Jiri Hudler NHL's First Star of the Week

[DCDM]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=757229&navid=DL|NHL|home

FIRST STAR – JIRI HUDLER, C, CALGARY FLAMES

Hudler paced the NHL with eight points and shared the League lead with four goals to help the Flames (36-25-5, 77 points) earn seven out of a possible eight standings points. He opened the week with 1-1—2, including the winning goal at 1:23 of overtime, in a 3-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers March 3. Hudler followed that performance with 1-1—2 in a 4-3 shootout win over the Boston Bruins March 5. He then recorded 2-0—2, including the game-winning goal, in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings March 6. Hudler closed the week with a pair of assists in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators March 8. The 31-year-old Olomouc, Czech Republic, native has posted multiple points in four consecutive games for the first time in his career. He leads the Flames with 23-33—56 in 63 outings this season, including four game-winning goals (tied for second on the team)

Like y'know whadda guy

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[CraigsList]

Woooh! Go Jiri!

 

[Johnny GODreau]

Wait got 7 out of 8 points?

Anyways awesome for Hudler. Well deserved.

 

[Gritty]

I really like this guy! I hope he stays with this organization after his current contract expires!

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Congrats, he deserves it!

 

[InfinityIggy]

Hudler delivers.

 

[CraigsList]

^

Perhaps they watch our pizza gifs

 

[InfinityIggy]

Does Hudler remind anyone else a little of Conroy? Both just seem like great locker room guys, and were/are willing to take the lead with young players. Also though both just seem like stand-up individuals to me.

 

[StreakingRed]

Good for him. Hudler is awesome. Great player to have on the ice and around our young guys.

 

[Flaming Satan]

Thought this was a awful signing when it first happend, it has turned out really well for us though.

 

[Lunatik]

Thought this was a awful signing when it first happened, it has turned out really well for us though.

so many of us are eating crow

 

[DCDM]

Thought this was a awful signing when it first happend, it has turned out really well for us though.

Yep. I thought he wouldn't be a fit here at the time (and maybe he wasn't, when we were still rocking the Iginla core) but over time he's become more and more of a cornerstone for this club. His leadership with Monahan and Gaudreau has been superb IMO.

 

[Flaming Satan]

Yep. I thought he wouldn't be a fit here at the time (and maybe he wasn't, when we were still rocking the Iginla core) but over time he's become more and more of a cornerstone for this club. His leadership with Monahan and Gaudreau has been superb IMO.

Yeah, I really think that some of Gaudreau's and Monahan's success has to do with the mentorship of Hudler.

 

[Anglesmith]

At the beginning of last season, first game of the year, I believe I made a remark like "Hudler is completely redundant on this team" or something like that.

Hudler is the best player on the team right now. He really does it all. He's better than Tanguay was.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

I actually liked the signing when it happened. A Wings fan I knew was trying to downplay Hudler. Saying he was a product of Zetterberg and Datsyuk which may have been true but he has come into his own since. He said the same thing about Filpula. Saying when he was in Detroit in was an anomaly when he scored 66 points. Regardless, I am sure Detroit is crying over the losses.

 

[StreakingRed]

Thought this was a awful signing when it first happend, it has turned out really well for us though.

I loved the signing from day 1 for the simple fact that he was coming from the Red Wings organization, so you knew he'd be bringing good habits with him.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

I actually liked the signing when it happened. A Wings fan I knew was trying to downplay Hudler. Saying he was a product of Zetterberg and Datsyuk which may have been true but he has come into his own since. He said the same thing about Filpula. Saying when he was in Detroit in was an anomaly when he scored 66 points. Regardless, I am sure Detroit is crying over the losses.

Yes and no. They needed spots for Nyquist and Tatar.

 

[DCDM]

At the beginning of last season, first game of the year, I believe I made a remark like "Hudler is completely redundant on this team" or something like that.

Hudler is the best player on the team right now. He really does it all. He's better than Tanguay was.

