Hartsburg to Spezza - Play better or Sit

Well SSF, that would be 5 games each for talking back. You wanna talk the talk, you walk the walk.

Also. Vermette never plays for me again. End of story.

I know you were kidding, but that kind of response in the NHL gets you prime time seats to watch the game. From the pressbox.

Hartsburg is coaching for his job now, he needs to back this up. And it can't be selective. It has to be everyone.

504Heater wrote:Well SSF, that would be 5 games each for talking back. You wanna talk the talk, you walk the walk.

Also. Vermette never plays for me again. End of story.

I know you were kidding, but that kind of response in the NHL gets you prime time seats to watch the game. From the pressbox.

Hartsburg is coaching for his job now, he needs to back this up. And it can't be selective. It has to be everyone.

I'm just illustrating the fact that these coach killers will not take kindly to threats from Craig "Not Ready for Primetime" Hartsburg.

Vermette has a much better attitude than that, anyway. I think he's proven that he's a company man already.

504Heater wrote:Well SSF, that would be 5 games each for talking back. You wanna talk the talk, you walk the walk.

Also. Vermette never plays for me again. End of story.

I know you were kidding, but that kind of response in the NHL gets you prime time seats to watch the game. From the pressbox.

Hartsburg is coaching for his job now, he needs to back this up. And it can't be selective. It has to be everyone.

Hartsberg is not coaching for his job, he wont be coaching for his job for a long time. The last thing that happens in Ottawa is another coaching change.

And as for sitting Vermette, Alfie and Fisher, why would you sit the guys that are putting in 100% effort every night despite a lack of production. Talk about sending the wrong message,

504Heater wrote:504Heater to Alfredsson, Heatley, Vermette and Fisher:

Play better or sit.

The only one there thats even a close to being a logical guy to sit is Heatley.

Neely4Life wrote:
Hartsberg is not coaching for his job, he wont be coaching for his job for a long time. The last thing that happens in Ottawa is another coaching change.

And as for sitting Vermette, Alfie and Fisher, why would you sit the guys that are putting in 100% effort every night despite a lack of production. Talk about sending the wrong message,

If Murray gets canned - which everyone has to admit is a distinct possibility - the guys coming in (I hear Trevor Timmons?) would most likely axe Hartsburg. The results had better come soon - I'm really not kidding.

As for the other guys, they're being paid 7.5 million (Vermette and Fisher) to score. They're not. Maybe they should look at the game from the box for a game or 2.

Heatley and Alfredsson have been awful. Sit them, or don't - whatever - but if you sit Spezza, these 2 should follow.

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:
Hartsberg is not coaching for his job, he wont be coaching for his job for a long time. The last thing that happens in Ottawa is another coaching change.

And as for sitting Vermette, Alfie and Fisher, why would you sit the guys that are putting in 100% effort every night despite a lack of production. Talk about sending the wrong message,

If Murray gets canned - which everyone has to admit is a distinct possibility - the guys coming in (I hear Trevor Timmons?) would most likely axe Hartsburg. The results had better come soon - I'm really not kidding.

As for the other guys, they're being paid 7.5 million (Vermette and Fisher) to score. They're not. Maybe they should look at the game from the box for a game or 2.

Heatley and Alfredsson have been awful. Sit them, or don't - whatever - but if you sit Spezza, these 2 should follow.

Because sitting in the box is going to put the puck in the net? The guys who work hard actually work through it, They are not getting 75% of the PP time either. You sit the slackers, not the ones putting in a full effort every game.

Sitting the captain eh... wow. Take the C away then too because Alfi would be out of here the next day.

Sitting in the box will give these guys a different perspective on the game. Take notes, watch the game, correct these ridiculous scoring issues.

I hate the double standards here in Ottawa. You can't sit these guys, they're good. Really? This team is floundering, time for everyone to be faced with the proposition of being sat. Why Jason Spezza? No Dany Heatley?

Admittedly Alfredsson will never be sat, but to direct comments at Spezza is ludicrous. No one is doing Dung on this team. It's franking annoying.

Neely4Life wrote:Because sitting in the box is going to put the puck in the net? The guys who work hard actually work through it, They are not getting 75% of the PP time either. You sit the slackers, not the ones putting in a full effort every game.

Sitting the captain eh... wow. Take the C away then too because Alfi would be out of here the next day.

