Anaheim's Big Guns Lead Ducks Past Columbus
by PhantomPretender on Feb 12, 2012 6:49 PM PST
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After a gameday in which I implored Anaheim's big guns (Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan) and PP to wake up, you'd better believe I'm taking credit for tonight's 5-3 win. I got both of my wishes, with the big three combining for four goals and eight points and the power play finding the back of the net on three occasions.
Yet, as is the Ducks' way, this game wasn't a total success. Despite dominating through the first two periods of play (after which they led 4-1), Anaheim got a little too conservative in the third period, giving the Blue Jackets some late life. The Ducks were also forced to play over half the game with only five defensemen, as Lubomir Visnovsky received a game misconduct early in the second period for not having his jersey tied down.
Still, even with their flaws, the Ducks are off to a great start on their 8-game road swing. Three points in two games is a nice feat on the road, and they'll need to keep extracting points from games if they're going to have any shot of clawing their way back into the playoffs. As of press time, the Ducks find themselves nine points out of the eighth spot.
Good
- Corey Perry owns the Blue Jackets. For the second time this season, Perry recorded a hat trick against the lowly Jackets, this time completing the feat in just over 30 minutes. Perry's first goal was a beautiful sniped a shot over Steve Mason's shoulder and his final two goals were quick strikes on the power play. Last season, Perry powered the Ducks during their stretch-run. Here's hoping that he's ready to once again pilot the ship.
- I was admittedly skeptical about using Jason Blake instead of Bobby on the top line, but I have to say that it worked pretty well. The BPG line accounted for two goals at even strength and finished a combined plus-six. Blake even showed some strong puck-handling skills when he took a touch-pass from Getzlaf and deked Mason to give the Ducks a two-goal lead early in the second.
- How about that power play? After only cashing in on 2 of their previous 25 opportunities, Anaheim's PP converted 3 of their 4 chances with the man-advantage. And it wasn't just that they scored three times, it was the way they scored. The Ducks moved the puck around at will on the PP and were able to gain entry when they needed to. It was also refreshing to see Bobby pick up his first PP marker of the year.
- Jonas Hiller was nails once again. He had no chance on either of the Blue Jackets' two PP goals, and their even strength goal was a deft tip-in that Jonas had little chance of defending. There were several sequences throughout the game where Jonas stopped an initial shot and two or three rebounds before finally getting a clear or whistle. More so than perhaps even their stud forwards, the Ducks live and die on Hiller's play.
Bad
- The third period looked way too much like the old Randy Carlyle Ducks. With a four-goal lead heading into the third, they simply stopped attacking. They were content to just move the puck out of their zone and into the defensive zone, rather than aggressively carrying the play. While they did manage to outshoot the Blue Jackets 8-7 in the third, it was apparent that the Ducks were holding on for dear life rather than pressing their advantage.
- Columbus pretty much handled the Ducks physically all night, outhitting them 21 to 6. In several instances, the Ducks retaliated and took ill-advised penalties. While they came out on the right side of the result tonight, Anaheim cannot afford to be pushed around at will. On most night, they're a team that needs to assert their dominance and physical edge to stay engaged.
- After weeks of shutting down other teams, the PK gave up two goals tonight that looked far too easy. Hopefully it's just a blip on the radar, but Columbus soundly abused the Ducks' PK unit tonight.
Ugly
- Lubomir Visnovsky did not have a good night. In addition to two horrible turnovers that gave the Blue Jackets premium scoring opportunities, he was goaded into a fight with Derick Brassard that eventually cost him his night, as Lubo did not have his jersey tied down. He was given a five-minute major for fighting (the first major penalty of his career), two minutes for roughing, and game misconduct. Not only do I never want to see Lubo fight, but having to play nearly 35 minutes with only 5 defensemen could have ended in disaster for the Ducks.
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Why is Lubo doing this; doesn’t he know we need to trade him?
by Daniel AC on Feb 12, 2012 7:25 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Maybe he knows and dosnt want to be traded. lol
by Hockey Phreak on Feb 12, 2012 7:28 PM PST up reply actions
I would add
Fowler to the bad tonight. Kid is coughing up turnovers left and right, he has not been good at all recently.
Was going to put this in the gameday....
I know we are probably going to be sellers and not buyers at the deadline, but I saw today that Buffalo is shopping Robyn Regehr. I feel like he is absolutely the type of player the Ducks need and has a very reasonable salary. Thoughts on this?
