GDT: Game 40: Columbus vs. New York Islanders | 1/10 7PM EST

[NotWendell]

I think we actually are a fast team, when we want to be.... One thing I noticed and the Rimer/Shelley crew mentioned it too if I recall.... Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert are not what they were last season..


The CBJ can be the best in the league when goaltending is superior and the team wants to win.... Coaching cannot cure all problems but they must bench players that don’t play with heart, other players than guys like Tropp and Boll... Neither Tropp nor Boll are responsible for losing the last two games, bench someone else Todd...

And Letestu and Dubinsky are NOT in peak form. Guess we shouldn't expect them to be after missing so many games.

 

[Robert]

And Letestu and Dubinsky are NOT in peak form. Guess we shouldn't expect them to be after missing so many games.

Both are players I want to keep, without playing half the season they are granted a pass...

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Yikes, that is all

 

[jackets4life]

No comment from me on the Jacket performance tonight.

Now the Islanders...now there's a first class hockey team. They can fly out there, their passes are crisp and accurate, very dynamic team. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see them representing the East in the SCF this year.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Let's tank. Closer to 30th than playoffs.

Absolutely agree. Need tanking.

Well.. glad I missed this one. Company holiday party..

And count me in the tanking camp. I have the worst gut feeling we'll continue to try and make a playoff push that most certainly ends with us coming up just short and missing out on top talent in the draft.

Working swimmingly for the Oilers. Why not right? Jesus

We win two or three in a row and we'll be back to "Who should we trade for to make our run?"

 

[Mayor Bee]

No comment from me on the Jacket performance tonight.

Now the Islanders...now there's a first class hockey team. They can fly out there, their passes are crisp and accurate, very dynamic team. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see them representing the East in the SCF this year.

Funny, isn't it? A team that installed a first-time GM in the mid-2000s, they made the playoffs early in his tenure, and the well-respected coach was fired the next season after struggling. The team seemingly meandered, making a couple of big moves, a lot of small ones, but never really looking like they were going anywhere. The team didn't make the playoffs, fans complained, newspapers and media couldn't figure out why the GM was still in place.

Now they're a legitimate contender, and I wonder how much of that is due to the GM being allowed to see things through instead of being canned.

 

[Robert]

No comment from me on the Jacket performance tonight.

Now the Islanders...now there's a first class hockey team. They can fly out there, their passes are crisp and accurate, very dynamic team. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see them representing the East in the SCF this year.

Garth Snow is their GM..... an ex goalie who took the Island GM job with zero experience..... They paced themselves, picked up several top draft picks and used them, unlike the bizarro team up in Edmonton…the consummate worst managed professional sport team in the majors today...

 

[hardkorejackets]

I thought all the "playoff talk" was premature, but these past two games confirm it. I was trying to hold onto hope for a late playoff push, but I'm giving up on that pipe dream now. There's way too many problems with this team. Only one of our forward lines can actually score goals. Our defense is abysmal, leaving Bob out to dry (I begin to wonder if his head is even in these type of games). Like someone mentioned earlier, the speed on the team is not nearly as much as advertised. Injuries are also killing this team. We are pretty much skating 2 AHL lines. I think Morin could be a 3rd line player, but Boll and Tropp should be healthy scratches, Sean Collins is an AHL'er, Wennberg should be there as well, IMO. I wish the best of luck to Mark Letestu in trying to get points skating with Boll and Tropp.

 

[ca5150]

I'm not sure why 90% of the focus on here is always with the forwards when our biggest liability is always our defense. We are never going to make a run to the cup with Wiz and Tyutin in our lineup, the fact they have been paired together is downright scary.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'm not sure why 90% of the focus on here is always with the forwards when our biggest liability is always our defense. We are never going to make a run to the cup with Wiz and Tyutin in our lineup, the fact they have been paired together is downright scary.

Hard to play good defense for a full 60 minutes when your offense can't keep the puck in the OZone while getting peppered 24-4 or whatever the shot chart said.

 

[ca5150]

Hard to play good defense for a full 60 minutes when your offense can't keep the puck in the OZone while getting peppered 24-4 or whatever the shot chart said.

How can they get any shots when the defense can't get the puck out of the zone, plays soft in front of their own net, can't hold it in the offensive zone and gets caught and can't skate fast enough to get back for the odd man rushes. Forwards weren't good the last two games either but our biggest problem by far is our defense. No ability to break it out or make a good outlet pass and they let the other team stand in front of the net and screen Bob and kick them or deflect them in our own net. They also can't get their shots through to the net in the o-zone. But I'm sure we can blame that all on Boll too...

