devspage Posted October 30, 2002 Share Posted October 30, 2002 Taking a serious look at what's going on. A. Yes, we've played a lot of non-postseason contenders. But... B. Last year we lost to those teams because we didn't have enough drive. So that looks better, cause there aren't many worse feelings than dropping one to Nashville's backup (even if he IS Elias' friend Vokoun). A. The power play is really sad. B. Get us into a groove on the schedule. I expect the power play to PARTIALLY improve from increase in games. It looks rusty, but it doesn't look like the Penguins last year when it seemed like no one wanted to be out on the ice for one. Me personally, I'd like to change up the PP lines. If Elias is staying with Gomez and Friesen for the time being at full strength, I think put him on the PP with Nieuwy -- someone whose game he knows fairly well. That would be a definite strength. I also don't have the fear of line changes that seems to be prevalent in media. Have they not noticed that the Avs and Wings -- pretty much the two dominant teams in the league do this regularly without batting an eyelash? A. If Elias scores on the breakaway, the game is different. B. This is a quote from Burns. If this is a motivational tool, that's fine by me. If this is what he thinks, maybe the buzzer should have sounded and he should have pulled all the guys off the ice. It was a 2-1 game. Everyone except the injured Guolla, Zyuzin, Albelin and Marty, everyone had a pretty good shot at evening it up for us. The game was not lost. And C. Elias is getting open enough to get chances. Remember how frustrating Mogilny was with his golden scoring chances? Well now, all that's remembered is that he had 40 goals for us. Don't be so quick to want to deal Elias -- who is working pretty hard out there -- for Satan, a fine player on a Buffalo team whose record isn't exactly ours. Elias has scored two clutch game-winners for us in eight games. And you're talking about lack of heart? I see him playing pretty hard out there even in games he's not scoring in, not sure what you are seeing. So D. because I have a lot of points to make here and got off the track in C: Elias is making his opportunities happen. Madden is working very hard and getting his chances. If just one of the other guys does that every game, the scoring picture is markedly different. Again I think all of this comes along as A. the team plays more games so that B. they can jell even more. If they were off the mark perfect at the beginning of the season, it would all be lost or squandered by the time they need in most. Man, I went off on so many tracks that I'm not sure I said what I intended to. Oh well, I'll just do that in responses if need be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted October 30, 2002 Share Posted October 30, 2002 DP, I agree with you on the line change stuff. Other elite teams seem to do this. Trotts has been doing this a little bit also. Not sure if it will have the kind of success Colorado had. Welcome back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted October 30, 2002 Author Share Posted October 30, 2002 Thanks, Dage. Welcome back to your namesake too. If the answer to the Panther woes is cherry-picking, bringing back Dagenais up is their answer! I watch that team and then I look at this team and I don't feel that's as hideous as some. I still enjoy the game. I hope the people here who are disenfranchised by the lack of scoring and all the other problems they're having problems with can still enjoy this team. To paraphrase a friend of mine, they make me smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddDog Posted October 30, 2002 Share Posted October 30, 2002 I watch that team and then I look at this team and I don't feel that's as hideous as some. The only thing hideous right now is the power play!! If they could score more than 3 in every 50 odd tries, I'd be fairly happy, hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted October 30, 2002 Share Posted October 30, 2002 DP, I sort of doubt that. I guess I was wrong about Dage . BTW... the Panthers play hard. Keenan's a genius playing Jokinen on the top line. The Panthers will be good eventually. Huselius could be the Next Elias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#32 Posted October 30, 2002 Share Posted October 30, 2002 Huselius could be the Next Elias. Right now Elias isn't even the next Elias. Was that 90 point plateau he hit 2 years ago a mirage. Is he capable of playing like that again? I thought so, but after last season, last year's playoffs, and the first 8 games, I'm not so sure. Also Nieuwendyk looks really old out there. I hope this is just a slump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted October 30, 2002 Author Share Posted October 30, 2002 Well they WERE playing hard until they stopped playing the other day when the Lightning got a goal. Totally hung Luongo out to dry. I DEF agree about Huselius. I was at the game the other day when he tied it up and then one it