Bo "the hero Vancouver deserves" Horvat - Part IV

[tc 23]

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[TheWanderer]

Prerequisites for Horvat staying, IMO, are:

1) Reliable on D. He can't be regularly overmatched
2) Decent in the neutral zone. No horrible turnovers or terrible positioning.
3) Serviceable in the Offensive zone. If the play dies on his stick, he goes back down.
4) Faceoffs need to be 50% or better. However, the better he is at 1-3, the more leeway he gets in this regard.

So far, Horvat stays. He is good in his own zone; winning battles here, there, and everywhere; he shows vision and prowess in the offensive zone; and he has been good on the dot.

It's not a question of who sits as long as a single player is injured. Right now, it's Kassian, though Dorsett and Vrbata are here and there as well.

How many games this season will we be 100% healthy? Very few... For those games, we simply sit whatever player needs a maintenance day, and rotate players out to keep the team fresh. If we have this many players, you will see this team before one of the league's best road teams.

 

[Huggy]

How many games this season will we be 100% healthy? Very few... For those games, we simply sit whatever player needs a maintenance day, and rotate players out to keep the team fresh. If we have this many players, you will see this team before one of the league's best road teams.

Yep i think this is bang on.

we finally have depth, glorious depth

 

[Bieksa#3]

Back to junior soon. Coach doesn't trust him enough to play him.

 

[iFan]

Back to junior soon. Coach doesn't trust him enough to play him.

I agree, and this was against the Sens

 

[kanucks25]

Could just be because he has rookies on his wings, too.

If it was, say, Dorsett - Horvat - Hansen, they'd obviously get a regular shift.

 

[iFan]

Could just be because he has rookies on his wings, too.

If it was, say, Dorsett - Horvat - Hansen, they'd obviously get a regular shift.

They could've switched him in and out to rest other guys. I don't recall seeing Horvat on the the ice for the whole 3rd? And I think for the last half of the 2nd? That's too long to bench a rookie like Horvat, what kinda message does that send to him, it's against the freaking Sens.

 

[wholesickcrew]

They could've switched him in and out to rest other guys. I don't recall seeing Horvat on the the ice for the whole 3rd? And I think for the last half of the 2nd? That's too long to bench a rookie like Horvat, what kinda message does that send to him, it's against the freaking Sens.

That's just not how Willie rolls (his lines). He likes to keep his lines together for consistency, which I think is why Hansen has stayed on the top line instead of Burrows. In general, there's no Vigneaultesque blender.

Oh, and it sends the message that he's a rookie.

 

[Spamhuis]

They could've switched him in and out to rest other guys. I don't recall seeing Horvat on the the ice for the whole 3rd? And I think for the last half of the 2nd? That's too long to bench a rookie like Horvat, what kinda message does that send to him, it's against the freaking Sens.

not just that but Vey was terrible defensively. An absolute disaster.

 

[Lundface*]

Return him to junior. Benching him in this game was a backhand.

Find a way to send him to Medicine Hat while we're at it.

 

[Nucker101]

kid ain't ready. he made some nice offensive plays early but he's a liability overall. this is a stanley cup caiber team, can't have young plugs like horvat in the lineup in june. he's a year or so away.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

They could've switched him in and out to rest other guys. I don't recall seeing Horvat on the the ice for the whole 3rd? And I think for the last half of the 2nd? That's too long to bench a rookie like Horvat, what kinda message does that send to him, it's against the freaking Sens.

He had one shift in the second and played 50 seconds in the third. I agree with the others, it's pointless to keep him here if Willie doesn't trust him enough to play him. I'm sure we can pluck someone off waivers who can handle 3 first-period shifts a night.

 

[wholesickcrew]

kid ain't ready. he made some nice offensive plays early but he's a liability overall. this is a stanley cup caiber team, can't have young plugs like horvat in the lineup in june. he's a year or so away.

Whoa whoa, gear down. As of now, this is a playoff team.

Horvat has shown that he can improve on a game-to-game basis, and I'm still hopeful he gets more ice time once more established players are back from injury.

 

[iFan]

That's just not how Willie rolls (his lines). He likes to keep his lines together for consistency, which I think is why Hansen has stayed on the top line instead of Burrows. In general, there's no Vigneaultesque blender.

Oh, and it sends the message that he's a rookie.

AV has gotten two different teams to the SCF in the last few years... He was a pretty solid coach, not that I think Willie isn't but don't like this move he pulled off today, I don't think that's right. He's giving Vey every chance and ignores his defensive holes because he coached him and wanted him here, Horvats the better all around player and when it comes to protecting the lead Horvat > Vey. I Just don't like what Willie did tonight to Horvat, he's here to play and develop if the coach can't trust him against the freaking Sens than send him back where he can get a lot of ice time and has a coach who trusts him.

