Kane creates some space for himself by being willing to be dirty at times. The main thing though, is he has both inside and outside speed. Johnny doesn’t have the ability to turn the defender and go around to the outside while protecting the puck. When he does he has to go deep (leading to that bad angle shot). Defenders have figured this out, and where they used to back off because they thought he could beat them outside, they now play him tight.
Are we really going to compare the former #1st overall pick and the most prolific scorer of the 2010 decade to the 104th pick of 2011 draft? Kane is a borderline generational player, a first ballot hall of famer and perennial Hart Trophy candidate.
Johnny Gaudreau is not at Patrick Kane’s level. He has his flaws, that’s why he went in the 4th round. The harsh truth is, if Johnny Gaudreau is your top offensive player, your team isn’t a championship calibre team. That’s not on him, that’s on the organization for not finding him the necessary help and support.
It was the same story for Iggy, the same story for Theo in the 90’s and it’ll probably be the same story for Chucky in 2020’s. Until this organization finally finds an elite #1 center, this franchise will be stuck in perpetual mediocrity. Forever good, but never good enough.
Connor McDavid is the only player I’ve ever seen who scares me when he gets the puck below his own face off circle.
He’s unlike any player I’ve ever watched. It doesn’t mean he’s the best player, but if there are five guys in the last hundred years who are better, there aren’t many more than five (let’s stick to just forwards).
He’s better than your Sakic/Yzerman/Forsberg/Modano level superstar.
He’s better than Iggy.
He’s better than all of the current superstars - Matthews, Barkov, Seguin, Kopitar, Tavares, MacKinnon.
He’s dust any of the stars from the black and white days - Richard, Beliveau, Esposito, Dionne, Sittler etc.
Yeah. I think it’s undeniable that he’s a top-10 player of the last 100 years.
Sakic, Yzerman, Forsberg and Modano all led their clubs to championships, McDavid hasn’t even come remotely close. He can have all the Art Ross’ he wants he’s never going to lead the Oilers to the cup with all the floating he does and the severe lack of defensive awareness. Funny how you say he’s better than all those guys yet the only player on that list he’s ever had a better season than is Modano. He’s never had a better season statistically than Yzerman, Forsberg or Sakic (or Crosby for that matter)
Yeah, he’s the current cream of the crop as far as the young superstars go but Seguin and Kopitar have already won Cups and I’d wager my house that one (maybe two) of Matthews, Barkov, Tavares and Mackinnon win Cups before he does. McDavid is all flash, no substance with zero leadership qualities.
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We'll be back with a vengeance in the final 6 meetings.
Can't wait to see hoboface cry kneeordano or whatever else again. Thats the last game with us that he'll be getting that kind of free real estate out there. Papa Sutter knows a few things about neutralizing stars, or he wouldn't have the track record he does.
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As necessary for some D-zone swaps pair Gio and Tanev. Gio plays both PK and PP so his TOI will still be there (and we should arguably be managing it a bit lower if we have any aspirations of going deep)
I also wonder if we should look at dressing 7 D-men and using Kylington as a bit of a wildcard/rover
Are we really going to compare the former #1st overall pick and the most prolific scorer of the 2010 decade to the 104th pick of 2011 draft? Kane is a borderline generational player, a first ballot hall of famer and perennial Hart Trophy candidate.
Johnny Gaudreau is not at Patrick Kane’s level. He has his flaws, that’s why he went in the 4th round. The harsh truth is, if Johnny Gaudreau is your top offensive player, your team isn’t a championship calibre team. That’s not on him, that’s on the organization for not finding him the necessary help and support.
It was the same story for Iggy, the same story for Theo in the 90’s and it’ll probably be the same story for Chucky in 2020’s. Until this organization finally finds an elite #1 center, this franchise will be stuck in perpetual mediocrity. Forever good, but never good enough.
Someone mentioned Kane as someone Gaudreau should emulate - my only comparison is why they are different.
It's got to be hard to play with Gaudreau on your wing. If the puck is up for grabs on his side of the ice it's a guaranteed loss.
He must have had five times tonight where instead if trying to get the puck he just waved at it with one had on his stick. He didn't even pretend there would be a puck battle.
If the game plan is to have a 155 lb winger win 50/50 physical battles to have your top line have success then IMO, that is a bad strategy.
I've followed Gaudreau ever since he was drafted. I distinctly remember Button and others talk through the years how good he was at turning on a dime and how people tried to run him but they couldn't hit him.
