gcom007

Cutting and pasting... I'm not trying to hang Howard here, I'm defending the defensemen that you all seem content to string up while ignoring the fact that they're incessantly having to deal with crazy rebounds.

I'm not trying to hang Howard here, I'm defending the defensemen that you all seem content to string up while ignoring the fact that they're incessantly having to deal with crazy rebounds.

Sometimes that guy just hurts my soul. I almost feel embarrassed for his sake at times...he seems like a nice guy but good heavens, he's corny as hell all the time.

Right........

Ha..."Stuart for Vezina..." The guy really has done it all this year.

Bleh...

Lebda loves doing things that make a lot of sense.

You people hating on the defense are outrageously off the mark on this one. This is the thing: Howard incessantly gives up huge rebounds. It's beyond obvious. What's happening here and what happened (with less success...) last night is that guys shoot the puck at the net knowing they'll get a rebound and 2-3 guys CRASH as hard and fast as possible. This isn't a defensive issue. The goalie has to be responsible for controlling shots and Howard has never been good at it. It's his #1 weakness.

Rebound control.

Damn Brad Stuart...you are our best defensemen...he saved a goal last game too, he's just been absolutely great since he called himself out early on in the season.

I'm pumped for tonight. Not sure how it'll go, but I'm hoping we can get some offense going win or lose. That'd be a victory in my mind as the team starts to take shape again.

True story. Howard was absolutely amazing in that he stopped all those shots. It was seriously brilliant. But on the flip side, because of incredibly sloppy rebound/puck control, pretty much every first shot turned into three shots if not more. People wanted to rip on the defense all game but Howard had them scrambling from the start. I'll give Howard all the credit in the world for stopping all those pucks, but he made our D's lives hell and they absolutely bailed him out numerous times. There's only so much the D can do to look composed when every other shot turns into a mad scramble in front of the net. You've got guys diving to cover an empty net while the opposing team crashes. That's not easy for the defense to deal with and that is on Howard as he quite simply needs to control the puck better. He will not always have luck on his side so he's gotta work out these technical things if he plans to last.

No. And why do people keep linking to bleacherreport.com as if it's really worth reading? It's a blog site trying to pretend it's a sports news commentary outlet. But it's all fans who can't write worth s*** and have no credibility at all.

I can't speak for others, but I'm certainly not surrendering my point as it had little to do with the outcome tonight and everything to do with the outcome in June. My issue is how these mental games end up playing out in the long-run. When I say guys need to start, Howard or Osgood, it has nothing to do with wins. Not one bit. I feel like the only person here not obsessed with the idea as I think we've got to be happy about 50 points in 43 games with this team. We're not winning and losing because of goalies. We're losing mostly because we just don't score much. So as well as Howard's playing, why do you manufacture an issue with the goaltending when Osgood's not playing bad and you know he's your starter for the playoffs? Why is Babcock (the person I take issue with more than anyone, I have ZERO issues with Howard considering he's a rookie) toying with an area of his game that doesn't need to be toyed with? And again, I'm talking long term. I'm talking about him pushing Osgood too far and losing him like he lost him last year. Because Babcock did lose Osgood last year, and it took Holland stepping in to get him back. That's a fact. It's even worse this year, and for far less reason. That is my issue.

Rafs was offered at least a million more per season by other teams. I can't remember exactly how much, but we absolutely got a sizable discount on him as well compared to market value and the year we signed him.

