Management needs to spend more money if they want to improve. How many teams at the cap floor year in, year out, have ever succeeded?
The owner has deep pockets. Look at what Terry Pegula did in Buffalo, and tell David Thomson to spend some money.
Plus, we need a coach who knows how to utilize his players. Byfuglien has looked horrible on defense so far and was out on the ice for most of the goals against again today. I've been saying it since Game One. Every time he does something positive, it's down low in the offensive zone. Whenever something bad happens, it's because he's completely out of his league on defense.
There is no where to spend money. Buffalo was a team with alot of talent that only needed a couple more players to help put them over the top. Ville Leino and Robyn Regehr would not make a huge difference on this team, we need to develop a core first. We need at least one, if not two more years building this team with star youngsters before we are ready to take the next step, IMO. A star like a Yakupov is exactly what we need, we will not get that by spending money.
When we do start to become a competitive team, we can start throwing money around to put us over the top, ala LAK.
1. I have followed the Oilers over the last 10 years. Watching tonight's game, the Jets remind me of how the Oilers played hockey the last 2 years. The 1st and 2nd period were brutal to watch. Absolutely brutal.
Potential silver lining...we will be drafting really high over the next 2-3 years.
2. Claude Noel is making some weird decisions. Ie, Jones with Byfuglien? Slater and Thorburn on the PP late in the 3rd to do what? Noel changes up the forward lines during a game more often than Craig MacTavish did during his final year of tenure in Edmonton which suggests to me a level of desperation.
Potential silver lining...Noel will be a commentator on TSN by the time playoffs roll around so the entire country can enjoy his broad analogies and quirky quotes.
Pretty terrible game. Once again, Tanner Glass couldn't hit an empty net even if it was the size of a soccer goal. I honestly don't know why they bother trying to keep Byfuglien as a defenseman. Let's face it, he is a forward, and keeping him on defense is just going to keep exposing massive holes for 2 or 3 on ones.
Still, thinks could be worse, I highly doubt this will happen:
. Coaching seriously needs to be questioned because this is almost the same roster as last year and we never looked this bad. So many questionable decisions by Noel and company that I can't even count. Maybe start by not putting Byfuglien with an incompetent partner for 1 game and see what happens.
I agree with the assessment of coaching. For a team that is supposed to be getting a huge push from the increased fan support and stability of playing in Winnipeg it definitely has NOT translated onto the ice (save for the first exhibition game against a bunch of Columbus rookies).
I wonder if Noel is trying too hard to put his stamp on these guys and is, ineffectively, reinventing the wheel in the process...
Holden Caulfield - I pretty much agree with all of what you're saying.
But but I have been bashing Jones
Quote:
Originally Posted by badinsults
Pretty terrible game. Once again, Tanner Glass couldn't hit an empty net even if it was the size of a soccer goal. I honestly don't know why they bother trying to keep Byfuglien as a defenseman. Let's face it, he is a forward, and keeping him on defense is just going to keep exposing massive holes for 2 or 3 on ones.
Still, thinks could be worse, I highly doubt this will happen:
Pretty terrible game. Once again, Tanner Glass couldn't hit an empty net even if it was the size of a soccer goal. I honestly don't know why they bother trying to keep Byfuglien as a defenseman. Let's face it, he is a forward, and keeping him on defense is just going to keep exposing massive holes for 2 or 3 on ones.
Still, thinks could be worse, I highly doubt this will happen:
Pretty terrible game. Once again, Tanner Glass couldn't hit an empty net even if it was the size of a soccer goal. I honestly don't know why they bother trying to keep Byfuglien as a defenseman. Let's face it, he is a forward, and keeping him on defense is just going to keep exposing massive holes for 2 or 3 on ones.
Still, thinks could be worse, I highly doubt this will happen:
Uh what? Antropov was the best forward on the team. Do you watch anything other than who skates the fastest?(you have serious hate issues for Antropov/MacLean). Scheifele has been at best average. Did not notice him to to much tonight, certainly not one of the worst but not one of the best. I do agree with Jones needing to go.
I have serious issues with guys like Antropov/MacLean who can't skate, MacLean couldn't even keep up with the play, Antropov skates like a guy carrying a piano on his back. You do know this is the NHL where it's all about speed right. Antropov is the slowest player in the NHL. I think that most NHL goalies could outskate this man even wearing their equipment.
Hope Jones has a long prosperous career in the AHL
I'd personally like to see something like the following for a line-up, give or take.
I'm not a knee-jerk reaction kind of guy, but I think Byfuglien is absolutely useless on defence. He spends a lot of time roaming down low offensively, and I think we could use his size, strength and physicality in the offensive zone. Let him play wing with Ladd and Little.
