Around the League 36-But Who's Counting...

[AhosDatsyukian]

And some perspective. We've lost three top 9 forwards from what we expected (Patches, Kase and TT), a few guys are struggling to score, our #1 goalie is hurt and struggled before that AND YET THE TEAM HAS THE 5TH BEST POINTS % IN THE NHL.

Yeah seriously this is all that really needs to be said. And I may add, at least from my perspective, it doesn't appear the team is going as balls to the wall all in to start the season like we have in years past. I really think the last several years of playoff disappointment after winning the division has this team changing their mindset a bit away from trying to dominate the regular season and more towards just focusing on doing enough to get in the playoffs and be ready for them. I think the intensity from the boys will start to get ramped up the closer we get to the playoffs so we can try to be firing on all cylinders then rather than going so hard from the start that we kinda wear ourselves out by playoff time like we have in years past. At least it appears that way to me.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Yeah seriously this is all that really needs to be said. And I may add, at least from my perspective, it doesn't appear the team is going as balls to the wall all in to start the season like we have in years past. I really think the last several years of playoff disappointment after winning the division has this team changing their mindset a bit away from trying to dominate the regular season and more towards just focusing on doing enough to get in the playoffs and be ready for them. I think the intensity from the boys will start to get ramped up the closer we get to the playoffs so we can try to be firing on all cylinders then rather than going so hard from the start that we kinda wear ourselves out by playoff time like we have in years past. At least it appears that way to me.

It's funny that many people asked for this very thing but perhaps it's harder for some to stomach in practice. As long as we stay winning, ramp it up towards the end, and get relatively healthy toward showtime, I'll be happy.

 

[chaz4hockey]

I think Hanifin has as well, although he was also quite young at the time of the trade.

Beyond that, most of the evidence would be prospects who there wasn't really space for in Carolina and/or were used in trades to improve the team: Roy, Eetu, Forsling, maybe even Forsberg.

Forsling is clearly the guy the Canes probably wish they would have kept.

 

[NotOpie]

It, along with Geekie's recent run, goes to show you that not being the best fit for a loaded Carolina squad is not at all the same thing as not being an NHL player.

Not to be too nit-pickjy, but Skinner didn't leave because of a loaded team. He left, primarily, because we weren't going to pay him what he wanted (and likely will prove long-term not to be worth that contract).

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Forsling is clearly the guy the Canes probably wish they would have kept.

Sometimes you just need a chance. On defense it's harder to stomach a guy playing through warts than burying a guy on the 4th line at forward. On D, if he gets walked and allows a breakaway, you cringe and scratch him the next game. A grinder who gets a breakaway and doesn't score is rewarded as a hard worker.

On the flip side, I feel like the hockey gods who let Forsling slip through the cracks also blessed us with Chatfield. Definitely a guy there who needed some time to get used to the system and his NHL skills can show up. Also kudos to Brindy there for giving Chat the ice time over Bear and Coughlan who I would have put before him all day long in the offseason.

 

[bleedgreen]

This is a polite way of saying "they're scoring more because they're not paying as much attention to defense".

Paying attention on defense often comes at the sacrifice of personal offense and success. You can say that’s required, and with us it is but plenty of other teams win without THAT much dedication to it. There can be a balance. For us, it’s a matter of we’re never quite as talented as the other big dogs so we have to really commit to the defense first team game to win. Additionally we have to use players that fit the style, and that’s where we make some interesting choices at times.

You can also say we didn’t give certain guys enough time or chances to see what they are because the coach had his guys in place, even if those guys didn’t have the ceiling some of the ones we let go of maybe have.

Rod makes his choices early it seems like me. We’ve had more than enough success to accept those decisions, but it’s also easy to see we might have been at least as good as is sometimes. The fun part of playing gm from the couch.

 

[NotOpie]

I am not as technically hockey-knowledge adept as some on this board, but I wouldn't refer to Rod's system as a "defense-first" system. It is merely a system that requires equal weight between offensive and defensive efforts. For example, Aho is a very capable defensive forward, but he's always looking for the break-away, the opportunity to release for a rush. And that seems to be part of Rod's system. He also emphasizes activating the defense in the offensive zone. So, I'm not of the mind that Rod's system holds anybody back offensively. Right now it appears to me that we're over thinking things offensively. The Colorado game was the perfect example. We didn't play badly, but we missed passes, didn't keep the puck on our sticks, and seemed to focus more on process than results.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Paying attention on defense often comes at the sacrifice of personal offense and success. You can say that’s required, and with us it is but plenty of other teams win without THAT much dedication to it. There can be a balance. For us, it’s a matter of we’re never quite as talented as the other big dogs so we have to really commit to the defense first team game to win. Additionally we have to use players that fit the style, and that’s where we make some interesting choices at times.

