GAME DAY: Philadelphia Flyers @ Ottawa Senators - 1:00pm ET - Sun. Jan. 3rd, 2010

SpezDispenser wrote:Is Pronger passed his expiration date, or what's the deal? He's been terrible - and I found him a non factor tonight as well.

He was booed briefly in the third. According to the event log he played over 21 minutes, but I honestly don't remember him on the ice very much. He was pretty invisible, but managed to get an assist and was even on the night -- that, in itself, is a bit of an accomplishment.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Is Pronger passed his expiration date, or what's the deal? He's been terrible - and I found him a non factor tonight as well.

He was booed briefly in the third. According to the event log he played over 21 minutes, but I honestly don't remember him on the ice very much. He was pretty invisible, but managed to get an assist and was even on the night -- that, in itself, is a bit of an accomplishment.

That is an achievement. LOL at Giroux, Richards and Gagne at a combined -15.

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Is Pronger passed his expiration date, or what's the deal? He's been terrible - and I found him a non factor tonight as well.

He was booed briefly in the third. According to the event log he played over 21 minutes, but I honestly don't remember him on the ice very much. He was pretty invisible, but managed to get an assist and was even on the night -- that, in itself, is a bit of an accomplishment.

That is an achievement. LOL at Giroux, Richards and Gagne at a combined -15.

Holy Christ...I'm sure Laviolette must be thrilled with their defensive efforts today.

On the flip side, the Sens are now 4-1 without Alfredsson in the lineup this season. That bodes well for us going forward. If we could move some of that excess weight for some real impact players, this team would be so dangerous.

PKC wrote:
Holy Christ...I'm sure Laviolette must be thrilled with their defensive efforts today.

On the flip side, the Sens are now 4-1 without Alfredsson in the lineup this season. That bodes well for us going forward. If we could move some of that excess weight for some real impact players, this team would be so dangerous.

Oh yeah. Even if we can't, Cheechoo is one year away from coming off, so is Leclaire, so is Kovalev. Kuba will have 2 more years and he comes off, potentially Volchenkov comes off, Phillips as well. We'll be able to give this team a new look combining bringing in free agents if we wish and filling up the roster with rookies in the coming years like Lehner, Cowen, Wiercioch, Silfverberg, Petersson, Z.Smith etc.

Muhuahahaa! Kovalev with 4 goals on the same night the Habs get shutout.

Oh well, we can take this as a consolation when Kovalev takes the next two weeks off.

As annoying as Kovalev is, he definitely helps in the shootout.

Watch Kovalev's first goal of that game... it's hilarious... so slowly, he just meanders in, behind the net, then comes out, la dee da... and turns around and then pops it top shelf.

Too funny. It was like everything was in slow-mo.

That was Kovy's first career 4-goal game.

Are we still Dung on Kovalev? Not a peep about Leclaire, I guess?

One game hardly makes up for the season. YEs, Kovalev played awesome, but really, he should be.

Leclaire had another bad game. He rebounded well after losing the first of a back-to-back, so I would say consistency is an issue here. Maybe he's still not 100%, which is also a concern, cause injuries have been a huge problem for him the past few years.

I'm also hoping Michalek and Fisher start scoring again at a PPG pace.

Dash wrote:One game hardly makes up for the season. YEs, Kovalev played awesome, but really, he should be.

Leclaire had another bad game. He rebounded well after losing the first of a back-to-back, so I would say consistency is an issue here. Maybe he's still not 100%, which is also a concern, cause injuries have been a huge problem for him the past few years.

I'm also hoping Michalek and Fisher start scoring again at a PPG pace.

It's pretty clear he makes players around him better. You think it's an accident that Del Shannon is suddenly producing? Kovalev is suddenly on pace for 54 points, by the way. Wasn't 60 supposed to be a good year for him?

Leclaire's problems have nothing to do with injury. If anything, his reflexes and movement are great. His positioning and anticipation are horrid.

Kovalev has easily been our best Forward for the last 4 or 5 games. I'm not going to sit here and say that he's out of my dog house, but I'm atleast thinking of letting him have 5 more feet of rope.

5 more games playing like he has and I may just buy him one of those insulated Igloos from Pet Smart. 10 more games and I'll let him come in on really cold nights.

Devo wrote:Kovalev has easily been our best Forward for the last 4 or 5 games. I'm not going to sit here and say that he's out of my dog house, but I'm atleast thinking of letting him have 5 more feet of rope.

5 more games playing like he has and I may just buy him one of those insulated Igloos from Pet Smart. 10 more games and I'll let him come in on really cold nights.

Kovy has been performing as advertised. His streaky bunches of goals are his trademark. It's the goals that keep people believing he'll reform and be a regular contributor. Love him or hate him, Kovy is doing what Kovy does best.

