GDT: Leaving Las Vegas | 8 PM MT

[The Kingslayer]

BTW, Vegas doing all that pregame crap with knight and sword and stuff is so dumb. Sitting in that arena and watching that felt like I’m in some sort of a different event and not a hockey game. They do that shit before every home game which again, is so stupid. That building is very loud though, and fans are passionate. I mean they cheered loudly for everything, like every pass break up, every shot block etc…

Vegas greatest expansion success story maybe ever.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Seems a little harsh coach..

I'm just saying you don't put your horse in the practice race if he isn't 100%. You let him heal so he's ready to go when it matters.

Comparing Cale to a thoroughbred Derby level horse is exactly where my head is at.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Comparing Cale to a thoroughbred Derby level horse is exactly where my head is at.

Lol, I get it, but Cale is probably on the team that expects him to play 110 the most.

It's interesting that teams are looking to emulate Bednar's system. Might be one of if not the hardest to do for 60 minutes.

They dominated while running on adrenaline and having the right personnel to skate and do it in the playoffs.

It's always going to be a roller-coaster during the regular season. This team has always been that way even when good.

Hell our core even with Landeskog was inconsistent in tight checking games. They'd fight through it at times against good teams, and let shit teams like AZ roll over us.

Judging Makar on his ability to play through injury, and calling him a liability is hilariously archaic thinking. Especially considering the circumstances.

Maybe you understand my point now, with a little clarification?

I knew what boost was as a kid playing video games, and I definitely know what it is and how much it's needed at times as an athlete. Apparently you don't.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

He's not, he is a bad fit there. He was exactly what the Avs needed/need.

Oh yeah during his last season here. He had his issues and he has even more issues now. I wouldn't touch his contract now.

 

[Grigowski]

Thats funny....

 

[CobraAcesS]

View attachment 763856

Thats funny....

The team needs to put this in every players stall from now until they play Vegas again.

Embarrassing

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Lol, I get it, but Cale is probably on the team that expects him to play 110 the most.

It's interesting that teams are looking to emulate Bednar's system. Might be one of if not the hardest to do for 60 minutes.

They dominated while running on adrenaline and having the right personnel to skate and do it in the playoffs.

It's always going to be a roller-coaster during the regular season. This team has always been that way even when good.

Hell our core even with Landeskog was inconsistent in tight checking games. They'd fight through it at times against good teams, and let shit teams like AZ roll over us.

Judging Makar on his ability to play through injury, and calling him a liability is hilariously archaic thinking. Especially considering the circumstances.

Maybe you understand my point now, with a little clarification?

I knew what boost was as a kid playing video games, and I definitely know what it is and how much it's needed at times as an athlete. Apparently you don't.

We agree that if Cale is hurting...... not 100%, playing with nagging problems, let him recover.

Bednar tends to skate his top guys into the ice at time. That's his record... esp with goaltenders.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

We agree that if Cale is hurting...... not 100%, playing with nagging problems, let him recover.

Bednar tends to skate his top guys into the ice at time. That's his record... esp with goaltenders.

Pretty sure Cale showed up to camp with something nagging. If it didn't heal over the summer, I doubt it'll heal by sitting for a few games.

 

[Foppa2118]

We almost/should have lost to the Sharks. Still the only point San Jose has is against us.

That should have been a very clear early warning sign. This team needs help.

It just needs help between the ears. No matter how bad people think RJ, Wood, Drouin, and Tatar are, it doesn't explain 3 shutouts in 4 games. It doesn't explain MacKinnon being under a point per game.

Cale talked post game about how the mood shifts on the bench when they get down in games. This feels like the MacKinnon impact again.

When he gets frustrated, his mood not only affects his own game, but it always seems like it affects the rest of the team as well. He's got to find his even keel game again.

This is a leadership issue. They're not responding within games after being scored on, and after losses, the way we've seen them respond the last couple years. I always felt like they could come back in games the last couple years. I haven't had that feeling this year, because the team doesn't look like they have that feeling either.

Feels like they've reverted back to that pre Cup team that Saad basically said needed to grow up and mature.

They managed ok without Landy last year, but without EJ this year now too, the leadership from Nate, Mikko, and Cale is really being tested. Bednar too for that matter. They haven't faced this kind of thing in a while. Cogs might have to step up and be that Ray Bourque presence that gets everyone to run through a wall for him.

