James Tanner: PLUS/MINUS: Crosby, Matthews, Ducks, 'Yotes, Scheifele, Terminator The most popular hockey blog in the world among the elderly, it's PLUS/MINUS. Enjoy responsibly.

Great blog Jim. Cheers

Great blog Jim. Cheers
- shack67

Thanks man, I appreciate it.......not much of a discussion starter ahaha, but I appreciate the compliment and you're continued reading. Thanks again.

I agree OEL over Ghost, but let's give the kid a few seasons to see what he maxes out at.

Good read ! I still think Lindholm lands in TO !

I agree OEL over Ghost, but let's give the kid a few seasons to see what he maxes out at.
- Pelle31Forever

Oh yeah for sure. Gotstobehere is awesome, and no is oel.

Good read ! I still think Lindholm lands in TO !
- MountAlbert

If that happened....., well i cant print what id do here.

if you don't understand corsi.... then you'll look at one game's sample. 39% CF in one night isn't terrible, maybe the opposition's D threw 3 weak shots that got blocked and that stopped Chimera from being 50+%. If he was +0/-15 cf/ca then that might be worth commenting on, otherwise pointless

if you don't understand corsi.... then you'll look at one game's sample. 39% CF in one night isn't terrible, maybe the opposition's D threw 3 weak shots that got blocked and that stopped Chimera from being 50+%. If he was +0/-15 cf/ca then that might be worth commenting on, otherwise pointless
- TheNugeIsHuge

No, its sub enforcer. Hes on the top line. Its a bad game

Got Mark Scheifele in my pool. Hope you're right about him.

Oh yeah for sure. Gotstobehere is awesome, and no is oel.
- James_Tanner

So who of those 2 do you want on your PP?

"PLUS: Auston Matthews' four goal game. FOUR EVEN-STRENGTH GOALS GAME I should say. Wow. What can be said that hasn't already been said?

I have waited my entire life for the Leafs to have a player on their roster who was one of the two or three best players in the game. It looks like it might happen. Like McDavid, you just watch and wait for something to happen everytime he's on the ice. "

I'm happy for Leaf fans. You're a long suffering bunch, and that's coming from a Canucks fan
I expected Mathews to be steady, productive and a great player, but I didn't think he would be as electrifying as he has shown so far. Hopefully he keeps it up. This should be a fun ride, for hockey fans as well as Leaf fans.


"PLUS: Marner, Matthews, Nylander - still as far as I can tell the single greatest trio of rookies to ever enter the NHL at once on the same team. "


Selanne, Tkatchuk and Zhamnov are the still the bar-setters.... but for the first time in 20+ years, there are contenders in the ring.

"MINUS: Healthy scratching your top prospect in what would have been his first NHL game. Just seems like a mean thing to do to the kid.

...

So why screw around with your prized prospect? "

Agreed.
I understand that they are trying to stretch out the 9 game audition periods of the Junior eligible players, and 1 or 2 will sit every night, but come on, give the kid a shot in the home opener, and sit him during the next 6 games, which are all on the road.

I guess Tipps thinks the home fans are clamoring for a look at Brad Richardson, since he is the future of the franchise...

I got on board with you in September, but luck is not what just happened

Good pitching beats good hitting . That's baseball James

Andrew Miller has the nastiest slider I've ever seen. And he's been doin this for ages.
The jays didn't get unlucky, he mowed them.

If they don't get to the Indians starting pitching early and take their relievers out of it, the Indians relief pitchers will do exactly what the royals relief did to them last year

Confidence and honerism is one thing, and in your case kinda admirable. but refusing to give credit where it's due, is totally another.


The series is not over by any means, but game 3 is a must win

Tanner, I haven't been thrilled with Murray's off season either but if the rumor that Lindholm is asking for Ekblad money, that isn't going to happen. If the number is closer to $6 to $6.5 that's negotiable but, as good as Hampus is, $7.5 is crazy.