I'd like to point out that Kovalev has helped improve the game of so many people on this team because whether he's streaky or not he really does demand a lot of defensive attention out on the ice and he's so skilled that he's still able to make plays.

That gorgeous little float pass to Kelly as he was breaking into the zone is the reason Kelly was able to make the move that he did. If he hadn't got that puck on time or hadn't been able to coral it because it was a bad pass, then that play never even develops let alone ends up in the back of the net.

It's little things like that. I've also gotta say, it's not very often when this guy has the puck on his stick that he loses the puck. Even in a maze of players he still comes out on the other side with it. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

Anyways, I'm loving the effort this team is giving lately. This team could easily be on a five game winning streak right now if not for a little too much complacency in the Colorado game.

Oh well, 4 of 5 is the next best thing I suppose.

PKC wrote:I'd like to point out that Kovalev has helped improve the game of so many people on this team because whether he's streaky or not he really does demand a lot of defensive attention out on the ice and he's so skilled that he's still able to make plays.

That gorgeous little float pass to Kelly as he was breaking into the zone is the reason Kelly was able to make the move that he did. If he hadn't got that puck on time or hadn't been able to coral it because it was a bad pass, then that play never even develops let alone ends up in the back of the net.

It's little things like that. I've also gotta say, it's not very often when this guy has the puck on his stick that he loses the puck. Even in a maze of players he still comes out on the other side with it. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

Anyways, I'm loving the effort this team is giving lately. This team could easily be on a five game winning streak right now if not for a little too much complacency in the Colorado game.

Oh well, 4 of 5 is the next best thing I suppose.

No doubt Kovalev's value has been more the little intangibles that he brings. You are quite right, the saucer passes to set up others are genius. I love watching this cat pass the puck.

But 5 million value.....meh

beedub wrote:

Devo wrote:Kovalev has easily been our best Forward for the last 4 or 5 games. I'm not going to sit here and say that he's out of my dog house, but I'm atleast thinking of letting him have 5 more feet of rope.

5 more games playing like he has and I may just buy him one of those insulated Igloos from Pet Smart. 10 more games and I'll let him come in on really cold nights.

Kovy has been performing as advertised. His streaky bunches of goals are his trademark. It's the goals that keep people believing he'll reform and be a regular contributor. Love him or hate him, Kovy is doing what Kovy does best.

He is what he is... and extremely skilled and frustrating player to watch... who we are paying $5M/season.

beedub wrote:

PKC wrote:I'd like to point out that Kovalev has helped improve the game of so many people on this team because whether he's streaky or not he really does demand a lot of defensive attention out on the ice and he's so skilled that he's still able to make plays.

That gorgeous little float pass to Kelly as he was breaking into the zone is the reason Kelly was able to make the move that he did. If he hadn't got that puck on time or hadn't been able to coral it because it was a bad pass, then that play never even develops let alone ends up in the back of the net.

It's little things like that. I've also gotta say, it's not very often when this guy has the puck on his stick that he loses the puck. Even in a maze of players he still comes out on the other side with it. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

Anyways, I'm loving the effort this team is giving lately. This team could easily be on a five game winning streak right now if not for a little too much complacency in the Colorado game.

Oh well, 4 of 5 is the next best thing I suppose.

No doubt Kovalev's value has been more the little intangibles that he brings. You are quite right, the saucer passes to set up others are genius. I love watching this cat pass the puck.

But 5 million value.....meh

Yet no one minded paying Fisher 6 million for his "intangibles" last year.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

beedub wrote:

PKC wrote:I'd like to point out that Kovalev has helped improve the game of so many people on this team because whether he's streaky or not he really does demand a lot of defensive attention out on the ice and he's so skilled that he's still able to make plays.

That gorgeous little float pass to Kelly as he was breaking into the zone is the reason Kelly was able to make the move that he did. If he hadn't got that puck on time or hadn't been able to coral it because it was a bad pass, then that play never even develops let alone ends up in the back of the net.

It's little things like that. I've also gotta say, it's not very often when this guy has the puck on his stick that he loses the puck. Even in a maze of players he still comes out on the other side with it. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

Anyways, I'm loving the effort this team is giving lately. This team could easily be on a five game winning streak right now if not for a little too much complacency in the Colorado game.

Oh well, 4 of 5 is the next best thing I suppose.

No doubt Kovalev's value has been more the little intangibles that he brings. You are quite right, the saucer passes to set up others are genius. I love watching this cat pass the puck.

But 5 million value.....meh

Yet no one minded paying Fisher 6 million for his "intangibles" last year.

It was agitating to watch Fisher struggle last year and we gave him a free ride because of all of the intangibles he brings to the team and because of his never quit attitude. But to be fair, salary is one thing and cap hit is another. If Mike Fisher's cap hit was $6 million last year, there would have been A LOT of unsatisfied people whether he's Mike Fisher or not.