April 14 Practice - Ramo & Byron on the ice. Monahan leaves practice early...

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern

Wow, beyond the goalies, this lineup sure isn't what I would have envisioned at the season opener. I'm just excited to see what happens!

Here's our opening day roster:

Glencross-Colborne-Hudler;
Raymond-Backlund-Bouma;
Gaudreau-Byron-Jones;
Bollig-Stajan-McGrattan

Compared to today practice lines:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - Byron
Ferland - Stajan - Jones
Bollig - Granlund - Jooris

[TapeToTape]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

You do realize that both Colborne and Raymond have way better scoring numbers than Byron (who I like a lot). Obviously not all playing with Backlund, but still, tough to say even Raymond, who has an identical number of games to Byron, but double the goals and more points as well, doesn't know how to finish as well as Byron.

In the last 20 games they've played Raymond & Byron are equal in points (8) and goals (1). Colborne has 4 points in his last 20. Maybe they could benefit from watching a game or two.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Komskies

Here's our opening day roster:

Glencross-Colborne-Hudler;
Raymond-Backlund-Bouma;
Gaudreau-Byron-Jones;
Bollig-Stajan-McGrattan

Compared to today practice lines:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - Byron
Ferland - Stajan - Jones
Bollig - Granlund - Jooris

No Monahan opening night? Jones wasn't playing.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Komskies

Here's our opening day roster:

Glencross-Colborne-Hudler;
Raymond-Backlund-Bouma;
Gaudreau-Byron-Jones;
Bollig-Stajan-McGrattan

Compared to today practice lines:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Hudler
Bennett - Backlund - Byron
Ferland - Stajan - Jones
Bollig - Granlund - Jooris

Opening Day roster is missing Monahan.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

No Monahan opening night? Jones wasn't playing.

Ya, cant be opening day - Mony played all but 1 game this year which was the nooner against the Jets this past Saturday. That must be from a pre-season game.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by skudr248

Hey who is ecstatic that Raymond has a good probability of not playing tomorrow?

I SURE AM. He is softer than warm butter

Do you put Bennett in game 1 of the playoffs almost straight from junior? Considering the nerves that a lot of our other young players will have going into that game I'm not sure. Instead maybe Hartley puts him into the lineup at practice as a sort of wake-up call for Raymond and we see how he does in game 1. If he's good, then no changes. But if he's the Raymond we've all grown to be annoyed with, then Bennett slots in for game 2 after watching and experiencing playoff hockey from the press box and the rest of the team gets those opening game jitters out of their systems

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by saillias

Hah, we can only hope they waste their energy targeting Byron. It's kinda tough to demand a 5'7" player "answers the bell" anyway... I didn't even remember the hit or understand why they would target him until seeing the date of the article. The end of last regular season? Are Canuck fans actually talking about this?

No. Not that I'm aware of. I'm just wondering if the Canucks would keep an eye on him if we put him out there. Make for an effective pest.

Wishful thinking really. Not extrapolated into anything. Sorry for the confusion.

[Komskies]

My bad, just copied from the first GDT. Monny was sick at the time I think and questionable for the game. He must not have taken the morning skate.

[Enoch Root]

Personally, I think the best game for Bennett is game 1 when EVERYONE is a little nervous. Every game that goes by that he doesn't get in just makes it that much harder to get him in later.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Do you put Bennett in game 1 of the playoffs almost straight from junior? Considering the nerves that a lot of our other young players will have going into that game I'm not sure. Instead maybe Hartley puts him into the lineup at practice as a sort of wake-up call for Raymond and we see how he does in game 1. If he's good, then no changes. But if he's the Raymond we've all grown to be annoyed with, then Bennett slots in for game 2 after watching and experiencing playoff hockey from the press box and the rest of the team gets those opening game jitters out of their systems

This morning Pinder had Conroy on the radio, and he said the young guys were so unbelievably nonchalant about the LA game. It was the biggest game of the last half-decade and the young guys were cooler a glass of sweet tea.

I think Bennett will be just fine if he goes for game 1.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

No. Not that I'm aware of. I'm just wondering if the Canucks would keep an eye on him if we put him out there. Make for an effective pest.

