PerreaultForever

Decent comparison. I kept thinking Mike Modanno (to go back in time) but McKinnon might be a better comparison. In any event I think he is a player who will be better as the team around him gets better, he is not really the kind of guy who still thrives when the team around him is crap (unlike say McDavid or Tavares on the island)

You don't need to have the C to be the team leader. As soon as he is ready, Dahlin gets the A and it is also possible that when he leads by example and raises his game at the key moments the people around him (like Jack) will also raise theirs. It's the hope right? Ya got to have hope. The way he jumped into the rush on the goal he scored the other night shows me he just might be an actual generational talent.

I think this team simply doesn't have an identity (aside from being losers). Step one end the losing culture. Good plan, but what are we now? Not a fast team, not a physical team, not a team that is tough to play against with solid D play. The lines are forever shifting, role players don't really have clear roles, until this team develops a personality or clear style, we will flounder. On top of that, there's a lot of young guys, and not enough direct coaching of those guys during games.

It is for now, but I think maybe he just isn't that guy. Talented hockey player. On a good team a top scorer and an allstar but not a 'generational talent" as billed. I think maybe we have to hope this becomes Dahlin's team. maybe on that team, Jack will do really good.

Well maybe, but neither lit it up in preseason so don't get too excited just yet. I hope they can make the jump, but I'd leave them down there for a while to develop together.

Too easy. Blame the coach. I think the talent is over valued as usual. There may have been locker room problems and they had to go, but we removed Kane and O'Reilly's goals on a team that was already offensively poor last year and expected what? Skinner would save the day? When your second best offensive center is a kid clearly not NHL ready (Mittlestadt) there isn't a coach in the world that can make that work.

Well you're not wrong. As teams realize (those that haven't already) that all they have to do is shut down the Eichel line we will lose a lot of games. The D is a LOT better this year and will be even better as Dahlin learns, but most of the forwards are rubbish.

No question this team is offensively challenged. Without a good PP we will lose a lot of games and the PP really let us down tonight. If Eichel wants to be a true NHL allstar he has to be able to pick it up at key moments and so far I don't see that happening. When this game is 2-0 and we have 2 anemic PP's in a row you just know it ain't gonna happen. Those are the moments where Crosbys and the like step it up and turn a game that should be lost into a win. We lack that big time. Well, on the bright side we are .500 and probably that's about as good as we can expect. Signs of this being a real hockey team, but we have a LONG way to go.

One word answer: no.

We should all feel pretty good about this, especially since Vegas is a fast team and last year fast teams destroyed us. Hutton is like the anti-Lehner. Stable, calm, reliable, team oriented guy talking to rookies and directing traffic, playing the puck. What a joy it is to have stable reliable goaltending. Have to wait and see what kind of a load he can take though. Ullmark should play soon I would think. Jack has a wicked shot and we should try to set up his one timer more often. It's a rocket. PP looks so much better this year. Sheary is a good fit. Like that line. Finally a guy who can keep up with Eichel. I can see how he fit with Crosby and JBot was smart to pick him up. A really decent complimentary player who jumps on the puck well. Still waiting on Skinner to show me something, anything yet. Maybe he'll start to play if we keep winning and the attitude is positive. Dunno. Just question him period. As for Sobotka, I think it depends on who we play, but we could use a solid checking line as the third line so I still think Mittlestadt would develop better if we sent him down to Rochester for a while. It's good though right? It's just good.

Much better in game 2 wouldn't you say? Sheary on the top line and Skinner bumped down made more sense to me and it worked. We are thin at center, without question and Mittlestadt is a problem. A little like Reinhart as a rookie before him. Played a few games at the beginning of the year, looked completely lost and went back to junior. Mittlestadt should be in Rochester imo with constant coaching and a long term plan for his development. Floundering around at this level does nobody any favors. If I have a real criticism of Housely it's his line match ups during the game and the lack of constant coaching with the kids DURING games. Confidence for young guys is fragile and they need more attention imo. Example during the Rangers game after Thompson's goal was called back for a high stick you could see the look on his face, the kid was gutted and no coach gave him a pat and said good effort, or just keep driving the net and next time.......or whatever. Kids gotta be coached.

JBot looks pretty good right now for the Sheary pick up and the Hutton signing. Not so much for Skinner. See what happens, but I liked this line combo better than game 1. Much better game, but this team is still offensively challenged without a doubt. But maybe now we can beat the crap teams and hopefully one day beat the good ones.

