Post-Game Talk: Gojira

[Machinehead]

If we're healthy going into the playoffs, we need a defenseman a lot more than we need a forward.

 

[TGWL]

Vatrano isn't really good at anything except occasionally scoring a really nice goal. We already have that.

Nearly half his goal production came while racking up goals in 3 games. I'd be a bit hesitant on thinking he's our answer.

 

[Rongomania]

If we're healthy going into the playoffs, we need a defenseman a lot more than we need a forward.

If healthy, that's all we need.

Given Drus past moves, we're getting at least a forward as well as a dman.

I like this team, healthy & post TDL. A lot. And they all know what they've been playing with the last two months.

Fast forward and give me this Van game in March and I think it's a much different game.

 

[huerter]

If you think of 4 playoff series the last two years we had extreme highs and lows in each individual series but I really thought we would go through all 82 unscathed this season. Alas.

 

[Kovalev27]

Did we?

The one game where he got actual ice time he looked great.

Then he barely played in the next 2 and sat in favor of world class talents like Barclay Goodrow. I don't think we learned anything other than the fact that Laviolette won't play Othmann over Goodrow and other shitty veteran players.

Henrique would be a quality add but Vatrano in any way shape or form is NOT the play. If you want to improve team defense, you don't do it by adding a guy who is worse at it than most of the players already here.

Thats TML esque team building.

Well that was against Chicago which barely fields an nhl team. He was all over the place and frankly he was like that in the A too. He needs work at 5v5.

I think we need an upgrade on lindgren but no one wants to hear it including the org

 

[will1066]

Actually flipping the puck to the opposite blue line wasn't a bad play. After all, don't want to ice it there. Krieder ran right off, Fox ran right off. Lindgren's mistake was that he changed also. He should have stayed on as Miller came on for Fox.

Besides that play, they go F to D a lot to regroup and maintain possession on the breakout. But they do it so sluggishly, allowing the opposing team to also reset, or they go about it carelessly, leading to a turnover anyway. They flip it out, but it's right to an opposing player. They also just do not know how to chip the puck in effectively. It's just turnover after turnover crossing the opposing blue line. Maddening.

If we're healthy going into the playoffs, we need a defenseman a lot more than we need a forward.

Why not both? The F group isn't cutting it.

 

[will1066]

Crikey - who’s this “Kakko” guy everyone keeps saying will fix all that ails us? Starting to sound like the Second Coming.

”no pressure, kid”

We just need a net-neutral Kakko right now. The players occupying his spot are net-negatives.

 

[Row I Goon]

We just need a net-neutral Kakko right now. The players occupying his spot are net-negatives.

My wife's hot take on the game

"Rangers have got two cold goalies and can't score ES. The Trochek-Bread-Laf line needs to be given more TOI as well until you start winning again. You've got a few problems with your D pairings too. Other than that you're a top team..."

 

[will1066]

My wife's hot take on the game

"Rangers have got two cold goalies and can't score ES. The Trochek-Bread-Laf line needs to be given more TOI as well until you start winning again. You've got a few problems with your D pairings too. Other than that you're a top team..."

She's not wrong!

 

[Row I Goon]

She's not wrong!

What’s worse is she’s a diehard Canuck fan and absolutely threw the win in my face all night.

Upside - it’s our 30th anniversary today and as the gif says….

 

[JimmyG89]

Does not compute.

While not scoring, he was making the plays you want away from the puck and in his own zone. Kakko played the first 20 games of the season. In that time they lead the league in points% all while having relatively average shooting and possession metrics and 10th in 5v5 SV%. Since that point, they're 11-7-1 and have the 14th best points% and 3rd worst in 5v5 SV%. That Kakko sample includes the team missing Fox.

The goaltending is definitely an issue, especially since Quick is regressing and Shesterkin is inconsistent, but you're playing people above their weight for too long. You start running out of gas, especially the way the top guys are being leaned on. You also lost the #2 and #4 forwards on the team in xGA, so things got tougher on the goaltending in general.

Since Kakko went down, you've got 5 forwards averaging over 17:30 per game (Trocheck is over 21 and Panarin over 20). Vesey, Goodrow, Wheeler, and Bonino are around 13-13:30 (Wheeler is 12:56). You're overslotting players and while that may work for 10-15 games, you get stretched thin after that.

You've got five top 6 forwards so you're one short here. Brodz is really a 13th forward and Bonino outside of the PK is a AHL player. Same goes for Goodrow. Cuylle is a 4th liner for now. Wheeler can pass for a 3rd liner. Vesey is probably the one guy getting slotted correctly in this bunch and maybe Cuylle.

Even losing Pitlick hurts. That line was good at shot suppression and considering they took most of the defensive zone faceoffs, it's a fair tradeoff for a regular season line even if they didn't score a ton.

You've lost all your depth. Digging to your 16th/17th forwards is going to do that. They've treaded water for a while, which is what you need to do, but it's getting to the point where that boost is needed and Kakko is 1st up to try and get that boost.

 

[Machinehead]

Why not both? The F group isn't cutting it.

If we have the capital for both then do both.

 

[17futurecap]

Good that Brod and Bonino are being shipped to the 4th line of crap with whichever AHL player they call up.

