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Bobcat205

i need a drink
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Forum: NHLYesterday at 2:16 p.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #9: Bruce, There it Goes
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>zk97</b></div><div>in more important news than andrei bustmenko
<div class="tweet"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">#NYR</a> re-sign Ben Harpur to two-year, $775K AAV contract extension per <a href="https://twitter.com/StapeAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">@StapeAthletic</a></p>— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PuckReportNHL/status/1618686024699494400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>

</div></div></div>

Blue Jackets legend.

God, we could use him right now...
Forum: NHLYesterday at 9:05 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #9: Bruce, There it Goes
Bobcat’s Post Game Notes, Game 48

Jackets win, 3-2 in overtime over the Edmonton Oilers.

-I’m scared. Perhaps it’s a good thing I’m not able to watch (the game’s on TNT and I don’t have cable).

-Out goes Bemmer, in comes Foudy. I’ve been calling for them to send Bemstrom back down (or rather, back up, if we’re talking geographically) to Cleveland to bust *ss again. Perhaps that’s what they’re doing.

-Blanks is playing left side tonight alongside Boqvist on the third pairing. Interesting…

-AYE AYE, CAPTAIN! Boone Jenner scores from The Spot(tm) to put us up 1-0! I would have thought we’d give up one before they did. It’s one of those surprises that you love to see.

-It appears that was the only thing of note that happened during the first period. No penalties, no injury timeouts, just 20 SOGs and a goal.

-Our first penalty, about 2 minutes in: Darnell Nurse hooks Marchy. Let’s see if we do something with this.

-…We do not. 2 shots on goal, but no score. Oof.

-After this, I went to bed. Being in the central time zone, and also in school, I can’t stay up to watch all of the west-coast games. The rest of this will be a recap of the highlights.

-10 minutes into the second, "THE DOCTAH" Derek Ryan catches Andy and Gavi overcommitting to the wings and blows a wrister right by Korpi in the slot. Tie game. That's not good.

-Not long after that, Johnny Gaudreau cross-checks Connor McDavid, and McDavid turns around and sets up a Zach Hyman PPG. 2-1 Oilers. This is the result i was expecting.

-Into the third: Patrik Laine gets a turnover, but dinks the post. I think he legit put a dent in the metal. That was one hell of a shot.

-Kirill Marchenko scores his 11th goal without an assist. The record is 16 (said record has stood since <em>the 1926-27 season</em>). I believe he's on pace to break it.

-Korpi absolutely ROBBED Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with a minute left on the clock, and that seemed to be the last good chance they got. We're off to overtime.

-Kent Johnson capitalizes on a great screen from... (checks notes) ...Darnell Nurse, and blows the puck by Stuart Skinner to send us home!

-...We won. I really should be happy about this, but all i can ask is "How?" The Edmonton Oilers are bonafide Cup contenders, how did we beat them?
Forum: The BoxTue. at 12:23 p.m.
Thread: All Topics Discussion Thread PT2
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Bobcat205</b></div><div>My school started a little floor hockey league for the students.

-This league has some of the most uncoordinated hockey I’ve ever seen, and I’ve watched <em>ECHL hockey </em> more than anything else live. Possession doesn’t stay on one stick for longer than three seconds. There’s a lot of slapping stick-on-stick (which makes a sickening noise every time). Both teams play like they’re on a power play, repeatedly clearing the puck back up the floor. It’s painful to watch.

-As someone that spends a lot of time in goal (since no one else wants to do it), I naturally want to use the goalie sticks. Those things are made out of some of the most flimsy plastic ever. Remember that one Nasher video where he uses that stick with 20 flex? It’s pretty much that, but with a goalie stick. It sucks.

-In the only game my team played, I got ejected midway through the second period for slashing an opponent in the arm (admittedly on purpose, he was talking sh*t). For something that would get me 2 minutes got me a 5 minute misconduct and ejection. That’s bullsh*t.

All in all, it makes it very not fun.</div></div>

Y'all remember this? Well, we started it up again. Back to hockey we go!

-I got to take the first faceoff of the new year, and won convincingly. Somehow, that got a pop from the crowd. I guess they're easily impressed.

