Was there any mention of the word 'denial'? As in 'in denial'?

I threw this out last blog to get the season started;

Tanger, Maatta
Cole, Dumo
Lovejob, Clendening

Unless Pouliot plays a lot better he carries the drinks. With Scuds I suppose as it doesn't look like anyone has told him he may not be playing starting 6.
- Aussiepenguin

Clendening is likely to be sent down as of the new practice groupings today.

Clendening is likely to be sent down as of the new practice groupings today.
- usethe1-2-2

UGH, then there is Lovejoy.

If it were me, I would get rid of all 3 - Scuderi, Gonchar, and Lovejoy. This trip down the "nostalgia lane" has been a failed experiment. Give youth a chance.

You're over complicating the concept of hitting. Hitting is done to knock the player off the puck, not to get the puck yourself. When a DB strips a wide receiver he does it understanding that there's a very slim chance he'll recover his own forced fumble. He's doing it to give someone on his team a chance (whether it be him or someone else) to establish possession. Hitting someone off the puck is the hockey equivalent of a fumble. Probably won't get the loose puck yourself, but a loose puck is better than the opponent having the puck.

http://youtu.be/TVojePI-vXM

Watch the film. Doan was clearly engaged while Letang has the puck and hits Letang only moments after Letang gets the puck away and Letang's movement is him trying to dance around Doan's incoming hit not join the rush. Could the hit have been avoided? I guess it could have in the same sense any other hit could have been avoided: if the checking player decided to go for a different play than trying to knock the puck handler off the puck. But why would you not try to cause a turnover?
- Victoro311

I know a thing or 2 about hitting & being hit - rugby league is a great game. The velocity is different but the actions are similar & we don't wear protection.

If you think Doan doesn't move from his left to right 'after' the puck has gone to hit Letang who changed his direction to try & avoid (not very well) contact we aren't watching the same event. Doan could just as easily either continued straight or gone to his left but he followed (read that as chased) Letang after the puck had gone. Does it happen every game? Yes. Does it cause injury every game? No. Can it be avoided so it doesn't cause injury ever? Yes. Would Letang scored a goal if Doan didn't hit him? Probably not.

Would hockey be any less entertaining if these types of impacts were eliminated? Would it increase the speed of the game?

UGH, then there is Lovejoy.

If it were me, I would get rid of all 3 - Scuderi, Gonchar, and Lovejoy. This trip down the "nostalgia lane" has been a failed experiment. Give youth a chance.
- chimpira

Lovejoy has looked fine to me. Solid all-around but not great at anything. Not his fault the team traded him for Despres straight up.
Scuderi and Gonchar have done nothing to earn a spot. Which is of course what everyone was worried about in the first place.

UGH, then there is Lovejoy.

If it were me, I would get rid of all 3 - Scuderi, Gonchar, and Lovejoy. This trip down the "nostalgia lane" has been a failed experiment. Give youth a chance.
- chimpira

That's easily said and not easily done. Well for two of them at least. Shero gave scuds a bad deal we are suffering from now. Itd take losing an asset to dump scuds now. Thats not worth it. Lovejoy isn't as bad as everyone says. Let him play his hardest this year to earn a big contract after the season. He more than likley will not be re-signed but I can't pretend I know for sure.

League needs more Rinaldos/Glass' to protect players from guys like Rinaldo/Glass.
- stowerkraut

Right, there are hits that are dangerous. My problem is that you are focusing on a few specific hits (Doan on Letang and Rinaldo last night). If you start outlawing those hits, and then keep going, you'll find more and more plays of the same nature, and in the end, you WILL basically be disallowing physical contact. Because they happen all over the ice, sometimes accidental, sometimes not, sometimes open ice, sometimes not. That's why there are no black and white rules, because you cannot just say "no dangerous hits." It's an undefinable term unless you totally eliminate hitting. It is impossible to do, especially at the speed the game is played.

It sucks. People get injured. It's a contact sport. I'm sorry, but it happens, and there's no way to prevent it in a black and white manner. You're going to have to accept that it's a part of the game and there is no way to make a "golden rule" that will eliminate those hits.

Now, if you want to argue that players who exist solely to injure perople should be shunned and eliminated, that's a different story.
- jmatchett383

I set out a simple set of rules that is based around late or illegal hitting. You got that as eliminating all hitting which is not what I'm talking about. I said there would be simple rules in black & white & used the 2 examples because they are both instances that didn't need to happen should have been sanctioned & were not (to my knowledge - not sure about Rinaldo). The game would be faster with less injuries. If you watch some high skill games - maybe Hawks Pens have had a few, where the play was the most important thing from what the reports said & highlights. There was hitting bit no one got put through the boards. Games can be played where players aren't subjected to those types of hits. That's all I'm saying.

I would have bought him out right there and then if I were his boss. That kind of attitude is detrimental in a team environment.
- chimpira

I agree. It's a terrible attitude. It's also an indirect insult to the ability and skill of the other defensemen in our organization. He basically called everyone but himself (Letang, Maatta, and Cole included) defensive liabilities.

