Half-Assed GDT: Blues Oilers: bounce back or crash landing.

[ezcreepin]

Same reply as above. If you have your choice between any of those players and Kyrou, in the cup finals to win you a game? Are you going to choose Kyrou? You're a damn fool if you do.

I don't know. Kessel was playing second fiddle to Crosby and Malkin during their runs in the playoffs and scored at a high clip. When Kyrou was playing second fiddle to O'Reilly and the top line, he scored 9 points in 12 games on a flawed roster. I'd say they're both the same type of player with different attributes. None of which that make me second guess who I'd rather have.

 

[Nederlander]

Buch has been pretty bad at holding possession and extending plays this year though and Thomas probably has a lot more puck touches so I guess this isn’t absurd. However, the main issue with Kyrou probably doesn’t show up in the giveaway stat but I would still call them giveaways. It’s way too easy to check him if he doesn’t have a speed advantage. He cannot handle contact and doesn’t handle the puck well under pressure. I think he neuters Thomas in some ways. Remember when the Buch - Thomas - Tarasenko line would dominate possession and finish with beautiful OZ passing sequences? Kyrou doesn’t have the small area skills to allow plays like that to occur. I think ideally he is a guy you put on a transition focused matchup dependent scoring line that probably should be your third line.

This. Unless Kyrou is flying in, he gets knocked off the puck so easily. Every time he's along the boards, he coughs up the puck.

 

[Celtic Note]

Kyrou is 169th in the NHL in giveaways per 60 minutes.

He is tied for total giveaways at 68th with Robert Thomas.

Also worth noting that Kucherov, Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Pasternak and McDavid are all top 10 in giveaways.

Hanafin is 11th in case anyone is interested.

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

Kyrou is 169th in the NHL in giveaways per 60 minutes.

He is tied for total giveaways at 68th with Robert Thomas.

Also worth noting that Kucherov, Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Pasternak and McDavid are all top 10 in giveaways.

Hanafin is 11th in case anyone is interested.

which just proves that that stat is a result of puck possession. if ya don't have it, ya can't turn it over

 

[Linkens Mastery]

You'd expect Kyrou to be a -25 and that the Blues would be getting completely caved in with him on the ice with how people talk about him.

 

[BlueDream]

Kyrou is 169th in the NHL in giveaways per 60 minutes.

He is tied for total giveaways at 68th with Robert Thomas.

Also worth noting that Kucherov, Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Pasternak and McDavid are all top 10 in giveaways.

Hanafin is 11th in case anyone is interested.

These are the players on the Blues that have more giveaways than takeaways: Kyrou, Krug, Blais, Alexandrov, Rosen and Kessel.

Not great company.

 

[Blueston]

You'd expect Kyrou to be a -25 and that the Blues would be getting completely caved in with him on the ice with how people talk about him.

Exactly. He isn’t perfect, but if we had 2 more good top 6 guys we wouldn’t complain as much about the ones we do have when they show us why they are $8mm guys and not $10mm guys.

 

[Robb_K]

Kessel with points in back to back games now. Was 3rd in TOI among our d-men tonight and led the team with 6 blocked shots and 3 hits.

He doesn’t play a flashy game by any means, but he continuously shows good signs. He’s willing to play that gritty game that we need back there. I think jumping up in the play and using his shot more will come with added experience and confidence. But for a player with only 20 NHL games under his belt, I’m happy with him.

Kessel has looked good to me so far, and has been looking more poised with every new minute of play. I'd like to see a lot more of him over the next several weeks. I think he could be a good, serviceable, third shifter for the Blues, going forward.