GDT: G:13 Wild @ Ducks 9pm (TNT)

[AKL]

Did you expect any of them to be a top-9 player coming into the season? Rossi was the only one that was expected to more than a 4th liner. I guess management thought Jost would be too.

The team is fine if they fill the glaring hole at 1C. The rest of the lineup falls into place nicely when healthy.

Kap/1C/Zucc
Boldy/JEE/Greenway (Foligno)
Foligno (Greenway)/ 2 of Duhaime, Freddy G, and Hartman
3rd line leftover, and 2 of clones.

You can sprinkle some (quality) small guys in the lineup, but not have half the team be 5'10" or smaller and most of them are only AHL top line/pair quality.

Not sure if that's true. Last year a lot of guys had career years, but Greenway/Foligno don't belong on a 2nd line, you need another winger (like Fiala) who can score more consistently.

Duhaime/Gaudreau/Hartman could be part of a third line, but I would call that an average to below average third line if that's the case.

And the fourth line isn't as important, but you still need to have good players there. I think Dewar/Shaw/Gaudreau/Hartman/Duhaime would actually be a pretty solid fourth line, but again, the fourth line doesn't matter that much.

So we need a 1C, a top six winger (maybe more than one if this recent Zuccarello is going to be showing up more often), maybe one real good third liner (this used to be Ek until he was elevated, so if you bring him back down you need a 2C). Then you need a 1D and a 4D to push Middleton down (and get rid of Dumba). Then you need a 1G.

I'm not seeing the connection either. Brodin and Dumba aren't small. Brodin and Spurgeon aren't bad d-zone. Addison isn't bad on the PP. Only 2 of them will be on the same pair.

None of them have great shots, I guess?

Addison's is adequate, if not deceptively decent, but I also don't care that much about my defensemen's shots.

 

[Wabit]

Not sure if that's true. Last year a lot of guys had career years, but Greenway/Foligno don't belong on a 2nd line, you need another winger (like Fiala) who can score more consistently.

Duhaime/Gaudreau/Hartman could be part of a third line, but I would call that an average to below average third line if that's the case.

And the fourth line isn't as important, but you still need to have good players there. I think Dewar/Shaw/Gaudreau/Hartman/Duhaime would actually be a pretty solid fourth line, but again, the fourth line doesn't matter that much.

So we need a 1C, a top six winger (maybe more than one if this recent Zuccarello is going to be showing up more often), maybe one real good third liner (this used to be Ek until he was elevated, so if you bring him back down you need a 2C). Then you need a 1D and a 4D to push Middleton down (and get rid of Dumba). Then you need a 1G.



Addison's is adequate, if not deceptively decent, but I also don't care that much about my defensemen's shots.

I'm okay with Greenway on the 2nd line. He opens up so much space in the o-zone with his size and puck handling. He's not ideal, but it is a 2-way/shutdown line.

It wouldn't be the fun/pretty hockey we saw last year. It would win a lot of games and be able to compete in the Playoffs. It's also a lineup more suited to how the coach wants his team to be.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'm watching either 1 or 3 periods tonight.

 

[AKL]

I'm okay with Greenway on the 2nd line. He opens up so much space in the o-zone with his size and puck handling. He's not ideal, but it is a 2-way/shutdown line.

It wouldn't be the fun/pretty hockey we saw last year. It would win a lot of games and be able to compete in the Playoffs. It's also a lineup more suited to how the coach wants his team to be.

I guess I just don't agree. I think Greenway in that spot is the best option we have as is, but I also don't care if this team picks top 5 at the end of the year, so my expectations are low on both counts. Neither Greenway nor Ek are good enough offensively to be second fiddle on an actual second line of a contender. Creating space is nice but it takes more than space to win. That's still closer to an elite third line than a good second line, right now.

But of course having a real 1C (as opposed to someone like Horvat) would mask a lot of blemishes.

Kaprizov-MacKinnon-Zuccarello
Boldy-Ek-Greenway
Duhaime-Gaudreau-Foligno
Shaw-Hartman-Dewar

Naturally having MacKinnon would make up for the Greenway+Ek thing.

You're still missing two top-4 defensemen (less Dumba) and a 1G though.

 

[57special]

I think Greenway is an inconsistent, injury prone disappointment. Even when he is available for games, you never know what you are going to get., and it's not like he is all that great even when he is playing his best game. 2-3 years i was high on him, but that's because i thought he'd build on what he had, not fade.

