TropicalFruitGirl26

Regardless of what people think of him nowadays, congrats to Koivu on his 1000th game. That is just a long time to play in a tough league. And that was with being derailed with injuries that kept him out of quite a few games in a season over the years.

Nice pressure by the Wild....can't quite finish, as they often don't....but at least they are playing on the Dallas side of the ice. And Stalock earlier was already looking loosey goosey out there...yikes.

According to a few fantasy hockey sites (they make it their business to know who is starting for obvious reasons), Alex Stalock should be getting the start barring some game time decision by Boudreau. I hope not, but this seems the sort of game for "Cowboy" Alex to get lit up in. Maybe even with Kahkonen in there, Minnesota gets lit up by the Dallas offense as well, who knows. But Stalock better adhere to his technique rather than trying to be flashy with the puck....otherwise this is going to be a tough night.

I wonder at what point as a Lightning fan I start to be concerned about this team. We are at roughly the quarter pole mark (23 games to be exact as of this posting) and the Bolts are still on the outside of the top 8, still doing things defensively that suggests they aren't Cup ready this season, still struggling at times with scoring, particularly 5 v 5, and Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked very ordinary. 30 games then? 35? Halfway mark at 41? 45? Fans can keep saying "it's still early", and it is, but that ain't gonna fly for much longer. They take care of business for the most part against the expected bottom feeders such as NJ, NYR, Buff, Chi, and Ana.....but can't quite beat the legit contenders like the Blues, Caps, Islanders, Avalanche, and have trouble with teams like the Panthers and Jets. Bolts need to get in gear, they have no significant injuries (barring some player hiding something from the coaching staff), and are making some goalies look like Vezina candidates. TB just dropped a close game to the Carolina Hurricanes, another expected contender. I labeled the Canes as "fluky" last season and thought they would regress and they haven't. I see I was in error and the Canes really are a good team. But they had James Freakin Reimer in net tonight and the Bolts, when they weren't being denied by Reimer's Hasek-like acrobatics, were missing wide open chances when Reimer was down n out. That's concerning. And giving away too many goals too early in games has been a theme for this group as well....spotting Carolina a 3-0 lead after 1 only to lose 3-2. Curtis McBackup was in net for TB tonight, but that is no excuse...he has been good enough, but the defense in front of him, not so much. Team can't keep spotting other teams leads like that then expect to come charging back for a win. Bolts are a more physical team...more so than I can remember in recent memory, and that is a good thing, but it seems, at least so far, that they are that way more because they are "chasing the game" rather than taking control of a game, then putting the physical play on the other team. Still time, of course, for things to get right. Tons of talent and now plenty of ruggedness on the team....but none of that will matter if their defensive play doesn't pick up and Vasilevskiy doesn't get back to his usual stellar play. So, not gonna hit the panic button just yet.... but I keep eyeing it, that is for sure.

Unless Duby is back by Sunday, I wonder if that means Minnesota is willing to give Kaapo a real test on Sunday against the Stars. Or does this win by Stalock mean he gets Dallas as well. I'd like to see what Kaapo does against a contender....and how his teammates can support him in said scenario.

He sure is....by a country mile. But then again, just because Stalock is better at handling the puck, doesn't always mean he SHOULD be doing it...

And see, that's the thing: From where I sit, Kahkonen pretty much is playing with house money. Doesn't do well? It's ok. The team isn't going anywhere anyways, it is understood he may need to work on some things, he goes back down knowing full well that if he works hard and stays focused, he WILL be called back....the Wild want this guy to improve and stay up for good. All of that to your point. If he does well? His confidence skyrockets and even if he gets sent back down due to Minnesota wanting to keep Duby and Stalock at the NHL level playing out the season, he will know he can play with the big boys, and then he'd go to work on making sure the next time he gets called up, that it is the 'other goalie' that gets moved out It's a win-win for him and the team at this stage...not a whole lot to lose.

