#penalty for it and putting your team on pk is what fixes this problem | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

robthomissed · 3 years

Text

Blues vs Wild Game 1 (0-2)

This Season: 16-12-5 Against Minnesota: 0-1

the first period was really good but then we just lost all of our steam which just can't happen. it sucks. be better next game.

First Period

let's go schenner! bobby would love a fight off the jump like that

we need a stronger forecheck right now

vince....we can't go on the pk this early

okay not a bad powerplay for us. good puck movement

guys please stop taking penalties it will not be a good time

Jaden is putting in work tonight and i love it

the whole schwartz-schenn-tarasenko line is humming tonight. getting some good chances

torey just let someone walk into the zone and it gave the wild like 35 seconds of time in our zone

ROU SHOOT THE PUCK! i get that you are waiting for guys to get to the net but YOU ARE IN FRONT OF THE NET. very nice pass from torey though

okay so a pretty solid first period. good o zone pressure and some good looks just nothing going in. we just have to stick with the program

Second Period

how dare Panger tell me he got a text from Steener to say how proud he was of Brayden for fighting right off the hop. i am emotional

ope first time Jaden has fallen down tonight. that took a while

side note: i know Fox sports midwest is changing to Bally sports midwest but it might take me years to get used to the change. fox sports midwest just rolls off the tongue easier

what the fuck happened there boys?!?! leaving good ice for bad ice and it is sucky. THEY HAVE THREE FUCKING SHOTS!!!

okay don't get flustered now. stay calm and come back strong. we were playing very well and nothing should change that.

okay why have we stopped moving our feet and making good passes? I DON'T CARE THAT THEY SCORED IT DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE. YOUR. FUCKING. FEET.

the next time i see Jordan Kyrou stop his momentum going towards the net so that he can stickhandle and look for an open man i might just lose it. you have a good shot and speed going to the net. use it bud please

okay i like that our D are getting shots through the first layer of defense but they really need to be on net to do much of anything

okay Panger is having so much fun with that puck stuck in talbot's mask. it's adorable

DP looks strong on his stick tonight which is always good

what was that pass robby.....dear lord. that sucks so much

THEY HAVE SCORED TWO GOALS ON 8 SHOTS. THAT PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH

we have been the better team for most of this game. i just don't understand. how do we fix this? why can't we win games? we have the talent. we have the heart. we know how to win. it just doesn't make sense.

and Jaden fell down again

alright Zach, good fight

can talbot just give us a couple rebounds? please

that wasn't really that awful of a period we just had two very deadly mistakes and we know better than most teams how dangerous that is.

okay boys. come back with a plan and execute. it's only two and we have the ability to fight back here. Vladi is getting good looks we just need more guys in front of talbot

Third Period

why justin? why put us on the pk right now

maybe i just need to lower my expectations for this team. we came into the season very hyped and excited but then just never found the mojo. maybe the team's play isn't the problem but my expectations for them. maybe if i just change my expectations to the level of "an average team that has good period every so often but can't play a full game" i will have more fun just watching my favorite players play. if i don't expect anything from them then they are always doing just fine (as i type this i know that this is just me being overly emotional and stupid so really feel free to ignore that point. i just feel things very deeply and sometimes need to get it out)

Bobby can you give us some help here please? the boys just need a little push. can you give us a little puck luck?

if Hoffman could start earning his 4 million dollar cap hit that would be spectacular thanks

we are really missing guys like Sunny and Barbie. they just provide a different level of play that we really need. Barbie has to be getting close to his reevaluation date right?

at this point i just don't want to get shut out

Robby is doing a lot of good things with the ouck tonight. winning battles, protecting the puck, most of his passes have been great. so good on him

okay getting good pressure and chances but just nothing going in

Jaden Schwartz is so good at hockey and i feel blessed to watch him play for my team

"out muscled there by sanford" love to hear that. Zach is so good and has so much upside if he just used his size and power to the fullest

oh god empty net

okay boys we are down by 2. we have to shoot the fucking puck for the empty net to be effective. also some net front presence would help

jaden, brayden, and Vladi had a great game and so many good chances but just could get anything in. hopefully they can build on this for the next game

#20-21 game summaries #blues lb #st louis blues #nhl #hockey

2 notes · View notes

flauntpage · 5 years

Text

“…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1

Four games.

