Player Discussion: Nikita Kucherov

[DFC]

I just ****ing love this guy's attitude.

 

[ViD]

Malkin easily.

Nice joke

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[SRQKiter]

Yesterday's Hockey PDOcast on where Kuch stands among the leagues best wingers (the important Kuch part starts at about 1hr 26 min but whole show is good, if a bit slow paced): Ep.257: Winging It

I guess we're just going to have to wait for the guy they are talking about to show up............

 

[Master P]

Product of Stamkos

 

[SRQKiter]

Product of Stamkos

So you're suggesting a domino effect?

 

[Master P]

So you're suggesting a domino effect?

No, it was a joke

 

[SRQKiter]

No, it was a joke

Me too.

 

[DFC]

It's frustrating, but Kucherov does this sometimes. He can be pretty terrible to start seasons. I believe it was his 85 point year that his first 10 games were awful. If he still looks like this a quarter of the way through, I'll worry about him. Until then, it's just a waiting game, and, luckily, we have a lot of guys to pick up the slack.

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

I kept waiting for him to take off the helmet tonight to unveil:

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[LightningStrikes]

Great play by Stamkos though.

 

[CupsOverCash]

That was a great game last night. Kucherov has been getting chances. He just needs to bury them. He will.

 

[DFC]

That was a great game last night. Kucherov has been getting chances. He just needs to bury them. He will.

He walked a few guys, which is a good sign. I still can't believe he passed out of that chance he created early on. I'm guessing Coop gave it to him a little, or maybe he just finally realized what an idiot he's been, because he seemed more intent on shooting after that.

 

[CupsOverCash]

He walked a few guys, which is a good sign. I still can't believe he passed out of that chance he created early on. I'm guessing Coop gave it to him a little, or maybe he just finally realized what an idiot he's been, because he seemed more intent on shooting after that.

Hes a good playmaker but he is a much more dangerous as a shooter. Funny how the winning goal is one where Stamkos makes that extra pass but it was the right read. They both just need to let it rip.

 

[DFC]

Hes a good playmaker but he is a much more dangerous as a shooter. Funny how the winning goal is one where Stamkos makes that extra pass but it was the right read. They both just need to let it rip.

I think Kucherov is more dangerous even as a passer when he's in shoot-first mode. When teams are playing him to shoot, it opens up a lot of passing lanes. Right now those lanes aren't open and he's trying them anyway. I think it really is just as simple as shooting more for him, at this point. Well, that, and his passes need to be crisper. This feather-pass BS is burning us over and over.

 

[Cmac66]

As much as i give criticism to stamkos that play to set up Kucherov was a beauty.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I think Kucherov is more dangerous even as a passer when he's in shoot-first mode. When teams are playing him to shoot, it opens up a lot of passing lanes. Right now those lanes aren't open and he's trying them anyway. I think it really is just as simple as shooting more for him, at this point. Well, that, and his passes need to be crisper. This feather-pass BS is burning us over and over.

Yea hes better as a shoot first mentality. I wonder if teams noticed that and are forcing him to pass more.

 

[DFC]

Yea hes better as a shoot first mentality. I wonder if teams noticed that and are forcing him to pass more.

That might be a small part of it, but it's definitely just him doing it too. He's passed out of more Grade As than anybody on the team so far this year. With the amount of looks this guy gets, he should be up close to 300 shots per year. Right now he's at something like 2.5 shots per game, if that, which isn't acceptable for a shooter of this caliber, especially one who gets himself in the clear a few times per game. It's almost like he'd rather score a highlight reel goal than a regular goal, but he's one of few guys in the league who's proven he can score from just about anywhere. So we need him to take advantage of that.

 

[CupsOverCash]

That might be a small part of it, but it's definitely just him doing it too. He's passed out of more Grade As than anybody on the team so far this year. With the amount of looks this guy gets, he should be up close to 300 shots per year. Right now he's at something like 2.5 shots per game, if that, which isn't acceptable for a shooter of this caliber, especially one who gets himself in the clear a few times per game. It's almost like he'd rather score a highlight reel goal than a regular goal, but he's one of few guys in the league who's proven he can score from just about anywhere. So we need him to take advantage of that.

Early on last year when it was the Stamkos and Kuch show, they both ripped shots whenever they got the puck. If they did pass the other would shoot. Then they started to get too cute and make another pass. I was asking that because it seemed like they stopped doing that. I was thinking it had more to do with the adjustments made than what they were doing. I think they did get a little too cute too. One big reason why I wanted to split them up.

 

[LightningStrikes]

He has one of the quickest releases in the game. I love his snap shots, most of the time he's off balance and the opponents never even expect him to shoot from where and how he's currently standing/skating. Insane talent. Shoot it, Kuch!

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Wont be long before him and Stamkos are back together.

 

[Sky04]

That might be a small part of it, but it's definitely just him doing it too. He's passed out of more Grade As than anybody on the team so far this year. With the amount of looks this guy gets, he should be up close to 300 shots per year. Right now he's at something like 2.5 shots per game, if that, which isn't acceptable for a shooter of this caliber, especially one who gets himself in the clear a few times per game. It's almost like he'd rather score a highlight reel goal than a regular goal, but he's one of few guys in the league who's proven he can score from just about anywhere. So we need him to take advantage of that.

Thing is both Stamkos and Kucherov have great shots, they're just so dumb on using it. Both either have too much respect for eachother or not enough in themselves. I think a lot of it falls on Stamkos because he's the mentor/leader in that pairing. He has to direct Kuch and tell him exact what he needs, not sure if he's capable of that kind of tough love MSL used to do. Marty was well known for being a "second coach" on the bench, and used to grill Stamkos or other guys for not shooting, it kept Stamkos in check for the better part of 6 years the minute MSL was gone he decided to be a playmaker.

 

[The Macho King]

Thing is both Stamkos and Kucherov have great shots, they're just so dumb on using it. Both either have too much respect for eachother or not enough in themselves. I think a lot of it falls on Stamkos because he's the mentor/leader in that pairing. He has to direct Kuch and tell him exact what he needs, not sure if he's capable of that kind of tough love MSL used to do. Marty was well known for being a "second coach" on the bench, and used to grill Stamkos or other guys for not shooting, it kept Stamkos in check for the better part of 6 years the minute MSL was gone he decided to be a playmaker.

It's crazy because MSL had such a good shot himself. That was such an underrated part of his game. 40 goal scorer, scored 30 6 other times, and was in the high 20s 3 other times. But this may be hindsight - I don't recall MSL passing up a lot of grade A shots.

Admittedly, he was a less flashy player than Kucherov. MSL was almost a meat-and-potatoes playmaker - fewer highlights but tons of results and relied a lot more on his speed than his hands, but seeing Kucherov - who probably has the skills to score 50 in this league - pass out of every grade A chance in an attempt to set up a tap in just makes me want to pull my hair out.

As far as Stamkos goes - I just don't f***ing know.

 

[Stammertime91]

I'd put them back together tbh. It's not like Stamkos is doing much for Gourde and Point and let's be real, Palat looks like one of the worst forwards on a nightly basis.

Kind of hard to go back to TKO when it's essentially just TK 95% of the time.