Tasty Biscuits
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I'd be worried about that too, but I assume they might get up for playing McDavid, so hopefully the focus/effort remains there.
Pre-Game Talk: The All Purpose Off Day Thread | Because 60 Minutes Just Isn't Enough
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I'd be worried about that too, but I assume they might get up for playing McDavid, so hopefully the focus/effort remains there.
Yeah. Famous last words, but we've yet to lose a game to the Oilers with McDavid on ice.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
Shady Machine
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That is interesting. Lol at Sheahan needing to shoot on the best goalies in the game in practice as if that's going to make a meaningful difference on his 50 career goals in 371 games.
ColePens
RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Yes he is... and it's okay. The Geno/Sid/Ovy era is coming to a close and the new wave of NHL kids are freaking incredible. We should be celebrating and not trying to defend a turf that is not even worth defending.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
I mean I get Mcdavid is good but people blow it way out of proportion like he's Wayne Gretzky or some shit. It's ridiculous 
Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
Not sure if serious.
Eh, I mean, he's the best offensive talent coming off back-to-back scoring titles. He's probably going to have a pretty special career.
ZeroPucksGiven
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ColePens
RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
The whole goaltender/shot thing. I would just simply say this - guys are shooting the puck heavier than ever before. I don't care what a clock says for MPH. If you go to a practice and see how heavy these shots are. Even when some of the NHL guys jump into the adult league for the summer to get some ice time, their shots are so different from 10-15 years ago. They are freaking heavy. It's not just fast, the puck just has a heavy feel.
It's really hard to explain in words. You have to be on the ice and see/feel these bombs to really appreciate just what goalies have to do. And it's not just 1 or 2 guys shooting like this, it's over half the league. The releases are so quick.
It's really hard to explain in words. You have to be on the ice and see/feel these bombs to really appreciate just what goalies have to do. And it's not just 1 or 2 guys shooting like this, it's over half the league. The releases are so quick.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
He's definitely the best player in the NHL right now but it's not like he's putting up ridiculous numbers, he's just the best offensively right now. With the way he's regarded you'd think he's blowing away 2nd place by 25 or 30 points.
AuroraBorealis
Back-to-back hater
While some of what you said has merit (like his pinches and underestimating his ability to recover when he pushes), I think you're focusing too much on his lack of speed and taking for granted what he does more easily/effectively than some of our other D.
- He pins guys on the boards and neutralizes cycle plays.
- He dispossesses good players in board battles without a fuss.
- Makes a good breakout pass.
- He doesn't take penalties...which is something people have always criminally undervalued. A guy like Subban had 82 PIMs last year. Maatta had 28. He doesn't handicap us that way.
- Good gap control when opponents are weaving to gain the blue line. Active stick swipes it out of harm's way.
- Excellent defensive awareness. He doesn't get caught chasing guys behind the net and abandoning his man in the slot like Letang did plenty last year and Johnson did this year. He stays glued to his man right in front of our net and breaks up the one-timer attempt.
- Maatta's just smart. He simply doesn't get scored on that much. +27 in 67 games in 2015-16. +17 the following year in 55 games. Last year he got paired with some of our struggling D, and thus didn't do as well in that regard. If his speed was really that harmful to our team, wouldn't he have gotten lit up more? Obviously he's finding ways to compensate.
Yes, he's been trash this year. Utter trash. But to say this is the same level as he played at last year? NO. That's just nonsense. He will improve. There'll come a point in the season where people will wait 5 games for him to goof up again, and try to paint the picture that he costs us every game like that. That's how it's always been with Maatta and the fan base. People see his lack of speed, label him worthless and turn the blinders on when he helps us win. Not saying you're exactly like those people, but I've seen that a lot over the years.
There's a good reason why he got offered that contract and why he's been trusted on the 1st pairing in the past. He's reliable.
Please have the capacity to not assume you're right about everything, and that other fans may see aspects of the game differently. I have been watching hockey for over 2 decades now.
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Randy Butternubs
Registered User
I'm still upset McDavid didn't go to Buffalo.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
Man that has to suck for that fanbase. It was as close to a sure thing as anything at the time. Wonder how many Buffalo Mcdavid jerseys got thrown away.
EightyOne
My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
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You're right.
He's ever better than great. Watch some video.
Easy.
All wood sticks back. Good f***ing luck kids who only used carbon. You're little flickity wrist shots are about to lose half their speed. And you'll need actual space and time to get your shot off.
Nadal On Clay
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McDavid going up vs Maatta is gonna be funny for the least.
Murray better stand on his head again.
Murray better stand on his head again.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
I'm very well aware of who he is, I've seen plenty of video and watched many games. I'm not ignorant.
This is why I was saying that if McLellen was smart he’d not play McDavid against Crosby’s line (and therefore Letang-Dumo)....he’d match him up against our atrocious 2nd and 3rd D pairings...now with Yamamoto playing on his line, there’s even more speed to burn Olli with...
EightyOne
My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
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Can't Maatta just start skating off for a line change, even if under attack? That's what our players have been instructed, right?
...but yeah, Pens will have quite a storm to weather.
Nadal On Clay
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Yes that game will be a must watch for sure. McDavid is so head and shoulders about everyone now it’s gonna be fun watching him play.
It’s been a long time since the best player in the world has not been playing in Pittsburgh
Nadal On Clay
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The puck is probably already gonna be in the net by the time Maatta reaches the bench
AuroraBorealis
Back-to-back hater
Malkin 3.97 P/60 last year. Ranked #1 in the NHL. McDavid 3.67. Ranked 6th.
Shady Machine
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Truth to this for sure, but today's athletes are just flat out better.
Pretty much. Mcdavid is an incredible talent. He might end up being even better than Sid. And I'm okay with that. I want to see great players play. That's why I watch.
There's nothing to be envious of anyways. Crosby has had an absurd amount of success both personally and in terms of the team. Mcdavid has a long way to go to match that.
Mr Jiggyfly
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There is a video floating out there of a few young NHLers trying to to use wooden sticks in practice and they didn’t like it at all.
I grew up on the Sherwood 5030 PMP and it was a featherweight wood stick (but it would feel like a brick now)... I bet I couldn’t even use it anymore sadly.
Pretty ironic because I refused to use any one piece comp stick for years until I finally forced myself to in the early 2000s. Hated those old Synergy one pieces with a passion.
Those were so damn pingy and I couldn’t feel the puck on my blade, but comps have come lightyears in feel since those days.
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