Zac Rinaldo (2013-14 season) -- Update Apr. 7, 2014: Suspended four games

[Lindberg]

Thank you for bringing some common sense to this thread ! We have folks who want Rosehill gone, Harts gone, Zac gone etc...........All for a sexy skating team with no real muscle, brawn, and a tough hard edge that is more important than many of the new age timid type fans on here realize !
There was an old slogan we had on our uniform patches back when i worked the SR-71 at Beale AFB back in the late 70s.......PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH . We would get our a$$es kicked with out a few gritty guys coach can have in his arsenal when needed....Boston, Kings, etc etc .

Being tough is not going to do you any good if you can't even maintain control of the puck. From the past games I have watched Zac appears to be in the box atleast once a game and that is a detriment to the team. I'd much rather have someone who can skate smoothly and move the puck rather than hit someone like a freight train and take a penalty. This isn't boxing, you can't win by beating up your opponents.

 

[SgtJoseph*]

No, we don't want to have teams like the Blackhawks or Red Wings.



This is 2014. We're not using transistor radios, typewriters, or 8-tracks either.

Respectfully the Redwings have had some very tough teams through the years ?

Your other point is waaaaaaaaaaaay off the point of my point about " peace through strength " Our club just don't have an abundance of slick skating highly skilled snipers to be void of a hard hitting tough 4th line that can get in your face and keep things chippy when needed........Need a few A-10 Warthogs now and then even though they are ugly and not high tech !

 

[Totally Radivojevic]

He's arguably the fastest skater on the team, I believe it was said he beat Voracek in a race at practice the other day. You guys can plug in Vandevelde and the 5 more points he'd get, I'll take the entertainment that is Rinaldo's physicality (although I agree that his huge hit total is down this year).

 

[SgtJoseph*]

He's arguably the fastest skater on the team, I believe it was said he beat Voracek in a race at practice the other day. You guys can plug in Vandevelde and the 5 more points he'd get, I'll take the entertainment that is Rinaldo's physicality (although I agree that his huge hit total is down this year).

I agree............I honestly believe his hits are down because of the way the Refs do not hesitate awarding a penalty anytime Zac and others of his ilk make a big open ice hit. He certainly gets his fair share of phantom " reputation" calls . I really hate seeing such a spirited player get his wings clipped that way.

 

[sa cyred]

There is a monumental difference between a player that hits and a player that hits, plays pk and contributes to other factors. Other than Rosehill, Rinaldo is currently completely useless. I dont care how hard he hits. Unless he starts to actually hit people, and play more than 5 minutes a night I will consider him useless. Oh and I know he is a 4th line player, but honestly other than Hall, we have one of the the worse 4th lines in the league. There are some REALLY good 4th lines out there. Most of them are shutdown 4th line. It is how the league is evolving. If you want goon em up hit em all hockey, one might need to throw on some old videos because that is not how hockey is played today.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Respectfully the Redwings have had some very tough teams through the years ?

Your other point is waaaaaaaaaaaay off the point of my point about " peace through strength " Our club just don't have an abundance of slick skating highly skilled snipers to be void of a hard hitting tough 4th line that can get in your face and keep things chippy when needed........Need a few A-10 Warthogs now and then even though they are ugly and not high tech !

In terms of actual effectiveness, Rinaldo and Rosehill aren't A-10s; they're Cessnas.

 

[GKJ]

Respectfully the Redwings have had some very tough teams through the years ?

And they won Stanley Cups when they started getting rid of them.

Your other point is waaaaaaaaaaaay off the point of my point about " peace through strength " Our club just don't have an abundance of slick skating highly skilled snipers to be void of a hard hitting tough 4th line that can get in your face and keep things chippy when needed........Need a few A-10 Warthogs now and then even though they are ugly and not high tech !

They also need to be half-decent players. Even Dave Schultz was a decent player. He wasn't on the ice with Bobby Clarke for the OT goal in Boston making sure no one tried to fight him.

 

[Jack Straw]

He's arguably the fastest skater on the team, I believe it was said he beat Voracek in a race at practice the other day. You guys can plug in Vandevelde and the 5 more points he'd get, I'll take the entertainment that is Rinaldo's physicality (although I agree that his huge hit total is down this year).

