I dunno ESY. They talked about this on the Marek v Whyszinski podcast the other day (great podcast BTW) and I mean, I feel like the Avs are finishing right about where they should, given their roster.
Next year, with everyone being a bit older, I'd expect them to be a more serious contender for the 6-8 spots. But I don't feel like they're dramatically underachieving or anything, so it seems from an outsiders perspective that Sacco is doing okay...
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SmartMuffin - Because anything less would be uncivilized - http://img.imgcake.com/smartmuffin/barkleyjpgde.jpg http://dudewheresmyfreedom.com/
I was one of the last people to turn on Sacco but even I can't justify his continued employment. The man's system has 2 components: Play like crap for 50 minutes and try to make up for it in the last 10, and when it comes to shots quantity > quality so shoot 20-30 times a game from the perimeter and everything will be alright.
Whether the Avs can make the playoffs depends on a number of factors. First is whether Kroenke is willing to stop being so damn cheap with the team. Second, the Avs need firepower. Either they need to look to the FA market or Duchene/Stastny need to get their act together and start playing like 1st liners again. Third is, as it always is, defense. Johnson had a good season and Barrie obviously has potential. Elliot looked rough and clearly needs more development. Hejda is beyond horrific but the Avs are stuck with him. They need help badly.
With the Avs out of the playoff picture I can now jump fully on the Nashville bandwagon. All aboard the Rinne Railway.
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I'm proud of my Stars. Stayed in the race this long after having to trade for a player just to hit the cap floor. Owner-less for half of the season, and playing with no top D pairing (their best D pair is 2nd at best on most teams). The team has absolutely no depth due to the no ownership situation, yet they made it this far before being eliminated. Quality stuff, gentlemen.
My list of things they should do this offseason:
Get rid of Morrow (he's done. hurt the team more than he helped) Pick up some solid wingers for Benn (he was playing with Ott and Burish for most of the season. Seriously. Still almost averaged a point per game.) Get rid of Souray and Robidas (too old, and souray was near worthless the last month or 2 when it counted defensively. liabilities) Acquire a couple top tier Dmen. Weber and Suter are out there, and we have a new owner that's ready to spend with a s***load of cap space. Let's do this. If Ott and Goligoski must go, then so be it. We need some change around here (but please keep Ott).
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Let's get drunk and make bad decisions "Life is a bunch of stuff" -- Whiskey Nick
Well, I have to say, I am VERY satisfied that both of my teams made the playoffs despite totally underachieving this year.
I'd like to think that maybe, as a lower seed with less pressure, the Caps could make some waves, but without their top two goalies, it doesn't look good...
I think the Kings will have a decent shot at whoever they draw, better than the shots they've had the last two years, but nothing close to a gimme here!
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Yeah, Dallas has plenty of potential, and a big signing like Weber would be just what they need to return to relevancy. As a Kings fan, I am NOT looking forward to having to deal with them being good again <_<
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SmartMuffin - Because anything less would be uncivilized - http://img.imgcake.com/smartmuffin/barkleyjpgde.jpg http://dudewheresmyfreedom.com/
I was one of the last people to turn on Sacco but even I can't justify his continued employment. The man's system has 2 components: Play like crap for 50 minutes and try to make up for it in the last 10, and when it comes to shots quantity > quality so shoot 20-30 times a game from the perimeter and everything will be alright.
Anyone can look at Colorado and realize they are an offensive team. Sacco is special though, he looks at this team and sees the next defensive juggernaut in the West. He coaches them to get a 1-0 lead and just completely stop trying offensively. Chip the puck into their zone and retreat. The only problem is that Colorado is a terrible defensive team (seriously, there is no star defenseman on that team). Sacco just continued to recycle this strategy in every game, and that is the only reason why we aren't going to the playoffs.
He needs to go. There is no way around this. He might be a good coach with a different team, but he doesn't fit with the Avs. They need a coach who can bring out the best in them offensively, and be tight defensively after getting a large lead in the third.
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Thinking Luigi and WAAAA > Pokemon Trainers was dumb, and Pokemon rocks. In other news, Valve is a pretty f***ing terrible company, let's be honest.
With that said, I'm not too upset with the team this year, I'm just going to be very bored until free agency begins. No first round draft pick, so no hype leading into the draft (although we do have the Leafs' second rounder I believe). Duchene and Stastny need to bounce back, and Johnson needs to be the star defenseman that he was touted as being. We definitely need more consistency on D, but I do like the fact that in just about every game a new defenseman stepped up his game. If we can get a consistent showing from everyone, we should have a pretty solid back-end. Varlamov was great, and Giguere had a great season as well. I'm happy with both of them staying next year.
As for our forwards, we do have three excellent lines if they play to their potential. Landeskog/O'Reilly/McGinn is solid, and Stastny/Downie/Jones are also really good if they compete. Duchene has been pushed to our third line mostly because of injuries, but even when he was healthy he was not producing offensively. He needs to deal with whatever slump he's in and get back to where he was in his rookie season. Hejduk will either retire or play one more season, but he also doesn't have much of a spot left on this team. Our third line can't be the underachievers line. Hopefully we can address that point in the offseason.
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Thinking Luigi and WAAAA > Pokemon Trainers was dumb, and Pokemon rocks. In other news, Valve is a pretty f***ing terrible company, let's be honest.
From: GrapefruitKing | #416 what the f***!!!!!!!!!! Ryan Clowe, whily on the bench, touches the puck what the f*** is up with that s***
That might have been the craziest non-call I've ever seen. It wasn't even like he was getting on the bench and he stopped a play.. or the puck went towards the bench and he kept it in play with a glove... literally played the puck from the bench and it went unnoticed. Wow.
