Michael Pachla: Rehashing an "off night" in Anaheim and a look at tonight's LA Kings game Buffalo suffers first regulation loss of the season at the Ducks after allowing five unanswered goals in a 5-2 defeat

Michael Pachla: Rehashing an "off night" in Anaheim and a look at tonight's LA Kings game
Buffalo suffers first regulation loss of the season at the Ducks after allowing five unanswered goals in a 5-2 defeat
- Michael Pachla

u
g
l
y

- jcragcrumple

still

still
- Michael Pachla

Haunted by the ghost of Tim Murray's "heavies"

Where are you, Fasching and Deslauriers?

Seriously though, I dont care that we dont have face punchers, but they cant get rattled when someone gets physical. Take the hit, make the play. Let them chase they bodies while we're moving the puck. They played scared last night

Get the W tonight and Saturday boys... and we’ll handle Carolina for ya...

You guys are on the right path and have tons of high end skill... But Gibson allows us a lot of leeway and we’re much faster this yr. and we have some huge LW’s Ritchie / Jones & Comtois are all big boys.

Get the W tonight and Saturday boys... and we’ll handle Carolina for ya...

You guys are on the right path and have tons of high end skill... But Gibson allows us a lot of leeway and we’re much faster this yr. and we have some huge LW’s Ritchie / Jones & Comtois are all big boys.
- dozerD10

It looked like everyone on your team was 6'4" 230!

Built for the playoffs

I have not been a Mittlestadt fan, but last night he sent two passes through the crease, and another one or two in front that looked very good. I know Vessey missed one, but he looked promising if he had some skilled forwards to work with

LA hasn't exactly had an easy schedule either. A lot of close games. They are coming off of two consecutive losses after a big 7-4 win against the Preds. It really depends on which team shows up. LA is currently killing penalties at a 65% rate. Would be a good time to get the PP back on track.

Haunted by the ghost of Tim Murray's "heavies"

Where are you, Fasching and Deslauriers?

Seriously though, I dont care that we dont have face punchers, but they cant get rattled when someone gets physical. Take the hit, make the play. Let them chase they bodies while we're moving the puck. They played scared last night
- jcragcrumple

agree wholeheartedly

Get the W tonight and Saturday boys... and we’ll handle Carolina for ya...

You guys are on the right path and have tons of high end skill... But Gibson allows us a lot of leeway and we’re much faster this yr. and we have some huge LW’s Ritchie / Jones & Comtois are all big boys.
- dozerD10

am of the opinion that Eakins is a pretty good tactician

"Additional generic hockey comment"

Do something Botts!

Do something Botts!
- seedy

I wonder if he has any interest in Minnesota's kevin Fiala...would add some right-wing skill to the top-nine

"Additional generic hockey comment"
- jochfr

Concise yet insightful

Fun game. Eichel really impressed me, especially on that opening goal.

Synergy

Get the W tonight and Saturday boys... and we’ll handle Carolina for ya...

You guys are on the right path and have tons of high end skill... But Gibson allows us a lot of leeway and we’re much faster this yr. and we have some huge LW’s Ritchie / Jones & Comtois are all big boys.
- dozerD10

Yes. You guys played physical and tough and played very well. However, there is no reason for the NHL to allow "sucker punches." Will it have to take someone to be seriously injured because they were completely not prepared to take a punch? When you come down to it, isn't sucker punching considered a hit to the head?

Haunted by the ghost of Tim Murray's "heavies"

Where are you, Fasching and Deslauriers?

Seriously though, I dont care that we dont have face punchers, but they cant get rattled when someone gets physical. Take the hit, make the play. Let them chase they bodies while we're moving the puck. They played scared last night
- jcragcrumple

Gotta make them pay on the scoreboard when penalties get called. That in and of itself should calm down the physical play a bit.

I didn't see the 2nd or 3rd. Just hoping that they come out tonight looking more like the team that we've seen during the 5 W's we have this year than the one that played those final 2 periods last night.

It's an 82 game season. They're not going to win them all. There's going to be nights where things just don't work the way you want and the bounces don't go your way. It's how you respond to those games that's more telling IMO.

am of the opinion that Eakins is a pretty good tactician
- Michael Pachla

We seem to get better as games move along... which is a huge change from the Carlyle...

Can we now ride our starting goalie off wins now?

Can we now ride our starting goalie off wins now?
- hubie

Really going there, looking at our insane schedule?

I get the impression Ullmark is very good on the first save but I have real questions about his rebound control and his ability to get back in time for second and third efforts.

That, a tendency to occasionally overcommit on the first shot, and the fact that we’ve been seeing all this since he first came through (and it doesn’t seem to be going away) lead me to think we need another long term solution.

Meh, they played a bad period. Gibson stood on his head and kept it 2-0 when it shoul dhave been 3-0 or 4-0, and then Ullmark just couldn't make a big save and gave up 4 when he needs to give up 2. Anaheim is playing an effective trap so the third was just boring, with our only chance to come back on the powerplay, and the PP had a bad night.

Hutton should have played, not playing him after a shutout is the absolute wrong move. I haven't liked how they've been handling the goalies in general so far. But other than that, what can I say. Everything looks worse when the puck is going in your net. If Ullmark plays a big period and keeps it 2-2 its a different game.

Really going there, looking at our insane schedule?
- Lunaion

This is our first back to back today. Yes he should get a get a start in a back to back but Huton has a great performance and then wham on the bench the next game.