Fifth Avenue Forum

For a second I thought I missed this game.

You may end up wishing you did.

Rust-Crosby-Guentzel
Pearson-Bjugstad-Kessel
Blueger-McCann-Hornqvist
ZAR-Cullen-Wilson

Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Ruhwedel
Riikola-Johnson
Recchi-Schultz

Blueger is back! YAAAYYYY

I hope this means a public execution is being scheduled for Simon.

Snore...

Good to see ZAR back though...I thought he was playing some pretty good hockey when he got banged up...

"Sullivan needs to play the young guys ... oh, good, Simon is scratched!"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Blueger is back! YAAAYYYY

i like that 3rd line

"Sullivan needs to play the young guys ... oh, good, Simon is scratched!"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

He needs to play young guys who might not suck. Simon and his 1 point post-ASB can piss off.

Blueger is back! YAAAYYYY

i like that 3rd line

I am VERY interested to watch that line tonight.Athletic and smart is fun to watch.

Bleuger’s a 1 game placeholder, I imagine. Whatever is clanking around in Sully’s head wouldn’t have changed after the flyers game, regarding Wilson.

Good to see ZAR back though...I thought he was playing some pretty good hockey when he got banged up...

I had a half baked thought about ZAR during my hiatus. Before he started getting hot, I’d say he was the most average guy in the league. It’s not a dig. To my untrained eyes, he does every single thing exactly average.

Speed
Size
Physicality
Skill
IQ (argh...probably a smidge above here)
Scoring acumen
Ideal lineup placement
Defense (he’s good - but so are a lot of bottom 6 plugs and top 6 worker bees)
Even his vague Italian aesthetic too

Dude is the exact median of the NHL. He’s even a bit of a wing/center tweener.

Hair is another story, of course.

Nah. That distinction goes to Trevor Lewis.

I like these prompts...I'm not sure ZAR qualifies for me though...I think his skating is slightly below average (a great improvement for him), I think he's very physical actually...probably the most physical top-9 forward we have by a good deal...I think he has a plus shot...

Ruslan Fedotenko was our most average player on the NHL scale for the Crosby era I think...I'm not sure Jared McCann isn't more average than ZAR actually...

"Sullivan needs to play the young guys ... oh, good, Simon is scratched!"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

He needs to play young guys who might not suck. Simon and his 1 point post-ASB can piss off.

Which by my quick check is 1 more than Hornqvist...

I like these prompts...I'm not sure ZAR qualifies for me though...I think his skating is slightly below average (a great improvement for him), I think he's very physical actually...probably the most physical top-9 forward we have by a good deal...I think he has a plus shot...

Ruslan Fedotenko was our most average player on the NHL scale for the Crosby era I think...I'm not sure Jared McCann isn't more average than ZAR actually...

I see the distinction between these guys but Tank and ZAR actually seem pretty similar (aside from the former’s release).

This will not be the hill that I die on, but just keep this in your pocket for a game or 2.

But to the point - he was dynamite with Malkin. And he was really good with Sid last year, too.

Query: is there a non-prima donna profile of an NHL player who only gets energized when playing with talent? I submit one Riley Sheahan as having this brand of selective effort as well.

Could you make the claim that Brassard fit this definition here? And it every other place he *was* the talent...?

Could you make the claim that Brassard fit this definition here? And it every other place he *was* the talent...?

Yes. He too wore the pouty pants. But maybe “pedigree” is what I meant. Not prima donna. I don’t see him in quite the same category.

But I argue it was warranted there...kinda. Youre a pro and an adult. Which means your obligation is to make the best of it. You have no other choice. But the correct move with him was always to put him in the best position to succeed. And we did not do that. So he acknowledged a truth. But in a bad way.

I will not turn this into a Sprong discussion, in case the good Canadian boy proxy network wants to chime in. And yes @meow. You are analogous to Don Cherry in this premise.

Brassard should have played basketball. He was more concerned about his points than being part of a potential winner in a reduced role. *aggressive thumbs up*

I like spunky undersized skill guys. I wanted to like Brassard. But he’s the kind of guy that dives with 30 seconds left in a 6-2 game to draw a penalty. His head goes to weird places. He’s not a winner. He’s a different brand of David Perron.

Do you hate all the Francophones, Mr. Cherry? #zing

Do you hate all the Francophones, Mr. Cherry? #zing

I tell ya. That Brassard has a regular d***. NOT A BIG ONE!!!!