Player Discussion Phillip Danault - Damn-oh ! Edition

[Belial]

Why do you have to use these dumb hyperboles? If youd put both wingers with Thompson his performance would obviously be better. Some may even claim hes a third line c, thats how it is. Talent is talent. Gally and Tatar are fantastic players that make anyone around them better. Does that mean Danault is bad? No, it means his performance are most likely over inflated though, and Im ready to say this is a lot more realistic than saying Danault is a 1C or 2C because he has had a good 15 games stretch.

Dude, Tatar's been in the league for a while and Gally also!

They're both having career years and you're sitting here trying to tell us that the guy that's centering them has basically nothing to do with it!

Those two guys are both scorers! They're not playmakers!

So how come two scorers are scoring if Danault has no clue how to pass the puck?!! Just stawp... Take a deep breath and repeat Danault is a good player and he can generate offense even if it's not getting into the TSN highlights!

 

[DangerDave]

Quite the back and forth here. I think you both have pretty good points. Danault's vision and offensive instinct is nothing special. This is pretty evident when you see him try and make a play on the rush. It just doesn't work. His passing and shooting is pretty average as well. Let's just say he's known as a defensive specialist for a reason

That being said, Danaults defensive game is pretty freaking good and it leads to him being on the attack more often than not. He's excellent at anticipating plays and he certainly battles hard in the corners and around the net.

Gally and Tatar are not superstars or anything but like Danault, they are possession beasts. This is not a highly skilled line (except Tatar) but they wear out the opposition. They force tons of turnovers and get good chances because of it. It's just a good line. I honestly think it's a better line than with Rad and Patch just because of the chemistry (plus patch is junk at everything except shooting).

So yes, Gally and Tatar are a big part of why Danault is contributing but Danault is also a big reason why those two are always in the offensive zone buzzing.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

His analytics are really good and he's playing against top centers. Doesn't have the offensive skills to be a huge point getter but there's no denying that he's generating a lot of shots in the opposing end. He's a pretty solid player.

I still seem him more as a really good number three. A guy you can play against other clubs top lines and help limit the damage. If he does that then I'm not going to care too much about what kind of points he's putting up.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Quite the back and forth here. I think you both have pretty good points. Danault's vision and offensive instinct is nothing special. This is pretty evident when you see him try and make a play on the rush. It just doesn't work. His passing and shooting is pretty average as well. Let's just say he's known as a defensive specialist for a reason

That being said, Danaults defensive game is pretty freaking good and it leads to him being on the attack more often than not. He's excellent at anticipating plays and he certainly battles hard in the corners and around the net.

Gally and Tatar are not superstars or anything but like Danault, they are possession beasts. This is not a highly skilled line (except Tatar) but they wear out the opposition. They force tons of turnovers and get good chances because of it. It's just a good line. I honestly think it's a better line than with Rad and Patch just because of the chemistry (plus patch is junk at everything except shooting).

So yes, Gally and Tatar are a big part of why Danault is contributing but Danault is also a big reason why those two are always in the offensive zone buzzing.

One thing to note here... Gallagher has always had great analytics relative to his teammates. He drives the play no matter who he's with.

 

[Mrb1p]

I am not measuring Danault on his best 15 games or his worst 15 games. I'm looking at all 66 games he played. The team scores more when he is on the ice than it gives up, despite starting more often in the defensive zone than average and despite the opponents usually icing a good line more often than average.

He gets results a number of particular ways - off broken plays, turnovers, cycling and counterattacking. Nothing wrong with that, just about every center except maybe the top 5 in the league have certain ways of getting results that dominate over others.

I dont disagree that Danault does this, its pretty factual, but Eller also used to do this, didnt make him a top line C and he didnt get Pacioretty and Cole/Vanek every game.

 

[Belial]

His analytics are really good and he's playing against top centers. Doesn't have the offensive skills to be a huge point getter but there's no denying that he's generating a lot of shots in the opposing end. He's a pretty solid player.

I still seem him more as a really good number three. A guy you can play against other clubs top lines and help limit the damage. If he does that then I'm not going to care too much about what kind of points he's putting up.

That's great but the offensive numbers are there! How can you guys can keep parroting the same thing while he actually brings offense is mindboggling to be honest!

 

[Mrb1p]

Dude, Tatar's been in the league for a while and Gally also!

They're both having career years and you're sitting here trying to tell us that the guy that's centering them has basically nothing to do with it!

Those two guys are both scorers! They're not playmakers!

