GDT: This one might have more flair ;) Hurricanes vs Avalanche 11AM MST

[Pierce Hawthorne]

There is a solution: We all need to go create some Leafs threads. Those always get traffic, and we can really confuse the mainboards by creating threads praising the Leafs as the best team evar as non-Leafs fans.

Hmmm, we could even throw in some "The Oilers suck without McDavid" threads, or a couple "Tom Wilson is a dirty player" threads as well. Those seem to always bring out the HF Mobs as well.

 

[Avs44]

Hmmm, we could even throw in some "The Oilers suck without McDavid" threads, or a couple "Tom Wilson is a dirty player" threads as well. Those seem to always bring out the HF Mobs as well.

Exactly. If we really want to get it going then we can create an 'abolish the salary cap' thread, an 'Auston Matthews is better than McDavid' thread (if Auston scores tonight only, citing his clutch leadership)...and if we really need a killer we can create a badly disguised "fitness" thread in which everyone posts half naked pictures of players. We generally have 1-2 of those every single year. HF loves those things. These should all bump the Avs topics to the bottom of the first page where they will soon fade into irrelevancy.

 

[Spender]

We didn't look very good in the third period, but solid game otherwise. I just hope Bednar and the team recognizes they still have work to do after a game like this.

 

[5280]

It didn’t get fun in the arena until about halfway through the third. It’s amazing how fast everything gets live, though, and how fast and big everybody is. Z is huge and Rants is pretty big too.

- Nieto is obviously not very good
- What a snipe by Mack
- What a poke check from Girard on Aho
- I thought EJ had a good game
- I had fun chirping Ferland in the box. Thank god there was a plexiglass in between us because he’s a big dude.
- it’s so apparent we are mostly a one line team when watching it live. Thankfully that line is pretty pretty pretty good.
- it’s also apparent we seem to be winning these games without really playing our best. It will be fun to see us when we really get on a roll

 

[Alex Jones]

We have to find more secondary scoring. I don't know if that means just making Soda our #2c and trying out Kamenev at the third spot or what, but we have to find a way to get better scoring depth.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yeah, I think they need to put Soda in the 2C spot and try Jost at wing, maybe move Kam or JTC (when he's ready) to the 3C spot. I get that the organization has tried for roughly three years now to move Big Carl down the lineup, but he simply doesn't "work" in that capacity. He needs to be a scoring line guy or he's not much use.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

So who do we start in nets next game?

 

[HartKinnon]

There's an uncomfortable number of Avs threads on the main boards right now.

And none of them is about burning down the villages.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yeah, I think they need to put Soda in the 2C spot and try Jost at wing, maybe move Kam or JTC (when he's ready) to the 3C spot. I get that the organization has tried for roughly three years now to move Big Carl down the lineup, but he simply doesn't "work" in that capacity. He needs to be a scoring line guy or he's not much use.

Well, I definitely disagree with the thought that Soderberg doesn't work in that capacity. I think he absolutely does.

Problem is I think he's capable of so much more in a 2C role with better linemates.

 

[Pokecheque]

Well, I definitely disagree with the thought that Soderberg doesn't work in that capacity. I think he absolutely does.

Problem is I think he's capable of so much more in a 2C role with better linemates.

Honestly though, when did he work in that capacity? Certainly not his first year when he got bumped up because of Duchene's struggles/move to MacKinnon's wing and he had that 50+ point year. Not the first year with Bednar when he damn near got booted off the team entirely and played the worst hockey of his career in a 4th line role (and I still think that "descent" began when Bednar bumped him down the lineup and he kinda/sorta quit before the team as a whole did). And it wasn't last year either, because the Nieto-Soda-Comeau trio was the team's de facto 2nd line following the Duchene trade.

Everyone can feel free to disagree with me, but I still think Big Carl's defensive acumen is nowhere near as good as his reputation suggests. He's okay defensively, not great. His value comes in a secondary scoring role. He's got a good shot and can create chances down low/in front of the net. And that's why I don't think he ever has, and never will, work as a 3C/4C. That's why I'm hoping they deal him before his deal expires. I've always considered him an interim guy.

 

[avs1dacup]

I wish someone could figure out why Nate has become so horrid at faceoffs. I mean, he's never been great but this is ridiculous. I know it's silly to complain about that aspect of his game when he's so dominant otherwise but I wouldn't think it'd be too hard to at least get him up to "decent."

I was going to crack the joke that he's no worse than Peter Forsberg was (he averaged closer to 45% than 50%) but after looking, didn't realize Nate was at 41% last year and only 37% this year. I knew he was bad, but not THAT bad.

