Post-Game Talk (GBU): Vanek = God

[Sabresfansince1980]

we have much different definitions of success

Last season Vanek and Pominville dominated together while the team stunk and racked up Ls. Eventually they split up and the team started to rack up Ws. I'm not saying it was a total causation there, but splitting them up is certainly not a detriment to winning games. Vanek-Hodgson-Tropp, Leino-Roy-Pominville, FES were the lines, with FES getting the easier match-ups on a regular basis and tearing the ice up.

That basic set-up can be done again this season with Vanek-Hodgson-Ott, Leino-Grigorenko-Pominville, FES. I'm not saying it's necessarily better, but if secondary scoring does not step up what should be done? Just keep watching something fail, or depend on Vanek getting 5 pts each night? It's not an absurd option, and you can't claim that it is.

 

[Jame]

Last season Vanek and Pominville dominated together while the team stunk and racked up Ls. Eventually they split up and the team started to rack up Ws. I'm not saying it was a total causation there, but splitting them up is certainly not a detriment to winning games. Vanek-Hodgson-Tropp, Leino-Roy-Pominville, FES were the lines, with FES getting the easier match-ups on a regular basis and tearing the ice up.

That basic set-up can be done again this season with Vanek-Hodgson-Ott, Leino-Grigorenko-Pominville, FES. I'm not saying it's necessarily better, but if secondary scoring does not step up what should be done? Just keep watching something fail, or depend on Vanek getting 5 pts each night? It's not an absurd option, and you can't claim that it is.

i can, and i do

 

[SoFFacet]

Good:

Vanek (obviously)
Miller (could have been a lot worse than 4 GA)
Hodgson & Pominville (another solid night)
Ehrhoff-Sulzer (solid)
Sekera-Weber (solid)
Scott fight (what is this I don't even...)

Meh:

Ennis (scored once but whiffed at least 3 more golden chances)

Bad:

Myers-Leopold (hemmed in all night)

Ugly:

First 30 mins or so.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

The amazing: Scott taking Thornton out of the game and setting the tone.

This is such bull. We need a guy like that for sure but when it was 3-1 who cared. Vanek carried the team on his back tonight, maybe enough that he woke people up. He set the tone. He's the star of this team. Hopefully that idiot Ruff will give him ice time in 20- minute range every game.

 

[EichHart]

that might be one of the best 5 point highlight reel games I've ever seen

i mean... seriously, those 5 highlights... are all hella good plays

Seriously...Someone make a video NOW!!!!!!

 

[Grahn]

Last season Vanek and Pominville dominated together while the team stunk and racked up Ls. Eventually they split up and the team started to rack up Ws. I'm not saying it was a total causation there, but splitting them up is certainly not a detriment to winning games. Vanek-Hodgson-Tropp, Leino-Roy-Pominville, FES were the lines, with FES getting the easier match-ups on a regular basis and tearing the ice up.

That basic set-up can be done again this season with Vanek-Hodgson-Ott, Leino-Grigorenko-Pominville, FES. I'm not saying it's necessarily better, but if secondary scoring does not step up what should be done? Just keep watching something fail, or depend on Vanek getting 5 pts each night? It's not an absurd option, and you can't claim that it is.

Key here i think was that FES was getting the easy match-ups.
Leino-Grigs-Ott talked about having a good feeling together before the season and when Leino gets back I want to see that line.

Grigs is improving game by game, he is still young and still has a lot to learn. I think we need to be more patient with him, not throw him out in the middle of a warzone and hope he'll survive.

Also this team losing isn't, and most of the time won't be, caused by the offense, but by the [lack of] defense.

 

[Paxon]

Honestly can NOT understand how Leopold+Myers stuck together the whole game. It's not like every mistake they made was the necessary outcome of a bad pairing (e.g., some were due to the aggressive play of either), but they had plenty of mistakes that were and got hemmed in far too often. This pairing is awful and shouldn't have even came into the game together, much less ended it so.

Foligno continues to re-engage Beast Mode (apologies to Marshawn Lynch). Grigorenko got his first assist. Scott mauled Thornton. These were all good things.

Miller and Vanek, these were great things.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Lindy Ruff is coach and that's why Myers and Leopold stayed together. He's an overrated coach. Have people not figured it out? We had the goalie pulled the other night and forgot to have six guys on the ice.

 

[joshjull]

This is such bull. We need a guy like that for sure but when it was 3-1 who cared. Vanek carried the team on his back tonight, maybe enough that he woke people up. He set the tone. He's the star of this team. Hopefully that idiot Ruff will give him ice time in 20- minute range every game.

And he wasn't getting slapped around all game like he usual does by Thornton. So I guess Thornton gone and Vanek's amazing game were purely coincidental.

Now back to the anti-Scott brigade's regularly scheduled bashing of his spot on the roster.

EDIT: And I forgot to add Scott went out late and made sure no stupidity ensued after Julien put his AHL tough guy out there.

 

[Paxon]

The Bruins though are a great faceoff team. Bergeron is usually right near the league leaders, and Peverley would be too if he took more draws. Expected to get owned at the dot TBH.

Bergeron was 7 for 9 vs Ott. Peverley was 6 for 6 against Ellis. That right there is the big story.

Right, the Bruins are far and away the NHL leaders in faceoffs. They're dominant there and it's no surprise as they have about a billion guys who can play a solid centerman position.

 

[funkymag77]

Hope they sign Scott to an extension, guy isn't nearly as bad as a player as people make him out to be and the fighting speaks for itself. Seems like a stand up guy besides it all.

