The way I look at it is that Giordano has been playing at a high level for a number of years but when he's been put into the position of playing top and high minutes (20+) he's run into trouble. This seems to me to have been a conditioning problem which he seems to have solved. Maybe he was a smoker who quit or maybe he's upped his training or maybe he's just working smarter and more efficiently. I'm just guessing here but it's great to see him take over as our #1 and I'm a big fan.
The absence of Bouwmeester has a lot to do with Gio taking over.
Remember when there were a lot of CPers wanting to keep Bouwmeester, even though he was overpaid, because there was no one else that could possibly fill in his #1D minutes.
Chara is rated based on past performance. Anyone watch him last season? He has lost a massive step. He was a pylon in the playoffs. Subban destroyed him.
Chara is rated based on past performance. Anyone watch him last season? He has lost a massive step. He was a pylon in the playoffs. Subban destroyed him.
And Vlasic as a top 10 D-Man? yeesh.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!
Chara has lost a step, but even with that missing step is still a top-10 defenceman in the NHL.
I agree he was also more sluggish than normal, but come on, how do you even hold a stick with that?
I wonder if the Olympic travel, play, etc, caught up to him late in the season. He certainly looked like a mere mortal in the playoffs. When David Desharnais can go into the corner with you and come out unscathed with the puck, there's something wrong.
ranking the 10 most mobile defencemen. Gio makes the list.