He was supposed to be exactly the player the Sabers needed but that didn’t actually work out. The contract isn’t bad. I just don’t think it’s what the Ducks need to be doing. He’s more expensive than Lubo or Lydman without filling that glaring need we still have for a #1 defenseman. He’s not a bad option, but I think it defeats the purpose for us to get him. We need to move assets to make space for better overall acquisitions over the summer.
I think Schultz is one of the few players we should pursue at the deadline because he makes us better and younger on the backend, has more than one year on his contract, has familiarity with the coach, and is cheaper than Regehr. He’ll also probably cost less in terms of assets. I’m convinced we could get him for either Blake or Hagman and a pick, probably third or later. Washington could use some forwards who can find the back of the net with Backstrom’s future in doubt, and we need defenseman to replace the one’s we need to sell at the deadline.
Daniel you make some good points
I agree that we should absolutely go after Shultz. Seems like a no brainer, and my guess is that Murray is having trouble moving Lydman in order to make room for Shultz on the blueline.
As for Regehr, my thoughts were this. First off, I don’t see there being better FA’s come the offseason that we can sign. Suter and Weber seem like they will sign with Nashville or Detroit. Carle will probably sign with Philly again, and Gleason already resigned. So who out there is better than Regehr? He’s considered a shutdown Dman, who excells in shuting down top forwards and clearing the crease. He could be great with Beauchemin, and really shore up the back end. Yes he is having a bad season in Buffalo (who isnt), but you are going to let that erase 7 straight seasons of being a plus player in Calgary and their number 1 Dman. He’s a great player, who’s value is really low right now, and whos contract is not only manageable but only lasts for one more season. Low risk, very high reward. I guess my question is, who do you acquire in the summer thats better than a guy one year removed from being a consistent number 1 dman and at half the price you would get anyone this summer?
Potential Defense:
Beauchemin-Regehr
Sbisa-Schultz
Fowler-Schultz (the Washington one)
7th Dman: Brookbank
I need some clarification. I was thinking you wanted to do this at the deadline. If that’s the case, I think it’s a bad idea because it takes us out of the Weber and Suter sweepstakes before it ever happens. I’m not saying we’ll win, but we should show up, especially for Weber. Poule isn’t stupid. He knows if he can’t affor both defenders, he needs to sign Suter and trade Weber. If/when he does that, the Ducks have the best overall piece to offer: Bobby Ryan. Weber knows the only way he’s getting paid is if he does the sign and trade. I’m just saying, it’s not impossible.
Of we lose that sweepstakes and pick up Regehr as a consolation prize, I can live with that. We shouldn’t give up on that number 1 D before the competition even starts.
by Daniel AC on Feb 13, 2012 4:29 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
sorry for the lack of clarification
I just don’t see a lot of good options for us if Nashville resigns Weber. I think Detroit beats us for Suter and I really don’t think any of the other options are better. Also this is a very Murray move, low risk high reward. As far as doing it before or after the deadline I think that depends on the asking price and what other moves we’ve made at the deadline. If we’ve moved Lydman and Visnosky and the price is very low then I think you pull the trigger on it. His contract isnt that bad and we have enough coming off the books that you could afford to pay him and Suter for a year. Then don’t resign him in order to pay for Getz Perry and Fowler next year. Again if the price is low and there is room for him on the blue line, why not?
by Kevin Riach on Feb 13, 2012 5:04 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
I don’t think Suter to Detroit is a foregone conclusion. I have a serious problem with us giving up in a race that hasn’t started yet. That’s my big issue. If we get Regehr at the deadline we will effectively take ourselves out of the race for Weber or Suter, but I honestly believe we are viable locations for both players.
Can you pay Regehr and Suter for a year? Sure, but I wouldn’t want to when I’m going to have to get at least one or two forwards to offset the loss of Selanne and Koivu. I think going after a guy like Regehr at the deadline limits our options for D upgrades. Remember we will have the best trade chip over the summer.