That’s all the Flyers have at this moment to get their team, locker room, and hockey-playing style fixed.

Things are pretty stressful in the Flyers organization right now. They were before the game Saturday and it’s no different now that they got their doors blown off on home ice by the New York Islanders by a score of 6-1.

This is the same New York Islanders team whose leading goal scorer coming into the game against the Flyers was Val Filppula.

Yeah, that’s how bad it’s gotten for the Flyers.

Ron Hextall doesn’t usually have very many visitors to his general manager’s box.

On Monday night it was former GM Bob Clarke, who made a visit. He watched the game with Hextall, and then had a serious chat with him afterwards, before saying goodbye and telling Hextall he’d see him in a couple weeks.

Then today, before the games against the Isles, Hextall was visited by Dave Scott, CEO of Comcast Spectacor, the parent company of the Flyers.

He’s been pretty quiet for a long time, giving Hextall a lot of latitude in running the hockey organization.

But by dropping into the GM’s box, and being certain to be seen by the media, it could be a hint that the slack he’s been cutting is suddenly going to shorten up.

Maybe it’s the slow drip of dwindling patrons that bothers Scott. Although most Flyers tickets are sold, there are an inordinate number of empty seats on game days. That means either people have tickets and are opting not to use them, or they were purchased by brokers and the inventory can’t be moved.

Either way, it’s an indication that the public is starting to become a bit apathetic about the hockey team.

And why not? They are 4-7-0. They have have yet to win consecutive games this season. A lot of the same problems that have plagued them in the previous three seasons of the Hextall/Dave Hakstol tenure continue to rear their ugly heads.

But perhaps most damning is the fact that they are not good in their own building. They have been outscored 26-15 in six games so far at Wells Fargo Center and are 2-4-0 at home. And they tried to give away one of their two wins, but were able to pull out a shootout win over Florida after coughing up a three-goal lead.

Not even Gritty can provide enough equity for the organization to quell the mix of apathy and anger that exists within the Flyers fan base.

The “Fire Hakstol” chants at the Wells Fargo Center are now as frequent as the E-A-G-L-E-S ones emanating from the mezzanine level.

Fans, who used to bring signs to the game to put on the glass for warmups telling the players how much they love them have resorted to this:

Spotted

pic.twitter.com/YIXyv7v0EX

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 27, 2018

Scott had to take notice. Had to.

Something has to be done. Has to.

Because if this goes on much further without course correcting, this season will be over before Midterm Election results come in.

“I don’t think anybody is happy,” said Ivan Provorov, who actually looked like his old self against the Islanders, which is one of only a couple small positives to take from this game. “We have to play better and we have to figure out soon what the hell is going on.”

What the hell is going on is a team is playing hockey without much confidence in themselves individually, in each other and in the structure of their system.

Every player is basically admitting it at this point.

“I’m not sure what to say, but we can’t give up, said Scott Laughton. “On the bench you gotta stay positive, keep encouraging guys and it’s only these guys in here that’s gonna get us out of it. No one’s gonna feel sorry for us and we’re under 500 whatever, but it’s the group in here that’s gonna get us out of us, everyone’s gotta take a deep breath, look in the mirror and see what you got to do better and go to work and that’s what we’re going to have to do here to get out of this.”

The captain was pretty candid too. Here’s my exchange with him after the game:

Me: I know it’s frustrating that the same things kind of hurt you guys game after game after game, how do you stop the snowball from rolling downhill?

