GDT: Game 2: Columbus vs. San Jose 10/15 7PM

[niflheim]

I think you're spot on. McConnell probably keeps the team because of his dad and Nationwide is just doing what it perceives to be its civic duty and also to keep property values up in the arena district where it has a significant investment stake from what I understand. I don't think that the ownership isn't well-intended, but I'm almost certain that they're not passionate about the team nor do they know much about hockey.

Problem is that there doesn't appear to be a person, or group of persons with the means to buy an NHL franchise who have that passion in Columbus. I doubt McConnel or Nationwide would have a problem selling the team to an interested local buyer.

You are right, but imho McConnell distant position better than Canucks Aquillini position for ex.

 

[blahblah]

The fans have to look at ownership. Much like the Browns (NFL), sometimes the fans need to quit accepting that ownership has any ability to build a winner. At times the fans have to look at incompetence at the top and make decisions (dollar driven). If the fans start calling ownership out they will need to change (which can happen), or they can add/change talent to the front office to help them become smarter, or they can tell the fan to pound salt. Speak with your wallet and ownership will have to change.

But if you accept that our team is a bottom 4 team and we can't do anything about it - then accept it. Keep buying tickets, keep watching passionately, just keep hoping. Just every other team (except Edmonton) goes from bad to playoffs pretty quickly.

I get your point and I don't want to offensive, but this is ludicrous on it's face. But hey, if you want to boycott or something to try and get the majority owner to sell go for it. Heck, I'm not even sure what you want to look at or why. It's not like we can see the day to day operations, his involvement, etc.

We had these discussions years ago.

 

[Nordic*]

Columbus does not have the talent to ice three scoring lines. Stack two and run with it. This way no line is a match for the playoff teams.

Keep Saad & Wennberg together.

 

[Crede777]

I'm going to take this game as a chance to see how the team performs without Ryan Murray in the line up.

I think great things about Murray. I am not concerned about his injuries. But if we're talking about best trade chip which is potentially expendable in order to upgrade our center position, I have to think he's it.

Also, I know it's only one game at the start of the season, but if I have no qualms about extrapolating from tiny sample sizes. It's fun.

What else is fun? Pretending to be Torts. If I were Torts today, here's my lineup:

Saad - Wennberg - Foligno
Calvert - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Hartnell - Gagner - Bjorkstrand
Jenner - Karlsson - Anderson

Werenski - Jones
Johnson - Prout
Nutivaara - Savard

Bob

 

[pete goegan]

The fans have to look at ownership. Much like the Browns (NFL), sometimes the fans need to quit accepting that ownership has any ability to build a winner. At times the fans have to look at incompetence at the top and make decisions (dollar driven). If the fans start calling ownership out they will need to change (which can happen), or they can add/change talent to the front office to help them become smarter, or they can tell the fan to pound salt. Speak with your wallet and ownership will have to change.

But if you accept that our team is a bottom 4 team and we can't do anything about it - then accept it. Keep buying tickets, keep watching passionately, just keep hoping. Just every other team (except Edmonton) goes from bad to playoffs pretty quickly.

Now honestly I keep buying tickets, but my care-o-meter is pretty low any more and my expectations are to see how we're going to find a way to lose, not watching them to win. I think it is terrible upper management and/or ownership. We've tried a lot of coaches, lot or players, we've always been a young team (rarely traded draft picks) and usually said we want to be gritty/hard to play against, etc. So I don't think we are building the team the wrong way (thru the draft) I just think we are a badly mismanaged franchise.

But yes I believe the fundamental problem with the team is at the top. Ownership and very senior level management sending wrong messages, picking wrong players and coaches, and neveur learning how to be successful, just repeaing same stuff over and over, and every few years starting over again (new GM, new coach, roster turnover, etc)

No one can ever accuse you of inconsistency, you've sung the same tune for a decade, at least!

 

[CBJfan4evr]

So, let's suck less.

It was kind of refreshing watching the first game. I was there and just enjoyed the game, I didn't care what the result was. I'm refusing to get upset watching the team play, just enjoying the game. I have no expectation for this team, so they really can't let me down. Refreshing.

Sure I'll give team and player analysis, but at least I won't drive myself crazy with the results.

As far as the game goes, I'm just hoping we play a solid two way game. Don't really care if we win or not. This team already looks like a team that could go sideways fast with a lot of collateral damage to the coaching staff and front office.

Agree, This seems like a team that wants to play run and gun. If they don't stiffen the defense and play a little "heavier" game (nod to Hitchcock) we could be in big, big trouble.

 

[NotWendell]

Going to the NWA tonight. I have a bad feeling about this one.

 

[Crede777]

Agree, This seems like a team that wants to play run and gun. If they don't stiffen the defense and play a little "heavier" game (nod to Hitchcock) we could be in big, big trouble.

Isn't that a result of the youth, though?

The Puckdaddy article on today's game says we're the 2nd youngest team in the league. But I'm pretty sure we're actually the youngest by a few months.

