Quote:
Originally Posted by jonkaupp
No one concerned that Bennett has been getting benched and generally playing like crap as of late? When I saw this thread bumped I assumed that that’s the only thing that anyone would be talking about. But nope, just more crappy stats saying that he’s actually really good. His inconsistency is maddening.
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[snark]
Sacrilege! Those aren't crappy stats. Those are black and white "counting" events. No linking of unrelated data points. No misinterpretation. No gray areas where data has been misattributed. And definitely no errors in data collection that would make data sets specious. Don't you dare suggest that these stats are crappy and present erroneous information. You're missing most of the game if you don't ascribe to the observance of these magical* data points. All praise the spreadsheet.
Bennett is an awesome hockey player. One of the best in the league. Don't let those poor scoring outcomes fool you, Sam Bennett is magnificence, rolled in a blanket of awesomeness, topped with a dollop out tremendousness. Look at those shot attempts he's generating! It doesn't matter that when Bennett winds up that his shot routinely misses the proverbial barn, you can hear the squeals of delight because he managed to take a shot of no consequence. It's a counting event! It doesn't matter that when he does get a shot on goal it is usually an end-over-end flutterball that no self-respecting goaltender is going to let in. The hearts go all aflutter because a counting event just took place. These "events" tell you that Sam Bennett is a good - no great - hockey player, and that it is just a run of bad luck that holds him back! All praise the spreadsheet!
You're missing the most important aspects of the game when you don't swallow this data whole cloth. I mean, Derek Ryan is one of the top 10 players in the NHL! The advanced stats don't lie. They are black and white and they have been counted. Anything less than agreement weighs YOU, and you are left wanting. It doesn't matter whether the actual outcomes of games say something else, or the most obvious of observations tells you something else, you must accept the pseudo-statistics of unrelated events to explain the intricacies of this chaos that exists out on the frozen sheet of ice. Winter is coming, and with it the counting. All praise the spreadsheet!
[/snark]
I hear what you are saying and agree. Bennett is a very concerning player. The outcomes he produces are not good. He generates offense at a 4th line rate. He plays the game in a way that kills his linemates and all creativity. Bennett's first instinct when he gets the puck is to try and beat every player on the ice. When he does make a pass, or try to use his linemates, it is usually way off the mark, in someone's skates, or into a defender. He tries really hard, but doesn't make much happen out there. When you look at Tkachuk it is amazing he has managed to stay somewhat productive being saddled with the 16th most productive player - per 60 minutes of ice time - on the team. Add in Derek Ryan - the 14th most productive player per 60 minutes of ice time - and you have a perfect explanation as to why the second line would be ####. When you are sitting just above Garnett Hathaway in points per 60 minutes, and can thank James Neal and a host of players who have been called up from the AHL from pushing you up the leaderboard, you probably don't deserve that prime ice time you're getting. I really wish the coaching staff would recognize the obvious and shift these guys down where they belong. Bennett produces like a 4th liner, that is where he should be contributing.
*Magic does not exist. If you actually watch the act and understand the mechanisms behind the turn you can clearly see how the performance works and can appreciate the performer for what they are - a mechanic.