This team is ridiculously frustrating to watch. They play good for a few minutes, then give up one goal and suddenly they can't do anything right for 20 minutes.
At least the PP scored, 2 goals no less. And the PK looked good. At least that was something and we didn't get shutout. They did play a lot better in the 2nd and 3rd but by then it was garbage time and we realistically had no chance to come back (3 goals in 4 games and we're going to suddenly get 3 or 4 in the third period?).
We're the lowest scoring team in the entire Western Conference. Someone needs to just step up and say he's going to score. Forget passing, just put the damn puck on goal and the others get to the net for rebounds. Weber should have more than 2 goals (the same amount as Smithson, Tootoo), and more than one forward should have more than 6 goals.
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Originally Posted by BigFatCat999
This schedule is built for a high attendance figure, a moderate trade, and then a last season surge....
Oh sure, we'll scratch and claw our way into the playoffs as a 7-8 seed, play some team like Detroit or something and get bounced, again (of course it will be after we give them the toughest series or biggest scare), because we don't have the players to match up and we just don't have enough left in the tank.
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Originally Posted by dulzhok
Statically, we're the same, but upon closer look...
Last year, we started the year 3-7. This year, we started 5-0-3. Just goes to show how bad the last string of games has been.
Last year, after starting slow, you could see the team gaining chemistry. This year, we're losing it. We were gaining momentum at the 20 game mark last year.
Yep, and another difference between teams of a few years ago and this one is that in those other years we would start 2-0 or 4-0 and lose 6 in a row, then reel off strings of 5, 6, or 7 wins in a row a few times during the season while loses were kept to no more than 2 or 3. This team hasn't shown it is capable of doing that outside of the 5-0 start. We might win 2 in a row, but then lose another 2 or 3 or more. Nevermind that we only have one regulation win since October 24.
The sad part is that if we were in the East we'd be in 9th place, one out of 8th, and probably not feeling like the season is slipping away.
O.K., but let's agree on this: we've killed everybody and everything associated with this team from Trotz to Gnash to the PP......Belak's (lack of) presence on the team is the only think we haven't complained about and I'm tired of the same old arguments
I agree 100%. Klein sucks, Cube sucks, Franson sucks, SOB sucks, Sulzer sucks, Leggy sucks, Smithson sucks, Erat sucks, Wardo sucks, Tootoo sucks, Wilson sucks, Kosty sucks. Trotz and Poile suck. Sully, Goc, Horny, COL, Spaling, Rinne all mildly suck. And after today Weber and Suter suck on certain plays. The whole damn organization sucks.
I left the NP boards because I grew tired of the bickering and negativity. Now I'm sifting through the rubbish again
I agree 100%. Klein sucks, Cube sucks, Franson sucks, SOB sucks, Sulzer sucks, Leggy sucks, Smithson sucks, Erat sucks, Wardo sucks, Tootoo sucks, Wilson sucks, Kosty sucks. Trotz and Poile suck. Sully, Goc, Horny, COL, Spaling, Rinne all mildly suck. And after today Weber and Suter suck on certain plays. The whole damn organization sucks.
I left the NP boards because I grew tired of the bickering and negativity. Now I'm sifting through the rubbish again
What kills me is Cube and Ward both get to make mistake after mistake and never get punished by Trotz with ice time while guys like Dumont, Wilson and even Sulzer aren't afforded that luxury.
Remember, no worries...hockey gods are to even things out. Will the front office or Trotz make the announcement what game that will be????? And, the D will be improving when Suter returns.
When the D & O both are struggling and the team is loosing you say well they don't have the talent but here it's not the case. The players aren't listening to the coaches anymore then it's time for new coaches. You say this line is struggling but when your not scoring they are too many people that are counted upon to score who are not. It's time for a change but Poile won't do it. Trotz has a lifetime contract or at least as long as he wants to coach.
When the D & O both are struggling and the team is loosing you say well they don't have the talent but here it's not the case. .
In your [minority] opinion.
The only player on our roster who has scored over 30 goals is 36-year-old Steve Sullivan, who's done it twice, and was a 2nd-tier offensive player to begin with.
Compare our offensive ability to Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Franzen, Kane/Toews/Sharp, Carter/Girioux/Richards, and it's not even close. NOT EVEN CLOSE!
