Rick Nash Part II

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Nash is producing. That's what so hilarious about all this right now. He's tied for the team lead in points. 6 points is the 9th highest total of anyone in the playoffs.

I pointed this out in the PGT from the other night. No one complains about Brassard. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. Yet, he was our 40-assist man during the regular season, just like Nash was our 40-goal man. Brassard has 1 assist in the playoffs. He's supposed to be a playmaker. Where are all the set ups?

Expectations and perception are funny. Had Nash scored some more goals last season, everyone would be happy with his 6 points this year, even if it were the same line with only 1 goal.

This is more a statement on how badly the team is NOT producing then it is a statement on how much Nash is producing.

How is this even debatable? Nash isn't scoring goals. He isn't dominating the opposition when he's on the ice. He's been a good player out there when you look at his total game. He needs to be elite, a difference maker. He hasn't been. I'm sure plenty of folks are railing and ranting and raving against him as if he's horrible and those folks are incorrect BUT using his 1 goal and 5 assists as proof that he's producing adequately is just as incorrect.

Brassard produced in the first round. You['re right he isn't doing enough now but he produced in the 1st round. He produced so much that we called him BrassGod in the very recent past. That past obviously comes into play when folks criticize Nash. Had Nash scored 6 or 7 goals last year in the PO's then things would be different. He's only scored 6 goals in his 50 playoff games combined! Only 1 this year and it came when literally it did not matter at all.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Bobby Ryan is another player who never convinced me of his passion, at any level. I get the same feeling from Jeff Carter.

Again, none of this meant as a personal attack or a psychological evaluation, merely an observation related to the game of hockey.

Perry is another guy who I failed to mention as a guy who hates to lose. He's a pain in the ass to play against, but he wants to win badly. You can't really teach that.

I have always despised Jeff Carter for this reason. Guy is a lazy POS and completely embodies that entire team's mentally of only trying when they absolutely need to.

 

[vladmyir111]

They need to fly Rick Nash's dad in. Perhaps his scowl will pot a few goals.

 

[Xref]

Nash is producing. That's what so hilarious about all this right now. He's tied for the team lead in points. 6 points is the 9th highest total of anyone in the playoffs.

I pointed this out in the PGT from the other night. No one complains about Brassard. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. Yet, he was our 40-assist man during the regular season, just like Nash was our 40-goal man. Brassard has 1 assist in the playoffs. He's supposed to be a playmaker. Where are all the set ups?

Expectations and perception are funny. Had Nash scored some more goals last season, everyone would be happy with his 6 points this year, even if it were the same line with only 1 goal.

Complaining about a guy turning into a goal scorer, for a team that needs GOALS. Now THAT is hilarious!

 

[Sirius Vivace]

Complaining about a guy turning into a goal scorer, for a team that needs GOALS. Now THAT is hilarious!

I think you're overlooking Tawnos' point, though.

Unless you're a one man wrecking crew...which very few players are...you require assistance from your teammates in order to score goals. There is little space out there, clutch & grab reigns supreme, and the passing lanes have been squeezed all playoffs. It seems to me that clutch players with the best vision will still find a way to get the puck into scoring position. This is what Nash has been doing. Not just on Brassard goals. He made a sick pass to MSL last game. It was exquisite. Had MSL not had an "Oh ****" reaction when he realized the puck was put perfectly on his tape in front of an open net, that would have been a Ranger goal. When Nash is in front of the net, it seems too much to ask for someone to put the puck on his stick.

Admittedly, it's tough right now to set up really good looks ... but Nash has done that and found a way to make his team better. I don't see Brassard & others reciprocating Nash's favors.

I understand that at his paygrade, many people want not only for Nash to make his team better (which he is doing)...but also want him to score single-handed superman goals. Call me less demanding, but I think Nash needs more help than he is being given. I'm convinced AV feels this way and believe some pundits (i.e. Steve V.) feel the same way. Of course, that doesn't make my opinion "correct"... but it shows I am not alone.

 

[Beacon]

Hossa 1g in 10 GP. PPG/GPG takes a massive hit in the playoffs. Still lauded as a great player for his 2-way play but Nash isn't. It's funny.

Hossa performed decently in the playoffs throughout his career, he's just very old right now. The last two years he hasn't been great, but prior to that, it was 43 goals in 146 games, very respectable. That's just a hair below .30 goals per game. Nash has 6 goals in 51 games, which is under .12 goals per game. Hossa was no great playoff performer, but still scored 2.5 times more goals per game than Nash.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Hossa performed decently in the playoffs throughout his career, he's just very old right now. The last two years he hasn't been great, but prior to that, it was 43 goals in 146 games, very respectable. That's just a hair below .30 goals per game. Nash has 6 goals in 51 games, which is under .12 goals per game. Hossa was no great playoff performer, but still scored 2.5 times more goals per game than Nash.

