I don't follow basketball, is your team 1 that is in a losing rut? Weren't they top of the tree about 25 years ago??

Whether people admit it or not, losing is as much a habit as winning is. Teams find a way to win games as much as teams lose games they should win.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory - something that is well know here, not sure about your way. Winning teams aren't usually associated with that term.
- Aussiepenguin

Each team has a personality. A lot of that depends on the the leadership among the players and the coaching staff. Let j.boyd laugh, but look how Sullivan changed this team's demeanor. You can't deny how even one person can change the attitude of a team.

Would anyone be opposed to signing Jiri Hudler? He's played center in the past and could be super cheap. Low Risk, high reward kinda signing. If he sucks, just scratch him. Probably can get him under 2mil.
- j.boyd919

Man, I suggested this a blog or two ago. I'm down with it if he's super cheap. He can play C or either wing.

Each team has a personality. A lot of that depends on the the leadership among the players and the coaching staff. Let j.boyd laugh, but look how Sullivan changed this team's demeanor. You can't deny how even one person can change the attitude of a team.
- powerhouse

I can & will go as far to say this seasons finals series is a perfect example. The Caps found a way to lose (having that monkey on their back), & conversely the Pens a way to win. Even more the Pens - defending champs, found a way to win it all against all the odds. Winning team finding a way to win. Caps, well they need to find a way out of the 2nd round, & presidents trophies won't solve that. Losing mentality in the playoffs - how is that so with such a dominant team?

NJ has been losing for a while. It will take them a year or 2 with a decent team to get a 'winning attitude'.

I can & will go as far to say this seasons finals series is a perfect example. The Caps found a way to lose (having that monkey on their back), & conversely the Pens a way to win. Even more the Pens - defending champs, found a way to win it all against all the odds. Winning team finding a way to win. Caps, well they need to find a way out of the 2nd round, & presidents trophies won't solve that. Losing mentality in the playoffs - how is that so with such a dominant team?

NJ has been losing for a while. It will take them a year or 2 with a decent team to get a 'winning attitude'.
- Aussiepenguin

You are bang on. Intangibles like leadership chemistry heart will desire all play a role that can not be quantified on a chart. This is why I knew the pens would beat the caps regardless of all the bs we heard that whole series. This is also why a team like Edmonton just couldn't quite get past that hump this year...look out for them very soon! This is why the pens lost to the wings the first go around in 08. The Cavs beating the warriors last year...sports is filled with examples of losing teams having to learn how to win. Champions have all the intangibles to take what they learn from failure and develop a winning attitude. Losers just lose. Tennis is another perfect example of this. Men's tennis is dominated by only a few ppl and the difference between champions and finalists is very slim...its just stepping up at the key moments...thats not something you can quantify.

On vacation. Haven't forgotten about everybody.

Yes gay boyd what this team needs desperately is a RW. Especially a washed up old RW who can block ZAR and Reeves and Kuhnhackle and Archibald. Because we should really spend our limited cap space on the position the organization is most deep at. If only ideas weren't so beneath your ego.
- Dcoms

So you're a homophobe too? Damn you're a disgusting human being. A (frank)ing disgrace.

On vacation. Haven't forgotten about everybody.
- Ryan_Wilson

Nothing going on anyway. Good time to check out.

I don't follow basketball, is your team 1 that is in a losing rut? Weren't they top of the tree about 25 years ago??

Whether people admit it or not, losing is as much a habit as winning is. Teams find a way to win games as much as teams lose games they should win.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory - something that is well know here, not sure about your way. Winning teams aren't usually associated with that term.
- Aussiepenguin

Oh we've been futile for over 25 years haha.

One of the biggest criticism of The Process was that all of our Tanking over the past four years would poison our locker room and we wouldn't know how to win when we were on the other side of the rebuild. Yet last year while Embiid was healthy you couldn't tell that we just came off a 12 win season the year prior, especially in January when it looked like we could realistically make the playoffs.

The winning culture thing is always trumped up. You need guys who want to compete and want to win yes, and locker rooms can turn sour, yes, but the idea that you need to follow a specific formula to establish a winning culture and that certain players are losers is pretty silly. Usually all it takes to establish a winning culture is to bring in talent that can, you know, actually win games. Very, very few athletes can make it to the highest level of their sport if they are legitimately losers and don't care about winning. The only guy like that that I can think of in the NHL off hand is Alex Semin.

On vacation. Haven't forgotten about everybody.
- Ryan_Wilson

Enjoy the break, you've earned it. Appreciate all the effort you put into your blog.