Finally, I gunk giving up on the Suter and Wever sweepstakes early gives the wrong message to Getzlaf and Perry. It shows them that we aren’t interests in going after big name guys anymore. If you give it a legitimate shot and show them how you tried to make it work, it’s easier to talk them into slightly smaller contracts. There will at least be the faith that we want to be a Cup team even if we can’t spend to the cap. Taking that hope away from them could be dangerous.
by Daniel AC on Feb 13, 2012 5:54 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Suter going to Detroit
I don’t think its a foregone conclusion, but I still believe they (and others) are probably more attractive options. As I said before I don’t think acquiring Regehr takes us out of the running for Suter or Weber. Think about it this way: we would have around 16 mil coming off the books between the 2nd line and if we move Lydman and Lubo. Players that will probably be playing on the roster next year include Etem, DSP, Bonino, maybe Holland, and Schultz. Those guys are all on really cheap contracts. So really you only need one more top six forward (if Holland doesn’t make the team). That gives you over 16 mil: 4 million for Regehr, 7 million for Suter, and you still have 5 million for a second line center. That is totally do able. And what’s the worst case scenario? We lose out on Suter but still have Regehr and cap space to sign someone else or give raises to Getzlaf and Perry.
I agree that giving up on Suter and Weber is a bad idea, but thats not what I’m proposing. Im saying the Ducks should take a long look at a player we could really use, who’s value is about as low as it will be, and COULD be had for very little. I think its silly to wait until the offseason when more people might be interested, Buffalo might not want to sell anymore, or his play improves and the asking price is higher. Honestly look at the free agent class and tell me who you would get if we don’t land Suter or Weber? I mean how can you look at this line up and not salivate?
DSP-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogs-Holland/Acquisition-Ryan
Beleskey-Bonino-Etem
Hagman?-Pelley-Parros
Beauchemin-Regehr (or Suter)
Sbisa-Schultz (or Regehr)
Fowler-Jeff Schultz (or the other Schultz)
Either way that looks like a contender
Acquiring Regehr almost assuredly takes us out of that sweepstakes, because he fixes the problem, just not as well as the other guys do. Regehr is like a good Boynton. He’s the cheaper option of a different upgrade. Good defenseman, sure. He, at least, frustrates Getzlaf and Perry. Perhaps there are simply too many moving parts for me to see this happening. What exactly are we giving up. Is this going to happen without us giving up one of those players in your line up? If he costs Beleskey, Bonino, DSP, Etem, or Holland, we have to buy a veteran replacement, which of course limits the money we can spend. I’m not 100% sold on Pelley as a permanent fourth line center. I want a real shutdown center. Furthermore, can he be had for very little? I imagine if Regehr hits the market, he’ll be a pretty hot commodity.
When it comes to D upgrades, I think the the Ducks are only limited by their refusal to trade Bobby Ryan. The more I think about that comparison to Jeff Carter, the more appropriate I think it is. If the Ducks make him available there’s only a handful of D they couldn’t get or package him for. If not, I think Green is a cheap alternative to Regehr with better offensive upside and the history with Boudreau. There’s an injury history that’s mildly terrifying, but that’s also why he might be had for less or equal money. Plus, all the time off this season might be good for his overall health.
As for the lineup, I don’t really salivate, because I’m not impressed with Cogs or Bobby. I’d like to move both of them if possible. Cogs is fast and…fast. His hat trick was more a fluke than anything else. Bobby has never sat well with me. I think he’s the product of his environment. He is Jeff Carter, but people simply haven’t or refused to notice. I think we are better off trading Bobby to improve depth, and maybe Cogs gets us the other Schultz.
Cost
For me thats what it comes down to. I’m not sure what the asking price for this guy is. Maybe its a pick and a prospect. Maybe even less. I’m really not sure. Maybe they would simply be content to pick up an expiring contract or a guy like Lydman that had success in their system? If its low I think you go for, but if they are demanding a kings ransom them obviously I think you wait until the summer at least.
I wouldn’t touch Mike Green even if you paid me to. I honestly don’t see the love this guy gets here, nor do I think that he will recover from his career full of injuries. This isn’t a one time thing, this guy gets hurt a lot AND he’s not that good when healthy. He wasn’t really playing all that well this season or last with BB either, so I don’t really buy that as much as the Schultz connection.
I think you are underselling both Cogliano and Ryan. A huge problem in the past has been that this is a “2 line team”. Well if you take Cogs (7th in scoring right now) and Ryan (4th in scoring, 1st without PP) you are getting rid of a lot of your teams “depth scoring”. Add in the losses of Koivu and Selanne and youre really in trouble. Cogliano has actually become a very nice pick up for his contract (draft pick still hurts though). And Ryan could easily take over Selanne’s production if given his PP time. I think you are even slightly underselling Carter. Guy is having a bad year, but he’s suffered injuries and is having a sub-par year (like everyone on that team). I don’t see how moving Cogs for Shultz and Ryan for “depth” makes us a better team.
