Player Discussion Brett Kulak: Top pairing candidate #6

[japhi]

Kane was Drouin's responsibility on that goal.Weber had skated up to the hash marks and Kulak had to clear the crease. He did nothing wrong on that play. Drouin was caught napping.

Sorry but this is wrong, you don’t clear the crease on the side the puck is on with your partner on same side. Are you worried about a shot from the half boards in that situation? Of course not, there was a cluster there, the only dangerous play is cross ice. All he had to do was post up in front of Price, this is pretty basic stuff.

This doesn’t absolve Drouin but the goal was scored down low on Kulak’s side, that is his zone.

 

[japhi]

His playing vs top line when he is a #5-6 ... give him a chance

No hate for him, and is actually a 7-8. Watch d zone coverage, Weber plays both sides of the ice. Put Kulak with Petry and its a disaster

 

[Scriptor]

Sorry but this is wrong, you don’t clear the crease on the side the puck is on with your partner on same side. Are you worried about a shot from the half boards in that situation? Of course not, there was a cluster there, the only dangerous play is cross ice. All he had to do was post up in front of Price, this is pretty basic stuff.

This doesn’t absolve Drouin but the goal was scored down low on Kulak’s side, that is his zone.

Wasn't it up to the person who took the draw to find that man? I think it was Shaw who ended up taking that draw.

 

[Tim Wallach]

I am familiar with that coverage, Kulak is playing pee wee hockey and should have reacted to Weber playing across his side. There was only one way for the puck to go, cross ice. They aren’t playing man to man coverage, clearing a guy that is no threat is a rookie play. You partner is chasing the puck carrier you get to the center of the ice and go from there.

With all due respect you're both wrong. Shaw is the guy who took no one on that goal. All four others went to their assignment.

Drouin's man is the RD, Kulak rightfully took the guy on the net. Shaw put them both in a bad spot by staying in no man's land off the draw. That situation required communication.

 

[Scriptor]

No hate for him, and is actually a 7-8. Watch d zone coverage, Weber plays both sides of the ice. Put Kulak with Petry and its a disaster

Disagree. Kulak plays with Petry a few games before Weber came back and he got promoted to the first pairing. His play, along with Petry's was great but the sample being two games was not a great one.

If we end up acquiring a top-4 LHD, I have no problem playing that LHD with petty and keeping Kulak for Petry, of playing that LHD a little over their pay grade with Weber and playing Kulak with Petry. Either of Reilly or Mete would do great on a third pairing with Juulsen.

Let's make it so we don't need to play either Schlemko or Benn...

 

[Habs Icing]

With all due respect you're both wrong. Shaw is the guy who took no one on that goal. All four others went to their assignment.

Drouin's man is the RD, Kulak rightfully took the guy on the net. Shaw put them both in a bad spot by staying in no man's land off the draw. That situation required communication.

I don't want to blame Drouin because he played okay the whole night but he was also playing no one. He was covering neither the RD nor Kane. He just fell asleep on that play.

 

[Tim Wallach]

I don't want to blame Drouin because he played okay the whole night but he was also playing no one. He was covering neither the RD nor Kane. He just fell asleep on that play.

He was fronting his D man. Very little fault for him on that goal. Lost in it was that the Hawk player made a great cross ice play to a guy who hid far from the puck. It was an intelligent play that required intelligent defensive reads and the Habs didn't get it.

But no coach there would want his LD leaving the slot with the RD already on the side boards. Shaw as the C on the draw has to retreat with the LD and two opponents and take the one who moves furthest from the net. That is the coverage basics of that play. If you're assigning blame it's 80% Shaw and 10% each to Kulak and Drouin for lack of communication at best. But I'd personally go 95% Shaw.

 

[tazsub3]

Disagree. Kulak plays with Petry a few games before Weber came back and he got promoted to the first pairing. His play, along with Petry's was great but the sample being two games was not a great one.

If we end up acquiring a top-4 LHD, I have no problem playing that LHD with petty and keeping Kulak for Petry, of playing that LHD a little over their pay grade with Weber and playing Kulak with Petry. Either of Reilly or Mete would do great on a third pairing with Juulsen.

Let's make it so we don't need to play either Schlemko or Benn...

actually tonight he played on pk with petry and was very very solid

 

[De Montreal]

He was average at best in the last two games. Probably not substainable to have him on the 1st pair. If Juulsen come back does he sit? Or Reilly, even though he's getting points?

 

[Vachon23]

He was average at best in the last two games. Probably not substainable to have him on the 1st pair. If Juulsen come back does he sit? Or Reilly, even though he's getting points?

Rielly will sit WAY before Kulak

 

[domiwroze]

Benn or Schlemko should sit next.

 

[Archijerej]

Right.

How come MB cannot make some kind of package to get a top four LD ? He is constantly throwing young players on waivers and loses them.

Because packaging shit does not get you a diamond in return.

