GAME DAY #14: Sens @ Hurricanes - 7:00pm - Saturday Nov. 7 2015

I couldn't care less about the amount of shots given up. I'd rather that than play a boring defensive style. And we will obviously make a trade or two if we're in a prime playoff spot in the weeks to come.

Weird game. A lot of guys played well. Wiercioch had more poise and jump than usual (wonder why). Chiasson was solid. Top line was good until Lazar was added. What a slap in the face to Prince who was working his butt off.

It's time for the prince experiment to end. Bring up Lindberg or Paul.

Enough with experiments altogether. Trades please. Lots of trades.

Ya prince isn't doing us any favours on the top line. You can tell he's trying to make the plays but he's missing on solid opportunities because of it. Can't remember which period but he had a solid chance to score but he just passed it to another player who was covered by other players and it was just terrible.
Needs to play on the 3rd line I would say where he might get some confidence before thrust on the top 2 lines.

I don't see what trades you guys keep talking about. Doesn't seem like any teams out there are making any moves.

Prince showed some promise. Whatever confidence he might have developed over 2 or 3 games we'll never know because he didn't even get to play 1 because of Camerons fixation on Lazar who did nothing as usual.

We're still not playing close to our best hockey. These points will be important in the long run.

SpezDispensed wrote:We're still not playing close to our best hockey.  These points will be important in the long run.

No we are not. Not by a long shot and that's what is scary but in a bad way. Why aren't we playing better hockey? The forwards are doing ok but the back end is a mess. Even Karlsson seems to be missing a step half the time.
We have once top pairing and then it's meh. Ceci was playing better hockey until he got injured.
We need a top 4 Dman and I know they aren't the easiest thing to trade for it might be time to bite the bullet and slightly overpay for one because that's what has to happen.
It sucks to overpay but usually best player traded usually the player that wins the trade.

Flo The Action wrote:

SpezDispensed wrote:We're still not playing close to our best hockey.  These points will be important in the long run.

No we are not. Not by a long shot and that's what is scary but in a bad way. Why aren't we playing better hockey? The forwards are doing ok but the back end is a mess. Even Karlsson seems to be missing a step half the time.
We have once top pairing and then it's meh. Ceci was playing better hockey until he got injured.
We need a top 4 Dman and I know they aren't the easiest thing to trade for it might be time to bite the bullet and slightly overpay for one because that's what has to happen.
It sucks to overpay but usually best player traded usually the player that wins the trade.

We need one, yeah, but we need to approach very cautiously. The price on a legitimate number 3 D-man to go with Ceci will be astronomical, and really, who's even out there?

The guy I thought would be perfect, even if he was a righty was Petry, but the Canadiens got him, so what can we do?

If Murray has left you with these guys, then you need to continue to work with them. That goes doubly for Cowen (who has looked pretty good this year) and Wiercioch (who has not).

Work, work, work. In the meantime though, one of these guys should be coming out every game and Wideman should be playing at the NHL level. He's such a better option than Wiercioch right now. Weird scenario to be in...you need Wiercioch to play, but Wideman might be legitimately better (we won't know until we play Wideman more than 2 games in a row).

SpezDispensed wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:

SpezDispensed wrote:We're still not playing close to our best hockey.  These points will be important in the long run.

No we are not. Not by a long shot and that's what is scary but in a bad way. Why aren't we playing better hockey? The forwards are doing ok but the back end is a mess. Even Karlsson seems to be missing a step half the time.
We have once top pairing and then it's meh. Ceci was playing better hockey until he got injured.
We need a top 4 Dman and I know they aren't the easiest thing to trade for it might be time to bite the bullet and slightly overpay for one because that's what has to happen.
It sucks to overpay but usually best player traded usually the player that wins the trade.

We need one, yeah, but we need to approach very cautiously.  The price on a legitimate number 3 D-man to go with Ceci will be astronomical, and really, who's even out there?  

The guy I thought would be perfect, even if he was a righty was Petry, but the Canadiens got him, so what can we do?

If Murray has left you with these guys, then you need to continue to work with them.  That goes doubly for Cowen (who has looked pretty good this year) and Wiercioch (who has not).  

Work, work, work. In the meantime though, one of these guys should be coming out every game and Wideman should be playing at the NHL level.  He's such a better option than Wiercioch right now.  Weird scenario to be in...you need Wiercioch to play, but Wideman might be legitimately better (we won't know until we play Wideman more than 2 games in a row).

You need Wiercioch to play and Wideman is better than Ceci. Nothing weird or complicated. Cecsit Ceci or Cecsend him to Bingo.

You really cannot say Wideman is playing better than Wiercioch. PW is playing second pairing. Wideman on his natural side is better than Boro on his wrong side.  Boro played a few shifts with Karlsson last night.  Why???!

Alternate Cowen and Wiercioch.  Play Boro and Wideman as the third pairing.

"Karls" Karlsson needs to get his act together too. He needs to be the best player on the ice almost 100 percent of the time and last night he was nowhere near that.

But having Ceci on the shelf is a huge step forward for sure. Hopefully he's out for awhile and the season can be saved.

Fowler's name was out there but with the ducks recently winning that might take him out. But that's a guy that you should of maybe thought to overpay for.

Apart from that yeah, it's not obvious landing a top 3 Dman. That's why you have to offer up maybe more than you should. Unfortunately many of the bottom dwelling teams right now are in lack of defence so it doesn't really help.

Flo The Action wrote:Fowler's name was out there but with the ducks recently winning that might take him out. But that's a guy that you should of maybe thought to overpay for.

Apart from that yeah, it's not obvious landing a top 3 Dman. That's why you have to offer up maybe more than you should. Unfortunately many of the bottom dwelling teams right now are in lack of defence so it doesn't really help.

Wouldn't take a star D-Man to improve what we have and one can be had cheap from a cost cutting team. No need to worry about "overpaying."

I maybe you approach philly about mark streit. He's got another year remaining after this one and philly is trying to get rid of some guys on the back end. Problem is they might not want a DMan back Ina deal. But maybe.
Offer up cowen or weir and whoever isn't traded can patrol the bottom pairing. Obviously might have to add to that deal like a 2nd rounder or a 3-4rth plus a prospect.

Streit might be good for Ceci.

Not sure I'd do anything right now. Team is really young and we're still doing well. Wideman is a big wildcard IMO. He can move the puck, he's not losing puck battles. If I was wiercioch, I'd be nervous right now.

Right now Borowiecki is playing the right side on the bottom pairing. Unless you are suggesting that Wideman would slot in on this wrong side on the 2nd pairing, or that Boro would be promoted to the 2nd pairing, I don't see Wideman as being a threat to Wericioch.

Personally, as much as I like what Boro brings, he is dragging down that pairing. What's worse, Cameron seems to think that Cowen/Boro is our first PK unit. He needs to get his front end out of his rear end and realize that Methot must be the first pairing anchor. And our best bet as the right-side in that pairing is Ceci. The second PK unit should start with Cowen on the left side. The right side should be a rotation of Karlsson/Boro/Wideman. If we are not getting a lot of PPs then Karlsson needs that TOI to keep his legs fresh, and it also reduces Boro's exposure. Boro is great when the team is ahead but I'd prefer to reduce his ice time when the team is behind.

Another possibility is to play 7D and use Boro to sub in on the 4th line.

Because I think Cameron would put cowen with Ceci and then move boro to his correct side and play wideman with him.