|
|
Post by buckybuckbuck on Sept 27, 2007 22:48:31 GMT -4
Heres a question: Do you think we could go for it this year? 1. Defense better than expected. 2. Riopel coming around. 3. Deep Offense 4. Solid Power Kill If so what do we have to do. Whose the competition. Bathurst doesn't scare us, so far Halifax isn't too scary and if Vorcek doesn't return the door is open. First off, to respond to something in your first post, Samson actually started last year quite hot and was something like Top 10-15 in scoring heading into the trade.... so there's one year he didn't get off to a slow start. The previous two seasons he was mostly in a checking role anyway... and the first of those two seasons he was a 17 year old rookie... and therefore should start off slow. When he DID start scoring a bit more regularly later on in the Mem Cup season, I looked at it as a bonus more than anything, considering his role on the team was not go to offensive guy that season to begin with. As for this post right here.... I wouldn't dare suggest any of these points five games into the season. So many tangibles and intangibles out there. EDIT - One more thing... if your "go for it" plan hinges on players on OTHER teams not returning to the league, you shouldn't be "going for it". So here's Samson record last year while he was with us. His Stats were ok Oct his worst but Nov and December he's kicking ass. You have me saying that he sucked until Christmas, I was talking about his first week or two maybe a month. I expect Labelle to do the same. He showed us last year what he can do and expect he will again this year as well. He's not Samson "so far" but he might be where Samson was at his age and only time will tell. SEPTEMBER 8 5 7 12 4 -1 OCTOBER 10 3 8 11 2 -1 NOVEMBER 13 4 15 19 12 -3 DECEMBER 10 10 5 15 4 1 |
|
|
|
Post by Arnold Slick on Sept 27, 2007 23:48:30 GMT -4
First off, to respond to something in your first post, Samson actually started last year quite hot and was something like Top 10-15 in scoring heading into the trade.... so there's one year he didn't get off to a slow start. The previous two seasons he was mostly in a checking role anyway... and the first of those two seasons he was a 17 year old rookie... and therefore should start off slow. When he DID start scoring a bit more regularly later on in the Mem Cup season, I looked at it as a bonus more than anything, considering his role on the team was not go to offensive guy that season to begin with. As for this post right here.... I wouldn't dare suggest any of these points five games into the season. So many tangibles and intangibles out there. EDIT - One more thing... if your "go for it" plan hinges on players on OTHER teams not returning to the league, you shouldn't be "going for it". So here's Samson record last year while he was with us. His Stats were ok Oct his worst but Nov and December he's kicking ass. You have me saying that he sucked until Christmas, I was talking about his first week or two maybe a month. I expect Labelle to do the same. He showed us last year what he can do and expect he will again this year as well. He's not Samson "so far" but he might be where Samson was at his age and only time will tell. SEPTEMBER 8 5 7 12 4 -1 OCTOBER 10 3 8 11 2 -1 NOVEMBER 13 4 15 19 12 -3 DECEMBER 10 10 5 15 4 1 His first week or two or month? 5 goals and 12 points in 8 games isn't good enough for you? GWG in Bathurst the 2nd game of the season, had the tying goal and OT winner in Saint John the next game and the following game he assisted on the winning goal in Victoriaville. In fact the only game where he failed to register a point was a game in which the Cats were shutout 7-0 at home vs. PEI. To me it looks like he had a pretty good start to the season. |
|
|
|
Post by sec21critic on Sept 28, 2007 6:07:51 GMT -4
First off, to respond to something in your first post, Samson actually started last year quite hot and was something like Top 10-15 in scoring heading into the trade.... so there's one year he didn't get off to a slow start. The previous two seasons he was mostly in a checking role anyway... and the first of those two seasons he was a 17 year old rookie... and therefore should start off slow. When he DID start scoring a bit more regularly later on in the Mem Cup season, I looked at it as a bonus more than anything, considering his role on the team was not go to offensive guy that season to begin with. As for this post right here.... I wouldn't dare suggest any of these points five games into the season. So many tangibles and intangibles out there. EDIT - One more thing... if your "go for it" plan hinges on players on OTHER teams not returning to the league, you shouldn't be "going for it". So here's Samson record last year while he was with us. His Stats were ok Oct his worst but Nov and December he's kicking ass. You have me saying that he sucked until Christmas, I was talking about his first week or two maybe a month. I expect Labelle to do the same. He showed us last year what he can do and expect he will again this year as well. He's not Samson "so far" but he might be where Samson was at his age and only time will tell. SEPTEMBER 8 5 7 12 4 -1 OCTOBER 10 3 8 11 2 -1 NOVEMBER 13 4 15 19 12 -3 DECEMBER 10 10 5 15 4 1 PPG in Sept. and Oct... from a player who had never done that before coming out of the gate... not what I'd call "slow". |
|
|
|
Post by buckybuckbuck on Sept 28, 2007 9:49:10 GMT -4
Slow is relative. Slow for him not to anyone else. Hey I'm his #1 fan but he got a little fancier with the puck everyday for the first month. Some are the same the first day and the last. Point production was always there and the games in Sept were easier games than after that.
Sept
2 Bat
2 SNB
1 Vic
1 Sha
1 Lew
1 PEI
Oct
1 Bat
1 Rim
1 SNB
2 SNL
1 Lew
1 Hal
1 BaC
1 Chi
1 Que
Nov
2 Lew
1 Vic
1 Cap
1 Dru
1 Chi
1 BaC
3 PEI
1 Rim
1 SNB
1 Hal
Dec
1 Cap
1 Gat
2 Lew
2 SNB
1 Que
2 Bat
1 PEI
|
|
|
|
Post by Captain Obvious on Sept 28, 2007 10:40:26 GMT -4
Back to the original topic...
I like the way Cameron Eagles and Marquardt are looking so far, all 3 seem to have taken the proverbial "next step". Cameron and Eagles both look stronger and it's helping them on the puck and playing more physical. Eagles had laid more hits so far this year than all of last year...or so it seems.
The top 2 lines both look like they can produce around 80-90 goals which would be more than they produced last year. The 3rd line of Brannon Morehouse and Sill has been a pain in the ass so far as anticipated(45 goals?). Having MacLellan Brenton Labelle on a 4th line is a nice luxury to have, they had some excellent shifts Wednesday and scored a goal...the cost/benefit of playing Brown/MacAusland/Stevens will come into play at some point
On defense, no doubt it was supposed to be the major weakness and has mostly been so far. The good news is there is talent there, guys like Eastman and Wilson have nice vision, hockey sense and smarts on the ice. The big question is Baca getting a grasp on the language and providing physical play. Gomes is a question mark, decent skills but conditionning issues. Boyle and Herr add an element of toughness. Barberio and Pianosi seem to both beed adjusting well to their added responsibilities, if the new guys can pick up their ply oce they have their feet wet, the defense could go from below average to average.
Goaltending, for the most part it's been good, Rio has had 2 excellent games, 3 solid ones and one where he could be partially to blame. Overall goaltending has been solid.
|
|