I’ll skip down to Green, since we seem to agree about cost on Regehr. Green has been a fantastic defenseman before and will probably be available for cheap. There are injury concerns, but the guy isn’t going to get long years and big money from anybody. As such, the reward can outweigh the risk, provided the doctors give him a clean bill of health. You’d be surprised what a full year off can do for a player.
Let’s start with Bobby Ryan. I think you overvalue his PP abilities simply because he’s good 5 on 5. There’s a subtlety to the PP that Bobby Ryan doesn’t get. Every time I’ve seen him on the unit it’s been a disaster. Bobby thinks of himself first. He has trouble sticking to the system and even more trouble distributing the puck, because he loves to have it. He can’t work the half boards the way Selanne doesn’t. He isn’t going to magically go in there and simply absorb those points. What happens if Bobby kills that top unit? Everyone around here will blame the twins, because that’s what everyone does for Bobby. I watch him play, and he needs the middle of the ice. He isn’t going to pocket those goalline chances that Teemu does. Teemu confuses goalies; he leaves those fools wondering how the puck got passed them. I don’t see Bobby doing that on that unit. I see him skating around with the puck and losing it when he gets outnumbered and refuses to pass.
As for Cogs, he’s fast and…he’s fast. I don’t see it. I’ve watched him a lot this year. The numbers are projected to go up, and I still don’t see that he has irreplaceable value. I know you and a couple of other people love him because he’s fast, but his scoring has little to do with skill and everything to do with being in the right place at the right time. His recent surge on the third line is the closes I’ve come to liking him. Until that, he had only proved what a lot of other people proved about playing with great players, they make you better. I don’t see how a guy projected to score 30 points is worth over 2 million dollars, unless he can win you a ton of draws or is a shutdown guy. Cogs is neither of those things. As such, is 30 points are not irreplaceable. He’s a really fast 30 point scorer. I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed.
Finally, I never said trade Cogs for Schultz. That’s ridiculous. Cogs has years left on his deal and could be a better piece in a different deal. I’d trade Cogs, Bobby and a first for a Weber with a shiny new contract :)
i agree with you on Bobby Ryan, can’t say it better. Same goes for Cogs.
But i just don’t like Green. Never liked him, and never saw his strength. he is like a 4th forward on the backend, he has NO defensive game whatsoever… can’t stand him
So you are saying he’s like a more defensively responsible Cam Fowler then?
by bhlloy on Feb 14, 2012 10:33 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
I would say he’s a more defensively responsible Cam Fowler, but only because Cam is, you know, in his second year. What do you people want, blood? Ok, now that that’s out of the way. There’s something to be said for a guy who can put up 70+ points in years where he doesn’t play 80 games.
Green has good corsi numbers that are at least influenced by his high percentage of offensive zone starts. Still, he’s a cheaper example.
If nothing else Green is a younger version of Lubo. But bigger. Lubo is injury prone too yet we don’t condemn him for it. I think some of Greens issues this year could stem from a misdiagnosis. He had Sports hernia surgery which originally was reported like the same groin issue. It is possible the groin issues were the hernia the entire time but not severe enough and overlooked. Obviously that’s conjecture, but I’m willing to give a benefit of the doubt. He is also a career +58 and only 26. He’s also a right handed shot which isn’t common for D and something we could use more of.He CAN be a number 1 guy if healthy and has been held in the same conversations at Keith, Doughty, and Weber. Is he a gamble? Yes, any player is really, But I think its one we should take if the price is right and we lose out on Suter/Weber.
I also think Boychuk from Boston could be a good bottom 4 guy. He’s a physical guy who likes to hit people and plays good minutes in Boston.
Beauch/Green
Sbisa/Boychuk
Fowler/Schultz
Brookbank
I’m assuming you mean our Schultz, if so that pairing will never work.
In fact, based on a lot of things I am reading our Schultz could mean the last thing we need is Mike Green. He sounds like he’s ready to play top four minutes right away and teams don’t usually ice that many offensive minded guys. This of course is assuming that Murray doesn’t let him walk for nothing
by bhlloy on Feb 14, 2012 2:17 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Apparently Boychuk just signed an extension. But yes I was referring to our Schultz. I was under the impression that he was a 2 way guy. You could always have Schultz with Sbisa and Boychuk with Fowler. This would have allowed Fowler to play bottom pairing with a defensively responsibly player against lesser players. But its a mute point now.