G: Start doing the little things right, start playing as a team, instead of one guy doing everything or trying to make an extra play. We need 5 guys to be on the same page here.

Me: What do you think is the reason why you guys don’t start out on the same page? You say that so obviously that’s happening, but why?

G: I think when you want too much sometimes, you press a little harder, get away from what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re just pressing. I really feel like we’re pressing right now we’re just tired of losing so we’re trying to do everything we can to make something happen, but sometimes it’s not always the right thing.

Me: Does going away on this trip, kind of come at the right time considering that? You think back last year you guys went through a tough time and then you went on that trip out west you were able to right the ship because you were able to get away from home. Do you think that that’s…..?

G: I think when you go on the road for a long time with your teammates you get a little closer and that’s what we need right now. We need to get closer as a team, we need to go out there and play for each other and this road trip is going to be very important for our season.

I rambled forever on that last question, as those of you who actually watched the post game show could probably see because NBCSports Philly had a camera in our faces during that exchange, but Giroux said a lot. Lots unpack it:

1. “… start playing as a team, instead of one guy doing everything or trying to make an extra play. We need five guys to be on the same page here.”

That means there is a lock of cohesiveness on this team. Everyone is out there playing as individuals in a team game. That’ll never work in hockey. I doubt that’s they system, so that mentality is not on the coaches, but the players themselves. They need to keep their eyes on the big picture and not try to play the part of superhero. Sometimes the simple play is the easiest play. I’ll show you a couple examples:

The Philadelphia Flyers in their own zone are a high school JV team. It's just disgusting to watch. Shit play by Sanheim. Shit awareness by Gudas. Puck ends up in the back of the net just a few seconds later. pic.twitter.com/vKvJsNsQ7n

— Jordie

(@BarstoolJordie) October 27, 2018

The first video does show Christian Folin doing nothing. That’s not as egregious as what he did later (hang tight, that’s coming). But the second video shows a real awful play by Travis Sanheim. He has an easy out up the wall and chooses to inexplicably reverse the puck to Radko Gudas, who isn’t expecting it. The Islanders then get control of the puck and…

And once again, the Flyers find themselves down 1-0. pic.twitter.com/5HF0F0nMWi

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

That would make 10 times in 11 games they got behind 1-0. That’s unconscionable. But, it’s Sanheim’s mistake – and it’s something that still haunts him, no matter what his analytics say.

I know, I’m too hard on the kid, right?

Let’s see what a former NHL defenseman has to say about it:

1-0 Isles. Poor clear by @NHLFlyers d. The play to make was forward not a reverse to partner! Turnovers KILL in any sport

— Chris Therien (@ctherien6) October 27, 2018

And that’s a team employee folks.

Then of course, there’s this:

Get Christian Folin off the ice. Fire Hakstol. Enough is enough. https://t.co/pSjLHaMwBL

— Marc Procopio (@Brocopio26) October 27, 2018

That’s Folin darting across the ice, abandoning his position to make a lame check, allowing the Islanders to come out on a 2-on-1 and ultimately score the goal.

When Provorov says “what the hell is going on,” I’m betting he’s talking about this play.

Or this:

5-1. So how is everyone's Saturday? pic.twitter.com/DSxpKiroMY

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

There are times to slide and times not to slide. This was definitely not the right choice – and not just because it resulted in a goal. Sanheim isn’t alone on defense. He’s not sliding to take away the pass on an odd man rush. He’s… sliding for no reason.

Andrew MacDonald has done this at times too (At times he’s criticized, even if it was the right play). You can’t take yourself out of a play and leave the opponent with the puck a clear path toward the shooter.

These kinds of mistakes are examples of what Giroux is saying about not everyone being on the same page.

2. “I really feel like we’re pressing right now we’re just tired of losing so we’re trying to do everything we can to make something happen, but sometimes it’s not always the right thing.”

