Rasmus Ristolainen's very nice week

[SwampD]

Brad Richards was the vet, I'm pretty sure.

 

 

And James Neal was the kid.

Yep.

 

From http://www.theplayerstribune.com/james-neal-predators-sniper/

 

He goes, “Kid, if you ever bang your stick on the ice again, you’ll never get another pass from me.”

Thanks, bud. I still think I’m always open, I just don’t tap my stick anymore.

[LTS]

Generally speaking the stick tapping is a terrible idea because anyone can do it.  So, responding to someone tapping their stick in a typical game play situation would be idiotic if you are the player carrying the puck.  I teach my kids to do it to the opposing team and it works fairly often.

 

I think in the OT situation it's less of a circumstance because there are only 6 players on the ice and Okposo can see 4 of them.  That said... you'd rather hear Risto yelling for the pass.  This is why playing with the same guys over and over again is important because you need to pick out their vocal communications more than anything.

 

And Risto is awesome.

[Doohicksie]

Generally speaking the stick tapping is a terrible idea because anyone can do it.  So, responding to someone tapping their stick in a typical game play situation would be idiotic if you are the player carrying the puck.  I teach my kids to do it to the opposing team and it works fairly often.

 

I think in the OT situation it's less of a circumstance because there are only 6 players on the ice and Okposo can see 4 of them.  That said... you'd rather hear Risto yelling for the pass.  This is why playing with the same guys over and over again is important because you need to pick out their vocal communications more than anything.

 

And Risto is awesome.

 

By all accounts, Risto was yelling as well as tapping his stick.  I can see where tapping the stick would help tell Okposo where Risto is (i.e., a repeated tapping versus an intermittent yell).

Yep.

 

From http://www.theplayerstribune.com/james-neal-predators-sniper/

 

He goes, “Kid, if you ever bang your stick on the ice again, you’ll never get another pass from me.”

Thanks, bud. I still think I’m always open, I just don’t tap my stick anymore.

 

That's fine, but different teams, different players, have different "etiquette." 

 

Just like in forums- there are things we do on this forum that would be anathema on others and vice versa.  I was kicked off a forum for using multiple exclamation points in a topic title (even though they were meant ironically).  No sense of humor.

[Randall Flagg]

He now leads the team in scoring.

[Winston]

Currently on pace for 61 points. Dmen that scored 60+ points last year: Karlsson, Burns, Letang, and Josi.

 

Also on pace for 34 power play points. Dmen that scored 34 points last year with the man advantage? Zero. Burns led the way with 31.

 

I said this in the GTD, but I'll say it again. Jack is and always will be my favorite player. But damn, Risto is closing the gap.

[pi2000]

Evrn with the offensive production tonight he was an even +/-. He was on the ice for the first goal, assisted on the PP, and scored at even strength.

 

He's been stepping up huge lately, love to see it, although it will sound like I'm nitpicking if I thought he could've played the puck better on the first goal against (Lehner should've stopped it anyway).

[Winston]

(Not directly in response to Pi, although it might apply. More a general thought on Risto)

 

Really interesting to look at top performing Dmen and their ozone vs dzone starting percentage this year. All slash lines are O% / D%

 

Karlsson: 58.2/41.8 (first time ever not cracking 60/40

Burns: 60/40

Letang: 53.3/46.7

Subban: 48.8/51.2

Byfuglien: 46.5/53.5 (first time ever below 50/50)

Josi: 54.3/46.7

Weber: 47/53

 

Risto: 43.9/56.1

 

Despite being up there with elite scorers, he's starting far more of his possessions in the defensive zone than anyone else. Is that a testament to his great defensive play or the lack of talent on our back end? I think it's a little of both, probably much more of the later. But, I wonder what his ES offensive numbers would look like if he got Karlsson's cushy offensive minutes.

 

No matter how you slice it, it's a testament to how important he is to this team. Bylsma uses him as our defensive anchor. He goes out there and performs as our offensive anchor too.

[inkman]

His plus minus sucks so he must suck too.

[Mig22]

although it will sound like I'm nitpicking if I thought he could've played the puck better on the first goal against (Lehner should've stopped it anyway).

It's not nitpicking, the puck went right through him.  But bouncing pucks are always tough and that goal was a great follow by Barkov.  Lehner stopped him and then Barkov put it back from a sick angle while leaning severely.  Just a good play.