 

[Scintillating10]

When he was coming up the flames system, he was very highly touted. Then they traded for all those dmen and he got lost in the shuffle. Still young and lots of potential.

Bergevin said last night Kulak could skate thought if he handled the puck more would be better defenseman. Sent him to Joel for a month with intructions to teach him to hang onto puck longer. Then bring him up.

 

[Hfbsux]

Benn or Schlemko should sit next.

Rielly.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Rielly.

Agreed but when did Reilly look good this year? When he played with Juulsen. I think they go back to that on the 3rd pairing. I'd like to see what Petry and Juulsen can do as a pairing but I also think Julien goes with this.

Kulak / Weber
??? / Petry
Reilly / Juulsen

Let Benn and Schlemko battle for a spot with Petry. It's likely going to be Schlemko.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Because packaging **** does not get you a diamond in return.

Kessel, Seguin, ROR, Schenn, Karlsson, etc. It can happen at times. A package for a player. The issue is the package needs to solid and also address the other teams needs while not deflating your own prospect pool and depth.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Bergevin said last night Kulak could skate thought if he handled the puck more would be better defenseman. Sent him to Joel for a month with intructions to teach him to hang onto puck longer. Then bring him up.

No need to sent him down at this point. Ducharme wants you to hold his beer.

 

[Hfbsux]

Agreed but when did Reilly look good this year? When he played with Juulsen. I think they go back to that on the 3rd pairing. I'd like to see what Petry and Juulsen can do as a pairing but I also think Julien goes with this.

Kulak / Weber
??? / Petry
Reilly / Juulsen

Let Benn and Schlemko battle for a spot with Petry. It's likely going to be Schlemko.

True, he did look good with Juulsen at the beginning of the season. In the last stretch, I've seen him doing a lot of unnecessary mistake in his own zone. Yesterday, he made a really bad turnover trying to deke someone in front of Price when the game was tied 2-2 in the 3rd, ended up in a turnover and penalty for us. Maybe playing with someone who he is comfortable with, like Juulsen, would limit those kind of play. I'd give them another try for sure. Also, I think it's one of the first time I said this but, I thought Schlemko played a solid game on the PK last night. He has been really bad in his first games back but seems to get better. I'd go with this:

Kulak/Weber
Schelmko/Petry
Reilly or Benn / Juulsen

 

[Habs Halifax]

True, he did look good with Juulsen at the beginning of the season. In the last stretch, I've seen him doing a lot of unnecessary mistake in his own zone. Yesterday, he made a really bad turnover trying to deke someone in front of Price when the game was tied 2-2 in the 3rd, ended up in a turnover and penalty for us. Maybe playing with someone who he is comfortable with, like Juulsen, would limit those kind of play. I'd give them another try for sure. Also, I think it's one of the first time I said this but, I thought Schlemko played a solid game on the PK last night. He has been really bad in his first games back but seems to get better. I'd go with this:

Kulak/Weber
Schelmko/Petry
Reilly or Benn / Juulsen

Not doubt he makes some questionable decisions in his own end. And he is not a physical type and can get out muscled. Like Mete, I like their vision and skating but in order to stay in the line-up you better be darn good at what your suppose to be good at

 

[Walrus26]

Liked his game last night. Got shots away, showed a surprising set of wheels to blow past his opposite number and drive hard to the net, once again showed enough positional smarts and own-end-IQ to look at least comfortable on Weber's pair.

OK he's played the Sens 3 times in two weeks and has sterner tests to come, but you can only play against what's put in front of you. In the same sample size, he's easily been the 3rd best D-man we've put on the ice.

 

[Scintillating10]

Liked his game last night. Got shots away, showed a surprising set of wheels to blow past his opposite number and drive hard to the net, once again showed enough positional smarts and own-end-IQ to look at least comfortable on Weber's pair.

OK he's played the Sens 3 times in two weeks and has sterner tests to come, but you can only play against what's put in front of you. In the same sample size, he's easily been the 3rd best D-man we've put on the ice.

He is certainly a good skater. Get him more use to handling the puck could be a gem.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Kulak has been a very pleasant surprise. Getting Weber back has obviously helped the D a ton, but Kulak/Benn have formed a very solid 3rd pair and it has been a major upgrade over plugs like Schlemko/Alzner/Ouellet.

 

[Tyson]

Kulak has been a very pleasant surprise. Getting Weber back has obviously helped the D a ton, but Kulak/Benn have formed a very solid 3rd pair and it has been a major upgrade over plugs like Schlemko/Alzner/Ouellet.

Well said...this particular 3rd pairing has been very good.
Kulak has been a decent surprise.

 

[A55P2]

Kulak is where he's supposed to be. I think he could be a solid #5-6 for a long time for us. He's still quite young too so he could grow with our young core. Having all of our other younger D coming in (Fleury, Brook, Romanov, Juulsen), it's nice to know that we'll have Kulak as a strong #5-6 D out there and that he fills a specific need.

 

[overlords]

Incoming 3 year deal.