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IBatch

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Everything posted by IBatch

  1. Big Mac adds something this team needs - hope he makes it impossible to get sent down when Brock Boeser is back - our R wingers will have suddenly become one of our better strengths...
  2. Given what JB was before he drafted OJ I was certain PLD was their first choice. Mentioned several time they were looking at a forward with size, toughness and scoring ability...was rated right around where we were picking and I was stoked at the possibility of drafting him. So far in CLB he hasn't disappointed, his impact on that team is similar or better then BT in OTT, a cornerstone for their next core. Losing Panarin and Bobrovsky must have sucked for them and their fan base - Torts has done a good job with these guys for sure.
  3. GCG! Let's forget about the past ten games and get a roll going .... nothing like a couple wins to get fans off the ledge and the players confidence back..
  4. You bet. I get that during our best stretches expectations and the confidence in the team goes up, which makes the lows more frustrating. With only 12-15 games left for the teams in the race each win or loss will definitely have more importance. Hard on the nerves, but whether or not we do make it this is a team I can get around and am definitely proud of them. The past four games could have gone either way, as long as we keep that up I think we make it. Definitely half full, maybe even 2/3 full. QHs and Miller are huge additions, Myers is keeping Tanev and Edler alive and receives more criticism then he's deserved - but used to that with Edlers entire career pretty much. Glad we have so many passionate fans on this site and do appreciate both viewpoints irregardless ha ha.
  5. Linden would do anything for this team - but one thing Horvat can do that he never could is fight. Linden would try - but it was painful to watch. Twice I had to watch in terror as Otto beat on him (once on the ice turtled with him pounding away at his kidneys) and twice with the Sandman doing exactly the same. A lot of those Calgary games were brutal fight filled events. Mommesso often fought Kruse (ranked 24th best enforcer at the time, Odjick and his old friend/teammate a few dandies with McArthy, same with Antoski (that guy was huge!) when he was here... Murzyn was involved - heck half the team was at one point or another. Linden too but he just wasn't very good...like Courtnal - had to watch with my hands on my face between my fingers ha ha. Horvat plays in a different era, we won't ever see him put guys through the glass or hit like Linden could, but hopefully we will see the same drive and clutch ability when it matters the most. The odd fight helps his reputation too.
  6. Never understood this either - he was a great second line center and with our wingers we had a very good top six with him in it. Maybe because Linden was moved to center and excelled at it? If you look back at how many goals we scored with him in the lineup those years, we never scored as many after - 346 I think was the high water mark in 92-93. And he was often close to the leader board for points too. Reminded me of radar from Mash, was a little water-bug out there and really was built like a little tank for his height. I'd argue that it was his single best move as well, just as important to our team as picking Bure (Mommesso and Courtnal and Ronning was a giant treasure box for that team). What a waste letting him go. Think he scored 85 one year for us....don't think Linden ever did that...and he played on the second line...only the Sedins, Naslund, Bertuzzi,, Mogilny, Bure, Sundstrom, Smyl (once), and Tanti (once 86) managed more. Went on to play 8 more years mostly for a fledgling PHX team and did quite well with little to work with. One of the best 7th rounders...
  7. If we miss and he's still around it would be a great pick (ranked around 9) .... don't think he would be but you never know. Curious how this draft is chocked full of Canadians in the first round this year. Most the US players are slated to go early in the second round. Definitely haven't seen that lately.
  8. Wow. Remind me not to ever come to you house for dinner. They are also asking people to wash their hands for 25-30 seconds (or sing happy b-day twice) - because the action of washing removes things right down to .01 microns and less too.... virus goes down the sink, it's often in coughing particles that go down with it. Soaps help stick these things to it (germs- bacteria/viruses) and they also go down the drain reducing risk of spreading. Disease is absolutely spread faster by not washing. It's been proven a long long time ago. Some Cultures have known this for millennias too. That's why they eat with one hand and wipe/wash with the other. Stealing could mean a death sentence as you'd have to eat and wash with one hand. This is about as silly as saying the earth is flat.
  9. Yes that sounds great. And where exactly are we getting the money to sign him to this 50-60 million dollar contract? He probably won't get less then 8, and you know at this time of year some desperate team with cap space would be willing to vastly overpay him. We can't afford to keep some players as it is - and we haven't signed EP or QHs yet ....
  10. OR maybe LE and TG should share a room on the road - they are obviously pals. And probably play vids and smoke a bong and laugh and watch bloopers of JVs giveaways etc. Because they undeniably l the problem with this team given how much time is spent complaining about it. Has nothing to do with the rosters age, or the actual roster. Have to go now, across the hall to JB's. Poker night. Markstroms agent is coming - we plan to let him win.
  11. Well...depends if we don't win another one within a few years, otherwise people will constantly be questioning if he's good enough and saying it was just a fluke etc. Coaches get to influence the game .. two thing TG does well is get his players ready to play with effort - the other is influence the game the best he can at home...one of the best records ... I don't think we have the players right now to do much better then we have ..and now we have to do it without Markstrom and BB. Adding TT was a bandaid, other teams added too)...
