GDT: #4| New York Islanders @ Nashville Predators | October 13th | 8:00 PM | F/L 5-2

[YearlyLottery]

Why don’t you just do it now?

Maybe I'll change my profile picture to Tavares then, he acted like one this past summer.

 

[YearlyLottery]

Honestly? The best news of last night was that Andrew Ladd played his best game here.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

How many more years of Hickey?
Talk about regressing.

 

[Isle1966]

I suspect hickey will be eating popcorn and watching from the press box next game. Sbisa will play against a former team of his.

 

[CupHolders]

Jumping around this thread and noticed the typical criticism of Hickey and Pelech. Not really suggesting it isn’t warranted.

But am I the only one who thought Pulock looked horrific in this game? He had a few good plays (which was brought up already).

But his puck management was terribad!

 

[PWJunior]

It sucks that we have ANOTHER long lay off until the game against the Ducks.

 

[PuckItUp27]

Bench Hickey for Toews

Bench Pelech for Mayfield/Sbisa.

Done


Pelech is the worst dman I have seen in a long time and Hickey has always sucked.

 

[BelovedIsles]

There's no such thing as acceptable losses but there was one good thing that came out of last night's game. Last year after the 3rd goal one of us would have poste "ANOTHER DOUGIE BLOWOUT INCOMING".

That didn't happen last night.

Instead the Isles stopped the bleeding and started competing long enough to get back into the game. That would not have happened the last 2 years. I have to believe Barry Trotz's message to the team during the first intermission got them going. That's part of the culture change that needed to be instilled here.

The Islanders will lose games because they aren't talented enough. They won't lose games because they didn't try to compete for the full 60 minutes.

Last night they only competed for 35. Weren’t ready in the first, 5 mins of the 3rd.

I give them the benefit of the doubt re: first period.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Jumping around this thread and noticed the typical criticism of Hickey and Pelech. Not really suggesting it isn’t warranted.

But am I the only one who thought Pulock looked horrific in this game? He had a few good plays (which was brought up already).

But his puck management was terribad!

Agreed, Pulock was just awful.

 

[BelovedIsles]

Pulock is going to look awful when he’s being force fed 23 mins a night, cast as a 1D. I know Trotz sees him taking the next step, but you want to put him in a position to succeed to build that confidence. Think his mins and assignments should be scaled back.

 

[buud]

the only D that i thought played well, was Leddy. the entire team was a shit show, at certain times. i would think that the layoff was a big factor.

Pelech and Pulock are struggling because they are being given top pairing minutes. it isn't unusual for players to need time to adjust.

Trotz started mixing the lines up, and i can see some changes coming.

i predict...

Lee-Barzal-Bailey
Ladd-Filppula-Eberle
Nelson-Beau-Komorov
Martin-Fritz-Cbuck

Leddy-Pulock
Pelech-Boychuk
Hickey-Mayfield

 

[steveat]

Pelech, Pulock and Hickey are playing like crap because they are being challenged..challenged to play a way they are not used to playing. It's like walking into work and being told to do it a different way..You're going to be slower, you're going to make mistakes and you're going to suck for a while.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I'm ok with "suck for a while" if the "while" is two months, or even a year, as long as it's not "another five years".

 

[saintunspecified]

I agree with MJF. The team didn't fold, although it's hard to say how much of that had to do with it being Brocktober.

The only thing that's really bothering me right now is how little progress Beauvillier seems to have made in terms of getting stronger. Everything else (teams' poor speed and error prone D) is as expected.

 

[StumpNYI]

I've always been a huge Pulock fan and that was the worst game I've personally seen him play.

Pelech wasn't doing him any favors though. I have no idea how that guy is on an NHL roster.

There was one play that stuck out that Pulock moved the puck from behind the goal line to Pelech on the half wall assuming he would move the puck out of the zone but Pelech was being pressured. Instead of chipping it out he made a quick pass back to Pulock who looked like he was not expecting it. He then had to take on the pressure from the forechecker himself and had to react to a poor play. He eventually turned the puck over.

Looked bad on Pulock but it was all Pelech imo. I wasn't at ice level so it was hard to tell what his options were but from where I was watching looked like he hung his teammate out to dry. I mean, we've seem him make some poor decisions when there is an obvious good decision right in front of him. Shooting at an empty net seems like a good decision, no?

As soon as they were on the bench a member of the coaching staff (Gruden?) was in both their ears.

 

[crasherino]

I've always been a huge Pulock fan and that was the worst game I've personally seen him play.

Pelech wasn't doing him any favors though. I have no idea how that guy is on an NHL roster.

There was one play that stuck out that Pulock moved the puck from behind the goal line to Pelech on the half wall assuming he would move the puck out of the zone but Pelech was being pressured. Instead of chipping it out he made a quick pass back to Pulock who looked like he was not expecting it. He then had to take on the pressure from the forechecker himself and had to react to a poor play. He eventually turned the puck over.

Looked bad on Pulock but it was all Pelech imo. I wasn't at ice level so it was hard to tell what his options were but from where I was watching looked like he hung his teammate out to dry. I mean, we've seem him make some poor decisions when there is an obvious good decision right in front of him. Shooting at an empty net seems like a good decision, no?

As soon as they were on the bench a member of the coaching staff (Gruden?) was in both their ears.

I didn't see the game at all so I can't comment but plays like that are a big problem for Pelech. He seems to panic with the puck at times. Usually the game slows down for players as they gain more experience. It hasn't seemed to happen yet for him though. While the non-shot against SJ was just one (bone-headed) play, its indicative of his questionable decision-making still. He still doesn't make the quick, safe play to get the puck out of the zone. When in doubt, he pins it against the boards or sends it back.

I don't hate Pelech and think he can grow into a solid D-man (maybe even a perennial top 4 guy) but he needs to continue his growth - mostly on the mental side. He definitely shows promise but his confidence needs to grow.