of the D.

 

[Mosby]

Bozak should be a very attainable C given the progress of Matthews and Kadri.

Just please stop bringing back the same faces.

 

[IPreferPi]

Bozak should be a very attainable C given the progress of Matthews and Kadri.

Just please stop bringing back the same faces.

To his credit, Bozak has continued being productive even after Kessel left. Although he's played with JVR and Marner his relative possession numbers are still solid. But he's a secondary scoring center who gets a lot of OZone starts and whose defense is worse than what is generally attributed to him.

Not quite sure if he's that big of an overall upgrade on Burmi, even with faceoffs and RHS factored in.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Possession is a form of defense, and faceoffs are a part of that. The Coyotes D is perfectly fine, it's the fact that they're constantly leaned on due to poor play by the forwards that is hurting the team.

The Coyotes have had this issue offensively since Tippett became head coach. The difference between the playoff teams of five-plus years ago and the bad teams has been the ability of the defense to weather the overload that Tippett's system brings on them.

 

[Ebb]

DT's dump and chase style really doesn't lend itself well to being a constant offensive threat. Witness the stretches of offensive famine this year, with periods of 2 or 3 shots. Other teams move the puck up the ice with urgency, whereas the Coyotes have their heads down, their backs to the center of the ice, and aren't looking to pass most of the time. This 'retain possession at all costs' approach ironically leads to less overall possession.

Unfortunately, Tipp isn't going anywhere, so we need to acquire players that can fit in his system if we want to be semi-competitive. I'm not saying total overhaul, here, just add 2-3 players that do well in this wonderfully outdated system.

 

[cobra427]

Possession is a form of defense, and faceoffs are a part of that. The Coyotes D is perfectly fine, it's the fact that they're constantly leaned on due to poor play by the forwards that is hurting the team. DT's dump and chase style really doesn't lend itself well to being a constant offensive threat. Witness the stretches of offensive famine this year, with periods of 2 or 3 shots. Other teams move the puck up the ice with urgency, whereas the Coyotes have their heads down, their backs to the center of the ice, and aren't looking to pass most of the time. This 'retain possession at all costs' approach ironically leads to less overall possession.

The Coyotes have the worst shot differential in the league and that's not a result of the D.

The Coyotes D is not fine and might be close to the worst D core in the NHL. The left side is fine with OEL/Gogo/Chych. We have no 1RHD or 2RHD at this time. Murphy/Shenn/DeAngelo are all 3RHD. Our problem is lack of the top 2 spots on the right side and a lack of puck movers outside of OEL and DeAngelo. We can't stand teams up at the blue line because we are too slow and then we can't make the first pass on a dump. Our possession problem is mostly D related. Once we actually get the puck to a forward, they are fast enough that the opposing D has to respect them and gives them more space to carry the puck in the O zone. We are doing less dumping and chasing now from my view. This isn't a system problem it's a talent problem on D.

 

[Jakey53]

Centers. Anyone who doesn't want Hanzal back should consider just who will win important face offs next year. We have no puck possession, no shots on net because we are awful on face-offs. I really don't think that #1RHD is our biggest need. We need centers who can win face offs.

I also think a team should build from the net out. I would look at D before I turn my attention to C unless and good deal comes along for a C.

 

[Jakey53]

Possession is a form of defense, and faceoffs are a part of that. The Coyotes D is perfectly fine, it's the fact that they're constantly leaned on due to poor play by the forwards that is hurting the team. DT's dump and chase style really doesn't lend itself well to being a constant offensive threat. Witness the stretches of offensive famine this year, with periods of 2 or 3 shots. Other teams move the puck up the ice with urgency, whereas the Coyotes have their heads down, their backs to the center of the ice, and aren't looking to pass most of the time. This 'retain possession at all costs' approach ironically leads to less overall possession.

The Coyotes have the worst shot differential in the league and that's not a result of the D.

Our puck possession was not very good this year, so if we can improve there, our D will look better, but to say our D is perfectly fine is false. The forwards also have to receive good passes from our D to improve possession. This dump and chase thing is as big myth. This was argued earlier in the year and I watched three games and in two we skated the puck in 2 to 1 and the other game it favored the dump and chase by a small margin. As we get more talent and our kids keep on progressing I hope our shot totals increase.

 

[WrinkledPossum]

Our Dmen are a lot better than our forwards. Yes adding a 1RHD would be great, but like 75 % of the teams in the league are after that. The issue is our forwards either suck or are inexperienced. We can't sustain offensive possession.

Right now we only have one forward who would be a first liner on most teams. Our top C wouldn't even be a 2C on a lot/most teams. Our 2nd best C has only had ~25 good games. At the very least we need to add someone like Bozak and hope Vrbata doesn't lose a step, and the young players keep developing.

 

[Sinurgy]

I agree. I don't want Doan going out like that. If he's not sure, he should come back for one last year where he's positive it's his last year so that he can treat it like it's his last the whole time. Give him the exact same contract and bonuses that Vrbata accepted last summer. It's fair and there's precedent.

That's what I was thinking, he can't go out like that, he just can't, it would be a ****ing travesty. He needs one more year, he needs to call it his last from the get go and he needs to enjoy the fair well tour that comes with it. Arguably no one in hockey deserves it more. Last night just sucked so bad, everything about it, that can't be his last game...it just can't!

I'm with you, man. I don't remember a stranger Fan Appreciation Night in the whole time I've been a fan.

Honestly I think people are just beat down. As Doan commented recently, it's not easy being a Coyote fan. We just do not have any luck, it's one kick to the head after another.

 

[XX]

That's what I was thinking, he can't go out like that, he just can't, it would be a ****ing travesty. He needs one more year, he needs to call it his last from the get go and he needs to enjoy the fair well tour that comes with it. Arguably no one in hockey deserves it more. Last night just sucked so bad, everything about it, that can't be his last game...it just can't!

If you read what he told Sarah, he doesn't want that at all. He just wants to go quietly after the season is done, which could be any day now. He doesn't want a Modano style farewell tour.