Remember back when people were freaking out over him only having one goal, even though it was obviously just awful luck?
Since he broke the dry spell he has...
8 goals in 15 games (most on the team)
6 of them are at 5v5 (most on the team)
3.13 shooting % was obviously not going to last. And, as expected, it eventually regressed to the mean and he's now sitting at a reasonably sustainable 12.16%
He's currently pacing for 23 goals in an 82 game season, which is great, considering what a shitshow the PP is and the fact that he's currently scoring at the 2nd lowest rate of PP goals in his entire career.
I think AV reducing his minutes has added a year or two to his career.
21:27 to 18:59 to 17:40.
It comes down to whether you want a top flight player in a reduced role or run him into the ice.
I vote for Alexander Appleyard as next head coach of the Flyers and I do mean it.
I would at least guarantee you all very, very, entertaining interviews before I was fired in short order.
Chris Pronger meets Salvador Dali would be my chosen way with the press. Haha. Might even throw an Anteater at them if anyone asked about combined +/-.
I did not see him wearing down at center. You've embraced a non existent fiction to defend bad coaching.
I certainly did, and the metrics supported what I saw.
Giroux is undersized, has average speed these days, and playing center for an extended period exposes those limitations.
At LW he has fewer defensive responsibilities, less ground to cover skating, and doesn't draw the best player defending him on the wing.
And Couts is the perfect partner at center. Plug in the RW of your choice.
Guy was going strong to end games. Is that what "wearing down" is? Still being good and playing at a high level?