GDT: Game day thread, the day before the game day. (CAR vs NJ)

[Joe McGrath]

It didn't occur to me till I read your description, but doesn't that sound an awful lot like the PP under Kirk Muller?

And it's 2 different units doing totally different things. The biggest problem with the umbrella PP they were running is that they had no one who could shoot on it as the 3 high guys. TT, Aho, and Slavin aren't shooters. The other unit had basically zero net front and had the only guys who could shoot in Skinner, Hanifin, and Murphy.

 

[AD Skinner]

Have they ever tried stalberg up front on the PP? He's reasonably big, decent hands, could be a good screen man. We got a couple good bounces on the PP early this season that I think inflated the percentages a bit and now those numbers are regressing. At least that's how it seems to me going purely on the eye test

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

IMO, Nestrasil should do everything he can to change his game into a Holmstrom type player, particularly on the PP. He's got size and he's got decent hands, but he's got to WANT to be that type of player as those players take a punishment and not everybody is cut out for it. I think he's just too slow (at least right now) to be an effective every day NHL player unless he develops a niche of some sort.

 

[Roboturner913]

Have they ever tried stalberg up front on the PP? He's reasonably big, decent hands, could be a good screen man. We got a couple good bounces on the PP early this season that I think inflated the percentages a bit and now those numbers are regressing. At least that's how it seems to me going purely on the eye test

I believe Tripp talked about that being a possiblility after Bickell started missing games but I am sure it ever actually happened. I'm sure somebody that is not so lazy could go look at game logs and see if he ever got PP time.

 

[AD Skinner]

 

[Unsustainable]

We do need a Bickell type player again.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I believe Tripp talked about that being a possiblility after Bickell started missing games but I am sure it ever actually happened. I'm sure somebody that is not so lazy could go look at game logs and see if he ever got PP time.

You can "kinda" still be lazy and look it up by going on NHL.com stats and getting TOI by player.

Victor Stalberg has a total of 2min, 32s PP time all season...so basically nothing. It's most likely when he's sent out at the end when the penalty was about to expire as Peters frequently puts his 4th line out in those situations as McClement and Nordstrom have a similar amount of PP time.

 

[tarheelhockey]

IMO, Nestrasil should do everything he can to change his game into a Holmstrom type player, particularly on the PP. He's got size and he's got decent hands, but he's got to WANT to be that type of player as those players take a punishment and not everybody is cut out for it. I think he's just too slow (at least right now) to be an effective every day NHL player unless he develops a niche of some sort.

It's easy to forget Nestrasil is even on the roster. He hasn't skated more than 12 minutes in almost two months, even with big bodies like Staal and Lindholm out of the lineup. I suspect they'll play Rattie ahead of him, right off waivers.

He must be pretty firmly in the doghouse at this point.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It's easy to forget Nestrasil is even on the roster. He hasn't skated more than 12 minutes in almost two months, even with big bodies like Staal and Lindholm out of the lineup. I suspect they'll play Rattie ahead of him, right off waivers.

He must be pretty firmly in the doghouse at this point.

I think because of his injury, he isn't back to where he was last year. Not sure if it is lingering issues, or the inability to train well this offseason. He was never fast, but looks noticeably slower to me this year. Hard to get in the line-up if you are a winger that isn't overly skilled and can't skate.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think because of his injury, he isn't back to where he was last year. Not sure if it is lingering issues, or the inability to train well this offseason. He was never fast, but looks noticeably slower to me this year. Hard to get in the line-up if you are a winger that isn't overly skilled and can't skate.

He's definitely not what he was last year. It's probably ultimately injury related, considering he had to be off his feet for weeks and change up his whole training routine, who knows what impact that had on his agility and stamina?

In any case, he's in a tough spot. Turns 26 this year, has a recent major injury, already used a "second chance" card in coming here off waivers, can't get in the lineup, plays minimally when he does get in... and his contract is up this summer. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up in Europe next year.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

In any case, he's in a tough spot. Turns 26 this year, has a recent major injury, already used a "second chance" card in coming here off waivers, can't get in the lineup, plays minimally when he does get in... and his contract is up this summer. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up in Europe next year.

Yeah, I agree. Like I said earlier, unless he can somehow transform his game (and I doubt he can), he's going to have a tough time finding a spot on any team.