 

[AKL]

Honestly, I'd be pretty excited to see a Beckman-Ek-Boldy line tonight. Is that the plan, or are they going to put Beckman on the fourth line and move Shaw back up?

 

[TaLoN]

Zuccarello has 2 points and 6 PIMs in his last 7 games. And he hasn't passed the eye test either. When do we cut his opportunities? I think we need to try Boldy with Kaprizov and the FOTM center for a while, more than just loading the line in crunch time when we're losing.

Move Zucc to the AHL

 

[Prior]

What is the connection here? I can't pin down the reason you're saying we can't win with those guys on the blueline. I thought it was physicality but Dumba is fairly physical. Then thought defense but Brodin is (usually) good defensively. Just trying to understand here.

The connection is all cannot hold up to the playoff game. They can do it if a moment in a shift may call for it but not sustain because that’s not their game. Never mind that they haven’t shown the capability of elevating their games in that environment which is what you will need if you expect to advance.

Pick one, they won’t be the best defenseman in any given series. They may not even be in the top two. Based on the performances we have seen from all but Addison in past series and knowing what the playoff game looks like, you feel good about any elevating their game to be the the difference maker and best defenseman in a series to push this team over the edge? I can’t see how anyone could come to that conclusion.

Having the best, deepest blue line, in any given series to give you an advantage over the opposing team is all well and good. But there’s no reason to think this corps is that blue line as constructed with those 4, adding Middleton and Merrill/Goligoski into the equation.

 

[AKL]

The connection is all cannot hold up to the playoff game. They can do it if a moment in a shift may call for it but not sustain because that’s not their game. Never mind that they haven’t shown the capability of elevating their games in that environment which is what you will need if you expect to advance.

Pick one, they won’t be the best defenseman in any given series. They may not even be in the top two. Based on the performances we have seen from all but Addison in past series and knowing what the playoff game looks like, you feel good about any elevating their game to be the the difference maker and best defenseman in a series to push this team over the edge? I can’t see how anyone could come to that conclusion.

Having the best, deepest blue line, in any given series to give you an advantage over the opposing team is all well and good. But there’s no reason to think this corps is that blue line as constructed with those 4, adding Middleton and Merrill/Goligoski into the equation.

Glad I asked for clarification. I don't disagree with any of this. If it were up to me, Spurgeon wouldn't have been re-signed (at least not to the contract he was) or given the C, and Dumba would have been traded by now. So we're mostly on the same page that this blue line isn't gonna cut it.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Glad I asked for clarification. I don't disagree with any of this. If it were up to me, Spurgeon wouldn't have been re-signed (at least not to the contract he was) or given the C, and Dumba would have been traded by now. So we're mostly on the same page that this blue line isn't gonna cut it.

Spurgeon for Kadri is an interesting sliding door from the past.

 

[AKL]

Spurgeon for Kadri is an interesting sliding door from the past.

Still wouldn't do that, even if Kadri is a good scorer now. Still don't like his on ice antics and knack for getting suspended every playoffs. For Colorado it was fine because they played 20 some games. For the five to seven games we get every year, he'd be out half of them.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Offense needs to wake up tonight, I need some goals.

 

[Webster]

Offense needs to wake up tonight, I need some goals.

Yeah exactly WAKE UP. Throw a bucket of cold water in Zucc & Kap's face, maybe that will help.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

At this point I am plotting how to trade Fleury for a 1st, and other tank'ish type plans.

Now we’re talking

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

5-7-1 would not be a great start

I can’t wait for Guadreau to not be on this team

 

[Wabit]

Glad I asked for clarification. I don't disagree with any of this. If it were up to me, Spurgeon wouldn't have been re-signed (at least not to the contract he was) or given the C, and Dumba would have been traded by now. So we're mostly on the same page that this blue line isn't gonna cut it.

This was a very unpopular opinion at the time...

 

[GordieGallant]

Is this the game thread?

 

[AKL]

Is this the game thread?

Yes, it has the GDT tag in the title, that's how you tell

 

[GordieGallant]

Big save Gus.

 

[AKL]

Kozari tonight, yuck

 

[Digitalbooya]

Nice shot spurge

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Our defenseman have been just bad at handling the puck this year

 

[Digitalbooya]

That was nice pressure. Too bad Gaudreau isn't a threat.

 

[AKL]

Good zone time and possession

 

[Digitalbooya]

We've got Merrill and Middleton as the dmen shooting the puck the last two shifts... That's bad.