EHM The Blue Line

Posted: **Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:38 pm**

I did get one Euro to sign and transfer before October but it wasn't Radulov.

Posted: **Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:55 pm**

Getzlaf, consider this to be your learning challenge. Look back at people's first challenges and you'll notice they didn't do that great. My first challenge was the Toronto one. Even catchup did better than me. Since then I've won 2 challenge seasons and taken second in another. That reminds me the people from the 12th challenge don't have the thing under their name yet in posts.

Posted: **Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:57 pm**

Yeah, i'm looking forward to it. I don't know why i havent been involved before, just all the rules have been a bit of a jump from having no rules. And also i didn't have Excel which i thought was quite a fundamental thing, i downloaded Excel Viewer, meaning i can't input numbers. So i've downloaded an Excel trial.

Radulov isn't interested in me at all. I've also tried to get another Euro player to sign with me... But he won't join. I'll have to lather him up during training camp.

Posted: **Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:17 pm**

Great idea paring down the rules. To be honest, the complexity of the rules was the main reason I hadn't participated in the challenges.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 1:50 am**

you can get open office for the spreadsheet.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 1:49 pm**

Yeah, Open Office is definitely the way to go if you don't already have Excel. If I didn't have Excel already due to my job, I'd be using Open Office. The Excel trial will expire and you'll be back to square one. Go with the free product!

Richie, I'm glad to hear you're joining in too. This is exactly what we hoped to accomplish with these simplified rules. We wanted to get more of the TBL community involved. In the past the rules were a bit daunting. We totally realize that. In an effort to level the playing field we had over-complicated things. We feel with this new set of rules, we've still got restrictions to help prevent exploitation but the rules are simple enough for everyone to understand without the need for a degree in law.

I wasn't able to get Radulov to join me either. I've got another Euro I'm going to try to get to join in the off season. I'm pleased with the one I have right now but he's injured at the moment.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 6:04 pm**

bruins72 wrote:Yeah, Open Office is definitely the way to go if you don't already have Excel. If I didn't have Excel already due to my job, I'd be using Open Office. The Excel trial will expire and you'll be back to square one. Go with the free product!

At the moment, I just have the trial like you say. But Office is something i'll take a look at... And proabably get too.

Also B72, I'm in the same boat as i have 1 European with another joining next year... Sounds quite similar...

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 6:18 pm**

I'm only a couple games away from logging my first set of stats and I've got to say... this is one of my worst starts since I've been doing challenges. I won't even be .500 at 20 games. I got Platonov to join the team before the start of the season and he seemed like he was going to do okay but then he went out for 3 weeks. I also lost Bonk and Tootoo for some time but not as long. While Platonov was out I was plugging Ward in at LW and he wasn't doing terribly. He's a RW but he did better than some of the other LWs I had.

As much as I'd love to win the Tavares sweepstakes for once... I really don't want to be sitting at the bottom of the league!

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:11 pm**

Bruins, my goal for the first season is the playoffs. We'll see if I'm foolish or not, but I think I have the team to make a push for the playoffs. I don't see us doing anything once we get there though.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:13 pm**

That's been my goal too. I just don't feel very confident in accomplishing that goal right now!

Is this challenge that challenging or am I having a bad start? Have I lost my mojo?

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:18 pm**

Finally you're human when it comes to challenges!

This is how I felt all the time while playing as Islanders...

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:18 pm**

joehelmer wrote:Finally you're human when it comes to challenges!

That was how I felt all the time while playing as Islanders...

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:24 pm**

EDIT: Forgot that I couldn't edit....

"This is" should be "That was"...

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:27 pm**

This team is weird. I've played two games. Both times I start out with the lead other team gets 2 quick goals in the first. I tie it in the second, and then go ahead in the 3rd. They tie it up in the last 5 minutes, and then I win in a shootout. It's almost like they get the lead then lose it so they get their butt chewed in the locker room so they get the lead again then lose it and get ripped on the bench so they pull out a so win.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 7:49 pm**

I start out ahead in the first. The other team ties in the second. Then they're ahead by the end of the third. I can't tell you how many 1 goal games I've lost.

I really don't think I'd be having these problems if I had better goaltending.

Is anyone else impressed with Bonk? His attributes don't look like much but he's one heck of a third line center.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 9:24 pm**

getzlaf15 wrote:
bruins72 wrote:Yeah, Open Office is definitely the way to go if you don't already have Excel. If I didn't have Excel already due to my job, I'd be using Open Office. The Excel trial will expire and you'll be back to square one. Go with the free product!
At the moment, I just have the trial like you say. But Office is something i'll take a look at... And proabably get too.

Also B72, I'm in the same boat as i have 1 European with another joining next year... Sounds quite similar...

