Game 6 will Panarin ever find his small nuts?

They should've tried that Kreider backdoor play again at the end. Fox sure as heck wasn't going to shoot. What happened to he and Panarin working so well off each other?

 

Not worried about Lafreniere even one bit. Kid already has shown he has the perfect game for playoff hockey, and he is going to be a stud. Zero concern about him. He is special, plays both ends, and isn't afraid to get dirty.

Kakko I am concerned about. Needs to stay healthy, and so far in his very young career, he hasn't shown me half of what Lafreniere has.

 

Yes but vets will rub off on young guys. Keep him away from our charmin soft vets and get a true power forward in here to help groom Laf. That should be on our wish list too.

 

Kreider had 0 shots on goal tonight.

 

Copp to me disappeared just as much as the others...he isn't a 5.5m year player

 

Players are who they are. Panarin influencing other players games doesn't bother me, it really doesn't, especially not Lafreniere.

I don't disagree on a power forward, but in theory we have Kreider and we only have so much money to spend. I put adding a true # 2 C miles ahead of any other need. I am sick and tired of being weak down the middle. Drury needs to do whatever it takes to address the need. I have said it for 3 years now, and this has to be the time with Strome gone. Must add.

 

I try to keep frank the tank and look to trade chytil hoping someone looked at the Carolina series and think he has all this potential.

If we can get a young #2 center man I'd trade chytil and kakko but they also need to take nemmeth's salary

 

I think Copp ideally is a great 3rd line C. I would give him $5M - maybe $5.2M tops - but if he is the difference between finally adding a legit # 2 C, he has to go. Re-sign Vatrano and Motte instead.

 

Kreider won't score 50 next year, but 35 is fair. I see no reason why Z and Panarin (if here) won't do what they always do. And I disagree on Lafreniere. He is ready to explode next season, and I have little doubt he will. And Miller will take his offensive game up also I think.

 

Yeah, if Kreider's O/U for goals next regular season was 49.5 I would not hesitate to hammer the under. He will be closer to 30 than 50 by a wide margin.

 

One thing on Gallant, while it is very clear Strome shouldn't have played, and scratching Kakko was absolutely the wrong move, at least he tried to mix it up. I have to give him credit for that.

At days end TB played excellent D, Panarin had two even strength points in 13 games, and the team as a whole had 1 even strength goal in the last 4 games. I cannot kill Gallant for that. Only so much a coach can do.

 

I don't love his presser here though...LOL. But it is tough to face the press after a really tough L. I don't want to hear about the 7 and 7, that is on us for going 7 and 7.

Lost 3 one goal games, two with goals against the last two minutes, and one tonight late in the 3rd. That is so tough to take.

 

There has to br more to this Kakko thing...the way Gallant shut down the question

 

Yeah, that was pretty obvious. Gallant does not like Kakko it seems though!

 

Z is a very good player, and is a C, which we need badly, I am good with him. I really am.
Kreider is only at $6.5M per. That is not a terrible deal. I don't love it I agree, but he has a few good years left. At that cap hit he scores 30 per and he is well worth it.

Panarin is the one to me. He has by far the biggest cap hit, his game does not translate at all to the playoffs, he is soft, never looks to shoot. He is a regular season player, that is clear. He is the guy I try and move, but realize it will be very unlikely.

 

I have to be honest, I just haven't seen it with Kakko. I know that is polarizing to write in here, I don't want to get into is it him is it the coach back and forth again, but I just have not seen it with this kid. Look at Kakko vs. Lafreniere, and it isn't close. Both treated the same way, yet Lafreniere is about to explode and Kakko looks lost to me.

With all that said, Kakko is so young so still plenty of time to be what we all want him to be, so by no means writing him off at all, and I would have played him tonight, but I just haven't seen it at all with him. He looks really lost to me.

We also said the last coach had an issue with Kakko also. HHHMMMMM...