PerreaultForever

Ullmark for me still has a little Lehner influence on him. Makes several great saves but then lets in an easy one. Not tight to the post or leaves an opening, stuff like that. He's still improving though so I see no issues at all.

"great" is a bit of a stretch but he's definitely been better and he does fit the system. Risto is fine. He's always been fine, they've just asked too much of him in the past and now he's free to play his game and he's thriving. They all are. I think the big thing is puck possession and quick transition. It's a lot easier to play D when you have the puck or are in the other team's zone. Team speed, team play, better passing, puck control. It's not one thing, it's a combination.

I think of it more as a quiet tank as I've said but I think likely it's both that and what you said. When the start of the season went south quickly and both Housley and JBot saw how disfunctional everything was they realized winning last year was not important. Better to focus on development, restructuring, and a good draft. More future thinking. Still, I'm sure they are as surprised as we all are at how fast this has turned.

Would't it be great if they continue to crash and burn and we somehow win the lottery in 2020 with that pick.

More speed, aggressiveness, urgency even. It's like it's become infectious this year, the opposite of years past. Players are rising to the level they see from others. Competing, having fun. It's all just plain good!

Exactly. Look at Boston last year with Rick Nash. Rangers made out like bandits. Many examples like that. Look, I'm just saying in no way do i give up any 1st round picks for rentals and I would be really reluctant to give up 2nd rounders. After that don't really care. Personally, I think team chemistry is more important though and I say go with what got you there and go with the kids.

Just want to add I thought that was Reinhart's best game of the season. This is crazy good fun.

for 4 minutes no more no less with only freshly ground organic fair trade beans. Yup, I'm a coffee snob and proud of it.

I personally would like to see what Dahlin would do. We get down to the 6th guy or so I'd certainly give him a try.

History shows that rental players rarely work out. Things are great right now, and given Vegas last year I guess anything's possible but you don't build a dynasty by trading away your future.

In order to have a serious run we will need a better power play. Penalty killing is pretty good, but PP is only around 18%. Colorado's is at 32%, Tampa 27%. Things are going well, but imagine how good we'd be with a really dangerous PP.

Skinner is simply a better fit for Eichel and kudos to JBot for identifying the type of player Eichel needed as a winger. So many positive changes it's hard to argue with anything already listed but let's not forget Bogo. Everybody wrote him off and many asked could we buy him out and such and he's top 4 D and a solid team leader. If you think back to when Housley was hired, Bogo said he loved Housley's philosophy and felt he could thrive in it. Injury kept him out last year as we know, but it seems now he was right and he's bringing it. Along with McCabe playing solid hockey and Dahlin (did you see that blind behind the back pass? guy is so fluid at 18 he really could be the best ever in time) our D has gone from one of the worst in the league to a solid group that generates offense. An amazing change which, along with Skinner and the goaltending is a big big part of it.

You can't forget that Hutton signed because he was promised to be the starter. He may have asked for a lot of games. Unless things went bad they are going to respect and honor that because JBot is building an organization (I think) that honors it's word. If Hutton says he is ready, he's going to play.

Just want to bring back one observation. It all turned around when Bogo went ballistic and had that end of game fight against the Sharks. Make of it what you will, but that was the moment that to me, said this was a different team with a different attitude and it hasn't stopped since.

Ya, that was pretty. Used his strength, the reach. I think we all now (myself included) have to have more confidence and patience with their decisions. Beginning of the year I thought Mittlestadt should go to Rochester for a year and clearly the speed he's developing at that was wrong, they were right. he is going to be an awesome talent. Same for Tage. Not sure how good he will become, but they were right to stick with him and he is looking better and better all the time.

Not wrong. I doubt the word "tank" was ever used, but I am sure they thought about it and wanted it. I suspect when JBot was hired he laid out a multi year plan and first year was identify the problems, learn the strengths and weaknesses of the existing players, eliminate problems and rebuild the structure (including the farm system). Second year was likely build a new era around Eichel and a more balanced line up. Possibly challenge for the playoffs if all goes well. I am sure we are ahead of schedule. Playoffs may only have been 3rd year of the plan that builds from Rochester and the draft. Something like that anyway.

Basketball/hockey don't totally compete. Different fan base for the most part so I think if they wanted to they can use Xmas and New Years. Cold, snow, lots of holiday time. Philly/Gritty should have an annual halloween home game though of course. Maybe the southern teams can do Spring break.

Last year I was wondering what his "system" actually was as we were not the "fast" that he promised and the D stunk and didn't lead the rush at all and it was a mess. But, as I am firmly convinced now, it was another tank. Now we have Dahlin, now we see the speed, now we see the D jumping into the rush creating goals/chances, now we see puck possession and quick transition. My question would be who coaches the power play? Fix that, or replace that guy. Housley stays. The system works.

Not sure he'll ever do it, but what he needs imo is a rigorous work out and diet designed to put 15-20 pounds of muscle on that frame. Maybe get him to follow Bogo's off season routine as he beefed up. You add some solid muscle to that guy and get him to play a little nastier and he could be a really good player. As is he's awkward at best. The Thompson-Sobodka-Reinhart line is our weakest imo. While Bergland is out I'd like to see what E-Rod could do centering it. Not that Sobodka is the weak link, but as a good 2 way player I think he'd fit well with Larsson and Zemgus.

JBot, GM of the year. Everything he did this off season is working. I really want to beat the Leafs.

To answer the question, of course they are. I would not however alter the plan. No deadline deals to make a playoff push, no trading the future for the present, I want to continue a steady structural change that makes us good for many years to come, not just now. So sign Skinner if you can find numbers that make sense. Find a guy to play on the other side as Pommer has a limited shelf life and keep this thing growing in the right direction. the question is still how will we do if we hit an injury filled period, but fingers crossed. It will be really interesting if we do make the playoffs to see if any of our kids are playoff guys.

The funny thing for me is outside of the last 5 minutes I thought that was Skinner's worst game of the year and yet he still managed to score (twice). We stunk in the second. Can you imagine how good we could be if we actually put 3 good periods together? The power play has to get better, that's our weakest link but that 4 on 3 in overtime was a glimpse of the future I think, and it's very bright.

The tank worked great, we got Dahlin.

I don't keep track of salaries, but you pay him whatever #3/#4 D men make across the league cause that's what he is and will be for several years to come.

Remember last year everybody was asking how did the Leafs get so good so fast and why can't we do that, was it Babcock etc etc. Well, maybe this year it's us.