What's up with Backstrom?

[Nordic*]

Is he playing bad or is he just missing the points?

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[SimplySensational]

**** if I know. I was pumping his tires before the season started.

 

[InjuredChoker]

Playing bad.

I think he wasn't/hasn't recovered from that concussion he suffered in KHL. Or some other nagging injury.

He was awesome in KHL.

Adjusting from bigger rink, but he should be fine by now. He's not carrying the puck the same way.

 

[bacchist]

He's not playing with the same caliber linemates. I don't think he's play at a significantly weaker level, though.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

He's not playing with the same caliber linemates. I don't think he's play at a significantly weaker level, though.

+1

He looked good to me in person yesterday individually. Just think he could use some consistency with his line mates. I do like Fehr on a line with him, but Fehr and Brouwer seems a little slow for Nicky. Like Nicky could use someone on one of his wings that can help him push the pace.

Chimera would be that person, but Chimera is off right now. Someone said yesterday he might be hurt, seeing Chimera in person that makes sense. Missing his usual burst of blinding speed.

 

[txpd]

no...its backstrom and not his linemates. when backstrom, ribeiro and ovechkin were on seperate lines, ribeiro was making plays. on the power play its ribeiro who is making the plays on a game by game basis. the ribeiro setup for ovechkin goal #3 was a typical backstrom play of the past. 19 isnt making those plays this season.

backstrom remains in his place on the pp. its not that.

backstrom suffered a neck injury at the end of the lockout and its my guess that is still bothering him.

but its not because he's playing with worse linemates. he plays on the same pp where oates mandates that the puck goes thru backstrom. brouwer has 7 goals and is on his line.

 

[Ajax1995]

He's not skating well at all IMO. He lacks quickness and explosiveness and just is not very effective at all carrying the puck these days. He's also standing around too much on the PP.

Also while he has 11 assists, which isn't bad, I would bet only a couple are primary ones.

Ovechkin's been playing better and was rewarded for it yesterday without a doubt. Backstrom has been poor all season and it has little or nothing to do with who he is playing with.

 

[Calicaps]

He doesn't seem to have his strength. Too easily knocked off the puck and not able to win battles. I suspect lingering injury issues are a big factor.

 

[MoJoSauce]

no...its backstrom and not his linemates. when backstrom, ribeiro and ovechkin were on seperate lines, ribeiro was making plays. on the power play its ribeiro who is making the plays on a game by game basis. the ribeiro setup for ovechkin goal #3 was a typical backstrom play of the past. 19 isnt making those plays this season.

backstrom remains in his place on the pp. its not that.

backstrom suffered a neck injury at the end of the lockout and its my guess that is still bothering him.

but its not because he's playing with worse linemates. he plays on the same pp where oates mandates that the puck goes thru backstrom. brouwer has 7 goals and is on his line.

Completely forgot about this but it makes a lot of sense. I remember speculation around here that he wouldn't play and possibly had another concussion

 

[ALee10]

The 2nd line is kind of a mess, who does Backstrom have to pass to and to receive passes from?

Backstrom might have more PP points if Brouwer would hit the net alittle more on that set-up in the slot they run.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

If wolski had any ability to put the puck in the net he would have more points. I think we are wasting Backstrom playing him with 2 scrubs. Maybe Oates is focusing to much on fixing Ovechkin and hasnt had time to adress backstrom. But not much you can to when your a passing center and have to pass to a guy that cant hit a wide open net from 2 feet away.

 

[Cappy76]

IMO he's playing a perimeter game the same game he probably got away with on the KHL big ice that just doesn't work over here. He's not going to the dirty area's.

 

[Bananas]

He started growing a vagina in Russia and now I believe it's infected.

 

[Brave Sir Robin]

He's not skating well at all IMO. He lacks quickness and explosiveness and just is not very effective at all carrying the puck these days. He's also standing around too much on the PP.

Also while he has 11 assists, which isn't bad, I would bet only a couple are primary ones.

Ovechkin's been playing better and was rewarded for it yesterday without a doubt. Backstrom has been poor all season and it has little or nothing to do with who he is playing with.

Even at his best, I wouldn't call Backstrom an explosive player. What he seems to be missing is his tenaciousness and physicality. He seems to shy away from contact.