So how come two scorers are scoring if Danault has no clue how to pass the puck?!! Just stawp... Take a deep breath and repeat Danault is a good player and he can generate offense even if it's not getting into the TSN highlights!

Gallaguer is not having a career year, hes pretty much been pacing for the same thing for the past four years rxcept one with injury. Tatar has never played with a good C I believe.

Gally has never played with a good center, the best hes had was Plekanec at 33 years old, what could he do with Domi?

 

[Mrb1p]

That's great but the offensive numbers are there! How can you guys can keep parroting the same thing while he actually brings offense is mindboggling to be honest!

Offensive numbers arent there. Danault cant even get 20 goals in the highest scoring year the league has seen since 1993. Gally cant even get 15 assists in the highest scoring year since 1993.

 

[Mrb1p]

Quite the back and forth here. I think you both have pretty good points. Danault's vision and offensive instinct is nothing special. This is pretty evident when you see him try and make a play on the rush. It just doesn't work. His passing and shooting is pretty average as well. Let's just say he's known as a defensive specialist for a reason

That being said, Danaults defensive game is pretty freaking good and it leads to him being on the attack more often than not. He's excellent at anticipating plays and he certainly battles hard in the corners and around the net.

Gally and Tatar are not superstars or anything but like Danault, they are possession beasts. This is not a highly skilled line (except Tatar) but they wear out the opposition. They force tons of turnovers and get good chances because of it. It's just a good line. I honestly think it's a better line than with Rad and Patch just because of the chemistry (plus patch is junk at everything except shooting).

So yes, Gally and Tatar are a big part of why Danault is contributing but Danault is also a big reason why those two are always in the offensive zone buzzing.

Id say Gallagher could be a star if he didnt have to haul around a guy like danault offensively.

Tbh, if Danault was a winger Id have no problem with him on that line, like i mostly have no problems with one of Lek/Armia/Shaw on the top line, but hes a center and the play absolutely had to go throigh him, so it just takes a way a lot of offensive pressure from the other team.

 

[Mrb1p]

His analytics are really good and he's playing against top centers. Doesn't have the offensive skills to be a huge point getter but there's no denying that he's generating a lot of shots in the opposing end. He's a pretty solid player.

I still seem him more as a really good number three. A guy you can play against other clubs top lines and help limit the damage. If he does that then I'm not going to care too much about what kind of points he's putting up.

Would he have these numbers with Lekhonen and Byron though? Thats the big question, its sometbhing weve never seen from Danault, but weve seen it from Gally and Tatar without Danault. Its pretty evident hes being carried. That doesnt mean Danault is an Ahl player, its means hes just not a top 6 player.

 

[Habs Halifax]

The problem here is that Danault actually brings the damn offense! His Even-strength production is up there with the best freaking centers in the league for god sake!

He sits 7th in the league for even strength assists among centers but hey, this guy has no vision and no offensive IQ! Gimme a break!

Some Habs fans will not call him a top 2C until he proves he can produce 60+ points. What he does other than points is ignored.

I agree with you man. Just trying to understand the angle some are taking.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I dont disagree that Danault does this, its pretty factual, but Eller also used to do this, didnt make him a top line C and he didnt get Pacioretty and Cole/Vanek every game.

I don't disagree Eller used to do it, but nowhere near as often as Danault.

I forgot about the Eller fans, another contingent out to get Phil.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Would he have these numbers with Lekhonen and Byron though? Thats the big question, its sometbhing weve never seen from Danault, but weve seen it from Gally and Tatar without Danault. Its pretty evident hes being carried. That doesnt mean Danault is an Ahl player, its means hes just not a top 6 player.

When Danault first became a regular on the team, he was playing fourth line with Mitchell and Smith-Pelley and they produced pretty well, until Phil was promoted, and then the other two could no longer produce.

 

[Mrb1p]

I don't disagree Eller used to do it, but nowhere near as often as Danault.

I forgot about the Eller fans, another contingent out to get Phil.

Pretty sure Eller had similar stats to the great Phil, but he never had Pac/Rad or Tatar/Gally.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Its useless conversation and brings nothing to the table. Its not like Claude Julien is some genius with multiple degrees.

Julien has proven success at being a coach at the NHL level. So he knows what he is doing more than your arm chair evaluation on Danault.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Some Habs fans will not call him a top 2C until he proves he can produce 60+ points. What he does other than points is ignored.

I agree with you man. Just trying to understand the angle some are taking.

If Danautl DID get PP time, then many fans would complain it is at the expense of KK and maybe soon Suzuki.

