Post-Game Talk: BJ's @ WC's -7pm-ish

[kicksavedave]

That is my impression. Its like he had an adrenaline boost at the beginning like a call up gets for the first few games and then he wears down. He has been beaten on speed a lot lately. He has had other issues lately that might not be anything more than being destracted by his mobility problems.

There are three (maybe four) possible explanations here:

1) He's just slowing with age and this is as good as he will ever be, downhill slide coming
2) He's working through an injury and when healthy he will perform better
3) He's saving his energy for the playoffs and understands he doesn't need to give max effort on every RS shift
4) (Unlikely) He's just in doesn't give a crap mode


I think 4 is out of the question, and my hope is its 3, or 2, but 1 is also very possible. Thoughts?

 

[shtorm2005]

There are three (maybe four) possible explanations here:

1) He's just slowing with age and this is as good as he will ever be, downhill slide coming
2) He's working through an injury and when healthy he will perform better
3) He's saving his energy for the playoffs and understands he doesn't need to give max effort on every RS shift
4) (Unlikely) He's just in doesn't give a crap mode


I think 4 is out of the question, and my hope is its 3, or 2, but 1 is also very possible. Thoughts?

5) Or his adapting to the new NHL's speed, and many things don't work on ice like it used to. He needs more time to find solutions, but a lack of scoring decreases his motivation.


uuups... Nvm I thought you were speaking about Nicky.

 

[txpd]

There are three (maybe four) possible explanations here:

1) He's just slowing with age and this is as good as he will ever be, downhill slide coming
2) He's working through an injury and when healthy he will perform better
3) He's saving his energy for the playoffs and understands he doesn't need to give max effort on every RS shift
4) (Unlikely) He's just in doesn't give a crap mode


I think 4 is out of the question, and my hope is its 3, or 2, but 1 is also very possible. Thoughts?

Its not age. He's not saving his energy because you don't get demoted without being told first to pick it up. Doesn't give a crap? come on. He had a serious injury that isn't a hockey injury. The team has little experience with recovery from that. The defense is skating a lot more than in the two previous years. My feeling is that the work load is tightening his leg up and slowing him down. Whether its something he can work thru or will only get worse, I have no idea. Its definitely not effort and desire.

 

[kicksavedave]

5) Or his adapting to the new NHL's speed, and many things don't work on ice like it used to. He needs more time to find solutions, but a lack of scoring decreases his motivation.


uuups... Nvm I thought you were speaking about Nicky.

Derp, I was talking about Nick Backstrom but I see now that the post I quoted was probably talking about Kempny. Hah, I just read "seems a step slow" and assume that it was about Nick.

So TX and Schtorm, go back to my post above and make it about Backy, not Kempny, please, then see if it makes more sense.

 

[kicksavedave]

Its not age. He's not saving his energy because you don't get demoted without being told first to pick it up. Doesn't give a crap? come on. He had a serious injury that isn't a hockey injury. The team has little experience with recovery from that. The defense is skating a lot more than in the two previous years. My feeling is that the work load is tightening his leg up and slowing him down. Whether its something he can work thru or will only get worse, I have no idea. Its definitely not effort and desire.

About Kempny, my thought is, being off the ice for several months, made him rusty and slower. Hockey skating is not like riding a bike, they need to do it constantly and breaks from the regular routine create rust. Long breaks create more rust. I think Kempny is just still getting fully back into hockey game shape in terms of skating (not necessarily endurance). I think by April he will be what we came to expect again.

 

[txpd]

About Kempny, my thought is, being off the ice for several months, made him rusty and slower. Hockey skating is not like riding a bike, they need to do it constantly and breaks from the regular routine create rust. Long breaks create more rust. I think Kempny is just still getting fully back into hockey game shape in terms of skating (not necessarily endurance). I think by April he will be what we came to expect again.

I didn't go with the rust factor because he exploded out of the gate. He had 3 goals and 8 assists in his first 11 games back. That was 10-18 to 11-11. Since then its 13 games and 1 assist.