-Our first period was complete clown shoes. In a 5 minute period, we got <em>one</em> shot on goal, compared to the other team's six.. Now i know what it's like to actually play for the Blue Jackets...

-Midway through the second, two lower-body-related things happened. First, our goalie took a hard wrister straight to the jewels. He was down and out for a while, but he got up and played through the rest of the game. I talked with him after the game, and he said it still hurts. Lol.

-Secondly, as i was stretching into a shooting lane, i heard something rip. It wasn't until i heard someone from the crowd yell "(name), YOUR PANTS ARE RIPPED!". Turns out, <strong><em>i had a big-*ss rip in the fabric of my jeans almost all the way down my left leg. </em></strong> Not even the seam, but the fabric. Thankfully it was only my jeans, and not my Mike Eruzione Team USA jersey that ripped.

-The game ended 4-1, my team lost. Our goalie put up a save percentage of .714 on the day (10/14 shots saved). I gave him as much help as i could, but it wasn't enough.

My stats:

1 goal
0 assists
3 shots on goal
1 hit
5 blocked shots
0 penalty minutes
15:00 TOI
Forum: NHLTue. at 8:54 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #8: Vote for Jesper Bratt
Bobcat’s Post Game Notes, Game 47

Jackets lose, 4-3 in overtime against the Calgary Flames.

-Johnny Gaudreau returns to Calgary for the first time since he left for Columbus. I expect a hostile reception. It’s gonna be hilarious!

-…Yep, it’s just as hilarious as you would expect. Man, they got loud.

-Ray Ferraro just described our power play as “A PP that plays like they’ve never been on the ice together.” I hate how accurate it is.

-Joonas Korpisalo gets stuck in a goal-mouth scramble, but it ends up stopped. Good stuff.

-Andrew Mangiapane gets a break, but Guddy shuts that down. Mangiapane loses an edge, but the crowd thinks he got tripped. Good defense from the so-called worst defenseman in the NHL.

-…A JOHNNY GAUDREAU PENALTY SHOT. IN CALGARY. You couldn’t make a better script.

-Johnny misses, and the crowd pops hard for it. Cry harder.

-Boone Jenner takes a shot to the head. He’s not hurt. He’s actually more angry than hurt. Lol.

-Walker Duehr takes a blast that beat Korpi clean, but everyone, even the play-by-play guy, thought it bounced off the post and out. He had EVERYBODY fooled. 1-0 Flames.

-Trevor Lewis gets sent off for holding, but that gets killed off. Ouch.

-Joonas Korpisalo has had to endure 18 shots on goal, and 35 shot attempts through the entire first period. The Flames have made his life a living hell, and we haven’t done a good job at remedying that.

-Not long into the second, Nazem Kadri scored to make it 2-0. It was at this point that I turned the game off and started preparing for bed, as it was a school night. The rest of this post will just be a brief overview of the highlights.

-Kirill Marchenko's quest to break the record for "Most goals without an assist" continues with his 10th goal and 0th assist on the year. Johnny gave him a great pass to set that one up. Dan Vladar had no shot.

-Not even a minute after that, Johnny sets up <em><strong>THE SMOOTHEST ONE TIMER IN THE GAME</strong></em> to score again. This game is tied.

-Joonas Korpisalo absolutely ROBBED Jakob Pelletier on a point blank shot. Them hips are healthy now.

-...unfortunately the lead doesn't last too long after that, as Andy Mangiapane makes up for the lost skate blade earlier by wristing it past Korpi glove-side. 3-2.

-A bad pass by a Flames defender gives us a rush, and instead of passing, Captain Boone snaps it stick-side on Darth Vladar to tie the game back up! I'm honestly surprised we're keeping up with the Flames. Aren't they supposed to be a lot better than this?

-Both teams put up good defensive play until the 3rd period expires. We're off to overtime.

-...wow. Johnny Gaudreau gets tripped, and it doesn't get called. 2-on-1 for the Flames, and Dillon Dube buries it behind Korpi.

-As the game fades to black, i leave you with this:

<img class="for_img" src="https://i.ibb.co/GCW2Pvq/IMG-0781.jpg" alt="IMG-0781.jpg">
Forum: NHLMon. at 9:08 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #8: Vote for Jesper Bratt
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Bobcat205</b></div><div>Bobcat’s Post Game Notes, Game 46

Jackets win, 5-3 over the San Jose Sharks.