 

[joshjull]

Lindy Ruff is coach and that's why Myers and Leopold stayed together. He's an overrated coach. Have people not figured it out? We had the goalie pulled the other night and forgot to have six guys on the ice.

They played 3rd pairing minutes and the other two pairs were playing well together. Should he have spread the contagion and had 2 pairs that weren't working?


Sekera/Weber in particular had a strong game. They looked like they did when they were first paired together a few years ago.

 

[slip]

And he wasn't getting slapped around all game like he usual does by Thornton. So I guess Thornton gone and Vanek's amazing game were purely coincidental.

Now back to the anti-Scott brigade's regularly scheduled bashing of his spot on the roster.

Scott's fight created the space for us to even attempt a comeback.

Wouldn't it be amazing if this game marks a turning point for the team, much like last year's run in between Lucic and Miller is cited as a turning point?

Why can't it turn in the other direction?

 

[Royisgone]

And he wasn't getting slapped around all game like he usual does by Thornton. So I guess Thornton gone and Vanek's amazing game were purely coincidental.

Now back to the anti-Scott brigade's regularly scheduled bashing of his spot on the roster.

Yep, hopefully some on here have learned something tonight.

As I have said in the past, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are not an All Star Game skills competition.

Scott plays a valuable role on this team and hopefully some figured out why tonight.

 

[Paxon]

As it's a hot topic

 

[MayDayMayDay]

Amazing:
Thomas Vanek
Vanek not even bothering to buy the Bruins dinner first. #andcallyourowndamncab
Lindy's Time out. ROFLWaffle.

Great:
Vanek's deke on the hatty goal. Just filthy.
VHP
Ennis
Scott doing to Thornton what the Tyrannosaurus did to the lawyer in Jurassic Park.
Scott doing his best Eric Cartman impression at the end of the game. You will respect my authoritaw.

Good:
Weber
Foligno
Can I say special teams??

Bad:
For ****'s sake, bench Myers.

Ugly:
Leopold
Shawn Thornton's face and Milan Lucic's underwear right about now.

 

[Royisgone]

They played 3rd pairing minutes and the other two pairs were playing well together. Should he have spread the contagion and had 2 pairs that weren't working?


Sekera/Weber in particular had a strong game. They looked like they did when they were first paired together a few years ago.

Spread the contagion, or diluted the poison?

 

[MayDayMayDay]

Hope they sign Scott to an extension, guy isn't nearly as bad as a player as people make him out to be and the fighting speaks for itself. Seems like a stand up guy besides it all.

Was just gonna suggest the same thing.

 

[JOHNBOY]

i can, and i do

I am with Jame, keep VHP together until somebody shuts them down....

 

[joshjull]

Spread the contagion, or diluted the poison?

You would have to break up one of two pairs that were playing well. Leo would ruin whatever pair he was on. Thats a given. So you were going to hope the other pair wouldn't suck. It makes little sense to do that.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Scott's fight created the space for us to even attempt a comeback.

Wouldn't it be amazing if this game marks a turning point for the team, much like last year's run in between Lucic and Miller is cited as a turning point?

Why can't it turn in the other direction?

It's important to have our dog out there but please Vanek was a monster out there. There was no space in the first 30 minutes was there? Did it suddenly open up? No Vanek took over. If you want to argue some Bruin would have hit him over head to stop him, maybe? Like I said, need the dog on your team but this is Vanek's game.

 

[Paxon]

Hope they sign Scott to an extension, guy isn't nearly as bad as a player as people make him out to be and the fighting speaks for itself. Seems like a stand up guy besides it all.

The main thing lacking in his game in terms of being a 4th liner is acceleration/agility . Obviously his shot is not great, it's a bit heavy due to his size but his placement is squarely in the goalie's chest. That hardly matters for a guy who's the least offensively-talented guy on your 4th line. He's a solid checker, engages successfully in board battles, and actually has solid hockey sense. His foot speed is his main weakness, though his reach makes up for it a bit. All in all he's better than an Andrew Peters as a player. Once Leino's back there's a pretty decent amount of winger depth that can be used to double shift for Scott throughout a game, allowing you to dress him every night while still having flexibility with the make-up of your bottom 6.

 

[joshjull]

It's important to have our dog out there but please Vanek was a monster out there. There was no space in the first 30 minutes was there? Did it suddenly open up? No Vanek took over. If you want to argue some Bruin would have hit him over head to stop him, maybe? Like I said, need the dog on your team but this is Vanek's game.

No one is saying Vanek wasn't amazing. We're saying that in years past Thornton used to take shots at Vanek, Stafford, Roy, etc when ever he could, as did other Bruins, and little to nothing was done about it. With Thornton pummeled and off the ice that element was gone for the most part. It give Vanek more space than he normal has -vs- the Bruins.


Let the hate of Scott go and enjoy him.

 

[Royisgone]

You would have to break up one of two pairs that were playing well. Leo would ruin whatever pair he was on. Thats a given. So you were going to hope the other pair wouldn't suck. It makes little sense to do that.

Breaking up the train wreck that gave Boston 3 of their 4 goals makes no sense?

OK.

Fun win tonight and entertaining game regardless!

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

No one is saying Vanek wasn't amazing. We're saying that in years past Thornton used to take shots at Vanek, Stafford, Roy, etc when ever he could, as did other Bruins, and little to nothing was done about it. With Thornton pummeled and off the ice that element was gone for the most part. It give Vanek more space than he normal has -vs- the Bruins.


Let the hate of Scott go and enjoy him.

Vanek was getting pummelled when he made that pass to Ennis by the way. Notice that? We need our goons too and it's nice to have them but it's not why we won this game at all. And I love having the biggest goon in the NHL. Good signing