GDT: GM 52. Battle of the 2 towns that aren't 1

[Borsig]

Nope but that was a playoff style game where we’ve seen this team lack that extra goal for a while now but fail to address the issue. Drury can’t play 2c and neither can KK on a playoff team still need someone

Your 2C went to Vancouver, unless someone is available that is completely off everyone's radar.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

Advanced stats are good but need production though.

He's had a bunch of good advanced stats games lately (don’t forget he is a 4C playing against weaker competition) but still is not producing and forcing rod to put Drury at 2C (which is not ideal for a team wanting to win the cup this year).

I think at this point Rod needs to swap them back and let KK have a few games with some offensive talent. Drury hasn't been bad but seems his O has dried up as well.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Nope but that was a playoff style game where we’ve seen this team lack that extra goal for a while now but fail to address the issue. Drury can’t play 2c and neither can KK on a playoff team still need someone

DW is on the clock.

JR is not everyone’s fan favorite on this board but I’d have more faith in a solution being found for a long cup run year if JR he was in charge (yeah I know the downside too). I’m fearful we are going to get another “we love our group”

 

[User13452]

Your 2C went to Vancouver, unless someone is available that is completely off everyone's radar.

Schmaltz or Mittelstadt

 

[chaz4hockey]

I think at this point Rod needs to swap them back and let KK have a few games with some offensive talent. Drury hasn't been bad but seems his O has dried up as well.

Agree re Drury.

Could be he needs an adjustment period going against other teams top lines and will step up or we now know his top end which will be 3 or 4C.

 

[User13452]

Like Rod said in his post game press conference the canes passed up way too many opportunities to shoot the puck

 

[Wolfpuck]

Schmaltz or Mittelstadt

But our precious algorithm says we love our magic beans more!

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Schmaltz isn’t a center

 

[Borsig]

I mean we've only needed a 2c since Trochek left.


Here's the sting. He makes 5.25M. Imagine having Tro right now for 5.25M.

 

[User13452]

I mean we've only needed a 2c since Trochek left.


Here's the sting. He makes 5.25M. Imagine having Tro right now for 5.25M.

5.6 but ya we don’t pay guys going into their thirties pretty much well known but I agree 5.6 for tro over 4.9 for KK would look a lot better right now

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

We have made it farther with kk as the 2C than Trocheck

We made it farther with kk than Rangers did with trocheck and paying big at the deadline.

The playoffs are a crap shoot and there is no real way to increase your odds.

But one near pointless regular season game always brings up not beaten to death points

 

[Borsig]

5.6 but ya we don’t pay guys going into their thirties pretty much well known but I agree 5.6 for tro over 4.9 for KK would look a lot better right now

I mean he's only signed to 35. In retrospect it was a dumb f***ing contract to pass up.

We've really wasted some money this year, and winning teams just don't do that. I was kind of on the KK train for a while, I mean I like his 2 way play and all but at some point you have to produce.

I dont even have hopes of us getting a real 2c in the offseason. Too much baggage and too many re- signs.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

yawn. same argument again. wake me up in may.

 

[User13452]

I mean he's only signed to 35. In retrospect it was a dumb f***ing contract to pass up.

We've really wasted some money this year, and winning teams just don't do that. I was kind of on the KK train for a while, I mean I like his 2 way play and all but at some point you have to produce.

I dont even have hopes of us getting a real 2c in the offseason. Too much baggage and too many re- signs.

Not giving up on KK yet but getting paid almost 5 million to be the 4c right now when this team really needs him to be the 2c is hurting us. Cant expect drury to carry the load as the 2c on a team that’s suppose to contend for a cup

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I mean, I'm a broken record on this sometimes, but I think he and the third line, despite their success tonight, are major structural problems for this team. You simply can't have players like Staal and Fast that are near total offensive vacuums playing that much time if you want to be an elite team. Until we're willing and able to move guys like that down to 10-12 minutes a night we're going to have issues with scoring drying up.

To be fair, Fast played 9:40 tonight and since Jan 1, he's 12th among forwards for TOI/GP at 10:46 (of 1 of that is on the PK). He's being used exactly as you stated.

Staal was 8th among forwards tonight in TOI with 14:42 (of which 1 min. was on the PK), so he was used close to what you stated. That said, he's 6th on the season among forwards for toi/gp though, but much of that is due to others not being good enough to take more TOI away.