single-handedly. Here's what happens with him. He gets the puck, starts up the ice. There's no one to pass it to, so he's forced into taking the shot. Now here's what usually happens with the Panthers on offense. One guy up with the puck carrier. If the pass isn't there, they try it anyway. And it invariably gets broken up. Olli's playing very very hard for Keenan, as he did last year when the change was made. Luongo's one of those goalies that feels every puck by him intensely. I really feel for him. Keenan -- who occasionally rags on him -- even said his team hung him out to dry the other day and they should have worked harder for the guy who played so hard for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted October 30, 2002 Author Share Posted October 30, 2002 Huselius could be the Next Elias. Right now Elias isn't even the next Elias. Was that 90 point plateau he hit 2 years ago a mirage. Is he capable of playing like that again? I thought so, but after last season, last year's playoffs, and the first 8 games, I'm not so sure. Also Nieuwendyk looks really old out there. I hope this is just a slump. I think Elias is very much playing like the next Elias. Sorry if two clutch game-winners in six wins isn't good enough for you. He's working pretty hard out there. With the offense centered around him and D keying on him, he's still managing to get open and get chances. And that's more than I can say for some who don't have as much defensive pressure on him. He's finding out that developing chemistry with Gomez and Friesen is different than it used to be with his old linemates, but I think revelation isn't exactly boring him either. Elias is not our problem. I like Nieuwy off the PK. I know he's faceoff god, but since he's our second threat line, I'd love for him to be more rested and thus more of a threat. But from what I hear of the people seeing him live, they're VERY impressed with how he skates and moves. It looks different to me on TV, but I sure trust live impressions a lot more. With him off the PK, I do think he's motoring and getting chances more. Even developing some sense of being with Brylin and Gionta. If Berglund comes up, I'd like to see him skate with Nieuwy some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nieuwy25 Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Devspage, nice to see you back again! I disagree with taking Nieuwy off the PP. He was a very important part of the Dallas PP & he was always in front of the net, ready to tip shots or bury rebounds, and I'd like to see him used that way in NJ. Being hard to move from the front of the net has always been one of his strengths, but he doesn't seem to spend as much time there under Burns' system. It seems to me that Burns likes to put his regular lines out there for the PP, is that right? As far as the PK, I don't think it's important for him to be on it, except maybe to take a faceoff here & there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamode Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Other elite teams seem to do this. Trotts has been doing this a little bit also. This is a contradictory statement: Elite teams and Trotts (/Rags) do not belong in the same sentence together. You get an F PP is my only gripe right now, it needs work and now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devspage Posted November 1, 2002 Author Share Posted November 1, 2002 No, I don't want to take Nieuwy off the PP. I want him ON the PP. Just a typo... that I'm gonna go fix. I'd like for Burns to vary up the PP and not run regular lines and put Elias with Nieuwy on it. It's the PK I'd rather see him rested. We've had a solid PK for quite a few years and save one of our important PKers in the box, I'd like to see him rested up for important second line and PP duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 This is a contradictory statement: Elite teams and Trotts (/Rags) do not belong in the same sentence together. You get an FSounds like someone had a little too much pumpkin pie yesterday . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamboni Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Wha? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Wha? ...yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamode Posted November 1, 2002 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Sounds like someone had a little too much pumpkin pie yesterday Wha is right, Zamboni. No use arguing this one, Derek, there is no one on this board who will refute my grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamode Posted November 2, 2002 Share Posted November 2, 2002 Glad to see you admit it finally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted November 2, 2002 Share Posted November 2, 2002 I guess you're right Zammie. I shouldn't watch the rest of the season. It's over already. Trottier is awful in your book and everyone else's here. I'm going to borrow this from PK because it applies here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.