Pre-Game Talk: Bruins at Wings, Wednesday

[newfy]

I'm not interested in Smith turning the puck over constantly on the PP

Youre joking right? He gets trusted with 20 mins a game when the other team has another player but you dont trust him when the wings have an advantage? Hes the second best offensive dman the wings have and should be getting time there.

Tatar is way more risky with the puck and hes gotten time on the point. The PP the last few weeks has been absolutely brutal, that 4 minute PP against Toronto.... Good thing no one on the point turned the puck over, they held onto it and couldn't even get in the zone lol. Smith should 100% be on the PP, Dekeyser cant enter the zone, Tatar is risky back there, Kindl until the last 3 games hasnt produced from back there etc. How Smith hasnt even got a look is horrible.

As for this game, I could see some potential goonery in this game if Boston is thinking they might have Detroit in the first round

 

[InjuredChoker]

Youre joking right? He gets trusted with 20 mins a game when the other team has another player but you dont trust him when the wings have an advantage? Hes the second best offensive dman the wings have and should be getting time there.

Tatar is way more risky with the puck and hes gotten time on the point. The PP the last few weeks has been absolutely brutal, that 4 minute PP against Toronto.... Good thing no one on the point turned the puck over, they held onto it and couldn't even get in the zone lol. Smith should 100% be on the PP, Dekeyser cant enter the zone, Tatar is risky back there, Kindl until the last 3 games hasnt produced from back there etc. How Smith hasnt even got a look is horrible.

As for this game, I could see some potential goonery in this game if Boston is thinking they might have Detroit in the first round

yeah, i'm definitely not expecting bruins to lay an egg like last game.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

Youre joking right? He gets trusted with 20 mins a game when the other team has another player but you dont trust him when the wings have an advantage? Hes the second best offensive dman the wings have and should be getting time there.

Tatar is way more risky with the puck and hes gotten time on the point. The PP the last few weeks has been absolutely brutal, that 4 minute PP against Toronto.... Good thing no one on the point turned the puck over, they held onto it and couldn't even get in the zone lol. Smith should 100% be on the PP, Dekeyser cant enter the zone, Tatar is risky back there, Kindl until the last 3 games hasnt produced from back there etc. How Smith hasnt even got a look is horrible.

As for this game, I could see some potential goonery in this game if Boston is thinking they might have Detroit in the first round

I just hate Brendan Smith. I think he hurts this team 100 times more than he helps them. He constantly is turning the puck over, more than Quincey now. I just don't trust him at the point on the PP. It just screams short-handed breakaways. I will acknowledge that he is the second best offensive Dmen we have though

 

[newfy]

I just hate Brendan Smith. I think he hurts this team 100 times more than he helps them. He constantly is turning the puck over, more than Quincey now. I just don't trust him at the point on the PP. It just screams short-handed breakaways. I will acknowledge that he is the second best offensive Dmen we have though

I disagree about hurting the team 100 times more, but dont you think if the second best offensive dman was put on the PP he would start to help the team moer and contribute more to the team? I highly doubt with forwards back there on the point all the time that an actual dman is going to cause more defensive issues on the PP than those guys. I mean Tatar is way more risky back there. Even if he did give up a shorty or two, he also might mean a PP ranked higher than 18th in the league. Whatever Babcock has been doing isnt working on the PP, using the team's second best offensive dman should just be common sense.

Its these little things (same with Nyquist/Cleary) that drive me crazy about Babcock. Hes a great coach and has gotten this team with these injuries far. But without these little quirks where would they be

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Youre joking right? He gets trusted with 20 mins a game when the other team has another player but you dont trust him when the wings have an advantage? Hes the second best offensive dman the wings have and should be getting time there.

Tatar is way more risky with the puck and hes gotten time on the point. The PP the last few weeks has been absolutely brutal, that 4 minute PP against Toronto.... Good thing no one on the point turned the puck over, they held onto it and couldn't even get in the zone lol. Smith should 100% be on the PP, Dekeyser cant enter the zone, Tatar is risky back there, Kindl until the last 3 games hasnt produced from back there etc. How Smith hasnt even got a look is horrible.

