@CollegeHoopsJournal: Did you see his defense of Arizona and major conference teams today? It was despicable. He implied that good mid-majors could "get every game they wanted" on their schedule.
I didn't see everything because there was so much going on. He's probably spent more than 30 hours on ESPN's air this week. That's damn tough to do without getting a little stressed.
@HockeyMountain: The Rangers look good, I wish they got rid of Renney earlier. I'm scared of the Devs, the Islanders provide comic relief, and I love watching the Bruins and west coast games. Hockey is rolling really quietly up right now.
@FirstDerivative: I watched most of the Rangers-Philly game both yesterday and today. I'd really like it if those two met in the playoffs. I know it's not likely, at least first round, but I think it would be a fun series.
I hope the Isles keep winning. I'm in a 1/2-assed fan tanking mode right now. I still cheer for the Avs to win, but I also cheer for the teams below the Avs in the standings. This is good because the Isles and Thrashers have been on quite the streak lately.
@HockeyMountain: Yeah - its a shame the fans here will miss out on them when they get competitive, being they will be in Kansas City and all. What happened to the Avs this year?
About a month ago i was starting to think I was going to be in tanking mode by this time too but somehow the Pens are winning. They are playing better offensively but the defense still isn't even close to last year and our PP is god awful. How you can have a bad PP with malkin, crosby, gonchar, and company is beyond me. They have had malkin on the point the entire year which takes away from his strength which should be in the slot and he sucks on the point. Today halfway through the game they finally moved him from the point and the PP looked great.
I'm a guy who thinks that coaching takes too much blame for a lot of a teams' problem, but the Avs have been abysmal this season and it's mainly the coaches fault. He's been terrible, and he was the Avs PP coach last season, when they finished in the bottom 5.
The coaching change looks like it helped the Pens a lot, even though most Pens fans I have talked to weren't even happy with Therion last season.
I was indifferent to Therrien but it was hard to argue his success. The head scratcher to me was when they fired Therrien they kept the PP coach Yeo and he is still there with the interim guy. The PP was probably our biggest weakness so I didn't really understand him surviving the change.
@FirstDerivative: I like it. Torts is a decent coach when he isn't worrying about the goalie. With Lundqvist he doesn't have too. He has enough personality to keep Avery in line and not let him become a distraction.
I think he knows how to use Gomez a lot better than Renney did. Renney never seemed like he knew what to do with someone so fast.
I haven't seen many Avs games this year so what is Granato doing to hurt the team? On paper it seems they should be better but I guess you already know that.
@Krazee_Eyez_Killa: He talked about moving to an "up-tempo" offense before the season, but the avs started 0-3 and he completely abandoned it. The Avs just have no discernable system from night to night. Some nights they play dump-and-chase and some nights they play good breakout.
It's really hard to pin-point one thing (like i was able to do last season with Quenneville... whom i didn't like either) but the Avs just look confused at all times, especially in their own end.
@Krazee_Eyez_Killa: one thing he's done that has been infuriating is rely on old, useless veterens (like Darcy tucker and Tyler Arnason) instead of going with his young players who have been playing well, like Chris Stewert and David Jones (before he was hurt)
Some coaches just fall in love with certain players or vets that really don't have it anymore. What style do the Avs seem to do better with or what fits their players better?
@Krazee_Eyez_Killa: Well, looking at their record, there isn't one that they have used successfully this season.
Seriously, the Avs do better when they are working the puck around the point and passing well opening up clean shots, with Smyth in front to pound home rebounds. That and the transition game. They have smart players (Smyth, Stastny, Hejduk, Liles, Wolski) who work well off the rush and have good passes.
I don't know why we play such a dump-and-chase style most of the time.
09/03/09
Murder Tom Hanks?
09/03/09
[phone rings] "Hello?"
"Yo, Mikey, I'm gonna get laid tonight but don't have a rubber!"
"Daaaamn, kid! Stay right there, I'll get one to you right away."
[voiceover] With TrojanWire, you'll be able to send a condom anywhere in the nation in 3 to 5 days for flat rate of only 12.95!
09/03/09
09/03/09
09/03/09
Wait a tic. Are we sure it's Trojan season?
09/03/09
Come to my office and do accounting for me so I can take the rest of the day off?
09/03/09
04/01/09
03/16/09
03/15/09
Today was my Christmas; I hope many of you felt the same.
And I don't get the Bilas hate -- he's often the most levelheaded guy at the network.
03/15/09
03/15/09
I didn't see everything because there was so much going on. He's probably spent more than 30 hours on ESPN's air this week. That's damn tough to do without getting a little stressed.
@J-Animal:
Fair enough. I also think he sometimes rises above some silly talking points ESPN constantly recycles in and keeps the conversation fresh.
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
I hope the Isles keep winning. I'm in a 1/2-assed fan tanking mode right now. I still cheer for the Avs to win, but I also cheer for the teams below the Avs in the standings. This is good because the Isles and Thrashers have been on quite the streak lately.
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
About a month ago i was starting to think I was going to be in tanking mode by this time too but somehow the Pens are winning. They are playing better offensively but the defense still isn't even close to last year and our PP is god awful. How you can have a bad PP with malkin, crosby, gonchar, and company is beyond me. They have had malkin on the point the entire year which takes away from his strength which should be in the slot and he sucks on the point. Today halfway through the game they finally moved him from the point and the PP looked great.
03/15/09
I'm a guy who thinks that coaching takes too much blame for a lot of a teams' problem, but the Avs have been abysmal this season and it's mainly the coaches fault. He's been terrible, and he was the Avs PP coach last season, when they finished in the bottom 5.
The coaching change looks like it helped the Pens a lot, even though most Pens fans I have talked to weren't even happy with Therion last season.
03/15/09
03/15/09
I was indifferent to Therrien but it was hard to argue his success. The head scratcher to me was when they fired Therrien they kept the PP coach Yeo and he is still there with the interim guy. The PP was probably our biggest weakness so I didn't really understand him surviving the change.
03/15/09
I think he knows how to use Gomez a lot better than Renney did. Renney never seemed like he knew what to do with someone so fast.
03/15/09
Like the Avs!
(not like i'm bitter)
03/16/09
I haven't seen many Avs games this year so what is Granato doing to hurt the team? On paper it seems they should be better but I guess you already know that.
03/16/09
It's really hard to pin-point one thing (like i was able to do last season with Quenneville... whom i didn't like either) but the Avs just look confused at all times, especially in their own end.
03/16/09
03/16/09
03/16/09
03/16/09
Some coaches just fall in love with certain players or vets that really don't have it anymore. What style do the Avs seem to do better with or what fits their players better?
03/16/09
Seriously, the Avs do better when they are working the puck around the point and passing well opening up clean shots, with Smyth in front to pound home rebounds. That and the transition game. They have smart players (Smyth, Stastny, Hejduk, Liles, Wolski) who work well off the rush and have good passes.
I don't know why we play such a dump-and-chase style most of the time.
03/15/09
03/15/09
C'mon, man!
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09
03/15/09