GDT: Cane devil

[zman77]

 

[zman77]

 

[zman77]

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Bleed mentioned this in his earlier post, but I wanted to also comment on it. I've watched the Devils a few times now and Jack Hughes is becoming a stud. It's taken him a couple of years but he is electric when he gets the puck. He's played 86 games last season and this one and has 47G and 98 points.

 

[Chrispy]

Watching Hughes in OT, my first thought was that I’m glad playoff OT is 5x5.

That man is almost unstoppable 3x3.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

They did give Koko an assist on the first goal, he has 6 points in his last 6 despite lower playing time and a “demotion” to the 4th line since Aho returned…

To me this is the make or break storyline of the season heading into the postseason. Not KK specifically, but generally whether we can actually leverage our depth and turn our “4th” line into a scoring line that feasts on matchup mismatches. Once Pacioretty comes back that storyline will come even more front and center. But the fact that we’ve already got a line in Stepan-KK-Noesen that is starting to be counted on to regularly contribute is a very good sign.

 

[AD Skinner]

To me the 4th line was the story of yesterday's game- the stars got it done in the late game crunch time but Stepan and noesen made it possible with their points early. If Staal and martinook continue to play as well as they have we may legitimately have the deepest forward group in the league with a healthy Pacioretty. Figuring out where he fits will probably be a bit of a learning curve but like the definition of a good problem to have

 

[Svechhammer]

To me this is the make or break storyline of the season heading into the postseason. Not KK specifically, but generally whether we can actually leverage our depth and turn our “4th” line into a scoring line that feasts on matchup mismatches. Once Pacioretty comes back that storyline will come even more front and center. But the fact that we’ve already got a line in Stepan-KK-Noesen that is starting to be counted on to regularly contribute is a very good sign.

Noesen in particular has been a huge addition lately. He's developing a legitimate threat to score every time he has the puck on his stick, which plays very well with KK's game and his ability to find an open guy with a pass. Step is getting a lot of dirty goals which shouldn't be a surprise with the offense those other 2 generate.

The best part is that they're generally driving this play against the worst defensive matchup the opponent has because they have to focus on our top 2 lines or they'll get roasted. That won't change going forward, so to have them gel is probably more significant to our playoff hopes than we realize.

 

[Negan4Coach]

I think the underlying theme of the Canes win streak is that the NPCs on the team have been over-performing. You love to see it.

 

[Joe McGrath]

 

[bleedgreen]

Bleed mentioned this in his earlier post, but I wanted to also comment on it. I've watched the Devils a few times now and Jack Hughes is becoming a stud. It's taken him a couple of years but he is electric when he gets the puck. He's played 86 games last season and this one and has 47G and 98 points.

That save Raanta made on Hughes eliminated a goal of the year candidate. Goal of the week candidate when he roasts Slavin and scored earlier on. I watched the Devils feed and they were going on and on about how perfect we are 5v5 and how we were giving them such few chances. Hughes created one from nothing on the longest stick in the league and left him in the dust. They laughed after and said….”well when you’ve got Hughes you only need kind of one chance”.

And I agree with @Chrispy, he’s too much 3v3. He’s competing for the most dangerous player in the league in that situation.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

To me this is the make or break storyline of the season heading into the postseason. Not KK specifically, but generally whether we can actually leverage our depth and turn our “4th” line into a scoring line that feasts on matchup mismatches. Once Pacioretty comes back that storyline will come even more front and center. But the fact that we’ve already got a line in Stepan-KK-Noesen that is starting to be counted on to regularly contribute is a very good sign.

I’m curious how much of the recent success is simple a matter of the matchups KK gets now vs the idea that now he feels he needs to be more assertive as opposed to just “get the puck to Svetch and Necas and play defense.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I’m curious how much of the recent success is simple a matter of the matchups KK gets now vs the idea that now he feels he needs to be more assertive as opposed to just “get the puck to Svetch and Necas and play defense.

I think what we're seeing is that maybe he's a top notch Swiss Army knife. Need him to dominate on a lower line? He can. Need him to anchor a checking line? He can. Need him to center a scoring line and be good enough to enable and free up the wings to attack? He can do that.

Will he ever have the high end skill necessary to be "a true 2C"? I don't know, but right now, we don't seem to need that. Goals are goals, and if they come because a good player is underslotted and is feasting on inferior competition, that's fine. Those goals still count.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

I think what we're seeing is that maybe he's a top notch Swiss Army knife. Need him to dominate on a lower line? He can. Need him to anchor a checking line? He can. Need him to center a scoring line and be good enough to enable and free up the wings to attack? He can do that.

Will he ever have the high end skill necessary to be "a true 2C"? I don't know, but right now, we don't seem to need that. Goals are goals, and if they come because a good player is underslotted and is feasting on inferior competition, that's fine. Those goals still count.

True.

And as much as we fans may not like to be patient, but big players often take longer to develop. Some hit the league more guns blazing, but more often it takes until age 25 to really hit their stride, whereas the more smaller and skilled guys are usually at their peak as soon as age 21.

 

[NotOpie]

I wasn't born or was too young to remember the glory days of NFL championships. I grew up when the Packers absolutely stunk. From 1968 to 1993, the Packer's made the playoffs only 2 times. We forget that now with the success once Favre and Rodger's arrived, but it was absolutely abysmal before that. So 26 years, 2 playoffs which is what I'm referring to. The Cubs had zero playoffs until 84 and 89.

Baltimore Orioles fan here....not the length of desperation of a Cubs fan, but the futility of the last 25 years is palpable

As a Browns fan I also know the feeling but it was the opposite for me. They were good most of my childhood then started the suck of all.suck.

.....same here as an O's fan.