GDT: #6 ⋅ SJS @ ANA ⋅ 7:15 PM PDT

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848814683031232990

With an optional skate this morning, it's unclear what the blue line will look like with Pavel Mintyukov returning from a bout of food poisoning which caused him to miss Sunday's game. But based on yesterday's practice, there will be a bit of line shuffling with the forwards sans the Vatrano-Strome-Terry line.

Robby Fabbri and Alex Killorn will swap lines and Isac Lundeström––who returns from an upper-body injury––and Mason McTavish will do the same. The idea is to jumpstart the rest of the lines offensively as the Vatrano-Strome-Terry line has been doing most of the heavy lifting so far.

"(McTavish's) line has not done anything," Cronin said. "We were all expecting Mac to take a big jump. McTavish should be a 30-goal scorer in this league. He can shoot a puck, he's strong as a bull. He gets up and down the ice pretty well. He's not a razzle-dazzle skill guy. He should be like (Brady) Tkachuk in Ottawa––a power forward who just lives at the other team's net.

He's got to drive pucks deep and with Leason and McGinn, they're just going to forecheck. Get them in deep and get in front of the other team's net or get into that pocket and rip shots. Your game's very simple. I think when he gets with other players, he tries to be a skilled guy. And that doesn't mean he can't use his skill. But I think his food chain, the top, has got to be to drive the game, get to the front of the net and win puck battles on the cycle."

 

[MMC]

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Is Kesler still around? He’s probably mad about something or other. Seems like everyone leaves angry these days.

Isn't he pissed at the league and maybe specifically the Ducks for how his hip problem(s) were dealt with?

 

[Static]

Mac demoted, good! Forechecker with Leo and cutter, good! Cronin is saying and doing the right things administratively, at least.

 

[ZegrassyKnoll]

Is Kesler still around? He’s probably mad about something or other. Seems like everyone leaves angry these days.

Didn't he make a positive comment about us trading for Cutter?

 

[MMC]

I might swap Gauthier and Zegras but other than that I like those lines

 

[Mr Rogers]

Wow, feel like he’s more disappointed with Mctavish than even some of the other forwards. To be sure, Mason hasn’t been great outside of one game but I really think Terrys been our only good forward. Leo has probably been the best amongst the remainder (still haven’t loved his play so far) , but Mason just sort of blends in with everyone else - Don’t think he’s been appreciably better or worse

 

[Static]

What did I miss?

Kesler accused our team doctors of inappropriate dosages of pain medication that caused some medical problems for him. I believe him and he should be angry.

 

[ZegrassyKnoll]

Mac demoted, good! Forechecker with Leo and cutter, good! Cronin is saying and doing the right things administratively, at least.

He wasn't just demoted, Cronin ripped into him lol

 

[Static]

Wow, feel like he’s more disappointed with Mctavish than even some of the other forwards. To be sure, Mason hasn’t been great outside of one game but I really think Terrys been our only good forward. Leo has probably been the best amongst the remainder (still haven’t loved his play so far) , but Mason just sort of blends in with everyone else - Don’t think he’s been appreciably better or worse

I think the message is that the gap between what Mac has brought and what he should be bringing is the largest on the team, and I agree.

He wasn't just demoted, Cronin ripped into him lol

Well, he admitted to different standards for players at the end of last season, so this is good.

 

[Mr Rogers]

I the message is that the gap between what Mac has brought and what he should be bringing is the largest on the team, and I agree.


Well, he admitted to different standards for players at the end of last season, so this is good.

I just hope he’s got enough skill to work with now. I agree with Cronin that in theory he needs to play more like that. Though, I have seen him make some fancy plays before. He needs to start producing so they had to switch something.

 

[Deuce22]

I like the (hopeful) comp Cronin expressed for McTavish. Tkachuk is a nasty bull-in-a-China-shop. More of that from Mac would be awesome.

