They were also rested.
The problem is this team always does the "GET IN THE GYM TO ADD MUSCLE"A good pro training program isn't about pumping as much iron as you can (though I'm sure Hurts does a lot of squats, those tush push plays . . . ).
It's designed around functional strength, so it should incorporate strength and flexibility and range of motion. It's not the 1950s anymore.
Genetics limits how much functional strength a player can add, but combined with skating coaching, you can add some speed and quickness over time. And lower body strength to anchor, and upper body strength to win puck battles.
Michkov is pretty stout, so it's not like he needs a makeover, just incremental improvements the next two years, he likes to play near the net so being able to anchor better and handle stick checking will make him even more dangerous.
One reason a lot of prospect lists use 23 as the cutoff age is that by that point a player is physically mature and has been in a pro training program for a few years. Improvement past that point usually comes from experience and a better understanding of the pro game.
Plus there was only 1 PP, so that limited his total minutes.
This is illuminating to me, because it tells me his 5v5 ice time is low in general and I just never noticed it if missing 2 shifts means he only plays 10 minutes a night.
Yeah, it was an odd game for line parings. I joined a few minutes late, and even in the first period, it seemed like the lines were in a blender. Torts clearly didn't trust Abols or Richard this game. In the case of Richard, I'm not sure why. Torts has spoken fondly of Richard, and they played him on the powerplay...Perhaps he was sick and they wanted to limit his icetime. From the broadcast, they said ND and Couts were both out with illness.
Every team does that with younger players, in all pro sports these days.
www.nytimes.com
Richard is skilled offensively, but what has kept him out of the NHL is his below average defense.
It's been Maximum Pain™ since I coined the phrase in the bubble. There is no end.
rookie minutes:
1) Michkov's ice time has been declining all season, let's see where it is after game 82
According to a hockey expert on Twitter (read regular ol dude) it's cause Michkov has hit a physical and mental wall. Apparently he's not used to playing so many games against more physical opponents. We may as well pull the plug if michkov can't handle 10 minutes per game.
What has it been since the lines were set, 11/25?
because meat n potatos go hand in hand with #culture
"im telling you this isnt going to be the MM show"..
I agree. The rookie wall is a myth. Tortorella is in the process of stalling any developmental momentum that Michkov had. He was free spirited and aggressive in the early season. Now he is restrained and cautious. Playing conservatively, looking to make the simple and safe play. He has fallen under the umbrella of accountability that Tortorella casts over every player like a black cloud.
First 21 games:
I don't think playing more than 12 minutes a night would "run a kid into the ground". There is a large gap between giving Michkov scraps and giving him too much ice time, something you are deliberately avoiding to acknowledge.
We were told during the bubble that playing Giroux an extra minute or two over Nate Thompson was absurd to think about because it would run him into the ground. Shortening the bench would lead to the death of everyone.
I think San Jose is being foolish. Most young players don't play a lot as a rookie.
This clearly illustrates that the Flyers have no sensible plan for development of a player or for the franchise. A majority of the ticket buyers understand that this club is mediocre at best. They come to see MM play. When the petty coach takes that away from them, what is the point of going or watching?
