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IBatch

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Everything posted by IBatch

  1. Reply as follows: First sentence - answer - yes. Markstrom. If he plays like he has all year absolutely. Second/third sentence. Yes too. With all those guys healthy and raring to go we have plenty of vets to settle things down and play the game the right way once the whistles blow..heck even LE could redeem himself with a clutch goal or two or three or four. Fourth sentence. You bet. The wild cards in this series include guys like BB, EP, QH - plus Horvat and JV and depth players like Leivo, and McEwen...depth matters and we have a ton of it. Fifth sentence. Check out our home vs road record. The only reason the FIRE GREEN crowd gained any momentum was because we were in the majority of the games...funny how they haven’t connected the dots yet by simply looking at the home vs road wins..where coaches can line match. Not saying Green is the best coach - but we could certainly do a lot worse ... and with a bad coach we’d be outside talking about our first rounder instead already. Yes we did defeat some of the best all year ... Still I think most of it comes down to Markstrom though. We need him to be a brick wall. If he can do that then I think we could win a cup this year.
  2. The bigger team usually wins the cup? Well yes recently St Louis and WSH have. But then what about PIT and CHI? Or the EDM Oilers or MTL dynasties? Sometimes yes they come out on top as Boston did against Vancouver. However I don’t think they dominated the play - rather Vancouver had that advantage- the single most biggest difference came down to goaltending both ways (play wise the ice tilted towards Boston although it was pretty even for the most part). Thomas was otherworldly- a Hasek/Roy like performance. Most saves in a final - check. Most shots against check. Best SP in 7 game final check. And on the flip side Luongo was brilliant some games - mediocre or even bad others. Yes they were the more physical team - but we were more disciplined and their penalty killing beat us too. Those two things (their penalty killing and our crap PP) plus Thomas standing on his head were far more instrumental in their cup win then Chara and the Sedins wilting under pressure (which they absolutely did not - they just couldn’t finish them thanks to Thomas and their PK mostly). I guess everyone has a different take on it. But that’s mine. Luongo wasn’t like he was against Turco otherwise we’d have had a cup. Still he wasn’t terrible either. We lost. I’ve been over it for eight years or so. That said I still can’t stand watching Messier skating around with the cup so I get the first timers that won’t let it go.
  3. They sure do. Maybe the NHL is worried that nobody else in OTT would buy the team - but Melnyk and Dorian iced a team that in spirit fell short of the cap floor by 30% in terms of actual dollars. Three players on long term injury (largely covered by insurance) that cap wise cost more then their top 7 defenseman (around 12.5 million)... sure Chabot is up for his raise.. but still this season I’m not really sure how they got away with it as it doesn’t follow the spirit of the CBA but in reverse order. The cap floor is there to make sure everyone ices a competitive team. Definitely get the endless LE proposals that send him to OTT, even with their payroll going up naturally given their young core, they still have miles of cap space left and it’s exactly the type of deal OTT would probably go for if they needed help reaching the floor again (which they won’t really). Next season they should inch closer but still could be under in actual dollars spent. Have to wonder if this sort of circumvention will be addressed next CBA. Fortunately they’ve filled their coffers to the brim...but I do feel sorry for their fans as it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of those new guys get recycled into spare parts when they need them the most - just to keep their actual dollars down when it’s time to re-sign them. Melnyk was ousted by his own board and lost control of his company ... I’d also be worried that he’d sell the team to recover some losses - the silver lining I suppose would be if they got sold to Quebec City.
  4. Huh? Don’t see that at all. Motivation is motivating and none of us can pretend to know what is going on in Markstroms head. Expressing grief doesn’t have to be about becoming a sobbing mess asking for time off or something. Markstrom has demonstrated he’s a warrior as has Brock Boeser ... and I’m pretty sure the person your posting against has a point. He didn’t quit on us this year or ask for time off. Instead he held the Fort night in night out - like a warrior. I’m curious - what exactly is distasteful about this post?
  5. Me too (Jake). And Horvat - think he has an inner beast in him - needs the other team to wake him up though (which is perfect come playoff time). JT Miller is for sure the best example on the team right now on what needs to be done - after the season he’s had I’m expecting great things from him too. Both Pearson and TT will also help our team...really it has so much potential a real run wouldn’t shock me (and I’m sure hoping it will happen!). Fingers crossed they get it done (the hurdles required to get there) something tells me this playoffs will be nothing if not spectacular if it happens for all teams involved and every series will have cool storylines.