 

[Jackets Fan]

Extremely disappointed with this team. I wasn't expecting back-to-back losses on back-to-back nights, especially not in this form.
11 points out now. This team really needs to go another long winning streak. That would ( hopefully ) cancel out both of the long losing streaks from earlier.
But here is a question I have: Will the Jackets be good enough to make the playoffs with Anisimov and Jenner back after the all-star break? I mean they're only 2 players.

Biggest issue so far has probably been underachieving players like Atkinson and Calvert. It's important to have secondary/depth scoring, and this team has received little to none.

Also, the Jackets are 12-4-1 since their 6-15-2 start, but have only moved ONE point closer to a playoff spot. Have not made up any ground. As it was for the most part last year, it's been a pain in the ass to scoreboard watch, because all those damn teams above us start winning after we start winning. Seriously, it's so f**king annoying.

I still believe the Jackets can turn it around after the break, but damn, these last couple days haven't been encouraging. Start the week 6 points out of the playoffs, and end the week 11 points out

 

[Tony Quinn]

I get razzed all the time because I have never been a fan of Calvert or Atkinson. Sure, they play hard and will make a play every now and then but if you're counting on them to be among your best players, then your team is not that good.

 

[EspenK]

Working swimmingly for the Oilers. Why not right? Jesus

We win two or three in a row and we'll be back to "Who should we trade for to make our run?"

You are missing a key point here. Adding a McDavid or Eichel to the existing group would be an addition to a solid (when healthy) team that could provide an immediate upgrade. Not like the Oilers who started with a decimated base and basically drafted the same guy like 4 or 5 times in a row.

Even adding a D man like Hanifin or Werenski or Kylington would be great for this team.

Not advocating tanking just saying that I'd rather not miss the playoffs by a point or two. If we're going to miss I'd rather miss big.

 

[EspenK]

Hard to play good defense for a full 60 minutes when your offense can't keep the puck in the OZone while getting peppered 24-4 or whatever the shot chart said.

How can they get any shots when the defense can't get the puck out of the zone, plays soft in front of their own net, can't hold it in the offensive zone and gets caught and can't skate fast enough to get back for the odd man rushes. Forwards weren't good the last two games either but our biggest problem by far is our defense. No ability to break it out or make a good outlet pass and they let the other team stand in front of the net and screen Bob and kick them or deflect them in our own net. They also can't get their shots through to the net in the o-zone. But I'm sure we can blame that all on Boll too...

I tend to agree with you both. I was extremely impressed with how fast the Isles got the puck out of their zone and up ice all game long.

I was also impressed by the number of shots they generated. I think our offensive system is flawed. Maybe its because we don't have many skilled guys but it seems to me our offense consists of skating down the wing and either firing the shot from afar (Skille-esque) or dumping it in, then banging around a bit and eventually lose it without getting it to the front of the net, where if I am correct, most goals are scored from.

Occasionally I'll see a pretty decent play but for the most part to me our offense looks like **** which occasionally results in a goal.

 

[MAHJ71]

I tend to agree with you both. I was extremely impressed with how fast the Isles got the puck out of their zone and up ice all game long.

I was also impressed by the number of shots they generated. I think our offensive system is flawed. Maybe its because we don't have many skilled guys but it seems to me our offense consists of skating down the wing and either firing the shot from afar (Skille-esque) or dumping it in, then banging around a bit and eventually lose it without getting it to the front of the net, where if I am correct, most goals are scored from.

Occasionally I'll see a pretty decent play but for the most part to me our offense looks like **** which occasionally results in a goal.

So if our offensive system is flawed - who's fault is that? TR?

 

[EspenK]

So if our offensive system is flawed - who's fault is that? TR?

He wasn't known for his offensive schemes in Minnesota

 

[major major]

I tend to agree with you both. I was extremely impressed with how fast the Isles got the puck out of their zone and up ice all game long.

I was also impressed by the number of shots they generated. I think our offensive system is flawed. Maybe its because we don't have many skilled guys but it seems to me our offense consists of skating down the wing and either firing the shot from afar (Skille-esque) or dumping it in, then banging around a bit and eventually lose it without getting it to the front of the net, where if I am correct, most goals are scored from.

Occasionally I'll see a pretty decent play but for the most part to me our offense looks like **** which occasionally results in a goal.

The cycle game is our main approach, and it isn't working anymore. We occasionally get 15 seconds of a cycle going.. usually nothing.

 

[major major]

First two goals Foligno could have played better. The first one, he's needlessly chasing down low, which is not great for a winger. You can't give Nick Leddy the entire top half of the zone to work with. The second one is a marvelously executed 4 on 3 by the Isles. Foligno and Dubinsky were caught off guard by the Isles speed and couldn't catch up to the play.

