Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Juuso Valimaki: "I really enjoy hockey again"

Jay Random · 11-06-2022, 06:13 PM

I don't think it's really a given that he's succeeding there. On a team that bad, having a good plus-minus often means you're being sheltered.

As for the Flames' defensive woes, that has relatively little to do with the Flames' defencemen. The whole team isn't playing sound hockey without the puck.

Sometimes I wish the players on the blue line weren't called defencemen. Some fans, and even some media people, talk as if defensive play was entirely the defencemen's job, and if a team is giving up too many goals, it must have bad players at that position.

***BORING OLD-TIMEY STORY ALERT***

In the early days of hockey, the two players who lined up closest to the goalie were called ‘point’ and ‘cover point’. Maybe if we went back to those names, more people would remember that defensive play is a whole-team job.

11-06-2022, 06:13 PM	#102
Jay Random Franchise Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Exp:	I don't think it's really a given that he's succeeding there. On a team that bad, having a good plus-minus often means you're being sheltered. As for the Flames' defensive woes, that has relatively little to do with the Flames' defencemen. The whole team isn't playing sound hockey without the puck. Sometimes I wish the players on the blue line weren't called defencemen. Some fans, and even some media people, talk as if defensive play was entirely the defencemen's job, and if a team is giving up too many goals, it must have bad players at that position. *BORING OLD-TIMEY STORY ALERT* In the early days of hockey, the two players who lined up closest to the goalie were called ‘point’ and ‘cover point’. Maybe if we went back to those names, more people would remember that defensive play is a whole-team job. __________________ WARNING: The preceding message may not have been processed in a sarcasm-free facility.