GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers :: 7:00pm ET :: Sat. Apr. 5th, 2014

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

LeKing wrote:Cody Ceci needs another year in the AHL to be honest.

That's a ridiculous statement.  He's been just fine, and will start here next year, as he should.

Nothing to say about this game.  It was pretty much a replica of how we played all season.  MacArthur is our smartest player though, and I really hope we pay him whatever he wants for as many years as he wants.

Don't think it's that far out there... he has shown he is an NHL player but depending on what they do going into the off season I think that is something that could happen.  That said MacLean loves him.

Maybe we should start a second re-build/re-tool with the youngsters.  Have Karlsson/Gryba/Ceci on the right side and Methot (or new guy)/Wiercioch/Borwiecki on the left, with Phillips more of a player-coach, coming in when the kids need a break.  Then go with Turris/Zibanejad/Lazar/Pageau up the middle, shifting Smith over to wing.  Wingers would depend on who we re-sign (Hemsky/Michalek) and who we get back in the Spezza trade.  

Exciting hockey and we may even make the playoffs (the East is still pathetic).

that D line-up is so green it's not even funny. we have to go out this summer and get Dan Boyle. there might be a case to be made for zidlicky if we can't get boyle, but something has to be done and we need a vet for the second pairing.

Flo The Action wrote:
that D line-up is so green it's not even funny. we have to go out this summer and get Dan Boyle. there might be a case to be made for zidlicky if we can't get boyle, but something has to be done and we need a vet for the second pairing.

Really? Think about it. Karlsson has had 4 years in the league and won the Norris. Cowen had a great rookie season, missed the next one due to injury and regressed; I expect him to rebound after a full off-season of building strength, agility and speed. Wiercioch and Ceci have been great. Sure, they make mistakes, but who on this team has not? At least when they make mistakes they try to recover and actually have the speed to sometimes get it done; it's not hyperbole when I say each has been better than Phillips. Gryba's been solid and that's all you need from him. He needs to cut down taking penalties but he's not taking hooking/holding calls because of being out of position, so it's not like "green" is the biggest factor here. That leaves Borowiecki and whoever replaces Methot (which could be Methot himself, of course). Borowiecki played fine when called up last year and this year, playing on his off-side to boot. Plus he's had enough time to learn in the minors. I have no problem with him coming in as the third pairing guy, with Phillips taking over for a few games if he struggled.

wprager wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:
that D line-up is so green it's not even funny. we have to go out this summer and get Dan Boyle. there might be a case to be made for zidlicky if we can't get boyle, but something has to be done and we need a vet for the second pairing.

Really?  Think about it.  Karlsson has had 4 years in the league and won the Norris.  Cowen had a great rookie season, missed the next one due to injury and regressed; I expect him to rebound after a full off-season of building strength, agility and speed.  Wiercioch and Ceci have been great.  Sure, they make mistakes, but who on this team has not?  At least when they make mistakes they try to recover and actually have the speed to sometimes get it done; it's not hyperbole when I say each has been better than Phillips.  Gryba's been solid and that's all you need from him.  He needs to cut down taking penalties but he's not taking hooking/holding calls because of being out of position, so it's not like "green" is the biggest factor here.  That leaves Borowiecki and whoever replaces Methot (which could be Methot himself, of course).  Borowiecki played fine when called up last year and this year, playing on his off-side to boot.  Plus he's had enough time to learn in the minors.  I have no problem with him coming in as the third pairing guy, with Phillips taking over for a few games if he struggled.

you expect Cowen to be better but that by far is no guarantee. Ceci could easily think he's ready and come in overconfident and hit the sophomore slump which happens ever so often. Phillips is no guarantee as he's likely to get worst as time goes on but should be decent on the bottom pairing. we should be cautious with Boro under a first full year in the NHL. Wier might not even be here next season as he'd be a likely canididate to be traded, if he's here I don't know what his beef is under PMac but it might still be there. this is Gryba's first full year i'll be interested to see the next.

there's a lot of assumptions from you in there. I prefer to have a bigger sample size of years played in the NHL by players to put so much weight and responsibilities on them. that's why I think we need another D-man for the top 4. I doubt BM wants to be caught with the D next year the way he did last year.

They're not as green as you say -- none of them would be rookies. There's also something to be said about the benefits of getting experience. Now that the ridiculous "Try to win before Alfie retires" thing is put out to pasture we're not in a hurry and we know it's going to be a couple of years, minimum, before they are competitive.

wprager wrote:Wiercioch and Ceci have been great. Sure, they make mistakes, but who on this team has not? At least when they make mistakes they try to recover and actually have the speed to sometimes get it done; it's not hyperbole when I say each has been better than Phillips.

Unless it is. And it is. Wiercioch and Seeci great? Also hyperbole. Good? Certainly. Great? No way. Sisi needs another year in the "A" and I can Ce him coming back and being (actually) great.

OK, so maybe "great" was an overstatement. But they've been good, and they certainly have been better than Big Rig.

GO SENS GO!!!