Observations XXIV

[Porter Stoutheart]

(Not trying to pick on you here darth5)- but I see a whole lot of people, when discussing Laviolette- say that the last TWO years have been unacceptable or that the Preds have been in decline since the Cup run. Have actually seen some national media saying that.

I just don't agree with that at all. This year?? Yes. This year was a mess and we absolutely underachieved and regressed.

But we regressed last year? We won the President's trophy, had 117 points, won a playoff series and lost in round 2 in 7 games to the 2nd best team in the league last year, a 114 point team. Sorry, but that ain't regressing. We had a great team, and lost to a great team in 7 games.

And Colorado did not "nearly beat us" last year. Preds blew a late lead in Game 5 or we would have won the series in 5 games. And we demolished them in game 6. Saying they almost beat us is about the same as saying we almost beat the Stars this year......

I don't think the media would get this, but I thought last year's playoff performance really was part of the regression too. The end of the 2017-18 season is really where the seeds of this year's regression were sown.

Yeah, we made it to Game 7 of the Second Round. But watching those games, that's a bit of a deceptive accomplishment, because I thought we had some iffy moments against a thin 1-line team in Colorado, and that Winnipeg was sowing their own seeds of regression and playing pretty crappy against us too. It's no coincidence the Jets fell hard next round. Neither of our teams was playing well, for all that we were in Game 7 of the second round.

The team got a little complacent after the Pres Trophy run, I think. So many horseshoes in some of those games leading to the 117 points. They found out how good they could be. And then started mailing stretches of games in, because they could get away with it. And that's a little snowball that started rolling down the hill to what we have here today.

 

[PredsV82]

I'll again say I feel really bad for Simmonds.

I dont know what kind of contract he would have got had he stayed in Philly but I cant imagine any GM giving him a lot of money or term going forward.

 

[triggrman]

I'm telling you. I think the org is in for a shock about how thin the ice is for the fanbase. As quickly as it mushroomed, it'll disappear twice as fast. Its the culture we live in.

Or it will turn into the Sounds games. which is basically a night club with a baseball game around it on the weekends.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'll again say I feel really bad for Simmonds.

I dont know what kind of contract he would have got had he stayed in Philly but I cant imagine any GM giving him a lot of money or term going forward.

Had him in my keeper league before we got him and was watching what was going on, thought he might get a nice 5x$5M deal or something from somebody. His goals were down but not vanished, reputation, size and grit has always played into things in these UFA deals. I don't know what he'll get now. 2x$3M? It's probably a tough decision for him. If he took a 1-year show-me deal somewhere to try to recoup his value before seeking a better one next year, that's risky if he doesn't perform again. If he takes a longer deal at lower $$$ than he was previously thinking, just to get the security, he could be missing out a bit if he does rebound.

Look at us, feeling bad for millionaires.

 

[PredsV82]

Just realized you changed your screenname, Tex. Was gonna ask where you had been all this time lol

 

[predhead1]

What frustrates me the most about this whole debacle is that it took an elimination game to get most of our team to play with the level of intensity required for the playoffs. If we had played like that in Games 1 - 5, we're either already in the second round or well positioned to be. We definitely have some character issues in the room that need to be addressed in the offseason, either through personnel changes, coaching changes, or my preference - a combination of the two.

 

[zhok]

Lavi has to go. I dont think this core has it in them to win the cup, but the roster seriously underachieved. Having the worst PP in the league, it's amazing we were even able to get into the playoffs (thank you, 13-3 start). You can spin last years' playoffs anyway you want, but it was a President's trophy team losing in the 2nd round. Everyone not named Arvy underachieved this year. Worst PP in the league. Pathetic 1st rd exit. Players looked lost. No flow to anything. I have no hope for this team with Lavi as coach. Certainly not convinced a coaching change is going to get us to the cup, but it's the most glaring thing that needs to happen. Lavi is lost; get him out of here.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Just realized you changed your screenname, Tex. Was gonna ask where you had been all this time lol

Seems I lost a bet somehow.

