Forwards going to/crashing the net

[Marvin]

Elliot Friedman reports that HCDG is very upset that many players do not go to the net like they did last year and that GMKA is looking at a "now" trade rather than purely selling this trade deadline.

Timing is everything, eh Kevin?

[Weave]

4 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Elliot Friedman reports that HCDG is very upset that many players do not go to the net like they did last year and that GMKA is looking at a "now" trade rather than purely selling this trade deadline.

Timing is everything, eh Kevin?

Glad they didn’t wait until the season was lost.

[FrenchConnection44]

On 2/11/2024 at 9:17 AM, DarthEbriate said:

Benson's shot and speed will get better as he gains strength. In a few years he'll be fine, just like most top players who don't make it to the NHL until they're 21-22.

Now, should he be in the NHL this season? He was really good in training camp. Should that have mattered versus say...  Olofsson or Rousek or an experienced UFA grinder for the bottom 6 as the #12-13F?

A couple games before the All-Star Break, JJP and (Cozens? probably? Maybe even Quinn) had a 2-on-1 break. JJP was ahead and dropped the puck back. Instead of driving the net and being available for a tip, rebound, screen, diversion of the goalie, and general chaos, he floated off toward the corner for a sharp-angle one-timer feed. He took himself out of the play except for a perfect pass. The defenseman was able to focus on the other skater. The goalie didn't have anyone near him.

JJP is one of our best and brightest and has a future as a middle-6 20-goal/season guy, but it felt so gross to watch him just... float away. With the rest of the garbage.

Hope so on Benson. 
 

on JJP, we need coaching. Strong coaching. Coaching that knows what to do and gets these kids to do their job. 

[msw2112]

In one of the games just before the All-Star break (LA or San Jose), Peterka scored a great goal when he drove the net.  He may have even ended up in the net with the puck and maybe the goaltender too.  I finally thought he (and maybe the Sabres) had figured it out.  Having watched the team since then, not so much.

Unfortunately the video of that goal is no longer available (got a 404 error when trying to access the link).  That may have been the only example that Granato had available to show in team video sessions and he can't get to it either.

[sweetlou]

Zach MacEwen just placed on waivers by Sens...he likes to goto the net and hit anything on skates.  He is the type of player needed on this team to play 10-12 minutes on the 4th line and be able to stand up for young guys when other teams start running around 

[_Q_]

6 hours ago, Marvin said:

Elliot Friedman reports that HCDG is very upset that many players do not go to the net like they did last year and that GMKA is looking at a "now" trade rather than purely selling this trade deadline.

Timing is everything, eh Kevin?

If this is actually true, then we need a new coach and not a "now" trade.

[Stoner]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Well, they went to the net against LA and got rewarded.  Why did it take so long this season for the players to do exactly what they knew they were supposed to do?

[Mr Peabody]

I don’t think we have the physical strength to go and STAY in front of the net against many teams.  Meaning we can’t sustain chaos in front of the goalie.   Watching the Blues game their D men were easily able to clear Sabres from the front.  

[Marvin]

13 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

I don’t think we have the physical strength to go and STAY in front of the net against many teams.  Meaning we can’t sustain chaos in front of the goalie.   Watching the Blues game their D men were easily able to clear Sabres from the front.  

This is a very interesting theory which could explain the facts.  It would mean that others have to be willing to continually drive to the net more often because of the lack of a sustained presence and the inability to stay there.  I need to look for this.  Thanks!

[Big Guava]

On 2/11/2024 at 7:44 AM, FrenchConnection44 said:

I appreciate the OP and the links. But this is a better measure because Benson doesn’t get off a ton of shots. 

These stats are such a low number they don’t paint a statistically valid picture of who is going to the net. Benson doesn’t shoot from far out which is wise because when you look at his shot speed (and his skating speed) both are incredibly slow. 

It’s hard not to like Benson because of the way he plays with such excellent intangibles for a rookie. But I have to wonder if he will become a great player with such a slow skate speed and shot. Especially as small as he is. With a shot that slow he shouldn’t shoot outside of 7 feet. 😉

It will be interesting to see if he can improve that very much. But I suspect those variables are why he fell in the draft. kid desperately needs to get stronger. A player can get away with a weaker shot speed if it’s hyper accurate and if he skates fast. Or vice versa. Or has size and is physical. Tough to overcome none of those. 

We need team speed. We play a very slow game. And we have a lot of slow players. Just put on one of our games side by side compared to a team like the Oilers. You’ll find yourself saying, “Oh, so that’s the speed an NHL game is supposed to look like.” Speed isn’t everything; a great scheme, defensive system can overcome. But we don’t have any of that. 
 

The dude is 18...pretty sure he will gain strength thru at least 21 or 22, so I think you'd want to revisit this at that point.

20 hours ago, Mr Peabody said:

I don’t think we have the physical strength to go and STAY in front of the net against many teams.  Meaning we can’t sustain chaos in front of the goalie.   Watching the Blues game their D men were easily able to clear Sabres from the front.  

Time to get those squats and deadlifts going in the gym...