EHM The Blue Line

Wow...I sure do not want to give all these bums new deals, but if I do not I will have about 29 so called players on my roster for year 2 of the challenge. God...even qualifying Nemisz and Bellemore makes me want to throw up.

Tlusty and Skinner injured for 3 months each + Jordan Staal for 5 months

Ouch. Just prior to the return of Jordan Staal, I lost Eric for a week, Osala for 2 weeks, and Tlusty for 10 days. That was fun!

Got Jordan back and after losing 2 in a row without everyone in lineup....starting to win again. Jordan went 2-6-8 in his first 9 games.

Honestly, I cannot believe how well this team is playing defensively for me. Shots against are in the 24 range. My 1-2-2 is working really well in the neutral zone.

LIneup now that all (save Gerbe) are healthy

Skinner-E Staal-Semin
Tlusty-Jo Stall-Lindholm
Osala-McClement-Ja Staal
Who cares...these guys all suck rocks

Faulk-Sekera
GLeason-Murphy
Liles-Hainsey

Spares on the roster: Shugg, Harrison, Bellemore, Brody Sutter, Holmstrom, Nash--ANY COMBINATION OF THESE TOOLS PLAYS ON MY FOURTH LINE...Harrison and Bellemore seem for some reason to be the best there, even though never train them to play up front.

Jared STaal has been decent for me, expected to get below 6.5 ratings, but he is well above that.

Shugg can score occasionally, and Holmstrom actually does well every once in awhile as well. All 3 play better than their attributes indicate.

Riley Nash sucks, Nemisz sent down when Jordan came back as he sucks. Dwyer totally sucks and is gone after this year.

GOALTENDING is freaking awesome on this team. Ward playing approximately 2/3 of the games and Khudobin 1/3. I think Ward has something like 14 shutouts and Khudobin has approximately 4. INSANE. Especially since only at 60 game mark. 99 goals against in 60 games. What the Dickens? Even with my defensive playing style I have never achieved this.

Personally I think it has alot to do with having so many veteran well aged defensemen. Hainsey, Gleason, Liles...really solidify the penalty kill in particular which is at 93%

bruins72 wrote:Just be thankful it wasn't Staal, Ward, Skinner, or Semin!

You jinxed me Bruins! Just uploaded my Q2 40 games and E. Staal has missed 12 games, Skinner 7. Semin has played every game

Made it through the preseason with good results - went 5-1 while only allowing 3 goals in the first 5 matches. Unfortunately Khudobin got injured after the first preseason game so Ward had to get all of the remaining starts. Rask had a great preseason at the 2C spot with 6 points and pretty much all of the top 6 played well. Ryan Murphy also had a strong showing with an average rating of 8 through preseason. I was really considering leaving Rask up with the big team just to fill the hole at center, but ultimately decided against it as I don't want to be stuck with a scrub like McGinn or Rissanen when I don't need to.
In the end, Osala will get the chance at 2C just to see how he does there, I'd rather try that than have McClement playing these kind of minutes.
Also made my waiver pickup - Jerred Smithson to help with the forward depth - the 4th line on this team is the worst I've seen in any of my games (and I've been playing with Sabres just this week!).

This is gonna be pretty rough for sure.

It's all part of my evil plan. I wave my magic jinx wand and the injuries all come!

Well pretty much the most frustrating season ever given that others have done well. Just could not stop any goals. Finished 7th in goals for...27th in goals against. Last in PK %. Guess my offensive tactics didn't help here. I think the top 6 are really good for a "bad" team, but throw in some injuries and the shallowness really shows. Finished 29th

I guess you can hope to do well in the lottery and maybe snag that top pick.

Even though Cam Ward noticeably regressed in the second half of the season, I managed to stay in a playoff spot for most of the season after a slower start. Jordan Staal was my best player when healthy, putting up 41 points in the same amount of games. Unfortunately our 1st round opponent is Washington, which is one of the teams that I had a lot of trouble against during the regular season, losing 6 of 8. First game of the series confirmed my doubts as the Canes lost 0-5. I'll have to think of something if I want to have post-season success... (this is like the 4th time Holtby shut us out this season, unreal...)

Forgot to mention Andrej Sekera suffered a concussion at the end of the season so I'm facing one of the best offensive teams in the league without my first-pairing defenseman... Still 2 more weeks before he is scheduled to come back...

I just realized how tight this team is against the cap, I guess having guys on IR in season 1 I didn't really notice. I only added Rask and LaPierre at 1.4m for this season and that put me over the cap!

YEah couple million below at most. It is an interesting balance going into year 2 for sure.

So....I managed to win the cup. Defense 1st....I scored 42 playoff goals in 21 games, and still won the dang thing thanks to the old men on the blue line, and Cam Ward.

