GDT: Game 32: Anaheim Ducks vs Calgary Flames, 7pm PT, BSSC

[ohcomeonref]

I'm SO jacked to have Dry back. With a fully healthy roster it would be nice to at least make the wildcard teams uncomfortable for the remainder of the season.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

I'm SO jacked to have Dry back. With a fully healthy roster it would be nice to at least make the wildcard teams uncomfortable for the remainder of the season.

With a full lineup playing up their potentials, we might be a wildcard team..

 

[Rybread86]

With a full lineup playing up their potentials, we might be a wildcard team..

I appreciate the optimism but were looking at a 10 point difference right now and there are quite a few teams not playing quite up to expectations. I would expect that, given a healthy roster, we could pull up the rankings, but actually being a WC team... eh, seems like a long shot.

Granted it may also depend on what happens with Gibson, Henrique, Silfver, Boosh...

 

[lwvs84]

We may not be a playoff team this year, but we could legit play spoiler this year. We could beat a couple of borderline teams down the stretch or even a good team or two playing for seeding

 

[Hockey Duckie]

That first card you're citing still shows LaCombe's performance as almost entirely negative, in contrast to Gudas. Meanwhile, here's the card from Vaaks' one full game on the top pairing with Fowler, which looks better than that and also better than most of LaCombe's performances with Fowler. (For that matter, he did better than LaCombe with Gudas in this game.)

Considering how much discussion there's been about the weird methodology of the stat cards, I don't know how much stock I'd put in them for either side of the discussion. But since you're citing them, it's got to at least be mentioned that the picture isn't quite so clear cut.

Additionally, Vaaks-Gudas has performed somewhat better in basically every statistical respect than LaCombe-Gudas. To be fair, the sample size there isn't huge (though it's more than 6x the sample size of Vaaks' 15 minutes on the top pair, so if sweeping conclusions can be drawn from one they can be drawn from the other). 'LaCombe would do better than he is now with Vaaks' deployment' and 'LaCombe would do better than Vaaks with Vaaks' deployment' do not necessarily follow.

It's much more likely LaCombe is getting preference over Vaaks because of your first point, that he's younger and seen as having more upside. It's the right decision in a developmental year, but comparing the actual performance of the two isn't really as simple as Vaaks being sheltered and LaCombe not.

Vaak's first game as a top pairing TOI: 14:11. Fowler had 24:51. LaCombe had 17:54, which was fourth most out of d-men.

There are many factors why I don't like the cards b/c they lack lots of info. But hey, feel free to think Vaaks was amazing in those 14:11, which is 10:40 TOI fewer than his pair partner, Fowler.

 

[pbgoalie]

LaCombe has more upside than Vaak and is three years younger. Defensively, the coaching staff prefers LaCombe over Vaak, which is why Vaak got replaced from the top line with LaCombe. Also, people are forgetting LaCombe is a staple on the PK unit.

Many are enamored with Vaak-Gudas, but not realizing Vaak is in a sheltered role. Here are LaCombe's last two games playing with Gudas (Luneau was playing top-pairing with Fowler), Game 25 vs the Avs and Game 26 vs the Blackhawks:

Gm 25
View attachment 787970

Gm 26
View attachment 787971


I don't think many are giving LaCombe enough credit for playing up at the top-line as a rookie and disregard what he can do as a pairing with Gudas.

How were Lacombe numbers playing the left side??

Welcome to Anaheim! I park down the street at Noble Ale Works, it's a little bit of a walk but free parking, it's Anaheim so the weather isn't bad, and there's places to get drinks either there or at the restaurant on the way to the stadium. I also like parking away from the stadium because getting out of the lot is so much easier. There's also $5 parking on or just off Katella if you want to park a little closer.

I’m thinking not bad weather might be misleading tonight!

I kinda irks me why Kilhorn's nickname is Killer. I mean, yeah... on the surface, sure it goes great with his last name... And yeah, the Slap Shot reference, too I guess. But,... it's not even closely related to his game, since he's not very physical or mean.

More like stillborn so far

 

[lwvs84]

I’m thinking not bad weather might be misleading tonight!

I just got here and it's 70 degrees. A little rain doesn't bother me, so I think it's good lol. Plus he's from Canada... if it gets a bit colder it's probably a nice fall day

 

[MMC]

It’s probably going to rain tonight so naturally this is the first game of the season I’m taking tickets at puck drop patio

 

[Bergey37]

With a full lineup playing up their potentials, we might be a wildcard team..

I thought that at the beginning of the season; then the injuries hit. That losing streak has made it a LOT more difficult, but not impossible - I'm going to retain my optimism.

 

[Henrique Iglesias]

LaCombe has more upside than Vaak and is three years younger. Defensively, the coaching staff prefers LaCombe over Vaak, which is why Vaak got replaced from the top line with LaCombe. Also, people are forgetting LaCombe is a staple on the PK unit.

Many are enamored with Vaak-Gudas, but not realizing Vaak is in a sheltered role. Here are LaCombe's last two games playing with Gudas (Luneau was playing top-pairing with Fowler), Game 25 vs the Avs and Game 26 vs the Blackhawks:

Gm 25
View attachment 787970

Gm 26
View attachment 787971


I don't think many are giving LaCombe enough credit for playing up at the top-line as a rookie and disregard what he can do as a pairing with Gudas.

These stupid meaningless stat cards…..please stop using them as evidence of effectiveness of play. They are extremely flawed.

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

Don’t see McTavish on the ice… Jamie’s here, though.

 

[Leonardo87]

 

[Bleak]

I want to taste the tears of the Calgary homeboys at the poker tables tomorrow

They really hate Huberdeau here lol

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

My bad I was looking for 37 lol

 

[70sSanO]

Wonder how long it will take to see Mac on the 2nd with Vatrano and Strome.

I’m thinking 2nd period at the latest.

John

 

[Rooch]

Do my eyes deceive me or does that kind of look like three moderately legit D pairings?

 

[Ducks DVM]

Do my eyes deceive me or does that kind of look like three moderately legit D pairings?

Shhhh. They’ll hear you.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Wonder how long it will take to see Mac on the 2nd with Vatrano and Strome.

I’m thinking 2nd period at the latest.

John

It depends on if we get the Strome and Henrique from the last two games, or the Strome and Henrique from the 5 games prior.

 

[Ducks DVM]

The Ducks players’ mixtapes from the DJ

 

[2faded]

Cant wait to watch Drysdale again.

Incoming 8 game win streak.

 

[GiveYouABagOfPucks]

Hope Drysdale can show some explosiveness and has a healthy rest of the season!

 

[goosemooseduck]

It'll probably take him several games, he's been out for very long time

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Drysdale already best skater on team

 

[Ducks DVM]

Was that tipped?

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

That cannot go in, Dosty