TurdBurglar

I can't see us getting Getzlaf even though the thought of it would be outstanding. We have too many centers now and if we are to make an attempt on him we would have to move 2-3 of our centers. Getzlaf/Eller/White/Noke would be nice. Doubt we'll be able to keep Pleks if we get Getzlaf, unless we can trade away Gomez's contract. Getzlaf/Pleks/Eller/White would make us a strong contender for best down the middle. I think a Patches/Getzlaf/(Cole/AK46) would be a nasty line on the boards.

Pretty sure we got Eller for Halak. I would consider that a pretty good deal. A goalie who wouldn't resign as long as Price was still on the roster for an up and coming center who's offensive game was put aside to fill the coach's demands. Sure he may be a stronger defensive player now, but in my opinion he has the best stickwork of anyone on the roster. We need a coach willing to let Eller flourish offensively and he'll be a solid second line center on any team.

Then you have to do one of 2 things. Either fire Gauthier and get an interm GM like Toronto did before they got Burke, or keep Gauthier and take away his power to make any moves without ownership consent until you have the guy to replace him. I Gauthier feels his position is threatened, like it has been all year, he will make bad decisions to save his job, like he has already done. The Kaberle for Spacek trade was a simple, player for player swap. I'm on board with it, worse we did was take on a little more money for more years. The Cammalleri trade is different. I do agree after his lackluster performance and his comments to the media, something needed to be done. I'm OK with him being traded, what I'm not OK with is the manner of the trade. You have arguably the highest value player on our roster not being shopped around. That tells you what kind of GM we have in charge. A smart GM will try to get the highest value out of a trade, as the saying goes, the winner of a trade is the team that gets the better player. With this trade, and alot of previous trades we lost out. When you want to get rid of a player like Cammalleri, not shopping him around is irresponsible to say the least.

Rene Bourque could help, but I think we got the short end of the stick again. The 2nd should have been for this year.

I agree. They should of let him finish the game and told him after. Doing it in the middle of the game, sending him to the hotel mid-game, is a sure way to get the team out of the game. Real bad decision making by Gauthier.

Was it just the camera angle or did Oshie check DIaz in the head?

Next headline; Shanahan fired.

To make the playoffs we need about 95 pts (2x pittsburg current pts adding a win and a loss to their record to make it 82 games is 94 pts in 8th). We currently have 39, so we need to 56 to make 8th. Thats 28-13-0 in the next 41 games. So to have any chance we need to win twice as much as we lose, regulation and OT combined. Is it impossible? No, but I'd be looking for the lottery pick if I were in PG's shoes.

I like what Cunneyworth is doing with the team. I think the results speak for itself. If you look at the record (3-5-0) since his take over it doesn't look that impressive until you really look at it. He lost his first 4 in transitioning the team to his system. Since then he's 3-2 scoring no less than 2 goals a game. Martin's system is to score about 2 and call it quits for offence. By no means is Cunneyworth's system perfect, but it's refreshing for the fans and mosty for the players to let their creativity flow. Eller's hat trick goal is a prime example of how Martin's system wasn't working. Kostitsyn took the puck around the net and came to the slot without shotting, strike one with Martin, then dangled around a player, strike two, while Eller and Moen stood at the net, strike three. Under Martin as soon as Kostitsyn was behind the net one forward would be around the top of the circles, and while Kostitsyn was going toward the blue line, the other forward would be starting to exit the zone. Nice to see Cunneyworth letting the team embrace the fact that on offense their there to score and focus on that. Especially loving the second and third chances with the puck in the offensive zone. I think once the team progresses Cunneyworth will tweak the defense and we may be climbing the standings. I'm not holding my breath for the playoffs this year, but the team is looking good.

I think he thinks if Gomez can do it, so can he. Pleks used to be one of our hardest working players, now you never see 14 in digging for a puck or battling in front of the net.

With all the trade talks, think the reason for Cammy and AK46 missing the morning skate might be their on the move?

I figured the 7/7/8/8 setup wasn't going to work anyway. Only way it can be fair is if we remove 2 teams or expand 2 teams. The bulk of the skilled players would attempt to play in the conferences with 7, with the majoity wanting to play in Conference D (PIT, NYR, NYI, PHI, WAS, NJD, CAR) because of the distance between teams. This set of teams are attractive already because of the fact games VS the other teams still means your going to be at you house that night. As opposed to Detriot where a road game means a hotel stay vs their conference. What we would end up with is the bulk of the contenders being from this particular conference. Only way to compensate would be the league forkling out extra cash to players in the other conferences because the teams can't provide such luxuries. Personally I would love to see an expansion, move Pheonix, put a team in Hamilton/Quebec City, and 3 out west. This way Detroit can be in one of the eastern conferences and it'll be an 8/8/8/8 format. If this can't be done they should remove the conference system and make it a top-16 team qualification. Something has to be done, but it'll probably end up being an east vs west for the next couple of years.

I don't think it was just "Did you just slip on a banana peel?" That seems way too minor to warrant anything. A slew foot is $2,500 fine without anything else and "Did you just slip on a banana peel?" is a game? Me thinks there was more said, but I don't see how any on-ice slur can be punished off-ice. What happened to keeping what happens on the ice, on the ice? Looking like the NHL is trying to turn into a gentlemen's league.

Not sure what you see wrong with Boumeester, 1g, 13a, 14p, -14, on a team far worse than us. Subban is our only defenseman better with 3g, 13a, 16p, -1. For shits and giggles I did mock trades on NHL's sim engine NHL 12 (LOL!). Ditched Cammy, Gionta, Campoli, Gill and DD and a 2nd rd pick. Got Nash, Boumeester, Comeau and Moss. Had to give the most for Boumeestwer suprisingly.

