I don't know if they're looking for Simmonds to be a playmaker, per se. The line he was one previously was getting him nowhere in 5v5 play.

And since Giroux is firing so many shots these days, that line could probably benefit from a dominant net presence.

The Couturier - BSchenn combo has been working out....let's hope it continues.

The Umberger - Lecavalier combo is kind of like the island of misfit toys. Let's hope my boy Art Ross Akeson can spark them a bit.
- johndewar

Well, if they are not looking for Simmonds to be a playmaker, it's too bad, b/c he is. He holds onto the puck and can fend defenders off while giving time for everyone else to find an open slot with the confusion.

Let's milk this success run with the 2nd line as long as we can. I'm down!

Umberger....just wow. Do we still have Hartnell on speed dial? Miss him already. I'm not down on Vinny as much as everyone else. He tries and still has a lot to offer.

I like Bellemare though!

Yea, but that's 6 weeks away. Damn....wish schenn was a better playmaker. I don't know why I hate him so much, lol.
- Fast_Eddie_1

I'm not a big Brayden Schenn fan myself, but you have to admit he's been a much more noticeable player since he was put on the Couturier line.

Phantoms team scoring leader Nick Cousins wants to know why he's not on this list.
- johndewar

Healthy scratch

Defensemen CF-CA (CF%) from the last 7 games at ES

Coburn: 11-23 (0.324)
Colaiacovo: 33-33 (0.5)
Del Zotto: 131-144 (0.476)
Gostisbehere: 16-28 (0.363)
Grossmann: 84-123 (0.406)
Manning: 10-21 (0.323)
Schenn, L: 93-106 (0.467)
Schultz: 88-119 (0.425)
Streit: 119-114 (0.511)

Our only dman above 50% is Streit.
- Feanor

They've been playing w/ the lead a lot... would be interesting to see what those #'s look like in 1-goal/tied situations.

And imagining that MDZ is not getting the easiest minutes on the team alongside Luke Schenn.
- Feanor

Sorry to pull this up from the last thread, but he has been playing tough minutes since AMac went out. That pair has started to take a lot of the toughest shifts from Grossmann/Streit in recent games.

Well, if they are not looking for Simmonds to be a playmaker, it's too bad, b/c he is. He holds onto the puck and can fend defenders off while giving time for everyone else to find an open slot with the confusion.

Let's milk this success run with the 2nd line as long as we can. I'm down!

Umberger....just wow. Do we still have Hartnell on speed dial? Miss him already. I'm not down on Vinny as much as everyone else. He tries and still has a lot to offer.

I like Bellemare though!
- Fast_Eddie_1

Bellemare has proven to be a helluva signing to this point. I don't know why it took him this long to be in the NHL. He looks like he belongs.

Healthy scratch
- Just5

I don't think they'd have 21 YO Nick Cousins on the big club just to make him a scratch.

I'm not a buyer of the philosophy of having young players with the big club and not playing him because of some perceived benefit of practicing with the big club. I think that's overstated.

Players have to play games to stay sharp.

Well, if they are not looking for Simmonds to be a playmaker, it's too bad, b/c he is. He holds onto the puck and can fend defenders off while giving time for everyone else to find an open slot with the confusion.

Let's milk this success run with the 2nd line as long as we can. I'm down!

Umberger....just wow. Do we still have Hartnell on speed dial? Miss him already. I'm not down on Vinny as much as everyone else. He tries and still has a lot to offer.

I like Bellemare though!
- Fast_Eddie_1

Simmonds is not a playmaker. He is a straight line player, who does most of his damage around the net. He is strong with the puck, but carrying the puck, drawing defenders to him, and distributing the puck to shooters is not his game.

I'd like to see Bellemare playing with Lecavalier. I didn't see any great chemistry between Bellemare and Akeson.
- MJL

I did. Bellemare has spoken about how he likes to play with him

I'm not a big Brayden Schenn fan myself, but you have to admit he's been a much more noticeable player since he was put on the Couturier line.
- johndewar

He's been one of the top Flyer forwards for a while now. Looks like he is ready to bust out.

You just might.

Ryan White might supplant PEB at 4L center, allowing you to move PEB up on a wing.
- johndewar

I really am not a fan of Ryan White. He seems like a slightly better version of Adam Hall. I'd rather have a guy like PEB centering that line. Ryan White seems like a dime-a-dozen player. I'd like to move on from them.

I don't think they'd have 21 YO Nick Cousins on the big club just to make him a scratch.