From: thundersheep | #417 That might have been the craziest non-call I've ever seen. It wasn't even like he was getting on the bench and he stopped a play.. or the puck went towards the bench and he kept it in play with a glove... literally played the puck from the bench and it went unnoticed. Wow.
That happened in the All-Star game. But that was just having fun, everyone laughed.
-- ~Halo You're not the brightest. http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/907/bandfinisher.jpg
From: SmartMuffin | #415 and Johnson needs to be the star defenseman that he was touted as being.
Man, talk about a trade going bad for both teams...
Honestly, I'm happy with the trade. Johnson had a solid second half and I think he'll develop a bit more. He's the kind of player the team needed and while he isn't a top-tier guy he plays solid D and is getting better. Stewart needed to be traded and while losing Shattenkirk was tough he was expendable due to Elliot/Barrie. Siemens didn't have the strongest year from what I heard but we'll see how he develops.
-- Operator of the Would You Hit It Topics! They're Back! http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=8&topic=50421416
The Panthers need to lose their last game in OT, they'd break the record for most OT losses in a season (ever since shootouts are used, at least) The 2008-2009 Lightning had 18 OT losses too
From: GrapefruitKing | #420 The Panthers need to lose their last game in OT, they'd break the record for most OT losses in a season (ever since shootouts are used, at least) The 2008-2009 Lightning had 18 OT losses too
And Washington needs to win and Ottawa needs to lose in regulation.
-- Will not change sig unless the Sens win the Stanley Cup. Started 2/19/07 http://paranatural.net/chapter-1-page-1/ - Read Paranatural
would prefer Ottawa over Washington - I don't always put a ton of stock into regular season records, but we went 5-1 on Ottawa and 1-3 against Washington. I think we're too efficient 5on5 for Ottawa, we can get the points we need to win with a lot less shots, someone like Karlsson is going to give up some nice chances for us.
Washington seems to score pretty well against us. Wideman is amazing when he is motivated and nothing ever seemed to motivate him more than costing the Bruins games.
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Donny: Are they gonna hurt us, Walter? Walter: No, Donny. These men are cowards.
From: ESY16 | #419 Honestly, I'm happy with the trade. Johnson had a solid second half and I think he'll develop a bit more. He's the kind of player the team needed and while he isn't a top-tier guy he plays solid D and is getting better. Stewart needed to be traded and while losing Shattenkirk was tough he was expendable due to Elliot/Barrie. Siemens didn't have the strongest year from what I heard but we'll see how he develops.
Heh. We definitely got the better end of the deal, Shattenkirk is usually pretty damn great. Stewart sucks though.
-- ~Halo You're not the brightest. http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/907/bandfinisher.jpg
From: ShadowHalo17 | #423 Heh. We definitely got the better end of the deal, Shattenkirk is usually pretty damn great. Stewart sucks though.
Straight up I'd rather have Johnson on the Avs so I wouldn't say St. Louis got the better end. Shattenkirk is probably better for the Blues than Johnson but Barrie is a better offensive D prospect than Shattenkirk so it works out. We'll have to wait and see with Siemens but there is potential there.
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All I know is that Shattenkirk has had a fantastic time with the Blues and I'd say he's our second best defense player after Pietrangelo. They're both really damn good.
-- ~Halo Live, fight, survive, as a family. http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7469/batfamily.jpg
I like that criticizing the Pens is a fineable offense.
Yeah, if not for Turtlerella being part of the loathsome NY sports scene, I would have praised the hell out of this yesterday. Lemieux is the absolute worst and his attitude is fully embraced throughout that organization, and they absolutely don't need to be like that.
-- to measure the meaning can make you delay it's time you stopped thinking and wasting the day
Aw yeah, Hawks get the win, but do so in overtime to ensure Detroit still finishes ahead of them and the Blackhawks will be able to avoid Nashville in the first round.
Best possible outcome, imho.
-- Moops? "I thought you were making up diseases? That's spontaneous dental hydroplosion."
totally missed buying first round tix, ah well. I actually have a little bit of play money this year so I should be able to get to a game if I can win the ticket buying opportunity lottery they have for the second round (assuming we get there).
-- to measure the meaning can make you delay it's time you stopped thinking and wasting the day
89.575% Penalty Kill for the Devils, breaking Dallas' mark of 89.251% in 99-00. Plus the Devils scored 15 shorthanded goals.
Stephen Gionta (Brian's brother) gets the call-up today for the first time all season, scores his first career goal and it's the game-winner. 6 game win streak heading into the playoffs. Good feelings here.
I like that criticizing the Pens is a fineable offense.
Yeah, if not for Turtlerella being part of the loathsome NY sports scene, I would have praised the hell out of this yesterday. Lemieux is the absolute worst and his attitude is fully embraced throughout that organization, and they absolutely don't need to be like that.
You shut your mouth. Lemieux is a god and there was no reason outside of jealousy for Torts to rope Crosby and Malkin into that rant.
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"CROSSFIYAAAAAAH!" counter: OVER 9000 Official PIttsburgh Penguins fan of Board 8
Also, Malkin set a pace for 120 points this season. 1.45 points per game. Last time he put up these numbers, Pens won the cup and he landed the Conn Smythe.
Good tidings ahead.
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"CROSSFIYAAAAAAH!" counter: OVER 9000 Official PIttsburgh Penguins fan of Board 8
Oh god dammit. Now since the Rangers are clearly gonna lose, that means if Vancouver wins tonight, which they will, they'll get the President's Trophy.
Ugh.
-- ~Halo There is no Crane, only Scarecrow! http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3739/scarecrowq.jpg