GDT: Game 19: Ducks @ Coyotes - 7PM - FSAZ+ - Miracle Day

[Grimes]

A few games back, the wife overheard scouts sitting next to us saying the toaster looks disinterested this season.

Strange because I think this is his best overall season I've seen from him. He doesn't look like he constantly needs to hustle around the ice as much, but I thought that was mostly because his positioning is better and he is playing smarter, not harder. Good mix between offense and defensive upside in his game right now. Would love him as a long term bottom pairing guy.

 

[rt]

Strange because I think this is his best overall season I've seen from him. He doesn't look like he constantly needs to hustle around the ice as much, but I thought that was mostly because his positioning is better and he is playing smarter, not harder. Good mix between offense and defensive upside in his game right now. Would love him as a long term bottom pairing guy.

I agree. He’s looked like a really good #5 to me. Last night he had major issues, but been mostly solid apart from that.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Please note: the Chipchura approved GDT was a winner. I have to travel back east this week and may not be able to post. Mom and Dad aren't able to safely take care of themselves so they're moving into a nursing home. Me and my sibs need to get their condo ready to be sold.
.

(i feel ya man, I've been losing sleep lately for this reason as well. For me it isn't necessarily imminent, but it's coming.)

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Which is both a positive and a negative. Need more scoring from the bottom 6, and our defense has tallied only 5 goals, 4 of which are Chychrun.

Remember when our d-corps was one of the top scoring in the league?

Did we not have fourth line production with Hayton? Or am I remembering incorrectly?

 

[Coyotedroppings]

By the way, Zegras was interesting. I saw a lot of Hayton in him, smart plays, had a couple of chances that caught other players off guard. He seemingly was either ahead of other players or slightly behind them in decision making which is what I see Hayton struggling with offensively. Much zippier than I expect and a little bit like a cross between Schmaltz and Point. Much more slender than he looked playing against peers though. Will need to fill out because his jersey looked like it was hanging off him, ha.

He reminded me of Hayton as well.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

I'll take credit for the second and third periods, thank you. After the puck dropped to start the second and DJ Iceman's God awful music stopped, I brought my coaches voice and screamed "wake up Yotes" and the rest is history.

Edit: speaking of DJ Iceman, I'd like to see the Muerelo group shoot him into space!

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

A few games back, the wife overheard scouts sitting next to us saying the toaster looks disinterested this season.

My hot take on Oesterle... something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I just can't really root for him that much for some reason. It's not so much about how he plays but more about his overall apparent attitude or vibe.

That's it for this segment of Hot Takes with No Evidence!

 

[Sm00chy]

My hot take on Oesterle... something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I just can't really root for him that much for some reason. It's not so much about how he plays but more about his overall apparent attitude or vibe.

That's it for this segment of Hot Takes with No Evidence!

He is a classic #6 or #5 dman. Shows flashes that make you think "oh shit he could take another step"... followed by 3 or 4 blunders that make you think "nah nvm".

I have accepted what he is. Solid cheap depth dman that I would gladly take on my team. If you expect more out of him you will be disappointed eventually.

 

[MIGs Dog]

Did we not have fourth line production with Hayton? Or am I remembering incorrectly?

Seems rather thin to me. Outside of our top 5 forwards, we have 9 goals. Maybe my expectations are too high. I put Vegas below as well. Outside of their top 5 forwards, they've produced 10 goals.

 

[Sm00chy]

Finally getting around to posting about the game last night.... wow. What a rollercoaster of emotions eh?

Probably one of the worst periods of hockey I have seen from the Yotes in quite some time. I loved the fights and energy at the end of the 1st to try and spark the team. Clearly it worked. I also think more credit needs to be given to Kuemper for starting that push back with the scrum in front of the net. This is why fighting will never be eliminated from hockey. Being able to let out that aggression/frustration had a direct impact on this game.

All in all this was another one of those games where the Yotes stole some points in a game they didnt deserve. Good teams tend to do this.

Finally... I hope we see Hill on Wednesday.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

He is a classic #6 or #5 dman. Shows flashes that make you think "oh shit he could take another step"... followed by 3 or 4 blunders that make you think "nah nvm".

I have accepted what he is. Solid cheap depth dman that I would gladly take on my team. If you expect more out of him you will be disappointed eventually.

Definitely feel ya on that. But it's more like one of those situations where you meet someone and right off the bat you know "I don't like this person", even though they haven't realllly done anything wrong, haha.

I do think he's totally fine as the 5/6 dman and I don't expect him to be more than that, either. Just contribute here and there and don't mess up too badly haha.

 

[Sm00chy]

Definitely feel ya on that. But it's more like one of those situations where you meet someone and right off the bat you know "I don't like this person", even though they haven't realllly done anything wrong, haha.

I do think he's totally fine as the 5/6 dman and I don't expect him to be more than that, either. Just contribute here and there and don't mess up too badly haha.

Yea and I think once he is asked to play up in the rotation due to injuries or penalties, that is when he can be exposed.

 

[Jakey53]

Not sure if he's out of shape but he looks like he's dogging it most of the game. Effort is very disappointing but I haven't seen him dive yet so there's that.