-After the unforgivable choke job against the Ducks, it’s safe to say I expect more of the same sorry sh*t from the boys tonight. Just don’t make the loss too painful. Please? Is that too much to ask?

-Five minutes in, and still no shots on goal from either side. What?

-A gonzo pass by Guddy gives the Sharks a big chance. Korpi shuts down the first shot, but gives up the juiciest rebound I’ve ever seen. Another shot comes in, and the conglomerate of Korpi and Guddy (who skated into the crease at the same time) shuts that down. Somewhere in that scramble, Silli hooked Matt Nieto. So, in the end, Sharks PP. Lol.

-Korpi becomes God himself and makes several amazing stops to kill off the PP. I love you, and I sincerely apologize for all the slander I threw your way last season, my Finnish prince.

-San Jose’s tenth shot on goal (compared to CBJ’s F*CKING ONE SHOT ON GOAL) goes in the net. Korpi makes a valiant effort, but Timo Meier will not be denied. 1-0 Sharks.

-It took them until 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first for the Jackets to get their second shot on goal. Im-f*cking-peccable.

-Gus Nyquist gets a rush and crashes the net, all signs point to a goal, but somehow Kaapo Kakhonen shuts it down. Everyone even threw their hands up like they scored. How. HOW!?

-And then the first period ended. We got going a bit as the period came to an end, but I would have liked to see that 19 minutes earlier.

-…I can’t believe I’m saying this… I <em>CANNOT</em> believe I’m saying this… but the San Jose Sharks have made Scott Harrington a serviceable defenseman. I’ve seen him on the ice quite a bit tonight, and he’s blocked a few shots. I should really punch myself in the face for giving him praise, but it can’t be ignored: he’s looked good.

-Nick Bonino hits Korpi was a wraparound he really should have saw coming. 2-0 Sharks now.

-…OH SH*T! JONAH GADJOVICH! MATHIEU OLIVIER! <strong><em>LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!</em></strong>

-Both sides got their licks in, but the refs were all over it. Neither party buckled in the slightest. I’m gonna say that’s a draw.

-…Remember what I said about Scott Harrington two notes ago? Well, Silli just completely punked him in the corner. Perhaps he’s still the same, and that was just a small blip on the radar. Lol.

-Noah Gregor hooks Emil Bemstrom up front. Off to the PP we go!

-HEEEEEEEEERE’S JOHNNY!!! JOHNNY GAUDREAU SCORES HIS FIRST POWER PLAY GOAL ON THE SEASON! LET’S F*CKING GO!

-TWO GOALS, A MINUTE APART! BOONE JENNER SCORES ON A GODLY ASSIST FROM KENNY!! THIS GAME IS TIED! <strong>HERE COMES THE BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!</strong>

-Fun fact about that Jenner goal: that was Cap’s 12th goal on the year, and the 12th assists for both Kent Johnson and Gustav Nyquist. I think that has to be the first time in franchise history that’s happened.

-We’re only midway through the second period, and Bally Sports Ohio has already made its decision on tonight’s Nissan Move of the Game: the Gadjovich-Olivier fight. I sure hope something better occurs, that was a boring fight…

-What a period. Let’s keep this going into the third frame.

-…I should have kept my mouth shut. Korpi makes an initial save, but Adam Boqvist pokes it out from under him, allowing Nico Sturm to capitalize. I want Boqvist gone TOMORROW.

-COLUMBUS CLAPS RIGHT THE F*CK BACK WITH A GOAL OF THEIR OWN. Rosie gives Patty a god-sent pass, and we get a reoccurrence of <strong><em>THE SMOOTHEST ONE TIMER IN THE GAME</em></strong> to tie this game right back up.

-Noah Gregor goes back to the box for holding. Let’s see if we can replicate the magic.

-We don’t score, but we make Kaapo Kakhonen’s life a living hell. This specific PP helped me realize that Blanks has one hell of a slapper on him. I think his slapper that clocked in at 91.5 MPH was the first shot that cleared 90 all night. The biggest surprises come in small packages.