I like Antropov with Burmistrov, and Kane on the wing adds a goal scorer with speed.
Shift Wheeler down and let him play with Scheifele and Wellwood, see if anything clicks.
I find Glass rather useless and believe Cormier would serve a better fit and make more of an impact with Slater and Thorburn.
Pair Enstrom with Bogosian, Stuart with Postma, Hainsey with Oduya. Ya, those pairs have their question marks, but I think each player fits playing with the other. Can't be worse than Byfuglien and Jones in the top 6.
Kane - Burmistrov - Antropov
Ladd - Little - Byfuglien
Wellwood - Scheifele - Wheeler
Cormier - Slater - Thorburn
Enstrom - Bogosian
Stuart - Postma
Hainsey - Oduya
I have serious issues with guys like Antropov/MacLean who can't skate, MacLean couldn't even keep up with the play, Antropov skates like a guy carrying a piano on his back. You do know this is the NHL where it's all about speed right. Antropov is the slowest player in the NHL. I think that most NHL goalies could outskate this man even wearing their equipment.
Hope Jones has a long prosperous career in the AHL
You can fun with superstars like Konstantion Koltsov, Tim Stapleton, Jeff Giulano, Rico Fata. Those guys will win you lots of games.
Go watch speed skating if that's all you care about. Antropov is a smart, talented hockey player who controls the corners, moves the puck well, sees the ice, makes plays and is very responsible defensively. If you cannot see that he has been by far our best player, I really have no idea what to say.
Just for an example, neither Boston nor Vancouver were particularly fast teams last season, yet both were in the Cup final. NHL is not "all about speed".
Glad i dropped by I was going to avoid things after our stinker but there has been some good humour and I laughed a bit which has helped my mood
so far we are three games in and we haven't gotten a goal off a wrist or slap shot or maybe not even from the front side of one of our sticks
our first positive post was # 69 by AndersUlfBobby thank you sir for your poise
the good news is I don't think losing will sit very well with Chevy or the owners so as ugly as things are on HFBoards they are not pretty behind the scenes i'm sure.....a win would provide some much needed tonic for this squad we seem to be lacking confidence along with coherence in approach. I know coach Noel has been around the block but either he isn't communicating very well or his system is tough to pick up.
however at the end of the day its still on the players....lots of blame to go around tonight
I'd personally like to see something like the following for a line-up, give or take.
I'm not a knee-jerk reaction kind of guy, but I think Byfuglien is absolutely useless on defence. He spends a lot of time roaming down low offensively, and I think we could use his size, strength and physicality in the offensive zone.
Kane - Burmistrov - Antropov
Ladd - Little - Byfuglien
Wellwood - Scheifele - Wheeler
Cormier - Slater - Thorburn
Enstrom - Bogosian
Stuart - Postma
Hainsey - Oduya
Guerzy, you're from Winnipeg right? Just dress up like Noel and take his place and go with those lines. Not optimal IMO, but miles better than right now.
I have serious issues with guys like Antropov/MacLean who can't skate, MacLean couldn't even keep up with the play, Antropov skates like a guy carrying a piano on his back. You do know this is the NHL where it's all about speed right. Antropov is the slowest player in the NHL. I think that most NHL goalies could outskate this man even wearing their equipment.
Hope Jones has a long prosperous career in the AHL
You still disregarding the fact that Antropov has been our best player, played injured last year and the year before that had 67pts.
I would suggest you put your little issue with "slow" players who out race Ray Whitney for breakaways on the sideline for awhile, your little animus is quite petty, and doesn't give you much credibility. As I mentioned he's been arguably our best forward, so what do you want?
Another thing, the NHL is NOT all about speed, hence why Antropov has been in the league for 12 years. Positioning, Brains, Passing, Size (not a big hitter, but he controls the boards and clogs the front of the net) are what keeps Antropov in the NHL.
You can fun with superstars like Konstantion Koltsov, Tim Stapleton, Jeff Giulano, Rico Fata. Those guys will win you lots of games.
Go watch speed skating if that's all you care about. Antropov is a smart, talented hockey player who controls the corners, moves the puck well, sees the ice, makes plays and is very responsible defensively. If you cannot see that he has been by far our best player, I really have no idea what to say. He
Glad to see that with 1 point in three games you have Antropov pencilled in for the All-star game.
His breakaway and so-called attempt at a penalty shot had me in fits, actually I cried afterwards thinking the Jets might have inherited an NHL team from Atlanta but in fact it was an AHL team called the Chicago Wolves.
I have a new-found respect for Brian Burke and Glen Sather who didn't want a guy like Antropov playing on their teams!
With 41 points last year Antropov was still a -17 player but you guys obviously don't think +/- is relevant indicator of play
