Post-Game Talk: PS 2 - Niagara Falls.................... - Buffalo 4 BRUINS 1

[sarge88]

Fancy Stats:

Player 5v5 xGF%
Alex Chiasson 67.23
Frederic Brunet 66.27
Jakub Lauko 63.53
Brandon Carlo 63.24
Mason Lohrei 62.37
Georgii Merkulov 62.11
Trevor Kuntar 56.59
John Beecher 53.85
Luke Toporowski 48.61
Ian Mitchell 46.34
Marc McLaughlin 46.04
Jayson Megna 36.56
Jesper Boqvist 32.97
Milan Lucic 32.08
Danton Heinen 28.01
Ryan Mast 27.3
Oskar Steen 24.85
Matt Grzelcyk 24.08

Ouch.

Even one of the fancy pseudo-stats didn’t like Heinen last night.

Which is better, high number or low number?

If this is tongue in cheek…..well played.

If not, based on my extensive googling, the higher the better.

For context, the three players below Danton Heinen did worse than him, but the 14 players above were better.

 

[Bodit9]

Which is better, high number or low number?

Higher. 50% is average.

 

[BradMarchandismydad]

Kid is an absolute horse and logs minutes

I’d love to see him be the #1 guy in Providence this year and soak up ice time

I’d also love to see him in the show. Win-Win IMO

 

[bergeronsboys]

Well not the best game to watch live as a Bs fan, but the beers were cold! Fantastic to see 17 back, he received quite the welcome even in Buffalo - the LOOOCH chants seemed to get louder and louder as the game went on. I thought Lohrei looked great, a number of turnovers but he and Carlo worked well off each other and covered mistakes. Brunet also stood out big time, he can fly and had a few nice pinches because of his speed. Forwards were a bit of a letdown, I found myself mesmerized by Dahlin and his skating most of the time. Beecher stood out and Chiasson looked like an NHLer, as did Looch and Carlo. Gryz had a tough night, he kinda has to play with McAvoy to be at his best and most confident. Anyways, looking forward to the season and seeing Pasta score some goals…Go Bruins!

 

[wintersej]

I was harsh on Lorhei for not being able to keep up with the pace in the early going, but he certainly got better as the game went on. I’m feeling more optimistic that he can be on the big club by end of year. That was half an NHL club they played last night and he did well.

 

[BlackFrancis]

Anyone remember the Bruins dumping that much ice time on a prized rookie in their first preseason game before? I can't recall seeing that prior to last night.

Obviously done by design, so the obvious question is why?

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Ouch.

Even one of the fancy pseudo-stats didn’t like Heinen last night.


If this is tongue in cheek…..well played.

If not, based on my extensive googling, the higher the better.

For context, the three players below Danton Heinen did worse than him, but the 14 players above were better.

I trust that anyone using these numbers to validate their opinion that Danton Heinen is bad will put the same stock in them if/when he puts up a good number (as they surely did in the past when he pretty regularly had positive xGF%).

 

[HumBucker]

Nice to see Beecher and Lohrei with overall good outings. Would be nice to see Beecher at least get a substantial number of games as the 4C. Will Lohrei be the 3rd-pair D? I guess pairing him with a veteran like Shattenkirk would be not the worst thing for him (or do they both play the same side?). But where does that leave Zboril? I guess there are always trades.

Also, Mitchell. I like that he had that shift where it looked like he just said, "Right, we're down 2-0, let's get something going here." I'm sure coaches notice that kind of gumption and attitude.

I guess not surprising that Buff won seeing as the B's veterans were Heinen, Looch and Carlo, and Buff had higher-end vets like Stillman.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Anyone remember the Bruins dumping that much ice time on a prized rookie in their first preseason game before? I can't recall seeing that prior to last night.

Obviously done by design, so the obvious question is why?

What's your speculation?

 

[BlackFrancis]

What's your speculation?

Not entirely sure, tbh. But with them acquiring a bunch of waivers eligible young defensemen over the summer and the clear need at center, that might have been an audition for a 3rd party.

I'm not sure I would understand that ice time even if they were planning on him skating on McAvoy's left for the season. Feeding someone preseason time like a French goose doesn't accomplish anything, really. And the Bruins don't go that heavy on one guy in the playoffs, never mind preseason.

The only other thing I could see is if Sweeney wanted to see something specific and told Montgomery to give him half a game. Be damned if I can think of what that'd be, though.

 

[sarge88]

I trust that anyone using these numbers to validate their opinion that Danton Heinen is bad will put the same stock in them if/when he puts up a good number (as they surely did in the past when he pretty regularly had positive xGF%).

No.
I take them with a relative grain of salt. Just enjoy when something that’s supposed to be an important indicator to some, ends up going the total opposite way.


Then again, I‘m old, dumb and uninformed so I still base my opinions on my eyes and some basic stats.

