C/W Brad Lambert (2022, 30th, WPG) Part 3

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2002
155,405
109,323
Tarnation
Lambert struggles against good defensive teams all the time. Can't score in Liiga, AHL or WJC. Only 3 points in 5 games in Memorial Cup. This game was very typical of Lambert.

Having just watched him do pretty well against Winnipeg in the WHL finals who aren't defensive chumps, and before that picking apart Kamloops, I'm going to stay with Quebec being excellent more so than Lambert being a bum.
 

Tube Skates

Registered User
May 12, 2016
1,043
741
You have to support the guy getting the puck in to the offensive zone. Terrible coaching. To much gap every time Lambert entered the zone. The Q teams will pick that apart like piranhas. The team deserved better from behind the bench. There’s a lot of talent there
 

Jukurit

Registered User
May 16, 2022
1,972
3,112
Why was he able to be good in the playoffs?

Man you’re going to be in pain if he ends up as a good player
14 points in 4 games against Prince George. A very lopsided series. It's not difficult to score against bad junior teams while playing in a stacked team.
 

WhiskeyYerTheDevils

yer leadin me astray
Sponsor
Apr 27, 2005
35,265
33,814
You have to support the guy getting the puck in to the offensive zone. Terrible coaching. To much gap every time Lambert entered the zone. The Q teams will pick that apart like piranhas. The team deserved better from behind the bench. There’s a lot of talent there
I noticed this as well. Seattle also refused to adjust their zone entries. Lambert was literally the only guy who was able to carry the puck in with possession. They kept trying to force the play instead of just getting it behind the D and going to work.

Seattle's zone entry tactics played right into Quebec's hands, and O'Dette never adjusted.

14 points in 4 games against Prince George. A very lopsided series. It's not difficult to score against bad junior teams while playing in a stacked team.
Oh look more stat watching.
 

Skinnyjimmy08

WorldTraveler
Mar 30, 2012
22,895
12,708
Having just watched him do pretty well against Winnipeg in the WHL finals who aren't defensive chumps, and before that picking apart Kamloops, I'm going to stay with Quebec being excellent more so than Lambert being a bum.
Quebec shut down all of Seattle and not just Lambert(in fact Lambert probably accomplished the most out of the forwards on Seattle).. It was an unbelievable performance by the Remparts yesterday... I was extremely impressed by their team and how well they were coached.

I've seen Seattle play alot this season and Quebec didn't even give them a sniff in the finals and it was extremely shocking to see. I've been used to seeing Seattle do what they want all year
 

Whileee

Registered User
May 29, 2010
46,502
34,796
If we're going to judge Seattle prospects based solely on a couple of Memorial Cup games, then I'd be much more worried about Guenther than Lambert.

I watched most of Seattle's playoff games, and Lambert was a strong player, even when he wasn't producing a bunch. He's obviously very strong in transition and with puck control in the offensive zone, but I was also impressed that he wasn't puck-dominant, and was a willing and reliable passer (in transition and in the offensive zone).

He's still just a D+1, so he has plenty of development runway ahead. I think that coaching will limit his high risk plays, playing at higher levels will enhance his give-and-go game, and getting bigger / stronger will make him better all-around.

For me, he's moved from a risky boom/bust prospect to a promising prospect with NHL potential. I would note that some of these positive traits were seen in Jets' training camp and in the AHL before his COVID bout and some injuries.
 

WarriorofTime

Registered User
Jul 3, 2010
31,205
20,127
Agreed, Guenther is the one with the big Top 10 pedigree and WJC glory, so based on that he is the one you should really be most disappointed didn't "step up" more in the Memorial Cup. Lambert already fell all the way to 30th in the Draft, so it's interesting that he's the one that remains so polarizing and that people hyper-focus in on. Frankly, given his fall, he was taken at the point in the Draft where you can hope for the upside but shrug your shoulders and realize it happens if he isn't even able to stick.

That being said, I think people hyper-sensationalize the Memorial Cup a bit too much, when it's a very small sample compared to the Best-of-7 League Playoffs.

Lambert has had a very weird season overall, but on the whole, the Seattle stint brought a very positive light for the second half of the season. Another go at it in North American Pro Hockey should have him much more confident and ready to play well.
 

Hinterland

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 29, 2016
12,500
6,204
Agreed, Guenther is the one with the big Top 10 pedigree and WJC glory, so based on that he is the one you should really be most disappointed didn't "step up" more in the Memorial Cup. Lambert already fell all the way to 30th in the Draft, so it's interesting that he's the one that remains so polarizing and that people hyper-focus in on. Frankly, given his fall, he was taken at the point in the Draft where you can hope for the upside but shrug your shoulders and realize it happens if he isn't even able to stick.

That being said, I think people hyper-sensationalize the Memorial Cup a bit too much, when it's a very small sample compared to the Best-of-7 League Playoffs.

Lambert has had a very weird season overall, but on the whole, the Seattle stint brought a very positive light for the second half of the season. Another go at it in North American Pro Hockey should have him much more confident and ready to play well.
Guenther can't step it up if his team doesn't. He's an elite sniper but doesn't drive play at all. Doesn't provide lots of physicality or efficient play against the puck either so his options are kinda limited. I've been kinda disappointed with him at the WJC as well. He scored his points but really didn't contribute much other than that.

So I guess it should have been Lambert leading the way if Seattle was to hang into this one.

