GDT: Game 12: Coyotes @ Sharks | 2-9-13 | 2PM | FSA and NHLN

[XX]

The shootout move by Bods was just sick. His confidence level from the last couple seasons is vastly improved. Shoot more!

He'd be a 30 goal scorer, easily, if he just had the confidence to do it himself. Easily our best player right now, and he is pass first. blah.

 

[awfulwaffle]

I hate shootout

Smith was great today but he is not a good SO goalie...need some shooters to step up

I love shootouts. Smith is a solid SO goalie!

 

[CC96]

 

[Deputy Dawg]

Really fun game to watch. I know Sharks had the momentum for most of the game but aside from a few mistakes we played solid D. Smith played a nice game.

The shootout move by Bods was just sick. His confidence level from the last couple seasons is vastly improved. Shoot more!

edit: have to agree with you guys that our "top" line is really struggling.

I blame Antoine "Butter-Stick" Vermette and Sullivan the Friendly Ghost.

 

[awfulwaffle]

I blame Antoine "Butter-Stick" Vermette and Sullivan the Friendly Ghost.

Sullivan was looking good pre-injury. Such a shame he went down to injury.

 

[zz]

I blame Antoine "Butter-Stick" Vermette and Sullivan the Friendly Ghost.

Yes, it's just not just Doan.

Sullivan's play matches his size and age.

Vermette is getting on my nerves. Can't take a hard pass, uses the 'no-look behind pass' way too often, creates nothing, plays soft... ugh. I can't watch him.

And coming back to Doan, he looks oooooold and slooooooow... sp painful to watch. I love the guy, but man, is this what we're going to have to watch for the next 4 years??

 

[Redcoyote]

we don't really have a first line that is going to generate a lot of our offense. The team is built around scoring by committee. That is why losing Lombardi to injury and having Gordon play on the third line hurts so much. It effectively takes us from three lines that have the potential to score down to two. When we have

Sullivan-Vermette-Doan
Boedker-Hanzal-Vrbata
Korpi-Lombo-Moss

all rolling with Torres and Johnson on the 4th line and guys like Yandle, Schlemko, OEL, Rundblad creating chances from the blue line we can be effective. But when all of a sudden we have Gordon and Chip as our 3rd and 4th centers moss and korpi are taken out of their game to a larger degree unfortunately.

 

[lockstock]

we don't really have a first line that is going to generate a lot of our offense. The team is built around scoring by committee. That is why losing Lombardi to injury and having Gordon play on the third line hurts so much. It effectively takes us from three lines that have the potential to score down to two. When we have

Sullivan-Vermette-Doan
Boedker-Hanzal-Vrbata
Korpi-Lombo-Moss

all rolling with Torres and Johnson on the 4th line and guys like Yandle, Schlemko, OEL, Rundblad creating chances from the blue line we can be effective. But when all of a sudden we have Gordon and Chip as our 3rd and 4th centers moss and korpi are taken out of their game to a larger degree unfortunately.

I know it won't ever happen, but I'd love to see Vermette between Korpi and Moss. Put doan with the physical guys. I've always thought he played better with big physical guys like Weller, Winnik, Hanzal, Chip, Torres, and all those types of players. Besides a few random times here and there, over the last few years, he's never found any lasting chemistry with anyone. Nobody wants to put him on the grinder line, because even when we roll 4 lines, people see it as the grinder line. Seriously, he hasn't looked good with anyone really since Reinprecht left.

I always thought Doan and Hanzal were a perfect match, but the Czech line was so effective, he never got the chance. Then Whitney replaced Prucha and they got even better. Now we have a whole lot of spare parts that we're having a hard time figuring out how to put together. When a few parts wear out, it's even harder to make the puzzle fit.

 

[DesertDawg]

Yes, it's just not just Doan.

And coming back to Doan, he looks oooooold and slooooooow... sp painful to watch. I love the guy, but man, is this what we're going to have to watch for the next 4 years??

I'd cut Doan some slack, he had a rough off-season and don't expect his play of late to be a true indication of what he is worth to the team on the ice...

 

[awfulwaffle]

I'd cut Doan some slack, he had a rough off-season and don't expect his play of late to be a true indication of what he is worth to the team on the ice...

He's the captain, and has been playing long enough to know what it takes to be successful in this league.

 

[DesertDawg]

He's the captain, and has been playing long enough to know what it takes to be successful in this league.

true,
but I would imagine what he went through with his daughter takes precedence over being captain of an ownerless team
or that he was involve with and was the "calming influence" in the CBA negotiations that helped (somewhat) save the season shouldn't matter...

 

[KG]

I think the main issue to consider is what line Doan would be most effective on. It seem giving his age and size a more physical grinding line would be suitable as compared to the first line.

That being said, he's a notorious slow starter so we may be overreacting.

