GDT: Colorado vs Tampa Sunday 19th February 6 PM MST/8 PM EST || Where's Joe Colborne?

[AllAboutAvs]

I don't know if anybody has noticed but quite a few games this year Z fanned on an attempted pass or deke. It happened again last night and if I'm not mistaken it was the reason why the puck remained in our zone for TBL second goal. I said before...he needs to change the style of his stick blade. The bottom is too rounded at the tip which causes the puck to slide underneath the blade tip when his arms are extended more than usual. When a dman fans on a pass or a deke it can very often be costly as they are the last man.

Keep an eye for that in the next few games and you'll see what I mean.
Edit: I guess I should have read the other thread before writing the last sentence. Z is out for the rest of the season.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I don't know if anybody has noticed but quite a few games this year Z fanned on an attempted pass or deke. It happened again last night and if I'm not mistaken it was the reason why the puck remained in our zone for TBL second goal. I said before...he needs to change the style of his stick blade. The bottom is too rounded at the tip which causes the puck to slide underneath the blade tip when his arms are extended more than usual. When a dman fans on a pass or a deke it can very often be costly as they are the last man.

Keep an eye for that in the next few games and you'll see what I mean.
Edit: I guess I should have read the other thread before writing the last sentence. Z is out for the rest of the season.

Been saying this aswell and not just about Z. A few guys on our team should give Mr. Oates a ring. Z's toe curve also doesnt help him when he's blasting shots from the point. Might be a reason why his shot is often high and wide(Also see E.Gelinas) I also think Rants should lengthen his stick a few inches because he loves to reach. Naslund increased the length of his stick (Mario Lemieux suggested it) and his game got better because of it.

 

[dahrougem2]

I don't know if anybody has noticed but quite a few games this year Z fanned on an attempted pass or deke. It happened again last night and if I'm not mistaken it was the reason why the puck remained in our zone for TBL second goal. I said before...he needs to change the style of his stick blade. The bottom is too rounded at the tip which causes the puck to slide underneath the blade tip when his arms are extended more than usual. When a dman fans on a pass or a deke it can very often be costly as they are the last man.

Keep an eye for that in the next few games and you'll see what I mean.
Edit: I guess I should have read the other thread before writing the last sentence. Z is out for the rest of the season.

I've noticed it since the start of the season. He holds onto the puck for a bit too long and then it's off his stick. It worries me when he doesn't move the puck very quickly and takes his time to think with it when there's no pressure because it tends to happen a ton that he loses the puck out of nowhere

 

[AvsGuy]

Mental stuff has a huge impact on athletes. Duchene is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, playing well probably ups his chance of getting traded to a contender. Mack is looking at all those years of misery in front of him, probably hard to stay motivated this year.

If this is the case, then maybe these jackasses need a true mental adjustment. For the umpteenth time, they're being paid millions of dollars to play a game. If Mack is looking at oncoming years of misery instead of the opportunity to be a go-to guy on an NHL roster, then **** him, get him off this team.

Mack has been at his best on the wing, maybe they should go back to that?

I've been clamoring for this for 2 years now, and I don't know why it hasn't happened yet.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

All this talk about MacK being best on wing when Duchene went on his biggest tear playing RW too.

 

[CobraAcesS]

All this talk about MacK being best on wing when Duchene went on his biggest tear playing RW too.

Well it's an easier position to play, especially when they are slumping.

 

[AvsGuy]

Duchene at least is a faceoff beast and a slick playmaker, so he justifies being at center.

MacKinnon frequently looks lost and out of his comfort zone, and we continue to beat this "franchise center" thing to death while his scoring totals circle the bowl. I'll take an elite scoring winger over a mediocre struggling center any day.

 

[dahrougem2]

Duchene at least is a faceoff beast and a slick playmaker, so he justifies being at center.

MacKinnon frequently looks lost and out of his comfort zone, and we continue to beat this "franchise center" thing to death while his scoring totals circle the bowl. I'll take an elite scoring winger over a mediocre struggling center any day.

There's no evidence to suggest MacKinnon would be an elite scoring winger, though.

He's still 21 years old, so nobody should be throwing in the towel on MacKinnon but we may have to start thinking that he might be in the 50-65 point scoring range instead of the 70-90 point scoring range.

 

[Freudian]

For those that didn't find him, Joe Colborne was in the middle of the picture showing off his doughy physique

 

[CobraAcesS]

For those that didn't find him, Joe Colborne was in the middle of the picture showing off his doughy physique

If Colborne does not try, then why should I try to look for him in that picture?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

For those that didn't find him, Joe Colborne was in the middle of the picture showing off his doughy physique

Anybody else see John Mitchell reenacting his lawn chair incident just slightly southwest of Colborne?

 

[CobraAcesS]

Anybody else see John Mitchell reenacting his lawn chair incident just slightly southwest of Colborne?

Yeah the resemblance is absolutely uncanny!

Serious question? Is this a picture from the bye-week, where they all went to California for team bonding?

 

[AvsGuy]

There's no evidence to suggest MacKinnon would be an elite scoring winger, though.

He's still 21 years old, so nobody should be throwing in the towel on MacKinnon but we may have to start thinking that he might be in the 50-65 point scoring range instead of the 70-90 point scoring range.

Didn't he play most of his rookie season on RW?

 

[dahrougem2]

Didn't he play most of his rookie season on RW?

IIRC he split time between C and RW, and then played RW in the playoffs with Stastny and Landeskog

 

[CobraAcesS]

Didn't he play most of his rookie season on RW?