Conroy would tell the story of Gaudreau at development camp where Conroy asked Bouma to hit him! Bouma would say they were trying to put it's so hard - he's so elusive.
So Gaudreau, throughout his hockey career has had guys like Bouma trying to run him through the boards and Gaudreau has been able to not only evade these big guys who can skate but also produce offense - all the way to the NHL. It's in his nervous system, his reflex, his instinct to be able to avoid these hits (155 lb winger vs 210 lb opponents).
Now people will say what about so and so other player who is under 6'0 who get in there? It's not all about height, these guys are also thick and have sturdy frames.
Look at Crosby and Jack Johnson at 16(!) compared to these regular kids and see how different physically these athletes look compared to normal kids. Did Gaudreau look more like the powerful athlete or more regular kid?
Gaudreau in space can do things with the puck that hardly anyone else in the world can do. With guys trying to run him. Remember in his rookie season they went into MTL and beat the Habs 5-2 or something. There was a goal where Gaudreau had the puck near the boards (not the corner) and Pacioretty came out of position to hit Gaudreau and Johnny put the puck in the area Pacioretty vacated and avoided the hit while setting up that goal.
Conroy, Versteeg, countless hockey people have talked about putting players in positions to succeed. Do you really think depending on a 155 lb winger to win 50/50 board battles is a situation where you win more often?
If some other team had him, would they put him in that same position and expect success?
I get it, teams will line up 3 across the blueline and dare CGY to dangle through that, to only counter that dispossession at the blueline and get an odd man attack the other way. So you do have to chip it in sometimes.
My question is - are you going to continually ask the 155 lb winger to win the board battles to get anything going offensively for your top line? Every playoffs or tight game I keep reading people pleading for the top line to do something within that game plan. Monahan will look invisible if he's the guy in space waiting for the puck to get to him.
I know nothing but to me if I'm devising a way to play a forecheck game with Gaudreau I'm looking at how I can get the other two guys on that line (who might be bigger and stronger 200 lb guys) to win those 50/50 physical battles and the fruit of that game plan is to get the puck to Gaudreau in space, near the opponent net, because Gaudreau relentlessly turns those touches into instant great scoring chances.
I vividly recall people talking about the competitive drives of Roberts and Nieuwendyk. You could easily see it with Roberts as he would literally fight, battle intensely in the corners and physically will the puck into his team's possession. BUT people said don't think Nieuwendyk isn't equally competitive. He was just in space and tried to score and that's where he showed his competitive drive.
It's the same way with Gaudreau - he is intensely, ultra competitive (how he got to NHL) but he shows it in different areas (generating scoring chances) when he is put in a position to succeed.
If the mantra is - he is the LW and the wingers are the ones that have to win the board battles, my response is what happened to putting players in positions to succeed?
Is it just he hasn't done enough of these video sessions (as I'm sure all his detractors do on a daily basis)
Are you so rigid, so unimaginative that you can't devise a different game plan in a forecheck style to have Gaudreau be the one who gets the puck in space and the other guys engage in those 50/50 battles? Can you put the puck to the half wall (so not in the corner and not being cornered) to give more options for escape?
Is the only way to see that winger win 50/50 physical battles - nothing else can be done. Every other team would utilise the same way?
I don't think so but what do I know?
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I've noticed opposing teams aren't dumping it in to the corner every time. They chip it in and because our defense doesn't hold them up (which I've noticed opposing teams are able to do this against our forwards), they get in and set up much quicker than a normal dump and chase. I hope Sutter has a good plan for Johnny. At the start of the season, JG was actually going into the corners. Lately, he's avoiding even the half wall if there's already coverage.
Maybe Sutter gets them to go old school and the big boys punish players that take cheap shots on guys like JG. Sam Bennett can be a missile out there. There's not a lot of going to battle for our smaller players unless it's a big hit, slash or whatever.
I've noticed opposing teams aren't dumping it in to the corner every time. They chip it in and because our defense doesn't hold them up (which I've noticed opposing teams are able to do this against our forwards), they get in and set up much quicker than a normal dump and chase. I hope Sutter has a good plan for Johnny. At the start of the season, JG was actually going into the corners. Lately, he's avoiding even the half wall if there's already coverage.
Maybe Sutter gets them to go old school and the big boys punish players that take cheap shots on guys like JG. Sam Bennett can be a missile out there. There's not a lot of going to battle for our smaller players unless it's a big hit, slash or whatever.
Their best play is to dump behind the net and hope Markstrom wants to play it.
