Injury Report: Andrew MacDonald activated from IR (Nov. 27) after missing 15 games with a leg injury

[deadhead]

But that's a supposition, not a fact.
If Provorov feels MacDonald is a security blanket who can tell him when his game is off during games, he might have more value paired with Provorov than say Ghost or Sanheim, who are even more lost in terms of understanding the game.

People confuse raw talent with quality play, you can have all the talent in the world, but often chemistry is just as important.

Some combinations work better than others, Schenn is probably a more "talented" center than Couts, but Couts is a much better center.
Because almost everyone you pair with Couts improves, whereas to get the best out of Schenn, you must give him wingers who carry him.

In the same way, you often see defenses struggle until a coach finds the right pairings, not the most talented pairings, but the ones that work together.
One problem this year is MacDonald's injury, followed by the Gudas suspension, took out our two most experienced defensemen and jumbled the line combinations. Having set pairs that can work together and get comfortable is certainly helpful to integrating younger players.

 

[FLYguy3911]

 

[Magua]

Even if he could perform even better with a more capable partner and the team would be better off?
MacDonald is not and never will be a defensemen capable of playing on a top pair. He was a brutal anchor all of last season for Provy to drag around. His start this season was a bit better, but he looked like last season MacDonald after coming back from injury. I suspect his start was an abberation and his post-injury performance is more in line with what we will see going forward. Bad pinches, giving away the blue line like it's mardi gras beads, and getting lost in coverage.

I do like the idea that Provorov, who seems as robotic and coach-friendly as they come, actually would dictate who his partner is and demand he be put with (or not be put with) so and so. They put him with MacDonald, he's fine with it, he may even be more than fine with it, end of story on his end. I doubt he's voicing much more than "Yessir." While I'm not taking away the idea MacDonald may exude some off-ice calmness, I'm sure he could get comfortable with almost any good player if they played a string of games together. But it's not up to players, who have their biases informing opinions and oftentimes can't see the bigger picture, to choose their partners......it's up to the GM and coach to identify successful lines/pairings. That's the other bigger issue.

Some players don't play well together. But that will show up statistically. If he feels uncomfortable with Ghost while they have a 65% xGF%, GF%, CF%, whatever......then tell him to invest in a fleece blanket. And, again, I doubt he wouldn't be fine with anything or anyone they put him with if they are successful together. He seems pretty easy. Stepping out of your comfort zone for your own betterment is indeed a thing with young people. If you are not successful playing with someone -- like in this instance -- then I really don't care if you're comfortable amid that lack of success.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Comfortability is entirely irrelevant if it doesn't show up on the ice. Why is this an issue?

 

[BernieParent]

Do you think Hakstol is yelling "excelsior" at the top of his lungs from the chariot?

Too many syllables.

 

[deadhead]

Because you have to put three pairs together, you have to match guys who prefer the Left or Right side, you want to balance experience so that two clueless rookies aren't playing together.

The Flyers only have one 1st pair talent, and Provorov wouldn't be 1st pair at this stage in his career on a good team.
Ghost is 2nd pair at best at ES
Gudas is 2nd pair when his head isn't up his butt.
Sanheim is a 3rd pair D-man right now with 1st pair talent.
Hagg, Manning, MacDonald and Morin are 3rd pair defensemen.
Morin may become a 2nd pair guy like Gudas, but I think that's a couple years away.
Myers has 1st pair talent, but has to stay healthy and probably will be gradually moved up the food chain.

So there is no right combination for the current team.
Right now the best combinations might be:
Provorov - MacDonald
Ghost - Hagg
Sanheim - Gudas

Next year:
Provorov - Ghost
Sanheim - Gudas
Morin/Hagg - Myers

Somehow I feel there's a 1st rd pick/trade for another RHD in the near future.

 

[Lindberg]

Gudas is a 2nd pair at best at ES so just put MacDonald as the #1 RD. Yeah that makes sense. /sarcasm

Deadhead - Do you ever apply any logic to your thoughts or do you just spew them out?

 

[deadhead]

Provorov averages 19:45 ES, 3:33 PK

Ghost, Manning, MacDonald and Hagg have about the same ES time. A little over 17 minutes (or just under for Hagg)
Sanheim was two minutes less, but that will probably disappear over the next month.
Gudas was less, but his suspension game and early season shakes are probably the reason.

Last year Provorov, Gudas, MDZ and MacDonald were all just over 17 minutes, with Manning, Streit and Ghost a minute less.

So Provorov has jumped ahead of the pack, the rest of which are interchangeable.

 

[Curufinwe]

Gudas was on the 2nd pair in 16-17, but averaged the 2nd most ES TOI behind Provorov.