The three videos above could qualify for here too, but I want to use this to talk about the special teams, because that’s really where they’re pressing.

The Flyers power play has fallen to 24th in the NHL and is clicking at just 15%. That’s been buoyed by a recent stretch in which they have gone 1-for-20.

And that one was scored by Travis Konecny on the second power play unit.

To find the last one scored by the top unit, you have to go back to Claude Giroux scoring in Ottawa. That means the Flyers’ top power play unit, long the lifeblood of their offense, has now gone seven straight games without a goal.

That’s pressing.

They seem a little stale too… trying the same plays over and over again. They need a new look. Something else. Change it up.

As for the penalty kill, well…

6-1. pic.twitter.com/CRmR3OgdC2

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

Jori Lehtera is on the ice somewhere supposedly killing this penalty too. But my goodness are they all out of position. Provorov got caught on the wall. Laughton and Lehtera (wherever he is) are way too high, and Gudas goes down to block a potential shot way too soon.

The PK is now at 67.5%, 30th in the NHL.

It’s embarrassing. It really is.

3. “This road trip is going to be very important for our season.”

Yes G, yes it is.

Because if it’s not fixed, something is going to happen.

There are some grumblings within the organization that these four games are all the Flyers have left in the patience tank.

If these issues aren’t corrected, Dave Hakstol’s job could be on the line. (His odds of being the first coach fired in the NHL this season according to Bovada are 15/2 and falling – that’s the sixth-most likely at this point).

And don’t think the coach doesn’t notice this. He’s been more forthcoming with issues on the team of late.

He even targeted Mikhail Vorobyev, who got back into the lineup Saturday and didn’t show he belonged:

“Well, we’re down in a game and looking for guys who are gonna go out and try help us get back into it and I wasn’t confident that he was going to be able to do that. That’s nothing against, he’s a young guy, he’s been out of the lineup, it can be hard to come in and be really sharp and make some of the plays that we need to have made. You can always bring energy, you can always bring intensity, and you can always bring effort and that’s what’s expected.”

I expect Vorobyev to be returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms post haste. Even with Corban Knight having an upper body injury that’s going to keep him out a while, I expect Hextall to call on not one, but two forward reinforcements from the minors. (Nick Aube-Kubel anyone? Maybe Taylor Leier?)

If these issues aren’t corrected, a major trade could happen – and you want to know who’s the prime choice there? Jake Voracek. It would send a message, the Flyers would get some return and also be able to remove a big salary from their Cap. Not that they are in danger with the cap, but more flexibility is never a bad thing.

And could Hextall himself be in trouble? Yes, yes he could.

After all, the visitors to your GM’s box weren’t coming in to bring you flowers.

The post “…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

1 note · View note

junker-town · 7 years

Text

Dallas Stars can still contend for a Stanley Cup after a season gone wrong

Changes must be made but the window is still open.

It’s that time of the NHL season where a few fanbases start buying playoff tickets while the rest turn their attention to MLB spring training. Elimination is no fun. But it shouldn’t color your whole fandom with tears. Just most of it. 70 percent of it.

This is the 30 percent: SB Nation NHL Silver Linings, where we send hockey’s eliminated teams into the offseason with five good things to remember from this season.

The Dallas Stars’ playoff hopes faded about two months earlier than they had hoped this year.

Injuries ravaged their first few months, and the reigning Western Conference point leaders could never right the ship. Playoff elimination was inevitable for months now; only a recent run of good pay staved it off until Monday.

As frustrating as this year was for the Stars, it doesn’t mean their window is closing. There’s a few good things to come out of this sinking season that should put Dallas back on the Stanley Cup path if all goes to plan.

The goaltending situation will be dealt with

Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Whatever fountain of patience kept Jim Nill from pulling the plug on this has to be dry by now.

Stars fans will tell you that the team’s failings don’t rest entirely on goaltending. And they’re right. For about three months of the season, Dallas’ even-strength save percentage was among the highest in the league. That’s where you point to the penalty kill (more on that in a bit).

But Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen are to blame. They’re to blame for the countless times a shot got past them that most NHL goalies make in their sleep. Only the Canucks gave up more third period goals than Dallas; few good teams own a worst win percentage when leading after two periods (.739).

Confidence to close out games starts with trusting the man between the pipes. Mercifully, hockey’s most expensive exercise in goaltending wariness will end this summer.

The entire coaching philosphy is set for a purge

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Lindy Ruff is not a bad coach by any stretch. Stars fans will find issues to gripe about him with, for sure (Cody Eakin centering Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin is a terrible plan). But for the most part Ruff is a good fit for a team this close to contention with young players in the mix. And he’s not afraid to toss line combinations in a blender when things go wrong.

But the results speak for themselves, and the entire coaching staff is under serious fire after this year. The penalty kill is the NHL’s worst in 20 years. The power play has regressed under the coaching staff’s watch, to the point that the Stars are just flat-out uncreative and ineffective.

These issues, combined with inconsistent goaltending and injuries, effectively killed the Stars’ season. And it’s a system-wide problem:

Fun fact: The Texas Stars have the AHL's 2nd-worst PK in the past 12 seasons. (You can only go back to 2005-06 season on AHL website)

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) March 12, 2017

Across the organization PK needs to be fixed. AHL club runs same system as NHL team. https://t.co/yoQ1jH4Joj

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) March 12, 2017

Writers close to the team have hinted for months that Ruff’s contract won’t be renewed and the staff will be refreshed. A new voice and philosophy might be what this frustrated franchise needs.

Julius Honka is on the way

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

He technically already arrived, seeing some limited action early in the season as injuries ravaged the NHL roster. The 14th overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft put up 31 points in 49 games with Texas (AHL) this season and showed serious flash with the NHL club.

HONK HONK COMIN' THROUGH http://pic.twitter.com/Ia1xWQYXWz

— Pat Iversen (@PatIversenSBN) November 22, 2016

And by the end of the season, he just looked bored by his AHL competition.

Julius Honka-DAL is good at hockey http://pic.twitter.com/B84u8BS3Hm

— (((Corey Pronman))) (@coreypronman) March 20, 2017

Dallas’ insistence on keeping Honka in the minors with terrible defensive depth is perplexing, but he’s all but guaranteed a spot with the Stars next season. And he could be truly special.

Their bottom-six replacements stepped up and showed promise

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Adam Cracknell was meant as a minor-league depth signing. Brett Ritchie was primed to scrap and claw for playing time.

Instead, Mattias Janmark, Ales Hemsky and Patrick Sharp all missed significant time. Ritchie and Cracknell were thrust into prominent roles and thrived. Cracknell earned a contract extension after a ten-goal year, and Ritchie became the hard-hitting role player with offensive upside he promised when Dallas drafted him.

Antoine Roussel followed a Brad Marchand-esque path from pure pest to something more, becoming an invaluable penalty killer and versatile player before an injury ended his year. Curtis McKenzie looked good when given playing time.

It took a ton of injuries to prove the Stars have even more forward depth than anyone realized.

They still have a trio of lethal players

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Pivoting from a disappointing year back to contention is easier when you have three of the best players at their positions in the NHL on your team. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn will eclipse the 70-point mark again this year despite spending a lot of time on separate lines.

John Klingberg overcame a rough start to the season and re-found his game; he could end up with 50 points for the second consecutive season.

That trio is proof that the foundation for success is still there; Dallas just needs to tap into it, make changes and get back in the hunt next fall.

0 notes

flauntpage · 5 years

Text

The Kill is Alive: Thoughts after Flyers 2, Predators 1

The phrase being tossed around this week is that the Flyers “are fun again.”

Two home wins following the firing of a coach who was publicly maligned for more than two years by the fans and starting the heir apparent, a 20-year-old rookie goalie, who the same fans have been screaming for will bring about that feeling.

