QOTD: Who is Joe Colborne?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

If the Kings were getting phantom hits then were Chicago and Boston also getting phantom hits?

Is it just Edmonton and Calgary who for the last 3 years have had small timid teams that count only real hits.

As for hits being a weak stat.... Shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots.... on which all CORSI-like advanced stats are based are judgement calls that would be prone to homerism as well.

Not to near the same extent though. The puck has to either hit mesh it goalie. Only jamming at the puck can sway that. Hundreds of physical plays are made each game but what is a bit is not so easy to define.

I get really irritated by the constant piling on you on this forum, but I don't agree with using hits to determine anything without the largest grain of salt

[Goriders]

Once Bennett shows up he won't be at center anymore.

[GioforPM]

Shots on goal are nowhere near as arbitrary as hits. Giveaway/takeaway would be a better example.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think Colborne is a 'keeper' in the top 9 for sure, regardless of who the Flames end up drafting and developing in the future. I do think he could be a capable 2nd line center if he continues improving the way he has - very underrated vision. IIRC, he didn't play center in College, correct? If so, he is much better as a center at the moment. Without question, however, he did have some success as a center thus far, though he did get moved to the wing.

However, I don't think he sticks as a center long-term with the Flames anyways. Bennett and Monahan have the top 2 spots locked up (unless Flames draft very high again this round and end up drafting an even higher ceiling center). He will be battling with Backlund and Jankowski (yeah, yeah, lots of people don't like Jankowski, which is fair) for the 3rd line center, or moved to the wing in the long term.

I do think he will either be a third line center or a top 6 winger in this organization.

It is nice to see some size and skill in the lineup, even if he doesn't have devastating hits. He is quickly becoming a good power-forward in my opinion - he does seem to be more physical in the corners and he is out-muscling guys now on a fairly regular basis. I think this will only start improving.

[FBI]

How old is he again?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by fbi

how old is he again?

24

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I think this is a bias that big guys face throughout the NHL. People see a 6'5 guy and want them to throw people around and just pound everyone into submission. Its the reason why Joe Thornton gets so much grief even though he's spent his career turning guys like Cheechoo and Setoguchi into 30/40/50 goal guys and has pretty much been the only guy beside Crosby in the NHL in the past ten years who can turn virtually any linemate he has into a scoring machine.

On Monahan's second goal he battled with two guys behind the net for the puck... he won the battle to move it over to Hudler and led to the goal. If that isn't using his size I'm not sure what is.

Originally Posted by timbit

Getting to the puck first, protecting the puck, winning puck battles and overall puck possession which lead to big OZ time are huge factors in winning hockey games....if you have extraordinary goaltending, which the Flames have enjoyed this season, that is a bonus.

The players and teams that are doing a lot of the hitting don't have the puck much. They spend a lot of time chasing and arriving second.

True Grit is getting to the puck first....not being there second and landing a hit, after the opponent has gained possession and puck control.

Not rocket science.

Great posts... this is why IMO Colborne is a top 6 winger. I think guys like David Moss or Tomas Holmstrom as well.