With Tampa out, Calgary on the brink and Toronto in a rough fight mean Size > Skill?

[Knave]

I think a part of it is these teams and their players got comfortable playing a certain style and way and the other side made adjustments heading into the series and especially after game #1.

Partly on the coaching for failing to adapt but a lot of blame to the players for being incapable of changing their positioning, timing to make more opportunities for themselves and less for their opponents.

You want your players to adapt and still do well. Kucherov and Stamkos failed. Crosby and Malkin (less Malkin than the other 3 guys though) failed.

 

[boredmale]

I always went 2 skinny 1 fat.

Basically two Ehlers and one Big Buff.

I swear it was a 4 player game. I liked the 1 skinny, 3 fat set up because the fat guys could hit and shoot, while the skinny guy would be the person I use to carry the puck up the ice

 

[Riseonfire]

Grit without skill over skill without grit. 100%.

Edit: Every pro is skilled, yall know what I mean.

 

[North Country]

So many things went wrong for us that series. Would love to blame the entire loss on size so we would have an easy fix but sadly that's not how it works.

I called it out on page 7 of the "Will Tampa go 16-0 in the playoffs"
I figured they'd lose 1-4 in games but imagine if I would have even threw down $100 at the possible sweep

 

[RustyCat]

I swear it was a 4 player game. I liked the 1 skinny, 3 fat set up because the fat guys could hit and shoot, while the skinny guy would be the person I use to carry the puck up the ice

You know what dude, you are completely right.

I just YouTubed it and that is what it was. Watching it was also the best part of my day so far lol

 

[Menzinger]

No.

 

[crowi]

More like compete >>> trying to dance around.

MacKinnon when he is on the ice he wants the puck and does everything he can to get it. This is very different when comparing to some toronto players for example.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

More like compete >>> trying to dance around.

I think comparing some of the Hawks teams to this Tampa team and why the Hawks were able to win three and Tampa can't figure it out is Chicago found ways to be patient through relentless forechecks and traps. They adapted to all kinds of systems and played the long game through a few series and stuck it out

Tampa looked like they had no patience to simplify their game and grind out 2-1 type scoring games. They got down early and tried to catch up immediately and dug themselves bigger holes and gave up chances the other way

Chicago barely got past Nashville in 2010 who lulled them to sleep with the trap. They learned a hard lesson from the coyotes in 2012 on it, then went on a tear from 2013-2015

 

[Brownies]

Like clockwork, the idea to go for skills than go for size than go for speed, than goon it up.

 

[the_fan]

Speed is everything in today's NHL, also it's a young man's game now. I dont think grit is very important like gooning it up, you still need grit as far as physicality on forecheck and stuff or defending in front of your own net, but speed and youth are the two most important things

 

[wintersej]

Two middle size guys and a tall skinny guy.

Never used the fat one.

Two fat and a skinny

 

[me2]

These playoffs on a whole have been highly entertaining. I don’t see it as size, I see it as compete level.

Take CBJ for example, yes they’re a heavy team but if not for their undersized stars in guys like Panarin and Atkinson competing like monsters, they may not have won.

He also uses COL as an example, but they have outskated the flames. They’re not winning on goonery. These teams are succeeding with speed and skill and relentless effort.

It doesn't standup to much scrutiny.

 

[FissionFire]

I think some key injuries were more a factor for TB than size. The others I can’t say.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

The skill guys for Columbus/Colarado have performed a lot better than the skill guys of Tampa/Calgary, that fact has a lot more to do with their success than the dichotomy that OP is suggesting

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Toronto is bigger and are outhitting Boston. Boston also has some extremely skilled players. Tampa was more physical than Columbus. I understand why people want to push this narrative, but it doesn't hold up

 

[viper0220]

NHL.com just released an article about Tampa saying Lightning needed more grit, less glitter to avoid quick end to Cup run,

"How do you reconcile tying an NHL record with 62 wins playing one way, and that way might also be the reason they couldn't win one game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference First Round?
How do you change playing style to have a better chance to win in the playoffs when doing so could mean winning fewer games in the regular season, making it harder to get to the playoffs?"

With Calagry on the brink to an early elimination and Toronto in a dog fight with Boston, is the idea that skill wins championships simply not true?

When you look at NYI/WPG/STB/Vegas/(Washington?), and the success they are all having with big gritty players should a team focus on that? Is Size + Grit >>> Speed + Skill

edit: I forgot to ask, if this is correct and Size + Grit is infact>>> Speed + Skill is that good for the game?

You need both.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Can tell you size has nothing to do with the Cgy/Col series. It's better strategy/execution and MacKinnon being unstoppable.

 

[North Country]

Redirect Notice

Great blueprint for a successful regular season team, but the compete and physical play goes in to overdrive in the playoffs. Makes it tough for a team so small up front to go up against a group of 6'4" 230 lb players that are now trying to take your head off because it's the Cup.

 

[Future GOAT]

Never knew MacKinnon had no skill lol.

Tldr: nothing to do with size or skill, it's who wants it more. The AVS definitely wanted it more sofar than Flames.

That and Gaudreau has been a little wimp again, afraid of getting hit. Flames need him putting up solid points and he's been a dud.

 

[Sadekuuro]

Two middle size guys and a tall skinny guy.

Never used the fat one.

The fat guy can rip it though. The Dany Heatley of the era.

 

[El Travo]

I would just say overall strength on top of skill is what pushes you over the top. Hitting often doesn't account for much if you aren't hitting hard. Hitting often also means you are chasing the puck carrier often.

 

[Machinehead]

Everyone is always looking for the magic Stanley Cup formula and the only constant is that it's constantly changing.

 

[Hoek]

Size narrative overplayed here.

There wasn't much size among the 2013 Hawks, 2015 Hawks, 2016 pens, and 2017 pens

You can fight through size and tough checking if you either A) have a ton of speed or B) are patient and are tacticians with execution especially on zone exits, getting through the neutral zone, etc

Tacticians you say. Would've been nice if we had that.

 

[Machinehead]

Toronto is bigger and are outhitting Boston. Boston also has some extremely skilled players. Tampa was more physical than Columbus. I understand why people want to push this narrative, but it doesn't hold up

Yeah, the thing about Tampa isn't that they didn't hit.

They're mentally soft. Columbus swung the momentum in game 1 and they just couldn't manage it.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

Tacticians you say. Would've been nice if we had that.

Theres a difference between skill and guys like rutta and girardi just slopping the puck all over the ice without looking to try and swing it away from a forecheck .

Tampa was atrocious at zone exits and it's not because their star forwards don't know how to deke their way up ice