GDT: Habs vs Sens at Le Centre Pneus Canadien - 7pm RDS, CityTV, SN360

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Just want to touch on the PP without EK. The fact that people thought it could get worse just shows how little attention is paid. 75% of the time PP1 had the zone it was EK and Hoffman looking for each other, wether it was coaching or certain players wanting the puck I couldn't tell you but it was extremely infuriating. They rarely set up any plays, rarely had an looks below the goal line. They never attacked the PKers, it was all perimeter play. It really couldn't have gotten any worse. It was a PP that lacked any imagination and over a 4 season span it was the worst in the NHL.

Not to mention predictable, and therefore easier to defend against. Players all watch video of up coming opponents.

 

[Xspyrit]

I'm really liking Pyatt and Paajarvi so far this season. It's nice to have a 4th line that we can trust, and that it doesn't feel like we're narrowly escaping getting scored against every time they step on the ice.

They get too much ice-time though (TOI/GP) :

Mark Stone 19:25
Matt Duchene 18:02
Chris Tierney 17:53
Ryan Dzingel 17:18
Zack Smith 16:59
Mikkel Boedker 15:41
Bobby Ryan 14:59
Tom Pyatt 14:44
Brady Tkachuk 14:17
Colin White 13:42
Magnus Paajarvi 13:17
Alex Formenton 11:12
Paul Carey 9:00
Max McCormick 4:59

Reduce their time, give it to Ryan and Boedker. Reduce Smith time, give it to White. Reduce Dzingel time a bit, give it to Tkachuk. It's still very early in the season, wondering how the ice-time will be managed.

Is he earning his salary? Seems to be that he is a bit removed from things.

Ryan was overpaid from the start to not lose him as a UFA. Exactly the same situation as it is right now for Duchene and Stone, people want to see them extended as they are approaching their big UFA contract. People wanted Ryan to be extended, saying that it would be so bad to "lose him for nothing". The Sens thought the same and overpaid to keep him here.

If Duchene/Stone are kept and get some injuries as they are getting older, the same thing will happen to them, they will become unproductive vs their contract. It's been the case with so many NHL players. The list is too long to even start naming them.

Just for fun :

Ryan PPG the 4 years before signing his extension : 0.74 PPG (0.35 GPG)
Duchene the last 4 seasons : 0.68 PPG (0.30 GPG)

He was pretty terrible in the 1st & 2nd. He's too slow but when he has time and space he's a decent playmaker.
Can't drive play for **** though.

Is he supposed to drive play? It seems people haven't watched Ryan for long enough. He's never been the player that people want him to be. He's a skilled/finessed complementary winger. He used to be able to do it at a 1st line level and now it's second line.

Just want to touch on the PP without EK. The fact that people thought it could get worse just shows how little attention is paid. 75% of the time PP1 had the zone it was EK and Hoffman looking for each other, wether it was coaching or certain players wanting the puck I couldn't tell you but it was extremely infuriating. They rarely set up any plays, rarely had an looks below the goal line. They never attacked the PKers, it was all perimeter play. It really couldn't have gotten any worse. It was a PP that lacked any imagination and over a 4 season span it was the worst in the NHL.

Yeah, an improved PP was one of the easiest predictions for the season. That's one thing I knew I wouldn't miss Karlsson for.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Is he supposed to drive play? It seems people haven't watched Ryan for long enough. He's never been the player that people want him to be. He's a skilled/finessed complementary winger. He used to be able to do it at a 1st line level and now it's second line.

So far he's looked more like a bottom-6 player than a top-6. And more often than not he doesn't generate anything. Plays die when he touches the puck.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

So far he's looked more like a bottom-6 player than a top-6. And more often than not he doesn't generate anything. Plays die when he touches the puck.

He is a good puck distributor on the PP if we get set up.

He isn't good at zone entries though.

 

[Xspyrit]

So far he's looked more like a bottom-6 player than a top-6. And more often than not he doesn't generate anything. Plays die when he touches the puck.