  6. Staal and Parise may be long in the tooth but they also know they’ve been given a gift if this happens ... MIN is an old, experienced team...Staal was considered all but done a few years ago and then did a lot without a lot to work with - including a 42 goal season ... and Parise doesn’t seem done yet either with 46 points on the year ... sure they can have rust too but I’m sure they won’t roll over and despite being long in the tooth still have a lot of bite left in them when it comes down to a do or die five game deal. Our team didn’t hit its stride for a few games either....of course a huge personal change had something to do with it... we played way too much rope a dope with Markstrom keeping the score close and often stealing a win...our team can look rusty the first few games of the year - 1/4 the way through, 1/2 way through and 2/3 the way the through so I’m definitely not thinking this will be easy - and won’t be shocked if we don’t win any games either. That said I do think we have better odds. A lot of our home grown players haven’t seen any playoff action yet and they will get tested for sure. It won’t be easy on them and starting with MIN is a godsend compared to some other teams. Think we will win in four games if I had to make a prediction right now. Edit: EP will get smothered and knocked around more then he usually gets (which is several times a game already) - these guy will come on like it‘s a playoff game - a lot could depend on how the refs call it. If they call it like a regular season game then we should get our usual PP advantage from the muggings, if not then that advantage is taken away and it could go either way as far as EPs effectiveness in the series (seriously how many times does EP fall down in a game? Not sure if he’s trying to draw a penalty or is just like a house cards and if you blow on him too hard he falls over). . QHs too but I think to a lesser extent given his skating is sublime enough to get away easier. Rust matters for sure - but so does players willingness to do battle and not get taken off their game. For Vancouver our vets won’t get rattled - but our young guys could - and don’t think MIN will be as easy to bully. Big Mac could help... hate this but the way the games are called could also be a factor in the series as we rely on our PP and Markstrom a lot...
  7. Wonder how JB feels now with all that’s going on. He seemed very confident that we didn’t have cap issues coming mid-way through the season...Head in the sand or does he have an ace in the hole? LE won’t cost less then Marleau that’s for sure - In fact it would be a bit of a steal for us given he’s got two years left and he only had one. Have been saying for two years now that we just have to take our medicine until he’s done. Luongo is done at the same time too. Just hope that when the time comes in two years that we don’t waste it on another overpriced free agent. Instead use it to for raises and plugging minor holes.
  8. Question to the CDC...what would Demko get us back straight up pick wise? I’d say maybe a second. Goalies are easy to acquire - and even the OP includes that in the reasoning behind trading Demko in the first place as capable seasoned vets can be signed for around 2 x 2 often enough. Whomever is willing to play ball must also be willing to protect Demko as well. He’s not ready for number one duties (yet) but us progressing and had some great games for us this year (as well as some mediocre and bad ones too). Lack had a couple years of around .920 sp when we traded him away .... a well liked and good teammate ... what did we get again? Nilsson has a .920 sp when we got him ... what was the cost again? To get a first back I believe we’d need to dangling something else as the main guy. JV makes sense if we plan to sign TT too...excess of R wingers. And hate to even say this as I think it’s a terrible idea - trading BB is probably the guy we’d have to move to get a first back.
  9. Absolutely. Any LE trade is going to cost US a good young player and or a good pick(s). All teams knew TO was over a barrel, factually a lot more so then us given they’d signed their young core for a mint and desperately needed to make space for them...it cost them a first for one year of Marleau, who was still more useful as a player then LE currently is...so what’s two years going to cost us? Delmko and a first - or JV and a first would be my guess ...
  10. Yzerman is smart like a fox and you can bet he’s going to add some picks and pick up some junk contracts in return - ones with at most two years left do LE fits the bill. Really I think it comes down to how their best goalie prospect Filip Larsson, or Petruzzilli does...at this point Demko is at least two years ahead of their development so I’d think he’d be happy to make a deal with us or another team in a similar situation.