In all honesty we're in no position to talk about players and thier cap hits. We have Kaberle, who is impressing me, Cammy, Gomez and Gionta. At least with Nash we know what we're getting. Too bad it's probably gonna cost something like AK46, probably our best offensive player this year. Wouldn't it be nice to see AK46/Eller/Nash and Patches/Plek/Cole? After the 4G performance, Eller should be getting more ice time in offernsive situations. I've said all year he has the best stick-work of anyone on the team. The situation some team are in this year can give us an oppertunity to move Eller up a line and get a Brendan Morrison for 3rd line until White gets back. Very impressed with Nokelainen, he should be staying on 4th even after White returns. AK46/Eller/Nash Patches/Plek/Cole Moen/White/Comeau Darche/Nokelainen/Stempniak Markov/Boumeester Gorges/Subban Emelin/Kaberle This would give us Cammy, Gomez, Gionta, Gill, Campoli, and Weber to deal along with a 1st which will probably go in the Nash deal. Could probably improve more if the deals are tweaked seeing as we have 6 players to give up and by my lines only 3 coming in. The most impressive out of this is our offense is setup for the grind it out and get to the net, which compliments a shot on each defensive pair. Also frees up about 4M in cap space.

I'd be talking to Calgary. AFter last night's loss rumors exploded around Calgary. Could be an easy ditch for Gomez/Cammy/Gionta could get Bouwmeester/Jokinen or Morrison/Hannan for cheap. If Calgary is going to rebuild their gonna need money to fill cap next year. If they want draft picks I wouldn't give up a 1st unless it's Bouwmeester, Iginla is too old to give up a 1st. P.S. Eklund reporting we're in the mix for Rick Nash, interesting.

This one will tell the tail if the much needed line mash-ups are going to be really effective. Anything over 2 goals will be an improvement.

My guess would be Cammy has 2 years left on his contract after this year while Edmonton has Gagner, Barker, Peckham, and Dubnyk as RFA's this year, Hall and Eberle next year. Cammy's contract is probably too long and too pricey to ensure they get their key kids signed, especially if they have been looking to part ways with Hemsky since last year. Just in this offseason your probably looking at Edmonton using Hemsky's contract to sign the 4 RFA's for this year, while Hall and Eberle will be commanding big pay raises next year.

The good news about Gorges is his name is thrown out there associated with a "big" deal. As PG doesn't like big deals I don't expect him to go anywhere. Gorges is a future #1 pair defenseman, he's good now but not there quite yet. Aside from his 1 knee surgery he's pretty dependable and hurt rarely so thats not something you give up for a Hemsky. Thats a piece you give up with an Eberle or Hall is going the other way, in respect to the trade being with the Oilers. I like Kostitsyn, but if he's gonna go now is the time. He's somewhat consistent and since the rest of the team is lackluster scoring he's looking good so it raises his value. I'd rather keep him but if he's not going to be re-signed this summer, trade him now.

Rumors of a deal being made between Montreal and Edmonton. Also Gorges name being thrown around as potential "big deal" but nothing linking these two deals together so they may be related and may not be related. My guess would be Hemsky coming our way as Oilers seems to be shopping him heavily. What exactly we would be sending their way I really don't know, but Oilers are in need of defence. IMHO Gorges for Hemsky isn't worth it but could see a package of players. If we're giving up Gorges we better get a Paajarvi at least in return, but knowing us, it'll be Horcoff.

Wanting out of a situation you helped to create and aren't helping to remedy is spineless.

The reason PK was sitting was because he admitted he can't be playing like that. It's a player taking responsibility for his own actions and accepting the coming consequences. Something every player in the lineup should be doing. Instead their all blaming it on the team as a whole. Cunneyworth might be starting to rotate everyone out of the lineup in the coming weeks, so they can see whats going on on the ice from a different angle. Tapes are good and all, but sitting in a box with a suit on while your team is losing and your powerless to help for that game, give you a different perspective from a different perspective. Might be what they need to light a fire under them. The reality is with this team is a little more effort every game and they would be in the top 4 of the conference, 7 OT losses, 3 blown leads(off the top of my head) that ended in 0 pts. there's 13 pts that would have them in a tie for 1st in the east.

I completely agree. We have young guys that could use experience, we're not in a playoff spot and doesn't look like we'll be in one by April. After the break warn the team start sitting players in the pressbox for poor performances. Whats the worse could happen? They stop playing for the coach? They've already stopped playing for the team. They demand a trade? I know a few on the team that I wouldn't care if they were gone as their playing now. If they demand a trade they should be told their going to sit in the pressbox or be sent down to the minors if an acceptable trade can't be found. Nobody will pick up Cammalleri's $6M a year the way he's playing, same for Gionta and Gomez. If they do, it saves a buyout and thats money to pickup players in the offseason. Maybe we can over pay for someone thats actually worth it.

We lost 5 straight when Martin started to coach as well. Cunneyworth needs to get the black cloud out of the room. Too many high priced players with the impression that if it's OK for Gomez to not score it's OK for them to not score. Cunneyworth needs to start sitting EVERYBODY to get it in their head if their not playing to their worth then their not playing. Tell Cammy he's not playing because he's not producing. Sit him in the pressbox for a game or 2 and see if he doesn't come back like a cannonball on fire. The team made the change to get the slow, boring, brain-dead hockey style gone. Now we need the player's mindsets to change as well. I see lots of positives with Cunneyworth's coaching. Higher pressure in both ends of the ice. I see 2 forecheckers to attempt to turn over the puck. Now the players need to get the will to play this way.

One game for a hit that has gotten everyone else 2 games. The only reason Shanny handed out this 1-game suspension is to make people believe he;s not favoring the Bruins. This, if anything, shows more-so how much the Bruins are favored.