[TrueBlueGED]

Apparently Risto broke Nilsson's helmet with a shot in practice today. That's pretty great.

[darksabre]

Apparently Risto broke Nilsson's helmet with a shot in practice today. That's pretty great.

You're sick.

[TrueBlueGED]

You're sick.

What?!? Nilsson was fine! Finished practice in a blank mask!

 

LET ME HAVE MY RISTO LOVE!

[Samson's Flow]

Risto is so sexy. I like the helmet story (if true)

[darksabre]

What?!? Nilsson was fine! Finished practice in a blank mask!

 

LET ME HAVE MY RISTO LOVE!

Oh. His mask. You said helmet. I thought you meant...

[TrueBlueGED]

Oh. His mask. You said helmet. I thought you meant...

You should take me seriously, but not literally.

[Samson's Flow]

Oh. His mask. You said helmet. I thought you meant...

You're a 12 year old in a man's body :lol:

[nfreeman]

(Not directly in response to Pi, although it might apply. More a general thought on Risto)

 

Really interesting to look at top performing Dmen and their ozone vs dzone starting percentage this year. All slash lines are O% / D%

 

Karlsson: 58.2/41.8 (first time ever not cracking 60/40

Burns: 60/40

Letang: 53.3/46.7

Subban: 48.8/51.2

Byfuglien: 46.5/53.5 (first time ever below 50/50)

Josi: 54.3/46.7

Weber: 47/53

 

Risto: 43.9/56.1

 

Despite being up there with elite scorers, he's starting far more of his possessions in the defensive zone than anyone else. Is that a testament to his great defensive play or the lack of talent on our back end? I think it's a little of both, probably much more of the later. But, I wonder what his ES offensive numbers would look like if he got Karlsson's cushy offensive minutes.

 

No matter how you slice it, it's a testament to how important he is to this team. Bylsma uses him as our defensive anchor. He goes out there and performs as our offensive anchor too.

 

Good stuff.  I might add that it's also probably a factor of how often the Sabres start in their D-zone -- i.e. since they are still a lower-rung NHL team, they probably start an above-average number of possessions in the D-zone, which affects all of their defensemen.

 

The Karlsson point is interesting too.  When I was at the NYI-Ott game a few days ago, I didn't see Karlsson for a while and was wondering whether he was out with an injury -- but they were just saving him for an O-zone faceoff.

[Randall Flagg]

With a healthy d-corps for a couple games now, he's still getting 26-30 minutes per game. Look for about 15-20 more effective games from Rasmus before he starts to break down, like he did last season.

[dudacek]

With a healthy d-corps for a couple games now, he's still getting 26-30 minutes per game. Look for about 15-20 more effective games from Rasmus before he starts to break down, like he did last season.

So completely likely.

[Randall Flagg]

So completely likely.

Hm?

[dudacek]

Hm?

It's completely likely that it happens again. It happened last year and we all saw it happen.

Dan saw it happen and said he wasn't going to fall into the trap again.

Dan also said he spent his year away studying what's working in the league for coaching strategy and would adjust his style.

Sometimes Dan just can't help himself.

[Randall Flagg]

It's completely likely that it happens again. It happened last year and we all saw it happen.

Dan saw it happen and said he wasn't going to fall into the trap again.

Dan also said he spent his year away studying what's working in the league for coaching strategy and would adjust his style.

Sometimes Dan just can't help himself.

Gotcha. At least ROR seems to regularly hang between 20-23 instead of 24-26 recently.

[TrueBlueGED]

I actually think there's a reasonable chance the crash doesn't happen this year. Last year was Risto's first in that kind of role, and he had an entire offseason to prepare for it this go 'round. I'd prefer him to get a minute or so less on average, but I'm not terrified of it.

[Cisse]

I have seen very little of Sabres games this season but from what I have seen I think that Risto's extremely hard work in the summer is really paying of. I'd like to see him get a sound defensive partner so he could use his offensive skills even more. Someone like Teppo Numminen would have been perfect with him.

[Randall Flagg]

I actually think there's a reasonable chance the crash doesn't happen this year. Last year was Risto's first in that kind of role, and he had an entire offseason to prepare for it this go 'round. I'd prefer him to get a minute or so less on average, but I'm not terrified of it.

It's happening. It's a good thing that our coach who explicitly said before the season that he needs to not do this to Risto has spent this whole time doing this to Risto. 

 

The kid isn't Keith yet, stop trying to pretend he is.