Fantastic as in, yes, I'd like to see more of the young goaltender. Not fantastic as in Dubnyk's home situation. Of course, I'd never like to see anyone go through family hardship and have it cost them doing what they do for a living. I think we won't ever know if Kahkonen's play is enough to force Duby out on a professional level.... unless we see more of him against an assortment of teams. We already know what we have in Stalock...a career backup, nothing more, nothing less. If Kahkonen is as good as many people think, then he should relish and be fine against just about any NHL opponent. There are exceptions, but it is a fools errand to think one can "hide" a goalie at the NHL level where even the lowest rung team can light up a guy who isn't really ready for the big time. My fantastic take is all about Kahkonen possibly using this time to showcase himself more against the best in the world rather than wishing bad on Duby. All the best to him and his family, but if Dubnyk really is out long term dealing with what he needs to, then at the very least a timeshare with Stalock in net would go a long way towards giving the young goalie confidence and give the team material to work with when trying to determine his true NHL readiness. And the team in front of him absolutely has to help him out....then again, they should be helping out whomever is in net.

I will admit, I am a bit surprised to see the Wings this low at this point in the season. I knew they weren't anywhere near playoff ready, but I also didn't think they'd be lottery terrible, or at the very least, be competitive in just about every game they play. Ottawa seems to be doing so far what I thought Detroit would be doing...I.E. still be near last, but having a fighting chance every game. Then again, when you have an injury list that reads almost like an entire starting five and a goalie, well, this team simply doesn't have the depth yet to withstand that sort of MASH unit situation they find themselves in. Good news here though is... Still early, so time for guys to come back and start making a difference then. Since the playoffs are out of the question, IMO, its not a matter of "get our guys back to make a postseason run", but rather, "get our guys back and restore some sort of winning culture here again!" Also, the Wings' draft board DOES look pretty good with their first rounder likely being a high draft choice (again, in the lottery conversation) and having two 2nds and two 3rds. And no, given the Wings' situation, it is NOT wrong to look at the draft as hope for the team. That doesn't help the watchability of the games now, but it is all a fan can look forward to as things stand. Final piece of good news...it is still Steve Freakin Yzerman running the show, and again, he took over a %$#@ show in TB and turned things around using the draft that Wings fans can look forward to.....and no doubt he can do it again with Detroit. Not like the Wings are devoid of talent...they just need to have the right guys mixed in with each other and figure out who doesn't need to be on the team any longer. Having a stud goalie, whomever that turns out to be down the road, would help things tremendously. Maybe the Wings take a run at Jacob Markstrom from Vancouver who is still only 29, is a UFA, and having a good season....he could possibly help stabilize the nets next season while the Wings continue to look for their long term solution. Never thought I'd be saying this to a Wings fan, but I DO feel for ya.....because as a fan, have been there done that with TB, and have a feeling will be seeing this sort of thing moving forward with Minnesota. I remember seriously disliking the Wings when they were winning, but that was a product of fan jealousy because I would have given my left eye (not the right one...just the left.. lol) to have my Lightning play like they had for close to 20 years. Hang in there @SpikeDDS….I know its little consolation now and it does deflate your enjoyment of watching games this season, but you shouldn't be in the basement for seasons on end like some other franchises have been or are going through. Things may very well get worse, but you do have a guy in the front office who is a fixer of such things.

Fantastic. I'd like to see him get as many starts as possible before Dubnyk comes back full time

Lightning had their 3-game winning streak halted by...….the Blues. That makes two recent losses to the defending Stanley Cup champions, giving St. Louis the season sweep of the Bolts. Only way TB sees the Blues again is if both make it to the SC Finals. Ahem...but that is getting ahead...way ahead...of ourselves. Bolts offense continues to round into shape, now their defense, and surprisingly, Andrei Vasilevskiy, now have to catch up. Yea, Vasy. He hasn't quite looked like himself for some reason all year. Hoping it isn't some nagging injury he is possibly hiding from the coaching staff. More likely, he is just having a slow start with the heavy expectations of the team, along with a few other players having slow starts. Problem is, of course, the season is wearing on to where, you can't label things "slow starts" anymore. He and his defense need to get it in gear already. Game against the Capitals in Washington should be just the type of game to get everyone on the Lightning engaged and ready to go. Washington could be a good measuring stick. They likely make the post season, and if TB does too, good chance they meet them in a series. Erik Cernak won't be part of the Capitals game (or the Hurricanes game the following night for that matter) due to his two game suspension for illegally knocking the block of Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin with an elbow. Unfortunate turn of events for Cernak and the Bolts, even though one can also say, it is even more unfortunate for the Buffalo blueliner. Hope he comes back soon. Honestly. Don't like to see players go out like that. Steven Stamkos hasn't been cleared to play, but according to coach Jon Cooper, he might be back by at least the Carolina game on Saturday from his LBI.

