Which top 6 will Brian Murray target?

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:I'm not so sure I like the Mez/Smith pairing (with all respect to Murray). Didn't Mez have his best year paired with Volchenkov?

I agree, though, that the defense is starting to look fairly solid. Even Montreal's touted PP doesn't look so fearsome with these guys on the blue line, and with what I expect the forwards to do under Hartsburgh.

We gotta get Mez signed...then the world will be a happier place again...

The scary thing about a Smith/Mez pairing, is that Smith gives the puck away a lot. Like top of the league a lot I think. Risky leaning on Mez to clean up some of those giveaways. But, I guess on the other hand, Smith is the achor to that pairing and will allow Mez to be creative out of the zone.

He only had 33 giveaways last year. He wasn't even close to tops on his own team, let alone the whole league.

Acrobat wrote:I'm not so sure I like the Mez/Smith pairing (with all respect to Murray). Didn't Mez have his best year paired with Volchenkov?

I agree, though, that the defense is starting to look fairly solid. Even Montreal's touted PP doesn't look so fearsome with these guys on the blue line, and with what I expect the forwards to do under Hartsburgh.

We gotta get Mez signed...then the world will be a happier place again...

His best year was his rookie year. I can't remember that far back (age, I guess, what was I saying?) but I dout that they would have had a rookie and a sophomore (Volchenkov had 76 games over two seasons heading into Meszaros' rookie year) paired up. I'm pretty sure he was paired up with Phillips.

Whatever, you can also say that his best year was when he *wasn't* paired up with Reddden 8) .

I'd love the idea of Meszaros learning how to play tough with Smith. Even though we're fond of saying that he got 100+ hits and 100+ blocked shots last year, in his first season he had 128 hits and 124 blocked shots (3rd on the team in both categories). He's dropped off fairly significnatly since then, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he was playing with Ringo (whose blocked shots usually result from stick checks).

PKC wrote:

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:I'm not so sure I like the Mez/Smith pairing (with all respect to Murray). Didn't Mez have his best year paired with Volchenkov?

I agree, though, that the defense is starting to look fairly solid. Even Montreal's touted PP doesn't look so fearsome with these guys on the blue line, and with what I expect the forwards to do under Hartsburgh.

We gotta get Mez signed...then the world will be a happier place again...

The scary thing about a Smith/Mez pairing, is that Smith gives the puck away a lot. Like top of the league a lot I think. Risky leaning on Mez to clean up some of those giveaways. But, I guess on the other hand, Smith is the achor to that pairing and will allow Mez to be creative out of the zone.

He only had 33 giveaways last year. He wasn't even close to tops on his own team, let alone the whole league.

Jason Smith? I thought he was 3rd in the league in giveaways, but NHL.com have taken down the RTSS stats, so I don't have a link. Do you?

504Heater wrote:

PKC wrote:

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:I'm not so sure I like the Mez/Smith pairing (with all respect to Murray). Didn't Mez have his best year paired with Volchenkov?

I agree, though, that the defense is starting to look fairly solid. Even Montreal's touted PP doesn't look so fearsome with these guys on the blue line, and with what I expect the forwards to do under Hartsburgh.

We gotta get Mez signed...then the world will be a happier place again...

The scary thing about a Smith/Mez pairing, is that Smith gives the puck away a lot. Like top of the league a lot I think. Risky leaning on Mez to clean up some of those giveaways. But, I guess on the other hand, Smith is the achor to that pairing and will allow Mez to be creative out of the zone.

He only had 33 giveaways last year. He wasn't even close to tops on his own team, let alone the whole league.

Jason Smith? I thought he was 3rd in the league in giveaways, but NHL.com have taken down the RTSS stats, so I don't have a link. Do you?

Here you go:

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20082PHISASAll&page=Stats&service=page&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats

PKC wrote:Here you go:

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20082PHISASAll&page=Stats&service=page&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats

Wow, thanks. That's really good to know. I was under the impression that he gave the puck away all the time.

PKC wrote:

504Heater wrote:

PKC wrote:

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:I'm not so sure I like the Mez/Smith pairing (with all respect to Murray). Didn't Mez have his best year paired with Volchenkov?

I agree, though, that the defense is starting to look fairly solid. Even Montreal's touted PP doesn't look so fearsome with these guys on the blue line, and with what I expect the forwards to do under Hartsburgh.

We gotta get Mez signed...then the world will be a happier place again...

The scary thing about a Smith/Mez pairing, is that Smith gives the puck away a lot. Like top of the league a lot I think. Risky leaning on Mez to clean up some of those giveaways. But, I guess on the other hand, Smith is the achor to that pairing and will allow Mez to be creative out of the zone.

He only had 33 giveaways last year. He wasn't even close to tops on his own team, let alone the whole league.

Jason Smith? I thought he was 3rd in the league in giveaways, but NHL.com have taken down the RTSS stats, so I don't have a link. Do you?