This is the first time EVER that I have managed to go through the playoffs without losing my starting goalie....it has never ever happened. So cool that after all this time something new happened for me.

Did lose Eric Staal and Skinner for a few games each in the playoffs. Jordan Staal was a tour de force for me, especially on the PK. Allowed exactly 3 power play goals in the entire playoffs. THat is ridiculous. My penalty killikng was insane during the regular season at 93.9% but it was even more bananas in the playoffs at 97.0%.

To have that kind of efficiency is unheard of for me.

My PK units so you know never varied, save for occasional injury. (Well Jordan was out for half the year, but came in and i left like this:

PK 1 McCammond-Osala Harrison-Gleason (Harry played LW on 4th line almost all year and D on PK)
PK 2 J Staal-J Staal Liles-Sekera (occasionally would sub in Hainsey for Sekera)


It was absolutely nuts. 6 more shutouts for Ward in the playoffs. 20 on the year. Wow.

So what will I be looking for next season....SCORING SCORING SCORING. Gerbe came back in the finals but he was totally out of shape, and strength was down to 4 so basically played on the 4th line and did almost nothing for me. We shall see how he recovers his strength over the off season.

Not returning to the Canes:

Levi, Dwyer, Schmitz,Shugg, Terry and probably Bellemore as he does not want to seem to sign a deal, even though I want him to.

I have signed the two Sault St Marie boys....Ganley and Tolchinsky. Tolchinsky looks like he will be a good homegrown in year 3 or 4 but his size and strength worries me.

Will wait and see how my friend from the WHL--Haydn Fleury develops in the off season and at camp before I decide to bring him in.

FOr homegrown next season it is a two horse race...Victor Rask and Trevor Carrick. Both had 7.5 regular season ratings, and both upped that in the playoffs before getting knocked out in the AHL semi finals. So we shall see how they develop. Edge goes to Rask.

Heading to off season as just finished dispatching the Blues.

As always of interest to me .... other leagues and champs:

AHL-Milwauwkee and Rochester are in the final.
Mem Cup teams....

Vancouver Giants, Charlottetown Islanders, Brandon Wheat Kings, Peterborough Petes.

As I do not use the start date patch, GIants were the host, and Wheaties swept Kelowna in WHL final. Mem Cup final will be

VAncouver vs Charlottetown.


Vancouver only loss in the round robin was to Charlottetown in OT.

World JUnior.

Canada gold
Finland Silver
Russia BRonze
USA 4th

Relegated: Germany and Switzerland. Promoted to play with the big boys next year: Denmark and Austria.


World CHamps

Canada GOld
Russia Silver
Finland Bronze
Sweden 4th
Ukraine and Italy relegated
promoted: Kazakhstan and Slovenia

KHL Champs-Mettallurg Mg defeated SKA St Petersburg in final
SEL-Linkoping defeated Modo in the final
SM league-Karpat defeated TPS


off to awards and drafts I go

20 games in, and I noticed how much this team reminds me of a strat-o-matic reply I did of the Penguins ('01-'02 maybe? and strat-o-matic on a board solitaire makes for a LONG season.)

E. Staal and Semin are on fire. Staal is leading the league in points, but has been a part in over 50% of all my scoring... (This was Kovalev and Lang in my replay)

My candidates for 2nd line left wing have a combined 5 points between the 3 of them... (Gerbe has been so dissapointing...) (That Pens team it was a crapshoot of guys like Jan Hrdina, Stephanie Richer, Kris Beech etc. to fill that second line out).

It's going to be a long one, and as was said just above me, the one and only offseason goal is SCORING. (The defensemen aren't great, but they'll last one more year, if I have to stomach the LW's I have again...)

LOL Asher. SO remember that game.

1st year awards
Conn Smythe-Ward
Jennings-Ward, runner up Khudobin
Selke-McClement (LOL) JOhn Scott finished third so even more LOL. Jarrett Stoll as runner up so at least that was not hideous.
ADams-Peters
1st all star team-Ward

The Selke is always ridiculous, the first place is usually some random 3rd liner and behind him enforcers that really don't make sense.

In other news, I traded Khudobin to Washington for Karl Alzner to fill the LD spot left vacant by Tim Gleason walking away in FA. Tlustý also declined my contract offers so I have my 8 core players decided for the next season. The goals for season 2 include getting into the playoffs, playing more responsible defense, and making Alex Semin look good so I can get more for him when I shop him in the off-season (his contract is ugh so huge, darn you Jim Rutherford ).