An interesting note about the above combos: Detroit's big 3 were all drafted 3rd round or later. Patrick Sharp was acquired for chump change. Philly's big 3 were all drafted 13th overall or later.
Defensively, we have some talent in Weber and Suter. Then, we put our trust in castoffs such as Boillion and O'Brien, and other guys who are borderline NHL talent.
I don't see any case to be made that we have above average talent when compared to the rest of the league.
And how far did this coaching regime take this team when there was above average talent here????
I assume you are referring to the team that was lead offensively by Walker, Sullivan, Dumont, Arnott, Kariya, and a hobbled Forsberg. One interesting fact about Walker, Sullivan, Dumont, Arnott, and Kariya-- all were deemed expendable by their former teams.
So, I guess you could say we had talent other teams could only dream of... But in actuality, it was talent that other teams let walk away. All of the previously mentioned players either had their career year under Trotz, or resurrected their career under Trotz.
But back to the topic, I think this team is in the bottom 10 of overall talent. Bottom 5 offensive talent. Middle of the road defensive corps (bottom 4 defensemen bring our average down). Rinne-- goaltenders are volatile, so we'll just have to wait and see. Our hope is in him.
Let's see, Columbus seems to have found a good voice in Arniel who was never an NHL coach. St. Louis is responding with their guy. Guy Boucher was a young bright mind.
There are always coaches out there. Some are good, some are bad. Remember, Scotty Bowman never coached a game and went on to win over 400 games with two different franchises.
I get tired of the who would we get angle. At some point you take a risk. It may work, it may not. It's the same with drafting players or signing free agents or making trades. Sometimes it turns out well, other times it doesn't. When a coach can come out and say our PP is fine, we're just not catching any breaks, it's time for him to go. Not catching any breaks? We need some better luck? How about we need a better strategy and to use different combos? I'm sorry but referring to luck and breaks when talking about performance is absurd. It's like me buying a lottery ticket every week and going, well, I'll keep trying because I just need a break while I go hungry in the process. It's stupidity.
We go thru this every year. Start off well, go into a funk, come out of the funk eventually, push for the playoffs, get in the last week, then lose in the first round only to hear, we're getting better and moving in the right direction. For a team that had a lot to prove and build upon, our PP stinks, our captain who placed 4th in the Norris Trophy voting looks like crap, our O is invisible yet again but everything is ok because Trotz will get them focused and on the right track long enough to keep his job but never move this team past the point it is. Then the Trotz pundits will praise him for all his amazing work with so little talent but when the team falters, it's only on the players and not Trotz or management. Stale stale stale. It's a wonderfully vicious cycle. It's akin to a battered person in a relationship, it gets better for a little while yet the beatings continue, sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse but nothing ever chances and the black and blue marks keep showing up but they keep telling themselves, it'll be ok when in reality, nothing changes because no one is making any change. But we then ask, who are we gonna get to replace Trotz? You know what, there are 58 assistant coaches in the NHL right now, or thereabouts, there are how many in the minors? I'm sure there's someone out there that is capable but has not been given the chance just yet and if anyone says, well, do you want to take that chance I point to Trotz and say yes, I do. He never coached a game and won 400 games for us.
Let's see, Columbus seems to have found a good voice in Arniel who was never an NHL coach. St. Louis is responding with their guy. Guy Boucher was a young bright mind.
There are always coaches out there. Some are good, some are bad. Remember, Scotty Bowman never coached a game and went on to win over 400 games with two different franchises.
I get tired of the who would we get angle. At some point you take a risk. It may work, it may not. It's the same with drafting players or signing free agents or making trades. Sometimes it turns out well, other times it doesn't. When a coach can come out and say our PP is fine, we're just not catching any breaks, it's time for him to go. Not catching any breaks? We need some better luck? How about we need a better strategy and to use different combos? I'm sorry but referring to luck and breaks when talking about performance is absurd. It's like me buying a lottery ticket every week and going, well, I'll keep trying because I just need a break while I go hungry in the process. It's stupidity.