I'm not a buyer of the philosophy of having young players with the big club and not playing him because of some perceived benefit of practicing with the big club. I think that's overstated.

Players have to play games to stay sharp.
- johndewar

Someone will get hurt. He'll see the ice

He's been one of the top Flyer forwards for a while now. Looks like he is ready to bust out.
- MJL

I hope so.

I'd love to be completely wrong about him, as a player.

I did. Bellemare has spoken about how he likes to play with him
- Just5

This is not a criticism, but just looking at the facts. How many goals did Bellemare and Akeson combine on?

I really am not a fan of Ryan White. He seems like a slightly better version of Adam Hall. I'd rather have a guy like PEB centering that line. Ryan White seems like a dime-a-dozen player. I'd like to move on from them.
- jmatchett383

I don't disagree.

I really am not a fan of Ryan White. He seems like a slightly better version of Adam Hall. I'd rather have a guy like PEB centering that line. Ryan White seems like a dime-a-dozen player. I'd like to move on from them.
- jmatchett383

I'm going to reserve judgement until I see him play more, but I'm leaning towards your thoughts. Although I'd like to see Bellemare moved up, so they'll need a 4th line center if that would happen.

Hmm, beat up opponent missing top goalie
returning ex flyer
opponent on long losing streak
and we're coming off a 5 day break

(sigh)
we're toast
- BiggE

hahah that's what I have been thinking. Just the fact that it's a backup and Hartnell is returning means a shutout loss and 5 pts for Hartsy.

Bellemare has proven to be a helluva signing to this point. I don't know why it took him this long to be in the NHL. He looks like he belongs.
- johndewar

There was an article about him a while back about how the French national coach told him to play in Europe because French players don't play in the NHL.

There was an article about him a while back about how the French national coach told him to play in Europe because French players don't play in the NHL.
- jmatchett383

Think the coach was looking after his own interests?

I really am not a fan of Ryan White. He seems like a slightly better version of Adam Hall. I'd rather have a guy like PEB centering that line. Ryan White seems like a dime-a-dozen player. I'd like to move on from them.
- jmatchett383

I havent watched White a lot but isn't he more of a gritty 4th liner who will fight often than a PK/faceoff specialist like Hall?

Bellemare has proven to be a helluva signing to this point. I don't know why it took him this long to be in the NHL. He looks like he belongs.
- johndewar

Lot of good ones this year: Bellemare, Lehtera, Lindstrom, Sekac, Kuznetsov.

That's why I never understood the argument against expansion, diluting the talent pool... there are a lot of those kinds of overlooked players in Europe who are good enough to play here... they just need the opportunity.

Defensemen CF-CA (CF%) from the last 7 games at ES

Coburn: 11-23 (0.324)
Colaiacovo: 33-33 (0.5)
Del Zotto: 131-144 (0.476)
Gostisbehere: 16-28 (0.363)
Grossmann: 84-123 (0.406)
Manning: 10-21 (0.323)
Schenn, L: 93-106 (0.467)
Schultz: 88-119 (0.425)
Streit: 119-124 (0.490)

Unfortunately, I made a typo on Streit's CA. We actually don't have a single dman above 50% in the last seven games.

I don't think they'd have 21 YO Nick Cousins on the big club just to make him a scratch.

I'm not a buyer of the philosophy of having young players with the big club and not playing him because of some perceived benefit of practicing with the big club. I think that's overstated.

Players have to play games to stay sharp.
- johndewar

Cousins has looked good this year. He's a basically a point per game player in the AHL right now. He'd score more if Stortini wasn't his LW and Ghost was still on the PP

I'm going to reserve judgement until I see him play more, but I'm leaning towards your thoughts. Although I'd like to see Bellemare moved up, so they'll need a 4th line center if that would happen.
- MJL

If that's the case, and they think he's ready, I'd like to let them give Laughton a shot. I know he's cooled off a little bit, but he had some early success at the AHL level. It's not that Ryan White is a BAD player, it's just that he's basically a journeyman who you could switch out with 30-40 other players and see the same thing. I don't see him as a part of the team going forward. I agree that PEB would look nice on a scoring line, but I like having some skill on the 4th line as well. I think that Ryan White makes that line another 6-8 minute/night line, while PEB can make it a 9-11 minute/night line.

I havent watched White a lot but isn't he more of a gritty 4th liner who will fight often than a PK/faceoff specialist like Hall?
- Hextall271

White > VDV, at least.

Think the coach was looking after his own interests?
- MJL

Possibly. Or he's just a stereotypical French who turns his nose up at Americans.