Aaaand before the season started I managed to snag a very capable backup off of waivers - Alexander Salák. I'm feeling very confident about the team this year

Goddamnit this is frustrating, went 0-3-2 to start the season, with all but 1 of my first 5 being 1-goal losses. This team just can't hold a lead. Dwyer is simply awful on the 4th, doesn't win FOs, brings our PK down, plays like Adam Oates overall. Gerbe was relegated to the 3rd line and I don't need him anymore, but I'm afraid I won't find a buyer for a guy with not even 6 AvR... Ryan Murphy having a slow start didn't help either...

Goaltending is abymal, with both having SV% of around 0.87...

So far the bright spots include the first line - Eric Staal is on his game and Jeff Skinner has been a beast, scoring 5 in the first 5.

And apparently I forgot to change lines usage from "Equal" after preseason, hope that brings a visible improvement...

Certainly not the start I was looking for


EDIT: in the 6th game, we lost in OT to Tampa and John Scott scored on us... I gotta do something about this

JOhn Scott..well on his way to Selke trophy in your game too. . I hate when I forget to make my changes, be it roster (I do it with goalies alot and my backup will sometimes play 2-3 games in a row, and then I wonder why the hell I had 3 goals against me on 5 shots?), and often with lines after the preseason as well.

But in this game I have done alot of equal on F lines and on D. IN fact on defense I have never varied from equal with this group. Up front occasionally to normal and line match against Washington, and Pittsburgh. But rest of time equal, except come playoff time then I step up to overload once in awhile (never more than a period per game, and never the same period two games in a row.)

Still, I am totally shocked that my 1-2-2 and my collapse defense was as effective as it was this first season of this challenge. And my PK with 0-4, 1-3.

That's a lot more like my line usage. I run equal usage on defense all the time. I never vary from that. I'll often go long stretches with my forwards on equal usage too. If we're starting to slump or struggle, I'll switch to normal. I'll only ever switch to overload during a game and then only when I'm behind. Sometimes in game I'll switch to Just Three, depending on what kind of third line I have.

I'm really off to a slow start on this challenge. I haven't even got 20 games into the first season yet. I've been busy at work and haven't had the chance to play.

Batdad and Willby, don't forget to post your screenshots. I see you guys have logged your season 1 stats but haven't posted screens.

I've never really tinkered with the tactics much before, trying to experiment a lot more now, have to find the groove eventually...

Also some more thoughts from the beginning of the season:
Jordan has been even better than Eric so far (he got into a bit of a slump and it's showing)
Semin is a complete plug, missed the first 3 games and hasn't scored a goal yet in the following 9... AND he's the biggest defensive liability I've ever seen (1 positioning is truly something). He's gone after the season, I wish I could pull the trigger sooner...

Equal defensive usage is probably fine with the defensive core on this team, but the lack of depth up front makes me reluctant to try it with forwards.

2015 entry draft. Season 1.

McDavid goes 1st to Buffalo....then Eichel goes 5th..yes 5th to Montreal. Ugh.

If wondering Konecny Lazarev and Pilon went 2-3-4 to NJ Edmonton and Winnipeg respectively.

My draft as follows.

1st-30th Adam Musil 6'3 194 Kootenay ICE WHL. Projects as top line player. Looks big and strong.Traded at WHL Deadline to ICE from Red Deer for Luke Philp, Tanner Faith and a prospect. Big return for a big man.Had 22 pts in 19 games with Kootenay.

2nd-60th Miles Warkentine 6'1 191 RW/C Prince George WHL. Scouts mixed on him 2 have as 1st line, others have 2nd and one from Europe has him as limited.

3rd-90th-Tyler MacArthur 6'4 175 RD Owen Sound OHL-big boy, needs to fill out. SCouts say like Giordano or Gleason. If he is this is a bonus at this point. Fill out young man.

4th-120th-Sergei Stetsenko 6'1 185 LD/RD Krasniya Armia MHL Russia - Another who needs to fill out. My Russian scout and Czech scout are in love with this unranked player. Looks like he can skate and will come over immediately and play for Charlotte. (And I did my draft day before yesterday...saw this guy and knew about him before the post above from one of the people here. Smiled huge when I saw it.

5th-150th Spencer Jensen 6'4 191 RD Kootenay ICE WHL. Another unranked Dman discovered by my good buddies Joe Nieuwendyk and Marshall Johnston. Kid can skate, he is big and needs to fill out. Mean bugger hits hard and will drop em whenever needed. SCouts mixed on him between 5-6 and a 7th.

6th-180th Martin Smrek 6'0 205 RW/LW HC 05 Banska Bystrica Slovak League-Good size and strength. All my scouts wanted this kid at this point. He was ranked in the third round so to get him here is huge. Kid has massive upside with RObert Kron calling him potential 1st liner, like Jason Pomminville. Others compare to um...Colton Sceviour so you know this is boom or bust. Kid works hard and it appears gets along with teammates.

