Game Day - Rangers @ Ottawa, 7:30PM, Wednesday, Movember 9, 2011

Don't wanna talk about negatives...they are the same as they usually are (young D-men making some mistakes, certain forwards not capitalizing on chances, etc).

The positive:

Karlsson. Wow. That was one of the better games I've ever seen him play. It looks like he's really starting to figure out how to play D with his smaller frame...kinda like how Lidstrom plays D (good stick work/positioning).

Michalek. How much fun is it watching him play right now. He's really fast, strong on the puck, and has a great shot. He's great.

Da Costa. Still lots of rough edges, but you can tell he's special (and not just because of his weird alien head). He *almost* had a goal-of-the-year candidate.

NEELY wrote:I don't think you can compare Spezza to Kovalev but in the same breath I don't think you can compare him with the best in the game either.

Mike Robiero is probably the best current comparable like I've maintained for the better part of 2 years.

1 goal in 14 games on a team playing lights out? 40% on face offs? 5th on his team in scoring. Yeah, that's a comparable, all right.

Anyhow, have an early call to attend to. Gotta go.

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:I don't think you can compare Spezza to Kovalev but in the same breath I don't think you can compare him with the best in the game either.

Mike Robiero is probably the best current comparable like I've maintained for the better part of 2 years.

1 goal in 14 games on a team playing lights out? 40% on face offs? 5th on his team in scoring. Yeah, that's a comparable, all right.
Anyhow, have an early call to attend to. Gotta go.

You obviously missed my point. I would be willing to bet you haven't watch Robiero play a game in the last 2 years. Plays exactly the same kind of game as Spezza for the most part. It's nice to see how quickly you can pull up some stats though.

Just as an FYI, when all you have is stats to go off of, it doesn't make for the best argument when at the end of it you say "but I've never actually seen him play".

I watched him play plenty when he was with the Habs (remember, I used to be a Habs fan and still followed the team closely for many years after moving to Ottawa). Stats *are* important, as much as you keep trying to say otherwise. If two player play similar styles but one is vastly superior on the stats sheet, then they are not comparables at all. Spezza leads the league by a wide margin in faceoffs taken -- now that's a stat that leads me to believe that MacLean relies on Spezza quite a bit.

Anyhow, the conf call has just started. I *really* have to be off now.

wprager wrote:I watched him play plenty when he was with the Habs (remember, I used to be a Habs fan and still followed the team closely for many years after moving to Ottawa). Stats *are* important, as much as you keep trying to say otherwise. If two player play similar styles but one is vastly superior on the stats sheet, then they are not comparables at all. Spezza leads the league by a wide margin in faceoffs taken -- now that's a stat that leads me to believe that MacLean relies on Spezza quite a bit.

Anyhow, the conf call has just started. I *really* have to be off now.

Cool, then look at the past 4 seasons if you want to look at "stats". If you are going based off of just that, Ribeiro has been the better player.

Of course MacLean leans of Spezza, he's a 7 million dollar frigging player and the teams number 1 center. Who else does he have? That's a pretty obvious comment by you. You want to throw Da Costa out there in key situations only having played 20 NHL games?

Also, kind of a related question, do you think the Hart Trophy should be given out for the guy who is best on faceoffs? Just curious.

Get a little more informed before you start posting nonsense, saying you were a Habs fan and talking about a player that last played for them 5 years ago is pretty lame.

That's fortunate for you Prags, you lucked out.

Here's my comments from the game:

Spezza (aside from his one assist) looked apathetic. I don't know what it is, but it's the one time I have noticed him look like he doesn't care. Noticed a few times where he was the last man in on the rush and that play where he turned it over (may have been a high stick or something) but he fell and was slow to get up and while his team was in the defensive zone he slwoly skated to the bench leaving them down a man.

Karlsson's defensive play to dive with a poke check was awesome to see live. What hustle.

Defense in general on both sides was bad. Rangers block A LOT of shots.

Anderson was beat many times, just way out of position. No idea what he was doing.

Say what you want about Gaborik but he gets it done. Obviously doesn't hurt his team if he cheats a little bit, and a good team will allow that and not look bad.

Didn't really like seeing one of our best shutdown defenceman (Cowen) fighting. Not sure losing him for 5 mins is a good thing (clearly not). That's why you need Konopka, Neil and Smith fighting first. Carkenr would be the only d-man you want fighting. Cowen's too good of a player to lose, especially if he injured himself.

Dash wrote:That's fortunate for you Prags, you lucked out.

Here's my comments from the game:

Spezza (aside from his one assist) looked apathetic. I don't know what it is, but it's the one time I have noticed him look like he doesn't care. Noticed a few times where he was the last man in on the rush and that play where he turned it over (may have been a high stick or something) but he fell and was slow to get up and while his team was in the defensive zone he slwoly skated to the bench leaving them down a man.

Karlsson's defensive play to dive with a poke check was awesome to see live. What hustle.

Defense in general on both sides was bad. Rangers block A LOT of shots.

Anderson was beat many times, just way out of position. No idea what he was doing.

Say what you want about Gaborik but he gets it done. Obviously doesn't hurt his team if he cheats a little bit, and a good team will allow that and not look bad.

Didn't really like seeing one of our best shutdown defenceman (Cowen) fighting. Not sure losing him for 5 mins is a good thing (clearly not). That's why you need Konopka, Neil and Smith fighting first. Carkenr would be the only d-man you want fighting. Cowen's too good of a player to lose, especially if he injured himself.

