GAME DAY: Atlanta Thrashers @ Ottawa Senators - 7:30pm ET - TUE. Nov. 9, 2010

Big Ev wrote:Atlanta's not in a playuoff spot right now, and they are not making the playoffs at the end of the year...they're only .500 right now.

By that logic, if the senators beat pittsburgh, then its not really anything to be excited about since PIttsburgh is out of the playoffs.

Atlanta is a good team. They got their struggles right now, but many teams go through it (including your beloved penguins....no hiding this ) but the sens have been playing well and getting better, so there's hope yet.

EDIT: and I agree with SpezzD, Atlanta will make some noise in the EAst, which apparently doesn't require much since 11/15 teams are bubble teams anyways.

Big Ev wrote:

TheAvatar wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Spezza and the rest of the team have been looking good against bad teams (except Montreal0. The next stretch of games is gonna be the true test for them. They looked like crap against a contender like Boston.

Aren't you a frickin' ray of sunshine

So would you be fine if all this team did was beat up on non-playoff teams and lose to the good teams?

Again, not everything has to be rainbows and puppy dogs when it comes to the team you cheer for.

I hope we play well against the top teams soon...hopefully we have enough confidence to put up a fight.

It's not what you said as much as how you said it. Basically, the way you said it implies that their current string means nothing because they've played sh!t teams and they play like crap when facing a good team. I wonder why you bother with this team. Maybe you're just hoping they'll be crap to justify your earlier position that it was time to blow it to pieces and trade everyone except for a few guys.

TheAvatar wrote:

Big Ev wrote:

TheAvatar wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Spezza and the rest of the team have been looking good against bad teams (except Montreal0. The next stretch of games is gonna be the true test for them. They looked like crap against a contender like Boston.

Aren't you a frickin' ray of sunshine

So would you be fine if all this team did was beat up on non-playoff teams and lose to the good teams?

Again, not everything has to be rainbows and puppy dogs when it comes to the team you cheer for.

I hope we play well against the top teams soon...hopefully we have enough confidence to put up a fight.

It's not what you said as much as how you said it. Basically, the way you said it implies that their current string means nothing because they've played sh!t teams and they play like crap when facing a good team. I wonder why you bother with this team. Maybe you're just hoping they'll be crap to justify your earlier position that it was time to blow it to pieces and trade everyone except for a few guys.

Right, I can't be fan if I am ever negative towards the team

I never said it was time to blow it to pieces...even with this winning streak there is still a lot of work to be done, and there is still a ton of dead weight on the roster. Do you honestly think they are a contending team this season?

How is it not fair to say that we have only really beaten the average to bad teams this season? It's fact. Until they start beating grate teams then they are pretenders...sorry, it's just the truth. I'm pulling for them every step of the way.

Michallica wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Atlanta's not in a playuoff spot right now, and they are not making the playoffs at the end of the year...they're only .500 right now.

By that logic, if the senators beat pittsburgh, then its not really anything to be excited about since PIttsburgh is out of the playoffs.

Atlanta is a good team. They got their struggles right now, but many teams go through it (including your beloved penguins....no hiding this ) but the sens have been playing well and getting better, so there's hope yet.

EDIT: and I agree with SpezzD, Atlanta will make some noise in the EAst, which apparently doesn't require much since 11/15 teams are bubble teams anyways.

What are you basing this on? Atlanta's a decent tream but they aren't much better than they were last season. If they finish 8th is that really "making noise"?

TheAvatar wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Spezza and the rest of the team have been looking good against bad teams (except Montreal0. The next stretch of games is gonna be the true test for them. They looked like crap against a contender like Boston.

Aren't you a frickin' ray of sunshine

Think back to that game, though. They outplayed Boston for half a game but Thomas was stoning everyone back then. If they had the Thomas who got yanked recently it would have been 4-0 Sens before Boston had a goal -- assuming they didn't fold up the tent by that point.

So you can't say they looked like crap because, well, they didn't.

wprager wrote:

TheAvatar wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Spezza and the rest of the team have been looking good against bad teams (except Montreal0. The next stretch of games is gonna be the true test for them. They looked like crap against a contender like Boston.

Aren't you a frickin' ray of sunshine

Think back to that game, though. They outplayed Boston for half a game but Thomas was stoning everyone back then. If they had the Thomas who got yanked recently it would have been 4-0 Sens before Boston had a goal -- assuming they didn't fold up the tent by that point.

So you can't say they looked like crap because, well, they didn't.

Thomas didn't even need to make any big saves in that game...I really don't see how you think we outplayed them. Spezza was invisible in that game.