 

[GeoRox89]

It just needs help between the ears. No matter how bad people think RJ, Wood, Drouin, and Tatar are, it doesn't explain 3 shutouts in 4 games. It doesn't explain MacKinnon being under a point per game.

Cale talked post game about how the mood shifts on the bench when they get down in games. This feels like the MacKinnon impact again.

When he gets frustrated, his mood not only affects his own game, but it always seems like it affects the rest of the team as well. He's got to find his even keel game again.

This is a leadership issue. They're not responding within games after being scored on, and after losses, the way we've seen them respond the last couple years. I always felt like they could come back in games the last couple years. I haven't had that feeling this year, because the team doesn't look like they have that feeling either.

Feels like they've reverted back to that pre Cup team that Saad basically said needed to grow up and mature.

They managed ok without Landy last year, but without EJ this year now too, the leadership from Nate, Mikko, and Cale is really being tested. Bednar too for that matter. They haven't faced this kind of thing in a while. Cogs might have to step up and be that Ray Bourque presence that gets everyone to run through a wall for him.

This is exactly why I wished we had a Cupless greybeard. This team misses a hungry veteran leader who can be the calming rally the guys presence to counter Mack’s fire and infectious personality. I still have some hopes that Cale can pull it off but this is where his humbleness and seeming dislike of the spotlight hurts

 

[Foppa2118]

This is exactly why I wished we had a Cupless greybeard. This team misses a hungry veteran leader who can be the calming rally the guys presence to counter Mack’s fire and infectious personality. I still have some hopes that Cale can pull it off but this is where his humbleness and seeming dislike of the spotlight hurts

Interesting point. They should consider adding someone like this if they're cheap.

Who are some of the highly respected Cupless greybeard candidates that are on relatively cheap expiring deals this year?

I'm not seeing any obvious candidates on the bottom dwellar teams that could be sellers at the deadline.

 

[GeoRox89]

Interesting point. They should consider adding someone like this if they're cheap.

Who are some of the highly respected Cupless greybeard candidates that are on relatively cheap expiring deals this year?

I'm not seeing any obvious candidates on the bottom dwellar teams that could be sellers at the deadline.

Not sure there are any obvious candidates which is too bad. That said I never expected Cogs to come in and be such a massive addition. There might be the perfect underrated hardworking true vet who comes in and adds a lot to the room and bench. I’ve always found it interesting that in his Cup interview Cogs pointed out that the team really didn’t have a lot of ‘vets’ but instead ‘guys who had been on the team a long time’

 

[expatriatedtexan]

If a room full of Stanley Cup Champions need a greybeard who has never won one come in to motivate them...I just can't...

The answer is inside the locker-room, assuming the coaching staff is in there as well. The Avs don't pay Toews, Nuke, Makar, Rants, and MacKinnon north of 41M to need someone else to motivate or lead them. It's on them and the coach to figure it out and get going.

 

[Foppa2118]

If a room full of Stanley Cup Champions need a greybeard who has never won one come in to motivate them...I just can't...

The answer is inside the locker-room, assuming the coaching staff is in there as well. The Avs don't pay Toews, Nuke, Makar, Rants, and MacKinnon north of 41M to need someone else to motivate or lead them. It's on them and the coach to figure it out and get going.

They shouldn't need it, but it's not uncommon for that to help motivate a team that just won. Bring in someone new to rally around and win for. Have to find ways to manufacture that kind of motivation.

Avs don't look "hungry" so far this year, like Bednar was trying to will into existence at the start. Need to find a way to re-ignite that hunger.

 

[GeoRox89]

They shouldn't need it, but it's not uncommon for that to help motivate a team that just won. Bring in someone new to rally around and win for. Have to find ways to manufacture that kind of motivation.

Avs don't look "hungry" so far this year, like Bednar was trying to will into existence at the start. Need to find a way to re-ignite that hunger.

Thank you. That’s just it. That room should be able to figure it out and I hope they can but that doesn’t change that bringing in that Cupless vet is a common motivational tactic with teams that have already won. There’s almost limitless examples of things in life that people can and should be able to do on their own but that doesn’t mean getting a little extra help isn’t useful

Looking at recent teams that won multiple Cups adding players that are 32+ without a Cup you have

2013 Hawks - Handzus, Roszival
2014 Kings - Regehr
2015 Hawks - Timonen
2016 Pens - Daley
2017 Pens - Streit, Hainsey

Bolts are really the only recent one who didn’t bring someone in (Savard was only around 30) and managed to run it back with the same group. 2016 Pens are also a fringe case with only Daley but they had that 7 year gap and the degree of roster turnover is very different than most of these teams.

