NHLRS Monday

[FlyersFan]

VAN -155............passed the edge of where i would play during the meat of the season but i am looking for VAN to finally get in the win column tonight in their home opener. Not sure what is up with the starts in the first 2 games falling behind 3-0 in both of them on the road, but i have to hope that changes tonight. They haven't gotten squat from their 3rd or 4th lines which have been non existent in the stats column (apparently on the ice too as Vigneault commented to that as well). I actually liked VAN to win this division as i think on paper it is theirs for the taking. Sedin situation is no longer a distraction and man do they have a lot of good young defensemen and a great goalie (who does struggle in the early months, though). CBJ i really don't have a read on yet. Good young team with some definite future bright spots.....Brassard is supposed to be the playmaker Nash has been looking for (got hurt about 20 games into last season and missed the rest), but i still think they are a 1 trick pony and lack depth for scoring. They will be a fringe playoff team this year IMO again.....battling for one of those last couple spots.....Nice win to start the season for CBJ (great effort from Mason) and now they travel 2000 miles west for their first road game of the year. Big game early for VAN (who is off to its worst start in years) and the home opener where they are 11-2-3 all time versus CBJ. Hopefully the Sedin line can get going and they can get some contributions from some other players. Not a whole lot of value in this side and quite honestly the value is probably in CBJ but i like to play spots really early in the season and i will play this one. If VAN loses i will double up on them througout the 3 game homestand (if they lose all 3 and go to 0-5 somebody should be fired).

BTW....oh how times have changed....just 2 or 3 years ago everyone whined about the schedule because Detroit had all those free wins playing in the Central and the NW division was so hard. Now it's the oppostie IMO. StLouis, Detroit, Chicago and CBJ may all be playoff teams while the NW has slipped a bunch with Colorado and Minnesota essentially rebuilding and im not quite sure what Edmonton is doing. But none of those 3 will sniff the playoffs IMO.

GL to everyone!

[coreyschucky]

Good Luck FF!!!!

[flmmkrz]

On the same tonight. Took it ml and on the pl. Team is much better than they've showed, very slow out of the gates but hopefully got some of the rust out with 2 uncharacteristic showings and get back to what they do best with solid D play and generating off turnovers.

[FlyersFan]

CS- THX!...

flmrrz- hope your team shows up tonight. I haven't really gotten the idea they've played poorly in the first 2 games, but they've found themselves down 3-0 in both. Luongo needs to be better tonight and so does the defense. I still think CBJ is limited in what they can do offensively and they rely on goaltending and winning 2-1 hockey games. If VAN can get the lead tonight i think we will be fine. If they fall behind again, it's going to be tough sledding against Mason and the Hitchcock style they play.....

Here's to a VAN W....

[flmmkrz]

I thought the opposite, I think they've been pisspoor thru the first 2, especially the defensive corps. Lui hasn't been good but the d is letting guys walk in on him and have glorious chances, for his part he isnt stopping any of em but both gotta raise their games. The offense has been marginally better, Sedin line has looked dangerous at times but no real finish to speak of yet and the wellwood lines been half decent tho Raymond kills me, all the speed in the world and every rush he stops up on the half boards and floats a wrister in on the opposing goalies chest protector. Keslers lines been ineffective and the 4th lines been beyond dead weight they're getting dominated by other teams 4th liners, not banging or crashing bringin nothing. I haven't been impressed by them at all to start the season so Im hoping for a much improved effort tonight.

[FlyersFan]

flmrrz- never said i thought they looked good either...lol...as i said in my original post, the 3rd and 4th lines have been nonexistent and the D has been poor as i mentioned as well. they have had their chances, though, especially the sedin line. i actually thought they outplayed COL in that first period but were down 1-0 and that set the tone for the rest of the game.

but you won't win hockey games with no 3rd and 4th lines, period and end of story. can't be a 1 trick pony.

[flmmkrz]

Originally Posted by FlyersFan

but you won't win hockey games with no 3rd and 4th lines, period and end of story. can't be a 1 trick pony.

so true. Lets hope some of the other lines show up tonight and we get our showing.

[FlyersFan]

wow, VAN is really a poor hockey team defensively. Probably same old from them....win 13 of their last 14 games to get into the playoffs and play average to terrible in the other 60 some games. they are slow defensively and get no secondary scoring despite tons of chances. and nice game by samulesson tonight....a hearty -4 after 2 periods.

And what was Bieksa doing on the goal that basically turned everything around. he was watching the puck from the other side of the ice while his man went right around him, took the pass and scored.......all the momentum going for you up 1-0 and a 5 on 3 for 1+ and you give up a SHG...and not only that but inside of the last minute.....

Luongo is never ready to start the season either......talk about being in mid august form....

funny thing is, i really don't think CBJ has done much in this game and they are going end up winning.....

[flmmkrz]

another pisspoor showing. Defense went from bad to worse tonight and they blew off the morning skate to watch the avs vids to see where the defensive lapses were happening, guess they corrected those and found new ones to replace them with or something. Lui looked like crap again. Sedins and Burrows looked dangerous but the rest of the team asleep again.

[FlyersFan]

Originally Posted by flmmkrz

another pisspoor showing. Defense went from bad to worse tonight and they blew off the morning skate to watch the avs vids to see where the defensive lapses were happening, guess they corrected those and found new ones to replace them with or something. Lui looked like crap again. Sedins and Burrows looked dangerous but the rest of the team asleep again.

bieksa is a complete boner. i have no idea what he was doing but that changed all the momentum. that was a play you would expect from a rookie or some kid in minor B's. they were out of position all night......i forget who got beat on the stretch play in the 1st period on umberger when he had to hook on the breakaway. man im telling you flmrrz, that team doesn't have enough going for it to play that way defensively. good thing for you that division is bad...