Which Player does Vanek Remind you of the most?

[tom webster]

Gaborik is fast but he isn't blindingly fast. He's faster than Vanek. But he's not fast afinogenov.

 

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FC...32/ai_112087317

[Bmwolf21]

Gaborik is fast but he isn't blindingly fast. He's faster than Vanek. But he's not fast afinogenov.

He might not look like it because he uses long, powerful strides, but Gaborik is arguably the fastest skater in the league, and from watching several Wild games over the last couple years, I keep hearing that he is fastest from blueline to blueline.

 

Being in Ohio I've seen a lot of Nash this year and I'd say in terms of skating, Vanek and Nash are pretty similar. Vanek can crank it up when he wants to - we even saw it the other night against Boston when he flew back into the defensive zone on a failed offensive rush - but he seems awfully quick to hit the break and slow things down, looking to make a play instead of driving the net and playing on the rush.

 

Side note - I couldn't care less if Max is the fastest skater in hockey history, because his hands can't keep up with his feet. It seems like 90% of the time he flubs the rush on his own, no defensive pressure necessary.

[Goodfella25]

Do you really think his numbers are down because he tried to play a more solid two-way game? I just don't see it. His +/- dropped 52 points from last year - from a +47 to a -5. That's a -5 from a guy who had 40 even-strength points.

 

Good point, but who on the Sabres didn't take a beating in the +/- department. His is probably worse than any, but everyone suffered this year. Plus add in the fact that he was getting the attention of opposing teams' top defensemen this year, and add in the fact that our defense was absolutely abysmal all season long.

 

All I know is last season I don't recall every seeing him backchecking and this year he did it game in and game out. I thought he was one of the more responsible forwards in his own end.

[Bmwolf21]

Good point, but who on the Sabres didn't take a beating in the +/- department. His is probably worse than any, but everyone suffered this year. Plus add in the fact that he was getting the attention of opposing teams' top defensemen this year, and add in the fact that our defense was absolutely abysmal all season long.

Yes, a lot of +/-'s suffered this year, but a 52-point drop from someone who had 40 even-strength points is not indicative of someone putting in the effort defensively. I'm not sure what drawing the opposition's top defensemen has to do with his +/-, though.

 

All I know is last season I don't recall every seeing him backchecking and this year he did it game in and game out. I thought he was one of the more responsible forwards in his own end.

There is just no way I can agree with you there at all. He simply did not backcheck well game in and game out. The instances when he did backcheck well stand out in my mind because they were so shockingly rare. I saw many more instances where he could have gotten back and affected a shot or pass and didn't, or wasn't strong along the wall and failed to maintain/recover the puck. I honestly don't recall seeing him backchecking consistently.

 

If TV was one of the more responsible forwards in his own end then this team is in serious trouble. In terms of which forwards were most responsible in our own end I'd pick Hecht, Roy, Pominville, Paille, Gaustad, Stafford, Connolly well before Vanek's name ever came up.

[Chilly]

Dominic Hasek

[inkman]

Dominic Hasek

Very interesting...

[X. Benedict]

Very interesting...

 

At least it is the right sport.

 

It would have been a real puzzler if he had wrote Roberto Clemente.

[inkman]

At least it is the right sport.

 

It would have been a real puzzler if he had wrote Roberto Clemente.

Tom Chambers?