Wishful thinking really. Not extrapolated into anything. Sorry for the confusion.

Plus they had some games this season to do it if they wanted to.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by cKy

Plus they had some games this season to do it if they wanted to.

Yes. That's true too.

Dumb comment of mine. Sorry all!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Its obvious you have to defend Raymond at any chance but have you not noticed that Mason and Colborne with Backlund has not clicked at all? Put your love of Mayray on the back burner for the moment.

Byron does things away from the puck that Raymond can't come close to, especially retrieving it. Makes a HUGE difference.

Raymond is the guy I'm sitting if you're going to play Bennett. If Byron is ready I would put him on Backlunds wing.

Bennett-Backlund-Byron sounds like an awesome line to me, glad Hartley is seriously thinking about going with it.

I actually don't love Raymond or defending him - he has ranked just above Bollig and Engelland on my least favorite list all year, and those guys passed him lately - he is in last place among regulars. I just get tired of the hate and of the silly assumptions that he is replaceable by guys with far less experience or offensive stats. I could probably find a bunch of posts that say Poirier or Wolf should take his place and they'd produce more.

I totally agree that Byron brings stuff away from the puck, and that he is likely a better option than Raymond because of that (assuming good health). But the post I responded to specifically talked about stuff with the puck.

I also think that if Bennett plays, Raymond should sit, and that Backlund and Byron would work well with him (though I am not sure about throwing Byron in with one practice, and only half of that out of a blue jersey).

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think if they are going to put Bennett into the lineup, slotting him in with Backlund and Byron makes a whole lot of sense. Backlund and Byron are both extremely quick players as well, and are both very responsible defensively. That line has the potential to be extremely difficult for the Canucks to manage.

I don't mind Colborne on that line either - he does a heck of a job in the corners - but you just have to love the speed that this line could generate with Byron there. I also think that Backlund plays fairly well with Byron.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I still maintain that Raymond is a better hockey player than Brandon Bollig, and that it's not close. He should be playing.

[Trojan97]

Bennett-Backlund-Byron, gotta love that speed and tenacity. Benny and the Jets line.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I think if they are going to put Bennett into the lineup, slotting him in with Backlund and Byron makes a whole lot of sense. Backlund and Byron are both extremely quick players as well, and are both very responsible defensively. That line has the potential to be extremely difficult for the Canucks to manage.

I don't mind Colborne on that line either - he does a heck of a job in the corners - but you just have to love the speed that this line could generate with Byron there. I also think that Backlund plays fairly well with Byron.

I agree, as long as Byron is healthy enough. He's had the one set back already.

I think Colborne would be OK - he's faster than he looks (Jones too for that matter). But Hartley is also concerned about matchups against the Sedins and the Higgins line.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I still maintain that Raymond is a better hockey player than Brandon Bollig, and that it's not close. He should be playing.

Sven Baertschi is a better hockey player than Bollig too, it doesn't mean he replaces him.

Raymond may have better speed and better hands than Bollig, but that doesn't mean he is as effective in the same role. Minus his back check and set up for Hudler in the LA game, Raymond has been mostly non-existent, particularly on the score sheet where he's supposed to help. Bollig isn't on the score sheet, but he's making dman s*** their pants when he's forechecking. Raymond can't do that.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I still maintain that Raymond is a better hockey player than Brandon Bollig, and that it's not close. He should be playing.

Yeah, he might be better but at totally different things. Bollig brings a different dynamic than Raymond.

Did you watch the Kings game? This team gets tossed around a lot, they're really small, guys like Bollig and Engelland are clearly important.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I still maintain that Raymond is a better hockey player than Brandon Bollig, and that it's not close. He should be playing.

He's obviously a better scorer, and maybe better defensively. But not a better hitter or someone to make a Canuck think twice about holding the puck too long.

Does Raymond fit with a 4th line with Granlund and Jooris? Maybe but it would be a completely different line, with not a lot of grit. And Raymond strikes me as a guy who needs at least middle line minutes to work himself into the game and be effective. He's a lot like Sven (without the tude).