PavelValerievichDatsyuk

Tied for 1st in the East!!!!!!

It would be a good design when Tortorella is coaching.

Maybe, but Datsyuk has 11 goals in 16 games??!!! Would love to see him give them a run for it. Tatar's been great. Love the mix of this team. I think one great thing is that we're now mixing the generations and it's working. What I mean is that we had "the kid line" that's been usually separate on their own and on the PP. I hadn't always worked last year when we mixed and matched, but now we have a lot of combinations that seem to be finding chemistry.

If we win tonight or next game, we pass the Habs!! Weiss, Franzen, Jurco 3-2

I read an article about Weiss a while back that said when Weiss had the groin surgery the doctor also advised him to have a hip surgery. Weiss decided against having both surgeries at the same since it would keep him out a lot longer. It didn't mention the nature of the hip issue, but it told me that Weiss does have some issue there. He's been skating great, in my opinion, so maybe it's not something that effects performance. I apologize for not having the article as a link. I searched for a while and couldn't find it. Maybe someone else read that article? Edit: found link: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/three-periods--martin-brodeur-effect-on-jake-allen--stephen-weiss-battles-back-for-red-wings--nhl-notes-192827642-nhl.html Wonder if that means he'll have another surgery next summer

only missed 1 last year and that's because we gave him a day off before the playoffs

You took my comment without the context, but anyway, has been broken is different than Is broken. It's not the same team as the past 5 years. Besides, I don't think coaching is to blame for the downturn of the past 5 years - It the fact that we've been rebuilding the roster.

Babcock a large part of why we're doing better than expected. It seems to me, from comment in the media, that he's built a good relationship with our young players. Before this year i was on the fence about babs coming back, but it's clear to me that we're on a path where we can have some real success in the coming years. Changing coaches could put that in jeopardy. basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it

I know you're joking (as always) so maybe I shouldn't point this at you... but I don't get why people in this thread are saying he's overrated, overhyped, etc. The only opinions I've seen is some saying that he should be in the lineup over Kindl. That's not really a grand statement - it is also Babcock's opinion as well. XO's shown himself to be quite ready in his call-ups and is the most ready of our AHL Dmen. I don't think Kindl has been all that bad, but he is often a defensive liability. Ouellet could realistically be more solid. Now, if someone has called him the second coming of Lidstrom and I didn't see it - my apologies.

Franson would be a great addition, but he's a UFA after this year so I wouldn't think it smart to give up a prospect as good and NHL ready as Ouellet for 3/4th of a year of him. Anyway, no way the Leafs deal him to us. Franson's had some problems negotiaing with the Leafs in past years - I'm hoping he wants to check out free agency next summer.

Ah, I remembered wrongly, I guess. Jensen did have a great camp and there was a lot of talk about him and I guess I jumbled it all together in my mind. To me, XO has had this spot over Kindl ever since he replaced him last playoffs. It's just us waiting to clear the way.

I've read this in articles recently, but I thought it was Jensen who was last to be cut from the D in camp and I thought it was Jensen who Babcock said he wanted on the roster at that time. Am I Wrong?

Do we want Ouellet as the 7th defenceman, though? If we waived Lashoff and kept Kindl as #7 that be fine with me except that that would make it even harder to trade him off and that would be his path to a buyout in the summer. He would then mark against the cap for 2 more years.

Like Weiss on that PP.

Your Toews example doesn't help your point. The stat that you say is misleading for him is goals. That is not an advanced stat. The way you could demonstrate Toews is an elite player, despite not huge scoring totals, is through advanced stats. Sure, you can see it with the naked eye with Toews case, but there are often factors that can make a player look good when it is not necessarily due to them (think Ian White with Lidstrom, Bryzgalov with Pheonix). Or maybe factors may make a player look bad (say, if you're trying to judge whether Myers would be a worthy pickup). Advanced stats are an attempt to isolate those consideration.

Yeah not the best looking line. We could call it the Too Many Centers line. Or maybe the Injured Reserve.

Great for Weiss!!!

You have to reread my posts. I'm not going to do this back and forth thing with you kip, repeating things I've already said as you try to twist my words. Nowhere have I advocated for Helm as a viable 2nd line center. Wasn't comparing them as players except how much they are producing this year. I really don't care that much about David Legwand. Don't want him on my team. He's struggling, I thought he struggled at the end of last year. He's 34, cast off by a team that he played 15 years for. That is what I thought would be uncontroversial, but you twisted that. Agree to disagree.

I really didn't think that would be a controversial opinion. DeGrass suggested we needed "a true 2nd line center" and most would agree (whether or not they think Weiss can be that guy is another thing). For us I think a true 2nd line center would certainly be someone that produces more than the centers we have. I showed the stats this year to show Legwand isn't that guys currently. Neither Sheahan or Helm are 2nd line centers and they are producing more. 20 games is not a meaningless sample size. "Comparing Legwand and Helm after the first 20 games of this season is a lot like comparing them over the first 20 games of last season." And a dog is a lot like a dog: I don't get what you are trying to say with this. As for the "first line minutes" with the Senators comment. Higher on the page _SP_ made that claim. If it's not true, my fault for repeating it and not checking it. That doesn't really change much, though. He's on pace for around 24 points - that's not good for your 2nd line center. I said I"m glad we didn't bring him back, that's why I used current stats. As in: "at this present moment he's producing less than our 2 3rd line centers, glad we're not tied up with this 34 year player who seems to be past his prime." Also didn't want him back at the time either: I think he served the purpose of getting through a period of injuries, but didn't impress me much, turned invisible, and played his way onto the 4th line.

The only problem is now Shanahan is part of the organization so I can't take as much pleasure in watching them struggle and the resulting media circus.

Agreed that a second line center would help the team, but Weiss was supposed to be that and you'd have to get rid of him before you and another. My point in showing this year's stats is that Helm and Sheahan are out producing Legwand. Helm isn't even playing very well and he's still out producing him. That's with Legwand apparently playing top line minutes. That doesn't sound like he would be a "real second line center." I wasn't suggesting that Helm or Sheahan are 2nd line centers - I was showing that Legwand wouldn't be a good option for that spot either.

You know that isn't a realistic idea, right. There's so many hockey fans in and around Toronto they would still sell out even if a large amount of fans stopped buying tickets in some kind of protest. With that in mind, maybe it's a little more understandable why leaf fans use their own stupid forms of protest (paperbag masks, jersey on ice, general douchebaggery)

We now have a young team and youth usually equals inconsistency. We've had these young players (Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco, Sheahan...) alternately be very hot or being struggling - which is to be expected and fine for their 2nd year. Usually the steadying influence is the vets, but Datsyuk's been in and out; Zetterberg, Helm and Ericsson been struggling to find a steady game after last year's injuries. Franzen, Howard, and Abdelkader are vets that have brought a consistent game, but that's not many. I think if Z Helm and Ericsson can find their usual games, we'll be a much more steady team.

Maybe I'm missing some sarcasm on Legwand. He did help us last year, but so glad we didn't bring him back. We already have too many centers and Z,D, Weiss, Legwand, Sheahan, Helm, Glendening would just be funny. Look at this year's numbers. Legwand 19gp 2g 4a 6p Helm 20gp 2g 5a 7p Sheahan 20gp 3g 6a 9p