Enjoy the break, you've earned it. Appreciate all the effort you put into your blog.
- Tojo.

Trade Sheary, Maatta , 1st for Duchene

Sign Markov 1 year 5.5 million

Guentzel Sid Hornqvist
Rust Malkin Sprong
Hagelin Duchene Kessel
Wilson Cullen/Rowney Reaves

Letang Dumo
Schultz Cole
Markov Hunwick

Murray
Niemi

Enjoy the break, you've earned it. Appreciate all the effort you put into your blog.
- Tojo.

Indeed.

Trade Sheary, Maatta , 1st for Duchene

Sign Markov 1 year 5.5 million

Guentzel Sid Hornqvist
Rust Malkin Sprong
Hagelin Duchene Kessel
Wilson Cullen/Rowney Reaves

Letang Dumo
Schultz Cole
Markov Hunwick

Murray
Niemi
- PensWin87

Markov blows.

3 days without a new blog.... is RW dead?

Each team has a personality. A lot of that depends on the the leadership among the players and the coaching staff. Let j.boyd laugh, but look how Sullivan changed this team's demeanor. You can't deny how even one person can change the attitude of a team.
- powerhouse

Why would I laugh? Sully changed the Pens a lot. I wouldn't argue that at all.

3 days without a new blog.... is RW dead?
- Guile

he said he is on vacation.

Oh we've been futile for over 25 years haha.

One of the biggest criticism of The Process was that all of our Tanking over the past four years would poison our locker room and we wouldn't know how to win when we were on the other side of the rebuild. Yet last year while Embiid was healthy you couldn't tell that we just came off a 12 win season the year prior, especially in January when it looked like we could realistically make the playoffs.

The winning culture thing is always trumped up. You need guys who want to compete and want to win yes, and locker rooms can turn sour, yes, but the idea that you need to follow a specific formula to establish a winning culture and that certain players are losers is pretty silly. Usually all it takes to establish a winning culture is to bring in talent that can, you know, actually win games. Very, very few athletes can make it to the highest level of their sport if they are legitimately losers and don't care about winning. The only guy like that that I can think of in the NHL off hand is Alex Semin.
- Victoro311

I think you've missed a step.

I didn't say certain players 'are' losers, I said Hall has been on a losing team his whole career (NHL - I did leave that out but that's what I meant). It gets to a point where no matter how hard he tries & plays in the back of his mind defeat is always there - he doesn't want to lose.

I actually had it yesterday in my team I coach where we have won 2 games this year, it's not that we are bad it's just we haven't had a full team playing & have been beaten about 7 times by teams that have reserves. Yesterday my boys got well in front with 5 to go & the other team scored twice to close the gap - it was near impossible to lose due to time remaining, but all I heard was 'we can't lose this can we?' They were 'expecting' to lose due to us losing most of the year. We won.

As I've said, winning is a habit, but so is losing. NJ needs to get a season or 2 where they are consistently winning before they believe they can contend. It's rare that it happens 'overnight' - ie: Oil & now Leafs (both those teams aren't bonafide contenders but they're on their way after having 1 good season).

I think you've missed a step.

I didn't say certain players 'are' losers, I said Hall has been on a losing team his whole career (NHL - I did leave that out but that's what I meant). It gets to a point where no matter how hard he tries & plays in the back of his mind defeat is always there - he doesn't want to lose.

I actually had it yesterday in my team I coach where we have won 2 games this year, it's not that we are bad it's just we haven't had a full team playing & have been beaten about 7 times by teams that have reserves. Yesterday my boys got well in front with 5 to go & the other team scored twice to close the gap - it was near impossible to lose due to time remaining, but all I heard was 'we can't lose this can we?' They were 'expecting' to lose due to us losing most of the year. We won.

As I've said, winning is a habit, but so is losing. NJ needs to get a season or 2 where they are consistently winning before they believe they can contend. It's rare that it happens 'overnight' - ie: Oil & now Leafs (both those teams aren't bonafide contenders but they're on their way after having 1 good season).
- Aussiepenguin

And those two teams have been the laughing stock of the league for years along with the Ava. 2/3 bottom feeders all of a sudden becoming winners without a "growing into winners" period is pretty significant.

And with NJ I didn't even say contenders. I said relavent in the Metro. I think they're pretty close to that.

And those two teams have been the laughing stock of the league for years along with the Ava. 2/3 bottom feeders all of a sudden becoming winners without a "growing into winners" period is pretty significant.