-AFTER 70,000 CLOSE CHANCES, GUSTAV NYQUIST FINALLY GETS THE MONKEY OFF HIS BACK. WE TAKE OUR FIRST LEAD OF THE NIGHT. CLOSE. THIS. MUHF*CKA. OUT.

-8 minutes of good defense and an empty net later, and this game is over! Now, I know that the Sharks are also not a very good team, but at this point, we’ll take what we can get.</div></div>

Post-script: When the CBJ twitter page posted the Kepi awarding video for that night, the world learned that Gus Nyquist's new nickname in the locker room is "Princess."

Use this information however you like.
Forum: NHLMon. at 8:41 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #8: Vote for Jesper Bratt
Bobcat’s Post Game Notes, Game 46

Jackets win, 5-3 over the San Jose Sharks.

-After the unforgivable choke job against the Ducks, it’s safe to say I expect more of the same sorry sh*t from the boys tonight. Just don’t make the loss too painful. Please? Is that too much to ask?

-Five minutes in, and still no shots on goal from either side. What?

-A gonzo pass by Guddy gives the Sharks a big chance. Korpi shuts down the first shot, but gives up the juiciest rebound I’ve ever seen. Another shot comes in, and the conglomerate of Korpi and Guddy (who skated into the crease at the same time) shuts that down. Somewhere in that scramble, Silli hooked Matt Nieto. So, in the end, Sharks PP. Lol.

-Korpi becomes God himself and makes several amazing stops to kill off the PP. I love you, and I sincerely apologize for all the slander I threw your way last season, my Finnish prince.

-San Jose’s tenth shot on goal (compared to CBJ’s F*CKING ONE SHOT ON GOAL) goes in the net. Korpi makes a valiant effort, but Timo Meier will not be denied. 1-0 Sharks.

-It took them until 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first for the Jackets to get their second shot on goal. Im-f*cking-peccable.

-Gus Nyquist gets a rush and crashes the net, all signs point to a goal, but somehow Kaapo Kakhonen shuts it down. Everyone even threw their hands up like they scored. How. HOW!?

-And then the first period ended. We got going a bit as the period came to an end, but I would have liked to see that 19 minutes earlier.

-…I can’t believe I’m saying this… I <em>CANNOT</em> believe I’m saying this… but the San Jose Sharks have made Scott Harrington a serviceable defenseman. I’ve seen him on the ice quite a bit tonight, and he’s blocked a few shots. I should really punch myself in the face for giving him praise, but it can’t be ignored: he’s looked good.

-Nick Bonino hits Korpi was a wraparound he really should have saw coming. 2-0 Sharks now.

-…OH SH*T! JONAH GADJOVICH! MATHIEU OLIVIER! <strong><em>LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!</em></strong>

-Both sides got their licks in, but the refs were all over it. Neither party buckled in the slightest. I’m gonna say that’s a draw.

-…Remember what I said about Scott Harrington two notes ago? Well, Silli just completely punked him in the corner. Perhaps he’s still the same, and that was just a small blip on the radar. Lol.

-Noah Gregor hooks Emil Bemstrom up front. Off to the PP we go!

-HEEEEEEEEERE’S JOHNNY!!! JOHNNY GAUDREAU SCORES HIS FIRST POWER PLAY GOAL ON THE SEASON! LET’S F*CKING GO!

-TWO GOALS, A MINUTE APART! BOONE JENNER SCORES ON A GODLY ASSIST FROM KENNY!! THIS GAME IS TIED! <strong>HERE COMES THE BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!</strong>

-Fun fact about that Jenner goal: that was Cap’s 12th goal on the year, and the 12th assists for both Kent Johnson and Gustav Nyquist. I think that has to be the first time in franchise history that’s happened.

-We’re only midway through the second period, and Bally Sports Ohio has already made its decision on tonight’s Nissan Move of the Game: the Gadjovich-Olivier fight. I sure hope something better occurs, that was a boring fight…

-What a period. Let’s keep this going into the third frame.

-…I should have kept my mouth shut. Korpi makes an initial save, but Adam Boqvist pokes it out from under him, allowing Nico Sturm to capitalize. I want Boqvist gone TOMORROW.

