re: NHL Preseason Thread

My biggest gripe is that this team spent too long denying what they were. Say what you will about the Sharks, they know their identity and they are all in on the plan. The Caps lost a Game 7 to a goalie playing out his mind, and decided to scrap their whole system. It's just been painful watching them drive a Ferrari in third gear.

Getting rid of Oates is big because he was a God awful coach. Hunter, I felt, got a bad rap from Caps fans (and he got the team 6 seconds from the ECF) due to his terrible communication skills but Oates was a disaster in every way possible. There's simply no excuse for this roster to miss the postseason. Oates just horribly mismanaged the team, and some of the reporting done in the wake of his firing showed just how dysfunctional his reign was (essentially, the GM had to step in and overrule some of his more asinine decisions like carrying a third goalie).

But the new GM and a coach immediately seem to be working from the same playbook, for the first time since Boudreau pre-system change. Trotz wants to run a more defensive system, so instead of just saying it, the GM went out and loaded up the blueline. Now, is Orpik grossly overpaid? Sure. But the Caps did go from the worst blueline in the division to the best. They were trotting out a series of a career AHL'ers to fill out their 3rd pair, and now their question is which former All-Star is going to play on the 3rd line (it better fricking be Orpik).

And Trotz is saying the right things about Ovi: his job is to score goals, and his best defensive responsibility is driving play in the other end as far away from his own net as possible. Teams can't score from behind their own blueline. Even the famed "disconnected controller" gif, look how many Caps defenders botch the play. Sure, Ovi glides in late, but it never should have mattered because the defenders absolutely misplayed the puck. Stop having a D corps that hangs your goalie out to dry. It's a bad sign that Holtby was top 10 in save percentage last year but the Caps ranked near the bottom in goals allowed: shots, shots, shots. Stop giving up 30 of 'em a game.

It's still a pretty loaded roster. There's a deep blueline, a good goalie, some elite playmakers, and tons of scoring depth (despite Caps' fans complaints - I think the Caps roll out about 10 guys who have scored 20 goals). Now, they have their first competent coach in five years.

Also, it's amazing to hear Trotz gush about Backstrom. He talks a lot about forward pairings, and we have at least two down Ovi-Backs and Chimera-Ward. The rest of the lines are up in the air. Who knows? A lot depends on Laich's health. His complete implosion as a decent player has killed the team.

I think Pitt takes a step back as their blueline got gutted by free agency and they need the kids to pan out immediately. Flyers are impossible to read, as always. Rangers will hold steady, but they are a tad overrated by their postseason run. Jackets could continue to improve and the Isles are a legit playoff threat. I'd guess the Pens, Rangers, Caps, and Isles make the playoffs (I think the Jackets take a step back to take an eventual step forward -- I like what they are building -- but I wanna be wrong and see them in the playoffs again).

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Aeros games

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Moved to Houston this year and was so pumped to go to some Aeros games. Then I saw they moved....

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I think Pitt takes a step back as their blueline got gutted by free agency and they need the kids to pan out immediately.

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IDK, seems like Maatta and Despres aren't the worst young blueliners in the league but they don't replace Nikasenen / Orpik and show zero signs of becoming the next PK Subban.

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Flyers are impossible to read, as always

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Meh, another middle of the road team. The question for them will be: Did Del Zotto learn where the blue line is on the offseason? Love the kid but goodness the amount of times he killed a power play from the point by dragging the puck offsides is mind boggling.

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Rangers will hold steady, but they are a tad overrated by their postseason run

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Yeah we probably are. Took Marty St. Louis a while once Cally left.

Seems the metro division is all upper-middle class teams.

As for the Sharks, the only thing that makes me worry about them is the defensive unit. Niemi can't do this by himself.

Yeah, the Pens need Letang to regain full health, Scuderi to be very good, and Despres/Maata to have no growing pains (or injuries, Maata is coming off surgery). It's possible, but there's a lot of "if" coming off of their plan. And their non 1st line wings are Spaling, Bennett, Comeau, Dupuis, Downie, and Adams. That should terrify Pens fans.

Would you trade your team's wing depth for the Penguins? What teams would? This team is so amazingly top heavy (tho they have some pretty great center depth)

Really wish we used this as our secondary logo. Flame On

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Too bad they play the NHL wrecking ball Dallas Stars the first game of the season. Stars will be destroying teams this season! I bet Chicago is already shaking in their skates from nervousness about that first game!

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I'm terrified. But if we can beat the almighty Stars the first game, then the cup is ours

Pens are going to wreck shite again and run away with the division like last year, all about postseason again as 1-3 seed.

Ehrhoff pain train, signing of the offseason. He's going to be so good, and then we'll lock him up long term.

And finally we have bottom 6 depth! GMJR.

Is Nashville any good? I havent watched hockey since the Thrashers left, but I enjoyed going to the games. Ill be moving to Nashville within a month, so I might start following them.

I really like Nashville, jerseys colors players, etc.

They'll be a playoff bubble team. Rinne is a beast in net, Neal will get them goals, but they don't have a lot else. Stalberg, Forsberg, Cullen, a lot of meh players but decent depth, new coaching staff. It'll be close for them to get in.