Oh please. Myself and others were calling it throughout the game when it was going on. What you're not understanding whatsoever about my beef with the goaltending situation is that it has very little to do with Howard playing poorly. None actually. It has everything to do with Babcock pushing all the wrong buttons with Osgood and punishing a guy who hasn't played bad, and this knowing full well that Osgood has to be the guy heading into the playoffs. I NEVER said we were screwed because Howard was starting. Never once. I can't acknowledge being "wrong" about something I never even hinted at. Outsider and I both want to see balance with the goalies, but we've got different points when it really shakes down. I don't remember everything he said, but I never suggested that we would lose and Howard would s*** the bed if he started. I'm talking about establish long run issues that have the potential to haunt us down the road. I'm not near as concerned with the game to game s*** many of you are as I'm pretty happy with our 50 points in 43 games. Down the stretch, I have complete faith in our ability to do what it takes to get in the top 8. No worries at all. My only concern is that Babcock pushes one (or fifty...) too many buttons with Osgood and screws our chances DOWN THE STRETCH. I can acknowledge being right or wrong in June maybe, but it has nothing to do with anyone's performance tonight. I'm talking about a long-run goalie-management issue. And to be utterly clear, I'm not here to rip on Howard at all. I like Howard a lot and I've said numerous times that he really did play an amazing game. But at the same time, he had horrible puck control tonight that lead to many LA shots that never should have occurred. And after all, I said don't take my word for it. Go back and watch it yourself. See for yourself. It's worth it because you'll see that sure, he did play an amazing game in stopping all those shots, but numerous times he was also directly responsible for having to face as many shots as he did. I'll give the guy all the credit in the world for covering his own ass on the matter. The goal Howard allowed was a bulls*** goal that you can't hold against him at all. Bulls*** penalty to start and then just a weird, fluky play. And I'm also going to give the D more credit than most for helping out in countless scrambles caused by poor rebound control. And the offense as well, which dealt with some rather significant lineup changes again tonight. Tell me, what there is unreasonable?

I love how they're talking about those "final playoff spots in the West" as if there's not half the season left...

Datsyuk and Bertuzzi came real close in the second I believe. It wasn't a total wash. Remember, it's going to take a game or so for Z to get up to speed let alone for yet another new line to gel. And on top of that, you've got Cleary back to and Holmstrom going down. That's a fair bit of change that can throw things up a bit. And your buddy Rafalski actually played a real good game. Again, I really think if people went back and watched this again, they'd see a few things they missed the first time around. L.A. was able to do a hell of a lot more than they should have been able to not so much because of the D but because again and again there were huge rebounds. Those lead to scrambles that aren't really conducive to getting your offense rolling through the neutral zone.

I really don't think so. I think if you and everyone re-watched this game with emotions down a bit, you'd see that sure, Howard played a really amazing game. But at the same time, he played a s***ty game. The thing is, there's no way in hell L.A. would've gotten anything close to 50 shots if Howard controlled the puck better. I think this honestly was one of his worst games in terms of puck control. I mean, again, he was amazing in actually stopping everything, but he had to make those extra stops because he failed again and again at controlling the puck after the first shot and getting caught in compromising positions. That doesn't help the defense either who ends up having to scramble not only with multiple rebounds but half the time you've got guys diving in to cover the net that Howard's not in front of! And I'm telling you, go back and watch this, don't take my word for it. And I still think it's pretty funny that Howard didn't even touch the puck on that diving "save" earlier that Ken Daniels just about s*** his pants over. It went wide of the net! But I mean, this was a weird, weird game for Howard if you ask me because it was as amazing, but it was almost just as ugly in some ways.

They don't have s*** to work with and Lids and Rafs have not been near as bad as you suggest. Dats has been inconsistent, but not horrid either. We've got 50 points after 43 games despite all those injuries. You really need to stop and think about how amazing of a fact that really is Johnny Drama...

Wow.

Well, in the teams defense, the way Howard's handled the puck tonight, 1 shot turns into 3. For as flat out amazing as he's been, he's given himself and the defense way too much work by not controlling the puck in any way on the first shot.

Oh, and that was a total bulls*** call on Bert, AGAIN!

Weird as s*** goal there...

Seriously, am I the only one who noticed that Howard never even touched the puck on that "incredible diving save" they were blowing their load over a minute go? Someone with DVR, go back to that slow-mo replay before the commercial.