Pre-Game Talk: Week 4: Saint Louis Blues and @ Vegas Golden Knights. Time to panic? Or time to calm down?

[McJedi]

Please keep Tufte in the line-up for Vegas. Might as well have MacDermid too for the 5 minutes he can run around looking to cheap shot a bunch of goons on their side of the ice.

I loved the big lineup last night. Really kept a goonish Blues team in check.

 

[Ararana]

Byram needs more 5 vs 5 minutes with Makar. Probably every time we get an Ozone faceoff. He's a better player than Toews. And that delta will only grow the more we play Byram. Byram hit his 100 NHL game played last night (not counting the 30 or so postseason games). He's still got room to grow and has figured out how to avoid taking unnecessary hits like Sam and Makar figured out before him.

They didn't give Toews 7+ million for 7 years to not play him with Makar. Like it or not, Byram's ceiling in Colorado is a #3D with zero meaningful PP time for the next 3-4 years.

 

[GeoRox89]

Cap shenanigans with sending down Tufte I hope

 

[Remparts666]

why tuffe already down to AHL if he was that good according to many of you? Is it only a paper transaction like other teams do to comply with the cap?

 

[McJedi]

They didn't give Toews 7+ million for 7 years to not play him with Makar. Like it or not, Byram's ceiling in Colorado is a #3D with zero meaningful PP time for the next 3-4 years.

That's probably wise until they can ink Byram to a longer term contract. Don't let Bo put up stats too big to make him impossible to resign.

But if Toews doesn't get his play together, he's going to give the coach a hard decision to keep Toews playing big, but ineffective minutes with Makar.

I like Byram in Rants spot on PP2 anyway. He's got a better shot than Toews. Better skater so he can backcheck from deeper in the Ozone if they turn the puck over. So no need to change that up.

The Avs team I saw on the ice last night... minus MadDermid, is a pretty well constructed. It's a team that can play the cycle both offensively and defensively a hell of a lot better than the crap we put one the ice vs Seattle in the playoffs.

Jack Johnson continues to play a lot better for the Avs than pretty much any other stop he's had in the last 7 or so years. LOC also looking great so far this year. Loved him and Lex on PK together last night for a stint that was text book PK work by the forwards. A true lock down pair for playoff games vs high end opponent PPs.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

why tuffe already down to AHL if he was that good according to many of you? Is it only a paper transaction like other teams do to comply with the cap?

Probably for the cap and Avs don't play again till Saturday. IDK if The Eagles play before that? I imagine they'll recall him before Saturday.

 

[UncleRisto]

Please keep Tufte in the line-up for Vegas. Might as well have MacDermid too for the 5 minutes he can run around looking to cheap shot a bunch of goons on their side of the ice.

I loved the big lineup last night. Really kept a goonish Blues team in check.

Never have MacDermid in the lineup unless we have no other choice, or plan to beat the shit out of someone who's already named in advance.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Never have MacDermid in the lineup unless we have no other choice, or plan to beat the shit out of someone who's already named in advance.

Why do you hurt me so? I like Big Ol' Kurtis. I thought he was pretty good against the Blues. He's not a great skater, particularly skilled, or anything like that, but he plays his role just fine. He's definitely better as a F than a D, but I don't have any problems with him. He is what he is, which is depth when someone gets benched or injured.

 

[The Moops]

Why does it matter? It's not like we're banking cap space since we're using LTIR right?

 

[UncleRisto]

Why do you hurt me so? I like Big Ol' Kurtis. I thought he was pretty good against the Blues. He's not a great skater, particularly skilled, or anything like that, but he plays his role just fine. He's definitely better as a F than a D, but I don't have any problems with him. He is what he is, which is depth when someone gets benched or injured.

What's his role if he plays three minutes?

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[MacKaRant]

What's his role if he plays three minutes?

I bet his wife asks him that too.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Cap shenanigans with sending down Tufte I hope

No cap shenanigans this year. We're into LTIR big time already so we dont save space by sending guys down/calling them up all the time.


It does save some real cash which might matter. Otherwise the only other reason I can see for sending them down is if the Eagles play again before the Avs and they want Tufte/Jones to get into more games.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

Damn, I wanted to see more of Tufte.

Next game is a huge tilt against Vegas, perhaps they want a more veteran lineup.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Pokecheque]

No cap shenanigans this year. We're into LTIR big time already so we dont save space by sending guys down/calling them up all the time.


It does save some real cash which might matter. Otherwise the only other reason I can see for sending them down is if the Eagles play again before the Avs and they want Tufte/Jones to get into more games.

Might be a waivers thing too. If he accumulates 30 days on an NHL roster, then he has to go through again.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Might be a waivers thing too. If he accumulates 30 days on an NHL roster, then he has to go through again.

Yeah that's definitely part of it is as well. And if he continues playing well it wont be easy to get him through waivers again.

 

[Pokecheque]

Did Kevin Hayes play last night? I didn't hear his name once.

 

[BrickNHL]

Did Kevin Hayes play last night? I didn't hear his name once.

Yes, I remember him getting the puck on the half boards on the PP once

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

What's his role if he plays three minutes?

Playing three minutes. Taking some easier shifts when someone else needs a rest. He's also a loveable giant.

 

[UncleRisto]

I bet his wife asks him that too.

Sad.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Damn, I wanted to see more of Tufte.

Next game is a huge tilt against Vegas, perhaps they want a more veteran lineup.

Yeah I’m in the same boat. I mean he played with a lot of hunger last night and deserves to stick around.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I get why they sent him down due to waiver but I hope he is called back for Sat game. Vegas is the type of teams he should be playing against instead of Drouin/Tatar.

 

[Pokecheque]

Maybe it's just me, or the fact it was the Blues, who just look slow and disinterested, but I still haven't yet seen this team go full tilt yet. Very early, and as we know they've had worse starts in recent seasons...including the one that ended with a Cup win, so I'm not worried, just wish we'd see a little more jump and energy from this squad. Just felt a little *blah* to me, and has in stretches in all the games this year.

Also...I know, I know, it's just who he is but I can see why coaches want to strangle RyJo at times. His defensive zone "coverages" were softer than butter left out in the sun. And it's REALLY frustrating because he knows where to be, he just doesn't put in much effort to really stick to the guy he's covering, just a small brush and then he floats off and gives the guy space.