7th-210th-Hampus Olsson 6'5 211 RW/LW-Brampton Battallion OHL (Swede)-Older player in 2nd year of draft eligibility. But um...loving the size and the fact that he is being compared to Alex Burrows with a bigger frame. If someone can play like Burr at this size. Wow. Not afraid to drop them, and already a strong strong man.


So there you go with the draft. And on we move to FA and the summer.

Eh, might as well share my own draft
Eichel actually went 12th, right after Hanifin...

1st round 16th Rasmus Andersson RD (SWE) from Barrie, OHL
Had a couple of defensemen to choose from, Andersson was recommended by my AGM and most of my scouting staff so went with him. Has solid physicals and a whopping 18 in Anticipation. Impressed at camp and looked like a stud in preseason. I'm really looking forward to the Fleury - Andersson pairing in a couple of years .

2nd round 46th Phil Baltisberger LD (SUI) from Guelph, OHL
Another skilled defenseman, got passed up in last year's draft but his attributes look decent all around, with no glaring weaknesses. Will probably be at least a serviceable 3rd pairing guy (my scouts project him as a top4 def).

3rd round 76th Jordan Harris LD (CAN) from Kootenay, WHL
And yet another defenseman, also got drafted in his second eligible year. Had him on my shortlist all season after one of my scouts told me he disagreed with his #68 ranking and in the end I got him even later. Has low Anticipation, can't pass to save his life and needs to work on his skating. But he's strong and can throw his body around. Projected as a 3rd pairing guy or the 7th defenseman.

4th round 106th Nikita Serebryakov G (RUS) from Saginaw, OHL
Overage goaltender, my personnel recommended me to pick him in the 3rd but he fell all the way down to my 4th round pick. The lack of goaltending prospects in the organization worried me, so I just took him. So far this season he's 13-1-1 with his OHL team and looking darn good.

5th round 136th Michael Špaček C/RW (CZE) from Pardubice, CZE
By round 5 there are usually few good prospects so I usually just take a random Czech player to see what he becomes. This guy lacks size and is a bad skater, but his Determination and Work Rate are pretty high, so I hope he becomes useful at some point.

6th round 176 Sergei Stetsenko LD/RD
Yea I took him too. Had him in my Ducks game with the previous DB and he was a nice 7th defenseman, gonna get him over here next season.

7th round 206th Gustav Rydahl C/LW from Vaxjo, Sweden
This guy was way overage, but he's big and has good physical attributes. Also already played full seasons with men in Sweden, probably won't be very good but we'll see.

Decided to give this challenge a go as I've never played with Carolina so it will be a new team for me. Osala seems to be a really good player based on the preseason. I think he'll fit in well in the third line with McClement. Also, Justin Faulk just fractured his ankle in the last scrimmage of the camp and is out for 2 months so we're off to a great start.

Oh and I have a question about the core. Can I name a new core every season or do I have to stick with the core I name at the start of season 1? For example, if I name a core for the first season with say Eric Staal as first on the list, can I not name him to my core for the second season or do I have to keep him for the duration of the game?

Syvis wrote: Oh and I have a question about the core. Can I name a new core every season or do I have to stick with the core I name at the start of season 1? For example, if I name a core for the first season with say Eric Staal as first on the list, can I not name him to my core for the second season or do I have to keep him for the duration of the game?

You decide you core in the first season. In the second season, your core must be picked from the players you had in your core in season 1. Basically, you're allowed to drop the difference. In season 1, you've got a core of 10 players. In season 2 you get to drop 2 of those players from your core. And so on.

So I finally logged my first 20 games. I'm third in the conference but my special teams are horrible. I guess that doesn't matter too much since I'm in the bottom third of the league in power play opportunities and I'm dead last in times shorthanded. Staal is leading the league in points with 30 and Skinner is tied for third in the league in goal with 12. Ward has gotten the vast majority of the starts in net, starting 15 games to Khudobin's 5. While Khudobin hasn't been terrible (7.60 average rating), the team hasn't played well in front of him. 4 of our 6 losses have come with Khudobin in net. I can't wait to get rid of Gerbe. That little smurf drives me nuts! He's got 15 points in 20 games playing 2nd line/2nd PP but he's so inconsistent. He'll have a stellar game and then stink the joint up for a few. Despite his good points total, he's got a 6.70 average rating. That just doesn't cut it for a second line guy. Even McClement, who ideally would be my 3rd line/defensive specialist but is plugging the hole at 2nd line center until Jordan Staal is back, has a 7.50 average rating.

Gerbe--I only had him for 3 games at the start of year one, and then the Stanley Cup final as I lost him with a torn ACL for 8 months. He went down to a 2 in strength during that time. Now over the summer he has got back to a 6 which is actually a green attribute from where he was. He is such a loser.