Hartsburg is still giving the Big 3 the Big PP minutes.

Instead of upsetting ALL the lines. Some of which were showing well, he should have given those gravy minutes to the hard-working underachievers for a game or two.

The man is scrambling. He's all over the place.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hartsburg is still giving the Big 3 the Big PP minutes.

Instead of upsetting ALL the lines. Some of which were showing well, he should have given those gravy minutes to the hard-working underachievers for a game or two.

The man is scrambling. He's all over the place.

Maybe Neely and you are onto something here. Maybe we come out with Vermette centering Fisher and Heatley on line one of the PP - or maybe Alfie or Fisher plays the point. Spezza with Alfie and Foligno for line 2.

Maybe the gravy minutes are about to be re-distributed.

You guys are all over the place. Sitting Spezza is exactly the right move to make. This guy gets paid a lot of money to put in a very good effort offensively and defensively. He's not paid to lolly-gag down the ice and look lost while the puck goes flying by.

Sit Spezza. That doesn't work. Ship him the Diddle out.
Talking about sitting guys who are WORKING HARD would be the stupidest Diddle thing anyone's ever Diddle done.

"Yeah, you're not scoring despite the fact that you are turning in great efforts on the penalty kill and even-strength hockey, you pursue the puck in both zones and if not for a few unlucky bounces you'd be scoring more often....so, I'm gonna need you to sit down for a few games and start thinking about scoring."

^ does that Diddle make sense to you? When you have a guy who's struggling to score, you don't tell him to sit down and think about it some more, you tell him to relax and go to the basics and trust his skill.

Hopefully it works. He needs a tough love approach.

Here'd be my lines if I wanted to win:

Zubov - Spezza - Alfredsson
-the skill line, good playmaking ability and both Alfredsson and Spezza have finish.

Heatley - Fisher - Winchester
-more gritty, Winner and Heater have playmaking ability and Fisher adds strength along the boards and a big, if inaccurate, shot.

Kelly - Vermette - Donovan
-I think Kelly and Donovan have been quite consistent, so even though one hates to put Vermette here, at least he's playing centre. This line has speed to burn and some two-way ability

Neil - Foligno - Ruutu
-Again, it seems like Foligno's offensive talents would go to waste but this line has the ability to chip in 10-15 goals while being incredible annoying.

Of course, I'm not interested in winning any more games this season.

asq2 wrote:Hopefully it works. He needs a tough love approach.

Here'd be my lines if I wanted to win:

Zubov - Spezza - Alfredsson
-the skill line, good playmaking ability and both Alfredsson and Spezza have finish.

Heatley - Fisher - Winchester
-more gritty, Winner and Heater have playmaking ability and Fisher adds strength along the boards and a big, if inaccurate, shot.

Kelly - Vermette - Donovan
-I think Kelly and Donovan have been quite consistent, so even though one hates to put Vermette here, at least he's playing centre. This line has speed to burn and some two-way ability

Neil - Foligno - Ruutu
-Again, it seems like Foligno's offensive talents would go to waste but this line has the ability to chip in 10-15 goals while being incredible annoying.

Of course, I'm not interested in winning any more games this season.

I'm not sure if you heard, but Zubov's working visa expired so he isn't playing tonight anyway lol so we couldn't go with those if we wanted to, but I really like your combos. So if we had to take out Zubov and substitue Bass in, what would you say then? lol

Mosky wrote:I'm not sure if you heard, but Zubov's working visa expired so he isn't playing tonight anyway lol so we couldn't go with those if we wanted to, but I really like your combos. So if we had to take out Zubov and substitue Bass in, what would you say then? lol

Yeah, that was a real shame since he seemed to be getting so much more comfortable and confident.

I suppose you take out Foligno from the bottom line, insert Bass, and put Foligno somewhere on the top-2 lines.

If that doesn't work, sub him in in Vermette's place and put Vermette with Alfredsson and Spezza.

asq2 wrote:

Mosky wrote:I'm not sure if you heard, but Zubov's working visa expired so he isn't playing tonight anyway lol so we couldn't go with those if we wanted to, but I really like your combos. So if we had to take out Zubov and substitue Bass in, what would you say then? lol

Yeah, that was a real shame since he seemed to be getting so much more comfortable and confident.