 

[LCPreds]

Or it will turn into the Sounds games. which is basically a night club with a baseball game around it on the weekends.

That's a definite for the weekends no matter what. The (current) Nashville allure will pull continue to pull in out of towners to keep the Thu-Sun games busy. I just hope it doesn't turn into a nightmare for the local fans. Definitely don't want a Blackhawks/Booze-esque crowd every Saturday night..

 

[PredsV82]

Seems I lost a bet somehow.

Oof. How long? The whole year until you can change for free?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Oof. How long? The whole year until you can change for free?

Yeah.

 

[PredsV82]

Or it will turn into the Sounds games. which is basically a night club with a baseball game around it on the weekends.

Presumably the corporate sponsors and STH are mostly locked up for next season.

Need a good year next year and everything will be fine.

 

[PredsV82]

Yeah.

You could pay 12 bucks and be a sponsor and do it sooner... unless that would violate the terms of the bet

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

You could pay 12 bucks and be a sponsor and do it sooner... unless that would violate the terms of the bet

It was kinda the self-inflicted terms I agreed to anyway. For all that NNC probably wouldn't hold me to it, I guess it doesn't matter in the big picture. What's in a name. But somebody needs to get fired over this. I'm looking at you, Lavy!

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Or it will turn into the Sounds games. which is basically a night club with a baseball game around it on the weekends.

Wait there is baseball at Sounds games?

 

[Roman Yoshi]

You could pay 12 bucks and be a sponsor and do it sooner... unless that would violate the terms of the bet

Just noticed "fancy stats denier." Hilarious. V82 I love your swagger.

 

[desmondtootoo]

I was pleasantly surprised by the acquisitions of Boyle and Simmonds, and the re-insertion of Watson. We actually tried to have the right pieces in place for bangin' playoff hockey. Then they did nothing, or didn't even get invited to the game lol. We ended up being run over by Benn and Radulov of all people. Oleksiak didn't even have to goon it up. Watson hustled some, but the whole desire to play playoff hockey was forgotten, by the team.

It's funny, now I wonder if Trotzy was being held back by the Preds, just the opposite of what I used to think. The guy goes to Washington, uses Tom Wilson just right, and wins a cup. Now he's in Long Island, and he has guys like Matt Martin, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Scott Mayfield, bangin' away. Guys like Johnston and Clutterbuck in reserve. And they roll over the 4th best team of all-time, who forgot they were in the playoffs, just like the Preds.

And we tried to mini-me (formerly known as "smurf") our way through the playoffs.

Didn't help that none of our 6-8 superstars stepped up to carry the team. The Stars knew who was doing it for them. Somehow nobody on the Preds thought to do it, and Lavy forgot to ask about it lol.

 

[Armourboy]

Eh Trotz learned a lot I think getting away from Nashville and dealing with top notch talent like Ovechkin.

For what it's worth, I have friends that are what I would consider to be newer Preds fans, well newer than most of us anyways, and many of them are putting it squarely on Lavi. I believe the statement was " Laviolette is the hockey version of Butch Jones ".

 

[Prediculous]

I will maintain it ought to be Ellis. Our D is just too soft and dysfunctional, but the most physical and abrasive player out there is Subban. Ellis is the one who makes the least sense for us to keep. He's a bad fit on a pairing with Josi, and he's just too small/slow to help this team. His skillset is offense, but he's redundant in that area for us.

I definitely prefer getting rid of Ellis over Subban. Heck if Subbans contract wasnt so bad I wouldnt even consider him. Hes not perfect and I think hes been dinged up most the season too which doesnt help him. Subban probably gets us a more favorable player. Ellis might not even get us a top 6 forward, we'll see.

