Randall Flagg

Yep. It was pointed out on hfboards just now that Doughty was having nights like this in his 21 year old season. These defensemen need to do what they do and figure out what works, and it's going to lead to some nights like this. It's also going to lead to careers like Drew Doughty's and Erik Karlsson's.

We're seeing that the team is still bad-but-technically-justifiable roster decisions away from being a little too slow, a little too clumsy, and a little too full of bad habits to be an effective even strength hockey team again. I am a little worried about where Jason and Phil go with it. The right mix is there somewhere, but it's going to be hard to find, especially on the personal level we don't really get to see, and we need them to find it. And again, the reason some of us were not excited about the "prospect" of getting to see healthy Bogosian/McCabe/Beaulieu as D options versus the trash behind them when they were injured is that these guys are still objectively bad hockey players when the game is going full speed. They just don't make enough hockey plays to their teammates' sticks, and don't do well enough defending and recovering in their own zone. Rome wasn't built in a day, but when we get a good defense, McCabe in a bottom pairing role is the only guy I can picture being a part of one. I think Hutton looks like a pretty good goalie. I think Jack had a strong game. I have no idea why Bogosian took that shot at the end there.

Sure, but that exact defense has been used on forwards who are slow, clumsy and tank our ES play. My point is not an anti-vet one, I understand that most posters want vets, and good ones. But our team very much falls in that trap with bad hockey players. And it has a much more measurable affect on our team's misfortunes than vague and ill-defined things that get blamed instead

I don't mean this as an argument specific to Kyle, who is still one of our 12 best forwards, but in general that is why the "we need the slow, clumsy, grizzled vets around to teach the kids how to play the right way" trope is dead to me. We need good players of all ages, and good is the only relevant qualifier to the kinds of players we need. Vets take bad penalties which lead to go-ahead goals late in the third period too, even if they "play and prepare the right way."

Larry has had a better game than his last one. ERod has had his worst.

I could not feel more differently - he looks exactly the same to me. I just watched Toronto's two goals closer and need to slap myself on the wrist. Berglund was real bad on both of them.

I also think I see a lot of the bad habits from last year's team still pervasive. The ones we didn't see last night. Hopefully when 6 of those skaters make this team they help flush the rest of those issues out.

I'm still mulling everything over, but the only player I try before Tage would be Evan, and I'd be quick to pull the trigger on switching them if the rare Jack-Erod shifts we saw last season don't repeat themselves.

Certainly just confirmation bias, but I haven't seen Berglund directly involved in anything remotely resembling skill hockey and dangerous chances, in either zone. This will be an excellent tool if Phil can leverage it correctly.

Combining this insight with the fact that Jack and Skinner have similar defensive issues and don't seem to amplify each other's game, I want our scoring lines to be Jack with to be determined and those two forming a backbone behind them.

Nice play from those three forwards.

Hated seeing Dahlin fall that awkwardly. Kyle lost that puck but it looked amazing because Risto was right there.

I've seen nothing special between Jack & Skinner thus far.

I really love Sam Reinhart's game.

Also, this game reminds me to point out when we see that Corsi% on the 82-Bogosian pairing, those trash shots into sticks and shins right in front of them are all getting counted. There are so goddamn many of those trash shots.

These guys definitely aren't skating like last night's roster was. You can tell this is the fastest team Dahlin's ever faced

IMO, Auston is going to be the best player on every sheet of ice he steps foot on this season, unless he's playing McD. The guy just controls the game.

I liked it during its run, but all I can associate it with right now is with trash hockey and lots of players who aren't here anymore.

I think this next week is critical in the "fun to watch" department. It will be absolutely maddening seeing 82 in 2nd pairing minutes, tossing the puck up to Girgensons, Larsson, Pominville, and Wilson all in the bottom (or even top - shudder) six minutes while kids who did better but are waiver exempt, offensive and defensive, play in rochester. However, if we're seeing the kiddos make plays and mistakes, and Beaulieu as 7D, I absolutely think it'll more resemble the 16-17 Leafs than last year's old crummy Sabres.

Okie can play on PP2, please.

Beaulieu is so bad in the o-zone

And I love how much Tage wants to shoot the puck. But the dude needs to sometimes stop picking corners, and just make sure he hits the net. He's missed the net sooo many times this preseason

I really think it's time for a new goal song.

I'm like 10 mins behind, but the Risto clear stillll drives me nuuuuuuts And Bogosian in number 4 is weird. Nice shot from Kyle.

I noticed that too, pretty funny.