Video - Gaudreau's first game, shift by shift

[UKflames]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Impression I got from video:

Elite on-ice vision!

Exactly what i was going to come and post after watching that video. He is shifty for sure, he will need to put some strength on but he didn't look out of place at all.

[Coach]

Man, when you isolate him like that it looks like an entirely different game. Everytime he was on the ice he affected the game in a positive way. Pretty impressive for a guys first game to have a couple nice shifts, much less control the play when you're on the ice. You can tell there were a lot of missed opportunities that were created by him that could be converted into goals in the future. Strong defensive awareness as well. Seems to use his size to an advantage to get underneath players and surprise them vs trying to dominate them physically like most players. Thanks AC!

[4oh3]

GODreau

[gonzo29]

You are the man AC. Looking forward to watching this shortly.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by eldrickonice

please let's pick a different phrase... I find that one soooo offensive

thanks ac. Outstanding stuff!

Gaudreau looked great, but most importantly... What was his corsi?

57.9% (11 cf, 8 ca)

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by dfsflamesfan

This isn't anything new about Burrows, but did anyone else feel Burrows' play to hook Gaudreau's skate as he fell down chasing the puck out of the zone to be super dirty? (Around 1:30)

Yes. Wasn't sure who the player was, but it makes sense now!

[Anduril]

You could see Gaudreau constantly making hockey plays, not just attempting to get highlight of the night (though many of his plays could have turned out to be that.) This kid just thinks the game on a different level than everybody else. Honestly cannot wait to see him in more action.

[red sky]

Had an amazing first shift and great first half of the game. Seemed to become a bit more invisible during the second half but overall he surpassed my expectations for his NHL debut.

[Yrebmi]

Watching this video I wonder if there were others of Johnny's ike in the old NHL clutch and grab era that were never allowed to function.

I always considered myself a fan of the "tough" hockey, but makes me think.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Thank you AC, that's a great compilation.

A couple of things stick out to me:

1) He definitely has a natural sense of what other players want to do with the puck. On the shift where he does the spin on Burrows behind the net, he actually gets the puck from the Vancouver dman by dragging his stick along the edge of the boards in order to pick off a drop pass. On at least two other occasions you can see him anticipating that the dman will try to swing the puck around the boards. The first time I saw it I thought he was just turning away from pressuring the dman in the corner, but rather he had a lead on what the dman was about to do.

2) He approaches board battles a bit like Brodie. Rather than trying to muscle up shoulder to shoulder with the guy, he seems to prefer using his quickness to get body position between the opponent and the puck. Makes sense given his size, but his quickness made it seem relatively effective as it is with Brodie.

3) You can tell he has great vision. Made at least one cross-ice pass under pressure that anticipated a dman moving up. Hit Byron without hesitation with a pass on his first shift. Also, that pass that he feathered to Gio on the powerplay during his 3rd shift is just beautiful. Goes towards the net to draw dmen, one small move, and then a feathered pass that hits Gio in stride. I thought our passing was our biggest weakness during the previous 3 years, and improved somewhat this year. Gaudreau will really help on this front.



Definitely has a gifted skill set. I think the big question for him will be how well he uses his quickness and intelligence to give him the time and space that he needs to make plays in the NHL. Hard not to be excited though, and I'm usually a pessimist. Especially after n=1.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Dime_On_Flames

Thank you so much AC!

Does anyone see a little bit of Datsyuk in Johnnys defensive game? He's relentless on the backcheck and stole the puck a couple of times in that game. This was his FIRST nhl action...i'm salivating at his upside!

Forget Kane - if Gaudreau turns out anything like Datsyuk I'm in!

[lanny9]

Originally Posted by dfsflamesfan

This isn't anything new about Burrows, but did anyone else feel Burrows' play to hook Gaudreau's skate as he fell down chasing the puck out of the zone to be super dirty? (Around 1:30)

Yep, I caught that as well, thought to myself after the hit on Sedin that the Burrows play was dirtier. Typical of the little mutha ####er!

