GDT: Game LXIV - PIT Vs NJD - 7:08 EDT

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:55 pm

Seemed to be just a few inches off on every pass, shot, and rebound all night long. Just one of those games.

Basically. Lots of yips. Lots of micro unforced errors. Not that concerning. Just a dumb game.

Postby **Trip McNeely** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:58 pm

I also trust Sully will make some adjustments against the Devils next time out

Postby **MR25** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:59 pm

I'm **** tired of watching Kris Letang play with himself during moments where they need to get a shot on net.

Postby **The U** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:18 pm

Sullivan has to figure out the right mixture of Sheary, ZAR, Rowney, Kuhnhackl, Sprong, Jooris. Having PK specialists and right handed faceoff men and other special considerations seems to be outweighing simply putting together the best 4th line or dressing the best forwards available to you. Dressing Kuhn and Rowney is so vital that you’re willing to just completely become a 3 line team? Special teams is the deciding factor it seems but you could roll out ZAR and Sheary with Sheahan. That seems like a better 4th line option than what we have now.

Reaves (sad to see him go) is gone so the byproduct/reward for us watching at home is that we get Rowney shifting over to wing and Kuhnhackl dressing every night. Reaves was being blamed as the reason for us being unable to roll 4 lines...yet here we are with 2 minor leaguers on line 4.

Sheahan ending up as 3rd line wing tonight was not good.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:31 pm

Uhhhhh which two minor leaguers are you referencing here? Kuhnhackl might not be a great player but he is certainly not a minor leaguer. Dude is damn good at his job.

Postby **The U** » Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:38 pm

Uhhhhh which two minor leaguers are you referencing here? Kuhnhackl might not be a great player but he is certainly not a minor leaguer. Dude is damn good at his job.

Kuhnhackl is a fringe NHL player at best and Rowney is an AHL player.

Kuhnhackl’s job? He blocks some shots. That’s it. Nothing else. Keep him on the roster if you must but he shouldn’t be dressing every night when healthy.

Postby **willeyeam** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 12:15 am

I'm no mikey nor do I claim to have much hockey Xs and Os knowledge but man were they stepping up and giving us 0 room at the blue line. Dump the gd puck and go get it. I bet we had fifteen turnovers in the neutral zone. It was painful

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:28 am

I'm no mikey nor do I claim to have much hockey Xs and Os knowledge but man were they stepping up and giving us 0 room at the blue line. Dump the gd puck and go get it. I bet we had fifteen turnovers in the neutral zone. It was painful

They seemed really stubborn on zone entry last night.

Postby **meow** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:47 am

Well that game was no fun

Postby **columbia** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:21 am

Sheary is a Sid Bot special creation, so I would give that another look.

Postby **Morkle** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:29 pm

Uhhhhh which two minor leaguers are you referencing here? Kuhnhackl might not be a great player but he is certainly not a minor leaguer. Dude is damn good at his job.
Kuhnhackl is a fringe NHL player at best and Rowney is an AHL player.

Kuhnhackl’s job? He blocks some shots. That’s it. Nothing else. Keep him on the roster if you must but he shouldn’t be dressing every night when healthy.

He blocks shows, and is one of the few PKer's on the team. PK ability alone gets him a spot on the 4th line, imo.

Postby **willeyeam** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:53 pm

Kuhnhackl is having a darn good year for what he's asked to do

Postby **MR25** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:56 pm

Hot, probably bad take:

Shot blocking is overrated and is an easy way for a player to get hurt and be useless to the team.

Postby **willeyeam** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:03 pm

that's a reasonable take if you qualified it with *in the regular season* otherwise a pretty bad take imo

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:05 pm

Needs to be defined for clarity. Shot blocking as a team tactic. As a grouping tactic. As an individual tactic. Leaving feet. Maintaining feet. etc.

Large aspect of the game -- too nebulous to decipher what was intended by the message...

Postby **The U** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:22 pm

I think the rise of shot blocking in the NHL has made the product a bit less exciting to watch. There are stretches where it seems like every single goal you see is scored off of some double deflection or off a defender's skate, etc. Teams compacting it in around the net trying to block shots....defensemen up at the point unwilling to shoot the puck from the blueline because they can't see the net. How many times each game do we see like 2 or 3 guys sprawled in front of their own goalie trying to stop pucks from going in. It's ugly and mucks up the game. It really gives you that feeling that puck luck and bounces is more of a determining factor than you'd like it to be.

Some have called for a penalty if you leave your feet to block a shot. I don't think that would work. If I was a defenseman shooting the puck I'd go for the PK Subban method of just forcing shot blockers to move or learn their lesson by trying to break as many feet as possible.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:40 pm

I've been saying for a decade now that if you lighten up the equipment for both skaters and goalies, you'll get a better product. The game is set to "hyperspeed"...that's not always the optimal setting for enjoyment/entertainment...

Less players, less equipment, slightly slower game = better product

Postby **MR25** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:48 pm

Needs to be defined for clarity. Shot blocking as a team tactic. As a grouping tactic. As an individual tactic. Leaving feet. Maintaining feet. etc.

Large aspect of the game -- too nebulous to decipher what was intended by the message...

Hm... intentional shot blocking?

I'm thinking like Bonino breaking his ankle in Game 2. Intentionally getting down and putting yourself in a vulnerable position kind if blocking shots. Or like sticking your foot out to block a shot... or throwing your face at the shot like we've seen Hornqvist do.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:58 pm

Is this a team tactic? Is this a grouping tactic ? Is this just based on individuals?

Postby **MR25** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:08 pm

I didn't think that far ahead, hence "bad take".

I can't tell you if it's a team or individual thing. Individual technique thing maybe? Maybe a teaching issue? Like I just think it's stupid when someone sees a player winding up for a shot and their first instinct is "Let me crouch down or slide my face directly where this guy is aiming"

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:52 pm

Proper shot blocking technique for leaving feet is with the head towards the boards, chin is tucked, stick lined up along the center line of the front of the body to protect the chest, abdomen and, uh, your hog...the shin guards should remain in the shooting lane and direct line of the puck. This often times will not be terribly painfully.

Improper shot blocking technique can have disastrous results:

Bracing for an impact is much better for acceptance than not bracing for impact. Same with a body check, same with a shot block. Players can't void the shooting lane because the puck has not been shot. This would open up a lane directly to the net. So, what are players to do? Either way, they need to be in that lane for proper defensive positioning...