MiamiScreamingEagles
Global Moderator
- Jan 17, 2004
- 71,039
- 48,011
For the first time in his career Belly has reached 20 points. We were ****ting on him, but he clearly proved us wrong. He is no torgo, vdv or stewie.
That should mean more scoring opportunity, though Jeff probably told his 4th line not to even think about scoring.The way I remember it, the complaints were that PEB was overused, not necessarily that he was bad.
VDV was always bad.
The way I remember it, the complaints were that PEB was overused, not necessarily that he was bad.
VDV was always bad.
For the first time in his career Belly has reached 20 points. We were ****ting on him, but he clearly proved us wrong. He is no torgo, vdv or stewie.
If the BJs, Isles, Flyers or Canes miss the playoffs while having more points than whichever of Florida or Toronto end up being the Atlantic #3 seed, hopefully that will get the idiots in charge of the NHL to get rid of this awful playoff system.
Statistically he was pretty brutal even away from VV here too. I guess perhaps getting away from Hakstol was the bigger positive for his career.
I ain't even mad.
I considered myself a PEB defender at the time as well. We had enough international tape on him to know he had a good shot and effective speed going forward, neither of which he was allowed to use in Philly. Inexplicable.His usage under Hakstol was completely baffling. Watching how he ran that 4th line made me start to realize that, perhaps, Hakstol was an incompetent ****ing moron.
PEB, who was a better board battler and shooter than anyone else on his line, was being played as a third defenseman...neutralizing his actual skills. While trusting two crap players to win against two defenders and a center, all of whom were typically better than them. Which ended with them getting pinned back in their own zone routinely.
I always pointed this out at the time and said he has way more to offer and we were making sure we weren't getting it. Usage is important!!!
Id ask someone to post the corsi numbers for PEB with and without VDV but I don’t recall ever seeing PEB on the ice without VDV. He must have jumped through the roof when the expansion draft called his name.
VdV played because the alternatives were worse (where are they now . . . ).
At least VdV was a plus PK player.
People just don't want to admit how thin the talent pool was from 2013-2018.
Or why Berube got a lot smarter when he landed in St Louis with a deep roster and a hot goaltender.
No, the other options were not worse than VDV. That's a fiction manufactured to defend Hextall and Hakstol's choices and "development" path.