  11. This is actually a good trade proposal. Sure it has holes but so do virtually every other proposals and the majority of actual trades made. They won’t be a playoff team next year and I’m sure Melnyk doesn’t actually believe they will - he’s their fearless leader and just saying that to encourage fans they are heading in the right direction (which they absolutely are - one of the best drafting teams in the NHL the last 20 years). LE likely won’t finish his contract and even if he does he provides them with cap relief in the opposite sense - as in actual dollars saved and helps then looks like they are making an effort to spend past the minimum. The biggest threat to this trade is Demko not working out and an expansion protection spot wasted for them. I guess if their pro scouting department thinks he’s worth it they’d do the trade. In principal this again isn’t at all bad idea. As soon as the ink dries on Markstroms next contract he’s the goalie of the future like it or not - and Demko is a contender for one of the three goalies Seattle will for sure take (not as their number one - but as their back-up with future starter potential just like he is for us right now.). So many fans have also made the same determination it’s almost unthinkable that anyone else would get nabbed instead - but anything possible as the Vegas draft showed us .. maybe the best thing to consider is doing absolutely nothing. Might be OJs offered up or Lind or whomever and they take them instead. We don’t have anything in the system as exciting Demko. Id wait until at least half way through next season before doing anything though. Seattle won’t have any troubles netting their goalies that is an absolute for sure. 30 teams ... second best goalies from each one ... wow is that ever nice for them.
  12. What a difference three years has made...JB has stuffed this team to the gills with capable middle/bottom six players the past couple of years - and brought in Myers (yes I know he has his critics - but a massive upgrade on Gudbranson and Del Zotto) to play heavy minutes and surprise surprise both Edler and Tanev for once weren’t felled with significant injuries. I for one am sure excited with the prospect of hockey returning. On the Sutter/Gaudette debate: Don’t see any reason BOTH shouldn’t play - even on the same line. Good points were made about match ups and how much better our home record is as a result. Two things come to mind on this. One the coaching staff has worked very hard in utilizing our strengths and minimizing liabilities - for the fire Green crew not too sure how that can be spun in a negative way (and have brought this up before - the home crowd isn’t going to add that many wins to the column) but good preparation has paid its dividends. If Sutter is healthy it would be silly to sit him out in favour of Gaudette at center. He wins way more draws and thinks defense first. That said if offense becomes and issue - especially secondary scoring sitting AG is also not a great idea. We could play both (AG on the wing) or just one depending on the situation. Like JV he gives whatever line he’s on some teeth (AG). To me the biggest decision is what to do with LE. He’s an experienced vet that plays a smart two-way game (albeit with little hard contact). Adding TT and with BB healthy now he’s getting bumped down the to fourth line at least for sure. For two reasons - one that’s his game anyways (defense careful hockey) and because JV is at this point a wild card waiting to be used - a lot has been written about how the playoffs could be his chance to shine and with a contract looming the size of the raise could depend on his performance (motivation factor is pretty huge). In the past a lot of folks have parlayed a massive pay bump in the exact same position and I’m sure his agent had pointed that out. A clutch goal here or there is much more likely from him then LE (unless scoring into an empty net or getting the primary assist so Pearson get the glory counts ha ha). That said if Motte or Leivo is the other R side option not sure LE should sit either. How many career points does he have again? And his future in hockey could also depend on his performance...might be his last few to 25 ish games ever ...that would sure motivate you’d think at least. Wonder where “prime” Megna from WD’s era would fit in our current depth chart? Ha ha. Also wonder how Ferland is...his heroics against us is another example of a launch pad for an otherwise pretty ok but unspectacular career. He’s also a wild card. He doesn’t need to drop the gloves - just pinball guys around and take them off their game - which worked wonders for CAL last time we made the show.
