Is there any reason to dress Hordichuk? I mean any reason at all? There is no fighting in the playoffs (aside from game two), but even if we sent Hordi out there, he would have got an istigator and been suspended...We dress Hordi and he plays two minutes, 4 shifts and doesnt touch the ice in the last 52 minutes of the game...I know Rads is out, and he will be back for game four, but with Erat hurt, it looks like another dose of Hordi on Wednesday...I just cant figure out what the thinking is? IS there not someone who can contribute even the slightest bit more than Hordichcuk on the Milwaukee team? If there isnt, then we have problems....I just think this team is doing itself a disservice by not adressing this...I know the replacement might not be the difference in the game, but there has to be someone that can contribute more than Hordi in some fashion....
Is there any reason to dress Hordichuk? I mean any reason at all? There is no fighting in the playoffs (aside from game two), but even if we sent Hordi out there, he would have got an istigator and been suspended...We dress Hordi and he plays two minutes, 4 shifts and doesnt touch the ice in the last 52 minutes of the game...I know Rads is out, and he will be back for game four, but with Erat hurt, it looks like another dose of Hordi on Wednesday...I just cant figure out what the thinking is? IS there not someone who can contribute even the slightest bit more than Hordichcuk on the Milwaukee team? If there isnt, then we have problems....I just think this team is doing itself a disservice by not adressing this...I know the replacement might not be the difference in the game, but there has to be someone that can contribute more than Hordi in some fashion....
Sure, we could have called up Ramzi Abid for the game, but I think that the Predators were trying to keep it "in house" in a way. During training camp, when the team paired down to around 28 skaters and headed to Orlando for a week, and in the days leading up to the playoffs the Predators have worked a lot with a motivational/corporate coach Eric Hoffenberg to work on getting the right attitude heading into the playoffs, sticking up for each other, and basically making everything about the team.
I really think that the Predators don't want to go outside of the "team" unless absolutely necessary. I expect if Erat is now questionable for Wednesday that Abid will be recalled, but then again we might see Vishnevski put in the lineup and go with 7 defensemen too. Hordichuk has been there all season long and after Saturday's game, I'm sure that he was there to act as more of a deterent than contribute at even-strength.
After the parade to the penalty box and us going down 2-1 in the second period it was obvious that our non-penalty killing players (Forsberg, Kariya, Arnott, etc) would get more ice time at even-strength and our 4th liner's would get less ice time. I wasn't really surprised to have Darcy on the bench for the last 52 minutes...we simply didn't need him.
Now, if we had to do it over again and knew that Erat was going to be injured...then I think the Predators would have recalled Abid, but then again...hindsight is 20/20.
[QUOTE=SLake;8963516]Sure, we could have called up Ramzi Abid for the game, but I think that the Predators were trying to keep it "in house" in a way. During training camp, when the team paired down to around 28 skaters and headed to Orlando for a week, and in the days leading up to the playoffs the Predators have worked a lot with a motivational/corporate coach Eric Hoffenberg to work on getting the right attitude heading into the playoffs, sticking up for each other, and basically making everything about the team.
QUOTE]
well Im sure that was nice, but unless Eric can score some goals or defend Marleau, he is not useful to us right now.
well Im sure that was nice, but unless Eric can score some goals or defend Marleau, he is not useful to us right now.
Give me Abid!
I can understand where your frustration comes from, but to nullify/overlook the work that Hoffenberg has done with the team and the impact of it...I think is pretty bad. The reason I mentioned Hoffenberg in the first place was to explain my thinking of why Hordichuk was in the lineup as opposed to Abid.
The "team" for this playoff run has been established. Sure, if we go deep in the playoffs we are bound to need to call up players to augment that "team", but I think giving Darcy an opportunity to contribute after the first two games and with him being part of that "team" probably played a factor in not calling up Ramzi Abid for the game (I mean come on...it's Ramzi Abid...not some hot-shot prospect eager for his chance or an NHL veteran playing out his contract in the AHL).
Hindsight is certainly 20/20, but I cannot disagree with the decision to add Hordichuk to the lineup last night. If we had won the game and he only played 2 minutes...no one would have cared. However, because we lost the game...it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.
With Erat injured and Sully not on the trip (and no folks...he isn't going to fly out there today to play tomorrow), I fully expect Ramzi Abid to be recalled. Hopefully he drops the gloves on his first shift and gets fired up for the game because he has shown that's his MO for playing an impact game.
Abid has been recalled....Here comes our Savior!!! I will tell you right now, if our PK doesnt shut down San Jose completely tomorrow night, its over....
What I don't like about this lineup is that it's been so easily shut down despite being so deep. I can't stand how our good players are so consistently shutdown this time of year. We've been a one line team virtually the entire series despite having three really impressive scoring lines. And while San Jose has been quite strong defensively at times, it's been a little too easy to contain our 2nd and 3rd lines.
Based on the first three games, I cannot see Kariya coming back unless he takes a paycut compared to what he could get on the market. He's done wonders for this franchise but when they've needed him the most, he's been a ghost.
Abid has been recalled....Here comes our Savior!!! I will tell you right now, if our PK doesnt shut down San Jose completely tomorrow night, its over....
Hallejuah, here comes our hero!!! Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce Ramzi Abid!
Hmm...assuming that Erat is out and Radulov and Abid get into the lineup I would predict lines to be...
Personally, I doubt that Hordichuk gets into the lineup. I would have to suspect that if we cannot get together a healthy 12 forwards (minus Hordichuk) that we will see Vitaly Vishnevski make his debut in this series.
