Blues vs Dallas. I don't have anything witty to say. Bolduc with Thomas and Buch on the 2nd line.
GDT: Game 50/82 Blues Vs Dallas 6PM CST FDSNMW
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Snubbed4Vezina
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Interested to see Bolduc on a line with Thomas and Buchnevich. I hope he scores a hat trick tonight so the team at least considers leaving him on a scoring line for more than a game.
Blues break their 2-game losing streak against the Stars with a 3-2 win tonight.
Blues break their 2-game losing streak against the Stars with a 3-2 win tonight.
TheOrganist
Don't Call Him Alex
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Utah lost in regulation last night. Definitely a race to the bottom for the 8th seed.
Reality Czech
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1 goal would be nice at least, which is how many he's scored in the last 16 games. Will be curious to see how he looks back in the lineup, but I don't see any problem with making a young player earn his spot in the top 6 rather than just handing it to him.
Snubbed4Vezina
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If all you're going to look at is goal scoring to grade the player, I can see why you'd think he hasn't earned more consistent playing time. But his overall game is much better than many of the alternatives that have had better opportunities. Amazing he's been unable to score much on a line centered by Oskar Sundqvist.
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There is no doubt that Bolduc is doing some really good things this season, which has earned him this opportunity to play with better linemates. He's taken some dumb penalties, but he's only drawn one penalty less than he's taken. He's at 1.89 points per 60, which is astounding given his most frequent linemates. His takeaway/giveaway ratio is 32/11 or 2.9 takeaways per giveaway. I think he'll shine in this role, but I also understand that there are certainly details that Monty wants him working on and perfecting before putting him in this position, where he'll be on the ice against the other team's better players.
AVictoryDive
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To me Bolduc makes too many plays like he is still in the CHL. More than likely he’s just trying to be aggressive to earn his spot but can be careless with his stick and the puck. I want him to thrive in this spot though.
Reality Czech
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Top 6 players are expected to put up points. Guys who hustle and work hard but don't score much generally play in the bottom 6. Bolduc is still relatively inexperienced to be trusted in a defensive role, so he could easily get exposed if given a bigger role before he's ready.
I'm curious who you're talking about when you say Bolduc's overall game is "much better than" many players because I can't think of many. Maybe Saad but absolutely not Neighbours if that's what you're suggesting. Bolduc's usage is pretty much standard for young players, so I really don't get why people are complaining so much. If he shows more, then he can earn more ice time.
Snubbed4Vezina
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The problem with that logic is that the players getting time on the top line aren't scoring either. Saad has 16 points and has had more opportunities with the top line than Bolduc. Neighbours has 24 but also has had better opportunities and time on the 1st PP unit. Bolduc is outperforming other players defensively too. I'm not sure where you're getting this idea that Neighbours has been good defensively this season.
We've reached the point where Bolduc is showing enough to deserve more than a one-game tryout in the top 6 because the alternatives aren't showing they deserve to be there.
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shpongle falls
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I still would like to see Sunny and Joseph switch spots, I think Sunny shouldn’t play above the 4th line right now and he would bring more size to Toropo and Faksa and be effective on that line as a winger. Joseph has more speed and offense for the third line.
Reality Czech
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I'm not sure why people take these bar charts as gospel, but a lot of these fancy stats have more to do with usage than anything else. If Bolduc is so great at playing defense why is he always stapled to the bench when the Blues are protecting a lead while the coach puts Neighbours on the ice? Surely the coaching staff would want to put their best defensive players on the ice in key situations like that.
I'm not saying Neighbours is great defensively but he's improved with experience and has earned at least some trust from the coaching staff to play a larger role. Advanced stats are going to look worse when you're going up against the other team's top competition a lot of the time compared to a guy who's playing a fairly sheltered role. Having good advanced stats does not automatically = being a good defensive player, yet many fans seem to think so.
Bolduc has shown flashes of putting it together but like I said, you've got to earn an increase in ice time. You're the one that claims Bolduc's overall game is "much better" than many other players in the top 6, and I disagree with that. I'm fine with giving him a shot in tonight's game or even a few games, but I really don't get this narrative many have about how great Bolduc has been playing while at the same time downplaying Neighbours. I trust the coaching staff to delegate ice time based on who deserves it most, not people looking at bar charts that some analytics website puts out.
TheDizee
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Snubbed4Vezina
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It's not gospel but it's worth way more than random fan opinion.
To every argument you make here I say sure, that's what the coaching staff has been doing, but is it working...no, it sure isn't. We're still struggling.
