Challenge 42 - 98 TB Lightning - Discussion Thread

[saberhagen83]

Decided to jump onboard in this, just looks like so much fun. So many names I remember from those days, good old memories.

Having looked through the roster I was fully prepared for a terrible season. BUT...they started of great with a 6-2-0 record! However they have come back down to earth a bit but still pretty happy with the 11-7-2 record, all things considered. But I got to say, my PP/PK stats are horrible, suppose PP has gone up a bit to a respectable level but 64% PK

Hear a lot of talk about Vinnie in here. Playing him on the 2nd line and 2nd PP myself. Not great avg rating but a respectable 9p and a +7...not complaining but, sure he is a bit inconsistent. Will be interesting to see if he gets better at all.

Edit: After 40 games we have dropped of slightly but not by much. Our division is ridiculous though, sooo tight. Decided to promote Selivanov to the 1st line and dropped Tucker to 3rd. That line is pretty filthy right now with Selivanov/Renberg on the wings, PPG guys, centered by Janney. I just feel that if one of those wingers get injured, the season is done...those guys are pretty much dragging the team through the mud as it is right now. Only reason we are winning more then we are loosing.

[saberhagen83]

Heartache. Really thought we were gonna make it in. But Q4 was brutal! Season ending injury to Janney, additional injuries to Renberg and Vinne...ugh, 7 game loosing streak saw us crash out of a playoff spot.

Question: We are not allowed to trade for 1st round picks, I understand. Does this include trading up at the draft WITH your own 1st rounder included?

[bruins72]

Question: We are not allowed to trade for 1st round picks, I understand. Does this include trading up at the draft WITH your own 1st rounder included?

Yup! First round picks can't be involved in any way, even if it's to trade up.

[bruins72]

I have also traded for a player right, i didnt know it wasnt allowed.. I read the rules, and it only said "UFA signings are not allowed!"
Im in the start of season 3, and my singing was after season one.. What to do now? The only save before i made the trade is the start of the challenge.

Looking at the challenge stats right now, you don't have any of your stats posted, so a penalty can't be applied. Each quarter you need to go to "TBL Challenge" on the menu bar and click "Upload Your Stats" to enter your challenge stats. The screenshots posted only cover so much.

[saberhagen83]

Yup! First round picks can't be involved in any way, even if it's to trade up.

Ah, good to know, thanks.

Don't think I have ever seen a player more willing to leave my team before. How rude!



I fear I might have to find a goalie to trade for. Lost Schwab on waivers last season and now Ranford doesn't want to re-sign. A bad goalie situation turned even uglier.

[bede420]

Looking at the challenge stats right now, you don't have any of your stats posted, so a penalty can't be applied. Each quarter you need to go to "TBL Challenge" on the menu bar and click "Upload Your Stats" to enter your challenge stats. The screenshots posted only cover so much.

Wow, i tough its was enough to load up in the screenshot thread.. My bad, and big mistake. Only way is for me to start over this challenge.
Then i update after 40 games and 82 games in "Stats upload tool"?

[Peter_Doherty]

Every quarter, so after 20, 40, 60 and 82 games is where you upload your stats via the challenge page on this site

[MWE]

Just went 3-17-0 in season 3

[saberhagen83]

Sometimes this game can be funny in a bad way. Last season we did so well but had a bad PP and a horrible PK. This year we have a superb PP and a okay-ish PK, at least higher %. But, now we are worse 5 on 5 and so not as well placed in the standings.

I've started to wonder if I did a misstake when I decided to pick Heatley (11th) in the draft. I had the chance to pick up Brooks Orpik (went after Heatley). Might have been better for our D. Will likely consider a D-man in the 1st round next time! On a positive Vinnie and Renberg are tearing it up on the 1st line, Tucker not so much. Might look into moving Heatley up, or try Selivanov there again, though he seems to have dropped a few stats heading into this season.

