The chase for the playoffs (standings, scoreboard watching, and, of course, sagacious commentary)

[Monk]

Bingo. I too thought Bob was the reason for our success, but now I firmly believe it’s the defense and the system

It's both.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Bingo. I too thought Bob was the reason for our success, but now I firmly believe it’s the defense and the system

Almost like when you don't have a Panarin up front, and you don't have Jack Johnson on the back end, your team ends up playing a bit of a different style.

The defense was really not great in Bob's first 4-5 years. Johnson, Wisniewski, icing guys like Prout, Goloubef, Connauton, etc. regularly. Players change, systems change, etc. Both things can be true - Bob was elite and the major reason for our success and this year the defense is playing better in front of new goalies. Of course, Korpi and Merzlikins could also be really good as well.

 

[stevo61]

Bob was constantly making 2 on 1 and breakaway saves game after game, he deserves all the awards and credit he got. This year the injuries might have been a bit of a blessing in disguise as it forced Torts to take a more defensive approach and using the strength of the team. Having all the AHLers buying in probably helped because theyll do whatever they are told to try and stick around and then it becomes easier for the vets to buy in when they are getting results

 

[DarkandStormy]

So I realize these "games in hand" will catch up, eventually, but this playoff picture is so weird. The Jackets are T-7th (though Colorado has two games in hand). 60 points would be 3rd in the Atlantic, T-2 (with Colorado) in the Central, and FIRST ****ING PLACE in the Pacific. The West is absolute trash. As it is, the Jackets sit in that 1st WC spot (one of Metro 3rd place, but the Isles have two extra games to play). The teams behind Columbus all have a game in hand (Carolina at 59 points, Flyers at 58, Toronto at 57, and the Panthers are at 57 with 3 games in hand on us). So it's 5 teams for 3 spots (as of now), and two of those teams are guaranteed to take one of those 3 spots - if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I know the law of averages says it won't hold, but the league needs to re-configure its dumb playoff format.

 

[koteka]

I also go with both.

Our defense now is better than it was. For example, one guy that was here for pretty much the entire Bob era, Savard, is much better than he used to be. Remember when it was hard to find somebody that Savard paired well with? That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Then there are guys like Prout. (Although you have to love Prout for fighting Lucic.)

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

So it's 5 teams for 3 spots (as of now), and two of those teams are guaranteed to take one of those 3 spots - if that makes any sense.

Yes but I'm going to say 6 for 4 but one of the spots is the 3rd Atlantic team which the Jackets obviously can't get.

Both division 3rd place plus two WC. Isles, Panthers, Jackets, Canes, Flyers, Leafs.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

anyone know where Bread, Bob, Duchene, Dzingel are in the standing ? hell even Duclair, Berube, Kinkaid, Letestu, Cross, Abramov, Davidsson.

All below the jackets.

that's great.

 

[thebus88]

Your two paragraphs contradict each other. Are we successful because of the defense (and the sample sizes, small as they may be, from Elvis and Matiss, show that's likely the case) or does one single goaltender (who doesn't have two Vezinas) significantly improve the team?

Umm, why do you act like its 1 or the other??

Its both.

There was/is a bigger difference between Merzlikins and Korpisalo than there was with Bobrovsky and Korpisalo.

Ignoring the difference in cap hit between Bob and Korpisalo, where a big chunk of money could have been spent elsewhere which could have quite easily "improved" the team, there wasn't much different in the quality of the 2 goalies, imo.

As of right now, January 2020, Korpisalo playing significantly improves the team just by him playing over the other goalie(s).

 

[Cowumbus]

Then why all your goal post moves in your previous ~6 posts in this thread?

Edit: Not worth it

 

[Byrral]

As of right now, January 2020, Korpisalo playing significantly improves the team just by him playing over the other goalie(s).

So to understand correctly what you are saying here let me confirm. Since Korpi went out this team is 9-2 in those games. By saying the team significantly improves with Korpi playing over the other goalies are you saying if Korpi was in net the team would have been 11-0? Or he would have put up more than the measly 3 shutouts that Elvis achieved? Or that when Elvis needed a rest, because Korpi wasn't available, Kivlenieks was sure to give up double digit goals? Or is it when Korpi is in net the teams defense suddenly improves by leaps and bounds?