You can also say we didn’t give certain guys enough time or chances to see what they are because the coach had his guys in place, even if those guys didn’t have the ceiling some of the ones we let go of maybe have.

Rod makes his choices early it seems like me. We’ve had more than enough success to accept those decisions, but it’s also easy to see we might have been at least as good as is sometimes. The fun part of playing gm from the couch.

The only guys I recall that really fall into that category were traded to acquire more talent to win, other than Forsling as far as I can tell.

Roy and Luostarinen were used to acquire Haula/Trocheck, so it wasn't a case of "had his guys in place", it was giving up future potential for short term help.
Fleury hasn't gotten chances now on two more teams. Hard to argue he deserved more chances here.
Bean is a 5th defender right now in CLB and wouldn't be any more here if he was still here.
Gauthier can't keep a spot in NY either
Kuokkanen is out of the league.
Faulk/Hanifin/Skinner/Lindholm were all about money
Foegele, Lorentz and even Geekie got chances and did well, but were traded to improve the team (or in Geekie's situation an expansion draft).


Are there other guys that didn't get enough time or chances that would have deserved them? Forsling is the only one that sticks in my mind.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I am not as technically hockey-knowledge adept as some on this board, but I wouldn't refer to Rod's system as a "defense-first" system. It is merely a system that requires equal weight between offensive and defensive efforts.

I would characterize it as an “attack-first” system. Attack the puck on defense, get it back, then go attack on offense. Skate, skate, skate.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I would characterize it as an “attack-first” system. Attack the puck on defense, get it back, then go attack on offense. Skate, skate, skate.

Play like Rod Brind’amour

 

[The Stranger]

The year is 2018, Dundon has purchased the Canes and shitcanned RF. Instead of hiring a new GM and paying a salary, he saves money and employs the ESHM GM vacation mode. No trades and make reasonable offers to free agents. Here is your 2022 Canes lineup:

Svech-Aho-Necas
Eetu-Lindy-TT
Drury-Roy-Jarvis*
Lorenz-Staal-Fast

Slavin-Pesce
Hanifin-Faulk
Bean-Chatfield

Andersen
Ned

*Yeah, I cheat here a little with Jarvis since he's the product of Marleau trade...but the Canes are retaining two extra firsts from other trades negated so I think it's fair to represent that draft capital with Jarvis.

 

[Canes]

I would characterize it as an “attack-first” system. Attack the puck on defense, get it back, then go attack on offense. Skate, skate, skate.

I don't know how much most people here follow soccer but I will compare Brindy's system to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. I don't make this comparison lightly especially considering the success Klopp has brought to Liverpool. But both require being relentless in the pursuit of the puck/ball when the other team is in possession or might get possession, both require support and passing options of the puck/ball when they have possession. Both can be so aggressive they require the goalie to save their asses some games. That's why when people say we are boring I look at them like they have two heads, we maybe don't have a superstar like Mo Salah but the hockey this team plays is anything but boring.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

The year is 2018, Dundon has purchased the Canes and shitcanned RF. Instead of hiring a new GM and paying a salary, he saves money and employs the ESHM GM vacation mode. No trades and make reasonable offers to free agents. Here is your 2022 Canes lineup:

Svech-Aho-Necas
Eetu-Lindy-TT
Drury-Roy-Jarvis*
Lorenz-Staal-Fast

Slavin-Pesce
Hanifin-Faulk
Bean-Chatfield

Andersen
Ned

*Yeah, I cheat here a little with Jarvis since he's the product of Marleau trade...but the Canes are retaining two extra firsts from other trades negated so I think it's fair to represent that draft capital with Jarvis.

Unlikely we afford the Marleau deal with that group but its a fun exercise.