  12. Ohlund was even scarier ... hit like Mack truck and did ok fighting Iginla (didn't seem like he we trying that hard but still hung in there - Iginla got some huge body blows in and he didn't flinch) ... remember the first year in TB he was regularly on the high-light reel destroying someone with a crushing hit...that division took some time to adjust. Edler can hit really hard too ... just doesn't do it as often
  13. You two should get a room ha ha. If TG gets replaced I wonder how long the next coach will get before complaints about lines and how he's ruined so and so's development starts up. My guess is around five games for some of it - twenty games for the rest and that FIRE Babcock (Ha ha) threads will pop up after every loss maybe half a season in. As an aside wonder how patient fans will be with McEwen if he makes in full-time like Gaudette did, and isn't lights out ... fans will turn on him.
  14. The team needs a guy who can replace Edler. Really doubt we have that in the system but I do think we have enough that with QHs we and Myers signed enough to make it work. People are overly critical of Myers - he's keeping Edler and Tanev out of the sick bay, kept the team afloat when Elder was out, and it's hilariously obvious how important he is when Stetcher takes his spot when he misses games. He's like Edler but on the right side. His offense is snake bitten so far this year - but it's easy to see why his career PPG is similar.
  15. It took me a while to become a believer too. His almost 50 save team record shutout was it for me. It's kind of hilarious that 30 is over the hill now for NHL players ... As long as he's healthy and they manage his games he should be fine until 35-37. Good goalies almost always are. Plus he doesn't have the NHL miles that a lot of other guys had at his age that were also top 5-10. Check out how many games Broduer played from 30-40. Bower is even a better example of old goalies kicking ass. Hasek was just cutting his teeth at 30 too. I don't think that age is nearly as a concern for good goalies as it is for good forwards, and a little less for defenseman too. Lidstrom won his FIRST Norris at 31.... even now some elder journeyman goalies are still around as in Smith and Miller. Markstrom should be fine until 35-37....by then he will become a back-up as long as he stays healthy. Demko isnt the answer (yet at least). He definitely belongs though and also should get better as he gets closer to 30. Nowadays most goalies come in around 25-26 too...still have miles on them but not NHL miles like it used to be. Hart is the first 19-20 year old goalie to come in since MAF (who was even younger)...other then him Murray and before him Jones, which used to be the norm...now super rare.
  16. Thankfully that doesn't apply to most good ones - and he's just peaking now. He reminds me of Bishop as a recent example. Same size, about equal as far as play goes and still pretty dominant. Rinne also - he was great right up to and past 35. Miller and Luongo obviously were fine..look and how good Smith is this year and he also had some great seasons in his thirties. The only position that's really affected from 30-35 are forwards. Loads of examples of goalies and defenseman having some of their best years in that age range. Injuries are the only concern for me....otherwise we should be good.
  17. Some of the best were definitely quirky. Broduer and Luongo are maybe the exceptions pretty level headed and happy guys. Befour and Barraso were also prickly, same with Smith so you could be on to something. Parent was something else too, and when he played he had demons too. Dryden...well let's just say that the better ones usually had big personalities for sure and a little something extra about them.
  18. Yep. Either him or Roy, maybe Sawchuk read enough about him to see he was better then the rest while around too. Ridiculous shutout to game ratio and when GMs are saying you could throw a handful of rice at him and he'd stop every one ... Read a review once - a what if the Vezina was awarded the same way today how many would some of those guys have ... let's just say Sawchuk would have more then he did. Hasek ruined our Nagano aspirations. And Roy was no slouch either. Had to wait four more years for our first gold medal in a long time. Not many goalies win Hart trophies. Didn't he do it back to back? Roy is legendary and most experts pick him for a what if scenario in game seven who would you take. TEN out of sixteen wins to a cup won in OT. That's a record that won't ever get broken. That said for six or seven years I think only Sawchuk would be in the conversation for best goalie in the world for the same amount of time. Plus he was great his entire career adding a cup near then end. Hasek beat out Roy, Belfour, Cujo, Furh (he had one epic St Louis season under Keenan) and Brouduer and only Furh wasn't in his prime when he had his stretch of Vezinas. If he didn't start so late one could make a reasonable argument he'd of added two or maybe three more trophies to his collection. Like Sawchuk he won a cup when he was almost done too (ok Roy did too)....in the end of the day Hasek, Roy and Sawchuk are considered the top three all-time and one could debate who goes first and provide a lot of good reasons for it. Broduer doesn't make the cut because Roy beat him in a game seven (and NJ had the top offense in the East that year) and because NJ invented the trap and used obstruction better then anyone. THN has made top hundred goalie mags for decades now. One rule they have is once a player retires they can't move up on another that has also retired. It's Sawchuk, Roy, Broduer, Plante, Hasek. They make arguments for the top five as to why they should be first. Hasek loses ground because he started late. But they also say only Sawchuk MAYBE was as good as Hasek for 6 years or so...and that really Hasek was the best ever all-time for half a decade or so. Me I'm partial to Roy having watched every game in 93 that they played. They really weren't much better then Buffalo was when they went to the final - and to this day consider it the most dominant goaltending ever when it matters the most. LA could have been up 2-0 without the McSorely penalty. Gretzky was also at the peak of his powers and just defeated the heavily favoured Gilmour TO squad with arguably his best playoff game ever. The most deserving Conn Smythe ever. Hasek didn't ever get one of those, Roy had three, including one as a rookie in 86.
