Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
I am as big a fan of Ferland as anyone on here, but the simple fact of the matter is that he did little to no policing on Gaudreau's line last year. Here was great offensively, he has a fantastic shot, and he threw the body plenty.
But when teams were taking liberties, there was little to no pushback last year from anyone - including Ferland. And that was the one thing about his game that disappointed me.
|
I think he policed last year. I can't think of any moments where Gaudreau was really attacked much. There was a game where Lucic threw him, but that game was getting out of hand already, and I don't think that Ferland was on the ice.
He stuck up for Stajan really well with that cheap blind side from Roussell.
I think often that we don't see Ferland 'policing' because he doesn't usually have to. He will just go and say something between whistles, and that is usually the end of that, especially considering the line match-ups.
Remember during the Anaheim under Gulutzan when Kesler was after Monahan and Gaudreau? Ferland immediately gets between them and tries to get Kesler to drop the mitts, and I think he intimidated Kesler.
I can't think of a moment in a game this past season where I felt that Ferland should have fought someone over what happened with Gaudreau - with the exception of Lucic maybe. That's about it. I argue he didn't have to fight much because of the lines that they matched up against, and how Gaudreau wasn't cheap-shotted much like he was the season before.
Also, remember when Borowiecki drilled Lazar head-first into the boards? Who went after him? It was Ferland.
Ferland *only* fought twice last year, but both times it was in response to a dangerous cheap-shot.