NHL Games - 4-8-15

[sherbert1421]

on behalf of all wings fans, we thank holtby and the caps for a great game tonight

 

[esls79]

Normally most Despres penalties are dumb ones but boarding Roussel gets a thumbs up from me anytime.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

how many swedes and danes will be in this game?

My Italian friends still cry over this one.

Not as much as I was crying after the final, but still.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Thank you, Columbus *muah*

 

[BGDave]

Thank you, Columbus *muah*

OK so TOR is #4. 9.5% shot at McDavid, but interestingly, a 45.5% chance to fall to #5 and a 45% chance to stay at #4,

Question for another day will be: who should TOR pick at #4? Or at #5? Mathematically, both outcomes are basically equally likely. Strome seems to be moving up, and could go #3. Unless EDM is #3 and they really want a D man.

So if the stud C is not available, what does TOR do? Time will tell, but IMO they HAVE to move up and get one of McDavid/Eichel/Strome.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

OK so TOR is #4. 9.5% shot at McDavid, but interestingly, a 45.5% chance to fall to #5 and a 45% chance to stay at #4,

Question for another day will be: who should TOR pick at #4? Or at #5? Mathematically, both outcomes are basically equally likely. Strome seems to be moving up, and could go #3. Unless EDM is #3 and they really want a D man.

So if the stud C is not available, what does TOR do? Time will tell, but IMO they HAVE to move up and get one of McDavid/Eichel/Strome.

So Toronto can't move up to third? That sucks.

If Toronto can't get a C high up in this draft, they can wait until the next one. Or do their homework and pick one up later in the round, either with Nashville's pick or with some other team's that they acquire by moving Kessel/JVR. I'm more convinced that Edmonton will take Hanifin than I was a few weeks ago, though, and I can't see anybody in the bottom 4 making any trades.

What we need now is for Nashville to get wiped out by the Hawks in the first round so that pick remains in the top 20.

 

[dash]

I must be getting soft in my old age, I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Phaneuf. I think he deserves some credit for answering lame questions from reporters post-game.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I must be getting soft in my old age, I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Phaneuf. I think he deserves come credit for answering lame questions from reporters post-game.

I'll give him one thing, he's handled the media well through all of this.

I personally have no idea what he's like in the room, if he gets on with everybody, if he's capable of "rallying the troops". My beef with Phaneuf is he was overpaid to begin with and the team thought it was a good idea to overpay him some more as a reward. It's not his fault he has a different D partner every year and that player winds up being even less deserving of a first pair role than he is (Kostka, Gunnarsson, Robidas, Gardiner etc.). I don't know how the hell anybody is supposed to look good in situations like that. I think he'd be decent enough on somebody's second pair.

So give us two first round picks and a prospect for him, please.

 

[dash]

So give us two first round picks and a prospect for him, please.

You need to be talking to MacT and KLown

 

[BGDave]

So Toronto can't move up to third? That sucks.

If Toronto can't get a C high up in this draft, they can wait until the next one. Or do their homework and pick one up later in the round, either with Nashville's pick or with some other team's that they acquire by moving Kessel/JVR. I'm more convinced that Edmonton will take Hanifin than I was a few weeks ago, though, and I can't see anybody in the bottom 4 making any trades.

What we need now is for Nashville to get wiped out by the Hawks in the first round so that pick remains in the top 20.

IIRC, the ping pong ball will choose who gets #1. That team moves into the #1 spot, and everyone else moves back one step (if they have been leapfrogged by the ping pong winner). After that, I believe they pack up the balls for next year. Only way TOR gets to #3 is if those lame ass Oilers had won a game or two and passed TOR in the standings.

I think a NSH crash and burn is quite possible, one can hope.

I tend to agree< i do not see anyone in the bottom 4 making a trade with the possible exception of ARI. If they end up #3, maybe they could be persuaded to trade (???).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

IIRC, the ping pong ball will choose who gets #1. That team moves into the #1 spot, and everyone else moves back one step (if they have been leapfrogged by the ping pong winner). After that, I believe they pack up the balls for next year. Only way TOR gets to #3 is if those lame ass Oilers had won a game or two and passed TOR in the standings.