 

[wholesickcrew]

AV has gotten two different teams to the SCF in the last few years... He was a pretty solid coach, not that I don't think Willie isn't but don't like this move he pulled off today, I don't think that's right. He's giving Vey every chance and ignores his defensive holes because he coached him and wanted him here, Horvats the better all around player and when it comes to protecting the lead Horvat > Vey. I Just don't like what Willie did tonight to Horvat, he's here to play and develop if the coach can't trust him against the freaking Sens than send him back where he can get a lot of ice time and has a coach who trusts him.

I wasn't criticizing AV--just observing that he tends to shuffle lines more. This is why I think Vey gets more ice time; he's been around since the start of the season, and so has established a presence with other guys. I agree that Horvat should be sent down if this is the ice time he continues to get throughout the season, but I don't expect his ice time will remain low. If for whatever reason WD continues to feel that that's all the play a Horvat line can get (and for now, I agree with others that it's as much about linemates), then I have no doubt that he will be returned to junior.

 

[TheWanderer]

Honestly, there is no excuse to play him so little at this point in time. Horvat had good shifts in the first period, and then suddenly was benched. For a coach who has been advocating rolling 4 lines, the entire 4th line was benched for almost the whole second half of the game. Horvat deserves more ice time IMO.

 

[Pip]

Absolutely insane that he's not being given a good shot to make the team. Willie going against most of what he said at the beginning of the year and what he's done with Vey+Sbsia.

 

[Lundface*]

I wasn't criticizing AV--just observing that he tends to shuffle lines more. This is why I think Vey gets more ice time; he's been around since the start of the season, and so has established a presence with other guys. I agree that Horvat should be sent down if this is the ice time he continues to get throughout the season, but I don't expect his ice time will remain low. If for whatever reason WD continues to feel that that's all the play a Horvat line can get (and for now, I agree with others that it's as much about linemates), then I have no doubt that he will be returned to junior.

?

Vey basically proves your theory completely wrong. New player, thrown onto the first unit PP without doing anything to earn it.

Started at 3C. Couldn't handle it, moved to 4C, Still has issues at center, moved to 2nd unit RW with Bonino (wtf ), played mostly 4C rw recently, now all the sudden is 3c wing. Oh and has even seen time on the first line rw

He's been given EVERY chance to succeed. His dad could be coach and he wouldn't be tried everywhere to try and shelter is defensive issues.

Horvat has been tried at 4C and that's about it really.

 

[Trelane]

They could've switched him in and out to rest other guys. I don't recall seeing Horvat on the the ice for the whole 3rd? And I think for the last half of the 2nd? That's too long to bench a rookie like Horvat, what kinda message does that send to him, it's against the freaking Sens.

I recall one shift cut really short because MacLean changed lines and threw out... Lazar and co. Desjardin countered with Vey and some (non Sedin) hodgepodge line. If Horvat can't be trusted to match against the likes of Lazar, who got 3rd line minutes, we a have an issue.

, re folks thinking Virtanen will be on the roster next year.

 

[wholesickcrew]

?

Vey basically proves your theory completely wrong. New player, thrown onto the first unit PP without doing anything to earn it.

Started at 3C. Couldn't handle it, moved to 4C, Still has issues at center, moved to 2nd unit RW with Bonino (wtf ), played mostly 4C rw recently, now all the sudden is 3c wing. Oh and has even seen time on the first line rw

He's been given EVERY chance to succeed. His dad could be coach and he wouldn't be tried everywhere to try and shelter is defensive issues.

Horvat has been tried at 4C and that's about it really.

?

I mentioned Vey. He started with the team. He's also viewed as an offensive (mainly PP) specialist.

 

[iFan]

Really hope this doesn't become another Hodgson situation

 

[iFan]

I recall one shift cut really short because MacLean changed lines and threw out... Lazar and co. Desjardin countered with Vey and some (non Sedin) hodgepodge line. If Horvat can't be trusted to match against the likes of Lazar, who got 3rd line minutes, we a have an issue.

, re folks thinking Virtanen will be on the roster next year.

Yeah Virtann likely 2 plus years away, he'll Horvat might not be on the team next year with how Willie D managed him.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

?

Vey basically proves your theory completely wrong. New player, thrown onto the first unit PP without doing anything to earn it.

Played for Willie D in Medicine Hat; was acquired mostly for that reason.

At this point in the season it's hard to say with certainty he's not playing favorites, which is mildly troubling.

 

[Get North]

His games are being wasted if you're barely playing him.

 

[Huggy]

I think he's here to stay no matter hwat, we'll always have someone injured 9 games is irrelavant