Barkov shutdown style slightly overrated?

[BB88]

Sure, and Connor and Leon are 3rd and 4th all time in playoff points/game behind only Wayne and Mario. Could say the same thing about panthers fans downplaying how good Connor and Leon are and the impact they could have.

Guess we'll find out once the series is over! Hope it's a good one!

I don’t see people saying Barkov will make them go 0+0 but to slow them down some and let the Tkachuk line be the difference maker

Maybe Knob switches things up and gets McD and Drai against lesser Panthers lineups? He's been an adaptive and smart coach and has Coffey....will be interesting to see

Of course at home but Florida has the home ice advantage

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

If anything Barkov's shutdown game is underrated. And unlike last playoffs, Barkov is actually putting up points offensively.

 

[Mogo]

I get he's a phenom of a player, but when I look at his stats this playoff as being this "shut down guy", I'm not seeing it. It's no shot at the guy, but I'm genuinely interested in hearing what makes him this phenom of a shutdown guy. His +- isn't that good and at 17 points you would hope it to be better? Once again, not a shot at the guy, just looking for input.

Ah yes.. looking at +/- to determine a player if he's shutdown guy or not. Clearly you've never seen him play

You will see

 

[IceManCat]

Im sorry but you lost me at comparing his stick handling skills to datsyuk, lets take a step back there brother.


I'm speaking for the playoffs, only for the rangers series. I didn't say he wasn't a phenom during the regular season. He is more than deserving of the selke

You think he can't stick handle like Datsyuk?? Just say you dont watch Barkov instead of pretending man. lol. Look at the highlights then looks at Datsyuk's. I watched both of them play extensively. Barkov is the superior player and just as good of a stick handler. There is a reason Trocheck switched to number 16.....

 

[Daishi]

Seems like a very strange time to question Barkov, or to point to his points while questioning his shutdown ability. None of the big lines Florida has faced - Kucherov's, Pastrnak's, or Panarin's - have done much of anything to damage them. Barkov is very smart defensively, very strong and dominating in puck battles, and does a great job keeping control of the puck. McDavid vs Barkov is the most interesting matchup of the playoffs.

McDavid and Drai won't score at all 5v5 vs Barkov but they'll get their PPs and score plenty. I think the series will hinge on Skinner and the refs. If the whistles go to the pocket and Skinner blows then Florida wins. If Oil get 4-5 PP per game they'll win no matter what.

 

[IceManCat]

Oof, and this is how you turn people against your argument.

What number in the draft was Bergeron drafted at? What number in the draft was Barkov drafted at? Apparently professionally scouts are really bad at evaluating talent too lmao. Good thing you're here to prove everyone wrong though!

He's incredibly over rated. He's the perfect hipster pick, people pick him to make them look smart more than anything else. In reality, he is in the same tier as a few other elite shutdown centers like Matthews and Kopitar.

My issue is not in saying he is elite defensively, it's in how people exaggerate his abilities. "Shutting down" stars has a lot more to do with Bobrovsky being the better goalie in all of the series they have played

I love a little satire

 

[IceManCat]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1791984285786017956

Last year 2023

https://x.com/i/web/status/1667562077253165058

 

[IceManCat]

It's not that Barkov is overrated. He's not, he's a great player. It's the whole notion that a great 2-way center or shutdown d-man can shutdown generational talent. Don't know how many players I've been told would do this to McDrai only to see them fail miserably. Go down the list of guys who were supposed to "shut down" McDrai and see how they all failed spectacularly.

Kopitar, Danault, Tanev, Heiskanen, Zadorov etc etc.

FWIW the Panthers in 96 shut down Jagr, Lemieux, and Lindros in back to back series. Point being teams shut down star players quite frequently. Either way the argument is in reference to Barkov so here you go below....

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797618935908687996

 

[Chaos2k7]

FWIW the Panthers in 96 shut down Jagr, Lemieux, and Lindros in back to back series. Point being teams shut down star players quite frequently. Either way the argument is in reference to Barkov so here you go below....

