GDT: 10/23/2014 - Arizona @ Minnesota - 7PM CST - 3AM Suomi - FS-N, FS-WI

[nickschultzfan]

Fontaine in the top-9 completely confuses me. All I see is a guy a half-step too slow to be in position and no size and strength to make up for it. Player of his size need to be quicker and have more guile to anticipate where the puck is going.

Zucker, on the other hand, has really impressed me with his puck-protection and cycle game. It's night and day from before. He must be watching Parise use his leverage and speed to explode low and hard through contact. That's exactly how smaller players can excel. Bigger defensemen then start getting worried about getting beat, so they don't get to out-muscle the compact forward. It's like accelerating through a turn in a car. Zucker is figuring that out.

 

[Jarick]

I'm a little surprised that Pominville and Vanek aren't playing together. They always showed great chemistry playing together in Buffalo.

I think that's going to happen soon. The concern was breaking up Parise-Granlund-Pominville but they aren't going to have much of a choice.

I'm also surprised to see Pominville playing the point on the powerplay. I hated that in Buffalo. Pominville is a great player, but I don't think he is a great fit for that position.

Well, we have the worst PP in the league and have been awful ever since Yeo took over, so I'm not surprised by bad decisions.

Vanek isn't on the same page because he plays horribly as of now. It seems like every time he gets the puck he stops right there, makes a couple of stickhandling moves and tries to force an impossible pass to someone around the net. His passing % was 4 last game.

He's ruining that line right now so he has to be moved. Wouldn't like to see him ruin the 1st lines game as well.

Last night I saw the opposite at times. Koivu got the puck, stopped skating, waited for Vanek to catch up, and then the Coyotes backcheckers arrived.

Koivu and Vanek skate like they are in quicksand, just like Moulson did last year and Heatley his first year here. It's going to be a problem sooner rather than later. You can't stuff those guys on a line and hope the problem goes away. They need to be split up.

I just worry that Vanek slows down Granlund's line and they get shut down too. Which is why I wondered about moving Zucker up to Koivu's line and Vanek down to Haula's. Haula has speed, Zucker has speed, Parise has speed. Spread the burners out.

 

[tyratoku]

First GDT of the year was a success.

Got a plan for tomorrow's GDT too. Should be a bit more fun.

 

[Nharris31]

I think playing eastern conference teams will spark Vanek.

 

[MuckOG]

I think playing eastern conference teams will spark Vanek.

If I'm not mistaken, Vanek has scored more goals against the Bruins then against any other....

 

[MNRube]

Some thoughts

-Granlund and Parise should stay together. They have been our two best forwards by a country mile and must drive opponents crazy. Parise's puck retrieval skills fit perfectly with Granlund's game and the chemistry between the two is our best offensive asset at the moment.

-Koivu has been hot garbage. His puck control seems to have fallen off a cliff and the step we saw he lost last spring is still gone. Really worried he may be done as an effective top 6 center. He looks that bad. His defensive zone play and faceoff work is still great, but man having another top 6 center with scoring ability would be nice right now.

-Spurgeon/Scandella are just freaking awesome. Two warriors back there who compliment each other perfectly and both bring a different element to our blueline. Lock these two up. Brodin also looks great.

-Vanek needs time. This is his 4th team in a calender year and he will come around. Put him with Pominville for a game, Yeo. Why not? Maybe put Haula between those two and Koivu between the kids. Haula's setup game is underrated and giving him two smart, finishing wingers could be a nice way to jumpstart his game too.

 

[Tony253]

Some thoughts

-Granlund and Parise should stay together. They have been our two best forwards by a country mile and must drive opponents crazy. Parise's puck retrieval skills fit perfectly with Granlund's game and the chemistry between the two is our best offensive asset at the moment.

-Koivu has been hot garbage. His puck control seems to have fallen off a cliff and the step we saw he lost last spring is still gone. Really worried he may be done as an effective top 6 center. He looks that bad. His defensive zone play and faceoff work is still great, but man having another top 6 center with scoring ability would be nice right now.

-Spurgeon/Scandella are just freaking awesome. Two warriors back there who compliment each other perfectly and both bring a different element to our blueline. Lock these two up. Brodin also looks great.

-Vanek needs time. This is his 4th team in a calender year and he will come around. Put him with Pominville for a game, Yeo. Why not? Maybe put Haula between those two and Koivu between the kids. Haula's setup game is underrated and giving him two smart, finishing wingers could be a nice way to jumpstart his game too.

Agree with just about everything here but will add...Scandella has taken his game to a new level and IMO, has been the best defender so far this season. Brodin is beyond the sophomore jinx and has been great so far this year. Zucker needs to be on the ice, his speed is so necessary for a team that relies on transition offense to score goals...Good to see he's playing PK minutes now.

 

[Gaps]

Some thoughts

-Granlund and Parise should stay together. They have been our two best forwards by a country mile and must drive opponents crazy. Parise's puck retrieval skills fit perfectly with Granlund's game and the chemistry between the two is our best offensive asset at the moment.

-Koivu has been hot garbage. His puck control seems to have fallen off a cliff and the step we saw he lost last spring is still gone. Really worried he may be done as an effective top 6 center. He looks that bad. His defensive zone play and faceoff work is still great, but man having another top 6 center with scoring ability would be nice right now.

-Spurgeon/Scandella are just freaking awesome. Two warriors back there who compliment each other perfectly and both bring a different element to our blueline. Lock these two up. Brodin also looks great.

-Vanek needs time. This is his 4th team in a calender year and he will come around. Put him with Pominville for a game, Yeo. Why not? Maybe put Haula between those two and Koivu between the kids. Haula's setup game is underrated and giving him two smart, finishing wingers could be a nice way to jumpstart his game too.

Some of these are extremely drastic conclusions to draw based on 5 games.

None of our lines are exactly on fire offensively, no matter how good it may look. Granlund has 0 points in the last 4 games. Therefore nothing should be untouchable for the sake of common good.

 

[rynryn]

Granlund hasn't looked bad at all but it's Parise driving the bus on that line. Parise alone. When does granlund's free pass expire? Coyle is outscoring him, and we all know how awful Coyle is with the puck and get daily reminders.

Small sample size for the season. no worries about anything right now.
well, vanek has me a little worried. so far he just tips stuff...shots, passes, clears...