I think Nash with Miller would solve a lot of our problems.

Just watch how Nash plays with Miller during the power play. Polar difference than how he plays with MSL and Zucc.

 

[Beacon]

Nash is producing. That's what so hilarious about all this right now. He's tied for the team lead in points. 6 points is the 9th highest total of anyone in the playoffs.

I pointed this out in the PGT from the other night. No one complains about Brassard. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. Yet, he was our 40-assist man during the regular season, just like Nash was our 40-goal man. Brassard has 1 assist in the playoffs. He's supposed to be a playmaker. Where are all the set ups?

Scoring goals is MUCH more of an individual effort than getting assists. You make a nice pass, the other f***s it up, you get nothing. You dump out the puck, someone else makes another nice pass, then another one fires a rocket, and now you have an assist - and you could be a goalie making a pad save to start the play in the reverse direction. Brass has played well and has scored goals. If Nash played better, Brass would've had more than a single assist.

Finally, Brass gets $3 less a year. Because Brass gets paid $5 and not $7.8 a year, we can afford, say, Zuccarello's $3.5 instead of some scrub on a minimum salary. Obviously if Brassard was paid so much that we'd have to replace Zuccarello with Mueller or Klein with Kostka, we'd have much higher expectations of Brass. But we don't because he's getting paid like a top-6 passenger. Nash is getting paid like a top line driver.

 

[PromNite]

Nash is producing. That's what so hilarious about all this right now. He's tied for the team lead in points. 6 points is the 9th highest total of anyone in the playoffs.

I pointed this out in the PGT from the other night. No one complains about Brassard. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. Yet, he was our 40-assist man during the regular season, just like Nash was our 40-goal man. Brassard has 1 assist in the playoffs. He's supposed to be a playmaker. Where are all the set ups?

Expectations and perception are funny. Had Nash scored some more goals last season, everyone would be happy with his 6 points this year, even if it were the same line with only 1 goal.

When you are scoring goals at a high rate, people tend to forgive other things. Which we would all be doing with Nash if he were doing the same.

 

[Vinny]

That's so silly. Just because the guy can control his emotions it means he has no passion?

Absolutely not silly, a leading player in a team HAS to show emotion, pump up your teammates, show you care, tell them to go to another gear, show emotion, show you are all in, that is part of the job. Even pump up the pubic. Nash is not controlling his emotion in my opinion he looks to me like he does not care. < my opinion, that is how he vibes to me. Maybe others get another vibe. Just playing a game and getting paid for it.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Scoring goals is MUCH more of an individual effort than getting assists. You make a nice pass, the other f***s it up, you get nothing. You dump out the puck, someone else makes another nice pass, then another one fires a rocket, and now you have an assist - and you could be a goalie making a pad save to start the play in the reverse direction. Brass has played well and has scored goals. If Nash played better, Brass would've had more than a single assist.

Finally, Brass gets $3 less a year. Because Brass gets paid $5 and not $7.8 a year, we can afford, say, Zuccarello's $3.5 instead of some scrub on a minimum salary. Obviously if Brassard was paid so much that we'd have to replace Zuccarello with Mueller or Klein with Kostka, we'd have much higher expectations of Brass. But we don't because he's getting paid like a top-6 passenger. Nash is getting paid like a top line driver.

Fair assessment. He needs to play with more confidence.

 

[Beacon]

It's also small sample size for Brass on assists. He had 16 in 35 before this run. It's not small sample size on Nash for goal-scoring. 4 in 37 with the Rangers before this run.

That's one thing that people refuse to acknowledge by throwing out the smokescreen that another player is also not performing. With Nash it is NOT just one playoff round. Everyone is entitled not to score for 5-10 games, that's normal in a career. But he always scored like a 4th liner in the playoffs. Every spring it's the same thing. Had Nash scored decently last year, I wouldn't say a word right now.

Brass got a lot of assists before. He's scoring goals now. That he doesn't have a lot of assists is forgivable given his history. Nash can't put the puck in the net every year. Let's not pretend it's just a 10 game thing.

 

[Calad]

Absolutely not silly, a leading player in a team HAS to show emotion, pump up your teammates, show you care, tell them to go to another gear, show emotion, show you are all in, that is part of the job. Even pump up the pubic. Nash is not controlling his emotion in my opinion he looks to me like he does not care. < my opinion, that is how he vibes to me. Maybe others get another vibe. Just playing a game and getting paid for it.