You have been consistent in your backing of Korpi, congrats. But this hyperbole has proven to be inaccurate.

Korpi may get healthy, take his net back and prove he is the best goalie in the system. Or he may come back and be the goalie that overplays pucks, easily gets out of position and gives up way too many soft goals that had many of us concerned in the first place.

I stated before the season that this team had no chance to make the playoffs. I own that. You stated this teams season was over when Korpi went down. Will you own that?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Umm, why do you act like its 1 or the other??

Its both.

There was/is a bigger difference between Merzlikins and Korpisalo than there was with Bobrovsky and Korpisalo.

Ignoring the difference in cap hit between Bob and Korpisalo, where a big chunk of money could have been spent elsewhere which could have quite easily "improved" the team, there wasn't much different in the quality of the 2 goalies, imo.

As of right now, January 2020, Korpisalo playing significantly improves the team just by him playing over the other goalie(s).

Boy, for being such a truuuuuu fan you are quite negative towards Merzlikins. Shouldn't you be happy that he's winning games for your team? Even if you prefer Korpi, why has it become your mission to drag down Elvis even when he's playing well?

 

[DarkandStormy]

Umm, why do you act like its 1 or the other??

Its both.

There was/is a bigger difference between Merzlikins and Korpisalo than there was with Bobrovsky and Korpisalo.

Ignoring the difference in cap hit between Bob and Korpisalo, where a big chunk of money could have been spent elsewhere which could have quite easily "improved" the team, there wasn't much different in the quality of the 2 goalies, imo.

As of right now, January 2020, Korpisalo playing significantly improves the team just by him playing over the other goalie(s).

Hahahahaha, I'm sorry. This is perhaps the post most filled with falsehoods I've seen yet this year.

"You said all along that the CBJ defense and overall team had a much greater impact on Bobrovsky than they were given credit for," yet now you're saying Korpisalo improves the team more than Elvis and more than Bobrovsky did? Why is one goalie "over credited" in front of the same D and one goalie is "under credited" in front of the same D?

Your formula seems to be:
-Bobrovsky played well: credit the D and team in front of him
-Korpisalo plays well: Korpisalo is a god
-Elvis plays well: credit the D and team in front of him
-Matiss plays well: credit the D and team in front of him

"One of these things is not like the others."

Since Dec. 9th:
-Korpisalo: 6-0-4 (he's getting credited with the Hawks SO L in this case), .942 sv %, 1.72 GAA, 1 shutout
-Merzlikins: 8-2, .951 sv %, 1.66 GAA, 3 shutouts
-Kivlenieks: 1-0, .969 sv %, 1 GAA, 0 shutouts (*small sample size caveats apply*)

Your continued insistence that "Korpisalo playing significantly improves the team just by him playing over the other goalie(s)" holds absolutely no water. Nearly all of us here have admitted we were wrong about Torts, Korpisalo, or both. Yet, when faced with the similarly obvious, you double down on Korpisalo being the second coming of Patrick Roy or Vezina himself. Doubling down makes it harder and harder to take you seriously and not as Korpi's agent's burner account.

From 2016/2017 through the end of the 2018/2019 season, Sergei Bobrovsky's 115 wins were most in the NHL. His .922 save percentage was 3rd (among the 65 goalies with 40+ games). His 2.35 GAA was T-3rd. And his 21 shutouts were 5 more than the next closest goalie. Korpisalo's .899 save percentage in that time was 61st among those 65 goalies. His 3.06 GAA was 60th. And his 1 shutout was T-58th. Arguing "there wasn't much different in the quality of the 2 goalies" is just beyond parody at this point.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Enough with the sagacious commentary.

There is an Elvis Thread and a Goalie Poll thread, both on this page. There's probably a Korpi thread somewhere not too far back. Let's leave this one to the playoff chase.

I know, I know, there's application to the thread topic. I don't care. It's the same shit, different thread.

 

[Jovavic]

So I realize these "games in hand" will catch up, eventually, but this playoff picture is so weird. The Jackets are T-7th (though Colorado has two games in hand). 60 points would be 3rd in the Atlantic, T-2 (with Colorado) in the Central, and FIRST ****ING PLACE in the Pacific. The West is absolute trash. As it is, the Jackets sit in that 1st WC spot (one of Metro 3rd place, but the Isles have two extra games to play). The teams behind Columbus all have a game in hand (Carolina at 59 points, Flyers at 58, Toronto at 57, and the Panthers are at 57 with 3 games in hand on us). So it's 5 teams for 3 spots (as of now), and two of those teams are guaranteed to take one of those 3 spots - if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I know the law of averages says it won't hold, but the league needs to re-configure its dumb playoff format.

