GDT: 02/17/2016

[State of Hockey]

Oilers are horrible defensively, and somehow they have a slightly lower goals allowed per game than Calgary, who features "the best defense in the league."

Oilers have better goaltending. Hiller was awful tonight. Every shot has a chance of going in.

 

[Devonator]

Calgary......clearly you are no good!!!

 

[NHL1674]

Not much has changed with the Wild except they're playing poor teams and getting puck luck. I think the Torchetti effect lasted about 25 minutes. Since then it's been the same-old.

Yes, Zucker and Haula's goals were pure puck luck.

Up until a couple games ago, they weren't getting ANY luck. And about them looking the same....no team is going to do a complete 180 with a new coach after just 2 freaking games.

 

[rynryn]

Yes, the vets had issues with Yeo, but some of the kids had problems too. Walz brought up a rift between Haula and Yeo just the other day. Being scratched and the very lopsided minutes probably played a role in that.

Again, the players weren't all innocent in this. But enough was enough. They've been given a little more freedom. Even Poms said it's nice to go back to the basics....not always worrying about where they had to be at all times. It was too damn tight.

I'm fully aware that a new coach usually lights a spark, and there is a honeymoon period. But I'll gladly take the guys loosening up a bit as opposed to what would have been the same damn failing lines with Yeo who would refuse to be fair with the players' TOI.

haula deserved every benching he got. he was horrible. Pommenville's ice time? I find that inexplicable as well but other than that what are you complaining about? Vanek on the third line? I don't understand. Zucker was playing like ineffectual garbage too. He was GREAT on the fourth line when he first got his chance.

 

[rynryn]

I am by no means writing off the season. I wasn't even before Yeo was fired.

Still, it's nice to get to start your job playing a few teams that are struggling with issues rather than start vs hot teams like the Bruins and Caps. Maybe management planned it?

 

[NHL1674]

haula deserved every benching he got. he was horrible. Pommenville's ice time? I find that inexplicable as well but other than that what are you complaining about? Vanek on the third line? I don't understand. Zucker was playing like ineffectual garbage too. He was GREAT on the fourth line when he first got his chance.

Yes, Haula was horrible. But so was most of the top 6. The 3rd and 4th liners were outplaying the vets for a long, long time. Yet they only saw their ice time go down.

 

[rynryn]

in summary: Wild's effort is miles better than it has been. Decision making is still suspect, which makes me believe they're still playing nervous.

 

[rynryn]

Yes, Haula was horrible. But so was most of the top 6. The 3rd and 4th liners were outplaying the vets for a long, long time. Yet they only saw their ice time go down.

i would say they were playing closer to where they should have been than the top six. They weren't outplaying them in the sense that were we to scrimmage they'd actually win games bottom six vs top six.

 

[NHL1674]

in summary: Wild's effort is miles better than it has been. Decision making is still suspect, which makes me believe they're still playing nervous.

Listen, in all honesty, I'm still looking at this season as dead in the water. Too deep of a hole in too tough of a divison. The problems are far from all being fixed. But one was addressed, and hopefully it'll make the last games more enjoyable. Because it was a tire fire and frustrating as hell seeing guys favored based on their paychecks.

 

[rynryn]

Listen, in all honesty, I'm still looking at this season as dead in the water. Too deep of a hole in too tough of a divison. The problems are far from all being fixed. But one was addressed, and hopefully it'll make the last games more enjoyable. Because it was a tire fire and frustrating as hell seeing guys favored based on their paychecks.

I'm not. not after the last two years. at some point it becomes embarrassing enough to the players to actually get them to play up to their capabilities, and we have a pretty well balanced team. Once Torchy gets a feel for the team favorites will emerge--regardless of the lipservice he's not going to be winning hearts in the locker room if Parise and Carter end up getting even close to the same amount of TOI in the year.