  13. Hey it’s ok. Sorry if I pushed some buttons - but maybe you pushed mine by making a suggestion that hockey won’t ever be the same because of a virus. We will get through this - yes we all know some won’t and some will get very sick. But let’s keep that stuff on the off-topic forum that’s passing Burrows thread in posts and views ok? This thread is about making your lineup for the proposed game to MIN. It’s a hockey site right? It’s been grating on me for a couple of weeks and I sincerely apologize to you or anyone else I may have insulted. I love hockey - it’s my favourite pass-time and I sure you do too. So peace bro. Bury the hatchet we both get byes on this one because yeah - it’s a pandemic and stupid stuff was said. Hockey should be hockey - it goes without saying covid has affected it. But from where I’m sitting I find it incredibly annoying how the majority of the topics continue to get wrapped into it. That’s why we have the off-topic thread and wow is it getting all the attention. Edit: BTW I live in a region of ONT that was hit harder then the entire province of BC. And have family in Montreal. I don’t feel compelled to share my fears about it on this site or to talk about who’s dying or who’s sick. Yes it’s scary. But do the math - the Spanish Flu killed way more percentage of the population then this ever will - even if we all get it. And humanity kept going and sports didn’t change after that (including hockey). U And it’s nothing like the black plague which killed 50% of mankind at one point - or the plague in the 1700’s either. Sure we all know this is serious - and I’d be very sad to lose any of the regular posters on this site as a result. Could be me in a few months or you. Or someone else. Maybe somebody already (where the heck is Alf?). Peace bro.
  14. Sure then how about keeping the fear mongering down a little please. I get this is frustrating for all (my and you included) - but saying hockey won’t ever be the same? Fans will come back. Humanity will endure - at worst this won’t come close to killing the same percentage of people the last four centuries worst diseases did - we do have a lot better tools to deal with them this time. Or maybe just keep those comments to the off-topic thread that’s already caught up to the Burrows thread after a few long months.
  15. What is insulting? The fact he’s obviously a complete psychopath? If you’ve ever read a comic about him or at all followed his story before going into the movie .. well you’d have to be clueless not to expect that .. or the fact he’s off his meds and truly snaps? It happens - you don’t need a masters degree to know that’s a possibility in this world. Also felt that they did an accurate job of actually being on meds and how “successful” that is (not great but ok) In other words - marginally so. From the people I know and 50 or so years on the planet I feel Psychology is filled with two main types of people - one a group that genuinely is interested in the subject and wants to help people but because they themselves suffer or know some who suffers - the other a group that knows little about how to interact (awkward) and about people at all and just wants to figure them out. Ok I just made that up but I’m pretty sure I’m not far off the mark. As an average human being I also have enrolled in the “university of life “ and don’t think that saying your getting your Masters in this subject means a whole lot...I’d be much more impressed if you were a mechanical Engineer and we’re ripping on Star Wars. Definition literally means the study of the soul - why not just go to church (too far?). Everyone knows someone who’s depressed or has mental illness. Never before has society given it as much air time as now and acceptance. That said there has been NO breakthroughs in the study in over a century. Meds and therapy have changed but the results aren’t much different. Good luck with your career - and hey I get it from my construction background I can’t stand any renovation show on the air. It’s not like “real” life either - that said Joker is a made up comic character and if this movie is or has brought some attention to the state of mental health in our society and brought some attention to it then great.
  16. Huh? Don’t overreact. This will pass. The NHL isn’t going to suffer much - at most two years of whatever until it’s back. By then Marchand will be past his pride and ejected and banned forever the first time he licks anyone. That’s about the only change that will happen. You do know this has happened at more or less exactly the same time five centuries in a row now...and the Olympiad still exists...and lacrosse exists ... and sword fighting and murdering with guns eventually became vogue. Really I can’t tell if your making a joke or seriously think the sky is falling now that humanity yet again is faced with a pandemic - and this time we actually know exactly what is happening and have the tools to deal with it. For the first time our history. Spanish Flu, Plague, Cholera or whatever it’s not a good time to be a bug.
  17. Like I said. They’ve been paid. They will get 30 times the treatment as the average grocery worker or nurse. So no I don’t agree that they should be pussies about this. My grandfather got off a boat in Dieppe and I’ve done some pretty risky things too to make a buck. These guys have it so so so coushy easy compared to the rest of us. I won’t side with your viewpoint no matter how many examples or quotes you can find on the internet sorry.
  18. The best part of the movie is that it begs for a sequel. DC has pretty much sh!t the bed since Bales last Batman movie (seriously the next Batman sucks so so bad after that - and yes it all started with picking pancake face.). Wonder Women is the only good thing they’ve managed but not because of the film as much as the empowerment. Aqua man? Well I guess it’s ok. Still he was a better Conan even though that script was terrible. Batman? Please get rid of him fast. But apparently they have done it again by picking another terrible actor...Superman? Not bad. Not great but ok. Reaves set a pretty high bar all those years ago, even though they should have stopped after 2.