 

[bleedgreen]

I am not as technically hockey-knowledge adept as some on this board, but I wouldn't refer to Rod's system as a "defense-first" system. It is merely a system that requires equal weight between offensive and defensive efforts. For example, Aho is a very capable defensive forward, but he's always looking for the break-away, the opportunity to release for a rush. And that seems to be part of Rod's system. He also emphasizes activating the defense in the offensive zone. So, I'm not of the mind that Rod's system holds anybody back offensively. Right now it appears to me that we're over thinking things offensively. The Colorado game was the perfect example. We didn't play badly, but we missed passes, didn't keep the puck on our sticks, and seemed to focus more on process than results.

He does coach the style he played, as mentioned. He wants simple. I don’t believe that Svech, Necas or Aho don’t have more moves in their bag of tricks for a second. Old school players/coaches like Rod hate anyone making a move near either blue line….and somehow no one in our team does despite the obvious skill. That’s not because we luckily found all the guys that won’t take so many chances with the puck, it’s because that’s our style. That’s Rod. We very much attack in straight lines from the blue line in and there’s limited creativity in terms of how we attack once the rush takes the line….that’s old school like Rod. Both these examples are places were really creative NHL players rarely just do those things, they’d much prefer to use their skill and creativity. We don’t. We have a coach who gets buy in on playing really simple, old school fundamental hockey which puts the team before personal success.

Guys who play hard and have success are allowed a little more leash. TT always did his own thing and you can see Necas get fancy. I think the reason Necas struggled in the past is he would do all his moves which isn’t our style and he’d lose the puck on top of it. First way out of the line up.

All of this is defensive hockey. It means you’re making defensive minded decisions even when you have the puck. Don’t be creative, get the puck to the net or keep it safe on the boards until you can get it deep on the cycle or find an open point man. It’s Jordan Staal….the player Rod would clone to the other 11 spots if he could.

 

[CandyCanes]

Edler still up to his knee on knee antics. Throwback to when he messed up Eric Staal in international play.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Edler still up to his knee on knee antics. Throwback to when he messed up Eric Staal in international play.

I for one am shocked that Edler would pull a chickenshit move like that. So out of character for him.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Edler still up to his knee on knee antics. Throwback to when he messed up Eric Staal in international play.

Who even realized that Edler was still in the league? Guy is and always has been a piece of shit.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm actually surprised McDavid doesn't take more hits like this. He's so shifty that guys line him up and he is able to dodge the head on hit while skating at speed. Yeah, doesn't mean a player gets to stick his knee out (and since it's Edler, he has no benefit of the doubt), but it can be partly instinct in that "If he gets by mean, it's a 2-1 so I have to do something" type move.

Not defending Edler at all, just commenting that I'm surprised McDavid doesn't take more hits like this than he does.

 

[MinJaBen]

Not defending a guy like Edler, but I don't see the obvious knee.

 

[bleedgreen]

He’s slow with some size. Like BBA says this should happen more often. Elder stepped up to make a hit while being relatively stationary on a guy he can’t move laterally with. 97 shimmies one way or the other last second avoiding contact (which is a tough choice, but understandable as 97% of the time he gets by) but Elder has a wide stance. Edler’s upper body moves to try to catch up while his slow planted feet barely move from that wide stance. Makes it look like he lunged out also with his leg but his legs barely moved at all and that’s what’s happening most of the time a slower D goes knee on knee with someone who’s fast as hell. The don’t miss as bad as a younger d would because they’re too slow to get their legs out of the way while they’re missing the check, while lunging a bit with the upper body trying to make some level of contact.

 

[WhiteTrashAmerican]

Man watching the Sabre's fans start a bandwagon for the past 3 years and then seeing the wheels absolutely fall off in Nov never gets old.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Man watching the Sabre's fans start a bandwagon for the past 3 years and then seeing the wheels absolutely fall off in Nov never gets old.

The wheels are falling off for the Bills too and they’re about to get 6 feet of snow. Not an ideal place to be at the moment.

 

[MinJaBen]

The wheels are falling off for the Bills too and they’re about to get 6 feet of snow. Not an ideal place to be at the moment.

How many decades do moments last?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The wheels are falling off for the Bills too and they’re about to get 6 feet of snow. Not an ideal place to be at the moment.

At the moment?

 

[A Star is Burns]

I was watching the Edler play last night and just thought, that wasn't too bad. I guess a minor makes sense. I wasn't even thinking of his history at the time, but now that I do, I still look at it and think, that wasn't too bad.