GDT: Buffalo @ Detroit, 7:30 pm est, 12/14/2015

[WildCard]

Chad Johnson gets the start tonight

[Stoner]

I'm waiting to see jack jack actually use his size and not poke check from a mile away, he doesn't battle on the boards and stays away from contact like the cowardly lion.

 

Sure he can dangle when he wants/sometimes and maybe he'll grow into that role of the physicality, but color me disappointed in the overall game/effort to this point

 

78%

What made you think we had drafted a mucker and grinder?

I don't think I'm being overly bold to suggest that Eichel would look a lot better playing on Zetterberg's wing than he has centering Gionta and Larsson.

There ya go.

We are the so-so team that everyone gets to play, and our last road trip, we lost to all 3 so-so teams in a row :(

Lots of wisdom in this thread. Speak truth to power!

[Brawndo]

Rest of the lineup remains the same tonight

[That Aud Smell]

Speak truth to power!

 

with the role of "power" being played by _______.

[TrueBlueGED]

Chad Johnson gets the start tonight

Whatever your first instinct is with your starting goaltender projections, do the opposite :lol:

[Randall Flagg]

We're wearing our home jerseys tonight, sweet.

[WildCard]

Whatever your first instinct is with your starting goaltender projections, do the opposite :lol:

I really need to start going full Costanza at this point. 

[K-9]

I've seen several comparisons between Eichel and other rookies being made since the season began and I understand why. But other than the comparisons to McDavid, I don't recall any other rookie centers in the discussion. Given the vast difference in what a 2nd line center is asked to do on a given night, I just don't think the comparisons are valid.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Norcal]

Zemgus will score again, as per usual vs Detroit

[Stoner]

I really need to start going full Costanza at this point. 

Stay out of the pool.

with the role of "power" being played by _______.

Well you're the one who likes to swing his gavel around, Senator.

[That Aud Smell]

Well you're the one who likes to swing his gavel around, Senator.

 

you're out of order.

[Wyldnwoody44]

What made you think we had drafted a mucker and grinder?

 

Not so much a grinder per se, but I guess at this point I expected to see a little more physical play, not dropping the gloves or laying huge body hits, but I don't see a whole lot more than reaching, I'm not seeing much possession from him and I know he's a rookie so I'm not trying to be overly harsh.

[That Aud Smell]

Not so much a grinder per se, but I guess at this point I expected to see a little more physical play, not dropping the gloves or laying huge body hits, but I don't see a whole lot more than reaching, I'm not seeing much possession from him and I know he's a rookie so I'm not trying to be overly harsh.

 

what game was it - recently - where he was behind the opponent's net and, from a virtual stand still, lowered the shoulder on a charging d-man and sent the guy going the other way?

 

i think as he grows into the nhl game and gains confidence, we'll see more physicality from him. not a lot, mind you - that's not his game. nor should it be, nor need it be.

[Randall Flagg]

what game was it - recently - where he was behind the opponent's net and, from a virtual stand still, lowered the shoulder on a charging d-man and sent the guy going the other way?

 

i think as he grows into the nhl game and gains confidence, we'll see more physicality from him. not a lot, mind you - that's not his game. nor should it be, nor need it be.

That was Dougie Hamilton in Calgary. Very amusing.

[3putt]

He also washed out Kopitar and Doughty in Saturdays game.  

[LGR4GM]

what game was it - recently - where he was behind the opponent's net and, from a virtual stand still, lowered the shoulder on a charging d-man and sent the guy going the other way?

 

i think as he grows into the nhl game and gains confidence, we'll see more physicality from him. not a lot, mind you - that's not his game. nor should it be, nor need it be.

My issue with Jack is I don't see the battle he needs to compete in the NHL. ROR loses a puck and he tries his damnedest to get it back, Eichel loses the puck and he will try and poke check it away.  He has some things to learn. Let's see where Jack is in another 2 months. I need to see progress in that timeframe.

