GDT: Pre-Season Game #3 - 9.26.14 - at Tampa Bay - 6:30 PM

[BigG44]

He wasn't in the Blue's game. I didn't get a chance to catch the Panther's game so have no idea really. I'd love to see him and Dickinson play in a pre-season game just to have some visual comparisons. Not that one game tells a whole story.

You're going to see Dickinson has the ability to create his own chances and Faksa is better prepared for the physical rigors of the NHL/AHL.

Both have excellent games in the defensive zone, but Dickinson hands down is going to show you more in the offensive zone. Faksa does what you want and get the puck out of the D zone, and he can hold on to and control the play at times in the offensive zone. Those adventures into the zone don't always result in scoring chance, but they control the game and every once in a while he or his line will convert.

Fiddler has that ability sometimes. His line can just hold puck hostage in the offensive zone for most of shift, but you don't always feel like they were a serious threat to score every time they pull it off. Then there are times like the end of last season and the end of the previous season where he's scoring with some short lived regularity.

 

[Stars90]

I couldn't catch the game but from the comments I'm gathering good game for Dickinson, Ritchie, and Val. Not so good for Klingberg and Honka?

What specifically did they do poorly. Not so concerned about Honka (he'll be fine long term) but were kilingberg's errors at all attributable to him not playing for some time. He did have some serious surgery after all.

Any surprise standouts and why?

Thanks guys, really upset to miss this one but I love the pre-season evals even if the scores don't count!

PS, Spezza and Val looked OK?

 

[Mr Misty]

I couldn't catch the game but from the comments I'm gathering good game for Dickinson, Ritchie, and Val. Not so good for Klingberg and Honka?

What specifically did they do poorly. Not so concerned about Honka (he'll be fine long term) but were kilingberg's errors at all attributable to him not playing for some time. He did have some serious surgery after all.

Any surprise standouts and why?

Thanks guys, really upset to miss this one but I love the pre-season evals even if the scores don't count!

PS, Spezza and Val looked OK?

So many loose plays down the center of the ice. Honka had 2 huge turnovers in the first 10 minutes right in front of Kari. Both need serious work to get that stuff cleaned up before they can be NHLers.

 

[Stars90]

So many loose plays down the center of the ice. Honka had 2 huge turnovers in the first 10 minutes right in front of Kari. Both need serious work to get that stuff cleaned up before they can be NHLers.

Hmmm Klingberg too eh? We've all read about him cleaning that part of him game up. Let's hope it's first game jitters and he just needs some time to sort it out.

 

[MetalGodAOD*]

Hmmm Klingberg too eh? We've all read about him cleaning that part of him game up. Let's hope it's first game jitters and he just needs some time to sort it out.

Klingberg passed it directly to Callahan on the 4th goal. So yea, just as bad.

 

[dechire]

I couldn't catch the game but from the comments I'm gathering good game for Dickinson, Ritchie, and Val. Not so good for Klingberg and Honka?

What specifically did they do poorly. Not so concerned about Honka (he'll be fine long term) but were kilingberg's errors at all attributable to him not playing for some time. He did have some serious surgery after all.

Any surprise standouts and why?

Thanks guys, really upset to miss this one but I love the pre-season evals even if the scores don't count!

PS, Spezza and Val looked OK?

Honka and Klingberg's issues were bad passes and decision-making. At one point Klingberg passed directly to the net which a TBL player immediately grabbed and scored with. I think everyone watching came away with the conclusion that they both need more time. They're far from being busts but they made bad decisions with the puck in the defensive zone and that's something they need to fix before they'll be ready to be full-time NHL players. I don't think Klingberg's surgery was much of a factor in the mistakes tonight because they were based on bad decisions rather than it being a skating or physical type issue

The only player that I would consider to be a surprise was Blanchard who might have earned himself a contract with Texas after this game. I was most impressed with his ability to clear the puck out of the zone which is something that a lot of the other players struggled with tonight

Spezza and Nuke looked good. They both had some great chances but the absence of other top 6 players was a definite burden. I think Nuke and Spezza did as well as they could while playing with AHLers and 4th liners. Maybe they could have done better but they were far from the reason we lost. Spezza showed some good chemistry with Ritchie toward the end so that was a positive. Nuke was all over the ice and I'm excited to see what he'll bring in the next game when he'll hopefully be playing with Benn and/or Seguin

 

[SonicSpeedDash]

I can understand Honka not being great, he is a rookie and will make those mistakes until he gets time to develop his game and plays in Cedar Park.

Klingberg, if he is having big issues with passing. Then being with the Texas Stars for a full season would be for the best.

I'll have to see highlights first and make a full judgement call then.

 

[Starsfan24]

We lost? Tank.