Like I said earlier, if you were in Rob Scuderi's position, wouldn't you be working your ass off this preseason for a roster spot? Management tried to trade him, has been skating him with ECHLers, is actively looking at younger options, and held him out of the game where basically all of our core played. How do you not realize that there's a legitimate chance you are going to loose your roster spot, let alone a good one? But instead of working hard he's not giving a rats ass on the ice (poor performance last night) or in the locker room (DK article). He should be given a one-way ticket to WBS to free up enough cap space to bring on a d-man who wants to fight for a job.

Clendening is likely to be sent down as of the new practice groupings today.
- usethe1-2-2

Well that sounds like a preconceived move after 1 game.

Rangers fans can't tolerate anybody saying bad things about their players. Even if it's glass flipping out on a player for retaliating a slash. Hilarious.

And why is Ryan a Hypocrite because cooke played for the pens? Did he sign him or something? Tanner Glass, Rinaldo, Matt Cooke and the likes have no place in hockey.
- Conse

Are you on crack? The vast majority didn't want him signed for that ridiculous contract or in the lineup.

That's easily said and not easily done. Well for two of them at least. Shero gave scuds a bad deal we are suffering from now. Itd take losing an asset to dump scuds now. Thats not worth it. Lovejoy isn't as bad as everyone says. Let him play his hardest this year to earn a big contract after the season. He more than likley will not be re-signed but I can't pretend I know for sure.
- Zac_O

My favorite part about the Scuderi contract was Shero's comments on it. Someone posted a link the other day and he was quoted basically as saying it's a good contract that works for now, it's too early to look into the future.

I set out a simple set of rules that is based around late or illegal hitting. You got that as eliminating all hitting which is not what I'm talking about. I said there would be simple rules in black & white & used the 2 examples because they are both instances that didn't need to happen should have been sanctioned & were not (to my knowledge - not sure about Rinaldo). The game would be faster with less injuries. If you watch some high skill games - maybe Hawks Pens have had a few, where the play was the most important thing from what the reports said & highlights. There was hitting bit no one got put through the boards. Games can be played where players aren't subjected to those types of hits. That's all I'm saying.
- Aussiepenguin

Can you please give me the black and white wording that will eliminate every dangerous hit that would cause an injury?

Lovejoy has looked fine to me. Solid all-around but not great at anything. Not his fault the team traded him for Despres straight up.
Scuderi and Gonchar have done nothing to earn a spot. Which is of course what everyone was worried about in the first place.
- jfkst1

Keep saying: hate the trade, not the player. Lovejoy isn't a great fit in our system but he's capable of playing bottom pairing minutes. I would much rather Clendening pan out and take Lovejoy's spot as 3RD, but as of now Lovejoy is better and is cost effective at his hit. Nothing wrong with Lovejoy the player. Everything wrong with the Lovejoy-Despres trade.

That's easily said and not easily done. Well for two of them at least. Shero gave scuds a bad deal we are suffering from now. Itd take losing an asset to dump scuds now. Thats not worth it. Lovejoy isn't as bad as everyone says. Let him play his hardest this year to earn a big contract after the season. He more than likley will not be re-signed but I can't pretend I know for sure.
- Zac_O

Oh, I know. I totally agree with your assessment. Buyout Scuds, don't give Gonch a contract (let him take Tocchet place coaching the PP). Let Lovejoy play the bottom pair/7th.

For some reason I remember listening to HCMJ (not sure which post-game it was) assessing Scuderi as a shutdown guy and a PK specialist.

UGH, then there is Lovejoy.

If it were me, I would get rid of all 3 - Scuderi, Gonchar, and Lovejoy. This trip down the "nostalgia lane" has been a failed experiment. Give youth a chance.
- chimpira

Lovejoy is fine. When in his role he is actually quite effective, and at a good cost. I wouldn't trade him. Scuderi needs to go though and Gonchar has nothing left in those legs.

Oh, I know. I totally agree with your assessment. Buyout Scuds, don't give Gonch a contract (let him take Tocchet place coaching the PP). Let Lovejoy play the bottom pair/7th.

For some reason I remember listening to HCMJ (not sure which post-game it was) assessing Scuderi as a shutdown guy and a PK specialist.
- chimpira

Now there's an idea

Clendening is likely to be sent down as of the new practice groupings today.
- usethe1-2-2

Just looked at the groupings and I gotta say I'm disappointed. First of all, for as much as we've been female doging, Scuderi probably didn't mean his comments the way are interpreting them, but he still said a highly questionable sound bite. Even if Magic Mike has every intention to play Scuderi 82 games this season, he should still be sent to the junior grouping as a reminder that he needs to fight every day. Needs that "Letang compete level" as Johnston called it. Secondly, why in the (frank)ing hell is Sestito with the big boys? Sundqvist and Sprong have clearly earned a chance to play in the NHL grouping. Sestito has done poop.

