NHL 2020-21

[Viikonloppuisä]

Tässähän casessa taisi ongelma olla yksin Šipatšov itse kun ei suostunut AHL:ssä skulaamaan vaan paineli mielummin kotiinsa pelaamaan.

Shipachyovin leiristä kerrottiin muistaakseni aikanaan vähän toisenlaista tarinaa, mutta harmillinen homma joka tapauksessa.

[Hauva Roukio]

Tässähän casessa taisi ongelma olla yksin Šipatšov itse kun ei suostunut AHL:ssä skulaamaan vaan paineli mielummin kotiinsa pelaamaan.

Shipachyovin leiristä kerrottiin muistaakseni aikanaan vähän toisenlaista tarinaa, mutta harmillinen homma joka tapauksessa.

Mitäs sieltä? Itse muistan vain että olis ollut puhetta varmasta paikasta ylhäällä, mutta kun homma toimi ilman Shipaakin niin jäi katsomoon/haluttiin alas hakemaan tuntumaa, mikä ei sitten sopinutkaan Shipalle.

[Hauva Roukio]

Yzerman classic Detroit - Tampa Bay toista iltaa putkeen primetimessa

Eilen mentiin 65min plus 8 kierrosta rankkareita ilman ratkaisevaa maalia, nyt Tampan Coleman pisti verkot heilumaan ensimmäisen minuutin jälkeen

[Hauva Roukio]

Yzerman classic Detroit - Tampa Bay toista iltaa putkeen primetimessa

Eilen mentiin 65min plus 8 kierrosta rankkareita ilman ratkaisevaa maalia, nyt Tampan Coleman pisti verkot heilumaan ensimmäisen minuutin jälkeen

Erän alut tänään näemmä myrkkyä Detroitille: Tampa iski toisen maalinsa tokan erän toisella minuutilla

[Hauva Roukio]

Yzerman classic Detroit - Tampa Bay toista iltaa putkeen primetimessa

Eilen mentiin 65min plus 8 kierrosta rankkareita ilman ratkaisevaa maalia, nyt Tampan Coleman pisti verkot heilumaan ensimmäisen minuutin jälkeen

Erän alut tänään näemmä myrkkyä Detroitille: Tampa iski toisen maalinsa tokan erän toisella minuutilla

Detroit kaventaa 4v2 hyökkäyksestä kun Zadina lataa suoraan syötöstä 1-2 kavennuksen.

Vedot tällä hetkellä 34-10 Tampalle

[Hauva Roukio]

Tampallahan on tänään maalillaan Suomen oma Christopher Gibson! Toista kertaa tällä kaudella tositoimissa, ensimmäisellä päästi 5 maalia juuri Detroittia vastaan.

[Hauva Roukio]

Kolmas erä tähän mennessä maaliton, mutta nyt Detroitille avautuu paikka tasoitukselle kun pääsevät 2min pelaamaan 5v3 ylivoimaa.

[Hauva Roukio]

Kolmas erä tähän mennessä maaliton, mutta nyt Detroitille avautuu paikka tasoitukselle kun pääsevät 2min pelaamaan 5v3 ylivoimaa.

Tästä ei tullut lasta eikä paskaa ja ylivoiman lopuksi Filppula sutii pomppivan reboundin tyhjästä maalista ohi.

[Hauva Roukio]

Niinhän siinä kävi että Detroitin kiri jäi torsoksi ja Tampa vei täyden pistepotin 2-1 voitolla. Samalla myös Gibsonille ensimmäinen voitto NHL:ssä sitten Islanders aikojen.

Tampa ei näin ollen vieläkään ole hävinnyt peliäkään jos ovat johtaneet 2. erän jälkeen, 25-0-0 on nyt tuon tilaston lukemat

[Havukka-ahon pajauttelija]

https://theathletic.com/2546910/2021/05 ... o-overpay/

Spoiler:

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pierre-Luc Dubois’ trade request last winter rattled the Blue Jackets to their very foundation. It led to a trade that has knocked the roster out of alignment and sent the club reeling to one of the franchise’s worst seasons.

But you could also say that Dubois’ departure only continues a worrying trend for the Blue Jackets, one that’s allowed a long-ago reputation — “Nobody wants to play in Columbus!” — to be conjured all over again.

After the 2018-19 season, forwards Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky all opted to leave the Blue Jackets to sign elsewhere as free agents. The Blue Jackets didn’t try to sign Duchene and didn’t want to make Bobrovsky the NHL’s highest-paid goalie, but that’s a lot of talent walking out of Nationwide Arena.

This last offseason, the Blue Jackets were forced to trade Josh Anderson when it became apparent that Anderson would only agree to a one-year contract, allowing him to leave as a UFA the following summer. Anderson’s situation was less messy than Dubois’ situation, certainly, but they are not altogether different, either.