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797618935908687996

Somehow saying it could be close is overrating Barkov, and slighting McDavid, hence the thread.

Both are two of the best in the NHL. Both will impact the series for their teams.

Oilers fans spend ALOT of time pretending to say it'll be close, but then downplay every positive aspect and possible advantage of this Panthers team, nothing would please me more than serving up a bit of humility.

Keep saying you have beaten the best already, maybe actually seeing our team playing yours will change some opinions.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

What number in the draft was Bergeron drafted at? What number in the draft was Barkov drafted at? Apparently professionally scouts are really bad at evaluating talent too lmao. Good thing you're here to prove everyone wrong though!



I love a little satire

Wow, that’s really the argument you’re gonna go for? Ok, Nail Yakupov was drafted ahead of both. Clearly the best forward of the 3.

Seriously man, pick your battles and make coherent arguments that can’t be so easily wrecked. If you wanna combat the claim that Barkov is overrated, don’t put him ahead of 2 all-time greats based on.. your subjective viewing and eye-test. Let his career play out, argue his ability with stats and highlights, don’t get sidetracked arguing with the dude originally defending Barkov.

Or keep making your argument worse, it’s kinda fun.

 

[IceManCat]

Wow, that’s really the argument you’re gonna go for? Ok, Nail Yakupov was drafted ahead of both. Clearly the best forward of the 3.

Seriously man, pick your battles and make coherent arguments that can’t be so easily wrecked. If you wanna combat the claim that Barkov is overrated, don’t put him ahead of 2 all-time greats based on.. your subjective viewing and eye-test. Let his career play out, argue his ability with stats and highlights, don’t get sidetracked arguing with the dude originally defending Barkov.

Or keep making your argument worse, it’s kinda fun.

I never implied that position picked was the ultimate indicator between players. Hence the numerous draft busts that occur each year. Only an idiot (you) would think thats a conceivable argument. I simply implied that the professional scouts saw the talent, enough to select him second overall. As you mentioned lets see how their careers play out. More than half way through Barkov's career he is superior, based on stats not me. Hence why I have continued to bring up factual statistics throughout the thread. Speaking of the argument, what statistics have you indicated that suggest Bergeron is better? Yourself? I've only brought in statistics it's you who is using a "self analysis" to make your point so thanks for bringing that up too lol.

 

[Scema12]

You think he can't stick handle like Datsyuk?? Just say you dont watch Barkov instead of pretending man. lol. Look at the highlights then looks at Datsyuk's. I watched both of them play extensively. Barkov is the superior player and just as good of a stick handler. There is a reason Trocheck switched to number 16.....

You're still not convincing anyone. Those are great highlights yes, datsyuk is on a complete other level. Stop the nonsense dude, barkov is a great player, but stop comparing his stick handling skills to the literal GOat. Jesus lol

Its just amazingly funny how I ask a general question and then you have people like "icemancat" taking it a step further and confirming the "overrated" part. lol

 

[Plural]

I think the series might be decided between Barkov and McDavid. Barkov needs to be able to contain McDavid to a point where he Tkachuk and others can outscore Edmonton. McDavid will get some goals and assists, just a matter of how much.

 

[behemolari]

Lundell probably

The real question is, who is going to play against Lundell?

 

[behemolari]

HAHAHAHAHHAAHHA.

Can someone post the graphic of Kucherov, Pastrnak, and Panarin and their goals scored against the Panthers.

nope, its going to be so much more fun when we don't

 

[vildurson]

I watched the NYR series and he didn't really look amazing, just more looked like the rangers stars didn't show up?

Rangers, Boston and Tampa stars all did not show up huh?

Wonder what the role of shut down guy here is.

I assume this is sarcasm but its hard to gauge these things in internet at times.

 

[bombers15]

It's not that Barkov is overrated. He's not, he's a great player. It's the whole notion that a great 2-way center or shutdown d-man can shutdown generational talent. Don't know how many players I've been told would do this to McDrai only to see them fail miserably. Go down the list of guys who were supposed to "shut down" McDrai and see how they all failed spectacularly.