Third goal was the bouncer that Connauton couldn't connect on (say those 4 words 5 times fast). What's the best way to handle that play? I'd turn and kick/glove/whatever the puck to my own corner. Even if Connauton could connect on one of those baseball swings he doesn't know if the puck will go right to Anders Lee, it's too dangerous.

Fourth goal Johansen maybe could have played tighter man-to-man. It bothers me that Johansen is so defensively capable, he can shut down anyone, but he usually just drifts around, seemingly unaware of where the opposition is.

Fifth goal is all Bob. Wiz blocked the shot and then Bob whiffed on the softie second shot.

*As always, folks should feel free to offer their interpretations of each play.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

You are missing a key point here. Adding a McDavid or Eichel to the existing group would be an addition to a solid (when healthy) team that could provide an immediate upgrade. Not like the Oilers who started with a decimated base and basically drafted the same guy like 4 or 5 times in a row.

Even adding a D man like Hanifin or Werenski or Kylington would be great for this team.

Not advocating tanking just saying that I'd rather not miss the playoffs by a point or two. If we're going to miss I'd rather miss big.

"Adding Hall is a good start to the rebuild."

"Adding RNH to center Hall is going to be a key 1-2 punch in the future."

"Adding Yakupov to RNH's wing gives us a slew of options up front."

Ect ect. Tanking, or "intentional losing" does nothing but taint the locker room. You can root to lose, I guess, but to 'tank', is just crazy. I don't feel like counting on 18-19 year olds to save my franchise again, it wasn't very fun the first 12 years.

 

[EspenK]

"Adding Hall is a good start to the rebuild."

"Adding RNH to center Hall is going to be a key 1-2 punch in the future."

"Adding Yakupov to RNH's wing gives us a slew of options up front."

Ect ect. Tanking, or "intentional losing" does nothing but taint the locker room. You can root to lose, I guess, but to 'tank', is just crazy. I don't feel like counting on 18-19 year olds to save my franchise again, it wasn't very fun the first 12 years.

Still missing the point. We would be adding a very good player to a very solid base. No one is talking tanking here. All I said was IF we miss Id rather miss by a mile than an inch. I don't believe either scenario affects the pysche of the team long term. Missing by an inch will piss off everyone and hopefully drive them to a better start;missing by a mile will piss of everyone and increase the resolve to do better next season when hopefully the injury bug doesn't strike as hard. The point is I'm not rooting for a complete fail but I'm also not rooting for missing by a point. IF we miss the playoffs I'd rather have the higher rated prospect.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Still missing the point. We would be adding a very good player to a very solid base. No one is talking tanking here. All I said was IF we miss Id rather miss by a mile than an inch. I don't believe either scenario affects the pysche of the team long term. Missing by an inch will piss off everyone and hopefully drive them to a better start;missing by a mile will piss of everyone and increase the resolve to do better next season when hopefully the injury bug doesn't strike as hard. The point is I'm not rooting for a complete fail but I'm also not rooting for missing by a point. IF we miss the playoffs I'd rather have the higher rated prospect.

You sure? I quoted three specific posters with the word 'tank' or encouraging 'tanking.'

Me personally I would rather they fight like hell and miss by one or two points again. Maybe that pain of looking back at the first two months would finally make them wake the hell up and not start October-November in the toilet and come out with their ass on fire so we don't have to be in this position again.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Garth Snow is their GM..... an ex goalie who took the Island GM job with zero experience..... They paced themselves, picked up several top draft picks and used them, unlike the bizarro team up in Edmonton…the consummate worst managed professional sport team in the majors today...

The Cleveland Browns give them a good run for top "honors".

Since the real Browns escaped the Mistake on the Lake and fled to Baltimore, the new incarnation has had 2 winning seasons out of 16. One wild card playoff appearance (loss). 9 years ago, Edmonton was in a game 7 of the SC Finals.

Browns or Oilers? Browns in a photo finish.

Go Bengals

 

[thebus2288*]

Too many offensive or offensive minded defenseman.

We're still missing 2 of our top 5 forwards.

Bob is inconsistent.

I've prolly seen 25% of the last 3 games but I'm positive these are our problems at the moment.

I'd like to see some MAJOR lineup changes. Even if its just to spark the team/offense, something, I'd like Richards to put some lines together that we've "never seen before".

 

[Dr. Fire]

Little late, but I thought 4 of the 5 goals were just great plays by the Islanders. They are showing that last year was a fluke. The injury bug cost them last year like it is costing us this year.

They won the other night and looked effortless doing it. I really like the mix of player types on their team. I agree, they should be a Cup favorite unless injuries crop up and kill them.