Umm, maybe we watched a different game. First period they were all over them.

Anyhow, let's also not forget a couple of things:

1. This team has not yet been healthy. Kuba (#1 in minutes per game last year) has not played a shift yet. Spezza has missed almost half the games, Michalek a third. Alfie is borderline IR, along with Fisher. Leclaire, well. he's not the #1 anymore so who cares. Another team in a similar situation is the Penguins -- surely you say they are a contender, yet they are playing .500 right now.

2. Major overhaul on the backend. Only the third pairing is the same as last year. Kalrsson has had 4 partners. Phillips is playing with Gonchar, who is the Anti-Volchenkov. I would say their last 6 games is more indicative of what we could expect the rest of the season than the first 6 games.

We are still waiting for Regin and Foligno to start contributing (goals), and for Fisher and Michalek to start earning their salaries. And, some may not agree with me, but I feel better with Elliott as the #1 and Leclaire as back up. Streaky and all.

Don't bother arguing with BigEd. His point of view is that he wants to be diametrically opposed to "rainbow-seeing fans" and he chooses to point out everything that is wrong with the team instead of focusing on some of the good things that the team has done.

It's clear to me when he says that "Thomas didn't even need to make any big saves in that game". He's just being argumentative.

Maybe we here are biaised for the team but I think BigEd is going to the extreme opposite.

I certainly do not think that the team is perfect and I agree that there is a lot of work left to do; there are still things that we have done right and there is still noticeable improvement ...

On the question of whether we're a cup contender; I'm certainly not convinced that we are but if we keep playing well and leverage the successes that we have had against albeit weaker (perhaps not top tier) teams; who knows how far we can go?

We should not write ourselves off just yet ...

That BigEd sure is a toolbag

Anyway, I'm not trying to be argumentative...we're all on the same side here.

As for the Thomas comment, I watched that entire game and he didn't need to be at his best. They got the lead and then played the trap, helping him out a lot and limiting the amount of quality scoring chances we got.

Big Ev wrote:

Michallica wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Atlanta's not in a playuoff spot right now, and they are not making the playoffs at the end of the year...they're only .500 right now.

By that logic, if the senators beat pittsburgh, then its not really anything to be excited about since PIttsburgh is out of the playoffs.

Atlanta is a good team. They got their struggles right now, but many teams go through it (including your beloved penguins....no hiding this ) but the sens have been playing well and getting better, so there's hope yet.

EDIT: and I agree with SpezzD, Atlanta will make some noise in the EAst, which apparently doesn't require much since 11/15 teams are bubble teams anyways.

What are you basing this on? Atlanta's a decent tream but they aren't much better than they were last season. If they finish 8th is that really "making noise"?

I'm basing this on a better team structure they'll have going, plus hopefully improvements from Bogosian and Kane. If they avoid injuries, they can be contending for a playoff spot. and interpret 'making noise' whatever way you want, all I mean is that teams will learn not to take them lightly. They also got some nice pieces in the Kovalchuk trade, plus tons of experience in Byfuglien and Ladd, etc. They got a pretty good team, I won't say they're elite obviously but they're no walk in the park. ODUYA BELIEVE IN THEM NOWWW??!!

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I loved everything about that Cussing game.

I didn't like that holding call on Campoli

Sens have 2 of the NHL's top-12 scoring defensemen. Karlsson has more assists than Hedman has points. Yes, I'm still keeping score

It ain't a GDT without PRages' officiating love

SpezDispenser wrote:I also think the appropriate question right now is:

What the hell was Pittsburgh thinking letting a legend like Gonchar go?

Best team in the league in points by defensemen, I don't think they're complaining.

marakh wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I also think the appropriate question right now is:

What the hell was Pittsburgh thinking letting a legend like Gonchar go?

Best team in the league in points by defensemen, I don't think they're complaining.

I really think they're suffering without his presence on the back end - let alone the points, it's the locker room presence, the leadership, the solid play, the calmness - it's literally a hundred different things that a legend and future HOFer brings to a team, especially a relatively young blue line.

Suffering? Not sure. They did lose veteran leadership in Gonchar and Guerin. But the biggest problem has been MAF's play and Staal's injuries.

wprager wrote:Suffering? Not sure. They did lose veteran leadership in Gonchar and Guerin. But the biggest problem has been MAF's play and Staal's injuries.

Also, I have no idea why they wouldn't play Malkin at centre.

marakh wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I also think the appropriate question right now is:

What the hell was Pittsburgh thinking letting a legend like Gonchar go?

Best team in the league in points by defensemen, I don't think they're complaining.

Because no one else (except Sid) is scoring on that team.