Dubois has never revealed why he was so desperate to leave Columbus. Was it the tough negotiating tactics used by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen? Dubois says no. Was it the relentless coaching style of John Tortorella? He denies this, too, mostly.

Now, with another critical fork-in-the-road summer awaiting the franchise, the Blue Jackets face the risk of losing more top players if the current trend isn’t reversed.

Seth Jones is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, while fellow defense cornerstone Zach Werenski is poised to become a restricted free agent.

Of the 23 players who dressed in the 2019 playoffs when the Blue Jackets upset Tampa Bay in the first round and lost to Boston in the second, only 10 remain with the organization, and that includes seldom-used defensemen Adam Clendening and Scott Harrington.

To get to the root of the challenges the Blue Jackets have had retaining elite talent, The Athletic wanted to take a deep look inside the organization, not by talking to those who still work or play there — Blue Jackets fans hear from them all the time — but by talking to respected veterans who have recently worn the sweater and have seen the operation from the inside out.

We asked them about their perception of Columbus as a city, why they think the Blue Jackets keep losing players, what it’s like to play for coach John Tortorella, what it’s like to negotiate with the Blue Jackets, and what they’d change if they were running the club.

We had several stipulations to these interviews:

the players would be granted full anonymity so that they could speak freely
the players must have played in Columbus during the Kekalainen/Tortorella era
the players needed to have played in multiple other cities during established NHL careers
the players must have left the organization on good terms, with no ax to grind and no agendas

Two players we asked to participate politely declined. Three others agreed to talk, with the promise that their comments would be only lightly edited to avoid revealing their identities.

“The only reason I’m willing to do this is because I actually really love that city and I love a ton of the people I met there, both in and out of hockey,” one player said. “Those people there deserve to go on a playoff run. They deserve a great franchise.

“It’s a really special place that could be so much better, and I want to see that happen.”

[Havukka-ahon pajauttelija]

Spoiler:

What was your experience like with the Blue Jackets?

Player 3: I was surprised by the fan support. You play there and you hear the cannon. It seems similar to a lot of other places in the league. But then you get on a run and you get in the playoffs, and you realize, “Wow, people are really fired up about this and it’s loud.” That was unexpected for me. It reminded me of a football atmosphere, actually. You go to a football game and people are very passionate about the home team. They’ve got chants and it’s loud. Any little thing happens and there’s a reaction. In some cities you have to work harder to get a reaction from the fans. but the crowds there, I thought, were really into it, and that part of it, to me, was really cool.

When you come into Columbus as part of another team, there’s not a lot of action downtown, right? So the assumption is, then, there’s not a lot to do. But living there you realize there is. There’s a lot of redeeming qualities about living there and playing there that you don’t know about until you actually play there.

Player 2: You have to actually live there to realize how nice it is. You’re not going to change that (to the rest of the world) because you’re not comparing it to Cincinnati when you’re talking NHL cities. It’s being compared to Miami and New York and Los Angeles and Chicago. Is Columbus ever going to be seen with those cities? Maybe not, but it can still be a great city compared to say, Cleveland. The question has to be, as an organization, how can we change to make up for that? The weather, the nightlife … not great. But my wife and I, we loved going to German Village. It’s so cool. So awesome. We loved it.

Player 1: It’s funny, but when people ask me about Columbus, it’s probably framed a certain way, like, “Really, you liked it? You actually liked it?” I totally enjoyed my time there. The guys were great. Our team had some sucky seasons, but we had some fun seasons, too. And we had Torts, who was really hard, really demanding, but it was fun hockey to play because we were playing the right way. Everything is good when you’re winning.

What is it like to be a pro athlete in Columbus compared to some of the other cities in which you played?

Player 1: Not even close to the same. I’d go out after a game for a beer or for dinner (in other cities) and people know who you are, they want a picture, “Can you sign this?” … there’s a little bit of stardom, especially if you’re a big player or you just scored a big goal or something. In Columbus, I don’t think it’s even a quarter of that. Maybe in the playoffs. When they won a round (2019), I guess guys were getting free dinners when they went out, but I didn’t experience that. You could go to any bar or restaurant, any time of the day, and nobody would know who you are. That’s actually good, and it’s kind of what I wanted when I went there, so I liked it. But some people want and need that notoriety.

Player 2: Young guys, guys who have a choice, they want to go and get the spotlight, be rock stars, be professional athletes where they get attention. I don’t hold that against them, but you’re probably not going to get that in Columbus.

What are your thoughts on how/why the Blue Jackets keep losing top players, either to free agency or forced trades?