It all just looked a little too much like the usual (last years) to make me feel good about the potential. Too early to judge for sure though. Regarding Housley though, I have my doubts. Dude, it's a home game, why are you not working harder at keeping Bergeron away from Jack? Bergeron shuts down everybody and if you're going to load up a top line you don't want it on the ice with him. The guy I really wonder about though is Skinner. So far he looks like a guy who is just passing time and doesn't want to be here. Overrated? I don't know his history but did his linemates maybe make him look better than he is? At the moment, this is Okposo v2 and if he doesn't have a good year we wont' even get anything decent at the deadline. Again, too early, but it does raise question marks and doubts.

meh.

bruins playing Caps tonight (and being out skated and blown out right now) so why wouldn't you want your team to be well rested and ready to go? non issue. judge them by the on ice performance tomorrow. If we come out slow or flat, it'll be a long season.

I was really hoping more kids would be able to step up now. We really have drafted poorly over the last while haven't we? Ah well, nowhere to go but up.

We are faster but not sure if we are fast enough. The key for me is the transition game. We have been dreadful at the D getting the puck up to the forwards quickly. Dahlin in time will improve that. How good we are at that this year might determine how good we do.

Pominville is a has been and non consideration. Reinhart is a question mark and playing with Jack doesn't make sense. Bogo is a veteran D man and one would assume will speak for the vets. It is perhaps an attempt to revitalize him as well. If he is injured it'll be stuck on someone else's jersey no big deal. Knew Jack would be Captain the minute they gave him the contract. Its really a no alternative scenario. We are all in on Jack (and in a little while Rasmus)and if he fails we will fail. If he succeeds so will we.

I gotta ask, then why do you watch it? Players are an asset for owners and that's it. So of course they care about their health while they are players. After retirement not so much. But really, what company does? So what, they're all rich.

Wow, way more negativity than I expected to see. Oh well, comes from years of losing I guess. I liked Hutton. Don't think he'll be an allstar or anything but he looks like he will be calm and stable and reliable. Big change from Lehner and he handles the puck really well which should help a lot with quick transition. Big improvement for us there. I think Skinner and Eichel need time to gel, but I like the early signs. Jack has always lacked players who can keep up with him and Skinner can so with a little more time together I think we will see some solid scoring there. Our top line should be able to play with anyone. The problem comes on line 2. No way what we have can compete if Tavares and Matthews were 1, 2 on the other side. We will have a lot of trouble with any team that has two solid scoring lines and speed. We are faster, but maybe not fast enough yet. Dahlin's a kid, take it easy on him. He will be just fine. I think the D is vastly improved. If he stays healthy, Bogo as a 5/6 guy is pretty solid. Beaulieu not so much. Still makes really dumb mistakes, totally unreliable. I'd like to see them try Guhle/Bogo as our 5/6 instead. Overall, I think we are a lot better than last year but if you look at our division, we are not as good as the annoying Leafs (who have already won the cup if you listen to their drooling media) or Tampa and probably not as good as Boston either. So wildcard at best, and that'll be a stretch. I think we will compete way more often than last year and will entertain way more than last but we will still lose a lot of close ones and probably come up a little short. With luck and good fortune however, who knows. For the first time in a long time I think playoffs are not impossible.

Yup, Center is not looking good so that may very well be the plan.

I liked what I saw from Tage. I think he has real potential and with some good coaching and a good attitude he could develop into a decent goal scorer if he's paired with a playmaker. Has to learn to use that reach better on D though. I'm not sure what to make of Ullmark. He's a little too much like Lehner at times for me. Big guy, makes a brilliant save at one moment, but let's in a soft one the next. I want consistency in goal and I'm not sure he is it (yet). Nylander had flashes. He just might make this team. The guy who really disappoints me is Mittlestadt. All the hype, but I'm sorry, this guy looks lost our there. He is definitely not ready. Assuming Sam is on the wing, we are looking pretty weak down the middle after Eichel. The D isn't worth commenting on since it's possible none of the ones on the ice tonight may be on the team. Guhle and Nelson were the best of them I guess.

Back to the game highlights then. Watching the Eichel goal I am envisioning a team with a D that can actually move the puck up ice quickly or use the stretch pass. Dahlin looked good.

Perhaps he is data driven for his initial pairings and will adjust them based on performance and development?

Great deal. I'm still not sure about him. I think it's a wise move not to reward a guy long term who hasn't showed a full season yet. If he's great he'll get rewarded and if he isn't, it's cap friendly. A long term deal was too much of a gamble. I actually would't be surprised if JBot does not see him as part of the long term future, tried hard to trade him, but no one was willing to gamble and offer substantial return so this option is a safe move. imo another positive for JBot.