THANK YOU!

tim1_2 wrote:Don't wanna talk about negatives...they are the same as they usually are (young D-men making some mistakes, certain forwards not capitalizing on chances, etc).

The positive:

Karlsson. Wow. That was one of the better games I've ever seen him play. It looks like he's really starting to figure out how to play D with his smaller frame...kinda like how Lidstrom plays D (good stick work/positioning).

Michalek. How much fun is it watching him play right now. He's really fast, strong on the puck, and has a great shot. He's great.
Da Costa. Still lots of rough edges, but you can tell he's special (and not just because of his weird alien head). He *almost* had a goal-of-the-year candidate.

Absolute beast of a player. If he stays healthy he's going to put up a 35-40 goal season. Hard on the backcheck, forchecks well, always the first man back, how do you not love having a guy like that on your team?

I agree about Spezza but I do believe he will pick it up. He strikes me as a second-half player like Derek Roy. He has been playing like Dung, but at least the numbers are there so it's not too too terrible. Still, when he picks it up, I am curious to see how much his points will skyrocket.

I definitely don't agree with Spezza = Kovalev. At least Spezza does something. Kovalev was non-existant. It's funny because Rooneypoo was on that guy's nuts constantly.

NEELY wrote:
Absolute beast of a player. If he stays healthy he's going to put up a 35-40 goal season. Hard on the backcheck, forchecks well, always the first man back, how do you not love having a guy like that on your team?

For sure. He's clearly our best and most consistent player right now. His hustle at both ends of the ice is unreal.

Peggy wrote:I agree about Spezza but I do believe he will pick it up. He strikes me as a second-half player like Derek Roy. He has been playing like Dung, but at least the numbers are there so it's not too too terrible. Still, when he picks it up, I am curious to see how much his points will skyrocket.

Will the 2nd 1/2 matter, though? Will it be garbage time again where Spezza piles up the points? If it is, so what?

NEELY wrote:

Dash wrote:That's fortunate for you Prags, you lucked out.

Here's my comments from the game:

Spezza (aside from his one assist) looked apathetic. I don't know what it is, but it's the one time I have noticed him look like he doesn't care. Noticed a few times where he was the last man in on the rush and that play where he turned it over (may have been a high stick or something) but he fell and was slow to get up and while his team was in the defensive zone he slwoly skated to the bench leaving them down a man.

Karlsson's defensive play to dive with a poke check was awesome to see live. What hustle.

Defense in general on both sides was bad. Rangers block A LOT of shots.

Anderson was beat many times, just way out of position. No idea what he was doing.

Say what you want about Gaborik but he gets it done. Obviously doesn't hurt his team if he cheats a little bit, and a good team will allow that and not look bad.

Didn't really like seeing one of our best shutdown defenceman (Cowen) fighting. Not sure losing him for 5 mins is a good thing (clearly not). That's why you need Konopka, Neil and Smith fighting first. Carkenr would be the only d-man you want fighting. Cowen's too good of a player to lose, especially if he injured himself.

THANK YOU!

^ Yep, that's what I'm talking about, and what I was getting at with the "$7 mil Kovalev" comment.

All I can say is that right now, when Alfie is out, this is when the team needs Spezza the most. This is the time for him to step up, to perform, to lead. But he's not -- he's disappearing. This is our future captain? Guy is a model of inconsistency.

I agree with everythign there ROoney but I wouldn't compare Spezza and Kovalev either... just a really wrong approch to the discussion, people get their backs up right away.

NEELY wrote:

Peggy wrote:I agree about Spezza but I do believe he will pick it up. He strikes me as a second-half player like Derek Roy. He has been playing like Dung, but at least the numbers are there so it's not too too terrible. Still, when he picks it up, I am curious to see how much his points will skyrocket.

Will the 2nd 1/2 matter, though? Will it be garbage time again where Spezza piles up the points? If it is, so what?

The second half will matter more than the first half. That's when teams go on runs to try to make the playoffs. That's when they will truly need Spezza - especially if the younger player/Michalek are fatigued.

You're the one who said this team will be in the race, so it will not be garbage time.

And people - even your beloved Alfie - will have stretches where they look like Dung. It's called a streak.

rooneypoo wrote:
^ Yep, that's what I'm talking about, and what I was getting at with the "$7 mil Kovalev" comment.

All I can say is that right now, when Alfie is out, this is when the team needs Spezza the most. This is the time for him to step up, to perform, to lead. But he's not -- he's disappearing. This is our future captain? Guy is a model of inconsistency.

I don't want to debate his work ethic/consistency...this is a debate that has raged on since the dawn of time.

Someone was mentioning on Team 1200 the other day (maybe Gary Galley), that when Spezza is "on" it looks like he's skating fluidly, and when he's struggling, it looks like his skating his laboured...almost like he always has a nagging injury that feels better on some nights, worse on others.

I don't want to make excuses for him, but it is a possibility, especially given his injury history.

All I can say is, thank god Alfie is coming back tomorrow

Also, do you want ot know who I think is deserving of the C once Alfie retires? Nick Foligno. He is all heart, is constantly motivating everyone, and is really picking his game up this season.

I thought Spezza should get it - and he probably will - but I would like Foligno to get consideration.