Lots of those players had minimal on ice impact but it gives the team someone to really rally around when things aren’t going well.

 

[CobraAcesS]

They shouldn't need it, but it's not uncommon for that to help motivate a team that just won. Bring in someone new to rally around and win for. Have to find ways to manufacture that kind of motivation.

Avs don't look "hungry" so far this year, like Bednar was trying to will into existence at the start. Need to find a way to re-ignite that hunger.

Paul Stastny



He really must of pissed off Sakic for as many times as he could of came back lol.

Wasn't the Mild's GM Cupless when Pitt traded for him? Just having a moment with that name.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Well...technically Girard was injured during our cup run.

"Win one for G!" should be all that is needed.

Considering how much he and Bo are outperforming Makar and Toews right now at 5v5, that should be all the motivation Cale and Devon need. Heck the third pairing has a better xGF% than our top pairing.

Same thing with the forwards. It's bad decisions, and an absolute reckless approach to execution. I just don't think this stuff is something a greybeard without a cup can fix.

 

[Foppa2118]

Paul Stastny



He really must of pissed off Sakic for as many times as he could of came back lol.

Wasn't the Mild's GM Cupless when Pitt traded for him? Just having a moment with that name.

Yeah Paul might have been that guy a few times, but like you say, I think Sakic wasn't really fond of how he left.

Guerin actually won with Jersey in 95, but yeah there are lots of examples.

Thank you. That’s just it. That room should be able to figure it out and I hope they can but that doesn’t change that bringing in that Cupless vet is a common motivational tactic with teams that have already won. There’s almost limitless examples of things in life that people can and should be able to do on their own but that doesn’t mean getting a little extra help isn’t useful

Looking at recent teams that won multiple Cups adding players that are 32+ without a Cup you have

2013 Hawks - Handzus, Roszival
2014 Kings - Regehr
2015 Hawks - Timonen
2016 Pens - Daley
2017 Pens - Streit, Hainsey

Bolts are really the only recent one who didn’t bring someone in (Savard was only around 30) and managed to run it back with the same group. 2016 Pens are also a fringe case with only Daley but they had that 7 year gap and the degree of roster turnover is very different than most of these teams.

Lots of those players had minimal on ice impact but it gives the team someone to really rally around when things aren’t going well.

Kessel sort of with the Pens too. Hossa in Chicago for the 2010 Cup.

Tampa tried to rally around Corey Perry, even though he had already won.

 

[GeoRox89]

Yeah Paul might have been that guy a few times, but like you say, I think Sakic wasn't really fond of how he left.

Guerin actually won with Jersey in 95, but yeah there are lots of examples.



Kessel sort of with the Pens too. Hossa in Chicago for the 2010 Cup.

Tampa tried to rally around Corey Perry, even though he had already won.

Kessel is a pretty good one despite being something like 29 at the time and not really what I’d call a greybeard. The whole Toronto saga and all the crap he got from guys like Burke makes him a good rallying point.

Hossa for sure in 2010 was just only mentioning the 2nd and 3rd wins for core groups because usually the hunger for everyone to win their first is there regardless.

Tampa definitely tried to use Perry for the 3-peat and came pretty darn close. Their second one is also a unique situation because the first one was the bubble Cup so the motivation to win in front of their friends and family and prove it wasn’t a fluke was probably pretty darn close to their motivation to win the first Cup.

I view the whole thing a little like the having a previous Cup winner (and usually more) on the roster if you want to win. Teams do win without them and who knows how coincidental their presence is on winners but there is a trend there. I didn’t feel like going back further than the lockout with the greybeard thing but incidentally with Cup winners since 1980 you have the 80 Islanders, 89 Flames and 19 Blues as the only teams to win without at least one player who had their name on the Cup already in 43 years

 

[drhiii]

As a former enlisted sailor, I can attest the biggest jackasses in the Navy came from Annapolis. I know it bad look for me, but I don't mind seeing Navy lose. Officers from the academy need to learn a little humility.

Brilliant.... Army dudes had a zillion names for them from what I learned. Clam diggers is one. Anywayz... funny stuff from ya...