Pre-Game Talk: WEEK 27: Missing Moose, vs. Stars, vs. Green Filth, vs. 'Peg

[dahrougem2]

Good. F***ing useless plug.

 

[the_fan]

So what I got from that Bednar interview is that Mikko is alive, Wood is half alive, Kovalenko is dead

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Just like foreplay... let's just get to business.

I wish the NHL would. Hockey in June/July is just wrong.

 

[henchman21]

I wish the NHL would. Hockey in June/July is just wrong.

In my dictatorship… the regular season is 72 games and the playoffs expand to 24 when the league hits 36 teams. Which would be 2028.

In reality, we will get 84 or 86 game regular seasons and 16 team playoffs… even when we have 36 teams.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

So what I got from that Bednar interview is that Mikko is alive, Wood is half alive, Kovalenko is dead

 

[dahrougem2]

So how is everyone ranking the TDL/pre-TDL acquisitions thus far? Based on effectiveness and learning of the system I would go:

1) Duhaime
2) Mittelstadt
3) Walker
4) Trenin
5) Parise

I don't know if Duhaime has had a "bad" game yet. There are games where he hasn't been good or bad, but he's IMO been mostly good. Mittelstadt has been 50/50 for me. Started out fantastic but has slowed down a lot lately. Walker seems prone to taking some seriously careless penalties and he has tunnel vision at times but he seems sturdy enough down low in our zone compared to a midget like Girard. Trenin has disappointed me because he's invisible a lot of nights when he should be hitting everything in sight/hounding the puck at all times and driving the net with a purpose.

Parise pre injury looked decent enough, but post injury has been bad. If I'm Bednar I am giving him the last three games off because he looks like a guy who needs the rest for his knee.

 

[Pokecheque]

Good. F***ing useless plug.

He'll be back.

 

[dahrougem2]

He'll be back.

Don't you put that evil on me

 

[wayninja]

Good. F***ing useless plug.

 

[the_fan]

If MacK doesn’t win the Hart this year, they can just throw away that award and never give out again. The whole Kucherov has 50 more points than the next closest teammate is a garbage useless argument.

MacK has 35 more points than the 2nd leading scorer Mikko, but part of why his teammates or linemates have more points is because MacK makes everyone around him better which makes him more valuable.

 

[Metallo]

man the remaining schedule is shit....

3 days off, back to back, 3 days off, final game.

I feel we always have a stupid schedule.

 

[Tralfamadore]

If MacK doesn’t win the Hart this year, they can just throw away that award and never give out again. The whole Kucherov has 50 more points than the next closest teammate is a garbage useless argument.

MacK has 35 more points than the 2nd leading scorer Mikko, but part of why his teammates or linemates have more points is because MacK makes everyone around him better which makes him more valuable.

Disagree Kuch, McD, Matthews, and even Crosby all have strong cases as well. It's not a slam dunk win for anyone, Mack included.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

View attachment 849494

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Damn I miss the Cap'.

 

[the_fan]

Disagree Kuch, McD, Matthews, and even Crosby all have strong cases as well. It's not a slam dunk win for anyone, Mack included.

I’m not saying those guys don’t have a case. According to many, top 2 are MacK and Kucherov then there is a drop off, but now they’re bringing up that same bull shit excuse, Kucherov has 50 more points then the next closest guy on his team that’s why he should win it. MacK was already robbed once when they gave the Hart to Hall because of that same excuse.

 

[dmac7719]

I’m not saying those guys don’t have a case. According to many, top 2 are MacK and Kucherov then there is a drop off, but now they’re bringing up that same bull shit excuse, Kucherov has 50 more points then the next closest guy on his team that’s why he should win it. MacK was already robbed once when they gave the Hart to Hall because of that same excuse.

And when Mack ended up like 50 up on his closest teammate that reasoning was like

 

[Ceremony]

The reductive justifications that have developed for how players win awards are... well, they're a lot of things, but "he scored more than his teammates" seemingly being actual reasoning for the Hart trophy is by far one of the dumbest.

 

[Raucherhusten]

I’m not saying those guys don’t have a case. According to many, top 2 are MacK and Kucherov then there is a drop off, but now they’re bringing up that same bull shit excuse, Kucherov has 50 more points then the next closest guy on his team that’s why he should win it. MacK was already robbed once when they gave the Hart to Hall because of that same excuse.

Kuch deserves it as much as Nate does. That's just a fact. He's dragging the Lightning Corpse through the season, you know, the same shit Nate is doing since November. If he wins it, he wins it. And at least i won't complain. Both deserve it, but only one will get it. Maybe the "loser" will win the cup instead ...

 

[the_fan]

Kuch deserves it as much as Nate does. That's just a fact. He's dragging the Lightning Corpse through the season, you know, the same shit Nate is doing since November. If he wins it, he wins it. And at least i won't complain. Both deserve it, but only one will get it. Maybe the "loser" will win the cup instead ...

Tampa has 3 players at PPG or better outside of Kucherov

Point
Stamkos
Hedman

Hagle has 72 points in 78 games

Avs just have Mikko and Makar at PPG after Nate. Nuke is close 50 in 51.