 

[MW6]

Looks to me like he's shying away from contact and not moving his feets enough. He's playing a perimeter game like someone above stated and also not shooting the puck as much as he used to. He needs to be more of a threat to score on the PP and he needs to get in to the dirty areas to make it harder to contain him.

 

[Calicaps]

He started growing a vagina in Russia and now I believe it's infected.

Eew.

 

[msrulo]

Backstrom is the reason why the caps are second in the league in the PP. If there was a third assist point Backstrom would have as many points as Ribeiro right now. He quaterbacks at the dot in the PP that's why he's not racking up as many points.

 

[Acallabeth]

Backstrom looks weak, slow and blunt, but he still makes some very smart plays.
I'm sure he's not fully recovered from that KHL injury, and playing without AO doesn't help him as well.

 

[BobRouse]

I don't think he's been all that bad really. The Caps as a team have really been snakebit but thats slowly turning around.

It would help if he was playing with better players but we really only have 1 winger that is a pure scorer and thats a problem.

 

[RandyHolt]

Dare I think he is fine, 1+12 -2 isn't bad for a last place team. It's just that there is a new disher in town, and less scoring wings, and he has been bumped down. Sure we would like a few more goals but he is always an assist heavy guy. He rarely even shoots on the PP and that is fine, its not his role.

We are still sorting out Oates's system(s). Centers usually have a lot of defensive responsibilities. The grinders aren't setting him up, and that is who he plays with.

I do not think there is a lingering injury. Ribs may be making him "look" bad to some. Ribs is one shifty player that can get pucks into Ovi's wheelhouse I think a little better than Nick.

 

[swimmer77]

He doesn't look as strong on the puck to me. But everytime I think he's not on the score sheet I look and he has a point or two. Still looks like something is not quite right though.

 

[Stewie G]

I agree with those saying he doesn't look as strong or as strong on the puck. He used to be able to maintain possession along the boards much better. He used to use the counter check to great effectiveness, but I rarely see that at all anymore. Maybe it's a mental thing with him not wanting to risk another head injury. Whatever the problem is, hopefully it gets sorted out. The team could definitely use Backstrom 1.0 to drive possession and give them two effective lines.

 

[Hivemind]

Matt Hendricks is generating more points/60 at even strength than Backstrom. 7 of his 12 assists have come on the powerplay, and literally every single one of those 7 PPA have been secondary. He's mooching powerplay assists off of Ribeiro.

 

[RandyHolt]

Most of the team is mooching goals assists and pluses off of Ribeiro though. While the consensus appears he is not as strong on the puck, I think he is simply lost in the wash. Its not like he is missing wide open wingers, flubbing passes, his line just is not creating any offense. The lines have been changing quite a bit, and he has no scoring winger. I am not sold the system takes 20+ games to sort but maybe its true.

Nick is not a highlight flashy type of player though. This is... kind of him. He was never really a beast on the boards, big hitter, fancy dangles type of guy. He is more likely to dazzle with a defensive play rather than a nifty stickhandle around a Dman Riberio style. Nothing has changed. He is a solid all around player.

He could stand to be a little more aggressive driving the net at ES or getting into high scoring areas, but the NHL has evolved to even the high skill guys forced to play back to the goal along the boards on nearly every shift. He is not going generate much from there until he and the grinders get more reps, and try and shoot more. He is not Ulfie Dahlen.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

I diffur as always to those of you more knowledgable than I when it comes to hockey, but seeing him in person Saturday I saw the Nicky I have grown used to seeing. He was strong with the puck in the Devils zone. Especially along the boards. Even pulled one of his favorite keep away stick handling moves looking to pass. Had 2 Devils hacking at him from behind trying to get the puck.

Now the game moves fast in person, hard to keep track of people/who is on the ice for me at least, but I kept my eye on Nicky as often as possible to see how he looked. He looked good, IMO. Skated strong all game. Just seemed to me his chemistry with his line mates was off. I like Fehr with Nicky, but Fehr and Brouwer with Nicky seemed to slow Nicky down at times. Hold him back for lack of a better way to describe it.

Having said that, I think a Fehr-Nicky-Brouwer line could be fabulous once all 3 get on the same page. Hope Oates gives that line some more games together to build some chemistry. Fehr is feeling it and Brouwer is playing like a man possessed over the last couple games. Just need Nicky to get a feel for both and that line could be special.