 

[dahrougem2]

Honestly though, when did he work in that capacity? Certainly not his first year when he got bumped up because of Duchene's struggles/move to MacKinnon's wing and he had that 50+ point year. Not the first year with Bednar when he damn near got booted off the team entirely and played the worst hockey of his career in a 4th line role (and I still think that "descent" began when Bednar bumped him down the lineup and he kinda/sorta quit before the team as a whole did). And it wasn't last year either, because the Nieto-Soda-Comeau trio was the team's de facto 2nd line following the Duchene trade.

Everyone can feel free to disagree with me, but I still think Big Carl's defensive acumen is nowhere near as good as his reputation suggests. He's okay defensively, not great. His value comes in a secondary scoring role. He's got a good shot and can create chances down low/in front of the net. And that's why I don't think he ever has, and never will, work as a 3C/4C. That's why I'm hoping they deal him before his deal expires. I've always considered him an interim guy.

Well, you can't say that he didn't work in that role last year because he DID work in that role last year. It's just that the 3rd line got 2nd line minutes. Just because he saw an increase in ice time doesn't mean he didn't work in that role, or that's not how the line was used.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Grubauer was really good, so was Mikko outside of his penalties.

2nd line didn't really do anything tbh, neither did the 4th and obviously Nieto holds back the Soderberg line so we won this game based on defence and taking our chances which probably isn't sustainable but whatever our best guys are good and the defence is looking solid. We're so f***ed when the top line goes on a cold streak though.

Did a really bad job of defending them when they cut into the slot though, good thing they don't have more snipers. Refs were consistently shit, they called at least a half-dozen hand-passes so it's not like they couldn't see.

 

[klozge]

Lol.

Yeah, maybe preferring Barberio goes a bit too far but not by a lot to be honest. Barrie has been bad offensively and defensively this season. He also has slowed down again, so he only has his instincts as an advantage. I don't want him in our top 4.

 

[klozge]

So who do we start in nets next game?

Varly will start imo.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yeah, maybe preferring Barberio goes a bit too far but not by a lot to be honest. Barrie has been bad offensively and defensively this season. He also has slowed down again, so he only has his instincts as an advantage. I don't want him in our top 4.

Let's ease up on the overreaction.

 

[Foppberg]

I swear we could win the cup, Barrie win the Conn Smythe, and people would still find a way to complain about him.

 

[Avs_19]

I don't think the way to get Barrie going is to limit him. You just have to keep throwing him out there in his usual situations and hope he gets going at some point here. I said after last game I don't think he has played a game to the level he's capable of yet this season and that certainly didn't change after today. Not sure what his deal is but he hasn't looked like himself.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yeah, maybe preferring Barberio goes a bit too far but not by a lot to be honest.

Thank you for taking some of the residual heat of me from my hot take many years ago when I said I'd rather have Derek Morris in the lineup than Martin Skoula. I've been waiting a loooooooong time for someone to come out with something sillier than that.

 

[S E P H]

Hey, we have 1st line wingers for MacKinnon and that was a really shrewd trade by Sakic to get Grubauer. Like WTF were the Blues thinking by not acquiring?

Is Ferland allowed to wear a ring??????

That looked tattooed.

I don’t like the idea of fighting after clean hits, like it less so when it takes the best defensemen in his own zone in a 2-0 game in the third.

I get the idea of keeping EJ out there, but Ferland was running around trying to start his team up for a lackluster display. Give me EJ 5 minutes in the box and one goal scored on with zero injuries instead of zero goals scored on and one potential injury.

 

[LTC Pain]

Put Kham and Dano with Soda and let's see what happens.

 

[AnimalMother73]

Jost simply doesnt look ready or capable yet offensively. If we had more options I’d have him play in Loveland for a while to build his skills and confidence.

 

[Foppberg]

Jost simply doesnt look ready or capable yet offensively. If we had more options I’d have him play in Loveland for a while to build his skills and confidence.

Yup. It's not working, at all.

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Kerfoot-Kamenev-Wilson
Jost-Soderberg-Sven
Dano-JTC-Calvert

When everyone is healthy.

 

[Avsboy]

Yup. It's not working, at all.

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Kerfoot-Kamenev-Wilson
Jost-Soderberg-Sven
Dano-JTC-Calvert

When everyone is healthy.

These are good.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah, I think they need to put Soda in the 2C spot and try Jost at wing, maybe move Kam or JTC (when he's ready) to the 3C spot. I get that the organization has tried for roughly three years now to move Big Carl down the lineup, but he simply doesn't "work" in that capacity. He needs to be a scoring line guy or he's not much use.

I did show you how Soda was tops in the league for toughest competition faced in the NHL last year right? Considering we made the playoffs, and everything else regarding his year. I'm not really sure you have a leg to stand on discounting his defensive ability.

I don't think anyone is arguing that hes a defensive specialist, or a underrated Selke candidate, but "simply doesn't work." Is "simply wrong."