Bonino shouldn’t be playing at five on five or ever really, I know he PK’s.

Jimbo getting stuck with Wheeler and Goodrow is another tough one for our hero.

 

[will1066]

 

[Peltz]

Igor is not elite and really never was outside of one fluke season

This is simply not true. He was absolutely 100% elite in round 1 of the playoffs last year. He was also elite when we had the 3 headed monster and forced himself to be Hank's replacement.

He can still turn it around.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Actually flipping the puck to the opposite blue line wasn't a bad play. After all, don't want to ice it there. Krieder ran right off, Fox ran right off. Lindgren's mistake was that he changed also. He should have stayed on as Miller came on for Fox.

It clearly was lol.

Passing the puck to Kreider there was the right call - its an easier out and Kreider has a better chance to get that puck deep. Instead he goes for a weak chip which resulted in a janky ass line change.

It was one of like 7 things that went wrong on that shift so its not completely on him, but if we're going to isolate that one moment then yeah, he done f***ed up.

You left out this



So if Cuylle can't get this working what do we go to next at HFNYR? Kane again? Or do we come to the realization that it's probably a good idea to get K and Z away from one another?

 

[will1066]

It clearly was lol.

Passing the puck to Kreider there was the right call - its an easier out and Kreider has a better chance to get that puck deep. Instead he goes for a weak chip which resulted in a janky ass line change.

It was one of like 7 things that went wrong on that shift so its not completely on him, but if we're going to isolate that one moment then yeah, he done f***ed up.



You left out this



So if Cuylle can't get this working what do we go to next at HFNYR? Kane again? Or do we come to the realization that it's probably a good idea to get K and Z away from one another?

If they're exploring Cuylle on his off-wing next to those two, then they don't think Wheeler should keep his role up there, and it's a no-brainer that Kakko should slot back up there as a natural RW when he returns.

 

[hardnosed]

It clearly was lol.

Passing the puck to Kreider there was the right call - its an easier out and Kreider has a better chance to get that puck deep. Instead he goes for a weak chip which resulted in a janky ass line change.

You make it seem like Krieder would get the puck out 100% of the time if Lindgren passed it to him at the top of the circle when 10 seconds earlier he passed it to Krieder all the way up at the blue line and it didn't get out because Krieder made a bad pass back. Again, Lindgren's mistake there is not the flip; he shouldn't have tried to change. You can see him hesitate. Should I try to change or not? If he doesn't change, he's on the left and Miller changing for Fox is in the center.

 

[FUZfan]

Missed the game, only watched the recap.

KAM needs to sit a game or 2 for Jones if he's going to defend like that .

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If they're exploring Cuylle on his off-wing next to those two, then they don't think Wheeler should keep his role up there, and it's a no-brainer that Kakko should slot back up there as a natural RW when he returns.

Yeah that’s probably it.

You make it seem like Krieder would get the puck out 100% of the time if Lindgren passed it to him at the top of the circle when 10 seconds earlier he passed it to Krieder all the way up at the blue line and it didn't get out because Krieder made a bad pass back. Again, Lindgren's mistake there is not the flip; he shouldn't have tried to change. You can see him hesitate. Should I try to change or not? If he doesn't change, he's on the left and Miller changing for Fox is in the center.

Kreider was uncovered.

I’m going to guess he gets that puck out. If he turns it over and Vancouver scores that would be on him and this convo is different.

 

[Larrybiv]

He signed Pitlick, Bonino, Gus, and Wheeler for 1 year 800k. Those were all good signings for a cash strapped team. Who would you have playing 3C when Chytil went down? The 1 mistake he made this off season was not buying out Goodrow.

I suppose he did well with the money available. We all thought Goody would be gone.
Had he bought him out, couldv'e possibly upgaraded over any one of those 4 above.
but for whom? I have no idea. Honestly, I was excited about Wheeler, but had NO idea how he had regressed. This game has gotten so fast and furious, that many are slowly being "pushed out" of the game prematurely. IMO.

 

[Larrybiv]

Unfortunately Igor has had more off nights than on lately

That's the type of game vs a tough opponent that Shesty needs to come up big, u know kind of like what Demko did and what Hank used to do.
Wouldn't surprise me if, he has a bad PO's or even average that eventually we cut ties with him. Goalies aren't worth that much money. Right @Machinehead ?

 

[Machinehead]

That's the type of game vs a tough opponent that Shesty needs to come up big, u know kind of like what Demko did and what Hank used to do.
Wouldn't surprise me if, he has a bad PO's or even average that eventually we cut ties with him. Goalies aren't worth that much money. Right @Machinehead ?

They're not but I seriously doubt we cut ties with him.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Brooks pulling no punches in the Post, comparing the defense to the Karpa-Ulanov/Ron Low era.

 

[huerter]

That's the type of game vs a tough opponent that Shesty needs to come up big, u know kind of like what Demko did and what Hank used to do.
Wouldn't surprise me if, he has a bad PO's or even average that eventually we cut ties with him. Goalies aren't worth that much money. Right @Machinehead ?

If every game is a referendum, eventually every goalie isn't gonna be the guy.