Miscellaneous NHL Talk Part 11 (not II) - 2018/19 Regular Season

[Tripod]

Vegas is kind of a disaster right now. The Brandon Pirri magic wore off and basically everyone is slumping, including the top line and Tuch, so they're having a hard time scoring goals. Fleury's been worked to death this season and he's starting to show cracks.

They probably don't have the pieces to get a Panarin or Duchene. I don't think Simmonds does anything for them because this is a team that wants to make plays at high speed, and Wayne can't do that.

I kinda think they should just hunker down and play it conservative, try to sign a free agent and hope that Glass helps them next year.

Gallant the other day was saying that his team needs to play more aggressive and is missing some physicality they had last year. Add in the PP struggles, and Simminds could be a match especially since you know they won't want to pay the top end rental costs.

Also said Fleury us playing too much. Hmmm....what team has an extra goalie....

 

[baudib1]

Gallant the other day was saying that his team needs to play more aggressive and is missing some physicality they had last year. Add in the PP struggles, and Simminds could be a match especially since you know they won't want to pay the top end rental costs.

Also said Fleury us playing too much. Hmmm....what team has an extra goalie....

The problem is I don't see a natural spot for Simmonds. He doesn't displace Smith/Tuch, and if he plays on the third line that leaves Pirri without a job. Unless they want to move down Lindberg, who's sort of a cross between Lindblom and Weal, a Corsi machine who doesn't score.

Vegas could definitely use Elliott, Subban is horrible.

 

[baudib1]

Matthews with his 100th career goal, in 187 games.

 

[Magua]

Just goes to show you how overrated "star" players are to team success, seems you actually need a team to win.

All those contending teams without stars really makes this an open and shut case.

 

[Ruck Over]

All those contending teams without stars really makes this an open and shut case.

I thought the 05-06 Hurricanes were too old a reference to support that argument. Are they fair play again???

#ObviousHeelTurn

 

[Magua]

I thought the 05-06 Hurricanes were too old a reference to support that argument. Are they fair play again???

#ObviousHeelTurn

Eric Staal only had 45 goals and 100 points that season. Rod only won the Selke. Their coach, Lavio-something, was no doubt as good as Hakstol.

They had no stars (as the above shows), rode totally sustainable career years and numbers in a weird post-lockout year, and that's why they became the Hurricanes dynasty we all know and love. You don't need stars to win. Only depth players.

#HeeledYourHeel

 

[Striiker]

All those contending teams without stars really makes this an open and shut case.

Had you heard that the Flyers stars didn’t carry the team last year and that they actually made the playoffs because of MacDonald coming back from injury?

*This is something that was actually said in real life

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

A trade involving Edmonton and the Rangers appears to be from a bogus NYR account -- it temporarily made the main board before being removed. Do not post it here. This is the official account of the Rangers:

New York Rangers (@NYRangers) | Twitter

 

[deadhead]

Had you heard that the Flyers stars didn’t carry the team last year and that they actually made the playoffs because of MacDonald coming back from injury?

*This is something that was actually said in real life

The same stars are having similar seasons this year and are winning only since Hart came up.

Maybe goalies are more important than stars?
Might have to ask Crosby about that - Pittsburgh spent years in the wilderness when MAF went south.

2017-18: Vegas gets to the SC with Karlsson (#53), Marchessault (UDFA), Perron, R Smith
(Marchessault spent FOUR years in the AHL, proof you can't overmarinate a prospect )
2016-17: Predators, Arvidsson, Forsberg, Johansen
2015-16: Blackhawks, Toews (46 ES points), Hossa (43), Kane (42), Saad (42), "stars" having ordinary seasons
2014-15: Kings, Kopitar (47), Williams (36), Carter (35), Richards (27)
2010-11: Bruins, Lucic (48), Krejci (50), Horton (45), Bergeron (43)

You don't need a Crosby/Malkin pair or Ovechkin or Kane/Toews putting up huge numbers
You can win a cup with a solid top six, a strong defense and goalie and an average PP.

Which is why the Flyers have enough talent on the way, the question is whether it's the right talent.
That is, they'll be able to field 3 lines and 2 pairs of defensemen and a top goalie, now can they put together 3 lines that can defend as well as score, and teach the young D-men not to cough up the puck on a regular basis?

Giroux, Couts, Patrick, Lindblom, TK, Voracek, JVR all have 40+ ES point potential, and Frost, Farabee, and probably a couple players out of Ratcliffe, Allison, et al. They don't need superstar players to put up 60+ points.
They have four talented young defensemen and Hart.
But right now only the Couts line can control the puck and play defense as well as score.
And the defensemen aren't reliable.