  19. Personally I think the best movies that are made from famous books/video games the casters need to work really hard on finding great actors that aren’t mainstream (yet). Then no stigma of previous characters come through. Jackman is a great actor and could pull off a mean Joel...but he’s too Wolverine - I think Anson Mount would absolutely kill it. Lesser known - capable - almost identical voice (fooled me completely thought it was him) - very similar features and build etc. Joel isn’t that tall and built like a square - same with Mount. Bearded they look more alike then any of the proposed guys for the HBO upcoming series. I’d probably barf if they chose Negan from the walking Dead...he’s a great actor too - but was the wrong Negan despite doing a pretty good job (he’s also in the running). Anyways I can say I learned something new (again) today - although trivial - I thank you for pointing it out. Been waiting and waiting for a sequel for Last of Us and can’t wait to play it. One of the best PS4 games ever made - (yes they made it for the PS3 too) and still haven’t found or played a game with better graphics (which pisses me off given it’s from what - 2011-2012?). Played the game through 5-6 times at the “grounded” level which isn’t easy. Resident Evil 4 and Last of Us are probably my two favourite games...the Resident Evil movies started great and just got worse. Hopefully they can do the Last of Us justice - was an incredible game back then and still is to this day. Edit: Just imagine if Tom Selleck/Magnum P.I. wasn’t contractually obligated to the show and instead was Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford wasn’t their first choice - Tom was. Example of why mainstream actors despite the fact they’d do a good job ...oh heck he also did it in Star Wars as a set carpenter. Ok he’s the extreme example but I think you know what I mean.
  20. What tough stuff? Those days have been gone for almost a decade. Used to be fights almost every game. Then maybe a fight a series. Now it’s a few fights the entire playoffs. Maybe TG can do that ha ha. Plus we have Zack if we need him.
  21. Funny how the NHL has been promoting the idea of handing the cup out since day one - and with this data Dubnyk seems to be making this about money...reminiscent of when the players got so greedy the owners locked them out. Who cares about the money? Well I guess the players do. What they should be worried about is the financial implications if they don’t try and get this done. It would set a precedent for next season which is also at risk - they should all be thinking about that too and pushing hard to get back on the ice sooner then later. Guess these guys don’t have MBAs - but why in the heck would they be worried about the hotel and testing costs anyways? They have already agreed to playoffs in their contracts - and the remuneration is all layed out. Plus they’ve been paid and haven’t done the work yet despite all the support staff getting layed off. Ok MAF put up 500k to help with Vegas payroll so not all of them are not thinking about themselves mostly. Guess they don’t understand the future costs of how playing could affect the next TV deal...or playing at all - or the possible revenue streams available if they go ahead with it. That said a lot of them are already set for life ...but one could say they take a way bigger risk stepping on the ice each game then they likely would catching covid with the suggested protocols in place but I get that it’s scary. I’d be completely pissed if they caboshed this given their stakeholders (including us fans) and the steps and hoops the league is willing to take...the NHL is composed of billionaire owners with fleets of MBAs, lawyers and accountants at their disposal- why the heck is Dubnyk questioning their math? Ridiculous. Edit: And on the what - 3? players that might be playing while their wife has a baby - how many exactly are we talking about? Can’t see that as been a big issue either. Must be nice to have millions of dollars and not want to do what your getting paid to do. Most people aren’t in the same position. Wonder how many people on this site that have family going to work every day (not staying at home and being computer warriors) and putting theirselves at risk and their families...why should hockey players be placed at a higher standard? And they will be. Daily testing ... teams of cleaners... good grief.
  22. aGENT this is the same forward lineup I’d go with. Miller adds the grit to the top line - and the second would give other teams best players a rough time at home games - same with our third and fourth lines. The only question mark for me is what to do with LE. Does he have it in him or not. Seems like a waste to have him on the bench but that might be the best place for him. Also Leivo is one motivated guy and played decently enough with us...I suppose it will come down to whatever mini-training camp TG puts the guys through and what happens game to game - but this is exactly how I’d start it on paper.