And with NJ I didn't even say contenders. I said relavent in the Metro. I think they're pretty close to that.
- Victoro311

I said in 1 comment without a 'Connor McDavid' or a Sid Crosby & said the Leafs have a group of studs all coming together that haven't lived the hard years. There are exceptions to my opinion like everything, NJ isn't 1 unfortunately for them!

It's a little like Shultz if you like. In Edmonton he was crap, put him in a better environment with some time he has become a lot better - it did take time though & that is 1 player. There are probably other examples if I really wanted to think about it but the best off hand was the Caps Pens playoffs.

I said in 1 comment without a 'Connor McDavid' or a Sid Crosby & said the Leafs have a group of studs all coming together that haven't lived the hard years. There are exceptions to my opinion like everything, NJ isn't 1 unfortunately for them!

It's a little like Shultz if you like. In Edmonton he was crap, put him in a better environment with some time he has become a lot better - it did take time though & that is 1 player. There are probably other examples if I really wanted to think about it but the best off hand was the Caps Pens playoffs.
- Aussiepenguin

Once momentum goes the other way then breathing becomes more shallow and heart rate increases. It's hard to play on your toes like that if you and your teammates feel that way. In hockey your goalie is a huge factor in this feeling. If your goalie can hold you close when the other team is surging that is just huge. Every beer league championship I've ever won we had a decent goalie. And when he has a bad night it's like whats the use? Of course the coach creates the tone which is key too.

Plus knowing Sid, Geno and Kessel can get one also has to be a confidence builder. Right?
Pressure is a bee-ach boys. Not every player or coach can handle it. Murray amazes me how calm he is in net.

Trade Sheary, Maatta , 1st for Duchene

Sign Markov 1 year 5.5 million

Guentzel Sid Hornqvist
Rust Malkin Sprong
Hagelin Duchene Kessel
Wilson Cullen/Rowney Reaves

Letang Dumo
Schultz Cole
Markov Hunwick

Murray
Niemi
- PensWin87

I like it, except:

I don't think Markov gets $5.5 mil but even if he only makes $4 mil it's a lot for a third pairing dman. I would say put him on the second pairing and drop Cole to the third pairing but I think his style is too close to Schultz's. I do like the prospect of acquiring Markov, but I think his salary, style, and the side of defense on which he plays is not a good fit for the Pens. But, if you have the chance of acquiring Duchene for Maatta+, you do it and figure out the second pairing LD later.

I think Rust is primarily a RW (or at least plays best on that side). Pens are very short on LWs which makes trading Sheary tricky.

I think ZAR is probably closer to a lineup spot than Sprong. However, penciling either into the second line is optimistic. Of course, if it doesn't happen, Kessel can always fulfill that role.

I know there have been a lot of reports linking the Pens to Duchene, but I just don't see it from either side.

Once momentum goes the other way then breathing becomes more shallow and heart rate increases. It's hard to play on your toes like that if you and your teammates feel that way. In hockey your goalie is a huge factor in this feeling. If your goalie can hold you close when the other team is surging that is just huge. Every beer league championship I've ever won we had a decent goalie. And when he has a bad night it's like whats the use? Of course the coach creates the tone which is key too.

Plus knowing Sid, Geno and Kessel can get one also has to be a confidence builder. Right?
Pressure is a bee-ach boys. Not every player or coach can handle it. Murray amazes me how calm he is in net.
- powerhouse

I think the monkey on the Caps back created the most angst. How can you play hockey carrying a (frank)ing gorilla???

On vacation. Haven't forgotten about everybody.
- Ryan_Wilson

Enjoy

Brain Campbell just retired. I was down with him on the cheap for 3rd pair or depth.


Seeing some mention of Markov around. He can still play. He can still skate, pass very well and still has a great shot. None of that is as good as it was 5 years ago but he can still do that stuff effectively. He's is also a big time shot blocker and Sullivan preaches that sh!t.....having said all of this, 5 million or anywhere near that, is waaaay too much for the old Russian. No way.

If he could be had on the cheap I'd d take him, no sweat...but that doesn't seem to be the reality.

If Cullen takes until August again to decide and he retires, what about Laich? He's had some time off to reflect since he was demoted to the Marlies in March and maybe he can be invited to camp to see if he's got the desire to prove Toronto wrong and get the Cup he talked about wanting.

Maybe being waived and without a job right now could motivate him to being a decent 4th line center. His numbers had fallen badly since his lockout injury, but would he be worth giving a tryout look at least? I know he had elbow surgery in April, but is it career ending? If he can still play, it would be a nice hip check to Caps fans.

He did say this just a couple weeks ago:

"July 1st I am set to become an unrestricted free agent. Where some might see uncertainty, I choose to see opportunity!"