Nah...I don't miss those teams very much. Outside of 97-98 all we did was use the "center-lock" (ie the TRAP) and lulled opponents to sleep...sorta like we are doing now.
I miss the brash team under Boudreau with the Donald on the team acting as a major deterrant. We were dominant despite having a woeful D group as a whole.
Really in 09-10 we were the best team in the league and if we didn't get Halaked we would have won the cup there is no doubt. We were just a relentless team that came in offensive waves. It was a pretty intimidating team in all honesty.
I enjoyed that team as well but I've always enjoyed strong defensive hockey over offense (I know, I'm weird and would be a terrible person to put in a marketing position). But I always enjoyed the line of Kono-Halpern-Dahlen, cycling other lines until they were dizzy.
I enjoyed that team as well but I've always enjoyed strong defensive hockey over offense (I know, I'm weird and would be a terrible person to put in a marketing position). But I always enjoyed the line of Kono-Halpern-Dahlen, cycling other lines until they were dizzy.
I loved that line. I loved Simon-Hunter-Berube even more.
I enjoyed that team as well but I've always enjoyed strong defensive hockey over offense (I know, I'm weird and would be a terrible person to put in a marketing position). But I always enjoyed the line of Kono-Halpern-Dahlen, cycling other lines until they were dizzy.
I definitely agree about cycling and that line in particular. And the Simon/Hunter/Berube line was great. Dino/Ridley/Miller was outstanding at that too.
But I don't enjoy the trapping style of play. You can still play strong defense and cycle in the offensive zone without the trap. I HATE the trap!!!
Schoenfeld used it, Wilson (mostly) used it, Cassidy eventually used it, Hanlon eventually used it, BB eventually used it and DH is using it. There have only been a few years after the Murray Bros that we haven't done so and I miss BB b/c of that.
This is junk hockey. Ken Hitchcock is a junk coach. Remember what Fedorov said when he came here..he praised BB for letting the players play hockey "as it should be played"
I hope we somehow target Corvo. If Ovi scores tonight, I am calling it, a minus for Oh No. Demoralize their entire fan base with one goal. I wonder how much Dale is going to restrict Ovi's TOI if at all, to not give Boston their preferred matchup via Lurch.
I would like to see Ovi double shifted over Coin and get him some time with MP and of course to keep CHSB happy. Who posted on the Bs board we will be swept because we had MP on 4 in practice.
I would like to see Ovi double shifted over Coin and get him some time with MP and of course to keep CHSB happy. Who posted on the Bs board we will be swept because we had MP on 4 in practice.
Me too. The more he plays the better he plays. Having him on the 1st and 4th lines is a great idea actually.
Me too. The more he plays the better he plays. Having him on the 1st and 4th lines is a great idea actually.
You know that 4th line is making more and more sense. Since when was coin a LW anyways?
He is a middie dammit!
I know he didnt do dick all year, but somewhere in the long boring regular season, I wanted to see Ward at 1RW. Hell Knuble has been plowing up and down RW for years. Wardneed not audition here to get a chance, I think a guys resume speaks for itself this far into their career. We signed him already.
Ward is here to score playoff goals. Why not give him MP and Ovi for a few shifts?
I hope we somehow target Corvo. If Ovi scores tonight, I am calling it, a minus for Oh No. Demoralize their entire fan base with one goal. I wonder how much Dale is going to restrict Ovi's TOI if at all, to not give Boston their preferred matchup via Lurch.
I would like to see Ovi double shifted over Coin and get him some time with MP and of course to keep CHSB happy. Who posted on the Bs board we will be swept because we had MP on 4 in practice.
You know that 4th line is making more and more sense. Since when was coin a LW anyways?
He is a middie dammit!
I know he didnt do dick all year, but somewhere in the long boring regular season, I wanted to see Ward at 1RW. Hell Knuble has been plowing up and down RW for years. Wardneed not audition here to get a chance, I think a guys resume speaks for itself this far into their career. We signed him already.
Ward is here to score playoff goals. Why not give him MP and Ovi for a few shifts?
Also if Ovechkin is double shifting and plays 25 mins then Chara (who plays 25 mins anyhow) must be out there the whole time. If the Bs get PPs then maybe they have to rest Chara a bit more and to me he is there biggest threat from the point on the PP.
If our goal is to wear Chara down then why not get #8 out there as much as possible? Also he may get more favorable forward matchups
Also if Ovechkin is double shifting and plays 25 mins then Chara (who plays 25 mins anyhow) must be out there the whole time. If the Bs get PPs then maybe they have to rest Chara a bit more and to me he is there biggest threat from the point on the PP.
If our goal is to wear Chara down then why not get #8 out there as much as possible? Also he may get more favorable forward matchups
I am not sure we can wear down Lurch. Just more disrupt what Boston wants to do. If we are doubling Ovi, are they going to be yanking their LD every time to get Lurch out? Or, if Dale turtles, Boston will continue to use Lurch. If you don't see Ovi for some time, Dale could be exploiting our 2 on their 2nd or 3rd pair. Or forcing Lurch out and when he steps off, here comes Ovi.
Playoff hockey can be one huge chess match, where coaches can out coach themselves... Dale is a noob and will probably take his lumps, especially on the road / last change, but with our horses, even a blind squirrel can find a nut. It looks to me we will be rolling basically 3 scoring lines assuming Ward is the Ward we thought he would be. I expect him to hit, by the way.
Consider yourself lucky everyone I have to watch this one on CBC's website
Cbc can **** itself buys the rights to two series with the same schedule and the Caps series got the short end of the stick. ****ing stupid soon enough CBC won't be able to afford the rights to NHL games and it can't come soon enough
I don't think pressure is off, 7-spot or no. Pressure is on to win. The EC Finals were the minimum goal this season. Just because they underachieved doesn't change that.
They lose this series the team gets blown up I think. Although honestly whether that puts any pressure on the players or mgmt is up for debate. Mgmt has been satisfied with failure and mediocrity for a while.
Injuries aren't an excuse, not when teams like Pitt have been hit hard and still did well.