Player 2: Young kids would rather get drafted somewhere else. Maybe this is overgeneralizing, but a lot of the younger guys want to go where they’re rock stars — Toronto, New York, Boston. They want to go hang out with hot chicks in Miami and Arizona and L.A. They want to try to wheel girls in Montreal. That’s what they want to do. So there has to be some other draw that Columbus has, right? There has to be something else. “We have a great team and a great culture and we’ll pay you.” Or, “We really value this (aspect) in you and we want you to stay and we’ll make sure you stay no matter what the cost.”

When we talked contract it was, “Where do you want to be?” And we said “X” amount, they immediately said, “Nope, no chance.” And we were like, “Well, that’s where we’re at and there are like six other teams willing to go there.” They expected me to give up a ton of money to play there, like they were the only team in the league. When you’re a (restricted free agent) they play hard, hard, hardball, which is unfortunate, because then as soon as a guy gets a chance to get out there, he’s like “Fuck this, I’m gone.” It’s tough to treat players as nothing more than assets and then try to get undying loyalty from them as people.

Player 3: I’m not really surprised, I hate to say. I wanted to stay there, but I never got the sense it was possible. If guys want to be there and you have a winning culture, you have to do everything you can to keep it together. I have a ton of respect for Jarmo, but I feel like Columbus always has their eye on the future, what they can build, without maybe recognizing what they already have. I’ll never forget our exit meetings after my last season there. We had a great season. We were so excited about the future. And then after a bunch of us players had our (exit) meetings, we were sitting around in the room just kind of stunned. “Wait. Am I going to be back? Shouldn’t we all be back?” And a bunch of us kind of realized that was it, we were moving on. I was sad as hell, to be honest.

I get why they’re so hard on their RFAs. You have to keep your numbers down when you can. But also, the way that generation is, you have to make them feel like you really like them and value them, and I don’t think they really do that. I just know how the negotiations worked with me and it was like, “Shit, they don’t want me at all.”

[Havukka-ahon pajauttelija]

Spoiler:

What’s it like playing for John Tortorella?

Player 3: You see the perception, right? But I watched the game where Patrik Laine got benched (earlier this season). I don’t like saying this kind of stuff about other players because I know how hard this league is. But I see the response afterward, and it’s “Well, it’s Torts’ fault.” And I’m like, “How is that Torts’ fault?” Torts is hard on guys and he’s honest, but I think he’s mellowed out a lot over the years. There are things about him that you don’t like, but there are things about every coach that you don’t like. After you’re done playing for Torts, though, you appreciate what he brings. He tells you exactly what he thinks. I would love if every coach was like that.

Some of the stuff he does out in the open in front of everybody, some guys don’t like that. I think they would appreciate it more if it was kept private. But I have a lot of respect for Torts and I appreciate how he goes about his business. The perception around him should probably change, but people don’t want to hear it.

Player 2: The big thing to me was that Torts gets a bad rap. He sets a standard and expects you to play to it every night. I will say this … I’ve had coaches who try to do the same thing as Torts, guys who want to be Tortorella, but they can’t be. Not even close. They want to be Torts but then they cater to the top players, the star players. “How do I make sure these guys stay happy? How do I keep them feelin’ good?” And all the stuff they can’t say to the star players, they take out on the other players. They preach honesty, like Torts does, but they don’t actually follow through on it. That’s the hard part. With Torts, he gets a bad rap, but I found his complete honesty with everyone to be very refreshing because I’d been with coaches where you’re like, “Fuck off. You’re honest, but only with like half the team.”

Torts would just as soon call out Bob or Panarin or Cam (Atkinson) as he would Lukas Sedlak or whoever on the fourth line. I had a ton of respect for that. I respected the hell out of that. Now, Torts may have some misgivings as a coach with tactics and adjustments. His thing is go out, work hard and we’ll win (laughs), and that’s not always the case. But I think he is a fantastic coach.

Beyond the paycheck … what are the perks of being a Blue Jacket, and how does it compare to your other stops in the league?

Player 1: It’s not like they’re staying at Holiday Inn Express and the other teams are at the Four Seasons. No, it was fine. The old plane they had, that was a bit of a disaster, just with how old it was. Obviously, Swift Air (charter service) is a lot better, but some teams are flying I’d say at a whole different level. As for how they treat guys, making things available for them at the rink, it’s nothing short of all the other teams I played for. When I first started playing, teams didn’t have kitchens and cooks. Now they have all the meals for the kids, the breakfasts, the smoothies … Columbus has followed suit with that, too. There’s no amenity that Jarmo hasn’t put in there to make the life a little more pampery for the players.

Player 3: I wouldn’t say it’s the best in the league, but I don’t think it’s bad. They treat the players pretty well. There’s a (salary) cap, so you can only pay so much. What you should be spending your extra money on is the stuff surrounding the team. Certain places have endless amounts of money, so the dressing room, the facilities, it’s all tricked out and over the top. But in some cities the revenue is so high they can spend whatever they want on whatever they want. I know it’s different in Columbus and some other places.