  23. As far as the financials go that’s a set agreement covid or no covid. They are paid until I believe July 1 every two weeks whatever their contracts are. And agree to participate in the playoffs for a purse worth around 4 million. Each team is awarded a small amount each round - win or lose. The cup winner gets 1 million of the purse ... if you play in the games it’s divided equally amoung participants. They benifit mostly in the overall revenue it produces and the split 50/50 and that definitely affects the size of their contracts. It’s absolutely in their best financial interest to play the games and they know this. No playoffs will mean huge escrow payments next year or however they decide to do it. At this point they have agreed to play - it’s down to governmental approval at this point - the most difficult hurdle would be borders opening to allow for this. Their safety protocols all seem very good. Regular testing before and during the tournament, cleaning crews inbetween games etc etc. Fingers crossed the rest of the hurdles can be overcome and we can watch the Canucks play some meaningful games...in the summe! Edit: So far no NHL athlete has come out and said they won’t play...in fact it’s the reverse and most want to as long as the protocols and medical advice is being followed. One thing I did find strange though is they were supposed to be isolating as much as possible and Laine in Finland has been filling his time playing golf...guess not everyone isn’t as serious about this as others - that said every country and state is handling this differently too - and Finland is small enough where contact tracing is possible. Edit: As far as babies go - that’s a good point. In the past most players go home for the birth and then are right back to it...it happens frequently enough ..
  24. This prospect of playoffs is exciting no doubt... Im not sold on moving Pearson off the second line, he’s produced more then anyone else with Horvat on the left side since he’s come, including his 19 or so games from last year he’s close to a 60 point player for us on the second line over 82 games. Heck he’s close to Horvats production over the same time period too. Don’t mind TT on that line at all, but also don’t mind BB on that line either - sure great to have options. Not sure Leivo is better then LE in the bottom six but I suppose that really depends if we are ahead a goal and the nets empty right ? Ha ha. Fun exercise (OP). On the flip side MIN will also have all of their troops healed and raring to go, and in a short series rust will matter a lot more then age - and wouldn’t at all be surprised if experience trumps youth in this case so don’t expect it to be an easy go. Took us a few games at the start of the season to get some momentum...hopefully that had more to do with all the new faces as this time we can’t afford a slow start...think we should blow them out anyways. Really don’t think there will be a lot of teams that would look forward to playing us ... when we are on we are as good as anyone as we’ve proven many times over the course of the year which does make us intimidating. We won’t be able to afford this sort of depth next year - might be our best shot at a cup for two or three more years
  25. Maybe some people aren’t aware that most countries that don’t have hydro sources still mostly burn coal or gas to create their electricity. Which is why electric cars are a bit hypocritical in nature at the moment. Sure no gas but still powered by fossil fuels. Less of an impact? Probably so still a good thing. But not Green. Walking or horseback is Green. Even bikes have to built right? Ha ha. I bet a highly efficient bio-diesel is at least on par with the carbon fooprint and same with some standard gas vehicles (Prius or whatever) of electric cars. Plus we simply don’t have enough power sources yet to support only electric cars. Or the batteries to maintain them. When I moved to Ontario ten years ago most of their electricity was created from burning coal (76%)....since then they’ve reduced their emissions by 80% by all but eliminating coal and adding huge solar and wind fields (including getting the homeowners involved to install solar power and sell it back to the grid), switching to natural gas etc. That’s a pretty big impact that all first world countries can work towards. The information comes from Canadian Government - but do they factor in the mechanical costs to build these and maintain these things and the emissions as well? Maybe - maybe not / but IF they were completely built in Ontario it would have factored into the overall emissions tracked and reduced during this change. One thing I’ve never understood is why don’t they add turbines to rivers too. Create a channel beside it and then divert the water through it ... parts of the Fraser and Columbia would produce a sh!t ton. And this would offer areas where damming is not practical to consider an alternate method as well. BC only has a few remains spots that BC Hydro would consider damming. At some point alternate outside the box thinking needs to be added to our Earths toolbox. I suppose populations are the biggest issue with this method - not many folks would like to lose their riverfront ... but in Canada at least it could be done. McKenzie and Red too.
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