EDIT: On the bright side: there's definitely D men that are in line to be sent down before Clendening. Once more fat is trimmed, then it'll become more clear what the chances are for the fringe-NHLers to stick.

Oh, I know. I totally agree with your assessment. Buyout Scuds, don't give Gonch a contract (let him take Tocchet place coaching the PP). Let Lovejoy play the bottom pair/7th.

For some reason I remember listening to HCMJ (not sure which post-game it was) assessing Scuderi as a shutdown guy and a PK specialist.
- chimpira

He's not gonna say his own players suck. Even if he knows it's the truth.

My favorite part about the Scuderi contract was Shero's comments on it. Someone posted a link the other day and he was quoted basically as saying it's a good contract that works for now, it's too early to look into the future.


- Pens_Burgh

And people ask why he was fired? Haha. Kinda obvious after that statement.

And people ask why he was fired? Haha. Kinda obvious after that statement.
- Zac_O

Scuds is gonna have a bounce back year. He scores 35 goals. I got a 10 spot on it.

Why the hell is this blog here? Why isn't there a "Scuderi certain he’ll play: ‘I’m not worried’" blog?
- chimpira

I can't speak for RW, but Scuderi's personal delusion is not equal in significance to the the collective delusion that grips the NHL, thinking that provides agitators, goons and hacks with opportunities to play in the NHL, that sponsors the incompetent and sometimes malicious application of the NHL rulebook, that values frontier justice, scapegoating and criminal behavior. Tanner Glass has become an object of criticism because he plays hockey poorly and even fails to provide the deterrence which defenders of his type of play play use to justify his place on an NHL roster. If Glass can't deter a knuckledragger like Rinaldo, what hockey value does he provide?

Just looked at the groupings and I gotta say I'm disappointed. First of all, for as much as we've been female doging, Scuderi probably didn't mean his comments the way are interpreting them, but he still said a highly questionable sound bite. Even if Magic Mike has every intention to play Scuderi 82 games this season, he should still be sent to the junior grouping as a reminder that he needs to fight every day. Needs that "Letang compete level" as Johnston called it. Secondly, why in the (frank)ing hell is Sestito with the big boys? Sundqvist and Sprong have clearly earned a chance to play in the NHL grouping. Sestito has done poop.

EDIT: On the bright side: there's definitely D men that are in line to be sent down before Clendening. Once more fat is trimmed, then it'll become more clear what the chances are for the fringe-NHLers to stick.
- Victoro311

Guys like sestito are used in camp to make things more difficult. His size and NHL experience is not as easily manipulated by some of the NHL'ers going to make this team.
Sundqvist and Sprong will not be rushed, that is clear. I'm fine with that too.

Clendening looked good to me too, but Scuds and Gonch are in the way.

Guys like sestito are used in camp to make things more difficult. His size and NHL experience is not as easily manipulated by some of the NHL'ers going to make this team.
Sundqvist and Sprong will not be rushed, that is clear. I'm fine with that too.

Clendening looked good to me too, but Scuds and Gonch are in the way.
- usethe1-2-2

Playing them a lot during camp isn't rushing them. Sprong and Sundqvist should be getting every possible look. I personally want Sprong back in the minors this season for ELC purposes, but if he forces his way on the squad then he does. Sundqvist was readyish last season. He looks full blown ready this season and there's a spot open until late October. I want to see him with real line mates. At some point I want to see him and Cullen play together.

EDIT: Apparently Dea is skating with group B now. Not upset. He's had an amazing camp, IMO. He's overlooked cus he's undersized but if management thinks he has a shot of making the squad then right on. Wonder if he can play wing...

And people ask why he was fired? Haha. Kinda obvious after that statement.
- Zac_O

Yup. Falls in line with trading every draft pick for rentals. Oh we're good for now, too early to look into the future!

Playing them a lot during camp isn't rushing them. Sprong and Sundqvist should be getting every possible look. I personally want Sprong back in the minors this season for ELC purposes, but if he forces his way on the squad then he does. Sundqvist was readyish last season. He looks full blown ready this season and there's a spot open until late October. I want to see him with real line mates. At some point I want to see him and Cullen play together.

EDIT: Apparently Dea is skating with group B now. Not upset. He's had an amazing camp, IMO. He's overlooked cus he's undersized but if management thinks he has a shot of making the squad then right on. Wonder if he can play wing...
- Victoro311

Sprong has to return to Juniors or Play in the NHL, he is not allowed to play in the AHL due to the CHL transfer rule.
Sundqvist looks ready, I don't know how healed up that leg is though, could be taken into consideration by the coaching staff.

With only so many spots to get though, it is tough to figure out. At this point Sprong is only going to get 4th line minutes, and that is only until Ferh returns. They only have one choice with him. Sundqvist has a chance to be called up all season.