GDT: Stars @ Sens - Thursday, Jan 29, 7:30pm, TSN5, RDS2

NEELY wrote:I want to know why the hell Phillips is joining the rush like that or attempting to?  I can't figure out if he was joining the rush, if he misread the play, or if he was just gliding to hold the blueline... Again Hoffman needs to get it in deep there, there wasn't a play to make but Phillips needs to recognize he's the last man back and hold up until the puck is in deep.  For a vet and making that mistake I just don't get what's going on in his head.

As for Lehner, yah he's off his angel and only way to get comfortable back in the net is a consistent run of starts and play, no other way to fix it.

Hoffman lost an edge, but Phillips was further across the blueline than Hoffman. If you look at the other side, the riverboat gambler that Karlsson is is holding the line, but Old Rig just barrels through it with no-one behind.

Again I have no idea what Phillips saw there, was doing, or thinking. He's lost it IMO and is doing himself and the team no good by hanging on the way he is right now. After he finishes that games played record they all need to sit down.

Imagine if we didn't sign Ryan lol

SpezDispensed wrote:Imagine if we didn't sign Ryan lol

Imagine if Alfie stayed *and* we added Ryan. Captaincy may have passed from Alfie to Karlsson and Spezza would still have been moved as they weren't going to extend him anywhere near 4 x 7.5. But he would have been moved from a strong team and not one that was circling the drain. And likely Spezza would not have been a minus 30 or whatever he was.

This is the Phillips I'd like to remember:

Love the face on the guy in the Leafs jersey next to the kid. Priceless.

Was at the game right behind the Ottawa net for periods 1 and 3.

1. Lehner looked rusty and was too deep in the net sometimes. I don't blame him for any of the 1st period goals per se but a non-rusty goalie probably squeezes the mit on the second one. Looked like goal 3 was deflected by Ceci.
2. Chris Philips will retire a Senator as there is no way on earth any team would trade for him. He looked scared out there whenever he had the puck.
3. Neil barely played and Legwand scratched. Looks like the coach is doing the dirty work in getting these guys to want to leave.
4. Worst played hockey game I have seen in a long time. I get a bit of rust but that was unacceptable.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispensed wrote:Imagine if we didn't sign Ryan lol

Imagine if Alfie stayed *and* we added Ryan.  Captaincy may have passed from Alfie to Karlsson and Spezza would still have been moved as they weren't going to extend him anywhere near 4 x 7.5.  But he would have been moved from a strong team and not one that was circling the drain.  And likely Spezza would not have been a minus 30 or whatever he was.

That would have been a lot more expensive than the road they chose to go down. Not that money is an issue.

Having said that, Ryan is the guy that looked the most like a guy who wanted to win last night. He'll be worth every penny he gets.

Ryan is worth every penny. He doesn't need to put up 40 goals to be worth what he brings to the table.

Every penny. Thank goodness he signed.

tim1_2 wrote:Love the face on the guy in the Leafs jersey next to the kid.  Priceless.

What about the balding guy in the suit staring straight ahead and away from the action? He looks like something out of NHL 12.