GDT: Game 15: Sharks @ Ducks 5:00pm NBCSCA

[Mattb124]

This is why I always say that being Burns' partner ruined him, he took too many bad lessons from the experience instead of continuing to use what were his strengths at the time. Got his wires all crossed up.

I jokingly say Burns broke him.

 

[Anomie2029]

The amazing thing is that didn’t creep into his game until his second pro year, and now his decision-making is literally the worst I can recall from an NHL player I am familiar with.

He made some poor plays in his rookie season, but he outperformed expectations significantly. He rightfully got praised for his good performances as a rookie.

The problem is he was then expected to play a larger role, and then rather than hold him to account for his poor play - he was praised by the organization. I have no doubt that it really impacted his development and ability to adapt to feedback - if he receives any.

 

[timorous me]

This is why I always say that being Burns' partner ruined him, he took too many bad lessons from the experience instead of continuing to use what were his strengths at the time. Got his wires all crossed up.

The way I remember it--which may or may not be true--is that he went from a good, solid defender who played a simple game, to one in his second year with Burns who was forced to suddenly become an improvisational defender.

That's why, even last year, he was capable of being a good penalty killer--he could operate well within that kind of structured defending. But with Burns he was put in a position where he had to scramble, he had to cover, he had to do too many things outside of his wheelhouse, and since then it feels like, with the type of guy he is, he's felt like he's needed to do too much because the team around him has struggled so much. And that DEFINITELY isn't his game.

We'll see how he does with Addison. Not a great defender but less free-wheeling than Burns. But maybe his puck-moving ability can help Ferraro in a sense because he won't feel like he needs to do as much in that regard, and maybe it could just help with zone exits. I do worry, though, that Ferraro truly won't recover his game until in a different system with a better all-around team where he can get back to just playing his simple game and he can feel fine about that.

 

[TheBeard]

The problem with this team is guys like Kunin and Ferraro are expected to take on larger, more important roles where on a decent to good team they’d be ideal bottom line/pairing guys you’d want.

 

[Hodge]

I'm not advocating for scratching Sturm or Kunin.
Sturm - my issue isn't his usage or anything like that. More that he is being praised for instances of poor play (i.e. playing a full 2 min penalty kill because his unit could clear the zone).

Kunin - I would take Zadina or Guschin over him in a top 6 role, especially when Duclair is back. Kunin is a 4th liner. It's that simple. Zadina has the offensive skill set that would be better suited to top six.

Ferraro - Give me any Dman not named Vlasic and I would play them over Ferraro at the moment.

Kunin is a 4th liner on a playoff team. On this squad, with Couture, Barabanov and Duclair out and Zadina, Granlund and Labanc playing like shit Kunin probably is one of our six best forwards.

Sturm is clearly our 2nd best center with Couture injured.

Our other left shot defensemen apart from Ferraro are Vlasic who’s 100% cooked, Knyzhov who sucks even harder than Ferraro and Okhotyuk who has a lot of promising tools but is still incredibly raw and inexperienced.

 

[Anomie2029]

Kunin is a 4th liner on every team. It's his style of play. He isn't skilled enough to be playing top 6 anywhere. How many opportunities has he been set up this season only to whiff on the shot or turnover the puck from poor play? He is a crash the net player, which doesn't work with cycling, skilled forwards.

Knyzhov and Ohotyuk have both performed better than Ferraro imo.