Douglas Murray: What a hit!

[Andy]

Who on Earth doesn't like big hits? It's the equivalent of no liking action movies.

You can like action movies while thinking that not all action movies are great

He's terribly slow, but as long as he can play well positionally and keep an active stick he'll do fine on the bottom pairing. His physical game is gravy.

Played well tonight. He must have been a pleasure to watch on a consistent basis in his prime.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Take the Fenwick of 0% for Murray and flush that **** down the toilet. That is what it is worth.

Or maybe we should bring back Yannick Weber and Bergeron. Kaberle also. He was an offensive wizard.

You just named three players that were terrible Fenwick players for the Habs, I don't see your point.

 

[belko]

Almost everyone likes big hits. believing that big hits necessarily help you win hockey games is confirmation bias, though.

I think you're underestimating the impact that physicality can have on a game. Big hits don't just rile up your own bench, they can literally hurt the other team. Just because you're not knocked out of a game with an injury doesn't mean you're not feeling the effects of a bone-crushing hit by that tractor wearing number 6. It can make players more tentative, hesitate just a second, protect themselves next time instead of making a play, or force a faster decision making it just that much more likely to be a poor one.

It's immeasurable, literally, but not without impact.

 

[Hoople]

You can like action movies while thinking that not all action movies are great

He's terribly slow, but as long as he can play well positionally and keep an active stick he'll do fine on the bottom pairing. His physical game is gravy.

Played well tonight. He must have been a pleasure to watch on a consistent basis in his prime.

back·hand·ed
adjective \ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd\

: not direct or sincere

<“You throw okay, for a girl†is a bit of a backhanded compliment>

Synonyms
artificial, insincere, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, feigned, hypocritical, Janus-faced, jive [slang], left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony (also phoney), phony-baloney (or phoney-baloney), pretended, two-faced, unctuous

 

[Belso]

He was brought in to make those hits. Good to see he's on to a good start.

 

[Runner77]

Absolutely no evidence that big slow guys like Murray actually help teams win playoff series, which is after all the point. So far he gives fan boys with a ten year old mind-set a thrill by throwing his body around, then takes penalties, skates very slowly after the puck. This is not what wins and loses hockey games.

Same argument can be made about an excessive reliance on diminutive, lightweight players, especially during late-season games and playoffs.

It takes a mix.

I'd argue that the small NHL ice surface, allows slow-footed oversized physical types to play a meaningful and necessary role.

 

[Athletique_Canadien]

Murray has brought a stabilizing presence - hands down! I'd like to resurrect the argument that this was a bad signing since I'm on record for being delighted with the acquisition.

All Hail the Midnight Express

 

[DAChampion]

I believe that players like Murray are damaged by the unsophisticated nature of current "advanced" stats, which are in fact CEGEP level.

If they are being underpaid as a result of these stats, they might be able to sue in 10 years if future stats refute current primitive analysis.

I suspect that if a GM were to build a team from excel spreadsheets alone, and ignore intangibles, he might end up with the Edmonton Oilers.

 

[Camio]

I thought he had a good night for Douglas Murray. Didn't make any real mistakes, sacrificed the body and played physical. The problem is that he had a Fenwick % of zero. That means Montreal didn't even get a shot off when he was on the ice. I'm all for physicality on the backend and making opponents pay for entering our zone, but I'm more in favour of shooting pucks and scoring goals, seeing as that is what wins games.

Murray is fine as a 6-8 D-man and has utility on an undersized team, but we wont win anything with him. He's a stopgap, like Cube.

He's obviously a stop gap, like Bouillon. They are stop gaps 'till Tinordi and Beaulieu are ready.

On the 3rd pairing, you can easily do worst. Neither are perfect but with Diaz on the 3rd pairing (Murray/Bouillon) alternating when Emelin comes back will be just fine.
Diaz on a 3rd pairing will also look better than as a 2nd pair Dman.

Its much better a Murray type guy for the 3rd pairing than another smurf or non-physical guy. With Diaz, you need size. Heck, even Bouillon/Murray would be handy as 3rd pair vs some of the teams in the division.