I think a NSH crash and burn is quite possible, one can hope.

I tend to agree< i do not see anyone in the bottom 4 making a trade with the possible exception of ARI. If they end up #3, maybe they could be persuaded to trade (???).

Well that sucks. I thought we could move up a spot.

Anyway, I assume AZ would just take Hanifin as an eventual partner for OEL if they fall to 3rd. I liken them to Nashville, in that they've built successfully around defence before and would be cool with doing so again.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Well that sucks. I thought we could move up a spot.

Anyway, I assume AZ would just take Hanifin as an eventual partner for OEL if they fall to 3rd. I liken them to Nashville, in that they've built successfully around defence before and would be cool with doing so again.

It won't matter who they have on defense if they have a sieve in net like Mike Smith

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

It won't matter who they have on defense if they have a sieve in net like Mike Smith

I agree - they should use their 2nd or 3rd overall pick to draft a goalie.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I agree - they should use their 2nd or 3rd overall pick to draft a goalie.

no way!!!

Zona should trade that 2nd or 3rd to the Canucks for a veteran goalie like Ryan Miller to "solidify their goalie position"

He'll give them stability early on and give them footing so that they could have a chance. He'll give the team confidence

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

no way!!!

Zona should trade that 2nd or 3rd to the Canucks for a veteran goalie like Ryan Miller to "solidify their goalie position"

He'll give them stability early on and give them footing so that they could have a chance. He'll give the team confidence

Nahhh Canucks won't want to blow up a playoff team. Especially after Ryan Miller makes a triumphant return in the playoffs!

 

[Cobiemonster]

no way!!!

Zona should trade that 2nd or 3rd to the Canucks for a veteran goalie like Ryan Miller to "solidify their goalie position"

He'll give them stability early on and give them footing so that they could have a chance. He'll give the team confidence

And I bet he would give them stability, especially in a system like Dave Tippett's where it is incredibly difficult for a goalie to look awful and Mike Smith has found a way to be reaaaaaaaaally awful

Whether you like the contract or not, it was a blessing for the Canucks to have two strong goalies - even if Ryan Miller isn't going to be the guy in the playoffs, he was one of the main reasons they got off to a good start because his presence gave the team confidence to play well - the team might have gotten outplayed on some nights but they didn't play scared because they knew they had a veteran goalie in net that would not crumble - Eddie Lack coming in later on in the season once the team had it's bearings was the best possible scenario because he was able to jump in and be on the same page with the rest of the team - they didn't put him out into the wolves early on in the season when they had a lot of new pieces - just because he started what, 17 straight games, last season, doesn't mean it warranted him being the starter at the beginning of this season - they still needed a veteran presence in net to start off and it's helped them because now Eddie Lack came in and was able to keep the ball rolling

Eddie Lack will be the starter in the playoffs because he deserves it, but that doesn't make Ryan Miller a below average goalie and someone who didn't have an importance to the team, even if it was early in the season

I don't know why this warrants my comment being mocked, but whatever

 

[jstewismybastardson]

And I bet he would give them stability, especially in a system like Dave Tippett's where it is incredibly difficult for a goalie to look awful and Mike Smith has found a way to be reaaaaaaaaally awful

Whether you like the contract or not, it was a blessing for the Canucks to have two strong goalies - even if Ryan Miller isn't going to be the guy in the playoffs, he was one of the main reasons they got off to a good start because his presence gave the team confidence to play well - the team might have gotten outplayed on some nights but they didn't play scared because they knew they had a veteran goalie in net that would not crumble - Eddie Lack coming in later on in the season once the team had it's bearings was the best possible scenario because he was able to jump in and be on the same page with the rest of the team - they didn't put him out into the wolves early on in the season when they had a lot of new pieces - just because he started what, 17 straight games, last season, doesn't mean it warranted him being the starter at the beginning of this season - they still needed a veteran presence in net to start off and it's helped them because now Eddie Lack came in and was able to keep the ball rolling

