2017 World Championship May 5-21

[TrueBlueGED]

There is no current hockey player that dives nearly as much as Nik Ehlers does.

Jeff. Skinner.

[Thorner]

Jeff. Skinner.

Fair enough.

[Brawndo]

3-3 USA and Latvia to begin the third

[Brawndo]

USA comes back from a 3-1 deficit to win 5-3.

[Brawndo]

Interesting that Jack went from centering the top line and 10 Shots in his first game, to being a winger off the first line and 1 Shot today.

[sabresith]

Interesting that Jack went from centering the top line and 10 Shots in his first game, to being a winger off the first line and 1 Shot today.

Interesting, have you been watching, any explanation why? Thanks in advance.

[Randall Flagg]

From what I've read he hasn't been any good

[I-90 W]

From what I've read he hasn't been any good

 

5 games

 

0-3-3, -1 and 23 sog.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Saratoga Sabres Fan

[Thorner]

Maybe Jack needs to learn how to play with high skill players. It took a young Sidney Crosby quite a while to learn to do that. We can hope.

[TrueBlueGED]

Maybe Jack needs to learn how to play with high skill players. It took a young Sidney Crosby quite a while to learn to do that. We can hope.

I haven't watched a lick of the Worlds this year, but every time I watch him play in an international tourney, he's way too deferential. And as we all know, passive Eichel can be ugly. He needs to be dominating the puck.

[Thorner]

I haven't watched a lick of the Worlds this year, but every time I watch him play in an international tourney, he's way too deferential. And as we all know, passive Eichel can be ugly. He needs to be dominating the puck.

That's true.

 

And not to harp on Crosby, but this is an all-time player who generally plays with the likes of, who, Chris Kunitz? Jake Guentzal? No disrespect to those guys, but it's interesting that a player of Sid's caliber does his best work when playing with high effort, puck retrieval, not top of the line skill guys, as opposed to being paired with a Kessel.

 

Crosby didn't muster much when paired with Stamkos, either.

[TrueBlueGED]

That's true.

 

And not to harp on Crosby, but this is an all-time player who generally plays with the likes of, who, Chris Kunitz? Jake Guentzal? No disrespect to those guys, but it's interesting that a player of Sid's caliber does his best work when playing with high effort, puck retrieval, not top of the line skill guys, as opposed to being paired with a Kessel.

 

Crosby didn't muster much when paired with Stamkos, either.

For how many years was "it's hard to play with Crosby" a narrative? Only unlike most, I think it had validity. Playing with a puck dominant player is not easy, even if the puck dominant player is the best on the world and the winger is great in his own right.

[LGR4GM]

I haven't watched a lick of the Worlds this year, but every time I watch him play in an international tourney, he's way too deferential. And as we all know, passive Eichel can be ugly. He needs to be dominating the puck.

Jack Jack gonna float! Seriously though, he does play passive at times and it is maddening. Needs a coach to go after him every time he does it until he understands.

[Thorner]

For how many years was "it's hard to play with Crosby" a narrative? Only unlike most, I think it had validity. Playing with a puck dominant player is not easy, even if the puck dominant player is the best on the world and the winger is great in his own right.

Precisely.

[LGR4GM]

For how many years was "it's hard to play with Crosby" a narrative? Only unlike most, I think it had validity. Playing with a puck dominant player is not easy, even if the puck dominant player is the best on the world and the winger is great in his own right.

I think in Crosby's case you need a smart winger with speed who can get open or out of the way and is told, "get the puck, dish it to Crosby". Hard to find players like that who are also willing to defer to someone else all the time. I bet Kyle Okposo would be good with Crosby for example.

[Thorner]

I think in Crosby's case you need a smart winger with speed who can get open or out of the way and is told, "get the puck, dish it to Crosby". Hard to find players like that who are also willing to defer to someone else all the time. I bet Kyle Okposo would be good with Crosby for example.

And probably with Eichel, too, as many here on this board have postulated. Hopefully Nylander can mesh with Eichel. I'd like to see something like:

 

Nylander - Eichel - Okposo

Carrier - O'Reilly - Reinhart

 

(Assumimg Reinhart is kept at wing (obviously would like to see him at C))

 

I think that could work well. If Nylander can't mesh with Jack, switch him and Carrier?

[TrueBlueGED]

My 2 cents: I think Okposo likes to have the puck too much to love his fit with Eichel. He and Eichel didn't have enough time together last year to draw any conclusions, but I don't remember it looking too good.

[LGR4GM]

My 2 cents: I think Okposo likes to have the puck too much to love his fit with Eichel. He and Eichel didn't have enough time together last year to draw any conclusions, but I don't remember it looking too good.

Maybe, hopefully this year the lines won't change every other shift. Because Dan Bylsma (BDB)

[TrueBlueGED]

Maybe, hopefully this year the lines won't change every other shift. Because Dan Bylsma (BDB)

This gets me mad all over again. For as much as Bylsma shuffled lines, it's amazing how many combinations we didn't see for any real time.

[Thorner]

My 2 cents: I think Okposo likes to have the puck too much to love his fit with Eichel. He and Eichel didn't have enough time together last year to draw any conclusions, but I don't remember it looking too good.

If so, that leaves Reinhart as his other option for a RW. If not, and we wanted to try someone like Baptiste or Bailey there with Jack, that bumps Reinhart down to the third line, which I think is only feasible if he's at centre.

 

Bottz and coach are going to have some work to do to figure out where all these guys fit.

[LGR4GM]

This gets me mad all over again. For as much as Bylsma shuffled lines, it's amazing how many combinations we didn't see for any real time.

you mean logical ones?

 

"Hey guys I am going to play Deslauriers with Jack and Sam for 3 weeks then for 1 period play Eichel with ROR just for poops and then BACK TO Eichel ROR and KANE!!!! Then maybe Eichel Carrier, Sam OR WAIT! Eichel Bailey Moulson, that will be awesome for 10 or fifteen games, I wonder what Foligno is doing..." Dan freaking Bylsma

If so, that leaves Reinhart as his other option for a RW. If not, and we wanted to try someone like Baptiste or Bailey there with Jack, that bumps Reinhart down to the third line, which I think is only feasible if he's at centre.

 

Bottz and coach are going to have some work to do to figure out where all these guys fit.

I think a couple will get traded but def a logjam up front forming.

[TrueBlueGED]

If so, that leaves Reinhart as his other option for a RW. If not, and we wanted to try someone like Baptiste or Bailey there with Jack, that bumps Reinhart down to the third line, which I think is only feasible if he's at centre.

 

Bottz and coach are going to have some work to do to figure out where all these guys fit.

I really like the potential fit of Baptiste if Nylander isn't ready. Think Carrier is a nice fit for the plumber on the line.

[Thorner]

I really like the potential fit of Baptiste if Nylander isn't ready. Think Carrier is a nice fit for the plumber on the line.

Carrier - Eichel - Baptiste

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo

Kane - Reinhart - Nylander

Girgensons - Larsson - Foligno

 

???

[I-90 W]

Carrier - Eichel - Baptiste

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo

Kane - Reinhart - Nylander

Girgensons - Larsson - Foligno

 

???

 

I'd rather have that forth line be Rodriguez - Girgs - Foligno

[LGR4GM]

Carrier - Eichel - Baptiste

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo

Kane - Reinhart - Nylander

Girgensons - Larsson - Foligno

 

???

Bailey and Baptiste are Right Wingers. Wouldn't want to start them in the NHL on their off hand side.