It may seem boring, but this is an approach you have to have when you are a professional at something. Can't let the highs get you too high or the lows too low, it starts to impact your judgment (usually poorly). Its a way to keep your focus and your composure.

 

[jniklast]

I think you're overlooking Tawnos' point, though.

Unless you're a one man wrecking crew...which very few players are...you require assistance from your teammates in order to score goals. There is little space out there, clutch & grab reigns supreme, and the passing lanes have been squeezed all playoffs. It seems to me that clutch players with the best vision will still find a way to get the puck into scoring position. This is what Nash has been doing. Not just on Brassard goals. He made a sick pass to MSL last game. It was exquisite. Had MSL not had an "Oh ****" reaction when he realized the puck was put perfectly on his tape in front of an open net, that would have been a Ranger goal. When Nash is in front of the net, it seems too much to ask for someone to put the puck on his stick.

Admittedly, it's tough right now to set up really good looks ... but Nash has done that and found a way to make his team better. I don't see Brassard & others reciprocating Nash's favors.

So Nash made his team better with two secondary assists in these playoffs, but Brassard with two goals hasn't? Oh and just like Nash did set up MSL, so did Brassard last game. And Nash also had a good chance from the high slot, but once again he couldn't finish.

If he'd really set up his teammates for easy goals left and right and was just snakebitten when finishing, one would be a lot more forgiving. But in reality most of his assists are rather unimpressive and his finishing is just bad. His numbers are looking good only because the rest of the team is putrid.

 

[Cassano]

Hossa performed decently in the playoffs throughout his career, he's just very old right now. The last two years he hasn't been great, but prior to that, it was 43 goals in 146 games, very respectable. That's just a hair below .30 goals per game. Nash has 6 goals in 51 games, which is under .12 goals per game. Hossa was no great playoff performer, but still scored 2.5 times more goals per game than Nash.

Not at all. He was criticized throughout his career in Ottawa (With Alfie) for his lack of production in the playoffs. Then he went to the Pens/Wings and the opposite team won when he was off that team.

 

[Sirius Vivace]

So Nash made his team better with two secondary assists in these playoffs, but Brassard with two goals hasn't? Oh and just like Nash did set up MSL, so did Brassard last game. And Nash also had a good chance from the high slot, but once again he couldn't finish.

If he'd really set up his teammates for easy goals left and right and was just snakebitten when finishing, one would be a lot more forgiving. But in reality most of his assists are rather unimpressive and his finishing is just bad. His numbers are looking good only because the rest of the team is putrid.

That's all I needed to read.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Not at all. He was criticized throughout his career in Ottawa (With Alfie) for his lack of production in the playoffs. Then he went to the Pens/Wings and the opposite team won when he was off that team.

wtf, did you seriously just bold his first line and then respond as if his post ended there? You completely ignored the substance of his explanation. It's maybe not the most important point going around here, but this might be the most disingenuous reply I've ever seen someone float around here.

 

[Cassano]

wtf, did you seriously just bold his first line and then respond as if his post ended there? You completely ignored the substance of his explanation. It's maybe not the most important point going around here, but this might be the most disingenuous reply I've ever seen someone float around here.

I think Hossa should rightfully have better scoring totals than Nash because the Hawks/Pens/Wings/Sens had a better supporting cast (offensively) than Nash ever had. Hossa was never the best forward on those teams, while Nash is forced to be... I think Hossa's totals are just as disappointing.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I think Hossa should rightfully have better scoring totals than Nash because the Hawks/Pens/Wings/Sens had a better supporting cast (offensively) than Nash ever had. Hossa was never the best forward on those teams, while Nash is forced to be... I think Hossa's totals are just as disappointing.

That should have been your response in the first place then. That's still ridiculous, but at least it's not a non sequitur.

 

[Mikos87]

They need to fly Rick Nash's dad in. Perhaps his scowl will pot a few goals.

Couldn't agree more. Give his old man some Miller Lite's and a VIP booth. Make it happen.

 

[JohnTonelliRises]

I think Nash may be gone after this season unless he really steps it up.

 

[bl02]

I think Nash may be gone after this season unless he really steps it up.

Who will want him with that price tag and history of concussions? I guess there would be some team out there that would take his regular season goal production but can we actually expect to get in return?

 

[Ail]

Tonight's the night guys!

 

[PromNite]

Tonight's the night guys!

I've been saying that to myself with regards to Nash practically every game. At a certain point it's time to give up.

But! Maybe that time is not now. I'll join you. Get one tonight, Nash. Just do it!

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Locked.