Player Discussion: Victor Hedman

[These Are The Days]

And it really bugs me. Serg is useless on the PP1. Hedman needs to be on the #1 to help get it going. Serg just passes to Kuch or wrist shots it wide of the net orat final its blocked

I don't even wanna think of him trying to set the onetimer up for Stammer (Which Hedman has down to a science)

(Serg in general has made me nervous these playoffs. Still young and developing but man I don't like him out against top lines)

Agreed on that final point. Sergachev scares the hell of me but his play has at least improved over last year -which is all that really matters to me. Todd Richards needs to keep Sergachev the hell away from Kucherov or just let Kucherov continue to be the one who conducts the PP from his "getting lost" technique in the low corner. After he does his whole "getting lost" routine he's getting Lemieux-esqe levels of space out there when the puck is suddenly on his stick again. Defenders aren't daring to even approach him. But I digress to the experts because that little wrinkle is probably good enough to salvage our PP for the rest of the playoffs if Stamkos never comes back. As for Hedman who the hell even knows why he isn't even out there on PP1? But let it sink in that Hedman's point totals might've actually been higher on top of what we're already getting. But he's easily my Conn Smythe winner right now despite Pointer's heroics.


Let it sink in that Point is playing out of his freaking mind with heroics not seen since Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis and Hedman is STILL better.

Dude is straight up neutering offenses like a scene out of the Dr. Pol show, lining up bulls and just snipping their nuts by the hundreds.

 

[The Gongshow]

Hedman is and has been for a while now, the most important player on this team. Arguably 1 or 2 for "best" player on the team.

McD is a nice luxury but without Heddy our D takes a big hit.

I'd say importance goes Heddy, Kuch, Vasi, Point, Stammer, McD in that order.

 

[KuchieKooRov]

simple post, Hedman is the MVP of this team.

 

[Heddyzeppelin]

No doubt Hedman is a huge piece of the Lightning. Easiest way to understand his value is to imagine him on one of the other top teams. Where would Boston/Washington/Colorado/etc. be with Victor on their defense?

 

[KuchieKooRov]

No doubt Hedman is a huge piece of the Lightning. Easiest way to understand his value is to imagine him on one of the other top teams. Where would Boston/Washington/Colorado/etc. be with Victor on their defense?

and last playoff run when he wasn't right, Columbus made us look like a Junior A team.

 

[DFC]

Agreed on that final point. Sergachev scares the hell of me but his play has at least improved over last year -which is all that really matters to me. Todd Richards needs to keep Sergachev the hell away from Kucherov or just let Kucherov continue to be the one who conducts the PP from his "getting lost" technique in the low corner. After he does his whole "getting lost" routine he's getting Lemieux-esqe levels of space out there when the puck is suddenly on his stick again. Defenders aren't daring to even approach him. But I digress to the experts because that little wrinkle is probably good enough to salvage our PP for the rest of the playoffs if Stamkos never comes back. As for Hedman who the hell even knows why he isn't even out there on PP1? But let it sink in that Hedman's point totals might've actually been higher on top of what we're already getting. But he's easily my Conn Smythe winner right now despite Pointer's heroics.


Let it sink in that Point is playing out of his freaking mind with heroics not seen since Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis and Hedman is STILL better.

Dude is straight up neutering offenses like a scene out of the Dr. Pol show, lining up bulls and just snipping their nuts by the hundreds.

What it comes down to is it would be almost impossible for a forward to be more important than Hedman is to us right now. It sort of doesn't matter what Point does, or anybody else. It's Hedman's game, and everybody else is just playing it.

 

[These Are The Days]

What it comes down to is it would be almost impossible for a forward to be more important than Hedman is to us right now. It sort of doesn't matter what Point does, or anybody else. It's Hedman's game, and everybody else is just playing it.

I couldn't have said it better. If there is ever a defenseman better rounded in all facets of the game than Hedman, we'll be talking about the next Lidstrom.

