Where are people coming up with this stuff? Simple observation as well as a some reporting of the practice lines. Couturier is no doubt not 100% but he's been playing and there are zero reports that he is not healthy enough to play. If he's not in the lineup for the next game. It's basically a healthy scratch. Tortorella is pissed at him for the turnover. It fits a pattern. Demote a player down in lines, cut ice time and then scratch a player.
- MJL

The Cates-Poehling-Hathaway has been good. Breaking it up makes little sense. I thought the Cates experiment at center was finished. Read the Ginning call up was deemed an "emergency" call up. Made it seem Ginning is in case Sanheim cannot go because he left practice early.
Kind of doubt he is coming in for Staal.

The Cates-Poehling-Hathaway has been good. Breaking it up makes little sense. I thought the Cates experiment at center was finished. Read the Ginning call up was deemed an "emergency" call up. Made it seem Ginning is in case Sanheim cannot go because he left practice early.
Kind of doubt he is coming in for Staal.
- Trox88

Cap friendly shows both Lycksell and Ginning being emergency callups.

Where are people coming up with this stuff? Simple observation as well as a some reporting of the practice lines. Couturier is no doubt not 100% but he's been playing and there are zero reports that he is not healthy enough to play. If he's not in the lineup for the next game. It's basically a healthy scratch. Tortorella is pissed at him for the turnover. It fits a pattern. Demote a player down in lines, cut ice time and then scratch a player.
- MJL

We shall see. Coots just doesn't make a play like he made the other night. I wouldn't be surprised if they shut him down at some point. Something just doesn't look right with him. I mean, he threw that puck weakly up the middle for the Bruins 5th goal. That just isn't him. I remember two years ago he didn't look right for quite awhile before they announced that they were shutting him down. He seems like the type that wouldn't use an injury as an excuse, but we have seen this movie before.

We shall see. Coots just doesn't make a play like he made the other night. I wouldn't be surprised if they shut him down at some point. Something just doesn't look right with him. I mean, he threw that puck weakly up the middle for the Bruins 5th goal. That just isn't him. I remember two years ago he didn't look right for quite awhile before they announced that they were shutting him down. He seems like the type that wouldn't use an injury as an excuse, but we have seen this movie before.
- Phillywhiteout

It's not the first mistake that Couturier has made this year. He has not been his normal Selke self for a while now. Like I said previously, if the reason he's going to sit is a physical issue, I'm fine with that. If its performance reasons, I'm not okay with that.

TK has 119 points in his last 122 games as by far the best offensive player on a poor/middling team.

If Michkov projects to be way better, that means you expect him at some point to score 150 points in 122 games? 160? How orange are those shades, exactly.
- Feanor

Yes. I don't think you understand what we have in Michkov.

Yes. I don't think you understand what we have in Michkov.
- dubc55

We don’t have Michkov yet. We only have a potential of having Michkov. The same potential we had had in having Fedotov

I think it's pretty fair to say that if a coach has missed the playoffs or lost in the 1st-round in 13 of the past 16 seasons... it might be a stretch to categorize the guy as a "winner" today.

And yes, he's technically won before but that was literally in a totally different era of on-ice and off-ice rules. And yes he's got a lot of career wins but his actual winning % is not high (he's down around Mike Yeo, John Stevens level).
- Tomahawk

current coaches are in bold. there are only 20 listed out of the 32 teams for making the playoffs.

https://records.nhl.com/r...most-playoff-games-career


since 2010, only 9 coaches have won the stanley cup. 4 winning twice.

We don’t have Michkov yet. We only have a potential of having Michkov. The same potential we had had in having Fedotov
- missingmike

Not even remotely the same situation. Unless you are just going by they are both Russian, then I guess if you focus out to that extent you can say it's the same.

Caps won again. I guess all of us that said that they weren't a threat may have closed the door on them too quickly. I thought that west coast trip would trip them up, but Ovi says not so fast.

It’s possible that Couturier is injured or run down by all the ice time he got earlier after being away for nearly 2 years. I know a lot of people made the observation earlier in the year that the Flyers were overplaying him.
- mikeyo27

He probably is hurt and for some reason the flyers can never tell their fan base the truth about what is happening with the team. It seems they have such contempt for what is probably, the most loyal fan base in all of sports. Rather than be truthful, they would rather throw it back to the player's rep.

Sometimes the queen does have balls.
- bird_dog_pa

Sad but true

It's not the first mistake that Couturier has made this year. He has not been his normal Selke self for a while now. Like I said previously, if the reason he's going to sit is a physical issue, I'm fine with that. If its performance reasons, I'm not okay with that.
- MJL

If he sits it will be because of a physical issue. Hockey is a game of mistakes, the more minutes a player plays, the more times they touch the puck, mistakes will happen. But I have been saying almost this entire season that Couts looks slow to me (I mean slower than usual) and to me does not seem to be able to keep up with the pace of play. At the beginning of the season I thought it was just due to not playing in almost 2 years, but at this stage in the season it has to be something else.