[bruins72]

I just can't get this team to work for me. I've gone from bad to oh so much worse. I'm now at the bottom of the conference. I traded away Richards because he did not look like he was developing. He looked the same from one season to the next (attribute-wise). So at the beginning of season 3, I traded him to the Avs for Chris Drury. All of a sudden Richards' attributes have jumped. I've had Zetterberg on my AHL affiliate and he didn't appear to be developing either, despite putting up points. Now we're more than half way through season 3 and his attributes look better.

Did prospect development change in the latest update to the game?

[stone169]

Season 2. I currently have the best PK in the league (which is a personal best for me), and my PP went from near the bottom in the 1st quarter to #5 after the 2nd quarter.

Biggest issue for my current team is goal tending. There are some good goalies in the 2000 draft. My plan is to use my 1st and 3rd pick to draft a couple of them.

I sent both Brad Richards and Sean Avery back to junior to develop. They'll have a place on the team next season. I also have a lot of UFAs this season. I'd like to sign them all, but two straight naff seasons may make that difficult.

[saberhagen83]

I sent both Brad Richards and Sean Avery back to junior to develop. They'll have a place on the team next season.

Has Richards been developing for you in Juniors? I too sent him back in season 2, but so far he isn't looking to make the team next year. But then again, the team is in shambles right now, so might not be too hard to get on to the lineup. I've thrown in the towel on season 2 now. Nothing is working, constant injuries popping up and no one is playing good any longer. Letting in like 4-6 goals in each and every game right now.

[Asher413]

Just a short update- been busy.

Draft notables: Patrick Sharp (4th overall). 12 other picks, Peverly, Hejda, Fiddler and Wade Davis also made my 'top 10' prospects. A couple of AHL level guys who I hope have more development in the tank.

I haven't made any trades since January of season 2, I'm basically giving into the fact that I (on paper) have the right 12 forwards once they develop, 4 or 5 of the right defensemen, and 2 serviceable goalies, and I just need to let that group develop. A couple are going crazy (sorry B72, Richards is one of them for me), and I wanted to give the others one solid season before I ship them out (either if they don't fit or I think my scouts are lying to me).

The pre-season said I was the 30th ranked team... I don't believe it but we sure are playing like it.

Here's the basic lineup (I've been tinkering with lines every 5-8 games just trying to find SOMETHING that works.)

Aubin- Skudra

Lydman-Streit
Cross-Kubina
Mara- Bannister/Skopintev (Kos when injuries)

Zaumner-Richards-Richer
Sedin-Peca-Grier
Lecavalier-Lankcow-Renberg
Brunette-Pahlsson-Nazarov (Andersson, Dumont)

We'll see if this group ever develops, or if my job this challenge is to set the low bar.

PS- Richards spent '98-99 in juniors for me, put up terrible NHL numbers (17 pts, -19, 6.17 AvR) in '99-00 but stayed up (grew at least a point, mostly two in every category by game 30).

[stone169]

I sent both Brad Richards and Sean Avery back to junior to develop. They'll have a place on the team next season.

Has Richards been developing for you in Juniors? I too sent him back in season 2, but so far he isn't looking to make the team next year.

Slowly but surely. After this year in Junior, I can put him in the AHL for the 2000/2001 season if need be. Only problem is I'm short on centers, but I've managed to make due thanks to one trade I made.

Signed everyone, so there's no rush to rush anyone, which is nice. it'll be another long season for 2000/2001, but after that the team should be looking good.

[bruins72]

I think I've really botched this team. I'm still playing the game like I played EHM 2007 and it just doesn't work the same way anymore. I think prospects develop at a much more reasonable rate now and rushing them into playing regular minutes in the NHL really can ruin them. I'm putting aside my save on this to try some testing for a bit. I loaded up the original save we all used for this challenge, sent down anyone who could be sent to the minors, and returned Lecavalier to juniors. I didn't hire or fire any staff. I'm letting the coach handle the games and I'm simming until Dec 31st. Then I start scouting the draft. I think I'm going to try to retain the older players on this team, even if they're terrible, and let the youngsters develop more naturally. We'll see how it goes.