As for icing that many offensively minded guys, I think its more a cause of cost. You don’t usually see to many offensive minded puck moves making less than 4-5 mill. This makes it hard to afford more than 2. We’d have 2 making less then 2.
It was a joke. I’m a huge Fowler fan, even if he is going through a rough sophomore year
by bhlloy on Feb 14, 2012 2:15 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Wait what?
You just said in the previous comment: “maybe Cogs gets us the other Schultz”? That sounds like you are proposing trading Cogs for Schultz?
I don’t really see what evidence you are bringing to support Bobby not being a good PP player. He’s the BEST 5 on 5 player, and usually great 5 on 5 players are at least GOOD PP players. I didn’t say he plays like Teamu, I just said he finds ways to score goals and could replace those points easily. Would I blame Perry and Getz if it didn’t work with Ryan? No, I would blame the coaching staff because all three of those guys are talented and should be able to score goals. Ryan has NEVER had a fair shot on the PP, hell he’s getting less time than Koivu right now. He’s a natural goal scorer, and has the best shooting percentage on the team with a lot less shots taken than Perry or Selanne. So I don’t but the “puck hog” argument or the idea that him having the puck on his stick is a bad idea.
Is Cogs irreplaceable? No, but he’s a great depth piece and does a lot more than score. He’s probably one of the best forecheckers on this team and is a great PK guy. He’s been moved around on different lines and not only does that show he’s versatile, but he has produced with many different line combinations. And yes, his recent third line success makes me like him even more because him, Beleskey, and Bonino have actually single handedly won and kept us in games. Is a 30 point player irreplaceable? No, but here’s a list of 30 point guys we’ve had outside of the top 2 lines in the last 3 years: Andrew Ebbet and Andrew Cogliano. THATS IT. Depth scoring was a need we all knew needed to be addressed and oh my god Murray actually went out and addressed it. Look around the league (hell look at our roster) there are a lot worse ways that we could be spending that money.
by Kevin Riach on Feb 14, 2012 11:36 AM PST up reply actions
You’re right, I did say that. My mistake. I’ll stand by the original statement. He could get us Schultz and I’d still call that a win. Although, I think in hindsight, I’d rather package him with Bobby for Weber.
Onto Bobby Ryan. I don’t see the link between PP and 5 on 5 play. There are defenseman who play on the third pairing, but might QB the PP. Think Foster. As such, there’s no inherent link. Bobby stickhandles into the zone when he should dump, that frequently leads to turnovers that go the other way. I saw Lubo doing this on the PP the other day and I freaked out. I’ve watched Bobby on the PP, hold and hold the puck, until he experiences pressure and then he surrenders it when pressure leads him into poor plays. Shooting percentage is a flawed stat in this analysis. His shooting percentage is artificially high, because he misses the net more than either Perry or Selanne. at least in terms of percentage of shots taken. Bobby misses 48% of the time he directs the puck at the net. Selanne misses 47%, but Perry only misses 27% of the time. That disparity is inflating Bobby’s shooting percentage. He isn’t taking as many shots, but he also doesn’t get those minutes, that’s fair. But he misses the net as a percentage of shots more than either of those guys, and missed shots go the other way. Bobby likes to have the puck. He likes to make his own shot and he over carries the puck. He’s second on the team in giveaways, despite playing significantly less time than Perry and Getzlaf. That’s the result of him holding on to the puck too much and trying to stick handle through too many defenders.
“Great depth piece” is a little bit of a stretch. Great depth pieces are usually irreplaceable. Think Pahlsson circa 2007. That’s a Great depth piece. Cogs is a good depth piece who almost gets paid like a great piece. There are worse ways to spend that money, but there are better ways too. Max Talbot comes to mind, with his 1.75 cap hit. Chad LaRose has a 1.7 hit. Jordin Tootoo has 22 points. Drew Miller has the same 21 points as Cogs and makes less than a million. He’s a fantastic forechecker. Dominic Moore is making a million and he has 21 points. That’s only players that have less than 26 points…
Depth scoring has been a problem. I think there were better options than Cogs. I’m not impressed. The only real thing he has going for him is he’s not taking faceoffs anymore.