First 3 years in Ottawa : 0.69 PPG (below median 1st line production)
2016-17 : 0.40 PPG (median 3rd line production) but was a beast in the playoffs with 15 pts in 19 games (including 3 GWG, 2 in OT)
Last year 0.53 PPG (below median 2nd line production)
This year : 0.63 PPG (above median 2nd line production)

Numbers tell otherwise, I could go deeper with xGF, SC/60 and HD/60

======================================

You say "more often than not he doesn't generate anything. Plays die when he touches the puck". Coincidentally, I analyzed his play on the PP last night :

1st PP :

- shot/pass towards the net that jut missed, scoring chance
- connects the pass for the zone entry
- keep the play at blueline, passing to the other side, keeping the offense going, Stone then made a pass to White who missed his shot bu not by much, scoring chance
- keep the play alive along the boards by winning his battle, creates space, pass using the board to Chabot at the point, that leads to a Stone shot and rebound that Duchene just missed, scoring chance
- Retrieves the puck along the boards, pass it to a wide open Chabot, that leads to another Stone shot and rebound that Duchene missed again, scoring chance.
- Gets the puck in the slot, shots and beats Rask but Carlo saves the day, high danger scoring chance. Then Stone could have scored afterwards but Rask closed the door. Another scoring chance

2nd PP :

- receives a pass in the skates, somehow succeeds to keep it alive and pass it to the point to Chabot
- after the draw quick pass to Chabot that opens up some space
- Makes a dangerous pass/shot to the front of the net, hits Rask pad without him knowing, scoring chance
- wins a race/battle along the boards, blocks a clearing attempt but eventually the Bruins get it out as there was 3 Bruins players in that corner.
- after the 2nd PP unit sucked for about 1 min, Ryan back on the ice, makes a nice stretch pass that sends Duchene on the left side, but the angle wasn't great so Rask had no problem stopping the shot. scoring chance.
- Not long after the PP is over while Ryan is still on the ice, creates a turnover by knocking down an aerial pass, the Sens counter but Smith can't do anything with it as he is contained by several Bruins players.

3rd PP :

- 2nd unit started this PP, so after 45 seconds, Ryan is back on the ice. Duchene centering pass that was intended to Ryan but Rask stick got a piece of it leaving the puck right in the slot but White's shot went wide.
- Ryan hurries to go help White along the boards keeping the play alive, it leads to a Duchene shot from a sharp angle though, but another scoring chance
- Ryan subtly retrieves the puck then battles in the corner with 2 Bruins on his back but is somehow able to pass it back to Chabot at the point, who has a lot of open space. That leads to a Chabot shot that is deflected on the way by Stone, great save by Rask. scoring chance
- Ryan retrieves the rebound, controls the puck with poise, creates space for himself, then set up Chabot perfectly for a one-timer : GOAL with 30 seconds left on the PP.

4th PP (Ryan's is the one that got tripped for that PP) :

- game was 4-1 Boston at that point so the Sens probably already had their spirits down but nonetheless : Ryan blocks a clearing attempt with his stick after an action in front of the net, goes behind the net and makes a reverse pass to White, who can't even touch it (looks like it was going too fast for White on that sequence)
- After the Bruins wasted a bit of time off the Sens PP, Ryan can't handle a puck that was rimmed along the boards in the defensive zone, the puck goes back to Andy who throws it in the corner, Sens lose a few more seconds as a result. First "meh" play by Ryan on the PP.
- After the 2nd unit was on the ice for about 45 seconds, Ryan is back on the ice with only 28 seconds left on the PP, he nicely retrieves and control a bad pass by Duchene at the point, then a skilled little backhand pass to Chabot who shots the puck towards the net but Rask swallows it as there was no traffic in front.

5th PP :

- Not any openings, Ryan shots towards the net with Duchene and White in front, puck is deflected onto Duchene who sends it back in front but over White's stick.
- Stone makes a bad zone entry, white blocks the clearing attempt, Ryan tries to handle the puck but confusion with White prevents him from doing it cleanly but the play continues in the Bruins zone.
- Duchene tries a pass that gets deflected by a Bruins stick and ends up saved by Rask's pad, rebound goes to Ryan who shots it right away but it's either a very nice save by Rask who followed through nicely with quick lateral movement or it hit the side of the post. TV didn't give an aerial view so very hard to say.
- saucer pass to Chabot who tries a one-time pass the other side but isn't handled by Stone, too bad it could have lead to another good scoring chance.
- gets a nice pass by Stone, has an opportunity to shoot but stickhandles too much (probably to put the puck square on the ice) but it gives time to the Bruins player to come close to him and make a nice stick play deflecting the puck away, then the Bruins player with a wise elbow to separate Ryan from the puck and then clears the zone. Second "meh" play by Ryan on the PP in the game but the Bruins deserves credit there. After 1:25 on the ice, the first unit comes off.