[stone169]

I drafted Lundqvist and Anderson in the 2000 draft. Luckily I still have the same 4 bad goalies I started with and I have no intention of changing that, unless I can get a good young starter. I have Puppa and Ranford under contract for 3 more years, which should give both Lundqvist and Anderson time to develop. I guess it also depends on just how long I plan on playing this for as well.

And since I don't really expect too much from this group in season3, I may just send my younger guys down. I won't know until after training camp.

Here's my last two drafts:

1999
5th Martin Havlat
65th Sean Avery
76th Jordan Leopold
125th Toni Lydman
173rd Aki-Petteri Berg
185th Brian Passmore

2000
3rd Henrik Lundqvist
33rd Matthew Lombardi
63rd Craig Anderson
90th Rich Peverley
93rd Alexei Semenov
94th Mattias Weinhandl
120th Scotty Balan
153rd Vernon Fiddler
154th Antti Aarnio
183rd Guillaume Lefebvre

[MWE]

I've just finished season 3 finished rock bottom

[saberhagen83]

Year 3 and we are off to a decent start. Team is starting to look promising actually. Brad Richards came into camp with a small hope of making the team, haven't developed much if anything since last year. But after pre-season (which he had a decent one) it just said *boom* and he had lots of attributes in the green! Started off on the 2nd line but struggled, seems to have found his place on the 3rd for now.

Lecavalier and Heatley are doing really good so far and a few other guys are as well, but those two stand out a bit. My PK is back to being worse then terrible though and I can't quite get the balance right on D either. Goaltending is still uneven. I feel like I just need a good defenseman and goalie and we should make the playoffs. I pray there is a future defenseman waiting for me in next draft. Drafted Craig Anderson, hope he pans out but none of my scouts like him at all.

[MWE]

I drafted Kovalchuk

[Asher413]

Oooofffff. This has been a rough 3rd season.

For the first quarter my powerplay and PK were terrible, slowly fixing the powerplay, but can't solve the PK. We are either too young (easy excuse) or terrible defensively (reality), and we can't stop anyone. I'm also so frustrated with how often we go into the third up a goal, then lose by a goal. Clicking through this one fast now just to get to season 4!

Did have a EHT issue- I lost part of my team to the 3rd EHT, no clue why, and will have to see if I'm updated (I thought I was). The only good news it I look like a lock for the #2 pick, so because of my issues it will be Rinne (not ready but solves the problem very long term) or Keith (also not ready but much closer).

[stone169]

I started off season 3 with less 5000 season tickets sold. Fans are not too happy with me at all. Won my first 3 to start the season, then dropped the next 7. Traded for Marty Biron, which helped in the goaltending department.

Then I traded for Toskala. Fans didn't like that, but I think I greatly improved my goaltending and the team has been playing better, but when I lose a key player, my lack of depth really shows. Seems like when everyone is healthy, I win. When I have one person out for a game or two, I get destroyed.

Placed both Puppa and Ranford on waivers, as no one seemed to want them. Ranford cleared, Puppa didn't. Can't seem to trade Selivanov. I'm pretty sure that has to do with the contract that he has.

But when it's all said and done. This team still sucks. It just sucks a little bit less.

[stone169]

Did anyone else lose players to this "European Hockey Tour" in the middle of 2001? I thought this was supposed to fixed with the most recent patch?

[bede420]

I have just reached 60 games in season one, and my 3rd quarter we got 14 wins in 20 games.. Sitting on 5th place in the conf!

[bruins72]

Did anyone else lose players to this "European Hockey Tour" in the middle of 2001? I thought this was supposed to fixed with the most recent patch?

Yeah, it happened to me. I know the original issue was during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I guess this mid-season thing is still there.

[saberhagen83]

Did anyone else lose players to this "European Hockey Tour" in the middle of 2001? I thought this was supposed to fixed with the most recent patch?

Yeah, it happened to me. I know the original issue was during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I guess this mid-season thing is still there.

Isn't the Euro Hockey Tour played every year? Seems like this bug happens a bit random if that is the case. I too had this happen, but I haven't gotten into 2001 just yet. But heading into season 3, I think it was around camp times, some of my players were picked to play there.