-COLUMBUS CLAPS RIGHT THE F*CK BACK WITH A GOAL OF THEIR OWN. Rosie gives Patty a god-sent pass, and we get a reoccurrence of <strong><em>THE SMOOTHEST ONE TIMER IN THE GAME</em></strong> to tie this game right back up.

-Noah Gregor goes back to the box for holding. Let’s see if we can replicate the magic.

-We don’t score, but we make Kaapo Kakhonen’s life a living hell. This specific PP helped me realize that Blanks has one hell of a slapper on him. I think his slapper that clocked in at 91.5 MPH was the first shot that cleared 90 all night. The biggest surprises come in small packages.

-AFTER 70,000 CLOSE CHANCES, GUSTAV NYQUIST FINALLY GETS THE MONKEY OFF HIS BACK. WE TAKE OUR FIRST LEAD OF THE NIGHT. CLOSE. THIS. MUHF*CKA. OUT.

-8 minutes of good defense and an empty net later, and this game is over! Now, I know that the Sharks are also not a very good team, but at this point, we’ll take what we can get.
Forum: NHLJan. 18 at 8:59 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #8: Vote for Jesper Bratt
Bobcat's Post Game Notes, Game 44

Jackets lose, 2-1 to the Nashville Predators.

I wrote a bunch of notes, and even hit send, but Kevin Lankinen blocked it. Lol.

...Okay, that's not good enough. Let me salvage this.

-I loved our offensive effort tonight, but Kevin Lankinen became Dominik Hasek + Patrick Roy x Georges Vezina in net. He made SO MANY mind-blowing saves.

-I feel like we should send Emil Bemstrom back down to Cleveland. It's like his stick is allergic to the puck. Trey Fix-Wolansky is right there, Lars...

-I think this is the first time we've gotten 40 SOGs off all season. Wish we could have won here, but again, Kevin Vezina happened.

I hope you like the return to the old type of notes. For those of you who weren't here last season, this was how it used to be. It was a lot shorter early in the 2021-22 season.
Forum: Columbus Blue JacketsJan. 17 at 10:35 a.m.
Thread: Bobcat's Mid-Season Report: 2022-23
It's finally here, much later than intended!

<p class="c"><em><strong>BOBCAT'S MID-SEASON REPORT</strong></em></p>

<em>Part 1: The Offseason</em>

-Let's just start with the elephant in the room: We got the big fish. After rumors of him going to the Isles and Devils, Johnny Gaudreau signed a 7-year, 9.75M-per-year contract with us, of all teams. I'm not entirely too thrilled with the fact the contract expires at 34, but he's a piece for Patty to gel with.

-Somehow, someway, we sign both the best signing in the free-agency class, and the worst signing in the free-agency class. Erik Gudbranson signs a 4 year deal worth $4M per year. I didn't hate the idea of bringing in Gudbranson, but that contract, man...

-Patty gets an extension too: 4 years, 8.7M per year. I wish it was a bit longer of an extension, but he's still locked up!

-Because of all the cap locked up in Guddy, Johnny and Patty, we needed to move someone. That someone SHOULD HAVE BEEN Gustav Nyquist, since we could have gotten 5.5M out of the way for just a mid round pick. Instead, we trade OLIVER BJORKSTRAND to the Seattle Kraken for a cheeseburger. I hated this move then, and i still hate it now. <strong>GUS WAS RIGHT F*CKING THERE.</strong>

-The draft was an all-timer. David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk, Luca Del Bel Belluz and Jordan Dumais all have the potential to be NHL-caliber talent, and we picked them all back-to-back-to-back-to-back! Jarmo Kekalainen is an all-time great drafter.

All in all, it was a rollercoaster of an offseason. For every high, there is a low.

<em>Part 2: The Season So Far</em>

-We didn't start the best: Patty got himself injured in the season opener against the Canes, and we lose our first three. We didn't win our first game until a comeback win over the Canucks (who were another 0-3-0 team at the time). Our 7-10-1 start was a far cry from the 12-6-0 from last season (with a noticeably better team than last year). <strong>WE EVEN LOST TO THE F*CKING COYOTES.</strong>

-Our trip to Finland was... a disaster. Two 3+ goal losses to the Avs on back-to-back nights. At least Patty scored once?