 

[KuchieKooRov]

I couldn't have said it better. If there is ever a defenseman better rounded in all facets of the game than Hedman, we'll be talking about the next Lidstrom.

and Hedman was the first defenseman to be nominated 4 consecutive years for the Norris... since, you guessed it, Nicklas Lidstrom

 

[Sky04]

Tampa has a 97.3% on-ice save % when Hedman on the ice, in 13 games he's only been on for 3 5v5 goals against, in other words, 1 goal every 4 games he's scored on at ES. Hasn't had a minus game this post season, his possession stats, scoring chances and defensive numbers are insane, well above everyone else in the playoffs but hE pLaYs oN a sTaCkEd tEaM.

 

[The Gongshow]

Tampa has a 97.3% on-ice save % when Hedman on the ice, in 13 games he's only been on for 3 5v5 goals against, in other words, 1 goal every 4 games he's scored on at ES. Hasn't had a minus game this post season, his possession stats, scoring chances and defensive numbers are insane, well above everyone else in the playoffs but hE pLaYs oN a sTaCkEd tEaM.

Plays on a stacked team that turns into a dumpster fire when he's not in the lineup. Guy is easily the most important player/piece on the team/core

 

[Burgerchev]

Can we talk about how much Heddy has improved his shot? None of this "Hedman's shot goes wide" sh*t anymore. His goal last night and the series winner from Boston prove that

 

[YayHockeysBack]

Can we talk about how much Heddy has improved his shot? None of this "Hedman's shot goes wide" sh*t anymore. His goal last night and the series winner from Boston prove that

That shot that Point deflected was going wide . . .

 

[JFleegs]

Ordered an authentic heddy jersey from CoolHockey a few weeks ago (they had a 40% off sale) just got it this past week and wore it last night. Pretty good first game in the new threads.

 

[Burgerchev]

That shot that Point deflected was going wide . . .

Lol, touche.

Never change, Hedman

 

[KuchieKooRov]

I really wish someone with media credentials would finally ask Cooper, why he continues to keep Hedman off the top PP unit. It just doesn't make sense at this point.... Is he trying to balance his PP units? haha

 

[Hoek]

Ordered an authentic heddy jersey from CoolHockey a few weeks ago (they had a 40% off sale) just got it this past week and wore it last night. Pretty good first game in the new threads.

Wow too bad @The Macho Man couldn't get that one

 

[Hoek]

I really wish someone with media credentials would finally ask Cooper, why he continues to keep Hedman off the top PP unit. It just doesn't make sense at this point.... Is he trying to balance his PP units? haha

 

[Sky04]

Those post-game questions were embarrassing, were they writing for a children's article?

 

[The Macho King]

Wow too bad @The Macho Man couldn't get that one

Mine is fine thank you. Wore it three times this playoff.

Curse is broken.

 

[Hoek]

 

[Stormbreaker]

Excellent non answer by Cooper just put Hedman on pp1 it's not rocket science.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Fire Cooper!

 

[KuchieKooRov]

This is when coaches in general just frustrate the hell out of fans... Cooper, it doesn't take a rocket scientist (as my fellow poster above pointed out) to see that Hedman made a difference playing with the first unit. Just admit that your "experiment" hasn't quite worked out the way you predicted and go back to what has always worked in the past (Btw this freaking PP was o'fer in the columbus series and had one decent game in the Boston series). I don't expect it to work every night, but I do expect it to make a difference more than 10% of the time.

 

[YayHockeysBack]

I'm wondering if Cooper isn't trying to manage Hedman's minutes. Although Hedman's looked incredibly strong, he may have a little lingering ankle thing going on, or maybe Cooper's just playing the long game and making sure Hedman doesn't fade in a long series. They did score a lot of PP goals with Sergechev at the point against the Bruins in game 4.

 

[Hoek]

Yeah it might be worth keeping it in his back pocket than going to that well every time, I guess.