GDT: #47 ⋅ FLA @ ANA ⋅ 7:00 PM PST (Game is on Tuesday 01/21)

[Rooch]

Happy Z Day, friends and family.

Ross Johnston, please pack your knives and go.

 

[HanSolo]

Lol Leo will be with Killorn until Killer retires or Cronin gets fired. I've never seen such belligerent insistence on forcing a pairing that has no chemistry.

 

[Arthuros]

Oh god, not again.

 

[Leonardo87]

Lol Leo will be with Killorn until Killer retires or Cronin gets fired. I've never seen such belligerent insistence on forcing a pairing that has no chemistry.

He's also on the same PP unit as Killorn now. But Zegras, Cutter, and Zell are also there. So plenty of weapons. Killorn should just plant himself in front of the net to screen the goalie, and let the kids be creative.

See, I'm trying to turn a negative into a positive. lol.

 

[HanSolo]

He's also on the same PP unit as Killorn now. But Zegras, Cutter, and Zell are also there. So plenty of weapons. Killorn should just plant himself in front of the net to screen the goalie, and let the kids be creative.

Yeah I'm fine with that as far as the powerplay is concerned. The powerplay is so independently broken it doesnt really matter who plays with who so might as well get the kids some playing time with each other.

My point is Colangelo gets tried with Leo and they have decent chemistry and are immediately separated. Mac has good chemistry with Leo that leads to a little production for both and they're separated. I think the thing that gets me is if you asked a hockey fan who hasn't watched a Ducks game the last two years and hasn't looked it up to watch the games the Leo-Mac-Killer line play and identify who was the new addition to that line who has only played with them for 2-3 games, they'd more than likely guess Killorn. And in spite of that emerging chemistry, they're separated again.

Yeah Zegras and Leo produced a bit with each other but I don't actually think their chemistry was as good as Greg is making it out to be. And Leo was playing better hockey at the time. Zegras will be coming back from an extended injury and will have an adjustment period getting back to game speed and form. So I'm fully expecting that line to be a non factor tonight. We've argued around here repeatedly that Leo bears some responsibility to himself to get himself out of this funk but after we found a player he actually connects well with, Greg separates them in the middle of Leo working to get out of the funk. And all the while, a guy he has zero chemistry with continues to be stapled to his hip cause of that veteran experience that is clearly paying huge dividends for the kid. Leo's development seems like an afterthought.

 

[Leonardo87]

Yeah I'm fine with that as far as the powerplay is concerned. The powerplay is so independently broken it doesnt really matter who plays with who so might as well get the kids some playing time with each other.

My point is Colangelo gets tried with Leo and they have decent chemistry and are immediately separated. Mac has good chemistry with Leo that leads to a little production for both and they're separated. I think the thing that gets me is if you asked a hockey fan who hasn't watched a Ducks game the last two years and hasn't looked it up to watch the games the Leo-Mac-Killer line play and identify who was the new addition to that line who has only played with them for 2-3 games, they'd more than likely guess Killorn. And in spite of that emerging chemistry, they're separated again.

Yeah Zegras and Leo produced a bit with each other but I don't actually think their chemistry was as good as Greg is making it out to be. And Leo was playing better hockey at the time. Zegras will be coming back from an extended injury and will have an adjustment period getting back to game speed and form. So I'm fully expecting that line to be a non factor tonight. We've argued around here repeatedly that Leo bears some responsibility to himself to get himself out of this funk but after we found a player he actually connects well with, Greg separates them in the middle of Leo working to get out of the funk. And all the while, a guy he has zero chemistry with continues to be stapled to his hip cause of that veteran experience that is clearly paying huge dividends for the kid. Leo's development seems like an afterthought.

This is why I have not been posting much here. Other than trying to be positive, and nothing positive really to post about, but am also tired of the Leo criticism, because it's not all on him, and people forget he is the youngest player on the team, a good year separates him from the next youngest player, which I believe is Cutter. Can he be playing better in some games, absolutely, but his coach has not put him in the best position to succeed.

He still is 3rd in goals on this team, even with missing several games. His lack of assists are more on his line-mates, imo. He has made some beautiful set ups that the team just can't finish.

They got Terry back, and still got shut out twice. So it's very hard to put a smile on when this team and players are not progressing, but are actually regressing. I do agree about Z, first game back in awhile, don't see that line doing much tonight. I would have constructed a 3rd line with Cutter - Z - Fabbri, and let Leo and Mac build that chemistry,

 

[Ducks DVM]

Yeah it's not the worst thing, it just seems like a very silly thing. This was the perfect opportunity to get Zegras back at C.

The Zegras-Carlsson-Killorn line was only together for what, three games? They scored two goals. The McTavish configuration scored one goal in two games. At those sample sizes it's really not a huge difference in production.
If it were still (fourth liner of the week) in the spot Zegras is filling, by all means put him there and see how it goes for a longer term. But we have a lot of prior evidence that Zegras generally looks better at center, and McTavish was looking great on that wing right now. Breaking up the currently-working promising thing to go back to a previous promising thing that is arguably a worse long-term solution is just annoying, and IMO questionable coaching even though Zegras with Leo seems to work fine.

This, plus the Gaucher McTavish Fabbri line looked great as the 3rd line. This will give 3 lines to try to get matchups with.

 

[anezthes]

GDT updated.

Also, go Z!

 

[Ducks DVM]

Just let this one roll. I'll sticky it later tonight. Good news is, they can't lose tonight.

Plus, this way, we know who to blame.

It’s @Leonardo87

 

[MMC]

 

[LuGBuG]

So that tweet from the Ducks account I presume Z is in for sure?

 

[Ducks DVM]

Happy Z Day, friends and family.

Ross Johnston, please pack your knives and go.

