Post-Game Talk: Politicians at The Can | Stranger wants a beatdown. More at 7:30

[Sheet]

There's overreaction all the time over everything. But to compare Barrie to Duchene, Landeskog or EJ is just silly. He has no where near the pedigree of any one of those players.

Doesn't change the fact this board go's absolutely nuts and throws in the towel too quickly on these players. And we have no idea what Barrie will become.

I mean, you're right. He's no Duchene, Landeskog, OR EJ, and when the three of them were playing meh hockey, knowing what they were, people were still bent out of shape over it. Very few calm heads prevailed and said they were just slumping and would be fine.

I'm ironically far less concerned with Barrie. His expectations aren't what an EJ, Landy, or Duch are. He just needs to be a 3/4 D Man who isn't a liability, who can move the puck and put up some points. He has the tools to do that. He'll put it together.

 

[freeboy]

These guys had poor performances with repeat quality; bords, mitchel, holden. I don't understand Mitchell at all, he can go from excellent to lost child faster than anyone? Bords is too slow to play hockey IMO. Holden looked terrified when he had puck... Maybe that's nhl lack of experience but he's what 26? So on to McLeod .. He does need to bring the punishing hits back, but he looked good against Sharks. Barrie has given me hope he can both play d, and score. It's the MENTAL part of the game that looks lost, what to do with puck in his zone when it's time to pass and again play without the puck in our zone and these errors are all coach able. He has the raw talent .I don't know about Holden and Mitchel if they can be rehabilitated, but bords Mitchell and Holden are my first guys to axe.

 

[freeboy]

Doesn't change the fact this board go's absolutely nuts and throws in the towel too quickly on these players. And we have no idea what Barrie will become.

I mean, you're right. He's no Duchene, Landeskog, OR EJ, and when the three of them were playing meh hockey, knowing what they were, people were still bent out of shape over it. Very few calm heads prevailed and said they were just slumping and would be fine.

I'm ironically far less concerned with Barrie. His expectations aren't what an EJ, Landy, or Duch are. He just needs to be a 3/4 D Man who isn't a liability, who can move the puck and put up some points. He has the tools to do that. He'll put it together.

I completely agree with the comments about over reacting.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Yep I've seen the refs go out of their way in two different games to have a nice long talk with Bordy.

The thing with Barrie, I'd love to be patient with him but the problem is they HAVE to make a decision on him. Barrie basically has to make the top 4 or get moved for someone in the top 4. So maybe the question to Barrie supporters is are you comfortable with no upgrade to keep Barrie?

 

[Holyhell]

It's pretty plain to see that Mitchell, Bordeleau, and McLeod are liabilities with the puck. Especially now that the NHL is in midseason mode and everyone has their legs. Something needs to happen so those guys aren't getting any more ice time than need be. If that means a call up, or a trade... something to make it through the next month still near the top, then so be it.

At least there is an Olympic break so Parenteau and Tanguay can fully heal up.

 

[5280]

Yep I've seen the refs go out of their way in two different games to have a nice long talk with Bordy.

...and that St. Louis game, it was comical they wouldn't even let him fight Stewart. It's not his fault he is bigger than most players, and I don't think he is even really that dirty of a player.

I just feel that players like him are important to teams from a mental standpoint. I think one of Lacroix's biggest mistakes back in the day was to trade Chris Simon. I think it helps to have that intimidating guy on a team. Malone does bring a lot of good things to the table as a 4th liner, and maybe could give Bordy a rest against lighter teams every once in a while, but I don't think he brings the same intimidation factor that Bordy brings.

Just my opinion, though....and I understand why some people think he is a liability on the ice. I mean he is no Matt Duchene with the stick.

 

[S E P H]

The Tim Tebow defense, huh? Plays like **** for 55 minutes of the game, pulls some magic out of his ass the last five and now he's respectable? Hilarious.

You are right that Barrie did not have a solid game yesterday, but he hasn't been a liability on the ice in the last month that some are saying here. He has been quite solid for a player I don't think will ever be amazing defensively. He is also a billion times better than Cumiskey at this stage and it is not even remotely close to compare the two in talent.

Definitely prefer him over MDZ and I will stand by that.

