GDT: Sharks @ Streakbusters 6 MT |da da, da da, Da Dum| NHL 04 Style

[The Kingslayer]

I wasn't intending to say that it's "more fair" to criticize Hunwick for his mistakes.

I was simply pointing out that since his arrival in Colorado, EJ has been our best defensemen, hands down. But he is also human, he's going to make mistakes. I was saying that whenever he makes a mistake, and unless I missed something last night, that was the only glaring mistake he had, then why are we jumping on him? I used Hunwick as an example, we jump all over him because he makes several mistakes a game.
No #1 Defensemen is going to be perfect 100% of the time, if they were then players like Crosby, Malkin, Giroux, et. al would have no problem getting around them and having a 1-on-1 chance with the goaltender.

you're so generous Rock. Some mistakes a game? more like every shift hes making a mistake or is bound to make one. I will give him credit that over the last several games hes been much better but that doesnt excuse the million mistakes hes made prior to that. The fact he leads all D and on most nights all player sin ice time is the biggest joke of all and the main reason Joe Sacco needs to go.

 

[RockLobster]

you're so generous Rock. Some mistakes a game? more like every shift hes making a mistake or is bound to make one. I will give him credit that over the last several games hes been much better but that doesnt excuse the million mistakes hes made prior to that. The face he leads all D and on most nights all player sin ice time is the biggest joke of all and the main reason Joe Sacco needs to go.

Yeah, I'm a generous guy.

But my point I think stands. EJ is our #1 Defensemen, and I firmly believe that he'd be even MORE entrenched as a #1 Defensemen on any other team in the league. He came in and was just "playing his game" as he was told to do by the coaching staff, and he was getting his fair share of points.

But yeah, last year and this year he's seen his offensive production drop. I think it is largely because he's NOT being treated as the "#1D" that he IS.

And you're spot on, the fact that Hunwick continually leads in TOI amongst Defensemen is a frigging joke. I understand that Sacco likes to "spread the ice time" around, but sooner or later your BEST players need to be playing the majority of the game.

That means that EJ needs to be at minimum, going 25min a game if not more.

 

[bohlmeister]

I wasn't intending to say that it's "more fair" to criticize Hunwick for his mistakes.

I was simply pointing out that since his arrival in Colorado, EJ has been our best defensemen, hands down. But he is also human, he's going to make mistakes. I was saying that whenever he makes a mistake, and unless I missed something last night, that was the only glaring mistake he had, then why are we jumping on him? I used Hunwick as an example, we jump all over him because he makes several mistakes a game.

No #1 Defensemen is going to be perfect 100% of the time, if they were then players like Crosby, Malkin, Giroux, et. al would have no problem getting around them and having a 1-on-1 chance with the goaltender.

That was a really dumb play. Those are the type of plays that he can't make if he wants to play more minutes. That is basically all that I said. If that is too harsh of criticism for our best defenseman then......well I don't know what his expectations are anymore. And those are the type of plays that a PK Subban or Phaneuf would make, but I expect more out of EJ. And I think he is capable of playing smarter. Nonetheless, I just wish everyone wasn't so sensitive about him. Anytime his name is brought up our board is like a bunch of soldiers here to protect him. The way some Avs fan talk about him on the main boards is over rating him at this point in time. Again, I want him to be a top pairing minute eater, and I think he can be, but he isn't there yet.

 

[RockLobster]

That was a really dumb play. Those are the type of plays that he can't make if he wants to play more minutes. That is basically all that I said. If that is too harsh of criticism for our best defenseman then......well I don't know what his expectations are anymore. And those are the type of plays that a PK Subban or Phaneuf would make, but I expect more out of EJ. And I think he is capable of playing smarter. Nonetheless, I just wish everyone wasn't so sensitive about him. Anytime his name is brought up our board is like a bunch of soldiers here to protect him. The way some Avs fan talk about him on the main boards is over rating him at this point in time. Again, I want him to be a top pairing minute eater, and I think he can be, but he isn't there yet.

I think if we either watched every game, or scoured YouTube, we would find similar mistakes made by players like Doughty, Chara, Keith, Seabrook, Weber, Suter, etc.

