GDT: Game #41: Another chance to get on run

[The Faulker 27]

Zack Boychuk liked one of my Instagram posts from the game. Then he also liked a few pictures of my cats.

I'm pretty sure Zach sent my 90 year old grandmother a friend request.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

I'm pretty sure Zach sent my 90 year old grandmother a friend request.

Ya he likes everyone. I wouldn’t be worried.

If he starts sending her dm’s then I’d be concerned.

 

[sabremike]

Mascot selfie with the $100 authentic EK jersey I got on clearance.

Did you know Ottawa has the longest cup drought of any NHL team? 91 years and counting.

Faceoff after the first Canes goal.

 

[AD Skinner]

Dougie replaced himself with a newer, better model.

One might even call him a Brand Spanking New Doug

 

[zman77]

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I need more allowance
Why? Because I do

How dare you hit me with that unexpected nostalgia. Now I've got Banging on the Trashcan in my head.

 

[CandyCanes]

 

[sabremike]

One might even call him a Brand Spanking New Doug

But I want a new Doug!

 

[AD Skinner]

But I want a new Doug!

 

[RodTheBawd]

So I listened to most of that on Sirius/XM on my drive home from drill. they had the Ottowa announcers on.

They were two of the biggest dicks I've ever heard on sports radio. They seem to have a penchant for making fun of guys names. When Dougie scored, one of them went on a tirade about "how does a grown man call himself dougie? What is he like 8?!" and similar for several minutes. Then they started in on Wallmark, calling him "Walmart, the highest grossing thing down in those parts" or words to that effect.

I mean I'm all for being a dick if soembody deserves it, like Tom Wilson or something, but damn.

I guess we have the only announcers that treat opposing teams with respect.

Get a load of this snowflake

 

[CandyCanes]

It’s been nice to see this team is finally getting some secondary scoring the last four games. We’ve finally gotten some goals from guys like Faulk, McGinn, Hamilton, McKegg, Foegele, Wallmark. The scoring from those guys stepping up has been the difference maker in us winning these games.

 

[The Faulker 27]

It’s been nice to see this team is finally getting some secondary scoring the last four games. We’ve finally gotten some goals from guys like Faulk, McGinn, Hamilton, McKegg, Foegele, Wallmark. The scoring from those guys stepping up has been the difference maker in us winning these games.

Is this that "regressing to the mean" thing I was hearing about a few weeks ago? No way do I believe they will sustain it, I'm too bitter, and cynical at this point for that, but if the past week is an indicator of future success, we may have at least a long shot of making it.

Although, my preference would be for them to pick in the top 5. That will also not happen, so whatever. Just glad to see some fruit from their labor here recently.

 

[Tryamw]

One might even call him a Brand Spanking New Doug

That's what he gets for Christmas every year. the new improved Dougie version.

 

[spockBokk]

It’s been nice to see this team is finally getting some secondary scoring the last four games. We’ve finally gotten some goals from guys like Faulk, McGinn, Hamilton, McKegg, Foegele, Wallmark. The scoring from those guys stepping up has been the difference maker in us winning these games.

Wallmark is a very interesting player for me. I wonder if he can really establish himself as a capable 3C in the 2nd half of this season.

 

[MinJaBen]

Wallmark is a very interesting player for me. I wonder if he can really establish himself as a capable 3C in the 2nd half of this season.

I just hope to Sweet Baby Jesus that we don't overpay him like Rask.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I just hope to Sweet Baby Jesus that we don't overpay him like Rask.

Well he has 2 more points than Staal does in 11 more games so I don’t think they need to back up the Brinks truck quite yet.

 

[HisIceness]

Huey Lewis would say that it is hip to be Doug

 

[Breakdowns]

Best outcome possible, my fellow Latvian scored (he actually went to school I was going and is from same city I live in) and Canes won, woohoo!

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I just hope to Sweet Baby Jesus that we don't overpay him like Rask.

Rask put up a 21-27-48 season the year before we extended him at $4mil per year.

If Wallmark did that this year, I’d have no problem extending him for that number.

