PuckInTheNards
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- Feb 4, 2008
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Player Discussion Nino "El Nino" Niederreiter II
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Meh, I'm taking much from last night's game. He looked out of sync more often than not, and Vegas played so bad that everyone on the Wild looked good.
And all those very's were pretty emphatic. I assume he meant they were worried specifically about whether or not he'd recover by the playoffs and not so much long-term.
Would he benefit from some time off? I know it's been speculated he's not fully healthy so maybe some time in the pressbox wouldn't hurt.
If it'd help I'd say give him some time off now that Kunin has been called up, but I suspect his injury is one that won't have the recovery time accelerated by sitting out a few games.
And I'm assuming the injury is what's behind his performance, because he's been skating like Koivu lately. If that's not the real problem I'm not sure if I'm more worried or less worried.
ThatGuy22
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- Oct 11, 2011
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Definetly the skating, he's taking 1000 holding penalties last few weeks because he doesn't wanna skate.
Oddly enough, the advanced stats still look pretty great.
His first step (well 3 step burst) is AWOL. Wasn't it a high ankle sprain, and then a brake/fracture to on of the leg bones? High ankle sprains take an off-season to heal, kind of like turn-toe in the NFL.
2Pair
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- Oct 8, 2017
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I think Russo speculated that it was an ankle sprain but it was later revealed to be a break. I don't think it was both.
Mancini79
Registered User
I was on vacation so i've missed the last couple of games but it sounds like he's been playing a little better?
Having that goal bounce off him looked to spark him. Last night was the first time in awhile I remember seeing him use his body and make power moves. It could just be the teams they were playing too.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Nino is getting to play with good players, and still has only 1 goal. He is badly underperforming his contract. If something doesn't turn around, he will soon have negative trade value. I would not have predicted this after he produced like a first liner two years ago. What is happening with this guy?
Poor decision making, losing board battles, poor puck handling.
He lost his focus, then his confidence, all his warts are shining and none of his strengths.
Maybe this is just bright-eyed optimism, but if he keeps shooting it'll start going in. His shooting percentage this season is like 10% below his average, and he had a stretch of like 8 games where he wasn't even getting anything on goal. He's been doing better lately; if he keeps it up he'll pull himself out of the funk.
But it's not like he's taking good shots, like the famous one in the CO series. I used to think of him as a shooter...I can barely remember one this year from him, while I can remember quite a few from Granlund and Zucker.
I don't know if I agree with that, though I won't claim my viewings have been laser focused on him. He hasn't had any of wicked shots from faceoff dots lately, but I don't recall most of his goals coming that way historically anyway. Usually they've come from in tight, and that's where I've noticed him most in the last few games: either in front of the net looking to pick up a rebound or behind the net looking to set up Parise (who'll get his own rebound). He had at least one grade-A chance last night that just didn't go in.
Not trying to make excuses for him or anything. He does have to start actually scoring here eventually. He doesn't get paid $5m+ for good effort and coming close.
at least he is skating well, and he is playing physically. At this point he's playing like a Marcus Foligno who can't fight. That's not terrible, but we don't need a 5 M+ grinder.
It seems like his hands are gone. Passes seem to carom off his stick in the neutral zone. He can't control pucks in the slot.
Hopefully this will be all forgotten by Christmas after he goes on a goal scoring streak. He's too young to have lost a step, or to start declining. Hell, he's in his prime? Or was that it, two years ago?
It seems like his hands are gone. Passes seem to carom off his stick in the neutral zone. He can't control pucks in the slot.
Hopefully this will be all forgotten by Christmas after he goes on a goal scoring streak. He's too young to have lost a step, or to start declining. Hell, he's in his prime? Or was that it, two years ago?
So.... What's going in do you think? He's been my favorite wild player since he came over.... So it kills me that it's going so poorly for him this year. Some games he looks engaged, in the right places at the right time and putting forth the right amount of effort.... With no benefit to the team. Other games he looks slow and a step behind.... Again to no benefit. Is it bad luck/timing and poor puck luck? or is he doing something wrong.... Not putting forth the effort? Someone with a little more hockey sense tell me. I'm flabbergasted.
I will say, when I remember him being ON in the past, he looked confident. He was in the goalies face, getting punched after every shift. I've only seen that one or two times this year.
To me, he looks slow, lost, no hockey sense, no puck handling ability... likely playing with less than zero confidence amplifying everything in a bad way.
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