I suppose you take out Foligno from the bottom line, insert Bass, and put Foligno somewhere on the top-2 lines.

If that doesn't work, sub him in in Vermette's place and put Vermette with Alfredsson and Spezza.

I was thinking that with Vermette.. but honestly I just don't think Vermette deserves it, but then again, who does? the only people i see that deserve anything right now are Fisher and.. well lets just start with Fisher. lol Atleast he always shows up to play, no matter what his numbers are. Foligno has had his shots at the higher lines and tbh, i liked him up there. he didn't have too much time to get into it but i think maybe with a little more ice time with the likes of Alf, Spez, Heat, Fish, etc., he really might be able to pick up the pace.

Anyways, I just hope no one ever suggests sitting Alfie again, because it will never happen, and if it ever did, after all that crap he put up with, what he has given to this team and all the pay cuts he has taken to stay here, it would be the biggest F YOU the league has seen in a while.

It would be basically like sitting Sundin, Sakic, or Iginla when the team is playing poorly.

The others, sure, you can make a case for or against, and I would be on the other side of things for the most part, but to suggest Alfie sit, i struggle to find words to describe that.

Mosky wrote:

asq2 wrote:

Mosky wrote:I'm not sure if you heard, but Zubov's working visa expired so he isn't playing tonight anyway lol so we couldn't go with those if we wanted to, but I really like your combos. So if we had to take out Zubov and substitue Bass in, what would you say then? lol

Yeah, that was a real shame since he seemed to be getting so much more comfortable and confident.

I suppose you take out Foligno from the bottom line, insert Bass, and put Foligno somewhere on the top-2 lines.

If that doesn't work, sub him in in Vermette's place and put Vermette with Alfredsson and Spezza.

I was thinking that with Vermette.. but honestly I just don't think Vermette deserves it, but then again, who does? the only people i see that deserve anything right now are Fisher and.. well lets just start with Fisher. lol Atleast he always shows up to play, no matter what his numbers are. Foligno has had his shots at the higher lines and tbh, i liked him up there. he didn't have too much time to get into it but i think maybe with a little more ice time with the likes of Alf, Spez, Heat, Fish, etc., he really might be able to pick up the pace.

People can rip on Vermette for not scoring because its justified and rightfully so, but he hasnt been playing awful hockey and leaving people wondering if he is even trying out there.

He usually gets or creates at least one scoring chance a game, wins faceoffs, and kills penalties. Im not saying he doesnt have to produce, he absolutly does, but when someone is struglging offensivly that player has to do other things for the to have a chance, and Vermette does. He has to produce though, 5 points in unacceptable, but thats why Vermette and others get the benifit of the doubt.

If Spezza doesnt produce like he hasnt for more than 50% of the year this year, what good is he?

Neely4Life wrote:Anyways, I just hope no one ever suggests sitting Alfie again, because it will never happen, and if it ever did, after all that crap he put up with, what he has given to this team and all the pay cuts he has taken to stay here, it would be the biggest F YOU the league has seen in a while.

It would be basically like sitting Sundin, Sakic, or Iginla when the team is playing poorly.

The others, sure, you can make a case for or against, and I would be on the other side of things for the most part, but to suggest Alfie sit, i struggle to find words to describe that.

I must have missed that post, but I must say that it is deeply disturbing that someone wants to sit our captain lol. He may be not fufilling his obligations as captain, because honestly you are given that C to lead your team to victory. and as much as we arent winning, i havent heard too much about alfie still pounding the Dung out of his players.. because they aren't just hartsburg's players.. their alfie's too. and i just think that when your coach fails you, your leader should be right there to pick the team back up. it isn't happening, but that doesn't mean that we sit him lol

504Heater wrote:Well SSF, that would be 5 games each for talking back. You wanna talk the talk, you walk the walk.

Also. Vermette never plays for me again. End of story.

I know you were kidding, but that kind of response in the NHL gets you prime time seats to watch the game. From the pressbox.

Hartsburg is coaching for his job now, he needs to back this up. And it can't be selective. It has to be everyone.

And let's not forget that even Spezza, with all his millions, will still be playing for a new contract way before retirement age. He'll have enough to pay off his $9M house, but that kind of large lifestyle requires continuous large supply of money.

And as for Vemette, he has even less time and much less money.