Stone vs. Chiasson

[CanadianGuest]

I recently watched three of the Dallas Stars games from last season;

16.01.2014 Boston Bruins vs Dallas Stars
18.01.2014 Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild
February 5, 2014 - Dallas Stars vs. San Jose Sharks

Lindy Ruff likes to move his players around a bit, not as much as MacLean, but JaBenn and Seguin had several linemates including Chiasson, Peverly, Cole, & Nichushkin. When he wasn't on the top line, Chiasson was on a weak 2nd line that looked a lot more like a third line.

Chiasson isn't a bad skater, but he isn't a great skater either. He gets around, isn't slow, isn't fast. His feet move faster then he does though. Chiasson is an aggressive fore checker, a defensive attribute, but not an aggressive back checker. He is usually the last one back. Often when you see Dallas defend, you will see four players, Chiasson is hanging around just offscreen between the faceoff circle and blue line waiting to exit the zone. I would call Chiasson a 160 foot player. He will defend, as long as he doesn't have to venture too deep into his own zone. The few times I saw him skate the puck up the boards, he eventually lost it to a defender waiting in the neutral zone. I didn't see anything special with his stick work, but he was just a rookie. I had read he could skate with the puck with confidence, but I just didn't see it in the three games I watched.

Chiasson sits in front of the opposing net on PP. One benefit of having Chiasson, Neil won't be on the PP anymore. But, MacLean won't tolerate Chiasson floating for long, or he'll be next in line after O'Brien and Wiercioch as coach favorite healthy scratch.

I hope Chiasson plays better with Legwand or Zibanejad, although I think Legwand would be better for Chiasson. Chiasson played with Cody Eakin a lot last year according to leftwinglock.com

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Here's a game from last year, go to the 21:19 mark, Spezza loses a faceoff, Ceci picks up a loose puck after the Canadiens didn't connect on a pass, he moves it up to Stone who flips it over to Spezza who sends it into the Canadiens zone on a Greening deflection, Greening chases. The puck moves around the boards to Stone who passes to Phillips who takes a shot at the point at 21:36, it's blocked and the play goes the other way.

Here is where the Sens need to back check. Ceci and Phillips start back, Stone is third man back, Greening and Spezza back check at a, um, calm pace. The play crosses neutral ice at 21:40.

Watch Stone. He can't catch the third Canadien in, and doesn't watch the fourth Canadien in. He's caught in the middle, watching the puck, and ends up taking a 2 minute penalty because of, IMO, a lack of position he could have had. This is Stone, he knows he has to back check, is willing to, but the finer nuances of who he was capable of defending wasn't there. Phillips and Ceci had the first three covered as best as two D can cover them, he wasn't helping against those three, so cover the fourth guy coming in, Greening and Spezza were in deep at the other end. Repetition and instruction at this level will correct this.


Direct link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n3YjuxifoE[

Impossible stone made that mistake. Generationally elite hockey IQ.

 

[krapsik]

Often when you see Dallas defend, you will see four players, Chiasson is hanging around just offscreen between the faceoff circle and blue line waiting to exit the zone.

And why do you think, this is not what coach asks him to do ?

 

[CanadianGuest]

Often when you see Dallas defend, you will see four players, Chiasson is hanging around just offscreen between the faceoff circle and blue line waiting to exit the zone.

And why do you think, this is not what coach asks him to do ?

Maybe the coach does ask Chiasson to float, good point.

We'll get a good idea of him when he's in Ottawa, although there is a chance MacLean will ask him to float here as well.