GDT: preseason game 3 vs tampa again

[Boom Boom Apathy]

That was some nice work by Hanifin.

The Dr. scores again.

 

[geehaad]

Ryan - 3.5
Necas - .5

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Hanifin banging his stick on the ice while Slavin is carrying the puck up the ice ahead of him...

 

[cptjeff]

The second goal... maybe. It was a bang-bang play with a deflection.

The third goal was awful. We can't afford for Cam to play at that level, even as a backup.

I actually think the second goal was much weaker than the third. The third was a pass from behind the net to the top of the circle, and a really fast one timer. It's very hard to move your angle and get set in as short a time as that. The second goal though, while there was a deflection, the angle Ward had to be at never changed. If he's at the top of the crease with the five hole closed, that doesn't go in, deflection or not. All he has to do is get set, and it's an easy save, and he had time. I think on that one, he had relaxed a bit thinking Hanifin had it taken care of, and was caught napping with the turnover.

Anyway, I think Derek Ryan is leading the league in goals right now.

 

[CandyCanes]

After almost getting KO'd from the Ryan vs Necas matchup, Ryan recoveres and scores a goal.

Ryan 3.5 - Necas .5

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Hanifin banging his stick on the ice while Slavin is carrying the puck up the ice ahead of him...

Wasn't that Robertson and not Slavin?

 

[CandyCanes]

Also very jealous of Tampa. They got this guy named Slater Koekkoek, you pronounce his last name as "Koo-Koo". Names like that win you Stanley Cups.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Bean seems to be a lot more confident this year than I remember last year.

 

[tarheelhockey]

True, but he was in position and just left his 5 hole open. It wasn't like he was moving to the right or left so his 5 hole was open, he was right there and down but left his 5 hole open.

I actually think the second goal was much weaker than the third. The third was a pass from behind the net to the top of the circle, and a really fast one timer. It's very hard to move your angle and get set in as short a time as that. The second goal though, while there was a deflection, the angle Ward had to be at never changed. If he's at the top of the crease with the five hole closed, that doesn't go in, deflection or not. All he has to do is get set, and it's an easy save, and he had time. I think on that one, he had relaxed a bit thinking Hanifin had it taken care of, and was caught napping.

I've only seen it once live so I can't be sure, but my guess is from Ward's angle what he saw was a bunch of bodies near the blue line and suddenly a puck coming at him out of the crowd. It seems to me the guy who deflected it was sort of behind him and to the side, and stepped in front of him just as the unexpected shot arrived.

There's definitely a "caught napping" aspect to that, but at the same time it's easy to understand why he wouldn't be in position with 5-hole closed.

 

[cptjeff]

Bean on the PP looks good. Lots of nice passing with Aho is good to see. Not liking what I've seen of Hoffman so far.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Bean on the PP looks good. Lots of nice passing with Aho is good to see. Not liking what I've seen of Hoffman so far.

He reminds me of the forward version of Ryan Murphy. Looks good skating with the puck, but gets in the zone and loses the puck.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

So is Ward being Wardo again, or being a different person?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It's always amazing to watch guys try to knock Aho off the puck and the holds his own. Pretty amazing for his size.

 

[Wolfpuck]

So is Ward being Wardo again, or being a different person?

Ward is firmly in 2013-present form.

 

[The Faulker 27]

"2 in the books" and the team with the better goal tender is winning. Shocker.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

So is Ward being Wardo again, or being a different person?

He's not going to be different and "hopefully" we don't need him to be. He is what he is at this point in his career. What we need is Darling to not **** the bed. Obviously that's still an unknown.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I think I just saw an ass crack.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I think I just saw an ass crack.

I wasn't going to say it, but now that you did, I agree.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

He's not going to be different and "hopefully" we don't need him to be. He is what he is at this point in his career. What we need is Darling to not **** the bed. Obviously that's still an unknown.

How I see it is if Darling does s*** the bed, it can be one absolute reason from these reasons, or a combination:

1. Can't handle starter's duty.
2. Terrible goalie coach/drastic goalie coach difference.
3. Not every shot from the same location is of the same quality (Aka some point shots are clearly more dangerous than slot shots).

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think I just saw an ass crack.

C'mon man, Ward's been bad but there's no need to get personal.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

He's not going to be different and "hopefully" we don't need him to be. He is what he is at this point in his career. What we need is Darling to not **** the bed. Obviously that's still an unknown.

He **** the bed a little too hard, he's day to day now.

Never eat sushi from a gas station.

 

[cptjeff]

He reminds me of the forward version of Ryan Murphy. Looks good skating with the puck, but gets in the zone and loses the puck.

He skates himself into traps, and just hasn't managed to make passes or plays when he has the window for it. Tampa players swarm him, he tries to protect the puck, but he doesn't hold out that long against two or three players. To my eye, it's likely that he's used to having more space on bigger rinks and he's used to slower players and less aggressive systems. In Europe, most teams will collapse in the zone and guard closer to the net, allowing attacking teams a lot of space along the top of the zone and along the boards. North American Pro teams, with the smaller rinks and faster skaters, challenge players much more aggressively in those areas. A couple of times, I've noticed Hoffman lose the puck along the boards near the blueline- where you're not going to get much pressure in Switzerland, but where you'll get a lot of pressure in the NHL. So he can't make those decisions at NHL speed.

I also think he panicked with the puck on that breakaway. He didn't have an idea of what he was going to do until he had no room to do anything. Obviously, not good.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

He **** the bed a little too hard, he's day to day now.

Never eat sushi from a gas station.

Yeah, but the problem is, I have a weakness for Sushi.

Ok, not gas stations Sushi. Honestly I got spoiled. I travel to Tokyo a couple times a year and indulge on the Sushi there so it's hard to eat it back in the US. Ok, not hard, but it's just not the same.

A "notsohumblebrag" from my last trip.

 

[The Faulker 27]

C'mon man, Ward's been bad but there's no need to get personal.

I think I just saw an ass crack hat.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I think I just saw an ass crack hat.