It's just one game, the Sens had 5 PPs so Ryan had several opportunities to showcase his talent with other skilled players but under Boucher it hasn't always been like that. Yes, he doesn't always make the right play or some plays might "die on his stick" but it is exactly the same for every player, only elite players rarely give up possession. If you don't put a microscope on a player, you see things very differently. I'm very attentive watching the game (not in bar drinking beer with people for example).

Personally when I watch a game I don't even look at the player's number at first, it allows me to watch the game without any bias. I notice the number after the play is made, and if I couldn't see it, I can easily go back and forth since I have every Sens game on PVR.

I can tell you that Ryan makes a lot of good (subtle or not) plays during a game. He has off-games like most players but the HF narrative is purely from the fact that he was acquired for a darling prospect and a famous 1st round pick and he is now banged up and overpaid.

Comments in the GDTs reveals me bias and agendas or who is just not attentive enough or maybe doesn't understand the game enough. It allows me to establish levels of credibility. Problem is that other people reading don't necessarily know with how many grains of salt they should take some comments.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

First 3 years in Ottawa : 0.69 PPG (below median 1st line production)
2016-17 : 0.40 PPG (median 3rd line production) but was a beast in the playoffs with 15 pts in 19 games (including 3 GWG, 2 in OT)
Last year 0.53 PPG (below median 2nd line production)
This year : 0.63 PPG (above median 2nd line production)

Numbers tell otherwise, I could go deeper with xGF, SC/60 and HD/60

======================================

You say "more often than not he doesn't generate anything. Plays die when he touches the puck". Coincidentally, I analyzed his play on the PP last night :.

Your essays are quite funny to read honestly. Btw nice little generalization with the "watching at a bar" comment
You spent time out of your day to analyze Ryan's play on the Powerplay?? How does that dispute what I said about his general play. That means; on the rush, breaking out from the d-zone, forchecking on the o-zone. The fact is Ryan is not the player he was when he played for Anaheim. He's a broken down goal scorer who's shifted to passing because he can't skate for shit. Also a word of advice; when the majority of people talk down on him, then maybe just maybe he probably warrants those criticisms. I don't care that he makes 7+M; I'm not paying his contract, but it's undeniable how underwhelming his years as Sens have been.

 

[Xspyrit]

Your essays are quite funny to read honestly. Btw nice little generalization with the "watching at a bar" comment
You spent time out of your day to analyze Ryan's play on the Powerplay?? How does that dispute what I said about his general play. That means; on the rush, breaking out from the d-zone, forchecking on the o-zone. The fact is Ryan is not the player he was when he played for Anaheim. He's a broken down goal scorer who's shifted to passing because he can't skate for ****. Also a word of advice; when the majority of people talk down on him, then maybe just maybe he probably warrants those criticisms. I don't care that he makes 7+M; I'm not paying his contract, but it's undeniable how underwhelming his years as Sens have been.

Ok sorry it took a while to answer this, but don't worry about my time, if I do something like this, it's because I can afford it Hockey is one of my passions and I love spending time on it. I also always loved stats so it allows to me to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

And a generalization? I'd like to think that almost everybody does that? I did that myself on Saturday night, we went in a bar with my partner after the franchise expo to watch the Habs-Bruins game and get a couple drinks. I was surely less attentive than when I am watching the Sens at home on PVR.

Concerning the word of advice, you really expect me to follow the masses? lol forget it.

If his years on the Sens have been that underwhelming, it's maybe that you had the wrong expectations right from the start.

- In his first 3 years, he has produced at the same pace as he did with Anaheim in his last 2 years there. He was an impact player for the first 40-60 games of each season but ran into injuries. As I posted before, he was 57th in forwards scoring over that period of time, 42nd in P/60 at ES

- Then yes, he had a terrible regular season in 2016-17 as he struggled through injuries and off-ice stuff but he had MONSTER playoffs which allowed us to reach the ECF game 7. Shouldn't he get a pass for that season then?

- He somewhat rebounded in 2017-18 but still had to deal with many injuries. 0.53 PPG and 72nd in P/60 at ES among forwards is really not that bad. Overpaid but till.

Ryan is too slow to have an effective forecheck, but his passing is still one of the best on the team. Ex : that back-pass to Tierney alone in the slot last night. He makes a lot of good/great passes every game. Too bad, not many on the team are good at passing and receiving the puck.