 

[Vip]

Doans locker room presence is probly 10x more valuable than he could ever be on-ice. There was an article written a couple seasons ago about how Boedker and Doan are really good friends and how Boedker really looks up to him as a player and person. Wish I could find that article.

 

[Vip]

Just watched the shootout. Sweet move by Boedker.. Kinda similar to Vrbata's move.

Nice win today.

 

[CC96]

Doans locker room presence is probly 10x more valuable than he could ever be on-ice. There was an article written a couple seasons ago about how Boedker and Doan are really good friends and how Boedker really looks up to him as a player and person. Wish I could find that article.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=630806

Maybe this was the article? To be honest though I'm not too worried about Doan, Sullivan and Vermette, they were all playing very well the first several games and I expect them to rebound soon whether they stay together on that line, or if they're split up throughout the line-up.

 

[zz]

locker room presence

The most overrated virtue in sports.

 

[XX]

The most overrated virtue in sports.

Not in hockey. The 'room' is everything. It's a laughable notion in football and baseball. NBA teams can be extremely dysfunctional due to the smaller roster size. See the Lakers with Howard (the biggest POS in all of sport right now) for a great example. But hockey is a team game, and chemistry matters a great deal. I'd like to think that the only reason Biz and LOLbarbera have NHL jobs is because they are great for the room.

This team lacks consistency without Aucoin and Whitney.

 

[CC96]

Not in hockey. The 'room' is everything. It's a laughable notion in football and baseball. NBA teams can be extremely dysfunctional due to the smaller roster size. See the Lakers with Howard (the biggest POS in all of sport right now) for a great example. But hockey is a team game, and chemistry matters a great deal. I'd like to think that the only reason Biz and LOLbarbera have NHL jobs is because they are great for the room.

This team lacks consistency without Aucoin and Whitney.

To be honest, it may just be that need another game or two to find some chemistry. Remember how inconsistent we were last year until the perfect february? IIRC we didn't even win three games in a row until february. Granted it's a shorter season but if the lines could start to gel again like at the beginning of this season when our defense was poor, I think we might be able to make some noise again if we make the playoffs.

 

[rt]

I assume Doan is injured. He looks like it. That line is also not working at all. Neither is Sullivan on the point during the man advantage. His stick is too short and his little legs take too long to get going. He's terrible at holding the zone as a result.

Boedker is awesome no matter where they put him. Same goes for Korpikoski. Put Sullivan with one, Vermette with the other, and hope rain is made.

 

[Vip]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=630806

Maybe this was the article? To be honest though I'm not too worried about Doan, Sullivan and Vermette, they were all playing very well the first several games and I expect them to rebound soon whether they stay together on that line, or if they're split up throughout the line-up.

Yes that's it. I love that article.

"Boedker remembers getting the news after a home game and crying in the player's lounge after his teammates had departed. That's when the captain quietly walked in, locked the door behind him and decided it was time for a heart-to-heart talk.

"Doaner told me that he knew it was tough to go down to the minors, but that he knew I was tougher," Boedker remembered. "He told me that just about everyone in the League had been right where I was then. It's a grind. It's tough, but it's something I could do and turn into an advantage. I was very young in the League and it helped me to grow up."

 

[Vip]

The most overrated virtue in sports.

Overrated? Care to explain what you mean? Because I don't think "locker room presence" is overrated one bit. It's a crucial key to a successful team. The team has to get along.

 

[zz]

Overrated? Care to explain what you mean? Because I don't think "locker room presence" is overrated one bit. It's a crucial key to a successful team. The team has to get along.

Is team chemistry important? Of course.

Can I accept paying Bissonette $ 750K for the occasional fight because of team chemistry? Fine.

Is it alright to have the worst backup goalie in the league and pay him $ 1.5 M /yr because he's a great locker room guy? That's getting a little silly.

Is it fine for a cash-strapped team to use $ 5.3 M / yr over the next 4 years in a useless, over-the-top captain because he provides "10x more off the ice"? That's absolutely ridiculous.

I hope it's just another slow start. Because if this what we're going to get from Doan until he ends his career, no thanks.

 

[MP]

Not saying Doan is above criticism--he'd be the first to tell you otherwise, I'm sure--but we've had this discussion in years past, and meanwhile he's remained a 20-goal player in his mid-30s. Not bad. Coupled with his size and reputation as a leader, he's quite a player. At the very least, you have to allow that he's only a handful of games into a 5-year contract: isn't it a little early to render a verdict?

 

[Rutkowski]

And while I am certainly not a LaBarbera fan, Steve Mason is far worse than him. Leighton isn't a great player either, to be frank.

 

[zz]

he's only a handful of games into a 5-year contract

12 games. 1/4 of the season. He's on pace for a prorated 13-13-26, 82 game season. For $ 5.3 M.

isn't it a little early to render a verdict?

What verdict?