  19. Where that "secret agent" that bashed in Kerrigans knee when you need him. Ha ha. Ok bad joke. Sad part is we could have a UFA like TT on Horvats wing right now instead .... he's worth 3M to any team right now - our best hope is we can trade him with retention and the added piece going the other way won't hurt us later. Or we just suck it up and take our medicine. In the end it's banked money we need for QH and EP, that's got to come from somewhere. We might have to lose a first next TDL to dump him.
  20. Delmore did get behind EP didn't he? They went off board five or so picks - from what I've read he was an early adopter of the idea and pushed for it. Plus he beat the crap out of some CHI chump in the 82 final so there is that too ha ha.
  21. Well if you have the time you can find the most current information and make the adjustments. I'm too lazy - ARI, CAR, MTL and VAN are the youngest teams in the league by a tiny margin (.2 years) so who really cares. We are talking an overall difference of two months between the four teams. Plus not to be Mr. Obvious, but LE, Sutter, Tanev and Edler the elder statesman not included over the hill even though he's in his prime still Myers (Lidstrom didn't win a Norris until he was 31, when did Burns peak again?) won't be done until he's 35....plus Roussel, Beagle and the rest of the vets, will likely be replaced internally or younger versions of themselves- we are a very young team. They say it all the time on TV and print media. But I guess because a few swaps aren't on google yet we are bunch of old farts in comparison. Did they add Williams yet to CAR? Probably older then us now.
  22. He's certainly acting and playing like one. What a great trade. Was dumbfounded initially like - "is the rebuild over?"...then he went out and signed Myers and it all made sense. Sucks big time that two of our best players are out. We've lost a lot since. TT was a bandaid that I can stomach I guess. BB by all accounts should be a better player though... Back to Miller. If we drafted him then yes he'd be our captian for sure, next year he should get the A. At the time of the trade I said we just added another Horvat in his prime. Horvat has some work to do yet to get there. Read recently that QH, EP and BB have a "breakfast club" where they go out a couple times a week and pig out on pancakes, eggs and bacon... Horvat isn't included because he's a "family man" now. The youngest members of the core do look up to him which is all that matters. Having extra leadership in Miller is great ...
  23. Yep we really are young. It's the core that matter the most important players aren't even in their early prime yet (23-24 is usually when it starts). Horvat and Miller are the elder statesman in that regard. Yes the league is getting younger as reliable journeyman aren't getting long or any fourth contracts anymore (check out how many UFAs got one or two year deals last year)...but our team has one of the youngest cores in the entire league. Almost all of those guys you mentioned will be gone in two years - sure some of them might get replaced by another vet, but some won't as like other teams that's the part of the cycle we rely on ELCs to balance the books. All the contenders cores are five-ten years plus older then ours (TB, Boston, St Louis, WSH and maybe PIT as with them you never know). That's when our true window will be at its widest too. Saying we arent young is pretty funny. Factually we are tied with ARI for second youngest roster in the league - and MTL and CAR are tied for first. 26.5 and we are 26.6....barely a difference. That's definitely a young team. Overall our forwards rank 4th youngest - and that's with LE.
  24. Sources about the 2nd round? Other then the EP draft, each year the CDC seems to make it like we absolutely have to have whomever is the next first or second overall pick and that is the next coming of the 79 draft. Last year it was all about uniting the Hughes brothers or Kakko. Before that how the heck can we get the next "Lidstrom". Now it's "generational - once in a lifetime Lafrenniere". This draft isn't going to be that much different then any other the past five years or so - with the exception it won't match up to the McDavid/Eichel or even possibly the OJ draft (still erks me we missed out on that one...guess we could have had Puljajarvi instead so there is hope still at least). Sure the experts are saying it will be a good draft. Same as all but the Patrick/Hirschier one (said it was good and deep but no real top tier players so even that wasn't considered a bad one) recently. Read a lot of prospect literature- follow future watch and get a half dozen mags on the subject every year - and they always talk about the next two or even three coming up. Haven't read anywhere that it's sooo deep a second is like picking in the first round anywhere - maybe you could help me find that information from a valid source? If "many" are saying that I must be missing something... Yes it's supposed to be good, and I'm sure some teams will get great players. Maybe even us depending on the next 16 games ...
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