"Dumb" is putting it nicely. We finished fourth in the entire league and still opened up the first round on the road just because two of the three teams that had more points were in our division.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Anyway we need to start playing better.

Our analytical numbers aren't very good over the past month (which is funny because I think they were pretty good before the streak). We need to get back to playing more consistently. The goaltending isn't going to stay this hot forever, even with our very good defense.

WPG, @ BUF, @ MTL, FLA, DET is our next five. Lots of opportunities to gain some ground and maybe overtake NYI. We need to keep pushing, because the next 5 after that game is pretty hard (COL, TB, @ BUF, NYR, @ NJ)

 

[Viqsi]

Our analytical numbers aren't very good over the past month (which is funny because I think they were pretty good before the streak).

I believe this is where I get to play the "I told you all so" game.

Honestly, I think the All-Star Break is coming at a good time. Should allow folks the opportunity to sync back up and improve, without having the momentum crash and burn.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I believe this is where I get to play the "I told you all so" game.

Honestly, I think the All-Star Break is coming at a good time. Should allow folks the opportunity to sync back up and improve, without having the momentum crash and burn.

If we can beat Buffalo and play our game, I will be a happy camper knowing the boys will get a break to rest up, and go into the break feeling good about where their game is going.

 

[DarkandStormy]

I believe this is where I get to play the "I told you all so" game.

Honestly, I think the All-Star Break is coming at a good time. Should allow folks the opportunity to sync back up and improve, without having the momentum crash and burn.

It's an 8 or 9 day break with the bye week in there as well.

 

[Madifer]

I believe this is where I get to play the "I told you all so" game.

Honestly, I think the All-Star Break is coming at a good time. Should allow folks the opportunity to sync back up and improve, without having the momentum crash and burn.

Or maybe its the opposite or anything in between really.

 

[stevo61]

one of my favorite stories about the team and injuries is the defense. I was surprised to see how many people didnt think our D was a top 5 in the league or even top 10 in some cases ( most notably some preseason rankings on the mains where we were 12th I believe and Toronto was 2nd. I had some words to say as did Viqsi for sure haha) Now we've have/had Murray, Nuti, Werenski, Kukan, Peeke out at some point which caused us to go to number 9 on the depth chart and still have a better defense than 90% of the league. Savy/Gavrikov have been unreal in their role and Jones even if not playing his best is still a top end number 1. Z has turned things around and is a legit 1st pair guy these days too

 

[BOTH]

Sort of hope the return debuts of Atkinson and Bjorkstrand set the tone and expectation for the remaining forwards on IR and keep the momentum. It should be a painful decision for management for who to send to Cleveland since the call-ups have stepped up.

 

[ViD]

Florida wins with 5 sec left, we gotta do everything ourselves

 

[KCbus]

Florida wins with 5 sec left, we gotta do everything ourselves

Five seconds left? What took them so long? Losers. We won our game a whole 23 seconds earlier.

 

[KCbus]

Anyway we need to start playing better.

Our analytical numbers aren't very good over the past month (which is funny because I think they were pretty good before the streak). We need to get back to playing more consistently. The goaltending isn't going to stay this hot forever, even with our very good defense.

WPG, @ BUF, @ MTL, FLA, DET is our next five. Lots of opportunities to gain some ground and maybe overtake NYI. We need to keep pushing, because the next 5 after that game is pretty hard (COL, TB, @ BUF, NYR, @ NJ)

Not to sound all "you kids get off my lawn" or anything, but tell your analytical numbers to shut up.

15-2-4. Analyze that.

 

[KCbus]

I believe this is where I get to play the "I told you all so" game.

Honestly, I think the All-Star Break is coming at a good time. Should allow folks the opportunity to sync back up and improve, without having the momentum crash and burn.

I was actually thinking the exact opposite. I hate having your momentum and rhythm broken up when you're winning.

We had that long layoff after the Tampa series last year, and Boston pretty much slapped us around at the start of Game 1.