We go thru this every year. Start off well, go into a funk, come out of the funk eventually, push for the playoffs, get in the last week, then lose in the first round only to hear, we're getting better and moving in the right direction. For a team that had a lot to prove and build upon, our PP stinks, our captain who placed 4th in the Norris Trophy voting looks like crap, our O is invisible yet again but everything is ok because Trotz will get them focused and on the right track long enough to keep his job but never move this team past the point it is. Then the Trotz pundits will praise him for all his amazing work with so little talent but when the team falters, it's only on the players and not Trotz or management. Stale stale stale. It's a wonderfully vicious cycle. It's akin to a battered person in a relationship, it gets better for a little while yet the beatings continue, sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse but nothing ever chances and the black and blue marks keep showing up but they keep telling themselves, it'll be ok when in reality, nothing changes because no one is making any change. But we then ask, who are we gonna get to replace Trotz? You know what, there are 58 assistant coaches in the NHL right now, or thereabouts, there are how many in the minors? I'm sure there's someone out there that is capable but has not been given the chance just yet and if anyone says, well, do you want to take that chance I point to Trotz and say yes, I do. He never coached a game and won 400 games for us.
Very well put and I second that opinion. The point that we don't have enough talent compared to the Wings and so forth. Then we were sold a raw deal from the Poile and the organization. We are told that we have one of the best minor league systems in the NHL. Suter and Weber are best young defenseman in the league and Wilson and Geofferion are some of the best young forwards coming on in the NHL. Well Weber and Suter are but they are not advancing to the next level . They are not dominant like the elite are. Wilson is taking a major step backwards. It seems as if this coaching staff can't elevate the play from the young players to become stars. The PP was said to be fixed and it looks worse than ever. The PK was a strength now it's spotty at best. If Rinne doesn't play stellar in goal we have a hard winning. We have only one line that has done all the scoring mostly. Beyond the Weber/Suter pairing we have fill ins because our young D aren't developing fast enough. There are other coaches out there but we won't know that unless pressure is put upon or threatening his job. I personally don't think Trotz can carry this team beyond the first round and is content the way things are.
I get tired of the who would we get angle. At some point you take a risk. It may work, it may not. It's the same with drafting players or signing free agents or making trades.
It's not the same. If you trade a player, you are trading 1/20th of your team. You only have one head coach.
Every year, Barry Trotz gets praise for taking less than ordinary talent and make the most of it. So, if you want to fire him right now, "just to take a risk".... Sure, you have 1/1000 chance of getting the next Scott Bowman, but you have a much better chance of getting Dave King, Doug McLean, Gerrard Gallant, Gary Agnew, etc, and enduring 10 years of losing.
Poile should go before Trotz, as he is the one ultimately response-able for the talent on the ice. He's done OK over the last few years, but we need more talent if we hope to succeed in the playoffs, and I don't think Poile has the ability to deliver that.
If we think Geoffin is the of the best up and coming offesnive players and will solve our scoring woes, well, I think you'll be waiting for a while on that one.
Also, If we keep selling out the bridgestone, I think we need to start spending some money. If Poile is as smart as we think he is, if he is given some extra coin maybe we can make something work.
Also, If we keep selling out the bridgestone, I think we need to start spending some money. If Poile is as smart as we think he is, if he is given some extra coin maybe we can make something work.
Announced sellouts are nice, but the team needs consistent near sellouts of paid attendance before there can be any thought of increasing the internal budget. The last guy to attempt the spend more money than the team was making formula now owns the Wild.
I have never been on the fire trotz bandwagon, but if we do not preform well in the next five games we are toast. We have the coyotes, wings, and jackets. Those are critical games. We also have the Canes and the Thrashers. We MUST win those. If this team doesn't collect 7-10 points in the next two weeks I think Trotz has to go. We have scored a grand total of 6 goals in the past 5 games. 6 goals. Our power play is at 11% We are 28th in scoring.
Toast in the next 5 games. Wow. You realize that puts us at about 1/3 of the way into the season. 3 wins from a playoff spot. But yet we're toast and calling for the coaches head.
Wow.
Toast in the next 5 games. Wow. You realize that puts us at about 1/3 of the way into the season. 3 wins from a playoff spot. But yet we're toast and calling for the coaches head.
Wow.
3 of the next 5 games will be against teams in the Conference (not to mention 2 within our division). For those who haven't noticed, or want to play the "it was done last season, it can be done again" song, the jackets and blues have greatly improved over last season and probably will be less friendly about helping the Preds out losing down the stretch. Giving up 6 more points instead of gaining 6 more would NOT be advantageous. Then again, those hockey gods are going to even things out sometime, right?