Having said that, the Remparts were just too good. Not the most talented team...all other Memorial Cup teams probably had more skill available. The Remparts are just an extremely well built and coached team though and they were probably always gonna win. They lost vs the Petes despite playing well but I wasn't sure if they couldn't have found an extra gear even in that game if they really had to.
 
Last edited:

Tube Skates

Registered User
May 12, 2016
1,043
741
I have to be careful what I say here. This is NOT a criticism of Lambert but it is to his followers. I hadn’t watched a lot of his games. Actually very few. His supporters were always talking of his great speed. I was expecting something other worldly when I watched him in the Memorial Cup. After watching his games his speed didn’t seem extraordinary. I do watch a lot of Q games and the pace is much quicker. Am I the only one seeing this. I found the play of the WHL teams slow.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skinnyjimmy08

Skinnyjimmy08

WorldTraveler
Mar 30, 2012
22,895
12,708
I have to be careful what I say here. This is NOT a criticism of Lambert but it is to his followers. I hadn’t watched a lot of his games. Actually very few. His supporters were always talking of his great speed. I was expecting something other worldly when I watched him in the Memorial Cup. After watching his games his speed didn’t seem extraordinary. I do watch a lot of Q games and the pace is much quicker. Am I the only one seeing this. I found the play of the WHL teams slow.
I watch WHL regularly and Seattle was a strange team at the Memorial Cup... I felt they had 2 strong games later in tourny VS Kamloops and again in the semis. I felt they started off slow at start of tournament and looked bad in finals.

In the finals they were just outworked and outcoached and I give all credit to Quebec 100%.

But it was just extremely bizzare seeing top guys like Guenther, Lambert, Korchinski, Dach etc etc look very average majority of tournament. Id even say Guenther looked below average. Something just wasn't right and none of their guys that were extremely good all season and playoffs stuck out at all.

Kamloops didn't impress me much either. Sure Stankoven put up points but I thought he struggled vs these teams as well. Kamloops is good on the PP with Stankoven and Zellweger but I wasn't impressed with their top guys 5 on 5. I was hoping to see a WHL team win it this season but obviously it wasn't the case... But I feel the best team at the Mem Cup won so that was cool to see
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Tube Skates

Hinterland

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 29, 2016
12,500
6,204
I watch WHL regularly and Seattle was a strange team at the Memorial Cup... I felt they had 2 strong games later in tourny VS Kamloops and again in the semis. I felt they started off slow at start of tournament and looked bad in finals.

In the finals they were just outworked and outcoached and I give all credit to Quebec 100%.

But it was just extremely bizzare seeing top guys like Guenther, Lambert, Korchinski, Dach etc etc look very average majority of tournament. Id even say Guenther looked below average. Something just wasn't right and none of their guys that were extremely good all season and playoffs stuck out at all.

Kamloops didn't impress me much either. Sure Stankoven put up points but I thought he struggled vs these teams as well. Kamloops is good on the PP with Stankoven and Zellweger but I wasn't impressed with their top guys 5 on 5. I was hoping to see a WHL team win it this season but obviously it wasn't the case... But I feel the best team at the Mem Cup won so that was cool to see
What did you expect from Guenther? He's a sniper. As a sniper you can only turn around games if you see enough pucks. Guenther had 18 shots in 5 games which isn't bad but not a lot either. I'm also not sure they were high quality chances. Against the Petes for example, Seattle was just putting everything on net without creating lots of high danger chances.
 

Skinnyjimmy08

WorldTraveler
Mar 30, 2012
22,895
12,708
What did you expect from Guenther? He's a sniper. As a sniper you can only turn around games if you see enough pucks. Guenther had 18 shots in 5 games which isn't bad but not a lot either. I'm also not sure they were high quality chances. Against the Petes for example, Seattle was just putting everything on net without creating lots of high danger chances.
Guenther struggled all tourny.. I know he's a sniper but he didn't look dangerous at all any of the games like he normally does. Even on the PP he didn't have that usual lethal look to his game

If it was anyone's first times seeing the well known golden goal WJC Canadian hero, they would have been very disapointed.

Like for instance I thought Stankoven on Kamloops wasn't impressive at all either but he was still atleast able to finish the tourny with alot of points due to the PP
 
Last edited:

WhiskeyYerTheDevils

yer leadin me astray
Sponsor
Apr 27, 2005
35,265
33,814
What did you expect from Guenther? He's a sniper. As a sniper you can only turn around games if you see enough pucks. Guenther had 18 shots in 5 games which isn't bad but not a lot either. I'm also not sure they were high quality chances. Against the Petes for example, Seattle was just putting everything on net without creating lots of high danger chances.
He should have had a lot more shots. He was fumbling passes and struggling to find time and space.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skinnyjimmy08

Hinterland

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 29, 2016
12,500
6,204
He should have had a lot more shots. He was fumbling passes and struggling to find time and space.
Maybe, but at the end of the day Seattle just didn't create enough chances in pretty much all memorial cup games. Even when they had possession they were mostly shooting for volume. I don't watch a lot of CHL during the regular season so I might be wrong but I never saw Guenther do anything elite other than scoring goals. At any level. He's got a solid overall game as well but nothing special really. Just seems weird to blame the sniper if his team is outchanced. It's guys like Lambert I'd look at in such cases. Guys with an actual motor and ability to drive play.
 
Last edited:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad