Taro T

Apparently Comrie was able to do some butterfly in practice for the 1st time since the injury. So, we might have him back sooner than later. He is still officially week to week.

Don't see the issue w/ having Mittelstadt on line 1 as an issue about rewarding 1 good game. See the issue as more being that he's had difficulties being the "driver" on a 2nd line and finally might be getting his game back on the 3rd line & they then put him back up against stiffer competition again (though at least not in the driver's seat). Get his game stepped up before putting him back in a position where he's likely to fail. That said, thought he played well in the 2nd period. Didn't like his game at all in the 1st nor 3rd. Still expect Okposo is the best choice to move there. But would not be opposed to putting Krebs there. Other than his pretty much never shooting, he probably mimics Skinner's game the most closely of anyone on the roster. Plus, he seemed to have chemistry w/ Tuch last year (but who didn't?) in the short time they played together last year.

The real issue w/ Eichel. You'll likely never get 70 games from him in any 1 regular season. The real issue w/ Eichel. You'll likely never get 70 games from him in any 1 regular season.

Why, that would be just DREAMY. To be on NEARLY an 87 point pace 40% of the way through the season. Why, they could miss the playoffs by ONLY a dozen points. And it's NOTHING at all like that embarrassing NHL 0.500 pace that they'd've been on w/ out getting TB & Pittsburgh to OT. It's pretty much the same as and wasaaay closer to that 98 point pace they actually need. 😉

Thought on bench teammate on teammate violence was just a beer league thing. Guess not.

If they were 7-5 vs the top 1/3 of the league they wouldn't be knocking at the door, they'd be IN the playoffs. The door they'd be knocking on is being a true SC contender. There aren't a ton of holes, but there are key ones remaining to be filled.

Young players have fun on the bench & on the ice. Is what it is. The '81 Eulers were literally singing on the bench the whole series as the 14th seeded boys from Alberta were knocking the serious 3rd seeded Habs out of the playoffs in a best if 3. Don't see it as much a "they don't hate losing enough" thing as it is a "they don't have enough talent yet to overcome major adversity" thing. Maturing & bringing in a few judicial pieces would fix that. MHO, YMMV.

Doubt that giving Botterill a "vote of confidence" shortly before canning his arse caused people to question the Pegulas ownership. That happens all the time. Their changing the overriding philosophy of how the planned to reach their goals every 2-3 years - build through FA; no, through a scorched earth tank w/ Regier at the helm; no, Murray & build the Kings East; no, Botterill & the Pens North; no, sack everyone; now THAT probably had something to do w/ outsiders viewing them as confused at best. 😉

🤔 You mean Clague?

Couldn't believe he got away w/ it. Except for the fact it happened in the NHL, still can't really believe it.

Neither was Dahlin's initially. One of the underrated issues working against young D-men - their shots aren't particularly powerful & they're shooting from 60' away.

He did, he did play himself out of a job on Wednesday.

Answer 2 is Kasparaitus. Throwing the puck over the boards w/ no call was in Game 7. But he DID get a stern talking to.

Did you watch that fight? It was NOT a hockey fight. (Not a good one at any rate.)

Why?

Line brawl would've happened for the slash on Anderson. Never would've gotten to the point of the cross check.

No he's not & yes he could. They could easily have one of the kids take a shift or 2 there IF Okposo is showing signs of needing a spell. And if Asplund is the player called in, he can take his spot on PK. He WON'T take Skinner's shift on PP1. That knocks out 3 to 6 shifts from his load right there.

It should be Okposo. MHO.

Not his, mine.

Yeah, but what if the dog had gotten to it 1st? It could've been a tragedy of epic proportions.

YOU got a lollipop? Sheesh, all this kid got was a box making strange whirring noises w/ a return address from Coudersport. Figured it was from PA and was afraid to open it. Gave it to a Bruins "friend" and he hasn't been seen nor heard from since. 😉

If Okposo or Tuch can flip to the other side, that's who should get bumped up IMHO.

Fully expect that the 6th D-man will be getting 8-12 minutes per night if the other 5 are healthy. Doubt Bryson'd get the Rory 4 minutes/night routine. Not w/ a 2 year deal in a year where 'they're looking for serious winning down the road even if it costs them a few games in the ST.' (Obviously not an exact quote, but that was the jist of it.) But those 8-12 minutes will be almost exclusively 5v5 and with the Cozens & Okposo lines. He'll get a smidge of PK, but not often w/out a D-man in the box.

He splits the 3rd pairing up quite often after the 1st period of close games. The 2nd line seems to spend quite a bit of time with the 3rd pairing when it's together (pretty much when the 2nd line aren't out against the other team's top line) and the 3rd line seems to get the bulk of that other 1/3 of the 3rd paoring's time on the ice. But since becoming the 3rd line, it seems whenever they get caught out w/ the Bryson bunch that bad things happen. It was good to keep the 3's away from each other. That should stay the plan until the Mitts line has demonstrated they have confidence back. MHO.

This is the 6th consecutive game their minutes were limited. Or, in the case of the BJ game, limited when the game was still in question. In this game they played very little w/ the 3rd D pairing. That might've helped them play a little looser knowing any oops (even in the offensive zone) didn't necessarily have to have a 50% chance of becoming a high danger chance against.