Confirmed with Link: #MikaFreed

[Icelevel]

bye bye pager.

ready for zbad

 

[SenzZen]

I don't think anyone is blaming Kassian.

They are blaming the coaching for requiring a guy to double shift to cover for a player who has no purpose out there.

He should certainly dress against teams that have a similar player - who will also require his team to cover for him.

It may seem like a small thing, but I think it can have a big impact - particularly when icetimes starting getting big for your top guys due to special teams (which this team spends a lot of time on this year).

You cleverly deleted the sentence before that one that states I understand if you don't want him in the line-up.

It's the people nailing him from both sides I'm taking issue with.

I also think you'd be hard-pressed to find a player that doesn't want more ice-time.

 

[benjiv1]

OK of course they know things we don't in terms of the behind the scenes of the team, but they don't have magic powers.

The reasons that they give for these types of moves are complete BS.

Did Zibanejad get the 1st line minutes, etc that he needed in 6 games?



Please.

So what's up with Pageau?

No longer the flavour of the week.

That's not to say he won't be a good player, but what we saw was a flash in the pan.

He dropped back down to reality. He's a good player though, so he will work his way back onto the team shortly.

 

[TheSenator]

Its going to be sad to watch everyone turn on him when he's not a PPG immediately.
i give it 5 games.

I'd be more then happy with a 0.5 ppg game Mika if that means we have another solid 2-way player.

I refuse to believe that Da Costa was ever anything more then trade-bait. Pageau on the other hand, I really like but until we improve our bottom wingers I think the safe bet would be to go with the big boys.

Zibanejad's by no means a Lucic or a Penner-type player, but I think he'll be strong enough to benefit the team.

 

[YNWA14]

Da Costa played really well in the defensive end when he was up, and caused a lot of havoc in the neutral zone.

Anyway assuming that Zibanejad is up and Pageau goes down, based on the statistics here (http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2013/01/2013-nhl-teams-by-weight-height-and-age.html) Ottawa is the tallest team in the league, the youngest team in the league and the 12th heaviest (74.09 inches, 204.68 lbs and 26.68 yrs).

 

[NyQuil]

I also think you'd be hard-pressed to find a player that doesn't want more ice-time.

That's why an organization hires a guy called a "coach" who's job it is to decide what players can't decide for themselves.

My point is that, jokes aside, Kassian hasn't done anything wrong.

In fact, not taking a minor penalty with his limited ice time is a positive, not a negative, given what the team has put up in terms of PIMs.

 

[benjiv1]

People underestimate Neil and Greening as linemates.

For a creative player like Zibanejad, they will give him more time/space with the puck to do his thing.

He's also got a wicked shot, you put 2 big bodies in front of the net, and he's gonna score some goals.

It's not a coincidence that Mika's best preseason game was when he had them on either side.

 

[NyQuil]

No longer the flavour of the week.

That's not to say he won't be a good player, but what we saw was a flash in the pan.

He dropped back down to reality. He's a good player though, so he will work his way back onto the team shortly.

Just needs to get that spark back.

I think he'll be a big part of this team going forward.

 

[John Holmes*]

Just waiting for the ok to share from Bonk but its nothing nefarious.

Its better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

People underestimate Neil and Greening as linemates.

For a creative player like Zibanejad, they will give him more time/space with the puck to do his thing.

He's also got a wicked shot, you put 2 big bodies in front of the net, and he's gonna score some goals.

It's not a coincidence that Mika's best preseason game was when he had them on either side.

I agree but Zibanejad was practising with Grant and Kassian and Condra on the forth line. If Stache would just put Smith on the forth line where he belongs this is good move, but if he insists on playing Smith on the third line I don't see how zibanejad can have much of an effect.

 

[NyQuil]

I agree but Zibanejad was practising with Grant and Kassian and Condra on the forth line. If Stache would just put Smith on the forth line where he belongs this is good move, but if he insists on playing Smith on the third line I don't see how zibanejad can have much of an effect.

If he's playing with Grant and Condra, he'll get icetime.

I wouldn't get hung up on 3rd and 4th - let's see where the TOI ends up.

I'm actually curious to see how this line does. They could be hell to play against.