Darrell Powe was fast too. So was Harry Z. Neither of them had much else to offer either but I think I'd take either of them over Rinaldo.

As for entertainment, I guarantee you that a Stanley Cup parade is more fun than watching the Zac Attack.

 

[Damaged Goods]

He's arguably the fastest skater on the team, I believe it was said he beat Voracek in a race at practice the other day. You guys can plug in Vandevelde and the 5 more points he'd get, I'll take the entertainment that is Rinaldo's physicality (although I agree that his huge hit total is down this year).

1: Voracek fell.

2: Speed that's out of position is as good as no speed at all. Getting outscored 15-3 with Zac on the ice 5v5 speaks for itself.

3: I'm much more entertained when the Flyers are the ones doing the scoring. See point 2.

 

[3Fs]

Old
Today, 05:50 PM
#47
Beef Invictus
Global Moderator

The idea that they prevent goonery is absolute nonsense too. They're on the bench 50+ minutes a game. How do you prevent on-ice events when you're never on the ice?[/QUOTE]


The fact that they are there is a deterrent in itself. Therefore your argument has no merit.

 

[Damaged Goods]

The fact that they are there is a deterrent in itself. Therefore your argument has no merit.

Except it isn't. Downie, Read and Schenn all took headshots in the past month, with Rinaldo either on the ice or sitting on the bench. There is absolutely no evidence that Rinaldo or Rosehill provide any deterrent effect whatsoever. You're just taking that on blind faith. I could just as easily say Rinaldo inspires retributive justice against our skilled players by running around taking borderline cheapshots.

 

[Ryker]

Except it isn't. Downie, Read and Schenn all took headshots in the past month, with Rinaldo either on the ice or sitting on the bench. There is absolutely no evidence that Rinaldo or Rosehill provide any deterrent effect whatsoever. You're just taking that on blind faith. I could just as easily say Rinaldo inspires retributive justice against our skilled players by running around taking borderline cheapshots.

Yeah, my gut feeling is telling me it's a deterrent, as well, but trying to look at it objectively, there seems to be no evidence that it is. At least in Rinaldo's case it isn't, since, in contrast with Rosehill, he's not much of a fighter. All he can do is keep up with guys, and I'd say if there are deterrents in the lineup, Simmonds is much more of a one. But it's hard to gauge these things, because what we call cheap shots often happen in the heat of the game, so it's not like those that execute them are thinking ahead and calculating their chances of getting their ass handed to them depending on whether we have a tough guy in the lineup or not. So it's really hard to gauge these things. Plus, you don't know the long-term effects of having such players in the lineup or at least on the roster. That is, if opposing teams know we have those guys and that they occasionally, if not always, play, the amount of cheap shots might be reduced. Or it might not. See, I don't know

 

[Clown Baby*]

In terms of actual effectiveness, Rinaldo and Rosehill aren't A-10s; they're Cessnas.

They're Zeppelins at best.

 

[Appleyard]

I'm of the opinion that in terms of 'deterrent' Simmonds, Downie or Hartnell are more of one... (if there is such a thing as deterrent anymore with the instigator etc.)

I did not mind Rinaldo last year... this year he has been a massive liability.

 

[GKJ]

Jim Jackson just said Rinaldo is 5th in the league in hits. And people here are saying he hasn't been hitting enough and thus hasn't been as effective of a player.

 

[Damaged Goods]

Jim Jackson just said Rinaldo is 5th in the league in hits. And people here are saying he hasn't been hitting enough and thus hasn't been as effective of a player.

And he's done it in less than 300 minutes of ice time. He still hits at a phenomenal rate. It's just useless.

 

[Damaged Goods]

16-3 lol

 

[Beef Invictus]

The fact that they are there is a deterrent in itself. Therefore your argument has no merit.

Good thing Pittsburgh has Engelland. It prevented Thornton from attacking Orpik!

Good thing the Flyers had Rinaldo and Shelley. It prevented those cheapshots from Neal!

Good thing the Caps have Wilson. It prevented Emery from assaulting Holtby!


