GDT: San Antonio Rampage @ OKC Barons, Friday 12/14 6PM MDT

[Joe Hallenback]

A few guys? Check the lineup. We have 4 players that are, or would be NHL stars on any club in the NHL. We have several other players on the Barons with NHL experience and some of them being highly touted draftpicks.

Are you seriously going to sit here and argue that its all the same from one team to the next?

Nelson is coaching this absolutely stacked club to a losing record in the AHL. Can't be a problem though..

Or that he doesn't seem to know whats wrong.

I said this at the start of the season that people would have unreasonable expectations.

They would judge things based on a small set of games. A losing streak would be seen as abject failure and they would demand something be done.

It doesn't matter that the Barons are effectively a rookie laden pro team. It doesn't matter that we would be facing teams that have far more Veterans in their lineup. It doesn't matter that perhaps just perhaps their would be an adjustment period for these youngsters.

None of that matters because for some reason a team with Eberle,RNH and Hall should be vastly better then any other scrubby team out there. It isn't like those other organizations are trying to win we have our young studs they have NOTHING AT ALL.

It is just maddening to me when I come to a hockey forum that is supposed to have people with some kind of intelligent hockey minds act like face painting hockey fanatics.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Joe what is your feeling on the defense? Should the Barons GM be doing something to address it? We've added Henry and now Deck, do you think that we should do more? IMO the defense, PK, and secondary scoring along with inconsistent goaltending have been the teams achilles heels. If nothing is done to address any of these issues do you see this team being able to duplicate its run last season?

 

[Hockey Monkey]

A few guys? Check the lineup. We have 4 players that are, or would be NHL stars on any club in the NHL. We have several other players on the Barons with NHL experience and some of them being highly touted draftpicks.

Are you seriously going to sit here and argue that its all the same from one team to the next?

Nelson is coaching this absolutely stacked club to a losing record in the AHL. Can't be a problem though..

Or that he doesn't seem to know whats wrong.

I think you're underestimating the quality of play in the AHL right now in your rabid fervor to find Things To Complain About Regarding Hockey On The Internet.

 

[CupofOil]

These line changes are going to go poorly. Putting Eberle, Hall, and Hartikainen on 3 seperate lines isn't going to increase even strength scoring.

Hopefully they can draw a lot of penalties.

The line combos are ridiculous. Breaking up the Nordic Line makes no sense, why did Hartikainen get demoted and Hamilton promoted? Why put Hall and Paajarvi on the same line? That's just a bad combination.
I guess he wants to spread out the scoring but basically throwing a bunch of lines together based on what seems to be nothing more than a hunch doesn't seem like a wise move.
I guess we'll see.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

fantastic name for a team....fantastic.

 

[Hockey Monkey]

The line combos are ridiculous. Breaking up the Nordic Line makes no sense, why did Hartikainen get demoted and Hamilton promoted? Why put Hall and Paajarvi on the same line? That's just a bad combination.
I guess he wants to spread out the scoring but basically throwing a bunch of lines together based on what seems to be nothing more than a hunch doesn't seem like a wise move.
I guess we'll see.

The past two years the Barons' success has been predicated largely on rolling four lines through with pretty close to equal ice time. They've gotten far away from this model this season and I suspect that Nelson is wanting to try going back to it.

I like the change personally, now all we need is a reliable 3/4 defenseman so that Schultz and Marincin aren't playing 30 minutes a night.

 

[Replacement*]

I said this at the start of the season that people would have unreasonable expectations.

They would judge things based on a small set of games. A losing streak would be seen as abject failure and they would demand something be done.

It doesn't matter that the Barons are effectively a rookie laden pro team. It doesn't matter that we would be facing teams that have far more Veterans in their lineup. It doesn't matter that perhaps just perhaps their would be an adjustment period for these youngsters.

None of that matters because for some reason a team with Eberle,RNH and Hall should be vastly better then any other scrubby team out there. It isn't like those other organizations are trying to win we have our young studs they have NOTHING AT ALL.

It is just maddening to me when I come to a hockey forum that is supposed to have people with some kind of intelligent hockey minds act like face painting hockey fanatics.

Good post Joe, but then I didn't see it before the BBO edit.

But actually you'd be surprised that I can see your side on this and especially the bolded which is well expressed.

In fairness though there are some veterans that are available in the org and Nelson has in some instances made decisions to not continue with them. The lineup Nelson chose this year (and I have to believe he had some input albeit in more limited spots as obviously the NHLers are getting requested time)

If I was Nelson I would at least have a veteran checking or shutdown line. Or rotate vets in and out of the lineup more effectively.