Player 2: They don’t do any marketing, really, at all, from what I could tell. That’s a problem across the NHL, too, not just Columbus. I don’t think Torts wants individual players singled out. I don’t think Jarmo wants that, either, at all. In a way, I understand that, it’s a culture thing. But on the other hand, how do you garner interest for an individual player? When Panarin was there, he should have been the king of that town. Now, he didn’t speak English or do a ton of interviews, but just talent-wise. Pierre-Luc, you could have pumped him. Jones, you could pump him. There’s just not a ton of that going on.

[Havukka-ahon pajauttelija]

Spoiler:

Is negotiating a contract different with Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets than it is with other clubs?

Player 2: Jarmo is really good, but he’s really tough on guys. He wants to get a good deal, which, in his defense, isn’t that different from other GMs in the league. They all want guys for below market value, if they can. I loved it there. The city, the team, Torts … I would have loved to come back. That being said, they wanted to get me below market value. When it comes down to it … teams want undying loyalty from all their players, but then as soon as you don’t play well or there’s a hiccup of there’s somebody else, you’re gone. Right like that. I think it’s a little unfair for teams to ask players to take hometown discounts — “Oh, you like it, well take less money, stay here.” To me, if this is going to be a transactional relationship, let’s keep it as such.

Player 1: Listen, Jarmo’s a great hockey mind, right? He’s been a really good scout for years. He’s done a great job of bringing in players who want to be there. Yes, he’s demanding on contracts and things like that, but that’s what he’s paid to do. He’s paid to save every penny for the owners and put out the best product he can. I think he’s done a heck of a job with what he’s been able to do.

Player 3: I’ve played in places where they would tell you stuff and it was just a complete fabrication, a lie. In Columbus it was always “Here it is, here’s how it’s going to be, we have young players coming up … ” Very matter-of-fact, blunt. I appreciate that they have their eye on the future and the cap and how much you have to pay guys later in their career … I understand that all. But you keep the group together and build from there and guys end up wanting to stay. Guys love to win, almost more than anything.

If you were hired by the Blue Jackets in an executive position, where would you start? What changes would you make?

Player 2: It’s tough. You’re still fighting an uphill battle with the city of Columbus. I say this as somebody who really liked the city of Columbus. I just think generally speaking guys don’t love the city of Columbus, as a whole. When you are trying to sign guys, you might have to fly them in, wine and dine them, show them ‘Hey, this is actually a really great city! Let’s show you around.’ I don’t know if they do that, and I don’t know if they do that enough to entice people. Not to say you’re going to have to overspend on everyone, but if you want to get guys or your want to keep certain guys, you’re going to have to spend money. You’re going to have to land some big players and hold onto your best players when they hit their UFA years to change the perception that the Blue Jackets are a team that won’t pay. Get good players. Draft them, surround them, make them love it and love being there.

Player 1: This is anonymous, right? (laughs) I would say fire the coach, for sure, and I love Torts. I wish I would have had Torts at Dubois’ age, to learn how to be a pro the right way — how to work, how to play, how to focus. I’d love to have him as a coach when I was 20 years old. But I think he’s probably worn out his welcome, and guys have tuned him out. I think you need a coach that wants to bring guys together, play a fun system, score goals … that’ll lead to wins. They have the players, in my opinion, everybody’s just kind of stymied with him.

Player 3: It’s a tough one. You have to establish who wants to be there and who really doesn’t and try to build around that. If you get the sense that there are players who don’t want to be here long-term, even if you like them, you have to find a way to get valuable pieces for them. The guys who are there, make sure you’re doing everything you can to make sure they love it there and that they’re part of the long-term solution. It’s easier said than done. If you’re the GM of the New York Rangers, the job is easier. I understand that. Some states have tax situations that are really good so guys sign for less and still make more money. Or they’re treated really well and have a chance to win.

Right now in Columbus, you don’t get a sense that they really have a chance to win right away. It’s a smaller market. But when you have it together and going, you should try to keep it together as long as you can. And it’s not all a money thing, either. You need to let guys know, “Hey, listen, we love you here. You’re a huge part of things. This is what we want for you, and this is how we envision your career here, but this is all we can pay based on our salary-cap outlook.” I would have signed in Columbus for less than I got on the market. That didn’t matter to me. What mattered to me was having a chance to win and having a good role. If you’re going to try to sign free agents, you need to overpay. But when you have guys who are there and love it there — a lot of guys who are there love it — you have to keep it together and make them feel like they’re part of something.

[Duckulan Kreivi]

Hyvää kamaa, kiitos!

[Del Griffith]

Hyvää kamaa, kiitos!