Post-Game Talk: Predators 3, Penguins 1 - Tip of the Hat to Regular Season Rinne

[Andy99]

Has age caught up with Kessel, do you think? Lost a half a step or something?

It's weird that the only time he's somewhat effective (ie. productive) is on the PP, where he has more time and space. But at 5on5, he doesn't look like an elite player anymore.

He hurries passes and doesn’t even attempt to shoot when any opposing player is close to him...he looks scared of being hit or putting himself in a vulnerable position...

 

[Gurglesons]

HockeyBuzz.com - Ryan Wilson - Preyguins

Forget that it’s Ryan Wilson, and just look at the heat maps...it shows exactly what I thought about the game...Rinne was not channeling his inner Hasek...the Preds had the better ES chances and the Pens never got in close to Rinne when shooting....

I can’t.

 

[Gurglesons]

Has age caught up with Kessel, do you think? Lost a half a step or something?

It's weird that the only time he's somewhat effective (ie. productive) is on the PP, where he has more time and space. But at 5on5, he doesn't look like an elite player anymore.

I don’t think it is age, I think he’s playing an insanely bland and selfish style of hockey right now. No effort to get to loose pucks, constantly trying to finesse out of situations instead of just make the simple play, and in general just not getting into spaces where we can score.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

HockeyBuzz.com - Ryan Wilson - Preyguins

Forget that it’s Ryan Wilson, and just look at the heat maps...it shows exactly what I thought about the game...Rinne was not channeling his inner Hasek...the Preds had the better ES chances and the Pens never got in close to Rinne when shooting....

That seems to happen often. The Pens will pepper a team with 40+ shots, but then you'll think back on the game and realize so many of the chances were distance shots with no traffic and no sustained pressure.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kessel, like Liam Neesen has a very particular set of skills.

Even in terms of skilled players, he actually misses a lot of checked boxes:

• Stickhandling/1x1 ability he's average
• No slapper
• Below average backhand
• Poor reception of passes

Where he has traditionally exceeded in being dangerous is when he gets the puck cleanly on his forehand with space, he is a great playmaker and has a great wrister there. But if that part of his game goes from even great to good, he has no real other skills to fall back on.

On a side note, I've never understood how a "goal scorer" could be so bad at one-timers. Yes, I know the flex on his stick has a lot to do with that, but it's just weird to me that a goal scorer would even use a stick that makes one-timers almost impossible. You look at the elite goal scorers, and that one-timer is a big part of their arsenal.

 

[ChaosAgent]

On a side note, I've never understood how a "goal scorer" could be so bad at one-timers. Yes, I know the flex on his stick has a lot to do with that, but it's just weird to me that a goal scorer would even use a stick that makes one-timers almost impossible. You look at the elite goal scorers, and that one-timer is a big part of their arsenal.

And I don't see the stick flex thing as an excuse. It's his choice to use that thing, he has to take the bad with the good on it. The bad should take him squarely off PP1.

 

[BladeRunner66]

Kessel, like Liam Neesen has a very particular set of skills.

Even in terms of skilled players, he actually misses a lot of checked boxes:

• Stickhandling/1x1 ability he's average
• No slapper
• Below average backhand
• Poor reception of passes

Where he has traditionally exceeded in being dangerous is when he gets the puck cleanly on his forehand with space, he is a great playmaker and has a great wrister there. But if that part of his game goes from even great to good, he has no real other skills to fall back on.

Yes... yes... Rubber stick Man (a super hero loser nowadays), the bolded is related to his f***ing rubber stick. Oh what a surprise, the problems you listed are all related to him hard headed man he is, keeping on playing with that f***ing rubber stick!

And if it wasn't irritating enough, he won't change the way he plays! Change the f***ing rubber stick, change the man, here's an idea.

 

[BladeRunner66]

On a side note, I've never understood how a "goal scorer" could be so bad at one-timers. Yes, I know the flex on his stick has a lot to do with that, but it's just weird to me that a goal scorer would even use a stick that makes one-timers almost impossible. You look at the elite goal scorers, and that one-timer is a big part of their arsenal.

He shoots he scores, snap power while almost everything else related to his f***ing rubber stick goes to hell. Also... predictable.

 

[Turin]

That seems to happen often. The Pens will pepper a team with 40+ shots, but then you'll think back on the game and realize so many of the chances were distance shots with no traffic and no sustained pressure.

It’s been the opposite story all season especially the last month and a half. Pens don’t usually win the shot battle but out-high danger chance by a lot.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Has age caught up with Kessel, do you think? Lost a half a step or something?

It's weird that the only time he's somewhat effective (ie. productive) is on the PP, where he has more time and space. But at 5on5, he doesn't look like an elite player anymore.

I don’t think it’s age. In the last few games I’ve seen him blow right past guys with just a few quick steps from his zone into the AZ.

Kessel has never taken pucks to the net though. He always pulls up along the HB looking to dish off. So he’s never relied on his speed to dance around guys to the net.

Basically he is still able to separate from guys when he wants. He’s had chances to snap off his trademark shot coming down the right side a bunch of times and starts flattening himself out towards the boards hurting his angle... it’s all weird.

I’m just seeing a guy out of sync where he is struggling to use his teammates and his vision is way off.

I think it’s a confidence thing that’s snowballed. Now he’s probably not trusting his instincts and that makes for an ugly game for mostly anyone.

 

[ColePens]

Ah nevermind. I fell for a troll. Closing out the thread and deleting it. I should have seen the 8 posts in a row of laughable negativity.