Dabura

I should elaborate. Ericsson is a very big (6'4, 220) mobile shutdown defenseman. He's not especially physical, but he has his moments (smashing Bickell into the boards, dropping the gloves on occasion). DeKeyser is a big (6'3, 190) mobile shutdown defenseman, with a lot of room for filling out. Lashoff is a big (6'3, 210) crease-clearing defensive defenseman with a nice little mean streak in him that should grow with time. Smith is a pretty big (6'2, 200) puck-moving offensive defenseman who likes to hit and isn't too afraid to fight. Kindl is a big (6'3, 215) offensive-minded defenseman. Unfortunately, he's the least physical player in the NHL. Kronwall isn't big, but he's no cream puff. A gritty aggressive offensive defenseman. Marchenko is pretty big (6'2, 210) and projects as an aggressive shutdown defenseman. Quincey is Granted, we have Almqvist waiting in the Wings (see what I did there?), and Sproul isn't far behind him. And Smith has a lot of upside. And Kindl might one day come out of his shell. And Kronwall is, of course, a big point-producer. But, well, I'll turn it over to Kevin Weekes: http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=23229

Size and physicality? Those are the two problems you single (or, uh, double) out?

Exactly.

I'm actually tempted to blame the whole thing on Smith's brain fart. Many nights this season it's been a case of us playing a good overall game and battling hard and doing the things we set out to do - but then someone makes a boneheaded mistake and the puck ends up in our net, and that ends up more or less deciding the game. Often there are multiple such lapses. I mean, I'm not saying the PP didn't kill us. And I'm not saying we're not missing our injured players. It's just, on the whole, I think simple, stupid mistakes have cost us an incredible number of points in the standings this season. Clean that oh-whoops-my-stick-should've-been-on-the-ice-my-bad s*** up and maybe we get a point out of this game. Then again, shoot the puck a millimeter to the right and it doesn't hit the post and maybe we get a point out of the game. Or bury any of our countless chances right in front of Hiller and maybe we get a point out of the game. So, I dunno, ignore me. Though we'll be without Tatar.

Ericsson does have a shot, but he also doesn't use it (like you said). So I count that as not having one. Afredsson has a shot, but I'm talking about our defensemen. Plus, he's injury-prone and may be gone next season. WHY CAN'T EVERYONE SHOOT LIKE SAMMY

(Playing devil's advocate:) I think the idea is Jimmy < Mrazek + new top-four defenseman.

I don't think we necessarily have to part with our all-star starting goalie in order to land a top defenseman. Everyone seems to believe we have absolutely no tradable assets...and yet, many of us then turn around and talk up our amazingly deep and promising prospect pool. Or express frustration with Smith, because he kinda sucks, but he's such a *young and promising puck-moving offensive defenseman with size and some snarl who should be a force to be reckoned with in a few years*, but he kinda sucks, so no one would want him anyway. Or say: We almost had Edler not long ago, but Gillis wanted four pieces and Holland would only part with three. (*facepalm*) And that was before this season. Perhaps, with the season Edler's having, and with the Canucks' window just about closed, Gillis might be more willing to move him, and for a slightly smaller return than before. Edler would have to sign off on the trade, but I think he'd be ok with playing for this team. And then there's free agency. Not that we should assume that we'll be able to simply buy a top defenseman (see: Suter, Ryan), especially with this whole stupid re-sign trend. (Test the waters, wimps!) But the cap *should* be going up, and we *should* be shedding a number of players. So, we *should* be extremely aggressive, provided we haven't traded for anyone. *EDIT*: I'd like to add that we don't necessarily need a #1 or a #2 or maybe even a #3. Kronwall, Ericsson, DeKeyser is a pretty good top three, and losing Quincey should be a case of addition by subtraction. I mean, like I've said elsewhere and more or less said here, I'd like us to aggressively pursue both an Edler and a Girardi, with a vengeance. Because it's the Cup. But we don't necessarily need a *top defenseman*.

Any chance Subban gets traded this summer? Therrien isn't his biggest fan, and his next contract will be mammoth.

On a positive note, Sheahan had a solid game. I really like him as a top-six center. I think it's the fighting, particularly the staged ones. Babcock is not a fan of fighting.

It's not the losing. It's the baffling decisions and such. Not that I think he should or will be canned, mind you.

I honestly feel like he's losing the locker room this season. He's extremely square-peg-round-hole about, well, everything.

If we go 0-for-5 on the night, we fully deserve to lose.

Of course the Leafs won.

Piss off, Selanne. PP coming up.

Time to trade Smith again. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

INCREDIBLY stupid penalty.

You crap your pants in your own kitchen? That's hot. Stupid Kronwall pentalty coming up. *penalty

Something that just occurred to me: we don't have a lethal shot from the point. Kronwall, Ericsson, DeKeyser, Smith, Kindl, Lashoff...we really miss the Lidstrom Laser.

For the love of God, stop crapping your pants every time you have the puck in Hiller's kitchen.

Nothing against Sheahan and Bertuzzi, but it's kind of a cruel cosmic joke that Tatar is playing as well as he is but because of an absurd list of injuries is playing with Sheahan and Bertuzzi.

Z is playing through an injury. I'm 97% certain.

Perry bit his lip/tongue for the extra 2:00. Nice try.

Not to take anything away from Monster and what he's done so far this season, but I'd be ok with Mrazek being the backup next season. Hell, I might even be ok with him as the #1.

I want to complain. Really, I do. But we should all keep things in perspective tonight. We've got something like 20 million dollars worth of players out with injuries and we're playing the top team in the league, in their barn, where they haven't lost in regulation this season. Sammy, Cleary, Bert, Kindl - all these Hockeytown Heroes (and more!) are playing important minutes, and being counted on to, like, actually do stuff. I'm not making excuses, and I hate moral victories. It's just, in theory, we should be down 5-0 after 40 mins.

Nyquist is definitely off. It's like he's been dislocated from real time by half a second. Which, in the NHL, is a big deal.