I don’t mind Cogs as a depth piece. as long as he stays that way. Id rather keep him on the 3rd line and move Etem to the second with Ryan.
I still feel it is unfair to judge Ryan’s PP production. The top unit is usually out there for the first 1.5 minutes then the second unit gets their chance for the remaining 30 seconds, which is usually spent trying to regain the zone because of the line change. If we consider last years numbers, Selanne, Perry, And Getzlaf produced about 30 points a piece. Even if Ryan only produced 2/3 of that he would have been a point per game player…
I don’t think you get the same efficiency with Bobby that you get with Selanne. Selanne distributes the puck far better than Bobby does. Selanne is super human. The playmaking skills he’s developed after spending most of his career as a pure sniper, are unreal. Bobby doesn’t have great
Movement off the puck. He waits too much for it to find him. I don’t see him being as slippery. I think our overall PP production will drop significantly if when Bobby gets put on that top unit. Bobby’s numbers are a little deceptive.
by Daniel AC on Feb 14, 2012 2:21 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
You’re still comparing him to a sure thing first ballot HOF player. No he wont be as good as Selanne. But I have to imagine that once Ryan actually gets slotted for the top unit that the coaching staff will try to design the PP to use the skills current to that PP. Meaning they will tweek the system to account for the differences in their abilities to maximize utility. The plays designed to maximize Selannes ability might not transfer well to Ryan, but a system designed around the RPG may be effective as well.
Someone gave me an estimate of Perry’s and Getzlaf’s output on the PP to advance the argument that Bobby will garner increased production. Seeing as how Bobby will be replacing Selanne, I believe it’s a necessary argument to make. I’m basically saying that you can’t expect equal or even fractional production based on what a hall of fame player has done with this unit.
I’m arguing that Bobby will drag down the overall effectiveness of the PP unit, thereby decreasing everyone’s overall point output. I’m basically arguing that you can’t replace Selanne. However, I’m also taking the next step and saying we’d do better with a different player on that top unit. Bobby isn’t going to distribute the puck the way Selanne can. Let’s say we do reconstruct the PP to benefit Bobby. What happens when that restructuring leads to using Perry less efficiently. Bobby’s giveaway numbers lead me to believe he’s more careless with the puck than Getzlaf, because he averages only 1/100th of a turnover less per minute than Getzlaf despite not handling the puck as frequently. Bobby has demonstrated, almost every game, that he’d rather skate through traffic than move the puck. That’s a dangerous precedent. I’m sorry, but I don’t see Bobby working on that top unit. If he works out, I’ll eat my words. However, his few stints on the top unit this year have not lead me to believe otherwise. The twins make Bobby work, not the other way around.
I didn’t say base the pp around Ryan, I said tweek it to utilize all their skills. That doesn’t necessarily mean under utilizing Perry or Getzlaf. If that happens then yes its a failure and likely to lead to a less successful PP. You seem to think its a forgone conclusion. Its not like the PP is out of this world right now anyway…
The twins don’t make Bobby work, the twins make the twins work. its always been a 2 man line and who ever else is there has to fit in or fail. There is no other explanation as to why NO ONE has looked very good there. You claim Ryan brings down the line, yet the line is the MOST successful when Ryan is on it. I’ll be honest I don’t Ryan with PG either. I think Ryan looked pretty consistent with Selanne and Koivu on the second line when they had an extended look.
Also his few stints on the top unit also involved a 4 F 1 D system, a deviation from their normal system. This can account for some confusion. It also puts the best passer into a shooter position, which I think is a mistake. I am willing to concede that he might not work out but I am least willing to give him a chance. How can we give Sexton a chance and not Ryan?
Penner worked beautifully, so did a confident Beleskey.
I advocated giving Sexton a chance to be on the second unit, not the top one, although, I would maintain he’s a better option than Bobby. Sexton is a combination shooter passer that could have functioned in the PP we were running.
I’m not saying Bobby shouldn’t be given a chance. I’m just convinced he won’t have the effect people think he will. Saying he’s going to magically augment his point totals on the PP assumes he’ll help rather derail the PP. I’m not confident that’s the case. Bobby worries about Bobby. That’s all I see whenever he’s on the ice.
I don’t think we should look too much into how the Ducks played in the 3rd, they went into energy save mode, this is a pretty long road trip and it’s important to stay fresh throughout.
Agreed
We were also short a Dman for most of the game. That tends to wear on a team so it makes sense.
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