Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814
Thank you for the shot assist clarification.
However better a passer Bennett is than Virtanen, Sam has 5 more points in the last 18 months. If either team was offered an unprotected 1st and 3rd for either player, they take that deal and call no take backs.
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Sorry, but this is poor evaluation. Bennett is a line driver and a strong two way player. Virtanen is a guy who can shoot the puck really well. Bennett is far more valuable in every way, and point totals never tell enough of the story.
If Calgary was offered a 1st and a 3rd for Bennett, they would refuse that trade, the player is worth more to them on the ice than a 1st likely will be. He's our 6th leading forward scorer, by the way. Frolik may have higher PPG but we both know that's inflated by empty net goals. And Bennett hasn't had the luxury of James Neal having finish.
As for not remembering many nice passes by Bennett leading to goals? I think that's poor recollection on your part. Off the top of my head:
Rookie Season
- a perfect stretch pass to Mason Raymond vs STL
- a great feed from behind the net to TJ Brodie against the grain vs EDM
- a beautiful two man game with Frolik on the right side from behind the goal line, off his backhand to boot, against the Caps
- spins off on Sidney Crosby with some nice edges, hits a streaking Colborne right in the slot on the tape
- a really clean, hard cross ice feed to Brodie, whi then feeds it back across to Backlund for the tap in, dunno who against
- another backhand assist to Ferland, maybe Colborne ?against the Coyotes
2nd season
Makes a ridiculous pass to Chiasson against the grain from behind the net against Boston
The Gaudreau goal you mentioned
3rd season
A really nice pass on the PP from the slot over to Ferland for a one timer
Really nice feed across the ice to Jagr, who spots Janko
Another on the power play where he spots Janko from behind the net
This season:
The dropoff to Neal for a wide open net
A sexy drop pass back to Gaudreau, who then passed it to Monahan and Hamonic got the tip in.
That's a few just going by memory. To go with probably some other nice ones I forget and a lot of really rock solid simple plays that are nice reads - see his assist on Hanifin's goal in the most recent game.
I also believe his passing in the defensive zone and neutral zone are way better than the offensive zone. In the offensive zone he seems to be afraid of getting his pass picked off, so he makes the safe low reward play, but in the other two zones he really sees the ice. Watch how consistently the team breakout goes through him, whether it's a play on the walls as a winger or his play down low as a center. I always get a kick out of people who say he's a bad center when he has aspects of his game that rival Backlund. Jankowski is the anchor on that line holding them back.