serp
Registered User
- Jan 17, 2016
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Pour one out for our homie Benn who missed that tap in and gave Rads the goal.
He for some reason passed up on two wide open ENG's as well. He just doesn't want the easy ones.
Pour one out for our homie Benn who missed that tap in and gave Rads the goal.
This game will be perfect if Nichushkin scores off a nice pass from Heiskanen
3 D on the ice?!?
Forgot we also play tomorrow, spread the ice time as much as possible.We have 7D dressed and the game is 6:2 . Might as well use the extra defenseman.
6-2 blowout or so. Stars could really use something like that right now.
How has Jamie Benn been looking as of late?
Lots of confirmation of my bias today:
- Ritchie scratched in favor of a bunch of AHL d-men
- Honka overtaken by a bunch of AHL d-men
- Stars score six, and Nichushkin can't even find a secondary assist
Lots of confirmation of my bias today:
- Ritchie scratched in favor of a bunch of AHL d-men
- Honka overtaken by a bunch of AHL d-men
- Stars score six, and Nichushkin can't even find a secondary assist
I agree ouside of that . Val had a hand in the Hintz goal . Basically shielded Spezza to give him more time . He at least looks decent without hitting the scoresheet. Something you can't say about Ritchie.
Well, what sinks that argument is that every time Ritchie is given top six minutes, he does nothing with them. In today's NHL, the old concept of parking in front of the net to get garbage goals like Ciccarelli or Holmstrom just doesn't work any longer because goalies are so much better these days at absorbing shots or directing rebounds that the opportunities for those goals in the crease are far fewer than ever.The argument , that is quite correct , is that Ritchie is someone to be moderately useful needs to play infront of the net during a cicle game but since he's not good enough to sniff at top6 minutes he won't get those chances. 3rd and 4th line mostly get their chances off the rush and barely get any offensive zone starts so he's gone from meh to completely useless. Gemel Smith is a better fit for that type of 3rd/4rd line game. He creates something off the rush pretty much every game.
Well, what sinks that argument is that every time Ritchie is given top six minutes, he does nothing with them. In today's NHL, the old concept of parking in front of the net to get garbage goals like Ciccarelli or Holmstrom just doesn't work any longer because goalies are so much better these days at absorbing shots or directing rebounds that the opportunities for those goals in the crease are far fewer than ever.
Planting Ritchie in the crease would only serve to have his linemates left shorthanded when otherwise fighting to maintain possession. And if the thought is Ritchie would go help in the corners as needed, well, then we're back to where we are now with the fact he's just too slow to be a productive forechecker or cycle guy.
I'm just saying thats how Ritchie would look at bit useful but since the team doesn't really play like that he's now completely useless on the Stars roster. He's not an energy guy or a skill player , doesn't kill penalties and on the Powerplay he's just has useless as he is at even strength . IRC he made the PP against the Bruins look even worse than it is without him.
His style of play just doesn't fit all that well in todays NHL . Not a fast enough skater , not skilled enough , his shooting release is too slow . All this muh hitting isn't making up for that . There's faster and better "tough" players in the league. I don't exactly love Blake Comeau but he's a good enough skater that he is somewhat effective.
There's a badge of forward prospects knocking on the door very soon and that should spell doom for Brett Ritchie here. Hope we can find a trade to get some asset out of him before he is let go but the way he's been playing that'd be something like a conditional 5th to 7th rounder ? And even for that you have to find someone who believes Brett Ritchie would be a fit.