As for this game, I could see some potential goonery in this game if Boston is thinking they might have Detroit in the first round

You can expect Lucic and Marchand to do what they do regardless of the opponent. I think skilled guys like Datsyuk make them honest and force them to focus on playing hockey. Datsyuk doesn't give them the ability to take liberties without putting themselves out of the play.

Curious to see if Nyquist can do the same thing.

 

[newfy]

You can expect Lucic and Marchand to do what they do regardless of the opponent. I think skilled guys like Datsyuk make them honest and force them to focus on playing hockey. Datsyuk doesn't give them the ability to take liberties without putting themselves out of the play.

Curious to see if Nyquist can do the same thing.

Nyquist is who I'm worried about. A softer team like Tampa was running him quite a bit last game, the Bruins seeing a rookie like him lighting it up and potentially being their first round match up? You bet itll be message sending time every chance they get

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Nyquist is who I'm worried about. A softer team like Tampa was running him quite a bit last game, the Bruins seeing a rookie like him lighting it up and potentially being their first round match up? You bet itll be message sending time every chance they get

I only saw one player (Gudas) do it, and it was only twice. I am not terribly worried.

Would love for Nyquist to dangle Lucic out of his jock strap. Just to show up Don Cherry for his stupid comments on Saturday.

 

[Flowah]

their pp zone entries are almost laughably bad. everyone knows what they will do. d man skates the puck up, without speed, realizes no one is open or can't see it, drop pass to the F coming from behind who turns it over or dumps it in and loses the chase.

Only Zetterberg and Datsyuk have the skill right now to turn that predictable play into a controlled zone entry.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Yea I tend to agree with the sentiment that if we can't trust Smith on the PP, then it doesn't make sense to trust him EVER. Why is putting him on the PP more risky than playing him at even strength? It's not! It just seems like it is because shorthanded goals are more deflating. But just the fact that we're on the PP makes it far less likely that we're going to get scored against, regardless of who is on the point.

If you're trying to shelter a defensive liability, it makes sense to ONLY play them on the PP and bench them at even strength. NOT the opposite.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I disagree about hurting the team 100 times more, but dont you think if the second best offensive dman was put on the PP he would start to help the team moer and contribute more to the team? I highly doubt with forwards back there on the point all the time that an actual dman is going to cause more defensive issues on the PP than those guys. I mean Tatar is way more risky back there. Even if he did give up a shorty or two, he also might mean a PP ranked higher than 18th in the league. Whatever Babcock has been doing isnt working on the PP, using the team's second best offensive dman should just be common sense.

Its these little things (same with Nyquist/Cleary) that drive me crazy about Babcock. Hes a great coach and has gotten this team with these injuries far. But without these little quirks where would they be

I'd rather have Smith on the point than Tatar, I'll agree there. I don't like forwards who aren't named Alfredsson on the point in general. Remember Samuelsson, that was just... wow.

I see your point in having him help the team on the PP if he's not going to do it in the defensive zone, but my preference would just be DeKeyser. I'll agree with what many are saying about his attempts to get entry, it's pretty bad. Though, I do think he can be more valuable than Smith on the PP once it's in the zone. I just like the way DeKeyser moves the puck better than Smith. Plus, he's not making nearly as many turnovers/bad passes as Smith in general, no matter where they are on the ice.

I don't mind if they want to experiment with Smith, but if he shows he can't hack it in 2-3 games of PP time, then just end it for this season. At that point, just double shift Kronwall on the PP IMO

 

[Frk It]

I only saw one player (Gudas) do it, and it was only twice. I am not terribly worried.

Would love for Nyquist to dangle Lucic out of his jock strap. Just to show up Don Cherry for his stupid comments on Saturday.

I had a hard time listening to the rest of his rant after I heard "knifequist"

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I had a hard time listening to the rest of his rant after I heard "knifequist"

What did Cherry say about Nyquist? Is there a video anywhere?

 

[Air Budd Dwyer]

What did Cherry say about Nyquist? Is there a video anywhere?

