David Desharnais - The Too Many Threads to Keep Track of Edition

[ECWHSWI]

It's pretty obvious. DD got 4 minutes PP time last game. A lot, I know. But we were also short handed for 10 minutes and missing one of our regular penalty killers. DD is not a penalty killer and is not used in those situations. The penalty killers also need a break once in a while you can't give them every PP opportunity on top of the big SH minutes they got. DD was on for 12 minutes even strength which is very much 3rd liner time. On top of that, his line was playing well that game so why not give them PP time?

So it leaves 3 options.

Put DD on the PK
Give Plek and Larry ridiculous amounts of ice time and risk injuring/ overworking them for a game that was of little importance.
Give DD's line who was dangerous all night some PP time.

That is what happens when you use your best offensive options on the PK.

If no penalties were called you can be assured that DD doesn't break 14 minutes last night.

Look at the big picture rather than just the numbers

how is our PP doing so far this season ???

but yeah, why not give it to DD, again...

 

[Capitaine Subban*]

Out of all players who played 30+ games or were trade deadline additions

		GP	Minor	Minor/GP
P.K. Subban		81	34	0.419753086
D. Smith-Pelly		19	6	0.315789474
Torrey Mitchell		13	4	0.307692308
Alexei Emelin		67	20	0.298507463
Lars Eller			76	21	0.276315789
Tomas Plekanec	81	18	0.222222222
Jeff Petry			18	4	0.222222222
Brandon Prust		81	17	0.209876543
Alex Galchenyuk	79	16	0.202531646
Max Pacioretty		80	16	0.2
Jacob De La Rose	32	6	0.1875
PA Parenteau		55	10	0.181818182
Tom Gilbert		72	13	0.180555556
Jiri Sekac			50	9	0.18
Sergei Gonchar	45	8	0.177777778
Andrei Markov		80	14	0.175
Brendan Gallagher	81	13	0.160493827
Nathan Beaulieu	63	10	0.158730159
David Desharnais	81	12	0.148148148
Dale Weise		78	11	0.141025641
Manny Malhotra	58	6	0.103448276
Mike Weaver		31	3	0.096774194

Davey should be at the bottom of this list, not near the bottom, but the actual bottom, considering he has absolutely zero defensive responsibilities, and he's soft as **** on any opponent.

Whats even more astounding is that Brendan "My home is the opposing goaltender's crease" is near the bottom of the list as well. You'd think based on his playstyle, he'd be more near the middle.

I dont think it helps ur "case". DD kinda suck but is relatively disciplined for the minutes he plays.

 

[Nynja*]

I dont think it helps ur "case". DD kinda suck but is relatively disciplined for the minutes he plays.

Once again
Majority of penalties taken are taken when on the defensive end of the ice. Davey doesnt spend much time on the defensive side of the ice, which means his PIM count should be low to begin with.

 

[Capitaine Subban*]

Once again
Majority of penalties taken are taken when on the defensive end of the ice. Davey doesnt spend much time on the defensive side of the ice, which means his PIM count should be low to begin with.

He's no defensive specialist but he backchecks like all the player and when he is the 1st forward back in the defensive zone , he helps his defenseman like any other center in the league. For his lack of size, he is pretty disciplined and your stats show it.

 

[Grant McCagg]

He's no defensive specialist but he backchecks like all the player and when he is the 1st forward back in the defensive zone , he helps his defenseman like any other center in the league. For his lack of size, he is pretty disciplined and your stats show it.

No..he doesn't backcheck like all the players..he backchecks like no other player..sporadically..but he knows Therrien won't admonish him for it as he is clearly his pet. A player who average a shot per game and a goal every 6 matches can't be wasting time coming back to help defensively..he needs to be hanging around the other team's blueline.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Actually it does
His point is "davey is disciplined, 1 penalty per 4 games" (which doesnt seem that low to begin with lol), and i refute it by saying most penalties are generated in a defensive role, which davey never plays in. Therefor it stands to reason that davey should be low on the PIM count.

What does this have to do with other players being physically tired killing these penalties?

 

[Capitaine Subban*]

No..he doesn't backcheck like all the players..he backchecks like no other player..sporadically..but he knows Therrien won't admonish him for it as he is clearly his pet. A player who average a shot per game and a goal every 6 matches can't be wasting time coming back to help defensively..he needs to be hanging around the other team's blueline.

Yes he does ... or I'm not watching the same games . I'm not arguing his efficiency as a player, but only one of the things he is kinda useful that is not taking penalties.