The Las Vegas Golden Knights have finally inked a deal about two weeks ago with their 1st rounder (17th overall) of the 2019 NHL draft. From NHL dot com: https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/news/vegas-golden-knights-sign-peyton-krebs-to-three-year-entry-level-contract/c-311383108 Seems Krebs suffered an injury before he was drafted, but the Knights liked his skillset so much, they drafted him anyways....he rehabbed while with the Knights, got his clean bill of health, got his official signing, and is now back in the WHL playing for the former Kootenay, but now current Winnipeg Ice to continue his development and awaiting his shot at the NHL. Looking at his previous U-18 numbers, it is easy to see why the Knights thought it was worth the gamble of drafting a guy even when he wasn't 100%.

From NHL dot com (Video of hit is in link...Buffalo feed): https://www.nhl.com/news/erik-cernak-suspended-two-games-for-elbowing-rasmus-dahlin/c-311828126 Nasty hit to the head that ultimately benched Rasmus Dahlin with concussion symptoms by TB defenseman Erik Cernak, and puts the blueliner on the sidelines for two games with no pay. Cernak, always a rugged, no nonsense player, didn't appear to specifically target the head of Dahlin (though he certainly looked like he intended to put the young Buffalo player down one way or another), however, the end result of him actually doing damage in that way is indisputable. Accidental, on purpose, whatever the case, can't blame the league for sitting out Cernak...he IS responsible for his actions on the ice after all. The Lightning defenseman isn't really known for these types of plays, at least not to my knowledge, and as a Bolts fan, I hope this isn't a trend for him. But I also hope this doesn't take away from his aggressiveness as that is one of his values to the team: The opposition always knows when he is on the ice and to keep their heads up... as Rasmus Dahlin found out the hard way. This was interesting from Tampa Bay dot com: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/lightning/2019/11/27/lightnings-erik-cernak-texted-sabres-rasmus-dahlin-about-hit/ If that is accurate, then Cernak did show remorse for his actions and Dahlin seemed to take it in stride saying "that is just hockey". I'd say that was pretty magnanimous of Dahlin seeing as how now his future is up in the air for the foreseeable. Bolts this offseason specifically looked to up the physicality of the team, particularly on the blue line with the additions of Luke Schenn and Luke Witkowski, and up front with adding Patrick Maroon, but also expected guys like Braydon Coburn and Erik Cernak to continue that style of play as well. Time will tell if this sort of play is really who Cernak, 22, is but indications from his reactions, reaching out to the guy he put out, and no apparent history of dirty play seem to be that this was just a play that he bumbled and just got wrong on how he made contact with an opposing player. Cernak isn't a production defenseman, so the hard way he plays is his ticket to staying in the NHL. Hope he smartens up on how to do that properly.

From the Sporting News: https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nhl/news/boston-bruins-sign-charlie-coyle-chris-wagner-to-multi-year-contract-extensions/17ohr57t7opxq1v5ev8swzk7ir From the Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/bruins/2019/11/27/bruins-sign-charlie-coyle-chris-wagner-multi-year-extensions/QNw07wIBI9POu09Wm6gzoN/story.html Coyle, 27 yrs old, 6 yr extension, $5.25M cap hit Wagner, 28 yrs old, 3 yr extension, $1.35M cap hit Both were set to become UFAs at season's end, but the Bruins seemed to already know they wanted to hang onto these two and keep making playoff runs. Coyle's cap hit initially seems a bit high, but he now looks like he is coming around to playing like the "good Coyle" at his best in Minnesota, and if he does, should be well worth the 5.25 for his combination of production, physicality, and versatility not only on positions (C/W), but on lines as he can just as easily play as a winger on a 1st or 2nd line, or anchor a productive 3rd as its center. Coyle is still in his prime and will be for the duration of the contract. Wagner's cap hit is about what he is now (he gets a 100K raise) and the guy is just about the perfect bottom six player. He too can play center or wing, though the Bruins mostly use him at wing.... he skates reasonably well, hits, and can produce a bit to the tune of about 20 points or so a year from either the 3rd or 4th line. Just 28, he too should continue to be useful for the extra 3 yrs he has been given. Bruins still have some worries with other impending UFA's, but IMO, got the jump on a good bottom sixer and a nice top niner