 

[Super Cake]

#FreePageau

 

[benjiv1]

I agree but Zibanejad was practising with Grant and Kassian and Condra on the forth line. If Stache would just put Smith on the forth line where he belongs this is good move, but if he insists on playing Smith on the third line I don't see how zibanejad can have much of an effect.

WTF?

I hadn't seen that yet. Ugh, that's dumb.

 

[Sun God Nika]

Erik Condra TOI LAST 5
9:05
10:16
8:33
7:54
14:00


DEREK GRANT LAST GAME TOI
5:57

Looks like Zibby is looking at 6-9 minutes of ice time,..... disgusting

 

[Wondercarrot]

Is that why he's +1?

All the goals that go in against us don't count towards +/- because we're viewed as shorthanded?

And some think there's a league bias against us...

if you are playing a guy 2 minutes a night is screwing things up. i dont care if its Kassian or anyone else.
its not contributing.
id rather sit kassian and dress Corvo to play on the PP exclusively.
in fact id rather dress Docosta and have him play exlusively on the PP than have Kassian in the lineup.

smith is slowish, Neil is slowish, kassian is slowish - its too many in the bottom six and kassian is the obvious man out.

 

[NyQuil]

Erik Condra TOI LAST 5
9:05
10:16
8:33
7:54
14:00


DEREK GRANT LAST GAME TOI
5:57

Looks like Zibby is looking at 6-9 minutes of ice time,..... disgusting

You're forgetting the fact that Kassian was dressed.

Let's see how it plays out.

Special teams will be a factor as well. Will Z-bad get time on the second unit? Will he kill penalties?

 

[HavlatMach9]

Welcome back Zibanejad. I imagine he'll be doing everything in his power to stay up, and with his abilities, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[YNWA14]

Grant will get more ice-time next game. He's good defensively and he was pretty good at faceoffs.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

if you are playing a guy 2 minutes a night is screwing things up. i dont care if its Kassian or anyone else.
its not contributing.
id rather sit kassian and dress Corvo to play on the PP exclusively.
in fact id rather dress Docosta and have him play exlusively on the PP than have Kassian in the lineup.

smith is slowish, Neil is slowish, kassian is slowish - its too many in the bottom six and kassian is the obvious man out.

If Corvo plays exclusively on the powerplay, chance are he'll get 2 minutes - or less - of icetime a night.

But yeah, I'd love to paly a Bostonsque style where we can roll 4 lines fairly evenly. Three decent scoring lines and an all-around shutdown line. Would be so sweet.

 

[pepty]

I knew he didn't show enough intensity but am surprised that Maclean was unhappy with his conditioning and attitude.

Too much preparation for DJZBAD maybe.

ttp://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=434741

Zibanejad was expected to make the team out of training camp, but Ottawa coach Paul MacLean wasn't impressed with the 20-year-old's conditioning, attitude or play.

 

[Sarcasticus]

I knew he didn't show enough intensity but am surprised that Maclean was unhappy with his conditioning and attitude.

Too much preparation for DJZBAD maybe.

ttp://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=434741

Zibanejad was expected to make the team out of training camp, but Ottawa coach Paul MacLean wasn't impressed with the 20-year-old's conditioning, attitude or play.

Seeing as how there's no quote from MacLean anywhere about Zib's conditioning, I'm wondering if this isn't some beat reporter trying to fill space?

 

[NyQuil]

Seeing as how there's no quote from MacLean anywhere about Zib's conditioning, I'm wondering if this isn't some beat reporter trying to fill space?

CP got lazy and actually dug up a quote from the previous season's Ottawa Citizen, April 9th, 2013:

"His conditioning wasn't very good, his attitude wasn't very good and the way he played wasn't very good," MacLean said bluntly referring to Zibanejad's start to the AHL season with Binghamton.

http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nhl/3678/mika-zibanejad

Hilariously bad journalism from the Canadian Press.

 

[Patvolcom65]

Victory!

 

[saskriders]

Greening-Zibanejad-Condra

 

[Sarcasticus]

Does anyone even need to get sent down?

By my count, we have 7 d-men, 14 forwards and 2 goalies. 23 players in all.