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NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

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Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

ScoobyDoo said:
That's interesting because that's just not true of the players they have in the lineup.

Nino is good on the boards.
Coyle should be good on the boards.
Staal is good on the boards.
White's numbers are that he's a puck monster. That's why they wanted him.
Hanzal was picked up for this very reason.
Suter is a machine at taking puck's away and keeping pucks. Horrible game yesterday by the way.
Parise can play with less space than anyone in the league. He doesn't score unless he's in a phone booth.
Koivu is good on the boards.

I'm not buying that they're not big enough or not physical enough. Just not. I heard this from someone over text all day during the game yesterday. It's bunk. They stopped skating. I saw one of St. Louis' Lumbering Rhino's beat the Wild's two speedy defensemen to the puck yesterday. Brodziak on Friday beat out an icing against the Wild's speed.

The Wild got lazy and stopped skating. Watch Pittsburgh play playoff hockey. They fly all over the place. That's how you beat slow big teams that clog the middle.
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Yeah, that analysis had me scratching my head as well--weak along the boards? Their cycle game throughout the season was pretty good, IMO. It's not like the Wild are totally unable to deal with the style of play that they're being forced into. They're generating plenty of offensive opportunities (more so than St Louis, I think). It's just that they're either bumbling those opportunities away before they fully materialize (saw this a lot yesterday) or they're simply unable to finish (two wrap around opportunities yesterday where Allen is easily beaten to the post, but both Zucker and Staal failed to bury them). St Louis is finishing a much higher percentage of their chances--some of it is inferior goal tending and some of it is superior shooting. Taken together, you have a quick series and impending tee times.

Edit: It's possible I'm giving the Wild too much credit when observing that they're generating more opportunities than St Louis. St Louis seems content to sit back even early in the game when they have a lead. So it's more relevant to only consider how they compare when the game is tied or when the Wild have the le...when the game is tied. In that case, it's probably been more even.
 
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Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

There have been long stretches in all three games so far where Minnesota has just outclassed the Blues, but they were stopped by either great saves or failure to finish (see the two wraparounds shoved into the post last game). If Minnesota converted the same percentage of their chances that the Blues have managed to, the series would probably be 3-0 the other way. That said, the times the Wild have really pushed play, they were trailing.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

The third period of Leafs-Caps was ridiculously good. Leafs!!!

Crap call against the B's in OT.

I guess I have to watch the scoreless wonders now.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Canada is having a hell of a night so far.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

That's 7 periods without a goal. None. Zippo. Nadda. Nothing. Goose-egg. Zero.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Deutsche Gopher Fan said:
Canada is having a hell of a night so far.
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Assuming the Islanders' price for their 4 Cups is a full century of futility (and if so I pay it gladly), I would like nothing better than to see Canada sweep all the remaining Cups in Bettman's lifetime. Extra credit if every one of those Cups is MTL or TOR, and no post-1990 franchise or relocation makes another final ever.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

So that's what offense looks like, eh?

Also, Calgary isn't messing around tonight.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Kepler said:
I would like nothing better than to see Canada sweep all the remaining Cups in Bettman's lifetime. Extra credit if every one of those Cups is MTL or TOR, and no post-1990 franchise or relocation makes another final ever.
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I hate Betts, but you shut your godd*amn dirty mouth!

I'm OK with either EDM or WPG winning the Cup (I know WPG missed this year, again, as usual). They're like 'all grown up' versions of Houghton, especially the 'Peg.
 
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Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

FadeToBlack&Gold said:
I hate Betts, but you shut your godd*amn dirty mouth!

I'm OK with either EDM or WPG winning the Cup (I know WPG missed this year, again, as usual). They're like 'all grown up' versions of Houghton, especially the 'Peg.
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Wouldn't mind Calgary winning, my favorite LPer is from Calgary (ProtonJon.)
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Things going as expected so far. CHI and MN looking to end their series in 4 games. Just like we all thought in February.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Can't wait till game 3 to start caring. The Hawks have gotten away with it many times over this run but they are getting older and slower by the year.

They're simply not good enough anymore to give away games in a series and still recover.


At least a Preds/Blues series should be an entertaining brand of hockey. :rolleyes:


If you're into neutral zone clusterf_ck hockey.

That's the sad part. A Wild/Hawks series would have been great. Actual hockey with flow and transition. Who would want that?

Nah... the refs should just let them play.

/semi-rant coz ultimately it's still on the Hawks for not being ready to go game 1.



Glass half full?

Win Thursday and then at home and all the pressure falls on the Preds to closeout in game 6.


Glass empty?

As I said, the Hawks look old and slow and the new blood that looked good in the regular season probably needs to fail in the playoffs in order to fully understand what they need to bring next time.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Going to bed after the second period is the best decision I'll make all week.
 
Re: NHL 2016.1 -- Anyone have a Laine on a new Auston?

Fine post from beginning to end. It is going to take quite a while to fully process this season, at least for me. But you've identified several major factors:

Gurtholfin said:
Can't wait till game 3 to start caring. The Hawks have gotten away with it many times over this run but they are getting older and slower by the year.

They're simply not good enough anymore to give away games in a series and still recover.
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Agreed.

I would add that it can take a few games for an offense to solve a defense; and that's a story we've seen multiple times over the years. But in this series we're experiencing a deficit in terms of hunger & motivation -- no question about it.


At least a Preds/Blues series should be an entertaining brand of hockey. :rolleyes:


If you're into neutral zone clusterf_ck hockey.

That's the sad part. A Wild/Hawks series would have been great. Actual hockey with flow and transition. Who would want that?
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Me.:o

Have to admit I'm also guilty of looking ahead, and discouraged by the prospect of a pair of "defense first" teams meeting in the next round. That's a disappointment that goes beyond rooting interest. Don't mean to disrespect the Preds or the Blues for what they're (apparently) about to accomplish. But for my personal viewing, I'll probably be checking out the other divisions. Or maybe getting an earlier than usual start on MLB.

Nah... the refs should just let them play.

/semi-rant coz ultimately it's still on the Hawks for not being ready to go game 1.
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The officiating has been consistent. But it's also been just different enough from the regular season that it may be tipping the balance of power from offense to defense. At least in a close match-up.


Glass half full?

Win Thursday and then at home and all the pressure falls on the Preds to closeout in game 6.
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That will certainly be my mindset going into Game 4. I'm not quitting on the team; I'm in until the bitter end. Yes, objectivity requires an admission that I expect the end to be earlier and more bitter than usual. But getting to Game 6 is not a mission impossible.


Glass empty?

As I said, the Hawks look old and slow and the new blood that looked good in the regular season probably needs to fail in the playoffs in order to fully understand what they need to bring next time.
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We're less deep at forward than we've grown accustomed to, and part of that is indeed due to inexperience. Learning a few lessons from the school of hard knocks may well be in order. And that's actually a glass half full argument for 2018 and beyond.

As for the aging thing, remember back to 2015? How that was our last best chance to win a Cup because of the aging core, and the next round of salary cap hits? Well, here we are 2 two years later, with our high expectations very much intact.:)

I dunno. Maybe we spent a little too much energy chasing the top seed in the West. Maybe we got a little too satisfied after accomplishing that objective. Or, maybe we've just slipped back into the pack due to key players being two years older and a step slower. Like I said up front, this one is going to take a long time to process.
 
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