Sammy Pahlsson coming this way

[Per]

I didn't know a lot about Sammy before he came to our organization but I gotta say I'm liking the 3rd line vibe atm. Admittedly it doesn't have the scoring potential it did when Cody ran it but Pahlsson is a friggin black hole. The third line smothered the Blues, helped Lou pitch the shutout and had a couple decent chances.

You can argue that our scoring potential is down but conversely, you have more leeway when other teams can't score.

Cautiously optimistic. Still wanna see more zing from our 1st and 2nd lines though.

Yeah, Påhlsson is one of those unsung heroes kind of guys. There are lots of players with better skills, but Påhlsson, just like Holmström has figured out what he's good at and then stuck to doing just that. By becoming a role player he has carved out a nice little niche, the shutdown centre, where he is probably one of the best in the game, and turned it into a career.

Another one of those brilliant moves that just increases my respect for Gillis. Påhlsson is not a fancy player or a household name, or someone you will find at the top of any charts, but if you want a shutdown centre for your third line, this is the guy you want.

[wafflecombine]

Yeah, Påhlsson is one of those unsung heroes kind of guys. There are lots of players with better skills, but Påhlsson, just like Holmström has figured out what he's good at and then stuck to doing just that. By becoming a role player he has carved out a nice little niche, the shutdown centre, where he is probably one of the best in the game, and turned it into a career.

Another one of those brilliant moves that just increases my respect for Gillis. Påhlsson is not a fancy player or a household name, or someone you will find at the top of any charts, but if you want a shutdown centre for your third line, this is the guy you want.

I have to agree with on this one. A question that comes to mind is where does this leave Manny? I know he's currently centering the 4th but Lappy can do that just as well. There is a lot of merit in having a defensively responsible person on the 4th but still... the situation leaves me wondering what might shake out in the summer.

Guess we will see. Right now I'm going to relax, pour another single-malt and enjoy every win that comes.

[Ktulu]

Well it looks like Pahlsson can still skate, so in theory he should still be a very effective shut down guy. He's a clear upgrade on Malhotra, who's success rate at doing something with the puck has to be close to the bottom of the league. Whether it's a simple pass, clearing the puck out, or dumping it in Malhotra's failure rate is bizarre. Just last night he had the puck at centre, wasn't pressured, and he fanned on a simple dump in. This happens all the time. How much of the 8% over 50% on faceoffs is negated by his inability to move the puck? Pahlsson may only be at 51%, but his speed and ability to actually play the puck could be narrowing the gap on Malhotra who at this point is a one trick pony.

Malhotra might have had his best game of the season last night, but that had more to do with Kassian and Lapierre than anything else. The additions of Pahlsson and Kassian really adds to the bottom six and it's going to be interesting to see who sits in the pressbox come playoff time.

[donlever]

Is it bizarre Ktulu or can the guy simply not see?

It's not out of the realm of possibility that he can be an asset as a fourth line winger while winning some key draws in the post season.

What I wonder is this it for the guy or is there still an upside to the recovery?

Next year and his 2.5 bills will be an interesting quandry for Gillis espeically if Pahlsson elects to stick around.

[Ktulu]

Maybe, it's the eye, but I don't know. Everyone seems to forget that Malhotra was having a pretty awful year before the injury. You'd think he'd at least be able to feel the puck on his stick, even if his peripheral vision is gone.

I'm not saying he can't contribute in the playoffs, but if it comes down to Raymond on the 4th line LW or Malhotra it's an interesting decision to make.

Honestly, if it wasn't for his popularity and leadership in the room and the feel good story, would the team really keep a $2.5m faceoff specialist?

Unrelated to my criticism, this tweet from pass it to bulis is pretty damn funny...

Malhotra looks like a kid who can't skate and is afraid to let go of his dad.

[donlever]

Strikes me his game, after an admittedly poor start, had come around nicely prior to the injury no?

He had started scoring a bit and was, as originally expected, key on the PK and faceoffs?

Regardless the guy is not the same now as you intimate and it will indeed be interesting what happens moving forward.

[Strangelove]

from Expressen:

Påhlsson traded – ready to play in Vancouver
”It will be damned exciting, I’ve never played for a Canadian NHL team before,” Pahlsson tells SPORT-Expressen.

Such a damned unnecessary act by an undisciplined player, who tries to show his cockiness by hitting an opponent without the puck in the mid zone, completely blindsided. - Gunnar Nordström

Hey Per, what is it with damned foul-mouthed Swedes.

Or is it considered a good thing in Sweden to be "damned"?

[Ktulu]

He snapped his pointless streak, but I don't recall how much better he was actually playing. I do however still remember Toews totally embarrassing him on that one play where they were both going back for the puck. Toews pushed Manny aside like he was a 12 year old and proceeded to score.

[Potatoe1]

Well it looks like Pahlsson can still skate,

I was a bit worried that Pahlssons ability to play at a high level given his age and also that he has more or less been "out to pasture" in Columbus the past 2 years, but he still moves really well.