 

[Mrb1p]

When Danault first became a regular on the team, he was playing fourth line with Mitchell and Smith-Pelley and they produced pretty well, until Phil was promoted, and then the other two could no longer produce.

No shit, Phil is a good player and he had the same effect Tatar/Gally on fourth liners as they have on him. The point is that Danault shouldnt have the two best wingers on the team, and that were holding back the team by doing so. It makes absolutely no sense that our two best offensive C have to deal with Drouin/Byron/Armia/Lekhonen/Shaw while he gets Tatar/Gally. Absolutely no sense. No other team in the league does that.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Pretty sure Eller had similar stats to the great Phil, but he never had Pac/Rad or Tatar/Gally.

Eller was not a trusted center when he was with the Habs. He is not the player with us back when as he is today with the Caps. He clearly matured in his 25-30 years. Danault is a trusted center and he produces while being the go to shut down guy too.

 

[DangerDave]

Id say Gallagher could be a star if he didnt have to haul around a guy like danault offensively.

Tbh, if Danault was a winger Id have no problem with him on that line, like i mostly have no problems with one of Lek/Armia/Shaw on the top line, but hes a center and the play absolutely had to go throigh him, so it just takes a way a lot of offensive pressure from the other team.

If Gallagher played with guys like McDavid or Crosby maybe but then we'd probably be having this same argument regarding Gallagher. Gally, like Danault, is not super high skill. He's basically the ultimate grinder.

Ideally though, I agree that Danault is better suited to the 3rd line. He's doing a good job all things considered right now but Id rather him be our version of Jordan Staal. A guy who can play against top quality opposition and frustrate them or a guy who can be used to exploit lesser opposition if the other team avoids the matchup

 

[Habs Halifax]

No ****, Phil is a good player and he had the same effect Tatar/Gally on fourth liners as they have on him. The point is that Danault shouldnt have the two best wingers on the team, and that were holding back the team by doing so. It makes absolutely no sense that our two best offensive C have to deal with Drouin/Byron/Armia/Lekhonen/Shaw while he gets Tatar/Gally. Absolutely no sense. No other team in the league does that.

Danault was paired up with Drouin for several games too. The Tatar/Danault/Gallagher line has been played a lot but not the full season.

Your roster tinkering will come but you are too early cause Kotkaniemi and Domi are young centers who are being deployed strategically. Danault is our best center and he is playing very effectively. Give credit where it's due man.

We all agree that ideally, if we had a cup contender, Danault would be our #3C. We are not there yet and Kotkaniemi is playing center as a 18 year old. You don't mess with his development and start to throw various wingers on his line cause you are drooling offense.

 

[Belial]

Gallaguer is not having a career year, hes pretty much been pacing for the same thing for the past four years rxcept one with injury. Tatar has never played with a good C I believe.

Gally has never played with a good center, the best hes had was Plekanec at 33 years old, what could he do with Domi?

This team is winning games because we have a balanced roster.

Shaw is your Gallagher on that Domi's right wing.

Tatar has never played with a good center in his career and now he's having a career year with a guy that has no offensive skills? Maybe you should reconsider your position?

Offensive numbers arent there. Danault cant even get 20 goals in the highest scoring year the league has seen since 1993. Gally cant even get 15 assists in the highest scoring year since 1993.

How admirable!

The passer doesn't have enough goals and the goalscorer doesn't have enough passes! Amazing logic! You the best man!

 

[Habs Halifax]

If Danautl DID get PP time, then many fans would complain it is at the expense of KK and maybe soon Suzuki.

Whoever can produce, plays the PP. Danault is not an offensive center (60+ pts type) and we need him to kill penalities and be matched up against the other teams best line. It makes sense.

Kotkaniemi and Suzuki will have to prove that they can generate offensive on the PP and not take too much risky plays that might cost us a goal with a turnover in a key situation.

Our options will open up with our grade A prospects... it will take time

 

[Mrb1p]

Julien has proven success at being a coach at the NHL level. So he knows what he is doing more than your arm chair evaluation on Danault.

Gtfo with your appeal to autorithy, its been known as a stupid way to argument since the antiquity.

 

[Mrb1p]

Eller was not a trusted center when he was with the Habs. He is not the player with us back when as he is today with the Caps. He clearly matured in his 25-30 years. Danault is a trusted center and he produces while being the go to shut down guy too.

Wtf

 

[Habs Halifax]

Gtfo with your appeal to autorithy, its been known as a stupid way to argument since the antiquity.

Don't get upset. Julien is simply a better coach than you are. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Do you disagree? lol