He didnt appeared to be totally lost on the ice. I was expecting him to get caught several times flat footed and costing goals, or at least odd man rushes. For the most part, it wasnt too bad. Thats his first 2 games. He'll get his timing down on those hits.

 

[kassian]

You just named three players that were terrible Fenwick players for the Habs, I don't see your point.

But the other three players were literally useless, while Murray brings an element of toughness and physicality that the other players do not bring.

 

[TT1]

Murray has brought a stabilizing presence - hands down! I'd like to resurrect the argument that this was a bad signing since I'm on record for being delighted with the acquisition.

All Hail the Midnight Express

i love how he skates away like a badass, he doesnt even look around to see if any1's coming towards him. 0 ****s given

 

[Franck]

You just named three players that were terrible Fenwick players for the Habs, I don't see your point.

His point is that he doesn't understand (not particularly) advanced statistics.

 

[DAChampion]

His point is that he doesn't understand (not particularly) advanced statistics.

Fenwick is shot differential at even strength with missed shots included but not blocked shots.

One can both know the definition of this crude metric and not believe that it is the definitive be-all and end-all of evaluating Douglas Murray.

 

[Franck]

Fenwick is shot differential at even strength with missed shots included but not blocked shots.

One can both know the definition of this crude metric and not believe that it is the definitive be-all and end-all of evaluating Douglas Murray.

Sure.

Naming three bad Fenwick players in an argument about how useless the stat is doesn't exactly make that case though.

 

[DAChampion]

If you worship Fenwick you probably cannot follow SH's posts.

I am guessing that he doesn't care and probably did not even look up MAB's fenwick. SH's actual point, is that Murray makes contributions to the team that are historically not made by the rabble of mediocrity that has populated the Habs third pairing in recent years, contributions not necessarily captured by any particular over-fetishized simpleton statistic.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Geez his detractors are acting like all he can do is hit. He's been stable as a table back there. Freaking love Murray.

 

[Born in 1909]

Murray has brought a stabilizing presence - hands down! I'd like to resurrect the argument that this was a bad signing since I'm on record for being delighted with the acquisition.

All Hail the Midnight Express

Wow!

That dude is a Mack truck.

Krejci, Kessel & Kadri are going to be very nervous going into his corner.

 

[21]

Murray has brought a stabilizing presence - hands down! I'd like to resurrect the argument that this was a bad signing since I'm on record for being delighted with the acquisition.

All Hail the Midnight Express

I almost get tears in my eyes, beautiful.

A physical Swede playing for Montreal Canadians, I love it.

 

[S Bah]

Murray has brought a stabilizing presence - hands down! I'd like to resurrect the argument that this was a bad signing since I'm on record for being delighted with the acquisition.

All Hail the Midnight Express

As was I, anyone that has watched his body of work with San Jose loves the big lout. Having a Hab player like him makes being a Hab fan rewarding, it's nice to see toughness like Doug's on our team for a change. Instead of our players bouncing off of the opposition like flies or getting beat like Tom Pyatt did a couple of years ago. I doubt the Pyatt beatdown will ever be forgotten, just a disgusting piece of Bruins hockey that could be avoided by having a Parros or Murray in the lineup to back up Prust, White and Moen. When teams are built to instill fear in the opposition, the Habs GM needs to act and not by telling the players to turn the other cheek. But by protecting his players like Bergevin has done, it makes watching the games enjoyable knowing that I'll never have to see another low like the Pyatt game again.

 

[Church]

i love how he skates away like a badass, he doesnt even look around to see if any1's coming towards him. 0 ****s given

In animal kingdom, Murray's a honey badger.

 

[googlymoogly]

In animal kingdom, Murray's a honey badger.

No Gally is Honey Badger, Murray is a Rhino. Slow big heavy and can smash anything that gets in its way.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Can we just extend him for 10 years plox?

 

[sharks9]

I'm glad he's dishing out big hits, but he needs to stop with the interference. That could've cost us badly tonight.

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

No Gally is Honey Badger, Murray is a Rhino. Slow big heavy and can smash anything that gets in its way.

Except that rhino are not slow. They can run faster than Usain Bolt.

 

[Lions999]

Odd looking, large heavily built mammal with thick skin....Murray aka RHINO
Thats the perfect nickname for Murray...