That Ariel Pink tune is wow - went straight and checked a bunch of their other stuff out. Never heard them before, thanks Tanner...

"
MINUS: This week in Stupid Coaching Decisions, we have the Islanders playing 37 year-old Jason Chimera on their top line. Unsurprisingly, last night he had a CF of 39% (That's hella-bad in case you aren't familiar with Corsi).

Unsurprisingly, Tavares has zero points on the year. Perhaps it's time to turn some of that deep defense into a few forwards. This is just embarrassing. "


PA Parenteau was available on waivers last week. Maybe The Isles should have put in a claim.... oh wait, nevermind.

I got on board with you in September, but luck is not what just happened

Good pitching beats good hitting . That's baseball James

Andrew Miller has the nastiest slider I've ever seen. And he's been doin this for ages.
The jays didn't get unlucky, he mowed them.

If they don't get to the Indians starting pitching early and take their relievers out of it, the Indians relief pitchers will do exactly what the royals relief did to them last year

Confidence and honerism is one thing, and in your case kinda admirable. but refusing to give credit where it's due, is totally another.

The series is not over by any means, but game 3 is a must win
- HB77

I don't mean to deny the Indians credit, they played great games. Any time you can limit to the Jays to so few runs it goes without saying you pitched awesome.

At this point, Clevend's biggest problem is the law of averages.

"
MINUS: This week in Stupid Coaching Decisions, we have the Islanders playing 37 year-old Jason Chimera on their top line. Unsurprisingly, last night he had a CF of 39% (That's hella-bad in case you aren't familiar with Corsi).

Unsurprisingly, Tavares has zero points on the year. Perhaps it's time to turn some of that deep defense into a few forwards. This is just embarrassing. "


PA Parenteau was available on waivers last week. Maybe The Isles should have put in a claim.... oh wait, nevermind.
- Vanoxy

They 100% should have.

That Ariel Pink tune is wow - went straight and checked a bunch of their other stuff out. Never heard them before, thanks Tanner...
- Psychocandy

Ariel Pink is actually a guy, Haunted Graffitti is his band. They are awesome, one of the seriously weirdest guys in music. I bought that album in 2010 and have gotten all his stuff since.

I'm super glad you liked it. Always makes me happy to introduce a cool band to someone who's as into music as I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6C--MidhoA

I don't mean to deny the Indians credit, they played great games. Any time you can limit to the Jays to so few runs it goes without saying you pitched awesome.

At this point, Clevend's biggest problem is the law of averages.
- James_Tanner

In a 7 game series, sometimes the law of averages doesn't have enough time to even out.

They 100% should have.
- James_Tanner

You realize that they were the ones who waived him, right?

In a 7 game series, sometimes the law of averages doesn't have enough time to even out.
- Nucker101

You are definitely correct. Hopefully they can though.

You realize that they were the ones who waived him, right?
- Nucker101

Wasn't that the whole point of our exchange?

Wasn't that the whole point of our exchange?
- James_Tanner

That the Isles should have claimed the guy they put on waivers? That's what I read it as lol

Love that the season is back. Excellent read Tanner.

Love for Sundin Dont get the jerseyretirerment thing though, like 7 of the first 10 numbers are now retired. If they have had the luxury to not made that a tradition for 100 years, why the hell do it now?

I would take half a season lockout á la 2012 to get right of the Coachs Challange Anaheims a mess.

Maybe Strome isnt ready yet. I think you are undervalueing how the start to your nhl career is. Having confidence is very important and that can effect people if they get a hard start in the NHL. The season is long.

But why do you think that Toronto will be a playoff team but Yotes a bottom dweller? You are sure that their 3(4,5,6?) rookies can perform over 82 games but Yotes dont? If Chychyrn can keep this up Yotes has a solid top4. And they have alot of talent up top too. I see both teams fighting for a wildcard spot, IF (bigg frking iff) their rookies can come togheter and make a solid rounded group. But injurys and some bad stints can dig both teams a hole to big to climb out of.