Credit where credit is due. I liked his vision the last couple of games. He's started trying to make "plays" rather than just blindly throwing pucks on net
Former Bruins Ryan Donato - II
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Saxon Eric
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- Dec 18, 2005
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I'm ready to send him down and try someone else
Fenian24
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BruinDust
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He's actually played pretty good the last few games. Skating better, showing more assertiveness, more effort.
DrJustice
Registered User
I agree. He's not getting overpowered and out muscled off the puck nearly as much as earlier in the year and is making some decent defensive plays.
The line he is on is gaining chemistry, just needs a little bit more finish and the production will come.
Mainehockey33
Powerplay Specialist
The bar was pretty low though, like if he isn’t scoring goals he isn’t helping at all. I like Donato and think he’ll be a good player, but I don’t think he’s the best wing option right now. Donato still gets closelined by a stiff breeze.
I’ll keep beating the dead horse of Cehlarik would be a much better option. If he isn’t producing points he’s better/stronger along the walls and makes good plays.
If his jersey had on the back Otanod he would definitely be spending the year in Providence as Frederic, Cehlarik, Blidh .
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Too bad that on any given backcheck I find him trailing by 30-40 feet behind Heinen, JFK or even when he was with Acciari or Backes.
BruinDust
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- Aug 2, 2005
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True the bar wasn't very high lately. And I'm not sure if he's the better option over Bjork or Cehlarik (I like both of them as well). But at least were seeing signs of improvement in his game. I think the kid line serves him better and also Heinen as well, so until the Bruins need to make a roster move (and they will if they ever get everyone back healthy), I'd keep it together.
To be perfectly honest, I thought the kid line outplayed the Debrusk-Krejci-Backes line last night, but that may say more about the Krejci line than it does the kid line.
BigBear83
Registered User
completely agree, but my excitement over donato is waning, might be one of those guys that is really good everywhere but the nhl . i agree he should be in the ahl figuring it all out. i actually think cehlarik would be great with heinen and jfk, all skilled , keep a strong pace but not overly fast, i think they would work well together. my main concern is that second line though, i think its time we pulled the plug on krejci/debrusk .. or swap wagner with backes.
Blowfish
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Me too
I have written it before but this kid has the longest leash in hockey
The don godfather
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Let's give up this idea that he should be included in trade proposals. I see easily plus 20 goals next year book it.
neelynugs
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another very good game from donato. seems to be turning a corner.
ODAAT
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defensively bailing out, one hand on the stick constantly in his own zone, unwilling to take a smack to make a play. Love the kid`s offensive instincts but lots to learn defensively, the AHL is a good spot to do so, Teddy might get mad at Donny though
Blowfish
Count down ...
defensively bailing out, one hand on the stick constantly in his own zone, weak skating & along boards, unwilling to take a smack to make a play. Love the kid`s offensive instincts but lots to learn defensively, the AHL is a good spot to do so, Teddy might get mad at Donny though
Added ... but liking his creativity and goal scoring ability.
BigBear83
Registered User
Ive been rough on the kid lately but that was easily his best game of the year.. and im not saying that just because of all his shots. (i actually wish he passed on a couple occasions last night) but he was engaged, physical and actually was a threat instead of a liability
GloryDaze4877
Barely Irrelevant
This is where I am with him. I thought the effort level was high last night. As you said, there were a few situations where he should have passed and instead shot from a bad angle. Not sure if this is a directive from the coaches, but he’s certainly not shy about shooting
I have to agree, his best game of the year.
With that said I also noticed sort of a bad habit since his call up. After a good game he disappears for a stretch of 4-5 games where he just floats. Like oh, I scored a goal last night that should buy me another 5 games, right coach?
Further when I look closer at his goals he is a threat at ES only against bottom 6 lines that forget to cover him. Yesterday game and Carolina game he had an identical goals with an enough time and space to load the shot from the right circle. The third ES goal he had a good net drive with an early Christmas gift from Andersen.
His 3 PP goals were all different types , first an easy tap in from Marchand, second a perfect pass from Pasta for his wrister and the last in Carolina was a lucky bounce off him.
I am still skeptical if he could be of any factor during the playoffs. There will be only good teams and no line will give him either time or space to load his wrist shot. However if he could gain some strength or improve his lateral skating to get open he could be useful.
One last thing. Please, would somebody tell him his wraparound is boring?
Saxon Eric
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False Start
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As soon as he got the puck in that spot, I knew it was a goal.
Or rather, I expected a player of his talent to bury that goal. And he absolutely delivered.
Lots or wrinkles to iron out for his overall game but offensive talent is there. Tons and tons of potential.
Or rather, I expected a player of his talent to bury that goal. And he absolutely delivered.
Lots or wrinkles to iron out for his overall game but offensive talent is there. Tons and tons of potential.
Bumper
Registered User
yeah, I think everybody watching that play knew it would go. great goal. not enough to counterbalance a half of a season worth of minuses. his interviews do suggest an attitude of, "see, I can play the sport well enough sometimes to permit me to disappear again." Ovechkin finally turned it around a bit. maybe after ten years of playing selfishly on a team Donato will pull through in time to be a positive influence on his team's success ratio before retirement. the Millers and Marchands of this team must despise this guy's, uh... "style."
Tmac37
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- Feb 3, 2009
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That's an interesting read. I doubt Marchand and Miller are mad that he shoots a lot. More likely they just want the team to win and Donato's "style" is to shoot a lot.
I also would be surprised if anyone cares about his interviews and the "attitude" they give. He's played a grand total of 42 games so I find it weird that you're projecting so far into his future, and saying that he thinks he's good enough to disappear. I don't get it.
Bumper
Registered User
agreed -- you don't get it. this team has routinely trimmed the worst relative minuses from the roster over the last decade or so. guys that sink the team with negative "production" get sent away -- that has been the intelligent trend and I have no qualms with suggesting the same fate for this guy who wants to coast in his sweet spot and await a perfect pass, suggesting in an interview that occassionally demonstrating other tendencies allows him the slack to coast again for a while. enough is enough. clueless fans that don't understand that teams which let in more than they score do not win just love those shiny points-getters... no matter how minus they trend... seemingly to an extreme where occasional pretty goals more than make up for being not good enough at the rest of hockey. thankfully the Bruins have mostly operated logically and the fanbase isn't as overwhelmed by the hypnotized within it as many other fanbases seem to be.
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