They're also transitioning (thankfully) from the old fashioned Hitchcock approach of having 5 big defensemen and 1 puck mover to having 5 puck movers and 1 big guy. Which is necessary in today's league. Unfortunately, it clashes with our forwards who, with a few exceptions play a slower game.

In the game against Boston, it seemed like our defense was actually too fast for our forwards. This can be mitigated with experience because I feel like Werenski, Jones, and Murray can slow the game down, but when pressured things turn sloppy. We need not only defensemen who can pass the puck well in transition, but forwards who can receive passes well in case the defenseman gets pressured and puts out a bad pass. While our passing was pretty poor against Boston, our reception of passes was even worse.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Going to the NWA tonight. I have a bad feeling about this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGHX_jsuRy0

 

[NotWendell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGHX_jsuRy0

The ladies at the Jack Daniels stand remembered me from last season and know me by name.
"Hey you don't usually order light beer," they said the other night.

 

[We Want Ten]

I think that will just depend on the level of suck we display. Also, despite their declaration, opening night was not a sellout. Heck I got an isle club level seat on Monday.

I can see this.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

The ladies at the Jack Daniels stand remembered me from last season and know me by name.
"Hey you don't usually order light beer," they said the other night.

Get fortified and enjoy! They might surprise us tonight.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Isn't that a result of the youth, though?

The Puckdaddy article on today's game says we're the 2nd youngest team in the league. But I'm pretty sure we're actually the youngest by a few months.

I think that was before Dubois was sent back to Cape Breton. I believe once we assigned Dubois to juniors and recalled Wennberg, we became the second youngest behind Toronto.

 

[JacketFanInFL]

Have to think there are around 10-11k butts in seats tonight. Go Bucks.

 

[Halfboard]

The ladies at the Jack Daniels stand remembered me from last season and know me by name.
"Hey you don't usually order light beer," they said the other night.

Judging by the way they played Thursday, I suggest you go back to the hard stuff!!

Cheers & have fun.

 

[major major]

I'm going to take this game as a chance to see how the team performs without Ryan Murray in the line up.

I think great things about Murray. I am not concerned about his injuries. But if we're talking about best trade chip which is potentially expendable in order to upgrade our center position, I have to think he's it.

Also, I know it's only one game at the start of the season, but if I have no qualms about extrapolating from tiny sample sizes. It's fun.

What else is fun? Pretending to be Torts. If I were Torts today, here's my lineup:

Saad - Wennberg - Foligno
Calvert - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Hartnell - Gagner - Bjorkstrand
Jenner - Karlsson - Anderson

Werenski - Jones
Johnson - Prout
Nutivaara - Savard

Bob

Those were our forward lines in the last part of the third period last game. At least the top two - Calvert was put with Dubi and Wennberg was given the better wingers in place of Gagner. The other 6 guys hardly played.

Murray is not expendable. He'd be a top pair guy for us right now, the only reason he is with Savard and not Jones is because Werenski needs someone to cover him more than Murray does. And Savard needs help too - not that Murray did a good job of it last game. I'm confident Murray can have a great year. If I was confident he could fetch us a center assuredly better than Dubois or Wennberg can be I might think he was "expendable".

 

[LoveCBJ]

Play like you did in the 1st period last game for the entire game. I still am a fan of a Atkinson-Dubi-Calvert line. Go CBJ!

 

[Samkow]

Serious question to those that are more plugged into FSOhio than I am, is Rimer doing okay health wise?

 

[major major]

Columbus does not have the talent to ice three scoring lines. Stack two and run with it. This way no line is a match for the playoff teams.

Keep Saad & Wennberg together.

We can ice three scoring lines. But we can't seem to ice three scoring lines that supply scoring and some with shutdown ability.

Jenner - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Saad - Gagner - Foligno
Hartnell - Wennberg - Bjorkstrand

Which of these 3 lines is incapable of scoring 50-70 goals? They all can quite easily, i.e. they can all be legit scoring lines.

Jenner - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Saad - Gagner - Foligno
Hartnell - Wennberg - Bjorkstrand


The problem, as I've bolded, is that we've got defensive weak spots that limit each lines ability to take hard matchups and play defense. Jenner and Dubinsky are bolded because they've played poorly defensively with each other, not because they're innately bad defensively (Gagner and Hartnell are innately bad at it).

So there is a very good argument for stacking the lines, but it's about defensive play not scoring ability.

 

[blahblah]

If people wonder why I don't like Savard, that last shift was an illustration. Tape to tape pass to Thorton. Horrible decision/pass. He wasn't under pressure. That could easily turn into a goal against.

 

[jackets4life]

Prout had a good view of that one from behind the cage. Only thing missing was a reclining lawn chair and iced tea.

 

[Samkow]

Yeesh Nutivarra

 

[MFRONE]

Jenner out there defending air in his quest to tie Dubi for the lead in +/-

 

[The Jones Zone]

"Rifled in by Jack Jones" Rimerism # 57

 

[Halfboard]

Jenner out there defending air in his quest to tie Dubi for the lead in +/-

What happened to Jenner in the off season?? It's like he forgot how to play......