He basically just called him soft on the forecheck. He used Lucic as an example for how you should aggressively forecheck. Also, that soft forechecking like Nyquist's is why teams have an easy time in their own end because they don't fear Detroit's forecheckers.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Herp a derp forecheck is bad because Detroit. Ontario. Good Canadian Boy. Bobby Orr.

 

[Heaton]

He basically just called him soft on the forecheck. He used Lucic as an example for how you should aggressively forecheck. Also, that soft forechecking like Nyquist's is why teams have an easy time in their own end because they don't fear Detroit's forecheckers.

Using Lucic as an example of how Nyquist should forecheck is the stupidest ****ing thing I've ever heard.

 

[InjuredChoker]

Using Lucic as an example of how Nyquist should forecheck is the stupidest ****ing thing I've ever heard.

you must not listen cherry very often .

 

[joe89]

Lucic can take the body. Nyquist takes the puck.

 

[Epsilon]

Hoping someone gets Kronwalled, the whining on the main board would be epic.

 

[14ari13]

Nyquist is who I'm worried about. A softer team like Tampa was running him quite a bit last game, the Bruins seeing a rookie like him lighting it up and potentially being their first round match up? You bet itll be message sending time every chance they get

The playoffs Are around the corner, so I think they will do that.

 

[newfy]

The playoffs Are around the corner, so I think they will do that.

Krug basically said that they will. I read on twitter he basically said we want them to know if they have us in playoffs its going to be tough hockey for them. Its not surprising and I expected it but if tiny Krug is saying it than it could be bad.


As for people saying what Cherry said was wrong. He never said Nyquist in particular should forecheck like Lucic, he just showed that play as an example. He was saying Detroit is very easy to play against and not physical on the forecheck. Not sure why anyone thinks theres anything wrong with that, Detroit is a soft team. Boston is arguably the toughest and thats part of why theyre so good. I dont think Nyquist should forecheck like Lucic, but the wings should have some more guys that can get physical on the forecheck

 

[14ari13]

Krug basically said that they will. I read on twitter he basically said we want them to know if they have us in playoffs its going to be tough hockey for them. Its not surprising and I expected it but if tiny Krug is saying it than it could be bad.


As for people saying what Cherry said was wrong. He never said Nyquist in particular should forecheck like Lucic, he just showed that play as an example. He was saying Detroit is very easy to play against and not physical on the forecheck. Not sure why anyone thinks theres anything wrong with that, Detroit is a soft team. Boston is arguably the toughest and thats part of why theyre so good. I dont think Nyquist should forecheck like Lucic, but the wings should have some more guys that can get physical on the forecheck

We might take advantage of it and gaini a point or two.

 

[SoupNazi]

Herp a derp forecheck is bad because Detroit. Ontario. Good Canadian Boy. Bobby Orr.

I can't believe I wasted over six minutes of my life listening to that.

 

[SoupNazi]

That was pretty fun. Yeah every player should play exactly like Lucic.

No they shouldn't.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

Herp a derp forecheck is bad because Detroit. Ontario. Good Canadian Boy. Bobby Orr.

He's such a moron

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I thought the best part of that video was how non-technical Cherry is in his analysis. I can't imagine a coach breaking down a play like that today. It'd be embarrassing.

Anyway, I didn't think there was anything wrong with what Nyquist did there. He's a puck-hound. If there's no puck, there's nothing for him to do there. But he did the right thing and physically engaged meaning the other player is out of the play for a second. If anything, the idea that you need to smoke a defenseman every time is one of the main reasons players get hurt. You don't always need to murder a guy just because he touched the puck, especially if you know he's just going to pass it right away.

TBH, attitudes like Cherry's are part of why hockey rules don't make any sense. Half of the old-time guys still think the point of the game is to injure the other team. Checks to them aren't to separate from the puck, but to hurt the other guy. Intent to injure as a penalty and a suspension criterion doesn't make any sense when you've got people out there playing to injure every night. Until checks are meant to only stun or temporarily incapacitate, the sport is going to be a meat grinder and it'll be hard to police.