He played C until after the Downie trade. Once they traded Downie, they didn't have the depth to give him legit wingers, so they moved him up to RW. There was some time where he did both inside of games as well.

I still to this day do not understand trading Downie for Talbot. There should have been another way to get a PK guy. Something happened in that dressing room with Downie I think, that's the only thing that explains that trade.

 

[AvsGuy]

Soooo.... was MacKinnon not generally fairly awesome on RW then?

 

[tigervixxxen]

He played C until after the Downie trade. Once they traded Downie, they didn't have the depth to give him legit wingers, so they moved him up to RW. There was some time where he did both inside of games as well.

I still to this day do not understand trading Downie for Talbot. There should have been another way to get a PK guy. Something happened in that dressing room with Downie I think, that's the only thing that explains that trade.

IMO it was because of the Varly situation. Don't think it was a coincidence they pulled the trigger that day of all days.

I recall Mack playing wing the most in his second year.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Soooo.... was MacKinnon not generally fairly awesome on RW then?

No denying that, as his best stretches all came at RW where is isn't as responsible for defense, and/or creating for his line-mates.

Playoffs? RW
Worlds? RW
First 30 or so games of his second season? RW
About 60% of his rookie season, which includes his record breaking point streak? RW


There is no denying it, but RW is also the easier position, and in all of those scenarios he had a play-making center that has a strong two-way component to their game. That includes RNH.

The only other major circumstance where he succeeded at center is with Drouin in the Memorial Cup.

So what does that tell you? I think it means he can work at both, but RW is easier, and at C he needs someone intelligent.

Another little detail? RW, or at C, all of his success has come from having chemistry with whoever is on his left side. That's not all that surprising considering he is right handed though. However I think it's just another aspect that points to him playing a more instinctual game, rather than a game based on his decision making.

So regardless of what position he plays moving forward, they need to find this Ferrari its driver, or we'll never realize his potential IMO.

Best chance we have is Jost at LW IMO (intelligent two way player). I'd say Mikko, but hes better at RW, which is why I always thought Mikko would end up clicking with Duchene. Guess what we are seeing the last couple of games? Glimpses of chemistry between Duchene and Mikko.

One more thing. If we move MacK to center right now, today. Who do we have that can play that two way play-making style on this roster? Duchene? Those are not his strongest areas. Soderberg? Bednar can't stand him, but he'd probably be the closest you get. After that the only other two-way playmaker we have is Grigorenko lol.

I don't know what the answer is, but there isn't a obvious path of least resistance that I can see for this season.

 

[CobraAcesS]

IMO it was because of the Varly situation. Don't think it was a coincidence they pulled the trigger that day of all days.

I recall Mack playing wing the most in his second year.

I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remembered that there was something.

 

[AvsGuy]

No denying that, as his best stretches all came at RW where is isn't as responsible for defense, and/or creating for his line-mates.

Playoffs? RW
Worlds? RW
First 30 or so games of his second season? RW
About 60% of his rookie season, which includes his record breaking point streak? RW


There is no denying it, but RW is also the easier position, and in all of those scenarios he had a play-making center that has a strong two-way component to their game. That includes RNH.

The only other major circumstance where he succeeded at center is with Drouin in the Memorial Cup.

So what does that tell you? I think it means he can work at both, but RW is easier, and at C he needs someone intelligent.

Another little detail? RW, or at C, all of his success has come from having chemistry with whoever is on his left side. That's not all that surprising considering he is right handed though. However I think it's just another aspect that points to him playing a more instinctual game, rather than a game based on his decision making.

So regardless of what position he plays moving forward, they need to find this Ferrari its driver, or we'll never realize his potential IMO.

Best chance we have is Jost at LW IMO (intelligent two way player). I'd say Mikko, but hes better at RW, which is why I always thought Mikko would end up clicking with Duchene. Guess what we are seeing the last couple of games? Glimpses of chemistry between Duchene and Mikko.

One more thing. If we move MacK to center right now, today. Who do we have that can play that two way play-making style on this roster? Duchene? Those are not his strongest areas. Soderberg? Bednar can't stand him, but he'd probably be the closest you get. After that the only other two-way playmaker we have is Grigorenko lol.

I don't know what the answer is, but there isn't a obvious path of least resistance that I can see for this season.

Perhaps the loss of Stastny hurt his development more than I realize, but to me the obvious first solution is to get MacKinnon away from C. RW may be easier, but he's not developing at C. Put him where he's going to develop and renew his zeal for the game.

Again, find the answer at C if we need to, but quit trying to force MacKinnon into that role, it hasn't worked and there's not a lot of reason to think it will. I don't know that the Avs need MacKinnon to develop into an elite centre who is responsible defensively - that isn't his game. Put him where he's proven to excel, time after time.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Perhaps the loss of Stastny hurt his development more than I realize, but to me the obvious first solution is to get MacKinnon away from C. RW may be easier, but he's not developing at C. Put him where he's going to develop and renew his zeal for the game.

Again, find the answer at C if we need to, but quit trying to force MacKinnon into that role, it hasn't worked and there's not a lot of reason to think it will. I don't know that the Avs need MacKinnon to develop into an elite centre who is responsible defensively - that isn't his game. Put him where he's proven to excel, time after time.

He has made improvements on the defensive side of the puck though, and there is value in that. I don't think his effort level in this crap tornado would improve if he was moved to RW either. Although maybe Soderberg's effort level would improve if he was promoted lmao.