Recalled/Assigned: Lightning recall Cory Conacher from Syracuse

[LightningStrikes]

GM Steve Yzerman said that with a couple players dealing with minor injuries, Conacher's callup provides some depth so that the team could at least play 11 forwards in back-to-back games against Washington and Pittsburgh.

Lightning recalls Cory Conacher from Syracuse

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[Steazy Doo]

 

[Leonardo87]

 

[Bolt 45]

Shoulda scored two kid, shoulda scored two. Better luck next time.

Gotta love the way we treat our Syracuse guys. Conacher looked average, but this isn't the first time a guy's been called up for one game and still managed to find the score sheet, only to get sent back down. Can't be good for morale.

 

[DFC]

I think Conacher adds more than Brown in the current makeup of our lineup. The touch of offense could help balance things out. Just because our fourth line is pretty much set, for the time being, doesn't mean it's not a mistake to move Brown up in the lineup. He's a fourth liner or nothing.

 

[Bolt 45]

I think Conacher adds more than Brown in the current makeup of our lineup. The touch of offense could help balance things out. Just because our fourth line is pretty much set, for the time being, doesn't mean it's not a mistake to move Brown up in the lineup. He's a fourth liner or nothing.

Pretty much this. It sure feels at times like we're deliberately holding guys down in Syracuse to protect our current NHL roster. I sure hope not. Lotta bad hockey juju in that approach.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

He only had 11 shifts and I thought he acquitted himself well. I don’t understand why they won’t give him a decent shot but I don’t think they ever will.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Pretty much this. It sure feels at times like we're deliberately holding guys down in Syracuse to protect our current NHL roster. I sure hope not. Lotta bad hockey juju in that approach.

Conacher is also great in a short stint, keep him up more than a handful of games and he's a liability. Brown isn't a liability and will produce similarly over a full season.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

I don’t buy that.

 

[Sky04]

Conacher is also great in a short stint, keep him up more than a handful of games and he's a liability. Brown isn't a liability and will produce similarly over a full season.

Conacher had 4pts in 11 games last year.....Brown had 6 in 64..

 

[HoseEmDown]

Conacher had 4pts in 11 games last year.....Brown had 6 in 64..

If he's so good why can't he stick in the NHL? He's not good enough for most top 9's and doesn't play a 4th line game. Again he's not an everyday player. Brown sucked last year, there's no denying that but he shown before that he was good and is playing much better this year.

 

[Bolt 45]

Conacher is also great in a short stint, keep him up more than a handful of games and he's a liability. Brown isn't a liability and will produce similarly over a full season.

I disagree, particularly in terms of production, but it's not even really about Conacher, either. It's about whether or not anyone in Syracuse has a legitimate shot at breaking into the lineup over Brown. As far as I can tell they don't.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I disagree, particularly in terms of production, but it's not even really about Conacher, either. It's about whether or not anyone in Syracuse has a legitimate shot at breaking into the lineup over Brown. As far as I can tell they don't.

Who deserves a shot?

 

[MattM92]

Conacher was pretty meh last night. Don't really think he adds much to the lineup. He just looks out of his league most of the time to me.

 

[Bolt 45]

Who deserves a shot?

Most of the forwards I saw during preseason looked talented enough. So, they all deserve a shot. If I name someone specific you'll tell me he hasn't played his way out of Syracuse yet, which is fine, but that line of reasoning assumes that Brown has been doing enough in comparison over the past few seasons not to have to worry about fighting for his roster slot, which he hasn't.

 

[Bolt 45]

Conacher was pretty meh last night. Don't really think he adds much to the lineup. He just looks out of his league most of the time to me.

I'd agree if we weren't comparing him to Brown.

 

[MattM92]

I'd agree if we weren't comparing him to Brown.

Brown is meh too, but I think he has more speed and is better on defense. I don't think either is the answer on Johnson's wing. Not sure we have anyone ready to step into that role.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Most of the forwards I saw during preseason looked talented enough. So, they all deserve a shot. If I name someone specific you'll tell me he hasn't played his way out of Syracuse yet, which is fine, but that line of reasoning assumes that Brown has been doing enough in comparison over the past few seasons not to have to worry about fighting for his roster slot, which he hasn't.