 

[Rapala]

Yes he does ... or I'm not watching the same games . I'm not arguing his efficiency as a player, but only one of the things he is kinda useful that is not taking penalties.

Fortunately for us we don't have to look at either side of the penalty minutes issue to determine DD's worth to the club...

It is very minimal.

 

[Capitaine Subban*]

Fortunately for us we don't have to look at either side of the penalty minutes issue to determine DD's worth to the club...

It is very minimal.

Lol fair enough

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

Playoffs are looming and I'm not sure any other team has a player so widely contested - is he a top6 NHLer or a scrub?

To make matters worse, he's notoriously bad in the playoffs - if we're not gonna get rid of him for his regular season troubles, at least trade him away for his playoff no-shows.

 

[mus1cx]

Playoffs are looming and I'm not sure any other team has a player so widely contested - is he a top6 NHLer or a scrub?

To make matters worse, he's notoriously bad in the playoffs - if we're not gonna get rid of him for his regular season troubles, at least trade him away for his playoff no-shows.

Baby steps... baby steps. He has to be demoted to the 3rd line first.

 

[Grant McCagg]

Yes he does ... or I'm not watching the same games . I'm not arguing his efficiency as a player, but only one of the things he is kinda useful that is not taking penalties.

I don't understand what backchecking has to do with not taking penalties. You have lost me. Hard to take penalties when you are never close to your opposing center...you need to actually "check" someone to get minor penalties. He will never have high penalty totals in large part because he is the league's smallest cherry picker..doesn't mean he is useful.

 

[Wats]

No Pacioretty, DD pretty much useless in terms of production. No real surprise. He has improved in faceoffs at least, shame he still holds a monopoly on O-zone starts.

 

[mus1cx]

No Pacioretty, DD pretty much useless in terms of production. No real surprise. He has improved in faceoffs at least, shame he still holds a monopoly on O-zone starts.

He's gotten 0 SOG the past two games lol with 4+ mins of pp/game

 

[Unclewhalebone]

I don't understand what backchecking has to do with not taking penalties. You have lost me. Hard to take penalties when you are never close to your opposing center...you need to actually "check" someone to get minor penalties. He will never have high penalty totals in large part because he is the league's smallest cherry picker..doesn't mean he is useful.

Highly agree here. DD himself seems to know that he is not likely to win board battles for the puck and occasions when he engages another player at both ends. If he creates a turnover it is almost always an errand pass. He peels off of these occasions all the time.

Plek and Eller are always trying to engage in the same spots. Eller can win with his size, and Plek knows he can win with positioning and a great stick.

 

[Winter Eclipse]

Plek and Eller are always trying to engage in the same spots. Eller can win with his size, and Plek knows he can win with positioning and a great stick.

Yet another reason to shower DD with PP time; not only are Pleks and Eller SuuUuUuuUuUuuUUUuuUUUUUUUUuuuuUUuUuper tired from killing off penalties, but they're also UUuuuuUUUuuUuuUuUUuUuUUUUUuuUUultra exhausted from all their physical play!!! Oh-well-fiddly-fum-gosh-dee-darn, guess that only leaves DD to get PP time, that's totally not his fault!!

 

[Unclewhalebone]

Yet another reason to shower DD with PP time; not only are Pleks and Eller SuuUuUuuUuUuuUUUuuUUUUUUUUuuuuUUuUuper tired from killing off penalties, but they're also UUuuuuUUUuuUuuUuUUuUuUUUUUuuUUultra exhausted from all their physical play!!! Oh-well-fiddly-fum-gosh-dee-darn, guess that only leaves DD to get PP time, that's totally not his fault!!

Exactly. And that argument is pretty much an admission that the lineup must be tailored to DD's weaknesses. It has been like this for 3-4 years. As long as he is in the lineup the argument goes.
Should DD play the hard defensive minutes? D zone starts? Of course not, it would be foolish to put him there. We have Plek and he is good at that, and Eller can do that too. But don't we want Pac in the offensive zone? Of course we do. Therefore we really should put him with DD in the O zone. But should we not reduce DD ice time and give Eller and Plek some more chances in the O zone? No way, then Pac will get less ice time. We want our highest point producer on the ice more don't we? Yes, so the DD line should play lots, just no D zone stuff. Well could we not at least let Eller get some PP time? No way, he will be all tuckered out from the D zone starts and PK where he is pretty good. Well Pac is out now so DD should see reduced ice time right? Well we don't want to over work Plek and Eller. Maybe we could at least mix Eller in to the PP now? No way. The PP is the best opportunity for DD to utilize his vision. But it doesn't seem to be working right? Well we have to get him going for the playoffs.... and so on.... and so on.

