GDT: Calder Cup Finals Game #1| Grand Rapids Griffins @ Syracuse Crunch | June 8 | 7:00 PM

[FlashyG]

Thats game. Time to get to work on the next GDT... I hope to have it posted in a couple hours.

Stay Tuned

 

[acetehubernoob]

Nyquist!

 

[Flowah]

Andersson with a strong as hell play to Nyquist for the EN.

All these performers better be up next year full time. I'm super serial guys..

 

[Detroit Sports*]

Game over!

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Great game by Mrazek. Not much he could do on the only goal he let in.

 

[Detroit Sports*]

Great game by Mrazek. Not much he could do on the only goal he let in.

How are we going to keep him in GR for 5 more years?!

 

[MBauer]

The crunch fans over on Tampa's board are quite the cocky/arrogant bunch.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

The crunch fans over on Tampa's board are quite the cocky/arrogant bunch.

Well, this IS their second loss of the playoffs. I don't agree, but I can see why they'd have a ton of faith in their team to win.

 

[MBauer]

Well, this IS their second loss of the playoffs. I don't agree, but I can see why they'd have a ton of faith in their team to win.

I understand having confidence, but most of them are just like we dominated this game and they just got lucky, we will take the next four no problem.

They may have out shot the Griffins that game, but the Griffins do tend to go into a bit of a defensive shell with a lead. Also there were plenty of golden opportunities that the Griffins failed to capitalize on, it's not like they just had a few goals and were completely invisible the rest of the game.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I understand having confidence, but most of them are just like we dominated this game and they just got lucky, we will take the next four no problem.

Well if you have watched that team for two straight years that would probably be your opinion as well. I think it is going to be a tough series, hope the Griffins can pull it out. I do think for the first time all year Syracuse isn't the fastest team on ice and they will have to adjust to that.

You can say speed is really all they have an advantage in, but it is unusual for Syracuse to be slower. It isn't unusual for the Griffins to face a team that likes to deliver thundering hits. Syracuse is better than anyone they played, but they aren't playing with a new game plan as opposed to other teams. They will be in for a steeper learning curve because of that in my opinion, they are the ones that have to adjust to something, not the Griffins.

 

[MBauer]

Well if you have watched that team for two straight years that would probably be your opinion as well. I think it is going to be a tough series, hope the Griffins can pull it out. I do think for the first time all year Syracuse isn't the fastest team on ice and they will have to adjust to that.

You can say speed is really all they have an advantage in, but it is unusual for Syracuse to be slower. It isn't unusual for the Griffins to face a team that likes to deliver thundering hits. Syracuse is better than anyone they played, but they aren't playing with a new game plan as opposed to other teams. They will be in for a steeper learning curve because of that in my opinion, they are the ones that have to adjust to something, not the Griffins.

I don't think I would ever be that cocky, sure if I was a fan of the team I would definitely think they're gonna win no questions, but I would never completely disregard the other team.

I agree that Syracuse is for sure the best team they have faced, but the favorite doesn't always win and every hockey fan should know that by now.

 

[Yzerman1919*]

No Goal? LOL no wonder these refs are in the AHL...

That call was BRUTAL. Absolutely terrible, I had blue line seats so had a pretty good look at it. Griffins are so fast its insane, every one of them it is hard for us to go flying through the neutral zone because someone is hounding them. Mrazek is unbelievable.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

That call was BRUTAL. Absolutely terrible, I had blue line seats so had a pretty good look at it. Griffins are so fast its insane, every one of them it is hard for us to go flying through the neutral zone because someone is hounding them. Mrazek is unbelievable.

I disagreed with the call, but he was very deep in the paint, wasn't pushed there and stayed there too long. He put himself in a position where that call can be made.

Also often overlooked is the Ref is usually having a dialogue with the player doing that. So he might have been warning him, Mrazek came up nodding right away like he already knew they were taking that one away.

 

[PullHard]

FlashyG: bringing excellence to HFBoards since December 2011

 

[Cbdudek]

How are we going to keep him in GR for 5 more years?!

They won't. He will be in GR all season next season since we have Monster signed next year already. Besides, we have to see how Mrazek does with a full season in the AHL and to see if he can replicate his success. I would rather have Mrazek playing in the AHL for 60+ games rather than sitting on the bench for the Wings getting 15-20 games while Howard is getting all the action.

I say he will come up to the Wings in 2-3 years if he can continue his strong play.

 

[Yzerman1919*]

I disagreed with the call, but he was very deep in the paint, wasn't pushed there and stayed there too long. He put himself in a position where that call can be made.

