Funny though - he's always had about equal goals versus assists in college. I would think with his stickhandling skill, he must have decent wrist strength. And the shots I've seen him take weren't weak (like the goal he got back in October where the goalie was leaning off the post). They are not often from the best position though.
I agree. I think Gaudreau is aware that his shot needs work, which is maybe why he elects to pass sometimes when he should be shooting (which ties into what ForeverFlameFan said).
I'm not sure I agree with this. I think Johnny is above all concerned with being an unselfish teammate and not being perceived as an upstart showboat. I think the goals will come later this season.
The Following User Says Thank You to Rick M. For This Useful Post:
I'm not sure I agree with this. I think Johnny is above all concerned with being an unselfish teammate and not being perceived as an upstart showboat. I think the goals will come later this season.
He's been pretty visibly frustrated by his lack of finish, at times. I think he has a good shot, so don't get me wrong. I just think it needs work and I think his lack of finish, in certain instances, is affecting his confidence in his shot. He definitely has a bit of "Tanguay syndrome".
Funny thread to read through a few years on. I don't blame anyone for exhibiting initial skepticism, but it's awesome that Johnny (or -yuck- "John" as he was referred to back then) has spent the past few years baking up fresh batches of F-U biscuits for all of the doubters on a regular basis.
__________________ Is your cat doing singing?
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Max Cow Disease For This Useful Post:
Johnny Gaudreau does not have any worse of a shot than anyone on the team.
He is simply a smart and unselfish player.
He evaluates the probability of him scoring in his position versus passing off the put to a player in a better position, and he makes the pass with higher probability every time.
He has literally won games for this team with his playmaking abilities.
I am sure 90% of his assists are 1st assists and not Second assists.
He should keep doing what he is doing and not care about scoring goals.
The goals will come.
But right now he is a big contributor to this team.
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to 1stLand For This Useful Post:
It does seem in the NHL he's shaping up to a bit more of a playmaker than pure goal scorer. I could see a regular split of about 30g, 50a (ppg level of player).
I think he'll get more assists because the opposition focuses on him like they did Iginla but he doesn't have the brute force to muscle his way to the net and makes up for it by being one of the best passers in the game. Whether it's Johnny or Jooris scoring doesn't really matter.
I think he'll get more assists because the opposition focuses on him like they did Iginla but he doesn't have the brute force to muscle his way to the net and makes up for it by being one of the best passers in the game. Whether it's Johnny or Jooris scoring doesn't really matter.
That in a nutshell is why defenders IMO are having difficulty with him. If you sit back and give him room it gives him a chance to be creative. On the other hand you engage and take away space, he has the ability to spin off to give himself space or make some ridiculous passes to create high quality scoring chances.
I know Treliving mentioned that the Flames have some sort of metric about making plays to creating chances. It would not surprise me to see Gaudreau up on that list.
Gaudreau has an accurate shot, but it's weak. I haven't seen him get off a high-velocity wrist shot like Monahan ripped last night. It remains to be seen if he'll develop the strength to become an NHL shooter as well as a set-up guy.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to CliffFletcher For This Useful Post:
His shot speed isn't the problem, how many shots does he take from the slot? Seems like it's been 1 or 2 and those have gone in. He makes up for shot speed with accuracy, his problem is getting double teamed any time he even gets close to the slot. He's 150 pounds with over 300 pounds tracking him, it'll be tough to get to the high chance scoring areas.
He evaluates the probability of him scoring in his position versus passing off the put to a player in a better position, and he makes the pass with higher probability every time.
I like this.
And I think this is why his goal totals will go up. Unlike other playmakers I think he will start to sniff out defenders cheating to the pass when he has the puck and start shooting it himself.
He has a heck of a wrister when he uses it. Right now it boils down to confidence. As a rookie it's clear he feels more adept to play the role of setup man. But he's a pure goal scorer too with a great shot and I expect once he starts to use it a bit more the confidence will develop and he'll start to score a lot of goals to match the apples.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to GoJetsGo For This Useful Post:
With Johnny's great hockey IQ, he probably isn't getting very many goals because other teams are trying to stop him from shooting, leaving someone else on the ice with a better opportunity to score.
I think his wrister is pretty good. Ok velocity, good accuracy.
NHL goalies are exponentially better than the college guys he's used to. I've noticed when he's got an opportunity to shoot in a play where he's not in full speed, he takes too long to decide to shoot and gives the goalie more than enough time to get his feet set.
The flip side is that he made like 3 mind-bottling plays to get himself into that position in the first place... but he's still got to get that shot off quicker.