Eddie Lack will be the starter in the playoffs because he deserves it, but that doesn't make Ryan Miller a below average goalie and someone who didn't have an importance to the team, even if it was early in the season

I don't know why this warrants my comment being mocked, but whatever

it deserves a mocking !
I think youre giving Miller way to much abstract credit for the way the other skaters on the ice performed ... Miller made the other players play less scared ... wtf???

what was more crucial was WillieD having the confidence in rolling 4 lines that made everyone relax and led to the top 6 guys have the steam and energy to perform in the second half of the season

The guy is eatting up 6 million for 2 more years when they could have used those cap dollars on a player that might have actually made them a contender

 

[Cobiemonster]

it deserves a mocking !
I think youre giving Miller way to much abstract credit for the way the other skaters on the ice performed ... Miller made the other players play less scared ... wtf???

what was more crucial was WillieD having the confidence in rolling 4 lines that made everyone relax and led to the top 6 guys have the steam and energy to perform in the second half of the season

The guy is eatting up 6 million for 2 more years when they could have used those cap dollars on a player that might have actually made them a contender

Willie gave the skaters confidence but the whole team gains confidence when you have a goaltender who can make the stops - the Canucks wouldn't have won a lot of games earlier in the season if Ryan Miller wasn't steady in net - was he great? Not by any means, but he didn't screw the pooch and that's what you need in a veteran goalie - teams who have confident goalies play better, plain and simple - this doesn't take away from Willie's coaching but at the end of the day, you need goaltending to be a good team and the Canucks were getting solid, steady goaltending

And who were the Canucks going to get for six million in free agency(where they most likely would have been able to make a move)? The Canucks did the best they could and it was the right move

Ryan Miller has six friggin shutouts this season, he can't be that bad, can he? In his first 18 starts, he had 10 games of .920% and had six straight .920% from December 20th to January 3rd and nine out of 10 games of .920% for pretty much the duration of an entire month - sure there were a few games where he struggled, but he also played some really good games too - he won 10 of his first 11 games to start the season and 16 of his first 20 games and 23 of his first 33 games - if I deserve to get mocked for a comment like that, then shouldn't there be some type of headshake on your side of the ledger for shitting on Ryan Miller?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Willie gave the skaters confidence but the whole team gains confidence when you have a goaltender who can make the stops - the Canucks wouldn't have won a lot of games earlier in the season if Ryan Miller wasn't steady in net - was he great? Not by any means, but he didn't screw the pooch and that's what you need in a veteran goalie - teams who have confident goalies play better, plain and simple - this doesn't take away from Willie's coaching but at the end of the day, you need goaltending to be a good team and the Canucks were getting solid, steady goaltending

And who were the Canucks going to get for six million in free agency(where they most likely would have been able to make a move)? The Canucks did the best they could and it was the right move

Ryan Miller has six friggin shutouts this season, he can't be that bad, can he? In his first 18 starts, he had 10 games of .920% and had six straight .920% from December 20th to January 3rd and nine out of 10 games of .920% for pretty much the duration of an entire month - sure there were a few games where he struggled, but he also played some really good games too - he won 10 of his first 11 games to start the season and 16 of his first 20 games and 23 of his first 33 games - if I deserve to get mocked for a comment like that, then shouldn't there be some type of headshake on your side of the ledger for shitting on Ryan Miller?

And Mike Smith had 5 shutouts 2 seasons ago ... so what ... i see youve cherry picked some stats ... ill give a swing too

how bout having only 2 games above a .900 save & from Jan 20 to Feb 9

how bout the stretch of 5 games in November, (early in the season?) when he was giving the players confidence by only posting a save % above 0.875 once

 

[dash]

Edmonton could use Ryan Miller and the Canucks could grab Eberle.

/and Couturier