 

[Satan]

Couldn't care less about the preseason.

 

[Klockis]

I was expecting a loss when I saw the Bolts lineup compared to ours. Sad to see Klingberg not doing well, hopefully he rebounds. With how well Jokipakka has been playing and how good Nemeth was last year he seems to be a sure thing to start in Texas even if he does rebound.

How did Honka and Klingberg look on the PP?

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

Season over.

 

[Klockis]

Season over.

Seguin-McDavid is a great one-two punch up the middle though.

 

[Elysian]

I was expecting a loss when I saw the Bolts lineup compared to ours. Sad to see Klingberg not doing well, hopefully he rebounds. With how well Jokipakka has been playing and how good Nemeth was last year he seems to be a sure thing to start in Texas even if he does rebound.

How did Honka and Klingberg look on the PP?

Went 0-8 on the PP last night, I don't think anyone was standing out.

 

[Johno]

Went 0-8 on the PP last night, I don't think anyone was standing out.

Well, it stood out how bad it was...

 

[OttMorrow]

You think Ritchie had a good game, eh? Idk I didn't see much from him other than the nice pass to Spezza. He is coming off injury though so I'm hoping to see more from him moving forward. I think Randford fed himself tonight. Kid's a machine and I think he's a better version of Garbutt. Pair him or Mckenzie up with Roussel and hopefully Eakin. Boom. Beautiful 3rd line.

He may not have had a lights out night, but despite injury and jitters, he put up 2 assists, an even plus/minus on a -3 overall game, and a very nice pass to Spezza on a primary assist.

I have to look at the positives from the game. He didn't look 100% out there, but still managed to be productive and show the possibility of some chemistry with Spezza. I am hopeful for the option him splitting time with Hemsky on Spezza's rightside. For sure he's an option for a call-up as the #2 RW if he wasn't already.

 

[ElGuapo]

Yeah, Ritchie had two fantastic primary assists and was noticeable throughout the game for me. Good first game for him.

 

[Primetimey*]

Ritchie isn't a flashy player, he isn't going to dangle someone and make the highlight reel plays. He plays a steady, power forward game with an amazing shot.

 

[Hull Fan]

Ritchie is meat and potatoes. Solid, not flashy. Every team needs those. Good Erik Cole from his earlier prolific scoring days.

 

[Cold Medicine]

Players on ice for the goals (not sorted by position):

1|TB|Sceviour|Fiddler|Ranford|Klingberg|Nemeth| |Boyle|Connolly|Morrow|Stralman|Hedman
2|DAL|Blanchard|Dickinson|Ritchie|Benn|Gonchar| |Boyle|Connolly|Kucherov|Stralman|Hedman
3|DAL|Sceviour|Fiddler|Ranford|Benn|Gonchar| |Paquette|Gourde|Vermin|Cote|Corrente
4|TB|Blanchard|Dickinson|Ritchie|Benn|Gonchar| |Paradis|Kunyk|Ikonen|Stralman|Hedman
5|TB|Peters|Glennie|Karlsson|Benn|Nemeth| |Stamkos|Callahan|Kucherov|Brewer|Stralman
6|TB|Horcoff|Spezza|Nichushkin|Klingberg|Nemeth| |Stamkos|Callahan|Kucherov|Stralman|Hedman
7|TB|Dickinson|Glennie|Ritchie|Benn|Honka| |Boyle|Ikonen|Brewer|Corrente|Deangelo
8|TB|Peters|Nichushkin|Karlsson|Klingberg|Nemeth| |Stamkos|Callahan|Kucherov|Stralman|Hedman
‎9|DAL|Spezza|Ritchie|Ranford|Benn|Gonchar| |Paquette|Gourde|Vermin|Brewer|Deangelo

So most of the Tampa goals were against minor league lines. Horcoff-Spezza-Nichushkin were on the ice for the Klingberg giveaway to Callahan. Klingberg had the most PP time on the team (6:39) but ended up as a -4. Benn and Gonchar were on the ice for all of the Stars goals. Daley had the second most ice time on the Stars but was not on the ice for any of the 9 goals.

 

[FrailSwan]

How did Nuke look?

 

[OttMorrow]

Ritchie isn't a flashy player, he isn't going to dangle someone and make the highlight reel plays. He plays a steady, power forward game with an amazing shot.

I'm not sure I would go as far as to call his shot "amazing", but very true about the steady, non-flashy, but effective game he plays. He's blue-chip to become a solid 3rd line contributor at the very least, probably a 2nd liner on a contending team.

 

[OttMorrow]

Ritchie is meat and potatoes. Solid, not flashy. Every team needs those. Good Erik Cole from his earlier prolific scoring days.

I like the comparison to Cole.