 

[Static]

I just hope he’s got enough skill to work with now. I agree with Cronin that in theory he needs to play more like that. Though, I have seen him make some fancy plays before. He needs to start producing so they had to switch something.

Honestly, they are putting Mac on our best line. This is a pseudo promotion, so he better not waste it. It should be humiliating for him if that line suddenly stops working with him on it.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Good changes, good comments by Cronin. And good to see Minty and Lundy back. All my appendages are crossed that this will be a good game and things start to click.

 

[Rybread86]

Kesler accused our team doctors of inappropriate dosages of pain medication that caused some medical problems for him. I believe him and he should be angry.

I believe the context was more wide spread around the league but I do remember that.

 

[MMC]

Cool shirt they’re giving away tonight, kinda disappointed I’m not working this one cause I’d have liked to try to grab one

 

[Reveille1984]

I mean, Tkachuk is 6'4" 230 but I get where Cronin's coming from.

This is year four for Mac, time to start showing what you can do and stop being a passenger. D+4 was also Brady's breakout season, so hopefully Mason can follow suit. Five shots in five games is not going to cut it.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Mac being demoted is awesome cause he needs to pull his head out of his ass.

 

[JAHV]

Wow, feel like he’s more disappointed with Mctavish than even some of the other forwards. To be sure, Mason hasn’t been great outside of one game but I really think Terrys been our only good forward. Leo has probably been the best amongst the remainder (still haven’t loved his play so far) , but Mason just sort of blends in with everyone else - Don’t think he’s been appreciably better or worse

I disagree. McTavish has been noticeable in his awfulness. Others have had their moments of putridity (Gauthier, Strome, Zegras), and others have been mostly invisible (Vatrano, Leason), but the only one who rivals McTavish in terms of consistently bad play is Killorn. And while this is hardly a heartening notion, at least with Killorn there's a built in excuse of old age. McTavish should be getting better. He's been much worse.

I have no idea if this "demotion" will work. He'll certainly be getting much easier matchups. I hate Lundestrom with Zegras, but I understand the impetus for these changes and can't argue with the reasoning behind them. Let's hope for good results!

 

[ohcomeonref]

As usual, I love what Cro is saying but we'll see if it translates to anything on the ice.

 

[FlyingV09]

Not sure that’s the best line for Zegras but if it gets the other guys going, lets give it a shot.

 

[Mr Rogers]

I disagree. McTavish has been noticeable in his awfulness. Others have had their moments of putridity (Gauthier, Strome, Zegras), and others have been mostly invisible (Vatrano, Leason), but the only one who rivals McTavish in terms of consistently bad play is Killorn. And while this is hardly a heartening notion, at least with Killorn there's a built in excuse of old age. McTavish should be getting better. He's been much worse.

I have no idea if this "demotion" will work. He'll certainly be getting much easier matchups. I hate Lundestrom with Zegras, but I understand the impetus for these changes and can't argue with the reasoning behind them. Let's hope for good results!

Agree to disagree. I don’t think he’s been any worse than many others but I agree with @Static that the gap between what he’s done and what he should be doing is larger than some.

 

[FiveTacos]

Bring vermette in. Zegras, Leo, McT,Lunde arent allowed to leave practice till they can beat him 50% of the time.

Yes I realize this may mean they miss games since they arent allowed to leave the practice rink until mission is done./s

Seems a bit extreme. I say we revisit the idea of using axes.

 

[JAHV]

Agree to disagree. I don’t think he’s been any worse than many others but I agree with @Static that the gap between what he’s done and what he should be doing is larger than some.

His xGF per 60 is worse than all the non-4th liners by quite a bit. His scoring chance % is the worst as well. By the eye test and by statistics, McTavish has been worse than all the guys who are supposed to be decent.

So yes, we can agree to disagree, but objectively (and subjectively to me), McTavish has been the worst forward on the team.

 

[HanSolo]

View attachment 919869

Lmao. "GET KILLORN OFF LEO AND CUTTER'S LINE"

*Monkey paw curls*