[heep223]

Originally Posted by fotze

He is a weird player to watch away from the puck.

Originally Posted by fotze

He goes to places you don't see players go to. Think to yourself 'why is he going there?'.

Originally Posted by fotze

Pucks always find a way to bounce to that open area.

Originally Posted by fotze

but if you can get the puck in an area where everyone is 3 strides away, you(he) can get up to speed and a good chance will come.

Originally Posted by fotze

He, at times is weirdly far away from that on the defensive side.

Originally Posted by fotze

I'm curious at how it will work in the NHL and if a coach will let him get away with it.

This is a great post. There was another player who's style of play was unanimously described almost exactly how you are describing Johnny's style. I dare not say his name because it's way beyond ridiculous. But this is exactly what people said about him.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by heep223

This is a great post. There was another player who's style of play was unanimously described almost exactly how you are describing Johnny's style. I dare not say his name because it's way beyond ridiculous. But this is exactly what people said about him.

[AC]

Originally Posted by heep223

This is a great post. There was another player who's style of play was unanimously described almost exactly how you are describing Johnny's style. I dare not say his name because it's way beyond ridiculous. But this is exactly what people said about him.

Johnny G-esus.

[868904]

Originally Posted by fotze

This is where I hope coaches are patient. He is a weird player to watch away from the puck. I think most coaches in the NHL expect all players to do the conventional thing without the puck. The 'being an NHL' player mold. He goes to places you don't see players go to. Think to yourself 'why is he going there?'. On offence when desperate he likes to find the most open area and dump the puck there. Like a mosquito he seems to hover in that same open area on the defensive side, since the other team players like to do the same. Pucks always find a way to bounce to that open area.

Getting the puck in the scrum is fine to get possession of it, but you probably won't do much other than a pass or dump, but if you can get the puck in an area where everyone is 3 strides away, you(he) can get up to speed and a good chance will come.

It is human nature to be drawn to the mass of people fighting for the puck as you see in timbits where it has to be driven out of kids until the day they die. He, at times is weirdly far away from that on the defensive side.

I'm curious at how it will work in the NHL and if a coach will let him get away with it.

I have a feeling that Johnny won't get the Sven treatment from Bob. Johnny seems like the super humble type, and coaches love that. He will get a much longer rope than a young prospect who is not as humble. Sven has a little bit of a swagger to him, and i'm not saying this is bad, it works for him, but it may not endear him as much to old school coaches.

Plus also add in the fact that Johnny will be working Bob Hartley's hockey school for the second straight summer this year, and I think he'll be one of Bob's favourites.

And if Johnny creates offense like he did in his only NHL game, Bob will have all the reason to cut him some slack on the defensive side of things.

[Tyler]

I haven't noticed any swagger from Sven at all. Guy seemed super humble and polite at all times.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by heep223

This is a great post. There was another player who's style of play was unanimously described almost exactly how you are describing Johnny's style. I dare not say his name because it's way beyond ridiculous. But this is exactly what people said about him.

I don't think it matters which forward position Gaudreau plays as he uses the entire ice surface. He will be better when he gets to know his teammates' tendencies. They will also benefit more from his play when they realize how he plays and how creative he can be. The idea of having him on the PP makes me drool.

[stemit14]

When I watch his style of play and his skill.. I can see why he has been compared to Patrick Kane. Quick hands, quick feet, and he thinks the game so fast... The puck was on his stick and then passed over to a team mate so quick that sometimes guys weren't ready for it.

[djsFlames]

Gaudreau dishes the puck so creatively and accurately that he'll be the best weapon on the PP we've had in many years. The problem with our PP for some time has been the lack of creativity and anybody being able to fool the opposition as to what we're gonna do... often because we don't move our feet at all, either. Gaudreau has the vision and does things so quickly, that often defenders are a step behind reacting to his moves. This year we've had no one with near that kind of vision to quarterback the PP.