Got me this far, and by my latest estimation, I have about 8-9 years left on this earth, so I’m probably not going to change at this point.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Not entirely sure, tbh. But with them acquiring a bunch of waivers eligible young defensemen over the summer and the clear need at center, that might have been an audition for a 3rd party.

I'm not sure I would understand that ice time even if they were planning on him skating on McAvoy's left for the season. Feeding someone preseason time like a French goose doesn't accomplish anything, really. And the Bruins don't go that heavy on one guy in the playoffs, never mind preseason.

The only other thing I could see is if Sweeney wanted to see something specific and told Montgomery to give him half a game. Be damned if I can think of what that'd be, though.

I fully expect Lohrei to be in Providence for 72 games but that said moving out Potato hands and inserting Lohrei in his place is quite exciting

 

[jgatie]

Fantastic to see 17 back, he received quite the welcome even in Buffalo - the LOOOCH chants seemed to get louder and louder as the game went on.

Not sure if you are serious, but that wasn't "LOOOCH" you were hearing.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Not entirely sure, tbh. But with them acquiring a bunch of waivers eligible young defensemen over the summer and the clear need at center, that might have been an audition for a 3rd party.

I'm not sure I would understand that ice time even if they were planning on him skating on McAvoy's left for the season. Feeding someone preseason time like a French goose doesn't accomplish anything, really. And the Bruins don't go that heavy on one guy in the playoffs, never mind preseason.

The only other thing I could see is if Sweeney wanted to see something specific and told Montgomery to give him half a game. Be damned if I can think of what that'd be, though.

Did any other Dman get hurt?

 

[Sheppy]

I trust that anyone using these numbers to validate their opinion that Danton Heinen is bad will put the same stock in them if/when he puts up a good number (as they surely did in the past when he pretty regularly had positive xGF%).

He’s a bottom 6 guy who doesn’t bring a whole lot. There’s a reason he’s getting a PTO and didn’t get signed.

He had one decent offensive chance last night and looked invisible the other 90% of the game.

But today, looking invisible means you’re suddenly a defensive wizard because he’s not “getting scored on” while he’s on the ice. Except when he did.

 

[missingchicklet]

Anyone remember the Bruins dumping that much ice time on a prized rookie in their first preseason game before? I can't recall seeing that prior to last night.

Obviously done by design, so the obvious question is why?

I certainly can't remember a prospect get that much time in an early pre-season game. Usually the coaches try to spread out time at this point so that they can get a good look at the youngsters against NHL competition.

My 3 guesses as to why Lohrei played so much: 1) One of Gryz, Mast, or Brunet (lowest TOI d-men) tweaked something, 2) Monty saw all he wanted to see of Mast or Brunet, or 3) and this is what I think is very likely -- the Bs want to get as good of a look at Lohrei as they can and give him as much time as possible against good competition.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Ouch.

Even one of the fancy pseudo-stats didn’t like Heinen last night.


If this is tongue in cheek…..well played.

If not, based on my extensive googling, the higher the better.

For context, the three players below Danton Heinen did worse than him, but the 14 players above were better.

So the top players by this stat were Chiasson and Brunet?

 

[Cronuss]

Okay, so, that was one of the worst and least entertaining games I've ever seen. I know it is preseason, but shouldn't players be trying to make an impact?

Did Lucic even have ONE hit? Honest question. He passed up every single chance, even when the team was struggling. Not showing a lot of leadership there.

McLaughlin looked pretty good, and was engaged and involved (as usual).
Beecher looked good.
Um... the end?

 

[Bridges31]

Did any other Dman get hurt?

Gryz got hit with a puck in the 2nd and went down the tunnel. I think he missed a couple shifts at least but I can’t recall when he came back.

 

[BradMarchandismydad]

Not entirely sure, tbh. But with them acquiring a bunch of waivers eligible young defensemen over the summer and the clear need at center, that might have been an audition for a 3rd party.

I'm not sure I would understand that ice time even if they were planning on him skating on McAvoy's left for the season. Feeding someone preseason time like a French goose doesn't accomplish anything, really. And the Bruins don't go that heavy on one guy in the playoffs, never mind preseason.

The only other thing I could see is if Sweeney wanted to see something specific and told Montgomery to give him half a game. Be damned if I can think of what that'd be, though.

He logged heavy minutes regularly for Ohio if I'm recalling correctly. I'd have to look it up but I think there were a few OT games where he logged like 30+...like an insane number.

Perhaps it is to see how he might fare if he had to do the same for Providence, and then later on for the big club?

So the top players by this stat were Chiasson and Brunet?

I only caught the 3rd but my eye test saw Chiasson as one of the best players on the ice from a transition & possession perspective. Looked like he was regularly getting the fellas into the zone, winning battles, and cycling well. The stat aligns with getting chances vs giving up chances, so yeah this makes sense.