You never did like OEL. I don't think he is dogging it at all. Don't forget, he's back there by himself. Do you really think Demers or Bush scare other teams?

 

[Sm00chy]

Seems rather thin to me. Outside of our top 5 forwards, we have 9 goals. Maybe my expectations are too high. I put Vegas below as well. Outside of their top 5 forwards, they've produced 10 goals.

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What is frustrating when I look at this is I think Fischer is having one of his best years yet. He has embraced that 4th line role and has been effective IMO. I also think Crouse has been playing extremely well too. I can only say "production will come" for so long. I am not ready to give up on them yet, but 14 and 15 games with 1 assist each is hard to ignore.

I am hoping for at least one goal each by that 20 game mark.

 

[Grimes]

You never did like OEL. I don't think he is dogging it at all. Don't forget, he's back there by himself. Do you really think Demers or Bush scare other teams?

This is a good point and why it's been hard to evaluate him properly the past two seasons or so. He was looking great with Demers at some point but then Jason went down long term. He may have been told to change up his role to support being paired with Bush right now.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

OEL likes to keep his enemies close and it often works defensively, but there are countless times I'd rather see him just go ahead and beat his man to the puck, thus removing self imposed drama.

Yeah, with his lower body issues, the days of him beating anyone to the puck are over.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Most of the defensemen have changed over the past year. I've seen Oesterle gain much more confidence. Goligoski, Hjalmarsson and Demers have clearly been told more is expected of them and they cant default to dumping all the game management responsibility onto OEL and Chychrun alone. Only Goligoski is kinda able to step up so far though. Even Bush is doing way more than he used to. Chychrun suffers chronically from playing badly when he tries to do too much but is learning how to avoid that. That's the impact on coaching from the new additions. Only OEL hasnt really responded to it. The point of my post was to say I want to see him under a new coach but it's kinda damning when he's the only one not showing much response. I think he'll still be here next year though.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

He’s skating much better this year, than last.

 

[42]

Crouse with just 1 assist in 15 games. He should be good for 15-ish goals and 35-40 points over a full season. Tough luck, sucky play, a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B?

 

[XX]

Crouse with just 1 assist in 15 games. He should be good for 15-ish goals and 35-40 points over a full season. Tough luck, sucky play, a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B?

It's both but he's also an exceptionally dumb player with the puck and isn't comfortable skating with it through any amount of traffic. You would think a guy his size would be more into moves towards the net and whatnot but his offense consists of pinning his guy against the boards and then clumsily shoveling the puck to a linemate if he can. If he's loose he'll go to the front and hope for a turnover or a rebound. He has hit a few posts this year but he doesn't fit in with the top 6 stylistically.

Crouse is pretty much exactly what you get when a junior player is leagues ahead of his peers physically and never really develops a normal offensive game. Unlike Dvorak, he hasn't made that evolution to become more assertive. He's very fortunate to have above average defensive instincts and reach, which keeps him on the ice. Effort can also be inconsistent at times.

Great player for 1.5m but I'd be infuriated with him if he cost more.

I really hope Stillman and the video coaches can help him like they seem to have helped Dvorak.

 

[Prarievarg]

Crouse with just 1 assist in 15 games. He should be good for 15-ish goals and 35-40 points over a full season. Tough luck, sucky play, a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B?

Some bad luck, posts and crossbars and not very gifted with the puck on his stick. He contributes in other areas so I wouldn't say sucky.

 

[Name Nameless]

Insane. So insane. Just one minor thing about the refs. You have covered most of it of course. But shouldn't the penalty shot be announced as awarded to Arizona number 18, and not as it was, to Anaheim number 33? Or whatever number he had. Such a minor thing, in particular if I'm wrong of course.

 

[Jakey53]

Most of the defensemen have changed over the past year. I've seen Oesterle gain much more confidence. Goligoski, Hjalmarsson and Demers have clearly been told more is expected of them and they cant default to dumping all the game management responsibility onto OEL and Chychrun alone. Only Goligoski is kinda able to step up so far though. Even Bush is doing way more than he used to. Chychrun suffers chronically from playing badly when he tries to do too much but is learning how to avoid that. That's the impact on coaching from the new additions. Only OEL hasnt really responded to it. The point of my post was to say I want to see him under a new coach but it's kinda damning when he's the only one not showing much response. I think he'll still be here next year though.

Oel not responding? Why all this OEL bullshit? He and Chick are keeping the D respectable. He has been on an island by himself for the two or more years. All the other teams target and punish OEL more than any other D on the roster. Hopefully Chick continues to mature and teams start to zero in on him and OEL can get a breather.

 

[technoviking]

Oel not responding? Why all this OEL bullshit? He and Chick are keeping the D respectable. He has been on an island by himself for the two or more years. All the other teams target and punish OEL more than any other D on the roster. Hopefully Chick continues to mature and teams start to zero in on him and OEL can get a breather.

There is certainly some of that, coaching as well, but i don’t think it can he disputed that OEL has regressed a little bit

 

[Coyotedroppings]

There is certainly some of that, coaching as well, but i don’t think it can he disputed that OEL has regressed a little bit

He’s missing Yandle on the pp anyway.