 

[Pokecheque]

I think one of Lacroix's biggest mistakes back in the day was to let Chris Simon go. I think it helps to have that intimidating guy on a team. Malone does bring a lot of good things to the table as a 4th liner, and maybe could give Bordy a rest against lighter teams every once in a while, but I don't think he brings the same intimidation factor that Bordy brings.

I was more than happy to see Simon gone. Never cared for him as a fighter or as a player, though admittedly that Simon-Sakic-Young line was kinda fun to watch.

We ended up getting a hell of a player in Keith Jones for Simon, it would have been a better deal had Jones's knee surgery not been so badly botched. We at least got a great defensive forward after that by dealing Jones back to Philly for Shjon Podein.

I think the "intimidation factor" is grossly overrated, and has been for quite some time. If you take Bordeleau out of the lineup, I seriously doubt you'll see a ton more players taking runs at the Avs. How many teams were honestly scared of the Wings when they were making their Stanley Cup runs? How about the Blackhawks now?

The one and only player who I think intimidates the hell out of the opposition is Milan Lucic. Dude is huge, freakin' invincible and unlike a goon, can play the game at a high level.

 

[5280]

I was more than happy to see Simon gone. Never cared for him as a fighter or as a player, though admittedly that Simon-Sakic-Young line was kinda fun to watch.

We ended up getting a hell of a player in Keith Jones for Simon, it would have been a better deal had Jones's knee surgery not been so badly botched. We at least got a great defensive forward after that by dealing Jones back to Philly for Shjon Podein.

I think the "intimidation factor" is grossly overrated, and has been for quite some time. If you take Bordeleau out of the lineup, I seriously doubt you'll see a ton more players taking runs at the Avs. How many teams were honestly scared of the Wings when they were making their Stanley Cup runs? How about the Blackhawks now?

The one and only player who I think intimidates the hell out of the opposition is Milan Lucic. Dude is huge, freakin' invincible and unlike a goon, can play the game at a high level.

All good points. I wonder how our line-up would look/act with out him and what Roy will do when we get healthy?

 

[bohlmeister]

The best play Barrie made last night was after we were really getting hemmed in our end. He stopped a shot from going to the net and grabbed it and skated it out of our zone in about 2 seconds. If he did that more often he would be a great asset. We need transition help.

 

[Foppa2118]

You are right that Barrie did not have a solid game yesterday, but he hasn't been a liability on the ice in the last month that some are saying here. He has been quite solid for a player I don't think will ever be amazing defensively. He is also a billion times better than Cumiskey at this stage and it is not even remotely close to compare the two in talent.

Definitely prefer him over MDZ and I will stand by that.

I don't really want MDZ because he's not the right type of D man to will help this team IMO. He basically plays a very similar game to Barrie, but he is better at that game than Barrie. Barrie is 22 right now. MDZ had a 37 point season at 19, and a 41 point season at 21. He's basically already achieved what I think is Barrie's ultimate ceiling, and he's done it twice. He also had 10 points in a 20 game playoff run at age 21.

Barrie is much better than CUmiskey though I agree with this. Cumiskey's game will never round out enough to play in the NHL. Barrie has enough to stick in the NHL, but in a lesser role.

 

[Avs44]

The anger from Ottawa fans over on their board is...amusing. They don't lose well.

 

[Foppa2118]

The anger from Ottawa fans over on their board is...amusing. They don't lose well.

They're that pissed? It's not like they dominated for 60 minutes or anything. They were down 2-0 and got a point out of the game.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I'd love to see Lucic and Stewart pound each other good.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

He has definitely seemed off the last five games or so. Not sure what's wrong, but my hunch is it's an injury. I've seen him throw a hit, connect well with no problem, and then go to the bench and slam his stick like he tweaked something.

I'm a supporter of Bordy as a 4th line winger, but I can't stick up for him too much recently. I don't think those are the games to go off to evaluate him though. He's got a lot more games where he's played much better to evaluate him on.

That said, I thought DVG looked very good. Like he did when they first brought him in. I would definitely play him over Bordy right now, and over Malone and possibly Cody, because he just hasn't been the same since his suspension. I think he needs a wakeup call.