If you have a Google or GMail account then you might want to check out Google Documents. It lets you view, edit and save documents online. You're more than likely better off using Open Office but Google Docs is good if you don't have the space for a full office suite on your computer

Posted: **Sat May 02, 2009 1:13 am**

bruins72 wrote:I start out ahead in the first. The other team ties in the second. Then they're ahead by the end of the third. I can't tell you how many 1 goal games I've lost. I really don't think I'd be having these problems if I had better goaltending.

Is anyone else impressed with Bonk? His attributes don't look like much but he's one heck of a third line center.

I usually take the lead in the first, but I'm having difficulties scoring in the 2nd and 3rd. I almost never score in the 3rd. Never had this problem before. I'm happy if I even score once after the first period. If my opponent scores the first goal, the numbers usually run away, and I suffer a huge loss. I've conceded 6 and 7 goals several times.

Bonk's been a pleasant surprise for me. Due to the lack of left wings, I'm playing his as 2nd line LW (and 1st line PK), and so far he has 22pts in 40 games.

Posted: **Sat May 02, 2009 9:28 am**

Bonk is a solid thrid line center for me, he is 8.14 in average rating in 7 games and among them there's a 8-2 loss against the Devils.

Arnott is doing great, he's 2+7 in 7 games and a 9.57 in average rating. In the Devils game he had a 10 in rating and we were beaten the hell out of us....
I use Arnott the first line, 1st PP line, 2nd PK lin and in ES.

We had just a tour in the area of New York with games against Islanders, Rangers and Devils and lost all of them.

Posted: **Sat May 02, 2009 12:48 pm**

Bonk has been alright for me. I started him out as the 2nd line LW but Philstrom really shone on the PP for us, so i bumped him up from 3rd line LW to 2nd line. Bonk is now my 3rd line C and on my PK.

I hate the fact we can't claim anyone of waivers.

So far, a number of goalies have been on their which i would have claimed. And Drury is now an Islander thanks to waivers.

Posted: **Sat May 02, 2009 9:29 pm**

Yeah, that's kind of the reason why you can't make waivers claims in the first season. It's just too easy to get players that are too good. After the first season it doesn't happen as much.

I started the season with Pihlstrom and Hornqvist down in the AHL, hoping to get them plenty of ice time so they would improve. Well guys like Scott Nichol, Vern Fiddler, and Jerred Smithson just weren't cutting it. Now I've got Pihlstrom and Hornqvist playing on my fourth line with Tootoo. Pihlstrom is also playing 2nd PP unit and Hornqvist is getting some time on the 2nd PK unit. We'll see what happens here. So far Pihlstrom is doing pretty good and Hornqvist is doing so-so.

Is anyone else surprised by Joel Ward? He looks like a junk player but not so bad. I've been using him as a fill-in for when guys get injured and he's show a little bit of offense. Now I'm using him as a 2nd line RW (Erat is playing LW) but he's not getting any special teams time. He's got 11 points and a 7.00 rating in the 19 games that he's played. Not too shabby for a spare part!

Arnott is the man! He's got 39 points in 23 games for me. He's a +15 and has a 9.13 rating. Sullivan and Dumont are doing pretty well too. Both of them have points in the 30's.

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2009 1:06 am**

I'm five games in and at .500.
I picked up three guys from Europe (Platonov,Ellison and Andersson) and they all made my starting line-up!
Ellis is ok but Rinne sucks! He couldn't catch a balloon

Erat 's been playing great but I'm dissapointed at Weber's offensive game.
My penalty killing is good but not the PP.

Oh, and I lost Arnott for two months

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2009 4:09 am**

Ouch, a recurring theme from everyone taking part in the challenge is that Arnott is the KEY player. Bad luck having him out for a while... I'm expectin more from Weber too. 7 Points (all on the PP) in 20 games, I want more!

EDIT: Arnott picks up an injury in my next game, out for 2 weeks!

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2009 4:50 am**

Ellis and Rinne are both terrible. Ellis is pretty consistent. He's not very good but you know what you're getting with him. Rinne on the other hand... he keeps bouncing back and forth between great games and abysmal games. He really frustrates me!

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2009 5:19 am**

Bah... The Preds suck all around. My team's ability to mount a comeback is none existent.

Trailing after 1st period - 1-9-2
Trailing after 2nd period - 0-12-2
Scored on first - 2-11-2.

I know the route of my problem. The team just doesn't react well enough when trailing. Only now i need to turn that around!

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2009 9:29 am**

In my game, Arnott is playing at a 9.34 rating.

He's the best player in the league right now.

EHM The Blue Line

Challenge 13: Nashville Predators (Discussion Thread)