 

[desmondtootoo]

Lavvy has proven his ability in other towns, other big wins. The improbable run to the finals for the Preds was a good indicator of him putting it all together here. We just seem to have an odd mix of Pekka becoming a bit inconsistent, and nobody stepping up to carry the team. It was Arvy in the big run. Forsberg has done it a few times. Josi, Pekka, PK, Johansen, supposedly can do it. Can't let Lavvy off the hook for not bringing it out in somebody. But this is a bizarre year anyway. Upsets and #1's and favorites going down all over the place, let's just say "we fell out like everybody else" this time.

I would like to see them do a grand experiment and keep this team together the way it is. See what Boyle, Simmonds, Watson can do for a full year together, and then the playoffs. It's not rocket science. Playoff teams have been built in this mode for 100 years. Boyle and Simmonds should also be the clubhouse guys, they've been around and can do that for the Preds. We have all the small talent we need.

It was embarrassing to see Eckholm in game 5 "give the guy the business" behind the net, after a cheap shot on Pekka. He actually had the guy on his back on the ice, and proceeded to give him a purple nurple or pink belly or something. The guy was laughing, and he was a euro queef who should have been scared and begging for help. Instead he was laughing. That's what hurt us the most this time around. No respect earned or deserved. Radulov pushed us around.

 

[Prediculous]

Lavi year 1- 1st round exit
Lavi year 2- 2nd round exit
Lavi year 3- SCF appearance
Lavi year 4- 2nd round exit
Lavi year 5- 1st round exit

Year 6 is either out of the playoffs completely or a 2nd round exit and year 7 we could be back in the SCFs folks!

 

[Predsanddead24]

Eh Trotz learned a lot I think getting away from Nashville and dealing with top notch talent like Ovechkin.

For what it's worth, I have friends that are what I would consider to be newer Preds fans, well newer than most of us anyways, and many of them are putting it squarely on Lavi. I believe the statement was " Laviolette is the hockey version of Butch Jones ".

I said this yesterday but I do think that similar to Jones's final season that Laviolette at this point is a lame duck and holding on to him is going to do more damage than good. I do think calling Laviolette the hockey version of Butch Jones is silly though. Laviolette is a top tier coach but I don't think he is the right fit for what this team needs right now whereas Butch Jones was just awful all around. The Laviolette situation to me is similar to when we let Trotz go in that things have started to get stale and a change would likely benefit both parties. It's interesting that Laviolette is the third longest tenured coach in the NHL and the two longest (Maurice and Cooper) both have question marks surrounding them too. The days of long term coaching stability are gone now in the NHL.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Despite my wailing after the loss around here I think next year is the real key. Contenders sometimes have a setback. One step backward to take another two forward. The core is still young enough to contend. So as frustrating as this season might have been from an individual fan perspective, it doesn't have to be any huge disaster in the big picture. Poile needs to react, but not overreact.

If the team spins another big contending season out of the ashes of this one, it'll take the sting out of it in the long run. But if instead this is the start of spiral back down to the middle of the pack that's another story... and it won't be a pretty one for the franchise after all the buildup of the last couple years.

 

[101st_fan]

I said this yesterday but I do think that similar to Jones's final season that Laviolette at this point is a lame duck and holding on to him is going to do more damage than good. I do think calling Laviolette the hockey version of Butch Jones is silly though. Laviolette is a top tier coach but I don't think he is the right fit for what this team needs right now whereas Butch Jones was just awful all around. The Laviolette situation to me is similar to when we let Trotz go in that things have started to get stale and a change would likely benefit both parties. It's interesting that Laviolette is the third longest tenured coach in the NHL and the two longest (Maurice and Cooper) both have question marks surrounding them too. The days of long term coaching stability are gone now in the NHL.

Cooper got an extension less than four weeks ago.

 

[bdub24]

Or it will turn into the Sounds games. which is basically a night club with a baseball game around it on the weekends.

So... We're gonna be the Vegas golden knights....eeesh