Agreed with this post. The Bordy playing right now isn't the Bordy we like. The Bordy that could play 8-10 minutes a game 82 games a year is the intimidating train that lays out 2-3 big hits per game and lines players up to get knocked down. For whatever reason, be it Roy's decision, injury or his own poor play he hasn't been that player too often. Maybe even due to the refs.

But we need Bordeleau to be an intimidating presence if he's going to stick in the lineup and he hasn't been that way. I'd bench him for DVG as well if only to send a message to him.

 

[Foppa2118]

I'd love to see Lucic and Stewart pound each other good.

Hey, if they can play, they can play.

 

[NyQuil]

The anger from Ottawa fans over on their board is...amusing. They don't lose well.

They're that pissed? It's not like they dominated for 60 minutes or anything. They were down 2-0 and got a point out of the game.

Is it that surprising?

To quote someone with a great deal of wisdom:

When the Avs blow late leads and surrender points everyone tends to overreact(including myself) because it brings back memories of the Sacco era.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I'm more impressed by Turris than I am by Spezza when I have seen Sens play this year. Good two-way play and a wicked shot.

Turris has developed really well, a lot better than I expected, particularly his two way game. With Rundblad just kind of hanging around in the NHL, that deal looks real good right now when many seemed to question it originally.

 

[InjuredChoker]

The anger from Ottawa fans over on their board is...amusing. They don't lose well.

They're that pissed? It's not like they dominated for 60 minutes or anything. They were down 2-0 and got a point out of the game.

they should spezza harder.

 

[JWK]

The anger from Ottawa fans over on their board is...amusing. They don't lose well.

I'm willing to bet our board is way worse.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Varly is going to start both games of the back to back. Giguere is going to have to earn a start.

 

[S E P H]

Sens fans are a great bunch of people, probably one of the best on this site IMO. Seriously the only things that they tend to do is overrate every prospect they have drafted and overrate Cowen (who still going to be a solid defenseman-just having a bad year). Besides that they are not biased by any means.

Even if they're "acting" like sore losers on their site, what would have happened if we carried the play for half of the 1st, all of second, and half of the third just to get a point out of it on this board? I disagree with them that they completely dominated the game, but they did play a really solid game.

Only thing they are whining about a bit too much is the post shots considering 3-4 out of their 6 posts were all on the outside and easily had a better chance of missing the net than going in.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

John Mitchell was so, so bad last night. His passing is among the very worst in professional hockey in any league, but he legitimately could not make 5 foot passes last night. Add to that, he was falling all over the place and couldn't even take a pass. Shambolic night for our whipping boy.

 

[Hesher]

I genuinly thought the Avs were done when there was 10 minutes to go and Ottawa was controlling the play. The last 5 minutes were awesome. That Landy rush reminded me of the one in Buffalo 2 years ago.

 

[avs1dacup]

I don't really want MDZ because he's not the right type of D man to will help this team IMO. He basically plays a very similar game to Barrie, but he is better at that game than Barrie. Barrie is 22 right now. MDZ had a 37 point season at 19, and a 41 point season at 21. He's basically already achieved what I think is Barrie's ultimate ceiling, and he's done it twice. He also had 10 points in a 20 game playoff run at age 21.

Barrie is much better than CUmiskey though I agree with this. Cumiskey's game will never round out enough to play in the NHL. Barrie has enough to stick in the NHL, but in a lesser role.

So I guess the fact that Barrie hasn't played a full season can't be used for comparisons sake? Last year, had it been a full 82 game season, and had Barrie played all 82 games, he was on pace for 33 points. As a rookie. Just because a player is brought along at a different pace doesn't mean much. When Barrie finally gets a chance to just play through the growing pains, instead of being scratched every little mistake he makes, he'll put up 35ish points. And as a 22 year old, he has A LOT of room to grow. At both ends of the ice. Is he going to be a 50 point defenseman? Nah, doubtful. But 40 isn't out of the question. This is why people think you have a massive personal problem with him. He's already the best he'll be at 22 years old and with a whole 69 games experience. Most of us are willing to let him grow and learn and improve. But if he has no chance of getting better, guess we may as well dump him for a 3rd or 4th rounder