Here you go:

[url=http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20082PHISASAll&page=Stats&service=page&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20082PHISASAll&page=Stats&service=page&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats[/quote[/url]]

Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Acrobat wrote:
Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Carkner's a great guy, he can co-captain Bingo again - or we can use him up here, he's friggin massive. Good fighter too.

Bell...well whatever. He could turn out to be awesome, but I kinda doubt it.

504Heater wrote:

PKC wrote:Here you go:

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?fetchKey=20082PHISASAll&page=Stats&service=page&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats

Wow, thanks. That's really good to know. I was under the impression that he gave the puck away all the time.

I think if you were to talk to an Oiler fan, they'd tell you that Smith's game has dropped considerably since the 2006 playoff run. At least that's what my Oiler friend tells me... but then again, the whole Oiler team sagged the year before he was traded, so Oiler fans might not be the best judges.

We need a Philly fan around here... they'd know where he's at now best.

Anyway, from what I saw during last year's playoffs, Smith looked pretty solid in the two series against Montreal and Pittsburgh this year. To me, it certainly seems like Philly is going to miss having a physical guy like him who isn't entirely useless (i.e., Hatcher).

Acrobat wrote:
Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Mez/Phillips
Lee/Volchenkov
Schubert/Smith
On paper, its awesome - it should make us extremely tough to play against.
We really need Mez to sign back...He and Phillips is a dangerous duo.

cash wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Mez/Phillips
Lee/Volchenkov
Schubert/Smith
On paper, its awesome - it should make us extremely tough to play against.
We really need Mez to sign back...He and Phillips is a dangerous duo.

I wish the season started tomorrow. I can't take waiting anymore with all this hockey talk.

Ya me neither.. this is killing me all this waiting

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Carkner's a great guy, he can co-captain Bingo again - or we can use him up here, he's friggin massive. Good fighter too.

Bell...well whatever. He could turn out to be awesome, but I kinda doubt it.

Don't know much about Carkner - I'm happy to hear that he's a monster (he'll fit the mold that we seem to be following).

Bell, well, how is he at filling water bottles?

Acrobat wrote:

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
Ok, so maybe go with Mez/Phillips, Lee/Volchenkov, and Schubert/Smith (or Nycholat/Smith). The third pairing would see the least ice time, but be the most punishing. It would be depended on least for offence, so they would know that the main role is to ensure the puck is kept to the perimeter (i.e don't have to worry about the fancy breakouts.) The other two pairings each have solid, stay-at-home blueliners, with good PMDs, and all six can hammer the incoming forwards (none are afraid of a hit, and none will do the limp-wrist stickcheck, like Ringo).

Fair?

Oh, and Bell or Carkner can play in the sandbox once in a while too, when someone has to go pee.

Carkner's a great guy, he can co-captain Bingo again - or we can use him up here, he's friggin massive. Good fighter too.

Bell...well whatever. He could turn out to be awesome, but I kinda doubt it.

Don't know much about Carkner - I'm happy to hear that he's a monster (he'll fit the mold that we seem to be following).

Bell, well, how is he at filling water bottles?

Bell will surprise a lot of people in my opinion. He had a lot of pressure on him to live up to expectations in Leaf land and he's sort of had a bum rap follow him ever since. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see him earn a spot on the team by the end of the year.

Acrobat wrote:
Don't know much about Carkner - I'm happy to hear that he's a monster (he'll fit the mold that we seem to be following).

Bell, well, how is he at filling water bottles?

I'm scared though...I heard Carkner makes Richardson look speedy.

504Heater wrote:

Acrobat wrote:
Don't know much about Carkner - I'm happy to hear that he's a monster (he'll fit the mold that we seem to be following).

Bell, well, how is he at filling water bottles?

I'm scared though...I heard Carkner makes Richardson look speedy.

Richardson does do offseason quickness training, you know... :lol!:

I wonder what Murray has planned. I just wish we could get SOMETHING, for the love of God. All we ever get is silence.

PKC wrote:I wonder what Murray has planned. I just wish we could get SOMETHING, for the love of God. All we ever get is silence.

Don't worry, the end is in sight. Training camps everywhere start opening up in a little over 3 weeks, and the first pre-season game is less than 4 weeks away. My guess is that we'll have the Mesz situation sorted out by then and, if we're going to make any other signings or trades, they'll probably be done at that point, too.

The silence sucks, I know, from the fans' perspective, but I imagine it has it's benefits for the team. When 29 other GMs don't know what guys we're interested in moving or what guys we're really interested in acquiring, I have to think that we're in a better bargaining position. It's not a lot of fun for us, I grant, but Murray's supposed 'gag order' might be best for the team in the long run.

PKC wrote:I wonder what Murray has planned. I just wish we could get SOMETHING, for the love of God. All we ever get is silence.

Hello darkness my old friend ...