And to be fair to the Flyers, they have played two solid games, most notably on the defensive side. Yes, Carter Hart has done a fine job in goal, but more so because he’s been able to make more routine saves that many other goalies the Flyers have trotted out this season.

No, instead of focusing on Hart, the real change has been the Flyers playing more soundly in their own end. They’ve improved their breakout. They haven’t alarmingly turned the puck over in the past two games like they did so often in the previous 30 games.

Winning both games helps, too, because it also energizes the fan base into thinking they were right all along and that the problem was the coach and the fact that Hart wasn’t on the team.

If you want to believe that, fine. Go nuts. It’s not accurate, even if it has played out that way for two games.

There are other factors, like Detroit, the team they beat Tuesday, being pretty terrible. And Nashville, the team the Flyers upset Thursday, playing without a couple key players.

But that’s the nature of the sport. Good teams take advantage of those breaks in their schedule and while it’s likely too soon to call the Flyers a good team, they certainly did take advantage of those breaks.

But there’s something else that is vastly improved about this hockey team, and it’s something that began well before Hart’s arrival and well before Dave Hakstol was fired, and it’s the No. 1 reason they were able to stave off the Predators on Thursday.

Find out what it is after the jump:

A suddenly stingy penalty kill

There was a time this season when the Flyers were on pace to be historically bad at killing penalties. Through the first 21 games, the Flyers penalty kill was only successful 68.5 percent of the time. It was a pace that, if maintained over the course of an entire season, would have resulted in the worst penalty kill percentage since the NHL started tracking that statistic in 1979-80.

Yeah, it was that bad.

But since then, which coincided with Thanksgiving, the Flyers have done a complete 180.

Yes, it’s a small sample size, but in the 12 games since, the Flyers penalty kill has allowed just five goals on 38 chances, killing off penalties at an 86.8 percent clip.

Consider that three of those goals allowed came in a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Winnipeg, that means the Flyers have allowed a total of only three power play goals against in the other 11 games.

Assistant coach Ian Laperriere has been a target of the fans’ ire for much of the past two seasons because of the ineptitude of the penalty kill. It’s hard to say those outcries by the fans weren’t justified.

But just as he’s deservedly been the scapegoat for the penalty kill’s failings, he also needs to be recognized in a positive manner for finding a fix to this long-standing problem with the team – even if it’s only been a temporary one.

The Flyers killed off all six of Nashville’s power play chances Thursday. And while not having P.K. Subban manning the point or three of their top five goal scorers (Filip Forsberg, Colton Sissions, Viktor Arvidsson) in the lineup likely crippled Nashville some, the way the Flyers competed on the kill was still impressive.

“Our PK hasn’t been the best during the season, but I think during the last 10 games it has been a lot better,” said Robert Hagg. “I don’t know how many PKs we had, but every single guy that was on the ice did a hell of a good job.

“It’s all about the small details and I think we play with more pressure now than we did 10 games ago. We’re trying not to let them set up inside the zone, and I think that’s the biggest thing. … But you need to block shots, that’s what everybody in this room is saying, we need to keep doing that to be successful.”

As a whole, the Flyers blocked 23 in the game against the Predators. Hagg and Travis Sanheim led the way with five each, although 13 of the Flyers’ 18 skaters were credited with at least one block.

But never were they more important than on a two-minute, two-man shorthanded situation.

Late in the second period, the Flyers took three successive penalties. Wayne Simmonds wiped out the end of a power play with a chintzy hooking call. Radko Gudas was then whistled for delay of game which was immediately followed up by a high-sticking call on Andrew MacDonald that never made it above the top of the Predators logo on Kevin Fiala’s chest. However, Fiala sold it well, and the Flyers faced a daunting task.

