EHM The Blue Line

Scrivens will suck in Edmonton for sure. As for the Dubnyk trade, when I read it was for HENDRICKS as was like...is this serious? Nashville must be laughing their ass off now.

philou21 wrote:Scrivens will suck in Edmonton for sure. As for the Dubnyk trade, when I read it was for HENDRICKS as was like...is this serious? Nashville must be laughing their ass off now.

Only problem i have with that trade from Nashvilles point of view is that its a few months too late. Can't get it all i guess

Can't believe this trade from Edmonton, who is running that team jeeze? Scrivens has done well in LA but everyone knows him, Quick, and Jones all benefit greatly from good defense (yes Quick plays well but didn't do well in Tampa before defense). I didn't think Dubnuk was that terrible, more just on a terrible team so not sure why you give him up. I would think some defense would help them out more as far as Goals Against. Apparentley Dubnyk didnt want to resign with Oilers and Scrivens might? Edmonton is 19th in Goals For per game and 30th in Goals against per game, I think its naive to say Dubnyk was the sole cause of that. Can't believe they only got a 4th liner for him too and then give away a 3rd when u kind of need it for rebuilding.

I can't believe anyone is even surprised about the incompetence in the Oilers organisation anymore

Dubnyk was doing fine I think as well. Especially with the team Edmonton has. I agree with Pete that it's a little bit late for the Preds. The young guys keeping the goal while Rinne is out did a descent job but I guess with Dubnyk they could send one back so he gets more experience.

I get that Dubnyk is unrestricted at season's end, but how do they get only a marginal NHL'er for a goalie who was made to look far worse then he is, because of the terrible team in front of him. Also, read elsewhere that the Oilers are paying half of Dubnyk's salary for the rest of the year, HUH, how does that happen? They already got nothing for him, and then they pay extra.

I like Scrivens, but LA makes goalies look better then they are, so I see this being bad for Scrivens and worse for Edmonton. Time for firings of Lowe, Mctavish and even Eakins!!!

Scrivens contract ends as well at the end of the season but I think he is RFA.

I hope Tortorella didn't kill anyone yesterday after the game in the dressingroom.

Nope. John has somehow become the reincarnation of AV. Calm and patient and nice to the players. Likely because the mental and emotional makeup of the Vancouver Canucks is as fragile and pansy like as can be. I laughed out loud about the LA game and how the Canucks had found their identity playing as a tougher team. You cannot be tough when for the most part your makeup is completely fragile.

Also because they are the CAnucks...the refereeing of course was a mess and that is what made them lose 9-1. Two games in a row Devorski gave the other team 7 minute PP. And in this one I believe it was a 2 man advantage.

What is funny is the Vancouver Canucks had more shots and more Time of possession in the Duck zone than the Ducks had on Vancouver. Lack is just a young un and was exposed last night as a guy not ready for a starter role. Plus the team in front of him....falling all over the place. Hamhuis had a burn out, Tanev had about 5. Tough night.

Coaches do not lose it after tough nights like that....there is no point. It just buries players further. The players know and they have to buck up. Coaches lose it in tighter games where the team should have and could have won if they just put a little more in.

Torts though has been so different. Not losing it very often at all. Complimentary towards all the players while remaining rational.

Last night was opposite night for Vancouver...Booth was playing real well, and the rest of the team sucked.

I think Tortorella has seen two extremes: He's been in TB, where the Lightning rank somewhere behind the Bucs and college sports (maybe even with or ahead of the Rays, I dunno')... to New York, where the media and fans really often are a**holes to everyone and talk big but really generally have no clue what they are talking about (New York has some of the least hockey-knowledgable people in the media, but if you asked them they think they are experts, because New York!).

Now in Vancouver despite what everyone says... Vancouver is NOT New York. I don't care how into the Canucks they are. There's got to be a different vibe still. He knows he can't act like a lunatic and get away with it (and maybe doesn't need to), but also that there's still pressure to win there, but the media isn't just waiting to dance on his grave like they seemed to be form the get-go in New York.

I don't actually like Tortorella. I don't think he's a very good game-manager, and I think he has odd ideas about what he thinks SHOULD work (as opposed to what actually does). But there's no denying New York sucks and ultimately, he probably got a raw deal there just like everyone else. No matter what you do, it ends with New York turning on you because they don't know how to do it any differently.

VAN might be the right place for him though if they can fix up the roster a bit for him. If even just for a while.

One of the big differences between New York and Vancouver is the fact that the media here actually understands the game a bit better than most in New York. Larry Brooks is well read, but he does not have the hockey background and knowledge that the media here does. Most if not all of them have been involved in the game in some way shape or form from the time they were children. Torts has no room to not respect the media here.

Now..do they have some wacky ideas (media) yes...but Torts can explain it to them and they actually understand that and do not draw a line in the sand.

Does Torts have some different ideas...yes. But the one thing I did not know that I now do with him being here...he is really into the MENTAL part of the game. The understanding and reads on the ice. This is why a guy like Booth who has in the past shown a ton of speed, and skill and drive...does not get into the lineup all the time and is criticized. Booth does not have a ton of hockey sense, and Torts loves the guys who do. Hansen gets into the dog house as well because he does not have a ton (although miles better than Booth).

Kesler has little sense, but he is so far and above skill and desire wise that it almost does not matter. At least not most of the time...in some games against real good teams he has a tough time. Cough last night.

He loves guys like Tanev, Hamhuis, Santorelli the twins, because they get the mental part of the game at high levels. He is lukewarm to guys like Kassian who have tons of promising attributes but do not think the game well. And as soon as Booth stops working and skating...gone from lineup because he thinks the game and sees the game so poorly. Same for a guy like Hansen.

