Post-Game Talk: Game 36: Preds @ Blues. 7PM. Please win. Or don't. Whatever.

[HITMAN88]

Considering Saros's size is even more exciting to watch him make save after save than the bigger goalies.

 

[Mass]

I'm happy saros got a shutout.

I'm still not sold on saros or Fiala(now demoted to third line) though long term.

Blues took 7 penalties in this game. They couldn't establish anything.

Did Fiala get demoted or did the 2nd and 3rd lines from last game just get switched?

 

[Mypetrobot]

I don't watch Toronto so it's a moot point.

On par? What's on par?

To me any 4th rounder that makes the NHL is overachieving and that's a good thing. Anyone outside of a 1st rounder making it in the NHL is overachieving for the most part. There are exceptions where non 1st rounders become all-stars but they aren't the norm. The other thing is, depending on the year, some drafts aren't that strong and 1st rounders aren't guaranteed to amount to much. Then there are years where there are players from multiple rounds that become great players. It's a crap shoot at best. With anything it takes time to evaluate most draft picks.

I mean, if we evaluated Arvy after his first 40-50 games most would've been like, he hustles but he's not going to put up decent offensive stats. Now this year he's on a .66 ppg pace which is pretty good.

Sometimes you can look at a player and see that they are a tweener or a borderline NHL'er. Other times you can never tell. In his wildest dreams I don't think Poile would've thought Arvy would be doing what he's doing. Most of us wouldn't have thought this to be honest. Then look at a guy like Jarnkrok and while he's looked at as an intelligent player and he hustles, I don't see the growth potential in him. I think he is what he is, a solid 4th liner who can fill in on the higher lines from time to time but he won't amount to much more than that. He has a decent shot but it takes him too long to get it off.

I thought Watson was done here but he's played well in Salomaki's absence and while he'll probably top out at a 4th liner, was hoping he'd become a 3rd liner, he brings size and physicality to the 4th line as well as a high motor. Most people would've thought he was done here as well. I think he's actually performed better than Sissons this year and that's been a bit of a disappointment to say the least.

All that said, you are not impressed by Fiala and Saros. I'm not really sure why on either account. Saros has performed at every level he's ever played at and maybe his size hurts him in time but his positioning and technique coupled with his speed is phenomenal. Only time will tell with him. The thing I don't get with your comments on Fiala is you say he's small but he's bigger than Arvy and Jarnkrok, by a significant margin, has better wheels than both and is more creative than either. Arvy's goal the other night was a thing of beauty and I love his hustle but Fiala is hustling just as much and I have a funny feeling he's going to break through, just like Arvy has, he's too good not to. Once again, I think it's waaaaay too early to tell on some of these guys.

Watson was picked 18th overall, which is my point with Fiala. Watson has size and grit. He couldn't make it as a top 6 forward but he's still provides something. If Fiala isn't a top 6 player what else can he provide.

That's why I said marner or nylander. Marner was 11th overall a year before I believe nylander was 8th the same year as Fiala, other than Matthews they aren't exactly filled with talent.

As for saros, eh I'm just not sold on him yet. With coaches who analyze goalies full time and With the attack on goalie pads or bigger nets I'm not sold on smaller goalies, and neither does Mitch Korn. I do hope he becomes a Hasek though but odds are against him.

 

[Mypetrobot]

Did Fiala get demoted or did the 2nd and 3rd lines from last game just get switched?

You're right the whole line got demoted.

 

[NSH615]

Watson was picked 18th overall, which is my point with Fiala. Watson has size and grit. He couldn't make it as a top 6 forward but he's still provides something. If Fiala isn't a top 6 player what else can he provide.

That's why I said marner or nylander. Marner was 11th overall a year before I believe nylander was 8th the same year as Fiala, other than Matthews they aren't exactly filled with talent.

As for saros, eh I'm just not sold on him yet. With coaches who analyze goalies full time and With the attack on goalie pads or bigger nets I'm not sold on smaller goalies, and neither does Mitch Korn. I do hope he becomes a Hasek though but odds are against him.

You do realize that Mitch Korn was the goalie coach who advised Poile to pick Saros don't you? Also, the goalie equipment change is more likely to hurt bigger goalies like Dubnyk and Pekka than smaller goalies like Saros since the bigger goalies rely on size and the smaller goalies rely on positioning and quick reflexes.

 

[Mypetrobot]

You do realize that Mitch Korn was the goalie coach who advised Poile to pick Saros don't you? Also, the goalie equipment change is more likely to hurt bigger goalies like Dubnyk and Pekka than smaller goalies like Saros since the bigger goalies rely on size and the smaller goalies rely on positioning and quick reflexes.

Korn has said all being equal you pick the bigger goalie.

I'll have to do some rewinding on the NHL app but they did a bench interview with saros and his head was probably a fourth or fifth of his width from shoulder to should with pads on.

 

[glenngineer]

Did Fiala get demoted or did the 2nd and 3rd lines from last game just get switched?

Our top 3 lines get about the same amount of time at even strength so I don't really read in to who's the 2nd or 3rd line. Fiala and Smith are not getting the PP time which is where the discrepency lies in TOI. All the wingers have been up and down the lineup multiple times over the year. The fact that he is on that line isn't a big deal as Arvy has been on all three lines as has Neal as has pretty much everyone who's played wing this year.