3 of them were on the PP.
OK, got it. You say (while laughing) that Bertuzzi is a good fit on Bedard's line but it's a bad line against against ops first line. So what good is it having a net presence guy alongside Bedard when the line can't even get possession of the puck most of the time?
Bedard has better all around numbers with Bertuzzi than he does with Mikheyev. I'm not sure why you would want a black hole offensively, next to Bedard. That's exactly what the dumb ass old coach did, and Bedard suffered because of it.
Now it is about Mikheyev? Last I looked there were 3 players to a line. 95 has the speed to make some space in the offensive zone and is good defensively but not that physical - the line needs a third guy who can get in the dirty areas and come out with the puck, as well as to win more faceoffs. Possession is the name of the game.
Yes, because you keep talking like Mikheyev is a solution to Bedards line, for some odd reason. Not one stat backs up that he is better than Bertuzzi is. Bertuzzi is the guy who can go to the paint, and wins puck battles, you need someone better than Mikheyev to go with them to make the line better, not the other way around like you suggest.
for the last seven games, it's been good for six goals, three of them 5v5. nearly a goal every two games isn't world beating, but it's far from even strength futility. you could also say it's a small sample size, so projecting out from those numbers is fraught, but that doesn't change the analysis of those seven games in abstract.
the name of the game is hockey actually. possession is an important aspect of the game, but as was pointed out above, mikheyev may have the best aggregate possession numbers on the team at 5v5 currently, but his numbers with bedard are somewhat worse than bert's numbers with same.
The problem is Hawks have tried many different combos, and there is no real solution for Bedard with this current roster and until the roster is upgraded, this is all there is to work with. Despite what the stats are, Hawks fans need to admit that he is struggling to play the game he is capable of .... and a few even strength assists on the score sheet does not change that. I have watched what Bert is capable of .... here and on other teams. He can't skate worth a dam, he falls a lot and is not effective in his board play or in his own end. His game consists of hanging around the crease and some seem think that is enough. Fine, but it didn't work out in TO playing with two of the best offensive players in the league and I don't see it being any better in Chicago.
For the 100th time, no one thinks Bertuzzi is the long term solution for Bedard, he's just the best of what they currently have.
There is a huge gulf between those two statements. Absolutely nothing suggests Bedard can’t be a top line centre in this league.
So you're comparing Bedard to Jack Hughes, the 1st line center on the Devils, while trying to say that Connor can't make it as a center?
Yeah, I am aware.
Might want to check some of the top centers in NHL you'd be surprised how many have not that good faceoff stats. Sure it would help to be Toews on the draw but it wont prevent Bedard from being a center. You only get better with taking as much faceoffs as possible.
He's playing extremely confident right now. Last couple of games, he's made numerous scoring chances out of thin air and he's not losing control of the luck like he'd often do.
I’d like to think he’s finding what his game needs to be in the NHL. Instead of being McDavid or MacKinnon and speeding it up, he’s going the Patrick Kane direction slowing it right down.