 

[Winter Eclipse]

Exactly. And that argument is pretty much an admission that the lineup must be tailored to DD's weaknesses. It has been like this for 3-4 years. As long as he is in the lineup the argument goes.
Should DD play the hard defensive minutes? D zone starts? Of course not, it would be foolish to put him there. We have Plek and he is good at that, and Eller can do that too. But don't we want Pac in the offensive zone? Of course we do. Therefore we really should put him with DD in the O zone. But should we not reduce DD ice time and give Eller and Plek some more chances in the O zone? No way, then Pac will get less ice time. We want our highest point producer on the ice more don't we? Yes, so the DD line should play lots, just no D zone stuff. Well could we not at least let Eller get some PP time? No way, he will be all tuckered out from the D zone starts and PK where he is pretty good. Well Pac is out now so DD should see reduced ice time right? Well we don't want to over work Plek and Eller. Maybe we could at least mix Eller in to the PP now? No way. The PP is the best opportunity for DD to utilize his vision. But it doesn't seem to be working right? Well we have to get him going for the playoffs.... and so on.... and so on.

The only thing this is missing is a bunch of false lamentations about how DD is the only viable option to play next to Pac.

It's really amazing that posters can argue that DD isn't our best defensive center, isn't our best offensive center, can't play wing, isn't fit for an energy role, and so obviously the only role we can default him into is friggin' #1 Center. As if:
- #2LW
- #2C
- #3LW
- #3RW

...are all so much more important positions to fill properly than #1 Center

 

[Kriss E]

I agree with that 100%. With Eller especially since he got no PP time. Plek still got over 2 minutes. I can't believe I'm going to say this but to be fair to MT, these are not always the things we think of when coaching and some other factors come into play.

For example, we got a PP right after the PK which Plek came off of. You can't really just put him back out there. You have to go with the well rested DD line in this case.

Easy minutes or not, when you're tired you're tire.

Or....put Eller.

Why does DD even play on the PP to begin with? He's never been a good PP producer, even during his career year. If our PP was set up to exploit his ''playmaking'' then I would understand, but it's not. Instead we have him standing in front of the net most of the time which is utterly ********. At least if he shot the puck more often on the PP, then we'd have something positive to say, but he can't even do that.

This guy is just a very mediocre player but he's used as if he's an offensive power, which is overly frustrating.

 

[WeThreeKings]

One day Desharnais will no longer be on the Habs and I'll be watching Habs games with the woman of my dreams..

One day..

 

[CHwest]

One day Desharnais will no longer be on the Habs and I'll be watching Habs games with the woman of my dreams..

One day..

Dare to dream, dare to dream.... That day can't come soon enough.

 

[25get]

Send him to Hamilton.
Trade him for a bag of pucks.
He suckskkkk=s=s====sskkks.

at 3.5M he is the worst deal in the universe.
Please add to the list of simplistic remarks...

Simple is of the heart, simplistic is of the mind.

I guess Desharnais is too complex for most but still Bergevin and all coaches keep him.

We all know better than them...

Revenge is a plate that is better served cold.
Love is a plate served at zero kelvin...

I love the Habs and DD is part of it despite all the hate.
In Habs management and coaching I trust and never failed so.

That's real Love...

Please hater hate, it is time to show your colors again.
BTW, who will be top-5 scorer in the PO???

Edit I mean top-5 in the league, not in the Habs...

 

[jaffy27]

Send him to Hamilton.
Trade him for a bag of pucks.
He suckskkkk=s=s====sskkks.

at 3.5M he is the worst deal in the universe.
Please add to the list of simplistic remarks...

Simple is of the heart, simplistic is of the mind.

I guess Desharnais is too complex for most but still Bergevin and all coaches keep him.

We all know better than them...

Revenge is a plate that is better served cold.
Love is a plate served at zero kelvin...

I love the Habs and DD is part of it despite all the hate.
In Habs management and coaching I trust and never failed so.

That's real Love...

Please hater hate, it is time to show your colors again.
BTW, who will be top-5 scorer in the PO???

David Desharnais...LOL

 

[25get]

One day Desharnais will no longer be on the Habs and I'll be watching Habs games with the woman of my dreams..

One day..

He will be traded next year or the following one.
He will actually ask for it but you will never know it (because MB keeps his ethics).

Fine with me.
Maybe for Johnny boy...

 

[25get]

David Desharnais...LOL

It would be fun... lol!