Kopitar, Danault, Tanev, Heiskanen, Zadorov etc etc.

This has been my thought. The narrative is always that McDavid will get contained because he's facing a great shut-down guy; therefore, Oilers will lose. But why is that thinking never reversed? If a big part of Florida's success is Barkov being able to neutralize the opponent's best player, what happens when that player is so good that he can overcome it?

Not making any predictions; it's just funny how that narrative is never really reversed.

Not dissimilar to LA's PK. "It's so good; therefore, the Oilers' PP will be neutralized." Reality was the opposite - Oilers PP was good enough that it eliminated one of LA's key strengths. I think that was one of Belichik's things - take away what an opponent does best and then the weaknesses can get exposed.

 

[cotopaxi]

There's another aspect here that's forgotten, can the Oilers contain Barkov in their D-zone? There's not one team or center in these playoffs that has been able to do that, and that's the reason Barkov has been able to "shut down" the other teams best lines, because they can't get out of their own zone most of the time.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

TBH JT Miller was an exceptional shutdown center against McDavid.

Unfortunately it came at the expense to his own offense.

 

[wintersej]

He has not accomplished as much as Bergeron, but he sure does have the chance, if he stays healthy.

He had absolutely terrific hands and puck skills, and not just for a big man, if you say Dats is better, that doesn't trouble me at all, he was a fantastic player too.

Barkov is still currently the best two way forward in the game currently. And overrated which is the OP's idea, is humorous.

He is obviously the next guy in the Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kopitar, Toews, Bergeron class.

Like anyone disputing that is out to lunch and that is a ratified class with a lot of Cups. Barkov probably needs to get his to solidify his standing in a way we will remember in 20 years, but that won’t change one way or another how good of a player he is. That’s just how it works sometimes.

Bergeron, including Barkov, probably takes the cake purely defensively. His puck sense in the D zone to retrieve pucks and break up play was truly next level. But Barkov brings it offensively as good or better than any of those other guys sans Datsyuk.

If anything Barkov's shutdown game is underrated. And unlike last playoffs, Barkov is actually putting up points offensively.

Yeah he wasn’t HIM yet last playoffs for sure.

 

[Cats2TheCup]

You're still not convincing anyone. Those are great highlights yes, datsyuk is on a complete other level. Stop the nonsense dude, barkov is a great player, but stop comparing his stick handling skills to the literal GOat. Jesus lol

Its just amazingly funny how I ask a general question and then you have people like "icemancat" taking it a step further and confirming the "overrated" part. lol

Wow who made you the gatekeeper, bizarre how you are hell bent on controlling peoples opinions and behavior. Barkov yes has those skills he just doesn’t deploy them as much. You obviously haven’t seen much of Barkov.

 

[MoneyManny]

I watched the NYR series and he didn't really look amazing, just more looked like the rangers stars didn't show up?

That's usually what "shut down" looks like.

 

[CN8]

If anything Barkov's shutdown game is underrated. And unlike last playoffs, Barkov is actually putting up points offensively.

Not saying this as a put down but just that I was shocked then to not even see him be a + player these playoffs offs

 

[Juxta Position]

McDavid and Drai won't score at all 5v5 vs Barkov but they'll get their PPs and score plenty. I think the series will hinge on Skinner and the refs. If the whistles go to the pocket and Skinner blows then Florida wins. If Oil get 4-5 PP per game they'll win no matter what.

I'll take that bet.

Barkov is the best in the league at what he does now that Bergeron is retired, but McDavid is the best in the league at....hockey.

This narrative that the Oilers can only win on the Power Play that is still floating around is crazy. the Oilers have the most 5v5 goals of ANY TEAM in the playoffs, along with having the best Power Play and Penalty Kill.

The Oiler are an incredibly well rounded offensive and defensive team with two of the best playoff performers in history on the roster....Barkov is fantastic, but to say McDavid and Draisaitl wont's score any 5v5 vs Barkov, well that's a tall order for any one player.

 

[Hockey Know it all]

He's no Bergeron nor the second coming.

Exactly, Barkov is way better.