 

[Firequacker]

I take back half of my previous complaint.

 

[91Fedorov]

I'd be more excited if Brett Leason drew in for Greg Cronin.

 

[HanSolo]

This is why I have not been posting much here. Other than trying to be positive, and nothing positive really to post about, but am also tired of the Leo criticism, because it's not all on him, and people forget he is the youngest player on the team, a good year separates him from the next youngest player, which I believe is Cutter. Can he be playing better in some games, absolutely, but his coach has not put him in the best position to succeed.

He still is 3rd in goals on this team, even with missing several games. His lack of assists are more on his line-mates, imo. He has made some beautiful set ups that the team just can't finish.

They got Terry back, and still got shut out twice. So it's very hard to put a smile on when this team and players are not progressing, but are actually regressing. I do agree about Z, first game back in awhile, don't see that line doing much tonight. I would have constructed a 3rd line with Cutter - Z - Fabbri, and let Leo and Mac build that chemistry,

I think there's an annoying rift between people who want to ignore one of both sides of the truth among Ducks fans. Leo needs to work on his own mistakes and go back to utilizing his hockey IQ instead of rushing plays and he needs to do that on his own while doing what he can to gain strength and muscle mass while he's in the weight room.

All that said I don't think the coaches are doing enough to coach him out of making mistakes. Rather, by Cronin's own admission, they're encouraging him to play a lone wolf style of hockey that he's just not physically equipped for yet. The plan to have him be more of a powerforward-esque player who bulls towards the net with the puck is resulting in a lot of his turnovers since it seems he's not really working on stick handles and maneuvers and is playing like he's hoping that he'll eventually be big and strong enough to just brute force past physical challenge. This indicates to me that, likely, he's not being coached past what is expected of him on how to actually adapt his game to play the way they're trying to get him to.

But the Killorn thing is just agitating because like yeah, as some on the other end of the argument mentioned, his play picked up when they moved away from fourth liners like Leason on the LW spot in favor of guys like Mac and Colangelo. But that's not somehow evidence that there's no deficiencies in the chemistry between Leo and Killorn. It's just evidence that a kid that young's linemates matter. And I don't know how anyone watching this team can argue in good faith that the chemistry between the two is okay or even good. They just don't play well together, and I'm not seeing any benefit being derived from the supposed "veteran experience" Killorn is supposed to provide him. Yeah Leo has been playing better since they mixed it up on the LW spot but that run of awful games before that was some of the worst hockey of his young nhl career and a lot of that came from him and Killorn's failed connections that forced the line to go defend most of their shift and things just kept getting worse for Leo every game until just recently. Even as things have been picking up of late, I couldn't tell you what benefit if any Killorn's veteran experience had on that result. Seemed more apparent to me that Leo was better at connecting and receiving passes with Colangelo and/or McTavish which resulted in longer possession time, which meant more chances, which meant less defending.

I don't believe Killorn is a useless NHL player. But I don't believe that it makes sense to keep trying to force chemistry between them that isn't there either, and I don't think Cronin's insistence on doing so is beneficial to Leo's development. I think that's where Greg's attention to Leo's development starts and stops. He's playing with the team's oldest player, he'll pick things up from his experience. Damned if he actually is or not.

 

[Deuce22]

I don't think Cronin looks at line combos like most here. We (most) are thinking offense, he is thinking defense. He puts Leo w/Killorn for defensive reasons-wants Leo with a "responsible" winger. We want him with a guy that helps his offense so he can score more points. The Cronin mindset always defers to defense first.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

I don't think Cronin looks at line combos like most here. We (most) are thinking offense, he is thinking defense. He puts Leo w/Killorn for defensive reasons-wants Leo with a "responsible" winger. We want him with a guy that helps his offense so he can score more points. The Cronin mindset always defers to defense first.

Must be why the ducks play almost exclusively in the defensive zone

 

[Wheatens]

He's also on the same PP unit as Killorn now. But Zegras, Cutter, and Zell are also there. So plenty of weapons. Killorn should just plant himself in front of the net to screen the goalie, and let the kids be creative.

See, I'm trying to turn a negative into a positive. lol.

An all Left Shot PP sounds awfully easy to shut down, especially when the Ducks' PP has limited player movement.

 

[HanSolo]

I don't think Cronin looks at line combos like most here. We (most) are thinking offense, he is thinking defense. He puts Leo w/Killorn for defensive reasons-wants Leo with a "responsible" winger. We want him with a guy that helps his offense so he can score more points. The Cronin mindset always defers to defense first.

Fair point though I'd hazard to guess that the whole "veteran experience" thing plays a role too. But sure let's mold our second overall pick to a third line shutdown defense forward. I mean I get that if Carlsson could be Barkov/Kopitaresque that would be huge but just like with so many others, his offense is suffering and that ultimately needs to be priority one.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Must be why the ducks play almost exclusively in the defensive zone

Practice makes perfect

 

[Deuce22]

Fair point though I'd hazard to guess that the whole "veteran experience" thing plays a role too. But sure let's mold our second overall pick to a third line shutdown defense forward. I mean I get that if Carlsson could be Barkov/Kopitaresque that would be huge but just like with so many others, his offense is suffering and that ultimately needs to be priority one.

Agree with you but don’t think Cronin would.

 

[MMC]

Don’t give a f*** if we win just let me get a bobblehead

 

[HanSolo]

Agree with you but don’t think Cronin would.

Really hope we don't look back on these days as how the team extended a youth rebuild because of egos and poor decisions based on blind dedication to this defensive philosophy that so far hasn't been paying off at all.

We still have some of the worst defensive metrics in the league. Just not historically bad.

 

[MMC]

Do they ever pressure wash the f***ing concrete here