He made a bad mistake, at least it didn't end up in the back of the net, thanks to the terrible decision to NOT call an obvious Landeskog tripping call.

But if Sacco were to play him like he SHOULD, then I would be entirely comfortable with EJ out there 25+ min a game. Something I've noticed dating back to last year, after returning from his hand injury in December, was that EJ seems to have tapped into his "Mean Streak" on a more consistent basis. A lot of the times he punishes forwards down low and behind the net. THAT's what I like to see in a Defensemen.

The overrating on the Main Boards? That's going to happen because fans of other teams just look at his stat sheet and believe that he's playing like crap. They don't watch the games that he plays in and see the things that he does.

Hell, one just has to look at the Shots For/Against differential to see what he means to this club.

 

[bohlmeister]

I think EJ plays better with more minutes. He is more involved in the game. I have said that for at least a year now. So I agree with most of what you said.

Sacco seems to give our veteran guys infinity leashes, while our younger guys get chokers. So EJ won't be playing 25+ minutes a night turning the puck over like he did.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Yeah, I'm a generous guy.

But my point I think stands. EJ is our #1 Defensemen, and I firmly believe that he'd be even MORE entrenched as a #1 Defensemen on any other team in the league. He came in and was just "playing his game" as he was told to do by the coaching staff, and he was getting his fair share of points.

But yeah, last year and this year he's seen his offensive production drop. I think it is largely because he's NOT being treated as the "#1D" that he IS.

And you're spot on, the fact that Hunwick continually leads in TOI amongst Defensemen is a frigging joke. I understand that Sacco likes to "spread the ice time" around, but sooner or later your BEST players need to be playing the majority of the game.

That means that EJ needs to be at minimum, going 25min a game if not more.

Its clear as day how much better this team is WITH Johnson in the lineup then without Johnson in it. The stats will show it im sure im too lazy to look it up but even if you just watch the games you can see the difference between the game in San Jose to the game in Colorado when EJ returned. I hope and pray that Duchene takes Johnson with him this summer to watever fitness facility he goes to and whip EJ into shape so he can play the 25-30 minutes a game thats required for a #1 D. Im not saying EJ has a conditioning issue but it wouldnt hurt his game any. The only reason Sacco prolly plays Hunwick so much is because he knows Hunwicks sexy ass can handle the minutes his cardio must be crazy good or something. The problem with hunwick is between his ears.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I think EJ plays better with more minutes. He is more involved in the game. I have said that for at least a year now. So I agree with most of what you said.

Sacco seems to give our veteran guys infinity leashes, while our younger guys get chokers. So EJ won't be playing 25+ minutes a night turning the puck over like he did.

Yup. He needs alot of minutes. I can understand Sacco not playing him too much coming off a concussion but eventually we are gonna need to see EJ as the leading TOI Dman or we are gonna be in a world of hurt.

 

[RockLobster]

Its clear as day how much better this team is WITH Johnson in the lineup then without Johnson in it. The stats will show it im sure im too lazy to look it up but even if you just watch the games you can see the difference between the game in San Jose to the game in Colorado when EJ returned. I hope and pray that Duchene takes Johnson with him this summer to watever fitness facility he goes to and whip EJ into shape so he can play the 25-30 minutes a game thats required for a #1 D. Im not saying EJ has a conditioning issue but it wouldnt hurt his game any. The only reason Sacco prolly plays Hunwick so much is because he knows Hunwicks sexy ass can handle the minutes his cardio must be crazy good or something. The problem with hunwick is between his ears.

I don't think EJ has any problems handling more minutes, Sacco just isn't giving him any

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I think EJ plays better with more minutes. He is more involved in the game. I have said that for at least a year now. So I agree with most of what you said.

Sacco seems to give our veteran guys infinity leashes, while our younger guys get chokers. So EJ won't be playing 25+ minutes a night turning the puck over like he did.

Very true. EJ looks best when he's given his 25 minutes a night and Hunwick looks best when he's given his 14 minutes a night.

Instead Hunwick gets 20 and EJ gets 19.