I really dd not know about Torts the way he sees the mental, hockey sense part of the game as so important. He is dead on right, and the problem is he does not have enough guys on the roster who think the game at a high level. Really only 4-5 of them do. (Sedin, Sedin, Burrows, Hamhuis, Tanev and to some extent Santorelli). The rest get by on how hard they work or how skilled they are, and do not have the vision of the game that they need to be well above average players.

Anyone watch the Wings/Rangers game? I didn't get it so I watched Kings/Blues instead. Looked like a hell of a game, 47 saves for Howard only letting in one goal, 38 for Lundqvist wo has played very well of late. I feel bad for Howard, he gets blamed for so much of Wings problems but he has played good at worst, he just needs more scoring help same in last years playoffs.

jesterx7769 wrote:Anyone watch the Wings/Rangers game? I didn't get it so I watched Kings/Blues instead. Looked like a hell of a game, 47 saves for Howard only letting in one goal, 38 for Lundqvist wo has played very well of late. I feel bad for Howard, he gets blamed for so much of Wings problems but he has played good at worst, he just needs more scoring help same in last years playoffs.

I watched it, excellent play from both goalies. Really not much else to say, Rangers forecheck made alot of turnovers.

With lots of trade talk going on as the Olympic break marks an "unofficial" trade date this year, what are some realistic trades you would like to see your team pull off?

I wouldn't mind seeing Rangers get rid of Del Zotto for a right handed consistent D-man.

Vancouver chatter...or at least the chatter of one stubborn reporter who took a Pierre Lebrun statement of rumour to heart.

Ryan O'Reilly may be put on the market on Feb 28 when he is one year after matched offer sheet. Most think this will happen in the summer as Colorado in playoffs. However....they need dmen. So........Lebrun says Canucks have dmen....

Eliminate Edler, Hamhuis, Bieksa--all have no trade.

So you are looking at Tanev.

This reporter here is all over the place about this deal rumor. He has done nothing but talk about it for 3 hours on the air.

His feeling is Tanev should be and would be top 4 anywhere in the league (and for all intents and purposes is in Vancouver.

Both Tanev and ROR had tough contract dealings in the off season (Well ROR was during last year)....

Aware CAnucks have to give up more...

Here is what he is suggesting:

Tanev, Horvat (or Kassian, or Gaunce or Shinkaruk or just about any other young forward the Canucks have) for ROR

What he fails to realize....is ROR is being paid apprx 1.5 million more than Ryan KEsler.

So...um.....yeah. Wish he would shut up about it, there is little to no chance in hell.


OTher names in the fire...EVANDER KANE, MIKE CAMMALLERI

All rumours in Vancouver centre around their only marketable dmen without no trades. Tanev and Corrado.

It is all they talk about..how to get a top 6 guy...and it always means Tanev to them. Except TAnev is going to want 4 mill or so in the off season as RFA

ETA--The radio station here is obsessed with the Canucks woes. Today they have spoken about NOTHING other than the VAncouver Canucks. It makes me nuts. Oh wait...they mentioned a soccer thing for 2 seconds, and the fact that Chicago and Anaheim play tonight. I really want to see that game..

I think a big part of the ROR thing is if he will sign an extension with the team that trades for him so they don't lose him to RFA with that big number 6.5 matching number. I would be surprised if they traded Horvat in the deal for him, I haven't seen Horvat but I see him rated as one of the top prospects in the league. Vancouvers standing woe's don't seem necessarily so much as them as the tough division they are in. Of course Luongo missing time doens't help. I don't know his contract details but I could see Kane fitting in nicely adding both a physical and scoring second winger who would be first winger on most teams and a good guy to have on your #2PP line. I think Vancouver has great depth with guys like Booth and Kassian as 3rd/4th liners but yeah that second line could use some scoring help after such a great 1st line, I wouldn't give up too much though for someone though.

The Red Wings never really trade too much but with young names like Kadri/Yakupov being talked about how their GM's don't like them and want to move them are two guys I would love to see inject some young youth. Their asking price is probably too much though as they probably aren't worth whatever they're asking. Defense is of course a major concern, but it seems like everyone wants a good Dman. Islanders might be looking to trade McDonald now which might be good.

Horvat is basically ROR but four years younger. I expect his growth and development to be the same patter as ROR, save for the playing 1st year in the league. He will at WORST be a very good third line centre, and at best an average 1st line wing, and average 2nd line centre. His absolute total best upside is Ryan Kesler...but he is not that fast, so I doubt it. More hockey sense though.

Wow crazy first period in Flames/Canucks game.

I just watched the vid on NHL website. What was the point so early in game? Torts had much to say to Hartley.

I think what happened is...

-Flames put out 4th line to start
-Tort, with last change, said F you and put out his guys
-Flames, then in F you back, put Westgarth to take faceoff against Lain (first career game)
-Bieska (i think?) then went to faceoff to protect him
-Sestito and dont remember who, obv were having words and started right away
-All hell broke lose
-Torts seemingly yelling at Flames coach for putting 4th line/Westgarth for faceoff
-Torts then tried to go to Flames locker room in between periods like an idiot

jesterx7769 wrote:-Torts then tried to go to Flames locker room in between periods like an idiot

You got to be kidding right? hahaha

Lane's parents flew from where ever to see his first NHL game he last 2 seconds before getting ejected for his part in that line brawl

Torts doesn't like to start against the 4th line. The same happened against Devils a few years ago, ended up with Bickel taking the face off before all hell broke loose