Not only is he fast but he's agile and very strong on his feet. He obviously isn't creative and has no hands, but he seems like a guy that can win his match up in terms of possession against better offensive players.

He actually seems to play a more abrasive game then Manny which is interesting given their nationalities (sorry Per).

Malhotra might have had his best game of the season last night, but that had more to do with Kassian and Lapierre than anything else.

This is why I would like to see Manny moved off that line and Lappy with one of Raymond / Higg / Hansen. Manny and Pahlsson can play together and play ultra defensive minutes i.e. taking all of the defensive zone starts and / or shifts against the other teams top line.

The additions of Pahlsson and Kassian really adds to the bottom six and it's going to be interesting to see who sits in the pressbox come playoff time.

I don't think any of the current forwards will sit.

I wouldn't mind a Bitz or a Duco in the line up for even more jam, but I don't think AV will give up his defensive guys.

Manny has had a tough year but he is still doing the job in his own zone. The guy mostly plays against the other teams top6 and leads the league in defensive zone draws. I think we are one of the few teams in the league that specifically matches our 4th line against the other teams top lines on defensive draws. most teams wait for your 4th line to ice it then send out their first line to burn them, on our team that's the match up we want.

Last night was one of the first times in ages I've seen him get sent out a couple shifts in a row to take draws in the offensive end and against the other teams worst players.

Manny never "looks" particularly good but he has played perhaps the most 1 dimension defensive role of any player in the league this season and he's actually kept his head above water.

Most guys would get lit up playing in the role Manny has been in.

I would say there is almost no chance the Coaching staff sits him.

[herb]

Manny has always been a good f/o guy with decent wheels, a high level of defensive awareness and little offensive acumen. I thought he was having a good second half to last season up until the injury. Manny wears an 'A' on his sweater for a reason. I'd be shocked to see him a healthy scratch in the playoffs.

I do like Pot's idea of putting Lapierre with Kassian and Raymond/Higgens/Hansen though. Knowing AV, I'm sure it will be tried. Unlike Malhotra and Pahlsson, Lapierre actually has some offensive abilities. A line of Hansen/Lapierre/Kassian would be a relentless honey badger mofo to play against.

[Potatoe1]

A line of Hansen/Lapierre/Kassian would be a relentless honey badger mofo to play against.

Yup, in my mind that's an upgrade over the 3rd line from last years playoffs which most would agree was quite effective.

More importantly however we still have a 4th line fully capable of playing the crazy tough defensive minutes that the 4th line has been given all season.

Hell even with a couple of injuries we would still be able to ice a pretty effective 4th line.

[Per]

from Expressen:

Påhlsson traded – ready to play in Vancouver
”It will be damned exciting, I’ve never played for a Canadian NHL team before,” Pahlsson tells SPORT-Expressen.

Such a damned unnecessary act by an undisciplined player, who tries to show his cockiness by hitting an opponent without the puck in the mid zone, completely blindsided. - Gunnar Nordström

Hey Per, what is it with damned foul-mouthed Swedes.

Or is it considered a good thing in Sweden to be "damned"?

I try to translate as close to the original as possible, and Swedish tabloids do not seem to have a problem with cusswords. Shrug. Perhaps because we are more or less a post-religious society? And mind you, Swedish curses tend to deal with religion rather than sex. Probably because sex hasn't been as much of a taboo here compared to English speaking countries. Thus the most common swear words would be jävla (of the devil), satan (Satan), helvete (hell), fan ( another name for the devil) and förbannat ( damned). Well, skit (shit) is frequent as well.

Thruth be told, Henrik actually said it'd be "skitkul" to have Samme on the team, but "shit fun" or "fun like shit" doesn't really work in English, so I decided to go with "it'll be a blast" instead, which I think conveys the meaning of his statement better. But, sure, in the original Swedish there was a mild scatological curse involved, and the paper didn't mind putting it in print. We just shake our heads in disbelief when watching American TV shows where all the cussing is bleeped. What would be so bad with just leaving the sound the way it was meant to be? In fact, I think the Britons were sort of having some fun with that in Four Weddings and a Funeral, where they start the movie of with the four or five first lines just being "fuck!" "Now try to play that on American TV!" they probably snickered to themselves...

But I take it they don't bleep as much on cable any more, right?
That's good, if it is so. Censorship is a bad thing.

[Strangelove]

^^^ Thanks for the reply!

Damned godless Swedes....

[Per]

^^^ Thanks for the reply!

Damned godless Swedes....

Well, not all of us. Markus Näslund is a rather devout Christian.
At least by Swedish standards - it's not like he's Rick Santorum...

[Strangelove]

^^^ Thanks for the reply!

Damned godless Swedes....

Well, not all of us. Markus Näslund is a rather devout Christian.

Don't tell Dude that, he'll burn his Näslund jersey!

At least by Swedish standards - it's not like he's Rick Santorum...

Rick Santorum is the devil in disguise.