Also often overlooked is the Ref is usually having a dialogue with the player doing that. So he might have been warning him, Mrazek came up nodding right away like he already knew they were taking that one away.

Yeah obv we cant hear them, but I watched it on my TV as I got home and he was in there, but I don't think it affected the goal. At all, whatsoever.

Needless to say, Mrazek is a stud and so is Nyquist. Gonna try to meet Goose after the game tomorrow.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Yeah obv we cant hear them, but I watched it on my TV as I got home and he was in there, but I don't think it affected the goal. At all, whatsoever.

Needless to say, Mrazek is a stud and so is Nyquist. Gonna try to meet Goose after the game tomorrow.

Mrazek is a hyper-aggressive goalie, part of the reason OKC started shooting wide to allow a scramble play with some success. It is very unusual to see him that deep. Do I think it was the right call? Probably not, but to say it had no relevance also probably isn't true. He doesn't push out to challenge the shot in part because there is a guy in his way. That is what the ref saw and made his judgement on.

I think a part of that call is just the type of player Mrazek is. These AHL refs know that he is almost always pushed out to the top of his crease, so something like this is more pronounced than a guy that sits deeper and I think that factored into the call as well.

 

[Henkka]

Pretty typical game for these circumstances.

Crunch sucked bad at 1st period because they had so long break from latest game. 1st period was clearly a Griffins period.

Then at 2nd Crunch got their legs going and were better on that period. But Mrazek was the key to keep the lead. That one left pad save was phenomenal.

3rd period was pretty even and both scored similar goals. Shots behind a screen that surpriced goalies. Then meaningless empty-netter from Nyquist.

All in all, these are pretty even teams, when you think the game after 1st period. Goaltending could be the factor that decides this series. And Mrazek is not the worse goalie.

1st steal is done, hopefully they can make another also in next game.

 

[Soft Rock Renegade]

They won't. He will be in GR all season next season since we have Monster signed next year already. Besides, we have to see how Mrazek does with a full season in the AHL and to see if he can replicate his success. I would rather have Mrazek playing in the AHL for 60+ games rather than sitting on the bench for the Wings getting 15-20 games while Howard is getting all the action.

I say he will come up to the Wings in 2-3 years if he can continue his strong play.

i think if howard is hurt for an extended period next year, mrazek gets more nhl starts than monster. iand mrazek us up full time the following season with patterson/coreau as the griffins tandem. no way it takes him 3 years to be an nhl goalie

 

[Yemack]

I dunno how Mrazek will look in 3 years or 2 but I dont think he will be NHL ready next year from what I've seen. my humble opinion.

 

[Cbdudek]

i think if howard is hurt for an extended period next year, mrazek gets more nhl starts than monster. iand mrazek us up full time the following season with patterson/coreau as the griffins tandem. no way it takes him 3 years to be an nhl goalie

I bolded the important part for you. Howard is the #1 guy and will be getting 60 games a season unless he starts sucking horribly or gets injured. You are right though, if Howard gets hurt, then Mrazek will get more starts than Monster if he continues playing like this.

Part of being NHL ready is being consistent. How many goalies have we seen play lights out in the AHL/NHL for a season and then tail off after that? Remember Steve Mason? Remember Brian Boucher? Mrazek's play this season is just as important as his play next season and the season after that.

As I said before, I would rather have Mrazek getting 60 games a season in the AHL than riding the pine and getting 20 games in the NHL.

 

[Shoalzie]

How are we going to keep him in GR for 5 more years?!

Howard was stuck in GR for the better part of 4 years before being a starter...just saying.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Howard was stuck in GR for the better part of 4 years before being a starter...just saying.

Howard wasn't very good in GR. He had conditioning issues that were well documented and problems in his game.

Goalie's generally take a little while. We need to see Petr with a full season and higher workload before we start complaining about this.

Jonathan Quick (2 years in college, 2 years in the minors , called up because of injuries)
Cory Schnieder (3 years in college, 3 year in the minors)
Tuukka Rask (2 years Finland, 2 years in the minors)
Henrik Lundqvist (5 years in Sweden)
Pekka Rinne (2 years Finland, 3 years minors)

Starting to see a trend here, even the best goalies didn't come up on some accelerated time table. Really only Price, MAF (we all know how that is going), and Cam Ward spring to mind as guys that stuck right away. Top 10 pick goalies makes sense, Ward was rushed up do to injury and won a freaking Conn Smythe that is the reason he broke through and stayed so young. It is actually pretty rare, Petr is looking at at least one big year of heavy work load, probably wouldn't hurt to give him two.