There's been plenty of preseason hero's who haven't performed as well once in the show. We gave out lots of opportunities last year and really only Gourde stood out to earn a fulltime spot this year. Brown is asled to play a 4th line role, he hits, fights, blocks shots, PK's well and chips in some offense. He makes 1.25 and performs well enough for that money. Erne last year had 3 goals in 26 games, not too far off the production of Brown on an off year. He didn't earn a spot and hasn't played well enough to get called up. Callahan is the issue in the bottom 6 at nearly 6mil, not Brown.

 

[Bolt 45]

Brown is meh too, but I think he has more speed and is better on defense. I don't think either is the answer on Johnson's wing. Not sure we have anyone ready to step into that role.

I don't see a real difference in speed, to be honest. Brown only ever had speed in a straight line, and even that doesn't appear to be what it used to be. Conacher skates circles around him in every other respect. And I wouldn't call Brown good on defense. He can shadow a guy well enough, but his awareness is poor and he gets too locked in on the guy he's shadowing to the point that plays develop around him unbeknownst to him and he winds up with front row seats to goals he might otherwise have been able to help prevent. At the end of the day, it's just silly for Coop (or whomever) to keep pretending that Brown's the only option we have. Trying to play him at center was absurd, and was literally a big "f*** you" to Peca.

 

[Bolt 45]

There's been plenty of preseason hero's who haven't performed as well once in the show. We gave out lots of opportunities last year and really only Gourde stood out to earn a fulltime spot this year. Brown is asled to play a 4th line role, he hits, fights, blocks shots, PK's well and chips in some offense. He makes 1.25 and performs well enough for that money. Erne last year had 3 goals in 26 games, not too far off the production of Brown on an off year. He didn't earn a spot and hasn't played well enough to get called up. Callahan is the issue in the bottom 6 at nearly 6mil, not Brown.

We had no choice but to give out those opportunities. As usual. We never would have found out about Gourde otherwise.

Erne looked fine last year, and showed better instincts in the offensive zone than Brown. Not to mention, 3 goals in 26 games is better than 3 goals in 64. He looked like a better bet than Brown this year in the preseason, too. He should have earned a spot, but it wasn't really an open competition. That's the point.

We've had this conversation before, but Peca's looked good enough every time we've called him up, which lends credibility to the preaseason he had in which he was easily one of our best players (in the games I caught, anyway). He was virtually indistinguishable from Gourde, and we could absolutely use another Gourde/Point forechecker on our third line. There's no reason not to try him on the wing, if we're going to try Brown at center.

Besides, we're not asking Brown to play on the fourth line. Coop's been casually slipping him out there with TJ and Killer like it'll be the spark that lines been missing.

As for Cally, he got injured. Not his fault. He's a leader who can be trusted in any situation, and who creates chances for his linemates. Pretty sure he'd resign for a million bucks a year, too, if given the choice.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I never understood why Peca didn’t get a real shot making the team.

 

[Sky04]

If he's so good why can't he stick in the NHL? He's not good enough for most top 9's and doesn't play a 4th line game. Again he's not an everyday player. Brown sucked last year, there's no denying that but he shown before that he was good and is playing much better this year.

Because he's competing for a scoring role and Brown a 4th line role, we have the benefit of 3 scoring lines in which Conacher is a better fit as 3RW on Johnson's line where he's been productive and should be even more productive if given the chance this year. Even if you scratch him every 2-3 games to change up the lineup he's shown he can hit the scoresheet just about every other game since being re-signed. I mean fair point about Conacher in short stints but that also applies to Callahan and Brown who run out of gas and become useless every 4-5 games.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

This 100%. Especially with the first line coming back down to earth Conacher is a much better option in getting Johnson and Killorn going than JT Brown. Brown is a 4th line checker and is an offensive black hole. He is a very good “role player” option until the 3rd line RW can be acquired at the trade deadline.

 

[The Macho King]

Conacher was pretty meh last night. Don't really think he adds much to the lineup. He just looks out of his league most of the time to me.

Conacher looked awful in that game - let's call it what it is. He's weak on the puck, doesn't handle it well, and can't play well at speed. His tap in goal that was created by Killorn was not enough to make him an NHLer.

Brown has faults. He has possibly the worst shot on the team and he handles the puck like a grenade at times, but he's a superb forechecker, can win a board battle, can play the PK, and has the second best hair on the team after Hedman. JT Brown is an NHL player (although a replaceable one) - Conacher is living off of good will he created five years ago at this point.

 

[Bolt 45]

I never understood why Peca didn’t get a real shot making the team.

Me neither. Coop doesn't like him, is all I can come up with.