With Ivan Provorov already off the ice with a misconduct (more on that in a bit) and Gudas and McDonald in the box, Coach Scott Gordon had little left in the way of options to kill off the two-minute penalty other than Sanheim and Hagg. Yeah, Shayne Gostisbehere was available, but he’s not reliable enough defensively to kill a penalty at 5-on-4, let alone 5-on-3, so it was the two second-year defenseman and Sean Couturier who coach Scott Gordon turned to and, well, they delivered:

youtube

(video courtesy of Charlie O’Connor at The Athletic)

Sanheim (21:58) and Hagg (20:59) were the top two minutes guys among the Flyers defensemen and they combined for more than 10 minutes of ice time while shorthanded.

Couturier also shows why he is an elite defensive forward on this kill. And it energized the building, as any good penalty kill in a one-goal game can – but when you are doing it two-men down for two minutes… that’s something else entirely.

Speaking of Sanheim

He’s arguably the Flyers best defenseman right now. Again, I know there are fans who have been screaming this for two years – that he should play more, that Hakstol stunted his growth, yada, yada, yada. But the fact is, he needed to be put on this path. He needed to develop with a little more nurturing. He needed to build confidence a little more slowly than some other players. That’s all O.K.

And if you think it was Hakstol who was stunting him, you’re fooling yourself. I asked Scott Gordon about Sanheim’s development, and this is what he had to say:

“In Travis’ first three months in Lehigh (in 2016-17) he was keeping both teams in it, that was his biggest adjustment. By December he was a little more responsible defensively and picking his spots better to jump up into the play.

“He plays that first year and no matter how much you learn and get better in the American League, there’s always going to be another adjustment in the NHL. Players are bigger, stronger, faster and decisions have to be made quicker. You can’t replicate that in the American League.

“So, he had some growing pains last year. But this year, you started to see him score a couple goals. He’s getting up into the play more. That’s a strength of his. Somewhere along the way on this most recent road trip (Assistant Coach Rick Wilson) started mixing up the D pairs and wanted to try some different things. When I got here, his recommendation was to play Sanheim with Provy.

“Obviously if you play with Provy you are going to get more ice time, and when you are a big body like that you’re going get some ice time on the penalty kill. And your minutes are going to go up, and, now he’s getting time against the other team’s top lines.

“With all that being said, he’s got to do the right things to deserve that opportunity and he has. Some of it is simplification. There was one play in the third period on the far side where he didn’t have anything and he threw it off the glass and he lives to play another day. He lives to play another shift. You know what I mean?

“Sometimes, when you are a young player you always think you can make a play and that was just one instance of his maturity as a player, recognizing the situation and identifying the fact that ‘I don’t have anything,’ get it out in the neutral zone, let a forecheck happen. Get in my gap and defend. That’s something the best defensemen do – they don’t beat themselves.”

There’s a lot to unpack here.

I love the way Gordon gives you a detailed, thoughtful answer. This is bountiful with information and really gives you honest perspective.

Speaking of which, I love the quip that Sanheim’s problem was he would “keep both teams in the game.” In other words, he was superior offensively but he often made bad decisions that would cost his team, and he needed to learn not to do that.

He identified that getting going offensively is what Sanheim needed this year to really spike his confidence.

That working with Rick Wilson is already paying dividends for Sanheim.

That Gordon, ever the teacher, identified an innocuous clearing play in the third period as a seminal moment for Sanheim’s development. Never mind that the guy, who rarely plays on the penalty kill, helped author a textbook kill of a two-minute, two-man disadvantage, the clearing play off the glass rather than risking a turnover is what was most impressive.

Overall, that Sanheim is earning his promotion to the top pairing and his bigger minutes.

And yet, that this is a shining example of a good, patient process for a young player playing out before our eyes.

I also had an opportunity to talk to Sanheim one-on-one after the game. Here’s how that went:

Q: You haven’t been asked to play a lot of PK this season, and then tonight, you were called into duty. Can you talk about jumping into that role and then being out there for the entire 5-on-3?