These guys don't prevent squat because nobody HAS to answer the bell anymore. And if someone tries to force them to, you get 7-10 mins of PP time for your team and the other guy gets a long suspension. No enforcers anywhere stopped Avery from being Avery. No enforcers anywhere have stopped Cooke from being Cooke.

 

[StandingCow]

Rinaldo is a lot more useful to the team as a 4th liner than others such as Rosehill, Shelly (insert any other enforcer here)... he plays more minutes and hits hard as hell which causes players on the other team to play a little more carefully.

As long as he is on the 4th line I think he is doing just fine as long as he doesn't take too many dumb penalties.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Rinaldo drew penalties last season and played his game better (playing his game meaning being a human torpedo and skating a lot). This season he's not good.

There's still a lot of players, contracts, and staff I worry over before a fourth line winger who plays around eight minutes a game give or take (usually take).

EDIT: Our fourth line is always filled with useless players so I'm pretty used to it honestly. I want it to change, but it won't.

 

[Harold Bingo]

Rinaldo played pretty decently tonight, but his inability to shoot the puck is not helping his case to be on an NHL roster, at least in my opinion. He skates fast, he works hard, he hits like a truck, but he provides no offense and is not exactly great defensively. I still think there's better options out there for the fourth line.

 

[Beef Invictus]

In his last 3 games he's managed to be -2 in a 4-3 win, a -1 in a 4-1 win, and -1 tonight.

He's scored upon at a much higher rate than any other regular forward. The team is at it's most productive offensively when he isn't on the ice. He takes penalties at a far higher rate than anyone else. On top of that, he's facing some of the easiest competition of all forwards.

http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_stat...32+33+34+45+46+63+67+21+22+23+24+25+26+27+28#

 

[Damaged Goods]

Rinaldo drew penalties last season and played his game better (playing his game meaning being a human torpedo and skating a lot). This season he's not good.

There's still a lot of players, contracts, and staff I worry over before a fourth line winger who plays around eight minutes a game give or take (usually take).

EDIT: Our fourth line is always filled with useless players so I'm pretty used to it honestly. I want it to change, but it won't.

Carcillo - Betts - Lappy blows away what we have now.

I'm harping on it because little inefficiencies add up (especially in a capped league with a lot of parity). Rostering players like Rosehill and Rinaldo is a self-inflicted impediment that basically serves to counteract some of the smarter moves the team has made (signing free agents like Read and Raffl, for example). I don't know if you're familiar with the book The Extra 2% about the Tampa Bay Rays http://extra2percent.com/about/, but the same philosophy is begging to be applied here.

The difference between a playoff spot and a short season could only be a few points. A guy who is skating at -13 ES hockey in less than 300 minutes is putting us in a hole in a competition where the margin is razor-thin. This team currently sits at 18th in the league in goal differential. If you replaced Rosehill and Rinaldo with players who only sucked half as bad, you'd be hovering around even and vying for 12th in the league. Just getting rid of these terrible players and replacing them with semi-competent 4th liners who can be acquired for basically nothing would be a coup equivalent to adding a Matt Read to your roster for free. The only thing holding the Flyers back is their own fear of life without the Riley Cotes, Jody Shelleys, Zac Rinaldos and Jay Rosehills of the world (it's funny how they always wind up being dissatisfied with their performance on ice and toss them away only to replace them with someone just as bad, then repeat).

 

[3Fs]

Good thing Pittsburgh has Engelland. It prevented Thornton from attacking Orpik!

Good thing the Flyers had Rinaldo and Shelley. It prevented those cheapshots from Neal!

Good thing the Caps have Wilson. It prevented Emery from assaulting Holtby!


These guys don't prevent squat because nobody HAS to answer the bell anymore. And if someone tries to force them to, you get 7-10 mins of PP time for your team and the other guy gets a long suspension. No enforcers anywhere stopped Avery from being Avery. No enforcers anywhere have stopped Cooke from being Cooke.

With all due respect I think figure skating as being more your speed.

Ps:How bad would it be if there wasnt't NO threat there?

 

[Fire Tortorella]

With all due respect I think figure skating as being more your speed.

Ps:How bad would it be if there wasnt't NO threat there?

Exactly the same.