To me the Rask situation is unfortunate, but not nearly as foreseeable as some remember. There was one guy (Adam Gold?) who trashed the signing at the time, saying it was overpayment for a “3rd line center”, and we all thought he was crazy. And even HE didn’t foresee the extent of Rask’s regression to “barely NHL caliber.”

To me, that signing is a prime example of right process, wrong result.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Rask put up a 21-27-48 season the year before we extended him at $4mil per year.

If Wallmark did that this year, I’d have no problem extending him for that number.

To me the Rask situation is unfortunate, but not nearly as foreseeable as some remember. There was one guy (Adam Gold?) who trashed the signing at the time, saying it was overpayment for a “3rd line center”, and we all thought he was crazy. And even HE didn’t foresee the extent of Rask’s regression to “barely NHL caliber.”

To me, that signing is a prime example of right process, wrong result.

I give Adam all the credit in the world on that particular signing, he didn’t HATE the player, he just said the long term was completely unnecessary given Rask’s youth and relative inexperience (and having one single worthy year of that contract). They could have ridden a couple of one or two year contracts and not had the 6 year albatross wrapped around his neck.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I give Adam all the credit in the world on that particular signing, he didn’t HATE the player, he just said the long term was completely unnecessary given Rask’s youth and relative inexperience (and having one single worthy year of that contract). They could have ridden a couple of one or two year contracts and not had the 6 year albatross wrapped around his neck.

That’s why TT is still on another show me deal. In his case, he’s going to make a shitload more on this contract than he would have if he signed long term last time. It’s all a gamble, sometimes you win sometimes you lose.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I give Adam all the credit in the world on that particular signing, he didn’t HATE the player, he just said the long term was completely unnecessary given Rask’s youth and relative inexperience (and having one single worthy year of that contract). They could have ridden a couple of one or two year contracts and not had the 6 year albatross wrapped around his neck.

Don’t get me wrong, excellent call on his part. But it was indeed the result of a process that’s served us pretty well otherwise. No one is complaining about Slavin and Pesce’s contracts after using the same thought process.

And I think the thought process was that if Rask never improves, he’s still worth the $4 million. A major regression to this extent, at least in my view, was practically out of the question. Even if he regressed to 35-40 points the contract wouldn’t have been quite this albatross. It’s practically truly dead money at this point.

 

[The Faulker 27]

Don’t get me wrong, excellent call on his part. But it was indeed the result of a process that’s served us pretty well otherwise. No one is complaining about Slavin and Pesce’s contracts after using the same thought process.

And I think the thought process was that if Rask never improves, he’s still worth the $4 million. A major regression to this extent, at least in my view, was practically out of the question. Even if he regressed to 35-40 points the contract wouldn’t have been quite this albatross. It’s practically truly dead money at this point.

I can't tell if Rask got that much slower (skating was never his strength), or if the league has just become that much faster. He looks like a beer league'r after a night of heavy drinking trying to keep up with everyone else.

 

[zman77]

 

[cptjeff]

That chart shows the fundamental flaws of shot based metrics more than anything about the teams. Not all shots are equal and distance is not the only determinant of what makes a shot good.

The last few games, we have been significantly better about creating good chances. It's not that the same old crap started going in, the team is making noticeably different players. Hamilton moving in, then moving laterally to use an opposing player to hide his pre-shot motion last night was a perfect example. He's often just been lofting clear shots in from the point. Those didn't go in. When he made it much more deceptive, it did. In the last few games we've created a lot more lateral motion and have made a lot of quick, clean passes that forced the defense and goalies to move, rather than just firing from the boards. In previous games, out close shots have been jam chances with the goalie set. Now, I'm seeing a lot more close in passing and stickwork to get the goalie un-set first. Justin Williams has been doing a lot of good work in front of the net that's disrupted things, and got a crotch goal as a result and something that would have been a goal for TT but for a shitty interference waveoff from a blind ref.

We're doing things differently, and in many ways it came really suddenly. I don't know how they made the change, but they really seem like they may have flipped a switch and remembered how to play hockey again. Maybe it lasts, maybe it doesn't, but I don't think this is just same old same old finally working. I think they've finally started to figure out how to make their chances better.