That said, this guy is a long-time vet, has won a Stanley cup, etc., and should be playing well against prospects and AHLers, even if they're as nasty as Buffalo's prospects. It is a small sample size but you want more out of your vets like Heinen or Lucic. Hard to make any real conclusions out of one pre-season game either way.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

I liked…
Lohrei‘s poise and passing
Mitchell in attack mode
Beecher looking like a pro
McLaughlin’s tenacity
Lauko’s speed
Boqvist’s playmaking
Heinen’s 3rd period
Steen’s determination

I don’t think these guys did themselves any favors…
Merkulov couldn’t really get it going offensively
Toporowski & Kuntar seemed to be chasing the game
Brunet struggled with the pace

OT: Buffalo is going to be this year’s NJ.

Wow. Just watched the game and... All of this.

Most surprised by how good Beecher looks. I didn't really consider him a possibility to crack the roster (wanted to see him take his game to another level in the AHL first), but damn if he doesn't look like a fit. I'm a believer.

Mitchell can be exciting (really liked him as a prospect in the Hawks' system) but he also scares the hell out of me. I adore the gusto and his ability to really drive the offensive zone. He really pops there in a special way. But I imagine he could be very frustrating in other areas of the ice and I'm not sure if he'll look that confident when playing against full NHL lineups. Will be interesting to watch.

Again McLaughlin just appears to be an NHL player to me. I think he gets it at this level and does a lot of good things. So disappointed that he was unable to show that with Providence last season. I think he would simply excel in a third line role in Boston. I hope he earns that opportunity at some point this season. If I had the choice, with the small perspective I have, I'd start him there. I understand how unrealistic that actually is however and I expect he'll start the year in Providence again.

Boqvist is quietly good - would like to see less subtlety and more wow.

Lohrei needs some time and I don't know if he'll be a (I don't know) Matt Lashoff (?) or a really good second-pair guy. But he's got it all physically and all he needs is a flipped switch. I hope he finds that during the year in Providence.

I can't say enough about how much I love Steener and Lauko. Speed, tenacity, courage. They can play on my team any day.

Shocked at how sluggish Merkulov looked. Not as much as a skater, but with decision-making and how fluffy the puck seemed coming off his stick. Almost like he wasn't feeling well.

Lastly, I don't want Heinen to make this team. I think we have too many other players with srand-out aspects to their games that won't get a chance if we bury them. This season can be fun win or lose if we get to see guys like Steen and Lauko and Beecher and McLaughlin and Ian Mitchell... Hell, Richard maybe? Upside, trick or treat, will frustrate and at times excite - I think it's just more interesting to follow.

So when I say I thought Heinen looked very good, it's not an endorsement. He's a good NHL player and he deserves to be in the NHL and he's probably better than most of the options I listed. So he'll probably make the team. But I don't want that as I know his ceiling and his skillset and personally I can take it/leave it. As roster spackle on a contending team, sure. But we're going to be erratic and I want to enjoy the roller coaster.

 

[sarge88]

So the top players by this stat were Chiasson and Brunet?

Yup.

Clearly two of the best last night.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I trust that anyone using these numbers to validate their opinion that Danton Heinen is bad will put the same stock in them if/when he puts up a good number (as they surely did in the past when he pretty regularly had positive xGF%).

Not entirely sure, tbh. But with them acquiring a bunch of waivers eligible young defensemen over the summer and the clear need at center, that might have been an audition for a 3rd party.

I'm not sure I would understand that ice time even if they were planning on him skating on McAvoy's left for the season. Feeding someone preseason time like a French goose doesn't accomplish anything, really. And the Bruins don't go that heavy on one guy in the playoffs, never mind preseason.

The only other thing I could see is if Sweeney wanted to see something specific and told Montgomery to give him half a game. Be damned if I can think of what that'd be, though.

Anyone remember the Bruins dumping that much ice time on a prized rookie in their first preseason game before? I can't recall seeing that prior to last night.

Obviously done by design, so the obvious question is why?

Probably wanted him get PP & PK time, good amount of time against their NHL guys and he may have picked up a shift or 2 when #48 was hurt?

 

[lopey]

I certainly can't remember a prospect get that much time in an early pre-season game. Usually the coaches try to spread out time at this point so that they can get a good look at the youngsters against NHL competition.

My 3 guesses as to why Lohrei played so much: 1) One of Gryz, Mast, or Brunet (lowest TOI d-men) tweaked something, 2) Monty saw all he wanted to see of Mast or Brunet, or 3) and this is what I think is very likely -- the Bs want to get as good of a look at Lohrei as they can and give him as much time as possible against good competition.

I remember Bergy first camp he played a lot. Not that much though lol

 

[JOKER 192]

Which is better, high number or low number?

Higher but I can see why you ask the question.