They’ve been handed everything. These kids began their NHL careers in the top-six. They’ve been permanent fixtures 5v4. No AHL. No fighting for a roster spot. No working up the lineup. Have either of them ever been a healthy scratch?
And I don’t want to hear more
bats theories about how the second PP unit doesn’t count as a PP unit. Lafreniere has played almost an hour 5v4 this season, and he has ONE f***ing shot on goal during that, (3 shot attempts, while Zibanejad has like
74.
)
Just 7 more minutes and he’ll have 1/4 of a theoretical goal.
You don't have to agree with the hot Quinn is ruining the kids takes but this is silly.
They've begun their careers in the top-nine, but in a game where neither was in the top-six that's a weird time to say that's where they play.
Kakko has been scratched.
Kakko literally wasn't on the PP tonight. He's averaged about 25 seconds a PP this year. Lafreniere has averaged around 35. It's not really nothing to note that the second unit is usually beginning from their own end. If it takes--with the cleanest of entries--7 seconds to get from our goal line to a set up in the o-zone (which is really a generous estimate) that's already 28% of Kakko's icetime that PP spent. 20% Laf's. If they have to do it twice, or it doesn't work? You're already passed half.
And even if it does work out perfectly, you've now got 18 seconds and 28 seconds, respectively, to make something happen. Sure, over 30 games, we reach a bit of time, but on a per game, and especially a per power play basis, it's pretty pathetic. Moreover, our first unit couldn't score on a soccer net this season, so the disparity becomes an even bigger joke.
The other thing is that for all the crap shoveled on Kakko for his 'terrible ' play last year, he was legit great on the PP. It's not like we're looking at Kakko going, he's proven nothing there--no, he has demonstrated a very high ability in that specific part of the game.