Dabura

Sorry, the soft comment was re: Bring Back The Bruise Bros. Wasn't really trying to make a judgment about our softness/toughness, just thought it was kind of a funny name ("softies") for the bottom-six forwards who aren't earning their contracts.

But, on the other hand, maybe I really am just way off-base about everything I'm saying, and all it's gonna take for us to become a top team in this league again is a great 2014 offseason (re: shedding dead weight and maybe adding some quality UFAs). I am, ultimately, open to pretty much any good line of reasoning, though I'll dig my heels in here and there (and not without good reason).

I get what you're saying, and I agree. And I don't think it really goes against anything I'm saying about that team. It was a very well-built team; Holland was very smart about it. True, there was some luck involved, and, true, players wanting and getting better contracts can make things dicey. But, overall, I think Holland has just gotten away from the model he seemed to be using with that team, and the goals and expectations and motivations he was working with. This team we have now is...a mess. You wouldn't think it had been put together by the same guy who put together that '08 team. Granted, it's not all entirely on the GM making bad decisions. He inherited a monstrously good machine in the 90s, and, generally, the more distant the '90s become, the harder it's probably going to be for him. Like, I was talking about The Grind Liners being on the '08 team - that was, I guess you could say, very convenient for him. I'm not saying that in a negative way. It's just, we still had some pieces left over from the '90s and the '02 Cup-winner, and that helped a lot. And now all those pieces are gone, which is gonna make things difficult, even if all your decisions are good ones. But still, I do think things have slipped. Standards, expectations, the actual talent level on the roster...it's been an all-encompassing, wholesale slide.

An Oilers fan's thoughts on "grit": http://www.coppernblue.com/2013/11/23/5126084/on-grit I like this a lot.

I guess it was sort of a stupid question, because, well, obviously Z is tearing it up. I'm wondering more about Crosby, if he might be having a bit of an off season thus far. I mean, let's be honest: Henrik Zetterberg "shouldn't" be two points behind Crosby at the start of the second quarter. NO ONE should be two points behind him right now. Then again, I hate the Penguins and therefore don't follow them too closely, and therefore don't really know the normal trajectory for Crosby's personal season, beyond the fact that he mostly destroys the competition. My only worry is Z and D might drag Weiss down, hold him back.

If all else fails...Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Weiss.

I don't get the impression that we're trying to mold our young defensemen into little Lidstroms.

I guess in a more perfect world we could unload Quincey and two of our worst forwards for Ruutu and Tlusty. Maybe. Bear in mind, what kip said is a fair point - we do have too many soft forwards, but if we're not going to get significantly harder to play against, maybe we can at least upgrade the softies? But then, beyond Cleary and Sammy, I'm not sure it'd necessarily be an upgrade at all. So...meh.

Yep, it was that one. Mostly. Wouldn't want it to go to the players' heads either - but I don't really think that's an issue. (Then again, our record against middling teams is a bit worrying, for what that might be worth.)

Sorry, Babs said Cleary will be getting the start against the Bruins.

They did. Were the Sabres a better team, this would've been a loss. Still, a win is a win. We just can't let this one go to our heads is all.

I feel like we generally play the really good teams better than we play the middling ones. So I'm expecting a good game. Maybe the extra rest will do a lot of good for Dats. And yeah, I think I might like to see Monster get the start. I'm really happy for him.

I just read that Z is two points behind Crosby. I knew he was in second, and I knew it had to be Crosby in front of him, but I had no idea it was that close. That blows my mind. Is Crosby having an off season? Or is Z's season just that good? I'm gonna go ahead and scratch what I said about Zetterberg being in the conversation for the Hart. I definitely think he should be in it, at least at this point in time.

The net should've been suspended, no question.

I just think he's too good not to. Pretty much all top-six forwards have dry periods in their careers. Even Z, our fearless and formidable leader, has gone dry in the past. Datsyuk as well.

His decision making has definitely been off, but then, he is a third-line center, with hands of stone. I'm happy that he's contributing secondary scoring. Wasn't really expecting that from him. It really does feel like he's right there, doesn't it? I think the next one may be a dam-breaker for him, which would be "good for him, great for us." Having an amped-up Weiss would do wonders for us.

Well, we did get lucky a number of times. Some really brutal turnovers around our net, one or two or three of which a better team probably would've banked home. But I'll take the two points. I'll definitely take the two points. Bottom line, Monster has found a way to get the job done and Jimmy has struggled to do the same. I dunno if I'd go so far as to say Monster should now be our number one, but he's a much more appealing option than he was at the very beginning of the season, when we all figured he'd get five wins all season. That's nothing but good news. If he gets the start on Wednesday, I'll be fine with the call. He's already handed the Bruins one loss.

Monster was so good for us. The guy's really growing on me.

WE WON A GAME

That was totally a set play, that empty-netter.

Monster is a monster.

Heh, I was thinking the same thing.

Zetterberg is an unholy beast of a hockey player.

We scored there because I made the conscious decision to turn off the TV for the duration of the PP.

He should be up right now, IMHO.