“Last year when I was sent down to the American League (Gordon) would leave me out on the penalty kill for the entire two minutes. So, I’m familiar with the situation and being able to kill penalties. It was something different for me this season, yes, but it wasn’t just me out there. Hagg and Coots deserve full credit, too.”

Q: You had to know with three defensemen in the box and with Ghost not playing on the kill that you guys were probably going to have to play the full two minutes, right?

“It’s not something that I was really thinking about to tell the truth. It was just that ‘next man up’ mentality, really. I just wanted to step up to the challenge. Hagg did, too. He had three or four blocks on that one kill alone. Credit to him for doing that. It made it easy for me.”

Q: Good that you were able to get a breather in there when Scott called the timeout too?

“He came down the bench to talk to us and see how we were feeling. He asked us if we thought he should take the timeout. I said that if he was willing to use it there that it would be a good time. It was nice to get the rest there for 30 seconds and then be able to go right back out there.”

Q: It’s no secret that confidence is a big thing for you and that you’ve been playing with a lot of it lately. Does being able to help the team win in this way – through defensive posture more so than your offensive ability – just add to that growing confidence?

“Yeah, I think so. Anytime you get to play in all situations you feel like you are contributing more to the team. That said, it doesn’t matter how many minutes I’m playing, I’m there to help the team win hockey games, but in the end, I’m going to do everything I can for however many minutes I play to do just that.”

Now, while the penalty kill was the key thing to focus on in this win, and I spent an inordinate number of words writing about it, there are some other things that I have to touch on before getting out of here, so:

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

Provorov is damn lucky:

Why Provorov got a 10-minute misconduct. pic.twitter.com/5pF8QBypIP

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) December 21, 2018

This kind of action usually results in a match penalty and a game misconduct. In that instance, there is an automatic 10-game suspension. No hearing. No negotiation. 10 games. Out. But, by getting only a 10-minute misconduct, he will likely avoid that significant suspension. I expect a fine of some sort… but that’s it. Big break for Provy and the Flyers.

The non-call on Sean Couturier

I took abuse from Twitter for saying I agree with the referee in not calling this a penalty. I will say that I wouldn’t have been shocked if it was called a penalty, but this is far closer to a borderline call/non-call than it is a blatant and egregious boarding:

youtube

It looks worse at full speed and from the wide angle than it really is. The angle to pay attention to is the one from behind the net. The referee isn’t wrong that Couturier turned away from the check and that he does reach out to brace himself on the hit. Usually, those two things prevent a boarding call unless the skater takes several strides to hit a player from behind with force, which Ryan Johansson does not do in this instance.

I talked to Coots privately after the game, and while I won’t quote him specifically because I didn’t have my recorder on at the time, here are some things that he said:

He’s fine. He doesn’t have a concussion. However, he was mad that he had to go to the quiet room to get checked for a concussion on a play that there was no penalty. If an off ice official was concerned for his health on a hit, then maybe the hit wasn’t good.

He admitted he turned into the boards, but said he did so to protect the puck.

He didn’t feel it was a major penalty, but thought it should have been a minor for two reasons. The first being that Johansson was not right on him, but took a stride before making contact. The second being they had just called a penalty on the Flyers for a high hit (Scott Laughton) and an earlier high stick on Andrew MacDonald (which wasn’t a high stick) was the result of Kevin Fiala throwing his head back. His thought process was if those were penalties than this should have been too.

I get the argument. And like I said, I wouldn’t have been screaming about an injustice for Nashville if the penalty was called. But, by the book – and not that the book is always right – this was a 50/50 judgment call and the ref went with the judgment that it wasn’t a penalty. I can’t disagree with that rationale.

The post The Kill is Alive: Thoughts after Flyers 2, Predators 1 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Kill is Alive: Thoughts after Flyers 2, Predators 1 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

0 notes