So I think it's completely fair to question whether the coaching staff is making the smart hockey decision, or if they're making Bolduc earn his stripes, which at this point I feel like we should be past given how he's performed compared to other players who are getting the benefit of the doubt. The whole premise of 'you can't question the staff' is a silly premise to me. This means you're of the belief that a coaching staff doesn't err, and always makes the smart decision for a team. Coaches make poor lineup decisions frequently until they find something that works.
Again, how does a player earn extra ice time without doing exactly what Bolduc's done so far? He's working his butt off, playing hard, winning board battles, playing solid defense. What he's not doing is scoring on a line centered by a guy who probably shouldn't be in the lineup most nights. If he has to put up 10 points in 15 games stapled to Oskar Sundqvist then he's never going to earn extra playing time.
I'm not going to keep going back and forth on this, but I'm ready for a 5 game trial with Bolduc on a line with Thomas and Buch.
Agree on Bolduc. As much as I like the play of Neighbours, they need to find some chemistry for the Thomas line to start producing. I personally feel Buch is the anchor and would flip him and Saad in the lines, but Monty feels differently. Let's hope that line breaks out tonight and they can pull out a win.
Reality Czech
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I'll agree with that. There's nothing wrong with trying out all possible combinations, and I won't complain at all about a 5-game trial with Bolduc on Thomas's line. I just feel like NHL coaches mostly operate the same way. Young players have to earn their trust to get a bigger role on the team and that can take some time. Kyrou had to do it and he's obviously a more skilled player than Bolduc is. Neighbours was in a similar position to Bolduc when he came up and he didn't start getting top 6 minutes until his 2nd year in the league (when he put up 27 goals). I don't think Bolduc's usage is anything unusual up to this point, but it's up to him to force the coaches to play him more. He's only got 64 NHL games under his belt, so I have no doubt he'll continue to trend upward with time. Maybe he's ready to break out now, we will see.
My big issue with the advanced stats is they may tell a different story than reality. I haven't seen anything to suggest Bolduc is a good defensive player, which would appear to be the case while looking at that chart. And that's nothing against Bolduc because it takes time to truly learn how to play a 200-foot game in the NHL. I would suspect that chart has more to do with his usage and the competition he's matched up against most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would bet that's the case. This graph from Dobber suggests that his QoC against is among the lowest on the team.
Player Usage Chart - Frozen Tools
Hockey Abstract player usage charts from dobberhockey.com
frozenpool.dobbersports.com
Snubbed4Vezina
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Last thing I'm going to add, I promise.I'll agree with that. There's nothing wrong with trying out all possible combinations, and I won't complain at all about a 5-game trial with Bolduc on Thomas's line. I just feel like NHL coaches mostly operate the same way. Young players have to earn their trust to get a bigger role on the team and that can take some time. Kyrou had to do it and he's obviously a more skilled player than Bolduc is. Neighbours was in a similar position to Bolduc when he came up and he didn't start getting top 6 minutes until his 2nd year in the league (when he put up 27 goals). I don't think Bolduc's usage is anything unusual up to this point, but it's up to him to force the coaches to play him more. He's only got 64 NHL games under his belt, so I have no doubt he'll continue to trend upward with time. Maybe he's ready to break out now, we will see.
My big issue with the advanced stats is they may tell a different story than reality. I haven't seen anything to suggest Bolduc is a good defensive player, which would appear to be the case while looking at that chart. And that's nothing against Bolduc because it takes time to truly learn how to play a 200-foot game in the NHL. I would suspect that chart has more to do with his usage and the competition he's matched up against most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would bet that's the case. This graph from Dobber suggests that his QoC against is among the lowest on the team.
Player Usage Chart - Frozen Tools
Hockey Abstract player usage charts from dobberhockey.com
A player can only produce against the players he's slotted to play against. Bolduc has played solid defense to this point in the season against the players he's been lined up across. Meanwhile, Neighbours usage suggests he's struggling when playing on Thomas' line. This to me suggests he's overmatched.
The solution? Try the guy who is playing well against his competition.
There's always a chance that Bolduc drowns when given this opportunity to which you can say alright, let's go back to Neighbours/Saad/whoever because they weren't as bad. But I feel like we've seen enough from the alternatives that the kid deserves a shot at having a few consistent games in the lineup with quality linemates to see if he can start to build some chemistry.
I appreciate the discourse.
Reality Czech
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Feel free to add as much as you want! You make a good point and I would agree that it's time to see if Bolduc can handle a bigger role. I read the article posted on the Blues website about Bolduc, where he talked about his learning process and doing the "little things" to be a better player. It could be useful for him to sit in the press box with Steener and soak up some of that knowledge. I'll drop the link if people haven't read it.
