Boston Globe Grz & Miller

[Gee Wally]

How Bruins Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller have mastered the art of gap, angle, and challenge - The Boston Globe

DALLAS — Their principles, like those of their defensive teammates, are gap, angle, and challenge.

Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller have followed these rules better than anybody.

Separately, they are disparate puzzle pieces. The spindly 5-foot-9-inch, 174-pound Grzelcyk looks like a Jamaica Plain hipster. Miller, who stands 6-2 and 210 pounds, patrols the ice like a hungry grizzly bear. Given her father’s genes, Remi, Miller’s 3-month-old daughter, should soon stand tall enough to look Grzelcyk in the eye.

According to Corsica Hockey, when Grzelcyk and Miller have been on during five-on-five play, opponents are averaging 45.9 shot attempts per 60 minutes. It is the second-best shot-suppression performance of any twosome in the league that has played 400-plus minutes together. Only Vegas’s Brad Hunt and ex-Bruin Colin Miller (44.4) are allowing fewer attempts per 60.

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[HockeyMomx2]

That's pretty impressive.

 

[sarge88]

How Bruins Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller have mastered the art of gap, angle, and challenge - The Boston Globe

DALLAS — Their principles, like those of their defensive teammates, are gap, angle, and challenge.

Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller have followed these rules better than anybody.

Separately, they are disparate puzzle pieces. The spindly 5-foot-9-inch, 174-pound Grzelcyk looks like a Jamaica Plain hipster. Miller, who stands 6-2 and 210 pounds, patrols the ice like a hungry grizzly bear. Given her father’s genes, Remi, Miller’s 3-month-old daughter, should soon stand tall enough to look Grzelcyk in the eye.

According to Corsica Hockey, when Grzelcyk and Miller have been on during five-on-five play, opponents are averaging 45.9 shot attempts per 60 minutes. It is the second-best shot-suppression performance of any twosome in the league that has played 400-plus minutes together. Only Vegas’s Brad Hunt and ex-Bruin Colin Miller (44.4) are allowing fewer attempts per 60.

Admittedly, I know nothing of these advanced metrics, but I can’t be the only one surprised that Colin Miller is part of the league leading pair.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Admittedly, I know nothing of these advanced metrics, but I can’t be the only one surprised that Colin Miller is part of the league leading pair.

Correct, you are not.

However, I would say shocked more so than surprised.

 

[Krupp]

I have always been a big fan of Miller's. Always. Wanted him to suceed from the first time I saw him play years ago.

It's great that he and Gryz have worked so well together - here's to hoping that they're a mainstay pair for years to come. That just means one less defensive pairing to worry about. I love watching these two play together

 

[maxbme]

Correct, you are not.

However, I would say shocked more so than surprised.

He always had great shot supression numbers here, but was one of those weird players where numbers and eye test didn't quite match up. Its nice to see him finding success in Vegas, but I'm still a little skeptical.

The biggest difference between the pairings isn't shots allowed, its goal differential. Hunt and Chiller have been on ice for 13 scored and given up 16. Grz and Killer have been on ice for an otherworldly 21 scored and 7 against. Best in the league by over 10%, #2 is Chara and McAvoy at 65%.

 

[Montecristo]

Looking more and more like Holden and mcquaid are the odd ones out come playoff time.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

I have been trying to resist the idea that gryz is the real deal... but he just continues to do nothing to disappoint me other than being too small

do we have another don Sweeney here? I had a hard time accepting Sweeney for most his career too... but he just got the job done year after year.

or maybe pj axelsson is the better comparison? I'm pretty sure I never accepted him his whole career but in retrospect he was quite a useful guy for us and stuck around his entire career.

I hope if gryz is here for the long haul I can be smarter and get on board with him quicker than I did Sweeney or axelsson. if gryz starts producing more points it should be easier for me. the defensive performance though is very good.

miller/gryz as our bottom pair is ok with me I guess for the next year or two

 

[Dr Hook]

he just continues to do nothing to disappoint me other than being too small

I think you need to get over that, and I mean that kindly. He just doesn't get outmatched or outmuscled very often. He works with his size quite well. I know it's hard coming from the generation* we do to think of small d-men not being soft or easy to push around or overpower, but Grizz is a new breed of smaller d-man that plays smart enough that he doesn't need to be 6'3" 220 to be effective in his own end. There will be those moments where that does happen, but as we see with big guys, they can sometimes get burned by speed and agility- there is always a risk somewhere. If Grizz had those skills and the size he'd be a rising Norris candidate. Instead we have a smallish but effective defenseman good for a top 4 role in the future.

* I think- I am 48 and I reckon we are of a similar age here

 

[JP Nolan]

I have been trying to resist the idea that gryz is the real deal... but he just continues to do nothing to disappoint me other than being too small

do we have another don Sweeney here? I had a hard time accepting Sweeney for most his career too... but he just got the job done year after year.

or maybe pj axelsson is the better comparison? I'm pretty sure I never accepted him his whole career but in retrospect he was quite a useful guy for us and stuck around his entire career.

I hope if gryz is here for the long haul I can be smarter and get on board with him quicker than I did Sweeney or axelsson. if gryz starts producing more points it should be easier for me. the defensive performance though is very good.

miller/gryz as our bottom pair is ok with me I guess for the next year or two

With all due respect, Sweeney is not in GRYZ class as a hockey player. I dont think the comparison holds water.