Good news / Bad news for Bolts fans... Good news: Nikita Kucherov apparently won't be needing an extended stint on IR...he will be in the lineup when the Lightning host the Ducks tonight. Bad news: Captain Steven Stamkos will need more time on IR and no timetable for his return has been made available yet. Andrei Vasilevskiy will be in net for TB, but it will be Ryan Miller, not John Gibson, manning the opposing net for the Ducks. Miller has been pretty good in the backup role this season for Anaheim, though his last two games, his GAA has been rated at around 3.50. And if you are Tampa Bay, you'd still rather see Miller in net instead of Gibson. Chance for the Bolts to continue waking up in the scoring department? Outside of the 3-1 loss against the Blues two games back, the offense looks like it is starting to come around once again. Even not having Stamkos in the lineup shouldn't put too much a dent in that if the rest of the boys are playing like they are capable. Depth is a wonderful thing.

And just like that, the Flames tie the game with a minute and a half to go. Not sure Carter Hart could have done anything on that one timer though. Nasty. Could be looking at an OT here.

What a cluster&^%$ behind the Flames net.... Flyers took major advantage of that mess and score the go ahead goal late in the game. Purple Hayes gets it with just over 3 min to go. 2-1 Fly

Bo Horvat wins it for the Canucks in a very drawn out shoot out... 7 rounds.... He put Braden Holtby to sleep with a serpentine approach, snapped one past him. This is only Vancouver's 4th win this month vs 8 losses, but was it ever a huge one, holding off the league's leading team, Washington. The win also puts Van at 2-1 on their current 6-game road trip, so perhaps they are slowly starting to turn things around once again. They stay in the East with Game 4 of their trip in Philadelphia on Monday, then on to Pittsburgh on Wed for Game 5, and finish their trip in Edmonton next Saturday. The team still sits in 3rd in the Pacific just 3 points behind the division leading Oilers who play in Las Vegas later on tonight.

Canucks have been scuffling a bit on the win-loss front lately, but, even in losses, still play competitive games. Right now, have been watching them play a very good game against the Washington Capitals. After Jacob Markstrom gave up a quick goal to the Caps, I was thinking, "oh boy....Wash blowout of the Canucks coming up" But no...Markstrom settled in, came up large on many occasions, including a crazy OT. Game is in a SO, tied 1-1 as I finish this post. Canucks, as expected, still doing some "young inexperienced player stuff", but with vets like Miller and Markstrom keeping things under control, they always seem to recover. Vancouver did lose a big piece on the blue line early on in the game against the Caps: Alex Edler played a few shifts, then was not seen the rest of the game. No update yet on whether he will be ready for the next game or not.

Pageau seems like a ninja this season. He is quiet most of the game, in fact, you even forget about him.....then you look up at the end of the night, and he has 2 PP points and a 70%+ game at the face off dot...like he did against the Rangers yesterday.

Time to test the ol Lightning depth once again. No Stamkos, no Kucherov for probably the next several games. UBI's and LBI's abounding here. With Stamkos out, that makes Brayden Point the undisputed 1C on the team....but may leave a hole in the 2C position. Tyler Johnson looks like he will be moved back to center to try and make up for it, although young Anthony Cirelli, playing quite well as the 3C, can play like a top six center as well. Cedric Paquette mans the effective and steady 4th line. As for Kucherov's spot, the Bolts have called up Cory Conacher to fill his roster spot, although Conacher will no way be able to come close to producing anything like #86. A bit disappointed the Bolts didn't recall Alexander Volkov (22) or give big Taylor Raddysh (21) a shot at the NHL finally, but I trust the process with the Bolts, and think management still thinks those guys are better served playing their regular minutes in the minors for now. Bolts did skate away with a win last night against the Chicago Blackhawks in a game that saw some outstanding puck handling and play set ups from both sides, both Corey Crawford (Chi) and Curtis McBackup (TB) had to be sharp, and they were. Overall to date, the Lightning seem to be alternating wins and losses, not surprisingly, having them sit with a .500'ish record. Still not overly concerned with the team, although as they approach the quarter pole mark of the season, these alternating wins and losses will begin to look worse and worse for a team that is supposed to be a Cup contender. Of course, not having Stamkos or Kucherov is bad, but for years this team has always been about more than just a guy or two, or three...it is about everyone pulling, contributing, and depth to win the day. I certainly won't be using absent Stammer or Kuch as excuses for any losses. They get a chance to turn their win in Chicago into a two game streak when they face the Anaheim Ducks at Amalie Arena on Saturday.