-The team has been injured out the *ss all season, and we have one team we can largely blame for this: The Philadelphia Flyers. The Torts-led team hit us HARD in our first two meetings, which had a lot of injury stoppages for us. By the end, Nick Blankenburg, Justin Danforth and Jake Bean all were put on IR, but the biggest loss was Zach Werenski. Zach missed a check, hit the boards, and tore his labrum. He's gonna be out for the rest of the season. I hate this.

-These injuries led to a lot of losing, most recently ending in a 7 game skid in December, and going 2-6-0 so far in January.

-The only broad observation i can really make with this squad is that our defense and power play are AWFUL. Defense especially: I find myself asking "Why is he that open in front of the net?" and "Why was that shot so open?" more times than i really think i should. There is a way to remedy that, and we'll get to that later. The PP is also awful, and i don't know how to remedy that.

-Moving on to individual players: Elvis Merzlikins has looked AWFUL on the stat sheet all year, with a .869 save percentage and a 4.44 GAA. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion. He's looked slower than he did last year, but i feel like there's an excuse: He's been ruled out more often than usual for "illness." He's playing sick. Perhaps this is a similar situation to Korpi and his hip last year: Let him heal up a bit, and he'll thrive next year. God, i hope...

-I never thought i would be saying this last year, but Joonas Korpisalo has asserted himself as our starter this year. He's put up the best SV% of all three goalies this year, with a .908. That hip surgery did him a lot of good.

-Jack Roslovic is currently stuck in this Jakub Voracek syndrome of "assists out the *ss and not scoring many goals". He's been wildly inconsistent, to the point of being benched at one point by Brad Larsen. Luckily, he's gotten himself into some good fortune alongside Laine and Gaudreau on the first line. Perhaps he WON'T be traded...

-Speaking of Jake Voracek, he's been placed on LTIR after suffering his <em>eighth concussion</em> in his career. Some people are saying he'll never play again. That's tough for Captain Redbeard, but great for us financially. That's $8.25M for the next couple years that we can use to improve the team. This was the most convenient concussion ever (as calloused as that sounds).

-Kirill Marchenko has played rather well for a rookie. No assists, but he's a good goal-scorer, even getting a hatty a couple of weeks ago as i write this. He's not winning the Calder, but still a great rookie campaign so far.

-Vladislav Gavrikov's contract is expiring this year, and he's been playing like it. He's proven himself again as a great defender and penalty killer, and can score in the clutch. With Jake Voracek on LTIR and possibly never playing again, we have enough money to pay him whatever he pleases. How does $5.5M/6 years sound?

-For someone that has been hailed as the worst defenseman in the NHL, Erik Gudbranson has played really well. He's being paid to play defense, and he's played defense like a pro all season. I can't point to one goal we've given up with him on the ice that i can really say was his fault. Still not worth 4x4, though.

-Guddy and Mathieu Olivier have combined to be great sandpaper, not afraid to throw the body around and fight. We really could have used this last year.

-Rookie debuts have been plentiful: the aforementioned Marchenko, Marcus Bjork, Tim Berni and David Jiricek have played an NHL game, with varying amounts of success. Berni in particular has impressed me: for the defensive prospect i thought had the lowest chance of making the NHL squad, he's managed to stick around, and play very well at that. Jiricek has been tearing the AHL apart in Cleveland, and should make the NHL squad next year.

<em>Part 3: How I Would Do The Rest Of The Season/The Next Offseason</em>

-CONTINUE TO LOSE. PLEASE. This is a stacked draft, and even if we lose the draft lottery and miss out on Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli is also an amazing talent, and would fit in nicely.

-This is probably a hot take, but Brad Larsen deserves one more year. This is a lost season, and Lars is definitely a factor in that, but in my mind he deserves one more chance. Next year, it's do-or-die time.

-Remedying our defense is probably an easy fix. I don't know if you're familiar with Steve McCarthy, but he's an assistant coach for us, and works with our defensemen (since he was an NHL defensman himself). When you look at his EliteProspects page, it has this to say:

"McCarthy (is a) defenseman who is very skilled offensively. Is a gifted passer, sees the ice well, and can skate. Can be involved in a couple of defensive gaffes. Is not a very physical player."

