11/4 Shouting Fire in a Half-Empty Theater GDT - Predators @ Red Wings - 7:30 PM EST

[gcom007 1,465]

Osgood trying not to laugh at Mick’s pseudo-optimism. Can barely hold it together. It’s like he wants to say, “Mick, it’s ******* embarrassing.”

Edit: do we have to have profanity bleeped in a season like this? It’s painful. We need all our angry words. 

Edited November 5, 2019 by gcom007

[xault 272]

I can't say I've never messed a game. But since 2002-2003 I've watch at least 75-80% plus of every season since. This is the first time ever, I've had any though of spending my free time doing something else.

[gcom007 1,465]

Oh HSJ dropping the Blash hot seat questions like she’s a serious reporter. 

And Mick incredulous of just how ******* embarrassing this team actually is. I admire the heart, but goodness, what’s happening here is bigger than a few adjustments. This is a bonafide disaster of a start and it’s looking like best case scenario is riding the 2019 tank all the way to the 2020 draft. 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

Ah buh bye Blash

[chaps80 1,591]

Jimmy-4 goals on 15 shots. Bernier-2 goals on 11 shots. Can they shake something up here already, or are they just gonna keep rolling with this?

[marcaractac 3,962]

I'm over here happily riding the tank train. We need a Lafreniere-level prospect, and we will not contend until we get one. 

[F.Michael 4,590]

20 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Goal differentials:

.......
25. Ottawa -11
26. New Jersey -14
27. Columbus -16
28. Minnesota -16
29. Los Angeles -19
30. San Jose -20
31. Detroit -24

10 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

I'm over here happily riding the tank train. We need a Lafreniere-level prospect, and we will not contend until we get one. 

This tank train is also ablaze...

[marcaractac 3,962]

4 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

 

This tank train is also ablaze...

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

9 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Ah buh bye Blash

Yeah. They better not replace him with Dan BileSmegma. Pretty sure that's the only way this team would be less enjoyable to follow for the rest of the season for me. 

[Dabura 12,207]

1 hour ago, marcaractac said:

I'm over here happily riding the tank train. We need a Lafreniere-level prospect, and we will not contend until we get one. 

Sure. But the team needs to be learning good habits, learning how to be a good team. Playing good hockey, even if the wins aren't there. Otherwise, we become the Oilers.

There's respectable losing...and there's what this team is doing.

Edited November 5, 2019 by Dabura

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

41 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Sure. But the team needs to be learning good habits, learning how to be a good team. Playing good hockey, even if the wins aren't there. Otherwise, we become the Oilers.

There's respectable losing...and there's what this team is doing.

Yeah. And it seemed like that was sort of how they were tracking/trending last season. So what the actual f*** happened? My first guess is they're not getting the same level of goal tending they got from Howard last year for starters. My second guess is they've stopped listening to the three bald f***ers behind the bench.

[marcaractac 3,962]

It's a combination of s***ty goaltending and regressing old players. The roster has gotten worse. Without younger players stepping in and making an immediate impact, this is how it's gonna be for a while. All teams have to do is shut down the top line and they can have their way with the rest of the team. A new coach won't fix this. 

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

And they obviously miss Glendenning too. 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

I think we're witnessing this team for the first time without a Dad. Kronwall was old and slow, but at least he was a solid step-dad since Z left and could keep the household running. Now we're in a home alone type situation. Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Hronek are providing for themselves but the rest of the team is lost. It's telling, and probably a good thing, Larkin hasn't been named captain yet.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

When Blash pretends like he's my dad

[marcaractac 3,962]

1 hour ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

And they obviously miss Glendenning too. 

Also this, yes. disney.com has been crucial in helping keep games competitive. 

[Dabura 12,207]

2 hours ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Yeah. And it seemed like that was sort of how they were tracking/trending last season. So what the actual f*** happened? My first guess is they're not getting the same level of goal tending they got from Howard last year for starters. My second guess is they've stopped listening to the three bald f***ers behind the bench.

2 hours ago, marcaractac said:

It's a combination of s***ty goaltending and regressing old players. The roster has gotten worse. Without younger players stepping in and making an immediate impact, this is how it's gonna be for a while. All teams have to do is shut down the top line and they can have their way with the rest of the team. A new coach won't fix this. 

Honestly, I doubt this is a Blashill problem. I doubt the players have tuned him out. If he's mostly being judged on the development of our top young players, well, all of Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Hronek are performing as well as if not better than anyone could reasonably ask them to. Hronek's on a 40-point pace on a team that can't score goals. That's insane -- and, importantly, it looks like it's sustainable, as he scored at the same rate last season.

The argument can be made that the aforementioned young players are good enough that they'd be performing like this with anyone behind the bench. Maybe there's some truth to that. But, realistically, Blashill getting fired before the end of the season means we get Bylsma as interim head coach. (Blah.) Yzerman isn't going to bring in a new head coach during the season; it'd be done in the offseason.

There's also the fact that Yzerman looked at a team that everyone knew was garbage and decided he wasn't going to give them any serious help. So Yzerman very much owns the results of the roster that he himself ok'd, and I'm sure he fully understands that. With that in mind, I figure he's going to try to make another, slightly bigger trade between now and US Thanksgiving. I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

1 hour ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I think we're witnessing this team for the first time without a Dad. Kronwall was old and slow, but at least he was a solid step-dad since Z left and could keep the household running. Now we're in a home alone type situation. Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Hronek are providing for themselves but the rest of the team is lost. It's telling, and probably a good thing, Larkin hasn't been named captain yet.

Yup. We lost Zetterberg and Kronwall in the span of one season. This is why I was ok with Larkin not being named captain; it's a burden he doesn't need to be carrying right now. He already has more than enough on his plate.