To some degree he's done this.

The fanatic thing is actually fair comment as well. Its easier here in Edmonton Joe to be the frustrated sports fan. You're only having to deal with this orgs frustration as a fan. We have to contend with the Eskimos as well

Plus the lockout, arena debacle, politics, etc etc.

Negative? yeah, it can happen. Fair enough.

 

[Replacement*]

I think you're underestimating the quality of play in the AHL right now in your rabid fervor to find Things To Complain About Regarding Hockey On The Internet.

I think I'm a little sports deprived right now. Not alone here in that regard.

I'm not an NBA fan pretty much at all, and only very sporadic NFL fan. Its either this, playing in snow, or getting some work done.

But yeah, like I just explained to Joe theres a lot of reasons to ***** as an NHL Oilers fan right now. Theres never been more combined reasons all at once.

If you note a lot of frustration on this board in general its a combination of some of the elements I mentioned.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

Joe what is your feeling on the defense? Should the Barons GM be doing something to address it? We've added Henry and now Deck, do you think that we should do more? IMO the defense, PK, and secondary scoring along with inconsistent goaltending have been the teams achilles heels. If nothing is done to address any of these issues do you see this team being able to duplicate its run last season?

I think this is the area that hurt this team the most besides Danis having a poor start. They expected Plante to be an All star caiber AHLer and he isn't. I think they expected Ringwald to be a more capable player as well and he wasn't.

One thing that separates them from a most teams is the lack of real experience AHL veterans. Byers and Green is the only one they had at the start of the year and he went down with an injury. Most teams have a entire line of Vets and 2 Vet d men.

Honestly I like what they did here. Lets put together our young guys and give them some adversity and see what they do with it. Better here in the AHL then in the NHL I think. That is what development is for

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I think this is the area that hurt this team the most besides Danis having a poor start. They expected Plante to be an All star caiber AHLer and he isn't. I think they expected Ringwald to be a more capable player as well and he wasn't.

One thing that separates them from a most teams is the lack of real experience AHL veterans. Byers and Green is the only one they had at the start of the year and he went down with an injury. Most teams have a entire line of Vets and 2 Vet d men.

Honestly I like what they did here. Lets put together our young guys and give them some adversity and see what they do with it. Better here in the AHL then in the NHL I think. That is what development is for

The defense has been terrible IMO, Plante and Ringwald have been disappointments, to the point that I wonder why Ringwald was brought back in the first place? I doubt that anyone would've anticipated Plante to fall this far. While his status as an NHL prospect was clearly in question already, it is rather disturbing just how poor he has been. Teubert has work to do as well but at least he hasn't been Plante bad. Fedun looks like a guy that missed a year due to injury, and Marincin has looked like a rookie a lot of times this year. I'd love to see an AHL trade where we add a veteran D that can actually play.

 

[Comrade Blunderbore]

maybe it's time to ask the guy who was the Barons' skipper last year to come out of retirement?
also it might be not a bad idea to offer AHL-only agreement to Campoli so that he just can't ruin one more CBA talk session.

 

[franfrey*]

Stream if anyone's interested:

http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/158...-antonio-rampage-vs-oklahoma-city-barons.html

I'm liking the new jerseys!

 

[Shanahanigans]

don't know if its been mentioned but Marincin is a healthy scratch tonight.

 

[sOiled]

Powerplay without RNH is painful to watch.

 

[AM]

Its Horcoffs fault!

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Marincin the HS tonight. Pairings are:

Deck-Schultz
Fedun-Teubert
Plante-Henry

 

[Joseppi]

Unsustainable shooting %

Eberle on a break = $$$$

 

[sOiled]

He's really the only player on the team that I actually expect to score on a breakaway.

 

[Stoneman89]

Sweet hands and quick release by Eberle. But he can't keep up this shooting %, right stats nerds?

 

[eS7]

Nice work to get the intercept in the first place and he finishes in typical ebs fashion! Solid shift after the goal here as well really close

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Yonkman drilling Eberle again, good thing that we don't have Abney in the lineup.....

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

Was that MPS who took that weak shot at the net and then Harstki went to work down low?

 

[Shanahanigans]

Hartikainen literally just shrugged 3 guys off behind the net. This guy has concrete legs.

 

[space321]

The chick magnet, lol

 

[eS7]

No it wasn't prv that took that shot but good work by harty still.