The graph I shared doesn't look great for Neighbours, though I would be curious to see before and after the coaching change. Thomas, Buch and Colt all have a negative Corsi for the season and the whole team has played like crap for stretches this season. The Schenn line are leading the way not because they are great defensively but their offense has been so good.
Jake may be somewhat overmatched as you said, and time will tell if he can adapt to the bigger role he's been given or if someone else like Bolduc will push him down the depth chart. I don't think he would have been ready for so much responsibility before this year though. Jake seems like a more complete player to me compared to last year although the consistency hasn't been there like a lot of guys. He had a great interview on 32 Thoughts around the time of the Winter Classic where he talked about the challenges of becoming a better pro and taking on more responsibility. If I recall he said something along the lines of how there are always new things to learn and new challenges that come up as you get more experience in the league, which totally makes sense.
Most importantly we need Thomas and Buch to get going and if Bolduc can be a catalyst to making that happen, then that will be a good thing.
Projected Lineup: Jan. 25 vs. Dallas | St. Louis Blues
Zack Bolduc will draw back into the lineup - and into the top six - when the St. Louis Blues host the Dallas Stars at Enterprise Center on Saturday night (6 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN). Per Head Coach Jim Montgomery, Bolduc will skate alongside Robert Thomas and Pavel
www.nhl.com
LGB
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Bolduc is very disruptive on breakouts and through the NZ. He’s fast, agile, has an active stick, and fast reactions. When he’s on the ice it’s a lot harder for opponents to get clean zone entries and he forces some turnovers as well. It’s easy for me to see why he’d have a positive defensive impact. I think he brings a few different qualities that the Thomas line really needs. I think a big problem for Thomas and Buch has been how often they’ve been stuck defending for the majority of their shift, his disruption will help with that. They’ve also had trouble trying to transition the puck through the NZ themselves. I don’t think Bolduc is a particularly good playmaker in transition, but his speed will hopefully give Thomas and Buch more space. Bolduc is also pretty good on retrievals with his speed and surprising strength and can initiate OZ possession for Thomas.
Hopefully he brings his A game tonight.
Hopefully he brings his A game tonight.
Feel free to add as much as you want! You make a good point and I would agree that it's time to see if Bolduc can handle a bigger role. I read the article posted on the Blues website about Bolduc, where he talked about his learning process and doing the "little things" to be a better player. It could be useful for him to sit in the press box with Steener and soak up some of that knowledge. I'll drop the link if people haven't read it.
The graph I shared doesn't look great for Neighbours, though I would be curious to see before and after the coaching change. Thomas, Buch and Colt all have a negative Corsi for the season and the whole team has played like crap for stretches this season. The Schenn line are leading the way not because they are great defensively but their offense has been so good.
Jake may be somewhat overmatched as you said, and time will tell if he can adapt to the bigger role he's been given or if someone else like Bolduc will push him down the depth chart. I don't think he would have been ready for so much responsibility before this year though. Jake seems like a more complete player to me compared to last year although the consistency hasn't been there like a lot of guys. He had a great interview on 32 Thoughts around the time of the Winter Classic where he talked about the challenges of becoming a better pro and taking on more responsibility. If I recall he said something along the lines of how there are always new things to learn and new challenges that come up as you get more experience in the league, which totally makes sense.
Most importantly we need Thomas and Buch to get going and if Bolduc can be a catalyst to making that happen, then that will be a good thing.
Projected Lineup: Jan. 25 vs. Dallas | St. Louis Blues
Zack Bolduc will draw back into the lineup - and into the top six - when the St. Louis Blues host the Dallas Stars at Enterprise Center on Saturday night (6 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN). Per Head Coach Jim Montgomery, Bolduc will skate alongside Robert Thomas and Pavel
Its great they have him watching video with Steen. You know what would be more impactful, to be able to play regularly and implement those things. To have video of himself playing to see how well he implemented those things. He absolutely should not be scratched from a development or merit standpoint. There has not been a single game this season where he is the worst skater and very few where he is in the bottom 3, but he gets scratched more than anyone else outside Texier and Joseph.
Now he has to produce offensively. Monty is saying it "Its a great opportunity to produce offensively". I am thinking they will bench him if he doesn't. I bet he is thinking the same. So how much is he going to work on those little things when he knows he needs goals and points to stay in the lineup. He has no cushion, and that is not conducive to doing the little things right.
A Real Barn Burner
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A Real Barn Burner
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Had a new effort meter installed
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