Dabura

Not a terrible period, honestly. Had a flurry of Grade A chances early in the period, couldn't capitalize on any of them. Tampa gets a couple looks and they score. We were definitely out-of-sync, making some lazy plays, but I think the big difference so far is Tampa has Johnson on the PK and Kucherov on the PP. Blashill was line-juggling like crazy. I get that he's playing the matchup game, but he has last change. Maybe let Cooper worry about matchups. The juggling is one reason why we're looking discombobulated, I think. I don't like Abby in the top six. I'm sorry, but I don't. If he were a Wing, we'd be contenders. F*** Holland.

Kucherov scores, PPG. Lightning lead 2-0.

Johnson scores, SHG. Lightning lead 1-0.

Looking good so far. Gotta keep up the pressure. Keep them on their heels.

LGRW

As do the Wings.

Pretty much. I don't know enough about Setkov, Lindstrom, Kotkansalo to have a strong opinion about them at this time. I'm cautiously excited about Hicketts, Hronek, Cholowski, Saarijarvi; there's a lot of talent there between those four players. But, yeah, I wouldn't count on any one of those four becoming That Defenseman we so desperately need or even a really good #2. We might be the only organization in the league that doesn't have a young/prime-years top-four-caliber defenseman on the roster or ready to make the jump from the farm to the big show. IMO, we have failed spectacularly on that front. To me, it almost beggars belief. Accordingly, I'm not sure there's an organization that needs a Rasmus Dahlin more than we do. If Green doesn't re-sign (it's almost a given that he won't) and we don't make any significant additions, our 2018 opening night D group could be the stuff of nightmares.

HYPE!

They got Washington's record wrong. People get paid for doing this stuff.

Oh, believe me, I want no part of Nugent-Hopkins. Just noting that Holland was rumored to have shown interest in him. The reason why the Oilers might go for Athanasiou when they have Puljujarvi is that this is the last year of McDavid's ELC and they ought to be trying to make the most of that value and gearing up for a serious run this season. Puljujarvi is really good, but AA is older and more experienced and more proven at the NHL level. AA could step in right now and make an impact.

Some Oilers fans are asking an interesting question: Do the Oilers actually have real scoring depth? http://lowetide.ca/2017/10/15/broken-arrow-2/#comment-675882 With Draisaitl currently concussed, the Oilers arguably have a serious need for a high-skill scoring winger. Even with Draisaitl in the lineup, they arguably have a serious need for a high-skill scoring winger. (Assuming the organization wants to make the absolute most of McDavid's final ELC year.) Mantha and Athanasiou have small but passionate fan clubs in Oilers Land: https://www.coppernblue.com/2017/1/6/14193634/trade-for-this-guy-andreas-athanasiou https://www.coppernblue.com/2017/10/14/16477712/ottawa-senators-edmonton-oilers-recap-disaster-6-1-yamamoto-first-point-nhl-news-scroes-sad-oilers#448096031 (lmao) Athanasiou is a malcontent, and it's probably fair to say that kind of thing is anathema to Peter Chiarelli, AKA the guy who booted Tyler Seguin out of Boston. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Chiarelli kicks the tires on AA and other Wings forwards. Holland may or may not have inquired about Nugent-Hopkins a few months ago. I remember some rumormongering site said he was asking about Nugent-Hopkins, but I can't remember which site it was.

Galchenyuk's cap hit is $4.9M, so we'd have to free up a significant amount of space. And AA isn't signed, so moving him doesn't free any space. So it's AA + [$4.9M in cap space]. That's the main reason why I think this is probably a pipe dream. Holland might be willing to trade AA for Galchenyuk, but I don't think he'd be willing to part with much more than just AA. Maybe AA and a prospect, but that doesn't free up the cap space. I wouldn't necessarily mind, say, AA + Helm, but I'm sure Holland would mind. And I dunno if the Habs would want Helm, or anyone else not named Larkin, Mantha, Nyquist, Tatar. Of course, all of that is assuming AA would be the Habs' primary target. I think Bergevin would probably do a Nyquist/Tatar-Galchenyuk swap. I don't think Holland would do it, though.

So I was talking with a Flames fan. At one point in our conversation he playfully trolled me about how the Flames "stole" Hudler from us, and how his absence will be the end of us. I played along, wink wink, but I slowly realized he was actually semi-serious. Not because he's especially fond of Hudler (though "Happy" has, in fact, been one of the Flames more valuable players), but because of our troubles this season. Shootout woes? Hudler. Goal-scoring woes? Hudler. Second-line center hole? Hudler. Wouldn't it be something if we miss the playoffs because of our total incompetence in shootouts? Should that come to pass, do we hang the first person who says, "Should've kept Hudler"? Or would he have a point? And, if so, does the universe implode? I hated Hudler as a Wing. To me, he encapsulated everything that was misguided and wrong about our team. I was glad to see him go. But let's talk about him, knowing full well that Kenny will bring him back, sooner or later. Do we miss Jiri Hudler?

Yeah, next week will be a major test and should tell us a lot about this Wings team. Right now the top three Atlantic seeds are Leafs, Bolts, Wings, in that order. All have eight points through five games, but the Leafs and Bolts have four ROW and we have three. So the divisional stakes are already extra-heightened. It's super-early days, I get that. But this stuff does matter. Caps got blown the f*** out in Philly tonight, on national television; they're going to be ornery for at least the next week. So that'll be interesting. Bolts edged the Blues tonight. Bolts are scary. I'm hoping their roster turnover (losing Boyle, Bishop, Drouin -- all thorns in our sides) + the growth of Larkin & Mantha changes up the power dynamic between the Bolts and Wings, but I'm not holding my breath. Leafs aren't really a Great Team, probably not a truly serious contender yet. But, as Claude Julien put it: If you try to beat them by sitting back and being opportunistic (see: Red Wings), they will eat you alive. I watched the Leafs-Habs game tonight. Matthews had two goals, including the OT winner. The Leafs wouldn't be nearly as good as they are if they didn't have Matthews, but they do have Matthews and he is God-tier.

Larkin got an assist last night.

Ended up watching the third period, as opposed to going to sleep like I said I was going to do. Was too tired to comment here, though. Oof. Anyway, what a third period! Holy hell. Don't look now, but... Green has eight points through five games Mantha has seven points through five games Zetterberg has seven points through five games Larkin has six points through five games Frk has four points through five games

Another bad turnover by Ouellet, another Knights goal. Knights lead 3-2. I have to go to sleep, guys. lol. G'night! (LGRW!)

Z! Brutality and beauty. Awesome sequence right there. Aaaaaaand Neal ties it up.

Knights tie it. 1-1.

Knights to the box. 4-on-4.

PK.

Knights are actively trying to stand us up at our blue line and aggressively kill our first pass attempts. Gallant's Panthers did the same thing to us. Gallant knows it works against us.

PK. Need to tighten it up in the d-zone. Little too cutesy.

NYQUIST!

Half-asleep, but I'm here.