Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Sustaining Success

Firstier than you

Solid win last night. What a turn around kudos to Berube. I like the way the team is structured. The rock and backbone is solid tending, and you can tell the team feels they can win every game because of this. Mase and Emery have been lights out IMO. Berube has the team playing D as a 5 man unit. Keep it up on the road and lets get into a playoff spot here.

Fun how my focus has gone from who we can trade at the deadline for picks, to how we can solidify the D corps by a trade with a desperate GM.

Keep it rolling through Florida boys..

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Sustaining Success
- bmeltzer

I look forward to tomorrow's write-up.

The next 3 games are all winnable. Panthers are beatable. Lightning have fallen back to earth after the Stamkos injury and Winnipeg playing at 11:30am ET will feel like the crack of dawn to them.

Get as many points as possible before the onslaught of away games!

Solid win last night. What a turn around kudos to Berube. I like the way the team is structured. The rock and backbone is solid tending, and you can tell the team feels they can win every game because of this. Mase and Emery have been lights out IMO. Berube has the team playing D as a 5 man unit. Keep it up on the road and lets get into a playoff spot here.

Fun how my focus has gone from who we can trade at the deadline for picks, to how we can solidify the D corps by a trade with a desperate GM.

Keep it rolling through Florida boys..
- Hextall271

When comcast puts up the starting goalie numbers side by side before the game, it makes me feel so confident to see Mason's vs other goalies. I haven't felt that way in so long.

After the Florida swing the competition gets a lot tougher.
Some highlights are games against Chicago, Minny, Dallas, home and home with the Caps, home and home against Bobs and then a west coast swing to end December.

December will be an interesting measuring stick for this team.

B schenn. Even tho I don't like him very much. Have to give him credit. He has scoring touch in tight to the net. For this team the need to hang onto someone like that.

The flyers really sagged after that lead. Islanders skated way to freely through the neutral zone. They held it together though

Best part of the night was cooter laying out okposo!

After the Florida swing the competition gets a lot tougher.
Some highlights are games against Chicago, Minny, Dallas, home and home with the Caps, home and home against Bobs and then a west coast swing to end December.

December will be an interesting measuring stick for this team.
- Marc D

That's true but if the tending holds up and we play like we have of late, I'll take my chances. I'd like to see a better power play but I think well be in all those games. The team has generally played well on the road

Really liking the way the 3rd line of Couts with Downie and Read are playing.....very well balanced 2 way play..

B schenn. Even tho I don't like him very much. Have to give him credit. He has scoring touch in tight to the net. For this team the need to hang onto someone like that.

The flyers really sagged after that lead. Islanders skated way to freely through the neutral zone. They held it together though

Best part of the night was cooter laying out okposo!
- Just5

For all the griping people do about Schenn and Couturier's struggles, Schenn is on pace for 26 goals and 52 points while Couturier is on pace to finish as a +22 while matching up against the best lines. Couts is also manning the best line on the team right now. Not bad for a 21 and 20 year old, huh?

Really liking the way the 3rd line of Couts with Downie and Read are playing.....very well balanced 2 way play..
- Buzzo

It's been awhile since we've had a 3rd line with this kind of chemistry and their setting an identity. Great 2 way play

I told ya it was just a matter of time - they'd find their confidence and get rolling...great to see!

Really liking the way the 3rd line of Couts with Downie and Read are playing.....very well balanced 2 way play..
- Buzzo

Read is red hot right now. Great to see the chemistry that line has. They deserve the minutes that Berube is sending their way.

We're 1 point back from 9th place NJ with 1 game in hand. We're 2 points back from 8th place NYR with 1 game in hand. We're 4 points back from 7th place WSH with 2 games in hand. Now is the time to dig deep and push hard. If we win the next few games, we can push into a playoff position. Keeping up the pressure is key to doing it, though.

Any chance Raffl replaces Rosehill soon? Sitting Raffl every game is a waste.

Read is red hot right now. Great to see the chemistry that line has. They deserve the minutes that Berube is sending their way.
- Hextall271

Downie was a great pick up. That line has come alive with him.

I think he is a very smart player, underrated for sure.

Any chance Raffl replaces Rosehill soon? Sitting Raffl every game is a waste.
- Feanor

I don't think they sit Rosehill. They love him for some reason and the team keeps winning.

You're right though. They need to send him back to the AHL. He is learning nothing from sitting in the press box. Let Newberry be the 13th forward.

Downie was a great pick up. That line has come alive with him.

I think he is a very smart player, underrated for sure.
- Marc D

It will be interesting to see, but I would re sign him if his cost isn't bananas.

Downie was a great pick up. That line has come alive with him.

I think he is a very smart player, underrated for sure.
- Marc D

People were really worried about his self control. He's shown good restraint early on. He's just the type of player Read and Couts needed.

Any chance Raffl replaces Rosehill soon? Sitting Raffl every game is a waste.
- Feanor

I get the feeling that they're not going to change a thing as long as the wins keep coming.

It will be interesting to see, but I would re sign him if his cost isn't bananas.
- Hextall271

I would too, but the word was he wore out his welcome in Colorado. He and Landeskog didn't always see eye to eye.

So nice to be on a winning streak! Gotta keep it going down in FLA!!

I would too, but the word was he wore out his welcome in Colorado. He and Landeskog didn't always see eye to eye.
- PhillySportsGuy

hmm

I heard Landeskog and him had one feisty practice where GL hit Downie or something and Downie was supposedly mad because he was returning from an injury or concussion, took exception to the hit and gave GL a hit in return. The rumor was the coaches and GMs were upset with Downie, but I think GL spoke very highly of Downie.

I hope they re sign him, but no more then 3 years without any NTC/NMC included.
What is the going rate for a very good 3rd line winger these days, 3-3.5M?

here is the quote:

"Well, they might have Downie's fiery attitude to thank for it. Elliotte Friedman of CBC was on the FAN 590 up in Toronto today, where he talked about a hit laid on Gabriel Landeskog back during training camp. Basically, Downie was tripped up by Landeskog and tweaked his knee a bit. Coming off of reconstructive knee surgery, Downie was pissed off at Landeskog's apparent recklessness and decided to voice his displeasure in the form of a huge hit.

Landeskog, obviously, is a prized piece of the puzzle out there in Colorado, and from that point on, the Avs were pretty certain that Downie would be gone at some point this year. Here's Friedman:

I was told that basically the Avalanche had decided that when that happened and Downie was kind of unapologetic about it, that the time was going to come when he was going to get dealt.

I believe Philly was specifically targeted because they knew that Philly would probably have interest, knowing the guy. And the other thing too is that one of Patrick Roy's best friends and coaching buddies is a guy by the name Benoit Groulx. Benoit Groulx and Max Talbot went to the Memorial Cup Finals together and I think Roy had some advice that he was the kind of guy he wanted, and Colorado specifically targeted that deal."

I get the feeling that they're not going to change a thing as long as the wins keep coming.
- FlyerGuy

It's funny, because whenever Rosehill is in a game for us, it seems like he almost always gives the other team a chance to win. He was directly responsible for their 2nd goal last night. I remember him taking dumb penalties to kill our powerplays, and give the other teams powerplays at bad times over the past winning stretch of games. He has the odd strong shift, but the overall effort from him I think is horrible. Raffl has no scoring touch, but at least he'd be creating chances, being defensively responsible, battling in trenches, and hitting at least as often as Rosehill.