GDT: Battle of natural disasters

[The Faulker 27]

Still on my break from watching games, and now they've won 2 since I've been away. I guess that's it for me. It's just highlights from here on out.

 

[Vagrant]

the cool thing is that it's not just the defense. it's the short passes through the neutral zone by the forwards with pace at full speed that has been the biggest improvement in my estimation. you can't get to two Mississippi before the puck is already headed to the next man up. the current lines are trusting each other and moving the puck with dangerous intent. just really snappy, well-structured breakouts all the way up the ice.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

True, but to me it is starting with the defense and is noticeable. If they aren't getting the puck to the forwards quickly, while they are moving, it ends up being just like it was a few games ago where the forwards lose all momentum and end up standing still waiting for a pass from the defense. Now, I am seeing them get it in stride so they are able to make a quick pass at speed, vs. just getting the puck and having no choice but to try and dump it and chase.

 

[BrindAmours Army]

So for someone that watched the past two games, but had a 103-104 fever during them and was on lots of meds, how did Lindholm look at C?

 

[bleedgreen]

I think he looks great, but I always thought that in the past and others disagreed so I don’t know how others perceive it now. He’s a true playmaker, limiting those guys to one side of the ice and forcing them to be board battlers doesn’t really work. His passes to his line mates are sublime, he’s masterful at maintaining possession and using space to hold onto the puck until someone is open. He’s been solid on draws overall and is pretty good defensive player.

He’s wasted on the wing, and him being off the wing allows us to balance out the Skinner/Aho/TT/Lindy smurfy east west winger effect we create when we play them all there.

I’d leave him there forever and if he doesn’t make it long term trade him. He’s not a wing. Find wingers to play wing. Stempniak and Williams are prime examples. Lindy clicked well with McGinn last night, though the way he passes any straight line winger would benefit from playing with him.

PS They took him off and put him back on staals wing with Mcginn on the other side for the third. They immediately scored so there goes that. Peters never seems to agree with me about Lindy. His opinion matters a bit more.

 

[zetajerk]

I think my kachina Coyotes jersey is the lucky charm I've been looking for. Wore it last night and Friday and we won. Guess I can't take it off now. It's going to make showering a pain.

 

[Ole Gil]

I wonder if the success on the breakout is more about the opponent than the Canes? The Sharks were lining 5 guys up across the blue line, and the Canes didn't seem to have an answer. Contrast with Colorado who had everybody spread out, and with the room to operate, they looked amazing.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well Wally.

SJ: 5th best Shots Allowed, Philly 3rd best shots allowed.
Van: 17th best shots allowed, Col: 25th best shots allowed

This next game will be a test as LAK is a top 10 team in Shots allowed / GP and 2nd best in Goals Allowed / GP.

 

[cptjeff]

I'm not sure McGinn has more skill than LaRose, but unlike LaRose, when McGinn hits someone, they actually feel it, but the comparison is probably a good one.

Peters made the comment that he needed the team to play well enough so that he'd force Francis to go out and get a playmaking center. Could it be that his playmaking center has been on the roster all along, only he was playing him as a 4th line RW? Small sample, but Lindholm has looked good in that role and has 1G, 3A in the 3 games he's been at C. He was very effective last year on the PP from that spot behind the net and his assists to PDG and McGinn have come from that spot as well.

Personally, I've been thinking of McGinn as the second coming of Scott Walker.

And agreed on Lindholm. He looked great the few games Peters gave him last year, he's looked good this year- given the struggles we've had at center, the fact that it's taken this long to give Lindy a chance has baffled me. Let's hope it sticks.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Personally, I've been thinking of McGinn as the second coming of Scott Walker.

Yeah, in terms of toughness, Walker is probably a good compare. Still, for overall style of play, I see more LaRose. I thought Walker's (although we got him later in life) game was a bit more cerebral. He could and did, play physical, but his game wasn't all effort and speed, he could slow the play down to make plays. Maybe it's because he started as a defenseman and transitioned to forward.

McGinn, at least right now, plays 110% all the time and seems to play full speed all the time, and that part is similar to LaRose. Maybe as McGinn matures though, the ability to slow it down and play more cerebral will come.

 

[Breakdowns]

Just watched the game
Good pace, we actually scored 3 goals or more in two games in a row
That 4 min PK was huge. Skinner scored, Ward made some good saves, there is no way this is sustainable.
I will screenshot standings, because I have no faith we can be there when season ends.

P.S. We have still at least 7 games vs Devils and Flyers, plus few against Islanders, Rangers and stuff, so everything is in our hands. (That is not good, because Canes you know).

 

[The Faulker 27]

So for someone that watched the past two games, but had a 103-104 fever during them and was on lots of meds, how did Lindholm look at C?

Geez, that's super high for an adult. Assuming you're not a 5 year old.

 

[BrindAmours Army]

Geez, that's super high for an adult. Assuming you're not a 5 year old.

Yeah I don't recommend it. It's not fun

 

[The Faulker 27]

I wonder if the success on the breakout is more about the opponent than the Canes? The Sharks were lining 5 guys up across the blue line, and the Canes didn't seem to have an answer. Contrast with Colorado who had everybody spread out, and with the room to operate, they looked amazing.

That stood out to me in the Sharks game. I haven't seen any other Sharks games this season, but I'm curious if that was a strategy against the Canes, or if that's routine for them. That's more or less a do a die defense. If you make it past that with 2 guys, you're gonna have a good scoring chance, but it's going to take a strong entry, maybe up the boards, or a lightening fast pass to a power forward breaking through it.

 

[NotOpie]

That stood out to me in the Sharks game. I haven't seen any other Sharks games this season, but I'm curious if that was a strategy against the Canes, or if that's routine for them. That's more or less a do a die defense. If you make it past that with 2 guys, you're gonna have a good scoring chance, but it's going to take a strong entry, maybe up the boards, or a lightening fast pass to a power forward breaking through it.

If I recall there was a good bit of the old "dump and chase" in that game...which is one of the tactics I would think you'd use to break that down.

 

[The Faulker 27]

If I recall there was a good bit of the old "dump and chase" in that game...which is one of the tactics I would think you'd use to break that down.

Sure, but how effective was it?

 

[NotOpie]

Sure, but how effective was it?

It's one of the ways to beat "stacking up at the line"....given the effort of the team that night, I'm not sure it was a good game to provide an analysis of success/failure.