travel_dude

Ok here in AB.

It gets harder and harder every year as the equipment rules change and the penalties are called more frequently. This is the McDavid league, where you give free chances for playing defense.

Lucic and Ras need to make up for that stupid goal against.

Real hockey coverage. Nice. Well, except for the PBP.

For some dumb reason, Lucic out there for the top PP. He had the puck on his stick for a split second. Not sure why he benched Toffoli for the top PP unit.

Hanifin with the risky play on the PP, sets up the transition. Top unit scored on shorthanded. Ras actually put it in.

Close to a goal, but not a goal that I saw.

Big dive there. May be interference, but no tripping

We need to score 2 more before we start shutting down the Stars. Vladar is good, but can't be perfect for 50 more minutes.

Love the early start fight from the Flames. Fortunate the Stars are on the same time zone.

I need to keep calling out Lewis. Time for some Ruzicka hate.

Funny how we use spares on the last shift of the PP. And Weegar gets the shot on bet and the rebound in

Ooh, some chances by the 2nd unit

First unit looking bad.

Great hands by Bread, by the way. We see him do that when his game is on. He's pretty slick. Let's see if he can get the snap shot working.

Stars never get called for dirty play.

Hot hand says shoot. We never use the pass option. Smart play to force the faceoff

Vladar looks calm. Early lead is what we need. Build on it. Let the Cowbell ring. Ooops. Coleman with the penalty. I like how they use the Law amd Order ding to announce the PP.

Trading Lucic signals that the coach and GM want different things. Not sure that's a battle we want right now. We are 7-3-3 with Lucic back in, playing top 6. May have been a game or two that he played 3rd line. Only wins against playoff teams in stat stretch is Seattle. NYI and STL currently out. This is probably the easiest stretch of schedule we had. And we are 17 points in 13 games. That's decent winning percentage, but only because of the Cali trip.

Calling up a player for a week is kinda useless, is it not, unless you are going to play them. What locker room is he going to be in when the team actually plays a game. The practice is fine, but he's not on lines with the stars. I'm not exactly sure how he ever gets into the lineup. There are players every game that should have sat. Nothing you can do at practice to push out one of the regulars. Lucic didn't come back from sitting where he pushed his way to top 6. It was lack of options then. Get a win? Must be a genius. Ignore the warning signs in losses. Must be the young players not knowing how to be ready. Anyway, I am fine with icing the same lineup every game. Just sit the kid down and say he's only getting in if a top 6 player gets hurt. And that he will only get limited minutes if he ever gets in. You're too small and scoring in the AHL means nothing. Get ready to go back to the AHL. Don't really see a place for you here.

He plays and has the coach's favor because he works hard. First long stretch he was dynamic with Draisaitl. I think he's not that good myself. But the point is, even in a lineup with two great players, you can get a chance.

Nate Gerbe says hi. Yamamoto has an inch and 13 pounds on Phillips. He says hi from the top 6.

So, you are comfortable taking the safe approach and winning at around 50%? Think about it this way. Last year against Dallas, Markstrom did everything he could to win games 2-1. Get that last save, battle for every inch of the crease. He had almost nothing left to bring against EDM. And there was little experience of the backup to bring him in. That is the style of games we are winning and losing now. And we only have the depth that is on the NHL roster. When are you ever in a place where you can give a 5-10 game tryout. How do you evaluate depth when you don't ever play them. Duehr scored on the rush and he's not our best prospect. His best plays were from him skating and creating havoc. That's kinda what you want a prospect to do in their first few games. Like the old saying goes, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. NHL players aren't born in the NHL. At some point, you risk a game by playing them.