[darksabre]

My issue with Jack is I don't see the battle he needs to compete in the NHL. ROR loses a puck and he tries his damnedest to get it back, Eichel loses the puck and he will try and poke check it away.  He has some things to learn. Let's see where Jack is in another 2 months. I need to see progress in that timeframe.

I think Jack is just not quite where we want him to be physically. Sure, he looks like a man, but he's really still only 19. He may not have the cliche'd "NHL strength" yet. 

[beerme1]

My issue with Jack is I don't see the battle he needs to compete in the NHL. ROR loses a puck and he tries his damnedest to get it back, Eichel loses the puck and he will try and poke check it away.  He has some things to learn. Let's see where Jack is in another 2 months. I need to see progress in that timeframe.

 

 

I've seen him do this. Maybe not lately but I've seen him lose the puck and then lift a guys stick and take it back while pursuing the guy.

[pi2000]

I think Jack is just not quite where we want him to be physically. Sure, he looks like a man, but he's really still only 19. He may not have the cliche'd "NHL strength" yet. 

 

IMO his issues are all mental.   He seems to go through the motions most of the time, like he's just trying to blend in.    Doesn't yet realize what he's capable of, but when he does, he will dominate the game.

[WildCard]

IMO his issues are all mental.   He seems to go through the motions most of the time, like he's just trying to blend in.    Doesn't yet realize what he's capable of, but when he does, he will dominate the game.

This is where I'm at as well. I think that shootout miss in Detroit really hit him hard. He wasn't playing too hot at that point, and that just killed him

[LGR4GM]

I've seen him do this. Maybe not lately but I've seen him lose the puck and then lift a guys stick and take it back while pursuing the guy.

I've seen him do it too. I also watched Mikhail Grigorenko play a complete game once.  One of the things that makes great players great is consistency.  I thought at this point in the season Eichel would have started to show a bit more of it. Instead he seems to have peaked in his development this year.  Again, I will re-evaluate in another 2 months. I honestly expect Jack to break out of this funk soon. One of these games it will all start to click for him.

[qwksndmonster]

I don't think he's trying to blend in, I think he's putting everything on himself and getting discouraged from that and tired from skating 18 minutes every game for the first 2 months.

 

GMTM said that he would struggle mightily after his "arrival game." Since he dominated Tampa Bay I haven't seen that Jack.

[pi2000]

I've seen him do it too. I also watched Mikhail Grigorenko play a complete game once.  One of the things that makes great players great is consistency.  I thought at this point in the season Eichel would have started to show a bit more of it. Instead he seems to have peaked in his development this year.  Again, I will re-evaluate in another 2 months. I honestly expect Jack to break out of this funk soon. One of these games it will all start to click for him.

 

I think he played one of his best games against LA.    Seemed to be moving his feet more, getting in on the forecheck, not giving up on plays.   He still has that tendancy to slow down once he loses a puck and the play moves away from him.... that's just being a rookie, he'll figure it out.  

I don't think he's trying to blend in, I think he's putting everything on himself and getting discouraged from that and tired from skating 18 minutes every game for the first 2 months.

 

GMTM said that he would struggle mightily after his "arrival game." Since he dominated Tampa Bay I haven't seen that Jack.

 

Teams are playing him differently now.   Tampa didn't give him any special attention.   Now teams are watching out for him which will help speed up his development.  

[WildCard]

He's looked a lot better these last 2 games, so maybe tonight we see a Jack goal or even better, an assist to Evander

 

Other than those two, I'll be looking closely at Zemgus for what other people are talking about, and Gorges, for the same reason. I still don't like Johnson in net at all, but it is what it is; hopefully Legwand isn't glued to the bench again, and I'm interesting in seeing the attitude that has become Larsson, because I honestly don't really focus on him

Edited December 14, 2015 by WildCard

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I think Jack is just not quite where we want him to be physically. Sure, he looks like a man, but he's really still only 19. He may not have the cliche'd "NHL strength" yet.

Ummm.....someone may have wanted to put the kibosh on this series of videos then.

 

Shall we go back to the combine talk and how Eichel was by far the best physical specimen in the draft?

 

 

I think we may done been sold a Townie....