GDT: RANGERS @ CANES, NEW STORM

[MrazeksVengeance]

This year has been thus far anything but uneventful, to put it mildly.

So, the fact that the regular season has come to its unnatural end in march, its rotten corpse splurging out shit from its intestines, was a painful thing, but one that was fairly predictable as much as a thing can be these days.

The start of the play-offs and its preliminary phase is the exact opposite. It is mostly a joyous occasion, but one that is full of uncertainty. The virus is still around, there are 24 teams in playoffs, no one can say for certain this thing will work out and we are... playing in August.

This season might end up drowning the league in more shit, but it can also be an example of how even a mighty sequoia tree can rise from ashes and a small ball of dung. Let's hope the result will be closer to the shit phoenix variety.

MAY THE STORM RISE AS WELL. IN ALL ITS BEAUTY AND ALL ITS TERROR.
...

We're up against Rangers, which was not exactly our best matchup in the regular season. But these are UNCERTAIN TIMES. TIMES WHERE PREDICTIONS ARE AS GOOD AS USED TOILET PAPER OR CHEWED OUT BUBBLE GUM. TIMES WHERE ESTABLISHED TRUTHS AND CONVENTIONS FALL LIKE FLIES. TIMES OF CHANGE. TIMES TO RIGHT OLD WRONGS and time to commit new ones.

These days... sometimes the only thing one has is hope. But with a bit of luck and a bit of THIRST FOR VENGEANCE, IT IS ALL ONE NEEDS.

MAY THE SKIES BREAK AND EARTH SHATTER BEFORE WE LOSE HOPE. As long as we hope, we have a chance to claim Vengeance AND MAKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE BASTARDS EAT THEIR WORDS.

And if we fall, THEY SHALL RUE THE DAY WE MEET AGAIN, FOR VENGEANCE WILL BE OURS.
THIS GAME OR THE OTHER.

Click to read more...

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

I DON'T KNOW WHO ASKED FOR MS PAINT. BUT I AM A BERSERKER OF MY WORD.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

BORN UNDER FICKLE RED PLIGHT, UNDER THE HEARTLESS STARS
WHERE ICY BEER FOAM IS CUTTING INTO LIVER AND LEAVING SCARS
NO LEGACY AWAITED, NOT FOR THE RESTLESS KIND
I STEPPED ABOARD A TWENTY-SIX AND LEFT IT ALL BEHIND

WESTWARDS I WAS LOOKING FOR CHOICES, ON THE HF I DID TRAVEL
OVER MANY STRANGE BOARDS
I OFTEN HEARD THE GODS SINGING VOICES
THAT STEERED ME TOWARDS LIVING LIFE WITH WEAPONS IN MY HAND

THE STORM IS MY COMMAND
I HOLD IT IN MY HAND
TIL I TAKE MY FINAL STAND
DYING LIKE A CANE
LIKE A TRUE MORAVIAN

I HAVE SEEN PLAYOFFS RAGING, I HAVE SEEN DREAMS TORN AND FRIED
I HAVE SEEN TEARS OF RAGE AND I HAVE HEARD THE DOOMED ONES WEEP AND CRY
FOR SILVERWARE AND GLORY, AND FOR MY LONGING HEART
WIELDING MY BLOCKER BEFORE ME, I CAME TO PLAY MY PART
I STOOD MY GROUND IN FIRE AND FURY AS A MERCENARY WITHIN THE MORAVIAN GUARD
I CARVED A NAME TO VOUCH FOR OUR GLORY, WITH MY DAGGER IN A
CHURCH BENCH IN MIKLAGAARD

THE STORM IS MY COMMAND
I HOLD IT IN MY HAND
TIL I TAKE MY FINAL STAND
DYING LIKE A CANE
LIKE A TRUE MORAVIAN

THERE IS A SHED, OF TIMBER, IN A GLADE BY A LAKE
I GRIEVE AND I REMEMBER CORPSE OF THIS SEASON WITH HEARTBREAK
I GAZED IN LIGHT OF MORNING, TOWARDS THE RISING STORM
YET I WAS CAUGHT IN FROTHING, FOR IN RAGE I CAME UNDONE
ONCE AGAIN I BOARDED THE TWENTY-SIX
AND SAILED INTO THE WEST WHILST CONTEMPLATING WHAT IT GAVE
FOR I SURELY HAVE BEEN GIVEN GOOD FORTUNE
AND NOW ON WESTERN SHORES, I SHALL BE GIVEN MY VENGEANCE AND MY FATE

THE SWORD IS MY COMMAND
I HOLD IT IN MY HAND
TIL I TAKE MY FINAL STAND
DYING LIKE A CANE
LIKE A TRUE MORAVIAN

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Necas is back skating with our team. Phew, that's one thing that I can stop worrying about.

 

[zman77]

Maybe next week??

 

[zman77]

 

[zman77]

 

[zman77]

 

[Stickpucker]

 

[Stickpucker]

 

[Stickpucker]

 

[Stickpucker]

 

[Stickpucker]

It's comin for ya Rongos

 

[Stickpucker]

Really looking to Foegele and Trochek to be depth difference makers.