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

7 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Honestly, I doubt this is a Blashill problem. I doubt the players have tuned him out. If he's mostly being judged on the development of our top young players, well, all of Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Hronek are performing as well as if not better than anyone could reasonably ask them to. Hronek's on a 40-point pace on a team that can't score goals. That's insane -- and, importantly, it looks like it's sustainable, as he scored at the same rate last season.

The argument can be made that the aforementioned young players are good enough that they'd be performing like this with anyone behind the bench. Maybe there's some truth to that. But, realistically, Blashill getting fired before the end of the season means we get Bylsma as interim head coach. (Blah.) Yzerman isn't going to bring in a new head coach during the season; it'd be done in the offseason.

There's also the fact that Yzerman looked at a team that everyone knew was garbage and decided he wasn't going to give them any serious help. So Yzerman very much owns the results of the roster that he himself ok'd, and I'm sure he fully understands that. With that in mind, I figure he's going to try to make another, slightly bigger trade between now and US Thanksgiving. I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

This is a very thought out response that has no home in my Rage Brain right now. 

[Dabura 12,207]

2 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

This is a very thought out response that has no home in my Rage Brain right now. 

I feel ya, man. Believe me. I feel ya.

[Dabura 12,207]

11 minutes ago, Dabura said:

I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

Dunno that it is in fact a thing. But, for reference...

(Translation: "Interested in Puljujärvi? IL: Steve Yzerman travels to the Karelia tournament")

[marcaractac 3,962]

18 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Honestly, I doubt this is a Blashill problem. I doubt the players have tuned him out. If he's mostly being judged on the development of our top young players, well, all of Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Hronek are performing as well as if not better than anyone could reasonably ask them to. Hronek's on a 40-point pace on a team that can't score goals. That's insane -- and, importantly, it looks like it's sustainable, as he scored at the same rate last season.

The argument can be made that the aforementioned young players are good enough that they'd be performing like this with anyone behind the bench. Maybe there's some truth to that. But, realistically, Blashill getting fired before the end of the season means we get Bylsma as interim head coach. (Blah.) Yzerman isn't going to bring in a new head coach during the season; it'd be done in the offseason.

There's also the fact that Yzerman looked at a team that everyone knew was garbage and decided he wasn't going to give them any serious help. So Yzerman very much owns the results of the roster that he himself ok'd, and I'm sure he fully understands that. With that in mind, I figure he's going to try to make another, slightly bigger trade between now and US Thanksgiving. I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

Yup. We lost Zetterberg and Kronwall in the span of one season. This is why I was ok with Larkin not being named captain; it's a burden he doesn't need to be carrying right now. He already has more than enough on his plate.

This losing has gone on long enough now that it certainly feels like Yzerman is planning on leaving things as is. Gotta agree with pretty well everything said here. Even the players have been sticking up for Blash in interviews. The veterans on this team have been awful. Without leadership, this is what happens. disney.com is all we have left for veteran leadership that can contribute. 

If there was any urgency to fix this right now, we'd probably see moves like a Seider call up. Instead, Hicketts gets the call, which is the right move as Stevie is clearly using this season to see what we have. Got to imagine we start seeing bigger changes this summer by trimming lots dead weight and bringing in a reliable vet or two. It is then we'll revert back to being a competitive bad team on the right track instead of an awful one. 

[AtlantaHotWings 983]

But on the whole Puljujarvi thing its a Euro Hockey tourney so any of our picks playing in it? That would make sense why Stevie would be there

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

31 minutes ago, Dabura said:

There's also the fact that Yzerman looked at a team that everyone knew was garbage and decided he wasn't going to give them any serious help. So Yzerman very much owns the results of the roster that he himself ok'd, and I'm sure he fully understands that. With that in mind, I figure he's going to try to make another, slightly bigger trade between now and US Thanksgiving. I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

I just want to point out to those who said/say in the off-season nO FrEeAGeNtS lEt dA KEeDz pLaY, imagine this team without Nemeth + Filppula + Erne + Biega + Perlini right now. Not only would we still be a raging dumpster fire, we'd be destroying the confidence of very young prospects as well. Better to let stop gaps players endure this pain. This is why stop gaps are necessary.

37 minutes ago, Dabura said:

With that in mind, I figure he's going to try to make another, slightly bigger trade between now and US Thanksgiving. I saw something about him scouting Puljujarvi in person...? Maybe that's a thing.

I fully expect and demand my monthly Yzerman trade. It's the only thing distracting me from the travesty of Seider not being on this roster.

10 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Dunno that it is in fact a thing. But, for reference...

(Translation: "Interested in Puljujärvi? IL: Steve Yzerman travels to the Karelia tournament")

Oh dang I had heard through the grapevine Holland was headed to Finland, but didn't know about Stevie.

A few months ago I woulda scoffed at trading for poolparty. Right now I really dont care. Do AA for pulju straight up, f*** it.

[krsmith17 7,191]

14 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Oh dang I had heard through the grapevine Holland was headed to Finland, but didn't know about Stevie.

A few months ago I woulda scoffed at trading for poolparty. Right now I really dont care. Do AA for pulju straight up, f*** it.

I'm not sure if I'd trade Athanasiou straight up for Puljujarvi, but maybe. Definitely worth considering. But yeah, Puljujarvi is and has been a player I've been interested in acquiring for some time now. He's a very skilled player that just couldn't put it all together in Edmonton. Maybe a change of scenery and a team that could slot him in the top six immediately would get him back on track. Over a point per game (20 points in 18 games) in the Liiga, as a 21 year old isn't anything to scoff at. He could definitely be a useful piece to this team's rebuild.

[marcaractac 3,962]

Puljujarvi > Zadina confirmed