 

[Seidenbergy]

Looking more and more like Holden and mcquaid are the odd ones out come playoff time.

What a difference a year makes. Last year, we had to put tommy cross out there during the playoffs. This year, mcquaid might be a healthy scratch.

You can never have too much quality depth.

 

[UConn126]

Looking more and more like Holden and mcquaid are the odd ones out come playoff time.

Which is a great problem to have. A 7 & 8 that are more than capable NHLers.

 

[00BW]

The more I watch, the more I see Krug and Gryz as two different styles of hockey defenseman.

Krug actually tries to out-muscle guys physically and plays like he's a traditional 6'2" D. He does what the bigger Bruins players do but his size makes him a lot less effective. This is why a lot of fans, me included, have a bias against shorter D.

Gryz knows he can't out-muscle so he uses speed and stick to keep the puck to the walls and out of the D zone. Recently, he's actually become very good at pinning much bigger opponents to the boards by using his legs to pin their legs. Quinn Hughes would be smart to study Grzelcyk's defensive style as that is what he will need to do in the NHL to be a star--though his offense alone might make him one.

I don't know if Grzelcyk will be close to the PPG player he was at BU but as the advanced stats show, his teammates greatly benefit stats wise from him being on the ice.

 

[Estlin]

Looking more and more like Holden and mcquaid are the odd ones out come playoff time.

Was this ever in doubt?

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Looking more and more like Holden and mcquaid are the odd ones out come playoff time.

Well yeah...

Chara McAcoy
Krug Carlo
Gryz K Miller

Never really doubted that did we?

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

The more I watch, the more I see Krug and Gryz as two different styles of hockey defenseman.

Krug actually tries to out-muscle guys physically and plays like he's a traditional 6'2" D. He does what the bigger Bruins players do but his size makes him a lot less effective. This is why a lot of fans, me included, have a bias against shorter D.

Gryz knows he can't out-muscle so he uses speed and stick to keep the puck to the walls and out of the D zone. Recently, he's actually become very good at pinning much bigger opponents to the boards by using his legs to pin their legs. Quinn Hughes would be smart to study Grzelcyk's defensive style as that is what he will need to do in the NHL to be a star--though his offense alone might make him one.

I don't know if Grzelcyk will be close to the PPG player he was at BU but as the advanced stats show, his teammates greatly benefit stats wise from him being on the ice.

Yup I was completely wrong about Gryz, I can admit it.

Thought he was a lesser Krug but he is a MUCH different d man. Love him on the bottom pair.

 

[Montecristo]

Well yeah...

Chara McAcoy
Krug Carlo
Gryz K Miller

Never really doubted that did we?

There was an assumption on Holdens acquisition that he might supplant grizz in the playoffs

 

[Sheppy]

I have absolutely no problem with ...

Chara - McAvoy
Krug - Carlo
Gryz - Miller

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

There was an assumption on Holdens acquisition that he might supplant grizz in the playoffs

I didn't take it that way at all, but I hear ya. Honestly I think the D will only really suffer if Chara/McAvoy/Krug miss time. Carlo is next in line in that but I think Miller/McQuaid can fill in admirably and they wouldnt miss a beat.

 

[Beesfan]

Crazy as it sounds, if I had to choose between keeping Grz or Krug, it would be Grz. I think he is tied with Chara as our best defensive defenseman right now. I just feel confident that we won't get scored on anytime he is on the ice.

 

[Montecristo]

Crazy as it sounds, if I had to choose between keeping Grz or Krug, it would be Grz. I think he is tied with Chara as our best defensive defenseman right now. I just feel confident that we won't get scored on anytime he is on the ice.

I think a lot of grzcelyks success is tied to miller, who in my opinion is one of the more underrated shutdown defensemen in the league

 

[Sheppy]

Crazy as it sounds, if I had to choose between keeping Grz or Krug, it would be Grz. I think he is tied with Chara as our best defensive defenseman right now. I just feel confident that we won't get scored on anytime he is on the ice.

He's better defensively for sure, but you can't ignore Krugs offensive game.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Crazy as it sounds, if I had to choose between keeping Grz or Krug, it would be Grz. I think he is tied with Chara as our best defensive defenseman right now. I just feel confident that we won't get scored on anytime he is on the ice.

Krug could get 60 points this year...... I'm keeping him.

Gryz is a solid D man but he doesn't belong anywhere higher than the bottom pair (as of now, IMO).

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Krug could get 60 points this year...... I'm keeping him.

Gryz is a solid D man but he doesn't belong anywhere higher than the bottom pair (as of now, IMO).

While I'm not about trading Krug to make room for Grzelcyk, if Grzelcyk continues to play like he has, then he is a top 4 defenseman. I don't see how he doesn't belong anywhere higher than the bottom pair. He's proving he's a T4D. He's a different type of defenseman than Krug.

 

[Beesfan]

He's better defensively for sure, but you can't ignore Krugs offensive game.

For sure. And that would mean he would bring back a big asset in a trade (mid-late 1st maybe). Would also clear a lot of cap space.

Left d is one of our thinnest positions atm so I don't see either going anywhere. But if one is around 3 years from now, my guess is its Grizz.