Samson's Flow

No. Just No. Even though it has been ugly so far, I see signs of real hockey mixed in with the crap. The team is re-learning how to play hockey after the fear-based tactics of the last two years. A team like this with so many new pieces and changing coaches is one of the few that could use a pre-season that is twice as long to learn how to play when it still doesn't count. To my eyes, Housley is using the first few weeks as an extended pre-season where the players are still working to understand the balance between too-aggressive (first few games, SH goals against) and too conservative (end of the Anaheim game Alamo mode). Give it to the end of October and this team will look like they know what they are doing IMO.

Unfortunately I think the nice numbers put up by Lehner and Nillson last year and in previous years were a product of the defensive shell tactic that we employed regularly. The Sabres actively gave up our blueline last year as a tradeoff for keeping shots to low-risk areas, which pumped up our goaltending SV% and made both of our league average goalies appear better statistically. I was expecting a pretty strong negative adjustment this year when they start facing more high-risk chances. As we have seen so far in the small sample size of the regular season thus far, Lehner looks really bad on 2 on 1 opportunities and opponent chances from the slot/in close.

Did I miss this Justin Bailey article? I'm still holding out hope for Reinhart at center, but given his play the last two games compared to the shitshow that was the first 4 games, i'm willing to give a little ground on that stance.

More like there will be no need for a goalie when Casey is on the ice because he will never lose the puck and the other team won't ever get to our zone. Might as well pull the goalie to pad our +/- stats and give a +1 for the extra player.

I'm hoping Casey comes up and has a similar effect to the Roy/Vanek/Afin third line in our president's trophy years. A over talented but young third line.

Yellowknife, Northwest Territory. We had a bi-annual audit up there that I went to once. Holy hell is it cold there.

Mindhunter has been really great so far (only 4 episodes in). It's great to watch with my wife who is into murder and serial killers. (You all should look for my body if I stop posting for a long time. My wife has definitely killed me)

You know where to find her. Nobody is stopping you :flirt:

For some reason I thought that was Doug Whaley. :lol: Well done Duda.

I'll give you two: Experience. Girardi. To the bold: ugh.

I'll buy it. Kotalik was really good at shootouts and he had one go to move (backhand top corner). He relied on that then a counter move if the goalie was cheating that way. Jack needs to go full Zoolander and pick one move and stick with it. He certainly has the mitts to do anything he wants.

I hope so. I would be very disappointed if the Sam at center experiment lasted three games.

We haven't been good at shootouts as a team for a long time, both in goal and forwards scoring. But you send out your best players and hope for the best IMO.

Removing the nostalgia of Donovan was the first step, but the US Soccer leaders didn't let Klinsmann follow through and clean out all the old veterans, since he was removed at the first sign of trouble. The ironic thing is they made the switch as a measure to prevent the USMNT from missing the World Cup, which is exactly what happened anyways with Arena.

Remember when the Sox traded a pick to the Jays because they absolutely had to have Farrell as their manager? Good times :flirt:

Me either. I actually think Antipin has been one of the better defenders in our -sandwich defense. exactly.

and the plot thickens...

Right. I was just pointing out guys that play in Europe, let alone actually being on a top team or playing big minutes.

Exactly. Watch Roark go out and pitch a gem and make Dusty look smart even though he's a moron.

If that PP lineup doesn't scream "No SHG against" I don't know what does. Alarming to me is no Reinhart on either unit and Tennyson on the PP point. Really? Tennyson?! :unsure:

Just for reference, this was the the 26 man roster for the T&T game: GOALKEEPERS Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) DEFENDERS DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafana (Santos Laguna), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City) MIDFIELDERS Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Paul Arriola (D.C. United), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy) FORWARDS Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg) I count 3 contributors from European leagues (Pulisic, Wood, Yedlin), and the rest are all MLS players. You aren't going to win with MLS players in the WC. Edit: I missed Cameron. 4 from Europe.

It's all about who you know. Arena knew and was comfortable with the names and faces he knew from MLS and previous teams, so that's who he played. You make a good point, the players who play in the top international leagues (Cameron, Miazga, McKennie, etc.) should be the key players on the USMNT, not JV all -stars from the weaker MLS league. There's a reason aging name-brand guys like David Villa, Schweinsteiger, Kaka and now Gerrard come to the MLS when they can't cut it in the top leagues anymore. They get paid and still look like stars against lesser competition.

Its having a minimal presence in the best leagues in the world, and the over reliance on "name brand" players that are flat out old. US Soccer keeps trotting out Dempsey, Howard, Bradley etc., the same names as from the 2000 World Cup FFS. Just because the fans or general public doesn't know who the good players are doesn't mean you shouldn't play them over the dinosaurs from a decade ago. I was wrong. Losing Klinsmann was a big mistake as he was the only one pushing change and challenging the old guard of the USMNT. I better see Pulisic and 10 new guys next qualifying cycle in 2022. I'd rather have a bunch of young guys with talent than the same names who have proven they suck. Missing the World Cup this year might finally be the catalyst to remove head from sphincter.

I wish I was smart enough to switch over to baseball earlier. The Kane goal kept me watching until it was far too late. To think I planned my day around having all my house work done by 3pm to watch the hockeys.

No doubt. A 6-2 game will do that to you. Being on the west coast out of the spotlight might do this team some good.