Well, seems that way now, doesn't it? I bet that is the case with lots of these big contracts given to young guys recently, but in about another season or two, that contract may look like gold for what you get out of the player....especially if the Roman Josi comparison comes to pass.

Next up on player spotlight discussions: 22 yr old, soon to be 23, defenseman, Ivan Provorov, playing top pair minutes in a tough hockey market, on a team still with lots of holes, but still gives the franchise hope that he and some other young cornerstones on the team, will soon elevate the Flyers into contender status sooner than later. He made a pretty good debut in the NHL production-wise with a nice 30 point season, followed that up with an outburst of 17 G, 41 pts the following year, only to "step backwards" with 7G, 26 pts just last season, but looks to be making amends for that this year... as of this posting, he has 5G, 14 pts in just 22 games so far. I quoted "step backwards" because compared to his previous year, that is a massive downgrade in production, but then again, it falls in line with his rookie season numbers, which means...what? He can be at least a consistent 30 pt defenseman, with ceiling to grow and that perhaps 41 pts was too much too soon? But given his all around abilities, 41 points or more may be the norm for him pretty soon as well. And that is the thing I see from this young Russian. He doesn't seem one dimensional. Looks like the right type of defenseman that can handle the high, tough minutes against the best, while playing a pretty good two way game, even though at this stage, his game obviously isn't fully mature. He hits reasonably well, stays out of the penalty box for the most part while doing it, loves to shoot the puck, and from what I've seen from him this year, looks to be better about protecting the puck as the turnovers don't seem to come about as often from him this season. Have been trying to come up with an established player comparable... at first, thought Victor Hedman of the Lightning, but that doesn't seem quite right. Hedman has a size reach and advantage that allows him to maybe not be as agile on the ice as Provorov, but still get to and break up plays. Then thought, maybe a Jeff Petry of the Canadiens, with his steady reliable style, but that didn't seem quite right either...Provorov seems more dynamic on the attack than Petry. Maybe a Roman Josi? Similar skating ability, both about the same size, both two way players, and both had similar first two years in the league, although Josi had the advantage of a more defensive minded team to break into when he first got in...which makes what Provorov has been doing on the Flyers that much more impressive. Young Provorov already has a nice big contract based more on potential (6.75M cap hit) than what he's actually done so far, but even so, if there is a player that could live up to his contract well before many expect, it just may be this guy.

Unbelievable player. He sure made the Minnesota Wild look silly on at least two occasions in last night's game, even though his team lost. Maybe some teams still underestimate him because he is a rookie...and a defenseman too....but after watching up close and personal (about as up close as one can get watching a hockey player on a 55 inch UHD TV anyways ), against the Wild, I don't think teams will continue to make that mistake. I did hear about the crazy pace he is on from NHL Network yesterday and the record he could possibly smash. Still a long season and I am betting he will have some lows along the way, but even if he doesn't break the record, he could be the odds on favorite for the Calder this season. The Avalanche are looking like pure geniuses at this juncture trading away Tyson Barrie for Kadri, then giving Makar the minutes Barrie would have been playing. Very exciting player and reason enough, along with MacKinnon, for even non Avs fans to watch some of their games.

Below average 1C, eh? Does that mean, he is an elite 2C then? With the exception of the PP, I don't believe he gets to play with Boeser or Pettersson very often. He HAS found great chemistry with JT Miller, however and I think each player has helped bolster the other in that relationship. But again, I know you knew about Horvat well before many of us here, so your commentary is very much appreciated. Maybe he can still become that big star you hoped he would be..... when he came in, he didn't get nearly the TOI he is getting now and once the previous core that had dominated the formerly named North Western Division was finally disbanded, it was very tough sledding for ALL Vancouver players till probably last season when the team, and Horvat showed they are moving in the right direction. His team's next game is Saturday, on the road, against a very tough Washington Capitals team. I wonder who Bo's assignment will be that game...……..