Can you imagine Tanguay running out of the dressing room on HNIC with a box of pizza? I can't.

 

[Pirate King Luffy]

Yes and no. They needed spots for Nyquist and Tatar.

I know. That is why i said it. The team is still good and losing Hudler and Filpula did nothing to them and are still doing well. So I am sure they got over it.

edit: Even then they didn't make room for them. They let them go because to Detroit they were asking for a lot of money.

 

[CraigsList]

I actually liked the signing when it happened. A Wings fan I knew was trying to downplay Hudler. Saying he was a product of Zetterberg and Datsyuk which may have been true but he has come into his own since. He said the same thing about Filpula. Saying when he was in Detroit in was an anomaly when he scored 66 points. Regardless, I am sure Detroit is crying over the losses.

When I first saw the signing, I was all for it. And I am not saying it just to say it. Because Hudler was on a stacked team like Detroit, he was never really given the opportunity to play top line minutes there.

 

[tmurfin]

All these great things Hudler has been for our team, I'd like to add one more, he is incredible with the fans. Went to a game last year and sat right behind the flames net front row, the whole warmup he was skating around interacting with all the little kids, throwing them pucks etc, just seemed like a great guy,

 

[Master Bill]

I think with Hudler there is a huge difference between this season and the two seasons before - he's just shooting the puck more. He seems to only make the "pretty" plays when he has to (like the assists on Granlund's goal vs. Kings & on Bouma's winner vs. Panthers), and when he has a chance to get a shot on goal, he has the confidence to do it himself. His goal against the Wings is a pretty good example, just weaving his way through until he can get a shot off.

I also noticed he doesn't force difficult passes that much anymore, he only picks out the ones that are doable but creative.

There is more simplicity to his game, with a higher compete-level, and more effectiveness. I think he's a player that won't regress significantly with age, because he feeds off his intelligence with the puck rather than his physique and speed (which get worse with aging).

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

Can you imagine Tanguay running out of the dressing room on HNIC with a box of pizza? I can't.

Or playing basketball in his hockey gear?

 

[InfinityIggy]

I think with Hudler there is a huge difference between this season and the two seasons before - he's just shooting the puck more. He seems to only make the "pretty" plays when he has to (like the assists on Granlund's goal vs. Kings & on Bouma's winner vs. Panthers), and when he has a chance to get a shot on goal, he has the confidence to do it himself. His goal against the Wings is a pretty good example, just weaving his way through until he can get a shot off.

I also noticed he doesn't force difficult passes that much anymore, he only picks out the ones that are doable but creative.

There is more simplicity to his game, with a higher compete-level, and more effectiveness. I think he's a player that won't regress significantly with age, because he feeds off his intelligence with the puck rather than his physique and speed (which get worse with aging).

I think all three members of the GMH line have benefited greatly from eachother. Hudler is a guy who can pass and shoot in pretty equal measures so having guys like Gaudreau (known as a Goal scorer in college but arguably an even better playmaker at the NHL level) and Monahan who at the ripe old age of 20 is within reach of scoring 30 this year.

Both JG and Money have benefited immensely as well by having a veteran like Hudler who can do all the little things right on the attack.

I think we will see those three guys as a top-6 line going forward until one of the them is no longer here.

 

[Master Bill]

I think all three members of the GMH line have benefited greatly from eachother. Hudler is a guy who can pass and shoot in pretty equal measures so having guys like Gaudreau (known as a Goal scorer in college but arguably an even better playmaker at the NHL level) and Monahan who at the ripe old age of 20 is within reach of scoring 30 this year.

Both JG and Money have benefited immensely as well by having a veteran like Hudler who can do all the little things right on the attack.

I think we will see those three guys as a top-6 line going forward until one of the them is no longer here.

Yeah, I actually think it's the best line we've had since the line of Tanguay-Langkow-Iginla. The current top line will develop into something similar in style: playmaker / dangler / sniper. Pretty good mix if you have something in that mould.