NHL.com - Stats

 

[Rebels57]

Gudas was on the 2nd pair in 16-17, but averaged the 2nd most ES TOI behind Provorov.

NHL.com - Stats

This is exactly how it should be this year, or at worst 3rd behind Ghost.

 

[deadhead]

What I think we'll see, a bit this year and more next year, are three pairs with even TOI, and then certain combinations with Provorov.
Next year I think Provorov and Sanheim will have the most ES minutes, then Ghost and Gudas, followed by Hagg, Myers and Morin, depending how it shakes out.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Depends who the coach is.

 

[TCTC]

Even if he could perform even better with a more capable partner and the team would be better off?

MacDonald is not and never will be a defensemen capable of playing on a top pair. He was a brutal anchor all of last season for Provy to drag around. His start this season was a bit better, but he looked like last season MacDonald after coming back from injury. I suspect his start was an abberation and his post-injury performance is more in line with what we will see going forward. Bad pinches, giving away the blue line like it's mardi gras beads, and getting lost in coverage.

We don't have many defensemen who are a capable partner for Provorov though. A Ghost/Provy pairing could work, but for now I prefer Ghost leading his own pairing rather than being Provy's sidekick.
We need a decent 2nd and 3rd pair too after all.
This year MacDonald is still the best option to play with Provorov, imo. Next year should be a different story.

 

[Striiker]

Is this "Provorov likes playing with MacDonald" another example of people taking media answers too seriously?

Did he come out on his own and say he likes paying with Amac or was he asked about Amac and then answered the only way he possibly could?

As if someone's gonna ask him what it's like to play with MacDonald and he's going to answer "He f***ing sucks. Somebody save me".

 

[JojoTheWhale]

We don't have many defensemen who are a capable partner for Provorov though. A Ghost/Provy pairing could work, but for now I prefer Ghost leading his own pairing rather than being Provy's sidekick.
We need a decent 2nd and 3rd pair too after all.
This year MacDonald is still the best option to play with Provorov, imo. Next year should be a different story.

But then you have a top pair that's significantly worse than decent playing however many of Provorov's 25 minutes a night are at ES.

And I absolutely, positively would not categorize Gostisbehere as a sidekick.

 

[TCTC]

But then you have a top pair that's significantly worse than decent playing however many of Provorov's 25 minutes a night are at ES.

And I absolutely, positively would not categorize Gostisbehere as a sidekick.

Don't get me wrong, Provy/Ghost could be a great top pair at some point. I would just like to have more experienced Sanheim/Hagg/Morin before starting such a top heavy defense.
What would our 3rd pair look like? Morin(Hagg)/MacDonald? Doesn't seem like a good combo.

 

[Rebels57]

Provy-Ghost
Provy-Gudas

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Provy-MacDonald
Provy-Hagg

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Still waiting for Farmer to change this team’s fortune.

 

[dats81]

Don't get me wrong, Provy/Ghost could be a great top pair at some point. I would just like to have more experienced Sanheim/Hagg/Morin before starting such a top heavy defense.
What would our 3rd pair look like? Morin(Hagg)/MacDonald? Doesn't seem like a good combo.

I actually think that Morin/AMac would make a pretty good shutdown combo.
Big body who can prevent zone entries and close down shooting lanes and a mobile guy who blocks tons of shot. Mac Donald becomes the puck mover but won't get many opportunities anyway.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I actually think that Morin/AMac would make a pretty good shutdown combo.
Big body who can prevent zone entries and close down shooting lanes and a mobile guy who blocks tons of shot. Mac Donald becomes the puck mover but won't get many opportunities anyway.

Big Sam could use his enormous wingspan to reach out and steer the Farmer to the side when he is about to run into our goaltender.

 

[Curufinwe]

Don't get me wrong, Provy/Ghost could be a great top pair at some point. I would just like to have more experienced Sanheim/Hagg/Morin before starting such a top heavy defense.
What would our 3rd pair look like? Morin(Hagg)/MacDonald? Doesn't seem like a good combo.

The popular choice seems to be:

Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-Gudas
Morin-Hagg

It would be very interesting to see how that top 6 did over a dozen games. This top 6 did not do so well.

Provy-Hagg
Ghost-Manning
Sanheim-Gudas

 

[deadhead]

I have trouble seeing Morin - Hagg as a pair, who'd move the puck out of the D-zone?

 

[Hurricane28]

Provorov-Ghost worked in the limited sample size now they won't go back to it.

I also don't know how much more losing it takes to spread the wealth out among the forward cores.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

any news on Stolarz?

thanks.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

He's still not expected to be back until late season. So sometime next year. Or he could miss the whole season.