Fantasy Hockey - Playoff Race

[Flubber]

Originally posted by notyoueither

I know Smyth was traded and the Oil have injuries but SUCK IT UP AND PLAY.

Incidently, it would be interesting to see the Flames with Iginla, Tanguay, Lombardi, Yelle and a couple other forwards out of the line up. Then add in that they would have maybe Warrener and Zyuzin on D and then 2 call ups from Omaha, someone from junior, and no sixth D dressed.

Suck it up indeed.

I don't care if they dress 20 guys who have only played in the minors before . . . you expect an effort. The Oilers exhibited no pride or fight in their last game. I wouldn't care if the Flames top 10 players were out. I would still expect the remaining guys to play their guts out. It would probably be a losing effort more often than not but I don't know that such a team would drop 12 in a row.

They could have a lines of

Lombardi-Amonte-Ritchie
Primeau-Yelle- Friesen
Boyd-Nilson-Prust
German- Godard- ? Taratuken

D would be

Hale Warrener
Zuyzun-Giordano
Ference- ? younger Regehr (If I knock out ALL of the top 4 D in this scenario do I get him back?-- If I do thats 6 d-men that HAVE played in the NHL and done ok)

This assumes ALL of the top 4 d-men and All of the top 2 lines which is far worse than what Edmonton has experienced. As it stands, I think it could be a fiesty team that would be no fun to play. I don't think they would lose 12 in a row and I doubt they would quit as Edmonton has seemed to do in its recent efforts. I do know that the "top" two lines above are VERY capable of playing good defensive hockey and that the Hale Warrener pairing was one the Flames coaches did not hesitate to put out against some of the top players on Detroit and Nashville ( they don't get a ton of ice-time but they did get PK time and minutes against Forsberg and Arnott).

Oh and here are the players missing from the above lineup if you think I hedged things-- I omitted ALL of the Flames top 10 skaters


Iginla
Tanguay
Lankow
Moss
Huselius
Conroy
Phanuef
Hamrlik
Stuart
Regehr



Would it be easy? NO. Would the remaining lineup make the playoffs in an 82 game schedule? Very unlikely. But I don't think they would give up.

and that is what it seems the Oil have done. Perhaps I am wrong . . . maybe they will show a gritty effort in their next few games-- I'd respect that even if they lost. Even the most inexperienced call-up can skate hard and show some intensity. But every pundit and report I have seen agrees with the assessment that the Oil didn't even really show up in their last game ( ironically it was Fan Appreciation NIght)

Any team can have an off night but after losing what . . 11 . . . you expect them to at least appear to try

[Asher]

Any team can have an off night but after losing what . . 11 . . . you expect them to at least appear to try

12

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Flubber

Any team can have an off night but after losing what . . 11 . . . you expect them to at least appear to try

In fairness, the Oil have had a couple of reasonable losing efforts but when facing an embarrassing streak like this I expect the players to be so hopping mad at themselves that it shows on the ice. Hits, aggressive play . . . . Even if they lose to superior talent or their own mental mistakes, the other team should know they have been in a battle

[Ninot]

Hey, anyone ever been to Jasper? Is it nice?
Yeah, off topic

[Asher]

It's nice. Less commercial than Banff, but that's because it's not as nice.

[Hot Mustard]

That's funny - I find less-commercial to be nicer, myself.

I've been, but not in ages. A leg of a bike hike I did a long time ago went from Banff to Jasper. We just stayed in a campground, of course, so I couldn't recommend accomodation. It was a nice enough place - friendly too.

[Ninot]

I'm considering applying to work out there for the summer months

[Asher]

Originally posted by Hot Mustard
That's funny - I find less-commercial to be nicer, myself.

Yes, but the reason it's less commercial is it's less busy, and it's less busy because it's not as nice. Do you follow?

And the leafs suck, already gave Vanek a ppg.

[Hot Mustard]

Originally posted by Hot Mustard
That's funny - I find less-commercial to be nicer, myself.

Emphasis added for those that missed it - personal preference.

Another good example is that I much prefer Kaua'i to Hawaii or Maui. Less commercial sprawl everywhere.

[Sparrowhawk]

Jasper:
Small town, very touristy, (by touristy I mean there isn't much for non-tourists that I could ever see, but I love the town). Expensive though, I would hope you have accomodation lined up before you go for the job. I have been there in the summer and winter, and as much as the town has character, the surrounding area is beyond words. I have hiked some of the short distance hikes in the area, Mt. Edith Cavell is the closest and one of the good ones, but there are many especially in the Icefields Parkway (the area between Banff and Jasper, which is my favourite part of Canada). I could ramble on, as I am quite passionate about the scenery, but I think you get the point and I am already way off topic.

As for Vanek's power play goal, it looks like I could be gaining on you in the stats you are ahead of me.....worried yet?

/me

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
As for Vanek's power play goal, it looks like I could be gaining on you in the stats you are ahead of me.....worried yet?

* Sparrowhawk

Not at all, I assumed I'd lose this week to start with. Since I beat nye I can die a happy man, anything else is just icing on the cake.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Flubber


I don't care if they dress 20 guys who have only played in the minors before . . . you expect an effort. The Oilers exhibited no pride or fight in their last game.

You expect a lot of things from a team that is disintegrating. You usually don't get many of them.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

The reason the Oilers are where they are is because the team sucks from top to bottom in the organization. Sleazy ownership in the Edmonton Investment Group, sleazy GM work from K-Lowe, and awful coaching from MacT. That's the underlying problem, you're not looking hard enough at the problem. You're just looking at the results of the problem.

You're slipping. You could easily use twice as much vitriol.

[Asher]

Another Vanek ppg.

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally posted by Flubber
For some weird and totally unfathomable reason, I somehow think the Oil will take one of their two games from Colorado. This may defy all logic but when a team is 8-0-1 recently there is a part of me that thinks the streak MUST end. Combine that with the Oils huge losng streak and I figure that Rollie or Markkanen will just steal one.

QFT!!




Much as a win doesn't mean much except for the confidence, i was happy to see them finally end the streak, even though winning at this point doesn't do much more then give them a worse draft position.

/me