So the argument that Kucherov has less help in Tampa that’s why he should win the Hart is total crap. Tampa wouldn’t make the playoffs without Kucherov and neither would the Avs without Nate. What Nate has done all year for the Avs is more valuable. All the point streaks, the total points and has 50 goals etc..

 

[Raucherhusten]

So the argument that Kucherov has less help in Tampa that’s why he should win the Hart is total crap. Tampa wouldn’t make the playoffs without Kucherov and neither would the Avs without Nate. What Nate has done all year for the Avs is more valuable. All the point streaks, the total points and has 50 goals etc..

I don't see it that way. "As valuable as" is my point of view. I still think Nate will win it because of his streaks and because Kucherov already has one of those trophies. It's the same thing with Hughes and the Norris - he will win it no matter what. But when it comes to who deserves it more: it's a 50/50-flip-a-coin split. At least for me it is.

I'm just glad that McJesus is likely out of the picture. But who knows ... it's still the NHL we are talking about.

 

[the_fan]

I don't see it that way. "As valuable as" is my point of view. I still think Nate will win it because of his streaks and because Kucherov already has one of those trophies. It's the same thing with Hughes and the Norris - he will win it no matter what. But when it comes to who deserves it more: it's a 50/50-flip-a-coin split. At least for me it is.

I'm just glad that McJesus is likely out of the picture. But who knows ... it's still the NHL we are talking about.

Kucherov has a strong case, I’m not saying he doesn’t, but for me the deserve it more is 60/40 for Nate. The point streaks and the 50+ goals should give Nate the edge.

 

[Raucherhusten]

Kucherov has a strong case, I’m not saying he doesn’t, but for me the deserve it more is 60/40 for Nate. The point streaks and the 50+ goals should give Nate the edge.

Sure, whatever. I mean if Kuch wins the Hart and Nate the Conn Smyth i would be a totally happy camper. I think Nate would agree with that. We'll see what happens.

 

[Pokecheque]

So how is everyone ranking the TDL/pre-TDL acquisitions thus far? Based on effectiveness and learning of the system I would go:

1) Duhaime
2) Mittelstadt
3) Walker
4) Trenin
5) Parise

I don't know if Duhaime has had a "bad" game yet. There are games where he hasn't been good or bad, but he's IMO been mostly good. Mittelstadt has been 50/50 for me. Started out fantastic but has slowed down a lot lately. Walker seems prone to taking some seriously careless penalties and he has tunnel vision at times but he seems sturdy enough down low in our zone compared to a midget like Girard. Trenin has disappointed me because he's invisible a lot of nights when he should be hitting everything in sight/hounding the puck at all times and driving the net with a purpose.

Parise pre injury looked decent enough, but post injury has been bad. If I'm Bednar I am giving him the last three games off because he looks like a guy who needs the rest for his knee.

Trenin has not had the impact I had hoped. He's a LOT slower than I remember seeing him with the Preds all those years. The effort level is most certainly there but I don't think the Avs are a good fit for him.

Walker, as you have said, is prone to dumb penalties and has committed some insanely bad turnovers, but for the most part has been very solid. Where I'm very disappointed, and this is almost entirely on Bednar, is that he's not killing penalties, at least as far as I can tell. That should have been a huge reason to get him in the first place, but Bednar for some weird reason is extraordinarily conservative when it comes to who he puts on his defensive PK units. Like, they gotta have some intensive training before they're allowed to be on there regularly. He should be taking those minutes from Makar already. Also, not that Bednar has a ton of choices but his play has been adversely affected by the fact that he has to cover for Jack Johnson, who has been mostly terrible down the stretch.

Mitts has been a mixed bag, the defensive game has blown me away, I had no idea he was that good. Offense hasn't come really but I blame a lot of that on injuries saddling him with mostly bleh linemates. I still love the trade and the long-term possibilities. Very good, very smart player, just an adjustment period is needed.

Duhaime has surpassed every expectation I had of him. I thought he was a dumb thug who could skate but he's been far better than I had any right to hope. Actually has had some good chemistry with Mittelstadt and they should try that again down the stretch here. Smarter player and more defensively sound than I thought he was. Would not mind if they found a way to keep him short-term.

The Parise signing has been an abject failure. People say he started out great before the injury, I don't agree. He was PASSABLE before the injury, now he looks like a guy who should retire now.

 

[Ceremony]

Walker has been very unremarkable (I know he plays with Johnson)
Duhaime's been great
Trenin's been good in bursts but doesn't seem as physical as someone that size should be
Mittelstadt still looks like he's new
Parise needs 9 minutes a night at the absolute most

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Duhaime - A: Really couldn't ask for much more. Tenacious on the forecheck, underrated hands, ability to move up and down the lineup by displaying he can play alongside talented players.

Walker - B: Some big time offensive contributions, some bad turnovers and penalties, there's good and bad.

Parise - C We couldn't have expected too much out of him, he's been alright. Started off better and I'd say this rating keeps going down.

Trenin - C: Some decent shifts where he manhandles people, but definitely doesn't look like a 15 goal scorer.

Mittelstadt - C/D: Flame me, but I haven't been impressed. Thinks the game well and has some nice defensive plays, but we expected him to drive offense and he certainly doesn't do that. Another passenger player. He is also slow. I won't even say average, he's downright slow. Not sure if he's a great fit for this team.