Update:
Mike Smith is out up to ten weeks with a core muscle injury. Despite all the jabs I take at that millionaire, he's been a good player for the Coyotes over the years and no one wants a player to be injured.
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The Coyotes are off until Thursday - when they'll take on the Blue Jackets at home - but that is probably a blessing for the team that lost of six of seven, allowing four goals in all six losses and five goals in five of them.
Somehow they retain their grip on a Playoff spot.
Tippett is a fine coach, but he's been here too long and Maloney was never a very good GM. I don't really blame Tippett - what's he gonna do with this roster? - but Maloney has done a terrible job.
Sure, they are in a Playoff spot, but if you actually look into the stats it's nearly impossible the Coyotes will replicate their record through the first 30 games. It could happen, but the probability is very, very low.
If you enter the season with one single centre on your team capable of playing above the fourth line, and that centre also happens to be the only player in the NHL Joffrey Lupul considers injury prone, then you too should be fired.
Sam Gagner would help this team right now for sure - because even if he's more suited to the wing, he'd still be the Coyotes second best NHL centre today. (The best actually since Hanzal is injured).
Brandon Gormley was rated ahead of Duclair by the Hockey Prospectus in their preseason prospect rankings, but Maloney swapped out a possible lottery ticket for a slow defensemen who routinely gets pinned in his own end.
He wouldn't give Gormley a chance but is willing to roster Klaus Dahlbeck. Come on. It's very clearly been about two years beyond when the team should have switched management groups.
Hey, I've been fired and it sucks. But lets keep in mind that both these guys are going to retire in absolute comfort and they've had a good run.
Thanks for the 2011-12 season guys, now please hand the keys over to a sober driver.
Thanks very much.
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If you won't fire the management, at least do something. Five goals against per game in 2015 is insanity.
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If I ever hear the phrase "generational talent" again it will be too soon.
Look: if Tavares, Stamkos, Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Seguin, Hall, McDavid and Eichel are "generational talents" then maybe they should replace the word "generation" with "cohort."
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Steve Stamkos has declined massively (from a great height mind you; he's still pretty good) since returning from his leg injury two year ago. He had one shot last night and has no goals and five points in his last ten games. He is a negative possession player and negative scoring-chance differential player for the year.
These are just the facts.
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Martin Hanzal once got a paper cut, from reading the newspaper online, that required a blood transfusion.
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29 teams probably wish they claimed Mike Hoffman when he was on waivers in 2013.
Jamie Benn won the scoring race.
Mark Andre Fleury was a first-overall pick.
Do you ever think maybe we put too much stock into a player's former draft status?
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Rangers bad, Oilers good?
Someone call Miss Cleo and get her back on TV, cause she nailed it.
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"Hey Jim, there's still 50 games left in the season."
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OH yeah.
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Trevor Daley for Rob Scuderi?
Daley - as far as I can tell - is a moderately good second pairing DMan and a pretty good third pairing guy. Rob Scuderi is not. A bit of cap savings do not make up for actively making your team worse.
I'm not sure people realize that even those that think the worst about Girardi don't get quite how bad it is. https://t.co/ATONLor8Qi
— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) December 13, 2015-----
24 different PHWA members considered Girardi a top 5 NHL D in 2011-12... that is a great indicator that maybe judging D by eye isn't good.
— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) December 13, 2015------
After seeing a video in which Sens coach Dave Cameron - he's even better than Tortortella - makes fun of some reporter's pocket square, I must come out firmly against the pocket square.
A purple handkerchief looks so stupid with your $2000 suit. You might as well grow a skullet or wear skinny-jean suit pants.
What is wrong with people?
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Note, I wrote the last paragraph while wearing a jean-jacket vest.
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In the last three weeks Johnny Gaudreau has become my favorite player.
Definition of irony: Leafs' fans clamoring for Stamkos and hating Kadri while failing to realize who's been the better player this year.
Yeah, its only 30 games, but that's enough for me to know that you don't pay double for Stamoks when you could lock up Morgan Rielly and Kadri for longterm for the same price.
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Once again, Anthony Duclair is awesome.
Thanks for reading.