If he sits it will be because of a physical issue. Hockey is a game of mistakes, the more minutes a player plays, the more times they touch the puck, mistakes will happen. But I have been saying almost this entire season that Couts looks slow to me (I mean slower than usual) and to me does not seem to be able to keep up with the pace of play. At the beginning of the season I thought it was just due to not playing in almost 2 years, but at this stage in the season it has to be something else.
- jd250

Couturier played pretty solidly for most of the first half of the season. Remarkably well for a player that missed almost two full seasons. He does not have a skating issue. Whatever issue he is dealing with now is not an issue that he has had for the entire season. Stating that he has had issue keeping up with the pace of play is unfounded.

Did you watch the replay yet?

Caps won again. I guess all of us that said that they weren't a threat may have closed the door on them too quickly. I thought that west coast trip would trip them up, but Ovi says not so fast.
- Phillywhiteout

Caps and Isles should pass us in points by the end of the week I'd say. I can't see a scenario where we make the playoffs with the D corps we have to trot out there.

Caps and Isles should pass us in points by the end of the week I'd say. I can't see a scenario where we make the playoffs with the D corps we have to trot out there.
- Hextall271

In my opinion, I don't feel that the either the Isles or the Caps are going to go on sustained winning runs. They will have slumps and be up and down. Right now the Caps are up and the Isles are down. The Flyers still have a decent shot at making the playoffs in my opinion. They have to get their team game back together. The defenseman are not the only issue defensively right now.

The Flyers approach hasn't gotten them anywhere in the last decade. When a past GM wanted to adopt a patient approach, regardless of the execution, they lost patience relatively quickly. Unless they prove otherwise, I have no faith that they won't escalate, look at the teams competitiveness this season and think that they won't be aggressive in moving forward instead of just focusing on the drafting and developing. I would not be surprised to see them use some of that draft capital to make moves.
- MJL

what do you mean regardless of execution? Talk is cheap , actions show. Same as our GM does today, say what you want, its the execution that matters. Hextall was a huge failure, and was not a mistake letting him go, the mistake was replacing him with fletcher. We didnt get any top talent for hextalls "rebuilding" despite all the high picks we had. Complete failure. The fact you keep defending him magnifies to everyone you dont know nearly as much as you think you do regarding hockey

Not even remotely the same situation. Unless you are just going by they are both Russian, then I guess if you focus out to that extent you can say it's the same.
- MBFlyerfan

Yes, I am referring to Russian unpredictability and strong dependency of any kind of decision on political situation. Additionally, Fedotov's case showed feudal relationships between athletes and the brass, both atletic and political (in Fedotov's case it was the same). Do we have any guarantee that Michkov will be let go from this relationship?

Yes, I am referring to Russian unpredictability and strong dependency of any kind of decision on political situation. Additionally, Fedotov's case showed feudal relationships between athletes and the brass, both atletic and political (in Fedotov's case it was the same). Do we have any guarantee that Michkov will be let go from this relationship?
- missingmike

The issue that everyone seems to gloss over is that Fedetov didn't follow the rules. He skipped out on his military requirements. That's why he was treated differently. It was an outlier situation that had nothing to do with Russian unpredictability or politics. He didn't do the right thing.

Not even remotely the same situation. Unless you are just going by they are both Russian, then I guess if you focus out to that extent you can say it's the same.
- MBFlyerfan

It also has to be said that Flyers do not have any control of the draft pick till they sign the contract. Cutter is the latest example.

The issue that everyone seems to gloss over is that Fedetov didn't follow the rules. He skipped out on his military requirements. That's why he was treated differently. It was an outlier situation that had nothing to do with Russian unpredictability or politics. He didn't do the right thing.
- MJL

I would argue that point, as the military obligations were not in play till he said something that was considered out of line. A few additional considerations- 1) he played for the army club, and if military service had not been a punishment, he would have continued playing for them being in the military. That's how CSKA has always worked- every player officially had been an army officer. 2) The draft rule was applied to Fedotov selectively and publicly to show strength and deter others from speaking their minds.

If he sits it will be because of a physical issue. Hockey is a game of mistakes, the more minutes a player plays, the more times they touch the puck, mistakes will happen. But I have been saying almost this entire season that Couts looks slow to me (I mean slower than usual) and to me does not seem to be able to keep up with the pace of play. At the beginning of the season I thought it was just due to not playing in almost 2 years, but at this stage in the season it has to be something else.
- jd250

So to you mistakes are part of the game and are excusable for some players, but one mistake is punishable by benching for others


coots - ok

frost - benched

got it!

I would argue that point, as the military obligations were not in play till he said something that was considered out of line.
- missingmike

Not true. The military obligations are in play for everyone. Fedetov caused the issue.

In my opinion, I don't feel that the either the Isles or the Caps are going to go on sustained winning runs. They will have slumps and be up and down. Right now the Caps are up and the Isles are down. The Flyers still have a decent shot at making the playoffs in my opinion. They have to get their team game back together. The defenseman are not the only issue defensively right now.
- MJL

morning cliff, yes both teams have not shown any consistency. flyers still control their own destiny.

It also has to be said that Flyers do not have any control of the draft pick till they sign the contract. Cutter is the latest example.
- missingmike

cutter and MM are very friendly with each other and communicate a lot.

Not true. The military obligations are in play for everyone. Fedetov caused the issue.
- MJL

Well, we will have to agree to disagree. I just would like to point out that not every Russian prospect is serving in the Army.
Also, i did read a lot of Russian media (in native tongue) when Fedotov's incident happen, and I believe in the points I made.