<strong><em>THIS. EXPLAINS. F*CKING. EVERYTHING.</em></strong> The defense is just a microcosm of the coach that's in charge of it! Perhaps forcing him out and bringing in a competent defensive mind would be the kick in the *ss we need to be competent defensively.

-Adam Boqvist also has to go. With Jiricek on the rise, Blanks coming in out of nowhere, Peeke getting extended, and Guddy being unmoveable, Bo is the odd man out. At this point, we could probably get a Nils Lundkvist-level return for him. The Kings have been a team that comes up often in discussions on "Who Can Take Boqvist?", so we should ask them.

-A top-line center is definitely a must. Bo Horvat is a name that has floated around in trade talks, so perhaps we could get him for a package revolving around Bo. a first line of Gaudreau - Horvat - Laine sounds amazing!

<em>Part 4: Conclusion</em>

I keep having to remind myself that this team is still very young. These woes this year are just growing pains. We'll come back next year as a playoff team, I can feel it. Just ignore the fact that i said this last year, too...

<p class="c"><strong><em>THE END</em></strong></p>
Forum: NHLJan. 17 at 8:57 a.m.
Thread: 2022-23 NHL Season Discussion Thread #8: Vote for Jesper Bratt
Bobcat’s Post Game Notes, Game 43

Jackets lose, 3-1 against the New York Rangers

-After Saturday’s win, and the return of El Capitan, we should come out swinging and (at the very least) keep up with a playoff contender in the Rags tonight. Watch us return to the status quo now that I said this…

-Jaroslav Halak starts again tonight for New York. We’ve yet to suffer the agony of shooting against Igor Shestyorkin this year. Let’s hope we don’t have to.

-I have been screaming about Rosie, Patty and Johnny as our first line since Game 1. Last game, it seemed to work like gangbusters. I expect some more good stuff tonight…

-An early power play for us: Rosie gets a rush, and gets hooked from behind by Vinny Trocheck. Off to the power play we go!

-We got our chances, but ultimately don’t register an SOG (although we got a goal mouth scramble). The PP ends with Emil Bemstrom bobbling a pass and giving the Rangers a breakaway. Luckily, Elvis shuts that down.

-This game has looked chippy so far. Lots of checks on both sides. It feels AWESOME to have players that aren’t afraid to hit.

-…oh dear. Ryan Lindgren gets stapled to the boards by Mathieu Olivier, and he’s favoring his head as he gets escorted off. Ollie’s gone for boarding. It’s never good to see a player hurt. Let’s hope it’s not a concussion…

-That penalty gets killed off. We even got a rush the other way in the middle of it. The PK has improved a slight bit.

-Two penalties within ten seconds of each other: Nick Blankenburg hooks Jake Leschyshyn (wait, he left Vegas?), and then Alexis Lafrieniere hooks Erik Gudbranson. 4-on-4 Hockey Time.

-Mika Zibanejad scores on a rather pedestrian shot that beats Elvis glove-side high. Perhaps we need a new lineup for 4-on-4.

-Kirill Marchenko commits interference on Barclay Goodrow, and Goodrow immediately turns around and scores on a tip-in towards the end of the first. Ouch.

-As the first ends, I can’t complain TOO much. Wish we didn’t let those goals in, but what can you do?

-Sean Kuraly hooks Filip Chytil, but that penalty gets killed off rather effortlessly.

-Literally nothing else happens in the second until 11 minutes in, when Vitali Kravtsov beats Elvis from point-blank. Why are we THIS BAD at keeping people out of our net-front?

-Jonny Brodzinski slashes Rosie as the clock winds down on the second. It says something when i can fit the entire second period into three notes. Lol.

-Finally, some life! Andrew Peeke scores a minute and a half into the third on a wrister that blows right by Halak. It's only a two score game now! Time for a comeback!

-...no. No no no no no. Not now. Not him. Vlad's down after taking a shot to the head. Why him, of all people?

-Good defensive play so far in the third. Wish we had this three goals ago...

-Wait, Gavi's back!? I thought he would have been out for the rest of the game! He's one crazy motherf*cker...

-We empty the net, and get our chances, but Jaroslav Halak shuts them all down.

-A tough loss tonight (perhaps wearing those RRs had something to do with it), but we've got Nashville next, maybe that can reverse our fortunes...