I'd love for him to be in the 10-12/game+PK time, but I think this falls into the "able" category.

 

[cptjeff]

To be fair, Fast played 9:40 tonight and since Jan 1, he's 12th among forwards for TOI/GP at 10:46 (of 1 of that is on the PK). He's being used exactly as you stated.

Staal was 8th among forwards tonight in TOI with 14:42 (of which 1 min. was on the PK), so he was used close to what you stated. That said, he's 6th on the season among forwards for toi/gp though, but much of that is due to others not being good enough to take more TOI away.

I'd love for him to be in the 10-12/game+PK time, but I think this falls into the "able" category.

Yeah, the "able" category is a big one right now. We really, really need a 2C.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

This team is bleeding 5v5 GA with Bunting on the ice. In the 25 game stretch after the Vancouver game, he’s worst on the team among regulars (excludes Lemieux and Ponomarev) at 2.92 per 60. Both Martinook and Fast are almost a goal better. Doesn’t scream play him more.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

This team is bleeding 5v5 GA with Bunting on the ice. In the 25 game stretch after the Vancouver game, he’s worst on the team among regulars (excludes Lemieux and Ponomarev) at 2.92 per 60. Both Martinook and Fast are almost a goal better. Doesn’t scream play him more.

Dudes that are 50 foot players don’t work in the system. They just become really expensive 4th line 5v5 players (or at least should be).

He is underperforming his expected on ice goals but even the xGF% is below 50%.

 

[bleedgreen]

Agree re Drury.

Could be he needs an adjustment period going against other teams top lines and will step up or we now know his top end which will be 3 or 4C.

I think we’ve always known his top end is bottom six. Of course there’s hope he’ll find a higher gear and playing him with talent should get more points no matter what. I think there’s been an argument for Drury in this spot over KK the whole time. He’s a more aggressive player and despite being a mediocre skater himself, he can keep up with the play better. He just reacts quickly in all situations whether he or not he has a high skill response available. He makes the simple and smart olay quickly. That’s always been more of a Rod guy. KK tries to skill and think his way out of situations, which makes sense as he was that guy before he was drafted and was drafted to play that way. It isn’t working in the NHL yet. He isn’t fitting our style offensively, though he does the work defensively.

Drury has the ability to be a good band aid but I highly doubt he’s the solution.

 

[Joe McGrath]

This team is bleeding 5v5 GA with Bunting on the ice. In the 25 game stretch after the Vancouver game, he’s worst on the team among regulars (excludes Lemieux and Ponomarev) at 2.92 per 60. Both Martinook and Fast are almost a goal better. Doesn’t scream play him more.

Bunting is bad defensively. He’s also playing with Necas who is bad defensively. Not ideal. I suspect things will change up if the SAT line doesn’t start getting more results quickly.

 

[WreckingCrew]

Can Necas play on LW? Necas is often on the left side, not sure how he feels being more of a LW than RW but...

Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing an SAJ line for a bit bc I don't think we've really tried all 3 together? Problem is Bunting - KK - Necas has had 0 chemistry, and replacing Necas with TT doesn't seem like it would do much either.

Svech - Aho - Jarvy
Nachos - KK - TT (gives some defensive responsibility to allow Necas to roam)
Bunting - Drury - Fast
Noesen - Staal - MartyParty (though we KNOW this will be the 2nd/3rd line ice time)

Or move Necas down
SAJ
Bunting - KK - TT (nobody shoot the damn puck line)
MartyParty - Staal - Nachos
Noesen - Drury - Fast

 

[moses malone 12]

Schmaltz or Mittelstadt

henrique. believe this would be a pure rental. so be it. unplug Tulsky's computer for a day and get er done.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Bunting is bad defensively. He’s also playing with Necas who is bad defensively. Not ideal. I suspect things will change up if the SAT line doesn’t start getting more results quickly.

To his credit (maybe), Necas is also almost a full goal better in that sample too. Bunting and Kotkaniemi are outliers among the forward group. I can't imagine their QOC has been high either.

We've been spoiled with plus players across the board in recent years. It's jarring and worrying to see some big red numbers on the stat sheet. If/when the PP regresses in crunch time, the team will have to defend to compensate.