GDT: Game 17|NY Strangers @ (1st place) Columbus Blue Jackets Nov 10, 2018

[MAHJ71]

A friend is convinced Panarin is sandbagging. He certainly appears to be approaching the games with all the intensity of a summertime beach volleyball game with old friends.

The crazy tear he went on to begin the season had me excited if the plan was to keep him the entire season.

Now I'm just hoping its a random slump. On the bright side Bob is getting back to normal..

 

[KJ Dangler]

Torts holding everyone accountable

What was missed in last nights game was Torts continuing to take one of our strengths , and squander it , again , and again .

 

[MAHJ71]

What was missed in last nights game was Torts continuing to take one of our strengths , and squander it , again , and again .

Damn.. that is a crazy stat.

 

[JacketFanInFL]

What was missed in last nights game was Torts continuing to take one of our strengths , and squander it , again , and again .

This is easily my biggest annoyance with Torts. Cost us in the playoffs last year and continues to haunt us.

 

[SuperGenius]

This is easily my biggest annoyance with Torts. Cost us in the playoffs last year and continues to haunt us.

Perhaps the players should start doing what they need to do to earn trust and ice time.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

While I'm no fan of overplaying players, TOI is the one area where a coach can make his point to players.

Duclair is 23 years old and in his 4th NHL organization. Yes he's scored 7 goals, but a lot of them have been fluky. He's likely not in his 4th organization because he listened to all of his previous coaches too closely.

I'm not saying he's a problem, but I would almost blindly side with Torts in this case given his history.

At this point in the season, process is probably more important than results. It's the time of the season where a coach can wield his most influence on the season as a whole. Nothing wrong with doing that with Duclair and others-though I'd really like the leash on Bjorkstrand to be loosened.

 

[Maylo]

A friend is convinced Panarin is sandbagging. He certainly appears to be approaching the games with all the intensity of a summertime beach volleyball game with old friends.

I got huuuge Tavares vibes. "Play safe to not get injured. " But that dude waited for at least January to start doing this.

 

[Theo Von]

While I'm no fan of overplaying players, TOI is the one area where a coach can make his point to players.

Duclair is 23 years old and in his 4th NHL organization. Yes he's scored 7 goals, but a lot of them have been fluky. He's likely not in his 4th organization because he listened to all of his previous coaches too closely.

I'm not saying he's a problem, but I would almost blindly side with Torts in this case given his history.

At this point in the season, process is probably more important than results. It's the time of the season where a coach can wield his most influence on the season as a whole. Nothing wrong with doing that with Duclair and others-thought I'd really like the leash on Bjorkstrand to be loosened.

Agree to disagree.

Last time I checked, a goal was a goal regardless of if it was ‘fluky’ or not. He put himself in position to score on each goal, and he did just that. There’s a reason why he is tied for the team lead in goals. He is a goal scorer a la Oliver Bjorkstrand. Goal scorers run in hot/cold streaks. I get that he was a -3 in under 6 mins TOI last night but playing Duke only 6 minutes a game is a problem, not a solution.

 

[Viqsi]

Agree to disagree.

Last time I checked, a goal was a goal regardless of if it was ‘fluky’ or not. He put himself in position to score on each goal, and he did just that. There’s a reason why he is tied for the team lead in goals. He is a goal scorer a la Oliver Bjorkstrand. Goal scorers run in hot/cold streaks. I get that he was a -3 in under 6 mins TOI last night but playing Duke only 6 minutes a game is a problem, not a solution.

It is a problem, but it's of his own making because the guy needs to do better defensively. We're not going to win on the strength of elite forward scoring; we need the blueline to be able to pinch in. And that requires that forwards do their jobs.

 

[major major]

I got huuuge Tavares vibes. "Play safe to not get injured. " But that dude waited for at least January to start doing this.

I don't buy it. If Panarin is super concerned about his finances, and staying healthy for a deal, he'll also be inclined to work something out with a team sooner than next summer. Instead he's committed to not signing here or anywhere. He also doesn't have a track record like Tavares, his reputation can't afford an off year.

It does look like Panarin is trying to avoid contact more, and playing gingerly, but that's probably just a small player trying to avoid getting crushed in a very long season playing 20+ mins a night. His upcoming free agency should make him play harder, not weaker.

 

[SuperGenius]

IMO, anyone thinking Panarin is dogging it or playing safe is out of their minds. He's out there playing as hard or harder than anyone else out there. All skill players except maybe #99 have ebbs and flows in their game where they score in bunches and have other runs where the points dry up. I don't know that I've seen him take a shift off the entire time he's been in Columbus.

If anything, I think he's trying a little too hard to do too much - including deferring to his linemates too often.