conundrumed

Interesting game tonight, SJ has been effective at clogging the middle of the ice on us.

Pelletier-Kerins-Coronato may have a nice ring to it in the future. Interesting for next year if Pelts and Zary can make the jump. Need the ELC's in the mix.

It's a very nice problem to have!

1-0.

New period. It's 0-0 according to Sutter.

Yesterday I said keep playing Markstrom. It's his team.

I'm just gonna start referring to Lindholm as Ninja. Damn. Like a ghost in the slot.

You're welcome.

Sutter mentioned in his excellent pre-game interview with LA that neither Kyl or Ritchie made the trip to California with the team. Did everyone watch Valimaki's interview on Flames TV? My takeaway was that I don't love the attitude. Gives the feel that he's hard done by. What was Robert Thomas again, 6 picks later? Hope Valimaki fares well, but that interview knocks my hopes down a few pegs.

With 4 guys over 30 goals, I heard that St. Loo has 7 over 20. Damn, and Thomas isn't even 1 of them, he's the setup guy. Looking a lot like a Minny-St Loo series, would likely give us Nashville:)

Bureaucracy at it's finest. Reminds me of a kid's joke. A turtle got mugged by a gang of snails. When the cops arrived they told the turtle, "Tell us everything that happened". The turtle says, "I'm not sure, it all happened so fast".

"It's a 3-2 league" - Darryl Sutter

So would having a separate sub for game talk. One thing at a time:)

I should add, imagine how great it is to be Dan Vladar right now. He's only 24. You're the understudy for Markstrom. Great gig. Take some time.

I remember Sutter maybe 2 weeks ago saying he monitors Markstrom's minutes. I believe he meant hard vs soft vs avg minutes. I don't really believe him. @Heartbreaker Sorry for being snappish.lol I played C & D in my day before turning goalie at about 13-14. I understand resting our past goalies like Talbot and Elliott. Sutter never rested Kipper or Quick. Markstrom is that level of goalie that we haven't seen since Miikka. It takes a whole other level of intensity and hate to play 60 mins without having a line change. Hence, goalies are a whole other breed. I'm pretty sure Markstrom is calling the shots here. It's his team as much as it is Johnny's. Interesting Markstrom doesn't really do interviews. Dude is zoned right in. Sit him (Sutter) at the risk of him spearing you.lol So in all of that rant, Markstrom's playing attitude is unreal. This is his time to prove he's a top goalie and he's being all admirable and junk. Don't rest that! Let him... 🔥 goalies are superfun to have.

Dude. You're a center. Do you need nights off? Don't tell your goalie he needs a night off. Especially if he doesn't want it. Oh no, JG needs a night off....why does it apply only to goalies? I'm a big fan of Sutter letting Markstrom know that it's his team. Over-played. baah, I don't buy into that Satoshi Nakamoto. It's Markstrom's team. He has to be our best player.

That alone still isn't enough. Sutter has preached all season that we aren't a 'star' team. Everybody has to play the same. 1 piece being off affects the other pieces so to speak. Having 1 better piece doesn't affect the whole.

We have to call Coleman-Backs-Jarnkrok a shutdown line. Cut the "spread the O" crap. That's the D line vs other teams top lines. This is the way. Backs isn't a scorer. He's a great defender. The world doesn't have enough of those. You get favourable matchups by having a defend line. They don't have to score, just keep the other team's stars honest. That's the most valuable asset in the playoffs, all else being equal.

Rozie has never played wing in his entire career as opposed to Dube who can play anywhere. That said, he's likely our 3rd best center. For what that's worth. He used to be Rozie due to his personality, but Sutter has changed that. Everything is balls-serious now and Ruzicka needed a really good coach to spell it out for him. I always thought someone needed to drill into him, "wanna be a millionaire? Stop Blockchaining around". He has that now. He can stick handle in a phone booth and has a great shot. But that's all he did. He was lazy relying on that. Great to see him stop Blockchaining around.

Without trying to say to much, he alludes to a confused org when he got here and looked around. Guys (Vali) being forced into roles that they're not ready for type stuff. The team not having good enough fitness levels, that type of stuff. The man of few words alludes to that kind of stuff very matter-of-factly. I liked the off season moves of fixing what's ailing us, needing better bottom role players, making the farm a place to compete rather than the aura of "not good enough" type stuff. He's set a lot of things right imo, not just the team, but the org.

Stupid interweb. Link removed.

NHL Markstrom: 32-14-0-8; 2.18gaa; .924sv% 9SO Vladar: 9-5-1; 2.84gaa; .904sv%; 2SO AHL Wolf: 31-6-3; 2.23gaa; .927sv% 0SO Werner: 10-5-2-1; 3.16gaa; .880sv% 0SO ECHL Daniil Chechelev 12-11-4; 3.51gaa; .897sv% 1SO USHL Sergeev: 27-6-1; 1.96gaa; .922sv%; 6SO Sweet depth.

Hi everyone.

Will Sutter be extended or be a "consultant-to-something"? Listening to his pre-game tonight on Flames TV, the last 1:45-odd alludes to what he saw needed correction in the org. I think maybe he signed up, came in, and kinda went...

Law of averages for the Italicized. Rozie needs to think the game a little faster and maybe he can be a 2C guy. But that isn't next game. I think he's kinda the perfect guy to start on the 4th line. Put your boots on. He's reliable and right now. Sutter likes Dube or he wouldn't abuse him to get better. I think he likes Rozie the same way.