Pre-Game Talk: Week of Hopefully Home Wins (Tues vs. NYR, Thur vs. EDM, Sat vs. DAL)

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I just can't imagine he showed up to camp out of shape, played like a worldbeater in October, and then suddenly broke down after that simply because he ran out of gas.

I think it's more in the margin.. Early in the season hes going to have more energy. As the season goes the system wears him down.

You know what affects decision making speed? Fatigue..

For that matter we're seeing dips from our top 3 at times too, but they're elite enough to keep producing.

The whole team is having a hard time hitting the net right now too.
 
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I think both can be true. Mittelstadt clearly looks like a guy nursing some sort of lower body injury. He can't skate out there (just watch how far behind Bedard he was against Chicago on the 3-1 goal, and Bedard is no speed demon) and he can't win a board battle to save his life. He must have zero power in his legs/hips/whatever.

That said, this is also who he is. Otherwise, Buffalo wouldn't have traded him. He's been an inconsistent forward his entire career, and it's why he'll never be more than a 2C at his absolute peak. However, we're seeing him at the lowest of lows right now and unfortunately he looks like an AHL player.

IMO if Mittelstadt truly is hurt, then sit him. Let him rest up and try to get as healthy as possible. As much as it sucks, you would have to run MacKinnon/Colton/Parssinen/Kelly down the middle for a while. The worst thing that could happen is whatever ailment Mitts might have potentially requiring surgery and won't be fixed without that, which would render this season a lost cause unless a rental like Brock Nelson arrives at TDL.
 
Got no clue what's going on with Mitts. Part of me REALLY wants to believe he's injured. But if that was the case, by this point he'd surely have missed at least a game or two, right?

Makes me think this really is just between the ears. Problem is, we can not afford to have a top six player, much less center, go on this long of a cold streak.

If it is between his ears, Bednar would probably be doing himself a favor in the long run but scratching Mitts for a game or two consecutively (call it an UBI, and nobody will be the wiser). Really hope he just isn't wilting because he's on a what should be a cup contender using him as a 2C. When healthy we've got elite wingers with good depth, he doesn't have to be a Forsberg type 2C. He can just be a Mittlestadt 2C, as long as that version gets back on track.

Nobody on this team should have to be much better than they are for this team to really kick ass and make some noise. They just need to be healthy. We've all seen Mitts play much, much better than this. Damn... where have I heard that before? Oh, whenever we talked about Byram after the Cup run. Of course, Bo didn't really go just controller disconnected on us either so...

Dude needs to figure it out pronto, and CMac needs to immediately start working on plans B and C if he hasn't already. We really don't have a ton of assets or cap space...so if CMac has to address this situation, I can only think it'll be a rental 2C and then he'll hope for something more permanent in the summer... or convince himself that Ritchie will be worth giving a chance to.
 
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Not a fan. Keep Rantanen on RW and Parssinen at C. Keep LOC with Kelly.

Those lines should be

Kiviranta - Parssinen - Rantanen
Colton - Kelly - O'Connor

Why Bednar will only try Parssinen at 2C or 4C is interesting, and I don't believe Bednar doesn't like him. He just praised him, and thinks he has potential to play higher in the lineup. Specifically said they're working with him closely on his game.

Kelly should not have that 3C position on lock. He's fine, but in an ideal world he's your 4C.

Mikko won't last at center, it never does, even if I want it to.
 
I still think JD could be key to getting Mitts back on track.

RosCo-Nate-Rants
Mitts & JD-Lehky

I've never once wanted JD to be slotted in as a center for us before. But I'm watching him doing center like things out on the ice most every night. He's also probably the highest IQ player in our top six.. Lehky could be right there with him though. Get those two with Mitts, ask JD to take the center duties for a couple of games and just try to get chemistry between the three. Then just start shifting JD and Mitts back and forth from LW to C and see if that gets him Mitts back to full time C.

I seriously doubt playing him on the 4th line is going to help him, but it sure will embarrass the hell out of him. Maybe that's a form of motivation he reacts well to, but that would put him in the extreme minority. To me, this is more Bednar giving up on Mitts than trying to fix him. I still believe what he needs is to be scratched, not demoted. Get him out of the game personally and allow him to watch it from above and talk him through it.

He's not really a kid anymore, but he still needs perspective.
 
Oilers just beat the Mild 5-3 with Pickard in goal.

They saved Skinner to face us tomorrow night.

Edmonton successfully kept the minutes down for their big boys.

Nurse - 21:59
McDavid - 21:38
Ekholm - 21:16
Draisatl - 20:28
Bouchard - 19:40
 
Oilers just beat the Mild 5-3 with Pickard in goal.

They saved Skinner to face us tomorrow night.

Edmonton successfully kept the minutes down for their big boys.

Nurse - 21:59
McDavid - 21:38
Ekholm - 21:16
Draisatl - 20:28
Bouchard - 19:40
1000043401.jpg
 
Oilers just beat the Mild 5-3 with Pickard in goal.

They saved Skinner to face us tomorrow night.

Edmonton successfully kept the minutes down for their big boys.

Nurse - 21:59
McDavid - 21:38
Ekholm - 21:16
Draisatl - 20:28
Bouchard - 19:40
They going to beat the shit out of the Avs. Hope Blackwood is getting a good night sleep right now.
 
McDavid killed a guy with his phantom elbow, maybe he'll be suspended from tonights game.
 

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