Ducks never play their best game against weak teams.
Dallas isn`t weak. They had 91 points. We had 91 points in 09 when we almost advanced to the conference finals
Ducks never play their best game against weak teams.
Teemu isn't close to a 2nd line player anymore.
9-18-27 (64 games)
0-1-1 (4 games)
He proved the opposite in Sochi with proper amount of time on ice, in Anaheim he hasn't been getting it so the stats are rather irrelevant. Yesterday he got a bit more of it for once, and immediately proved the point I think.
I'm sorry but that's just not true.
Selanne received tons of ice time after the break, and he was just like he is now. He has moments where he plays really well, but for the most part, he fumbles the puck and turns it over. He's not a 2nd line player anymore. He's not a bad compliment to one, but he's not a definite 2nd line player anymore. We've seen a decline in speed over the years, but now it's his hands that are going away. He doesn't have the shot or skills he use to. His best ability now is his passing.
The last game was very odd. I don't know when the last time I saw Selanne set up a goal by forechecking and stealing from a much bigger player. Was very happy to see him have such a good game though.
Sochi = bigger ice, more room, less suffocating defence. Pretty easy to see why Teemu did better there compared to NHL ice.He proved the opposite in Sochi with proper amount of time on ice, in Anaheim he hasn't been getting it so the stats are rather irrelevant. Yesterday he got a bit more of it for once, and immediately proved the point I think.
Sochi = bigger ice, more room, less suffocating defence. Pretty easy to see why Teemu did better there compared to NHL ice.
Yeah, he had his first good game of the playoffs yesterday. It still doesn't make him a reliable 2nd line player.
Duck Off pretty much nailed it with "He has moments where he plays really well, but for the most part, he fumbles the puck and turns it over".
Yes, tons...
5 games immediately after the break:
13:17
12:35
12:19
14:11
13:41
After that he had a 5 game stretch where he received more than 15 mins TOI/G and scored 2g 2a +3.
We have very differing versions of great.He had a great game 1 and decent game 2... Short memories.
He had a great game 1 and decent game 2... Short memories.
We have very differing versions of great.
But I don't really want to turn this into a Teemu love and bash fest. Teemu's been a great player and even better person, he's still an NHL player obviously, but he's not a reliable 2nd line guy at this stage, all I wanted to say on this.
I'm as big a Teemu supporter as anyone but I'm so sick of hear the whole "look at what Selanne did with proper ice-time in the Olympics" when it should be "look at what Selanne did against lesser competition like teams Austria and Norway." The Olympics isn't the NHL. It's not like he's suddenly going to start putting up numbers if you throw him out there for another 3 or 4 minutes a game. Boudreau has done a great job using Teemu as much as he needs to and it's working out great. The problem is everybody's unrealistic expectations of what Teemu is supposed to produce. He's 43 years-old. Most of his contemporaries have been retired for a decade. Think about the last time you saw Jeremy Roenick on the ice. Teemu was taken in the same draft.
1g against Norway and 1a against Austria.
He only played 1 period against Austria and the rest of the games were vs top6 countries. Russia, Canada, Sweden and USA.
I'm as big a Teemu supporter as anyone but I'm so sick of hear the whole "look at what Selanne did with proper ice-time in the Olympics" when it should be "look at what Selanne did against lesser competition like teams Austria and Norway." The Olympics isn't the NHL. It's not like he's suddenly going to start putting up numbers if you throw him out there for another 3 or 4 minutes a game. Boudreau has done a great job using Teemu as much as he needs to and it's working out great. The problem is everybody's unrealistic expectations of what Teemu is supposed to produce. He's 43 years-old. Most of his contemporaries have been retired for a decade. Think about the last time you saw Jeremy Roenick on the ice. Teemu was taken in the same draft.
Come to think of it, he's even older than Dave Karpa and Jason Marshall. Could you imagine those two on the Ducks blueline today?
I think the veterans Selänne could be compared with are rather the ones such as JaromÃr Jágr or Daniel Alfredsson. Perhaps luckily the Ducks aren't quite the Devils, but nevertheless it's pretty impressive how big role the 42-year-old there can still play. I don't think Teemu is yet past it any more than that either, so the question is just whether there are others in Anaheim more suitable for the role or not. So or so it would probably be good to try to form a more permanent 2nd line for the upcoming games.