Carolina is also an analytics darling. They always control a high percentage of attempts, shots and chances.
In what sense? That Krejci's fine and he's angling for DoPS to look at the hit anyway, or that he's worse than he's letting on and trying to keep the idea of him playing out there?That Cassidy quote sounds like gamesmanship to the highest degree
Just not letting CBJ know if he’s playing 2C tomorrow night or not. Not a huge things but gamesmanship nonetheless.In what sense? That Krejci's fine and he's angling for DoPS to look at the hit anyway, or that he's worse than he's letting on and trying to keep the idea of him playing out there?
Great post, this makes a lot of sense. Thank you for this.Trying to dive into Pastrnak a bit here today. I think most are in agreement that he’s “off” for some reason. He is whiffing a ton on both passes and shots, and his decisions with the puck have certainly been questionable at times. My first thought is that whiffing has something to do with the thumb injury he suffered in February. He missed 5 weeks and came back to play the final 10 games of the regular season, with 7 goals and 8 assists. He seemed fine to me, no rust or anything.
In the postseason, he has 6 points in 8 games. He is 2nd on the team in individual shot attempts, 2nd in shots, 3rd in individual scoring chances and high danger chances. So he’s getting his looks. He has the 2nd most ice time among forwards behind only Marchand. Bruce plays him more in games they are trailing, a little less in games they have a lead. He is shooting 6.9% (nice!) in the postseason, which is half of his career regular season shooting percentage (14%). There is some bad luck involved in that, and hopefully he has some positive regression.
The volume of fanned shots and passes, plus the low shooting percentage does make me wonder if he re-aggravated his thumb injury sometime along the way, but he’s still getting his shots and chances and the coaches aren’t limiting his ice time or anything. I think overall he’s just in a funk and pressing to snap out it. The pressing is leading to weird decision making. He still tied with Coyle for 2nd on the team in scoring for the playoffs. We’re just used to him finishing off his chances at a higher clip.
I don't see his issues being physical mistakes though. Almost everything I have an issue with is mental mistakes. Bad passes, turnovers, lack of effort, terrible decisions, etc. Maybe an injury is driving these mental mistakes, but this is the worst hockey he's played dating back to his rookie year, and maybe of his career.Trying to dive into Pastrnak a bit here today. I think most are in agreement that he’s “off” for some reason. He is whiffing a ton on both passes and shots, and his decisions with the puck have certainly been questionable at times. My first thought is that whiffing has something to do with the thumb injury he suffered in February. He missed 5 weeks and came back to play the final 10 games of the regular season, with 7 goals and 8 assists. He seemed fine to me, no rust or anything.
In the postseason, he has 6 points in 8 games. He is 2nd on the team in individual shot attempts, 2nd in shots, 3rd in individual scoring chances and high danger chances. So he’s getting his looks. He has the 2nd most ice time among forwards behind only Marchand. Bruce plays him more in games they are trailing, a little less in games they have a lead. He is shooting 6.9% (nice!) in the postseason, which is half of his career regular season shooting percentage (14%). There is some bad luck involved in that, and hopefully he has some positive regression.
The volume of fanned shots and passes, plus the low shooting percentage does make me wonder if he re-aggravated his thumb injury sometime along the way, but he’s still getting his shots and chances and the coaches aren’t limiting his ice time or anything. I think overall he’s just in a funk and pressing to snap out it. The pressing is leading to weird decision making. He still tied with Coyle for 2nd on the team in scoring for the playoffs. We’re just used to him finishing off his chances at a higher clip.
Same competence level for sure.Is Jim Murray Jimmy Murphy's alt?
Well suddenly the Bs are down 2-1 with game 4 in Columbus, which will be rocking. A big hill to climb. Of course things get much easier if they do in fact win game 4. But they are having lots of trouble with this team, obviously. Every game has been a super tight contest. That shot (Krug?) that rang off the post late was just killer. That's the fine line sometimes in these games. Another inch to the right and it deflects off the post and into the net. The Bs one goal was a goal by like an inch. It's that close between these teams.This series is definitely going to be a meat grinder. We need to figure out a way to solve Bobrovsky, get Pasta going, too many low leverage passes in the offensive zone instead of putting the puck on net and stop making unforced turnovers. CBJ's D has been collapsing in the D zone for maximum coverage and limiting our space to operate in the offensive zone. Chipping it in to the D zone to set up the forecheck has just mainly been handing possession back to CBJ.
Games like Game 3 are facts of life in the NHL, especially in a tight series where scoring is at a premium. Which is why the B's sleepwalking through Game 2 is a big problem.Well suddenly the Bs are down 2-1 with game 4 in Columbus, which will be rocking. A big hill to climb. Of course things get much easier if they do in fact win game 4. But they are having lots of trouble with this team, obviously. Every game has been a super tight contest. That shot (Krug?) that rang off the post late was just killer. That's the fine line sometimes in these games. Another inch to the right and it deflects off the post and into the net. The Bs one goal was a goal by like an inch. It's that close between these teams.
I'm very very surprised. That was a fucking idiotic thing to do.No supplemental discipline for Marchand.
God no. Please god no.Is there any scenario where on the PP they go back to the "put Chara in front of the goalie to block out the sun" strategy they did a few years ago? If the problem is not getting any traffic in front of Bobrovsky that would solve a lot of it. At this point, I'm willing to try anything.
What about Krejci up to PP1 for Johansson?God no. Please god no.
I would put DeBrusk back on PP1. They were at their best with him down low/out front. They've tried Johansson there for enough games without success that I'm willing to go back, although I wonder if DeBrusk's injury is playing into it. That's about all I'd change with the PP at this point.
That was exactly the type of act that warrants a suspension: hit to the head, after the play, malicious intent. It doesn’t drive me crazy when a judge (George Parros) uses the actual injury suffered by the victimized player as a modifying criterion in determining the degree of punishment, but it does when it seems to be the determining criterion. If whomever was hit in the head was carted off the ice and severely injured, we wouldn’t see Marchand until October. They’re adjudicating the outcome, not the act.No supplemental discipline for Marchand.
How about flipping Pasta and Krejci on the half boards?Krejci’s not a net front guy, and they would want a lefty in that spot. The formation is:
Johansson- net front
Pastrnak - Marchand - half boards
Bergeron- Bumper
Krug- point
I’d quibble with malicious intent. It was a jab/pop to the head. The force of which was somewhere between a face wash and a full on punch. If he really wanted to hurt the guy, he had the opportunity to wind up and really smoke him. The only reason this is being discussed as a suspension possibility is because it’s 63.That was exactly the type of act that warrants a suspension: hit to the head, after the play, malicious intent. It doesn’t drive me crazy when a judge (George Parros) uses the actual injury suffered by the victimized player as a modifying criterion in determining the degree of punishment, but it does when it seems to be the determining criterion. If whomever was hit in the head was carted off the ice and severely injured, we wouldn’t see Marchand until October. They’re adjudicating the outcome, not the act.
Note that I am assuming the report is accurate that no discipline is coming.
Do you have the lottery numbers for later?Nope, wouldn't do that either. They had one of the best PPs in the league with DeBrusk playing the net front/corner position. Krejci is no different that Johansson there and it weakens PP2.
Just put DeBrusk back on PP1 and go from there, that'd be my move. However, that's dependent on his health.