 

[Starat327]

Had you heard that the Flyers stars didn’t carry the team last year and that they actually made the playoffs because of MacDonald coming back from injury?

*This is something that was actually said in real life

And McDonald coming back wouldnt have mattered unless the brilliance behind the bench used him the way he did. I'm still baffled by the firing of Hakstol

 

[Chinatown88]

And McDonald coming back wouldnt have mattered unless the brilliance behind the bench used him the way he did. I'm still baffled by the firing of Hakstol

289 games clearly isn't enough to evaluate him. We needed at least 500.

 

[Curufinwe]

Kucherov sitting on 91 points & we still got two periods left (3 point night so far).

The league deserves some credit for the changes they made to the game to make playing defense more difficult. In 14-15 Benn won the Art Ross with only 87 points.

 

[deadhead]

I think the scoring will decline a bit next year, the biggest change this year was shrinking the goalie pads and getting rid of Michelin man goalies - this puts a bigger premium on mobile, technically sound goalies over "jolly green giants" - just watch Hart v Stolarz. Teams will note which goalies struggled with the new pads - some will adjust, others will be replaced by young goalies more suitable to the new "normal."

In fact, I won't be surprised if we see this as early as this year's playoffs.

 

[Striiker]

And McDonald coming back wouldnt have mattered unless the brilliance behind the bench used him the way he did. I'm still baffled by the firing of Hakstol

289 games clearly isn't enough to evaluate him. We needed at least 500.

I still can't believe they fired him so soon.

He should've been able to coach 500 games before anyone judged him. We might've just fired the best coach of all time, just because we didn't wait long enough.

 

[Starat327]

I still can't believe they fired him so soon.

He should've been able to coach 500 games before anyone judged him. We might've just fired the best coach of all time, just because we didn't wait long enough.

If the flyers wouldve given him some talent to play with, he'd have been fine.

 

[David St Hubbins]

If the flyers wouldve given him some talent to play with, he'd have been fine.

#NoChoice

 

[Ruck Over]

Eric Staal only had 45 goals and 100 points that season. Rod only won the Selke. Their coach, Lavio-something, was no doubt as good as Hakstol.

They had no stars (as the above shows), rode totally sustainable career years and numbers in a weird post-lockout year, and that's why they became the Hurricanes dynasty we all know and love. You don't need stars to win. Only depth players.

#HeeledYourHeel

How could you not mention a decrepit Doug Weight?

In the industry, we call "#HeeledYourHeel" a "#SurpriseFaceTurn". Proper nomenclature.

 

[TheKingPin]

Big day tomorrow. We play the wings. Pitt plays the flames and cbus the hawks. Could come out 6 pts behind both with a win.

 

[deadhead]

We have six gimmies left , 2 with Detroit, Ottawa, NJ, Dallas and the Blackhawks. Got to win five of six.
We also have TB, Wash, 2 home, 1 away, Toronto, Islanders 3 times - need 4 of 8

Games with teams we're chasing:
Pens, Buffalo at home
@ CBJ,
CAR home and away

That's a problem b/c it means we don't have a lot of opportunities to quickly make up ground.

 

[TheKingPin]

We have six gimmies left , 2 with Detroit, Ottawa, NJ, Dallas and the Blackhawks. Got to win five of six.
We also have TB, Wash, 2 home, 1 away, Toronto, Islanders 3 times - need 4 of 8

Games with teams we're chasing:
Pens, Buffalo at home
@ CBJ,
CAR home and away

That's a problem b/c it means we don't have a lot of opportunities to quickly make up ground.

We have two games agaisnt the pens.

 

[GapToothedWonder]

If the flyers wouldve given him some talent to play with, he'd have been fine.

#Obviousheelturn

You missed the last bit.

Also to all those saying Giroux never comes up big in big moments.

 

[Starat327]

You missed the last bit.

Also to all those saying Giroux never comes up big in big moments.

You seemed to have missed my sarcasm.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

HAY-ska-nen or HI-ska-nen?

 

[Harhis]

HAY-ska-nen or HI-ska-nen?

If you are trying to pronaunce Heiskanen, the first one is correct.

 

[Oskar Man]

Eric Staal only had 45 goals and 100 points that season. Rod only won the Selke. Their coach, Lavio-something, was no doubt as good as Hakstol.

They had no stars (as the above shows), rode totally sustainable career years and numbers in a weird post-lockout year, and that's why they became the Hurricanes dynasty we all know and love. You don't need stars to win. Only depth players.

#HeeledYourHeel

I have nothing to bring to this conversation but with all of this heel talk I couldn't resist. I time stamped it. Enjoy.