 

[S E P H]

If all you watched were the highlights, then you probably only saw the few rare examples of the sharks actually sustaining pressure. Most of this game the sharks couldn't get anything going offensively and the avs out fought them for the puck all night. Even when the sharks did spend time in the avs zone, the avs really gave them nothing in the way of high quality scoring chances. The only reason this game was even close was because Niemi played really well.

I'd say biggest chunk of time was spent in the shark's zone, followed by the neutral zone, and the least amount of time was in the avs' end (and most of that was because of penalties).

I agree, Avs came out flying in the 1st and Sharks were the better of the teams in majority of the 2nd, and I would say Avs again came out flying in the 3rd, but became much more even as time went by.

The biggest turning point in the game was Shark's first PP in the 2nd period (SOB took one of the dumbest penalties I have ever seen). They were moving the puck with great pressure and they sensed a goal was coming, because of their urgence. But Varlamov definitely closed the door and looked fantastic on the kill. That didn't kill the Sharks per say, but it deflated them.

I think Avs would've won this game in regulation if they didn't get dominated in the faceoffs, because winning half or majority of them gets you some major puck possession that would've transferred into scoring chances.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

and Barrie makes zero mistakes when he gets zero minutes while sitting in the press box.

 

[Ivan13]

Radar's play on the 1st goal was jaw-droppingly good.

 

[Foppa]

Radar's play on the 1st goal was jaw-droppingly good.

He's not too bad for a guy who we'd all rather trade for a shiny, unproven prospect, has a salary which will prove ruinous to this franchise for years to come and who's attitude has clearly poisened the locker room.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Radar's play on the 1st goal was jaw-droppingly good.

Worth all the moola that entire play was full of sickness. ROR knocks it out the air pass to Lando, lando quick pass to PAP, PAP with meatsauce to Duchene and Duchene with sweet finish.

 

[Avelanche]

Team is so good when we have Stazz-Duchene-RoR. Hopefully we can extend Stazz to a hometown discount and keep those three. Idk why EJ isn't playing a lot, maybe he is struggle with conditioning since he did say he couldn't do much while concussed. Playing 25 minutes means you need to be in tip top condition.

Also, I think it's time RoR is back on the PK. He looks to be nearly up to speed and I am glad Sherman didn't trade him.

 

[dahrougem2]

Team is so good when we have Stazz-Duchene-RoR. Hopefully we can extend Stazz to a hometown discount and keep those three. Idk why EJ isn't playing a lot, maybe he is struggle with conditioning since he did say he couldn't do much while concussed. Playing 25 minutes means you need to be in tip top condition.

Also, I think it's time RoR is back on the PK. He looks to be nearly up to speed and I am glad Sherman didn't trade him.

EJ isn't playing a lot because in Joe Sacco's eyes, Matt Hunwick and Ryan O'Byrne are far and away without a doubt the best defenseman on this team ainec lol, I don't know what Sacco see's that we don't but he must see something. That, or he really wants out of Colorado and is going to keep playing these two more than anyone in hopes of losing, it hasn't worked this past week haha

 

[IndustryLeech]

It's almost fathomable that the 5-forward Power Play was designed to drive the tank into Sethville and Duchene didn't get the memo.

 

[Avs_19]

It's almost fathomable that the 5-forward Power Play was designed to drive the tank into Sethville and Duchene didn't get the memo.

Don't forget about O'Reilly. He didn't get an assist on either one of the goals but his play at the line allowed Stastny to score against the Blackhawks and Duchene yesterday. He also has a pretty good shot, much better than any other forward we have used at the point.

 

[Ivan13]

He's not too bad for a guy who we'd all rather trade for a shiny, unproven prospect, has a salary which will prove ruinous to this franchise for years to come and who's attitude has clearly poisened the locker room.

Yeah I guess he's all right, but I've seen better

 

[Freudian]

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I soooo hope Gabe autographed that kid's outfit.

 

[S E P H]

I soooo hope Gabe autographed that kid's outfit.

I hope they didn't name the kid after him.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I hope they didn't name the kid after him.

You know they did.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I hope they didn't name the kid after him.

They totally did man haha

 

[Taak19]

Lol that's great.