Excited to see Necas play....an open, run and gun, pond hockey style game will really suit his insane speed, dangles, and vision.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

It would be so nice for the Canes to finally beat the Rangers tomorrow and then have Dougie come back soon afterwards. With Necas on board, it's certainly possible. IMO, Reimer should start and this should be the defensive lineup:

Slavin-Vatanen
Fleury-Skjei
Gardiner-TVR

To me, against a really top-heavy club like the Rangers, have as many puck-movers as you can. Our PP looked very good (for the most part), with Gardiner running it, so as long as Brindy shelters him against someone like Panarin 5-on-5, he should make the lineup. Again, you can mostly chalk up the exhibition loss to the Caps to Ovie being Ovie, so they really need to make sure that Slavin is on Panarin's hip at all costs. When Dougie comes back, it may well be a smart move to put Slavin and Hamilton into separate pairings so that one pairing matches up with Zibanejad and the other matches up with the Breadman. Something like this:

Fleury-Hamilton
Slavin-Vatanen
Gardiner-Skjei

or

Slavin-Vatanen
Skjei-Hamilton
Gardiner-Fleury

Either would be smart, IMO. Against a team with more of an even talent distribution, you can pair Slavin and Hamilton together again.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

You never fail us, @MrazeksVengeance

Can't wait to start this VENGEANCE TOUR off!

 

[MinJaBen]

It would be so nice for the Canes to finally beat the Rangers tomorrow and then have Dougie come back soon afterwards. With Necas on board, it's certainly possible. IMO, Reimer should start and this should be the defensive lineup:

Slavin-Vatanen
Fleury-Skjei
Gardiner-TVR

To me, against a really top-heavy club like the Rangers, have as many puck-movers as you can. Our PP looked very good (for the most part), with Gardiner running it, so as long as Brindy shelters him against someone like Panarin 5-on-5, he should make the lineup. Again, you can mostly chalk up the exhibition loss to the Caps to Ovie being Ovie, so they really need to make sure that Slavin is on Panarin's hip at all costs. When Dougie comes back, it may well be a smart move to put Slavin and Hamilton into separate pairings so that one pairing matches up with Zibanejad and the other matches up with the Breadman. Something like this:

Fleury-Hamilton
Slavin-Vatanen
Gardiner-Skjei

or

Slavin-Vatanen
Skjei-Hamilton
Gardiner-Fleury

Either would be smart, IMO. Against a team with more of an even talent distribution, you can pair Slavin and Hamilton together again.

I've seen nothing to suggest that Skjei is worth having on his offhand side. I'd do the pairing like this before and after Dougie returns:

Before I'd have Fleury on his offhand side as he looks fine there in his own zone:

Slavin - Vatanen
Gardiner - Fleury
Skjei - TVR

After, I'd reunite Slavin and Dougie as they are elite together and we need them to be that to move on:

Slavin - Hamilton
Fleury - Vatanen
Gardiner - TVR

Now, I know this won't ever happen because Rod loves him some Edmondson on the PK, so all of this is moot. But that is what I would do.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Skjei - TVR

I HATE THIS.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

Really looking to Foegele and Trochek to be depth difference makers.

Excited to see Necas play....an open, run and gun, pond hockey style game will really suit his insane speed, dangles, and vision.

I'm cautiously excited about Tro. Maybe this weird COVID plague break will help revive Necas again too. Foegele is always a wild card, but I hope he plays every game like it's against the Caps in the playoffs

Also if Skjei lives up to his promise to "play with a chip on his shoulder" against the Rongos, I will (TRY) to never speak another ill word about him again-- even if he goes back to suck-levels after the series

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

I've seen nothing to suggest that Skjei is worth having on his offhand side. I'd do the pairing like this before and after Dougie returns:

Before I'd have Fleury on his offhand side as he looks fine there in his own zone:

Slavin - Vatanen
Gardiner - Fleury
Skjei - TVR

After, I'd reunite Slavin and Dougie as they are elite together and we need them to be that to move on:

Slavin - Hamilton
Fleury - Vatanen
Gardiner - TVR

Now, I know this won't ever happen because Rod loves him some Edmondson on the PK, so all of this is moot. But that is what I would do.

I thought that Skjei played his best last game when paired with Fleury. During the third period, Skjei was mainly paired with Fleury while Skjei was skating on his off-hand. I know that both of them have warts, but they are excellent skaters and, at least in my opinion, the guys that tend to play the best on their off-hand are guys that have the necessary speed to collect pucks from their back hand.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

afternoon games bad why do we hate

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Not game day where game is happening, instaloss, so sorry

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Not game day where game is happening, instaloss, so sorry

I Googled time zones to look for a country in which this GDT that started at 12:30 (23.5 hrs ahead of time) was actually on the same day as the game, but since the game starts at noon ET that would be "the next day" for any country in which this GDT was started at 12:30am.

Damn.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I HATE THIS.

The only time Skjei played well is the last time he was on the third pairing.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Not game day where game is happening, instaloss, so sorry

THE ANCIENT SCRIPTURES SAY THAT IT CAUSES AN INSTALOSS, BUT THEY DON'T SAY WHO WILL BE THE VICTIM OF THIS INSTALOSS.