Why do that when it's so much more fun to blame it on Slafkovsky because he was drafted 1st overall.
Juraj Slafkovsky - Year Two
- Thread starter Lafleurs Guy
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It's literally the only play in the entire extended highlights that Slaf is featured in. Here's his assist
This was the correct play for him to make. No notes. We are now done with our analysis of his game.
Can I turn your ''what would the video staff say to him'' question around on you? What would you say to him?
The post I was discussing was about how he backchecked and left Matthews uncovered....even though there were 4 other players on the ice and if we really want to break down that sequence, Mailloux was the one with the bad read.
Mailloux is the Dman, that's his responsibility, not to mention Mailloux has the play in front of him as he's skating backwards, meanwhile Slakovsky is angled towards the puck carrier.
But when all we want to do is over-analyze his EVERY shift and basically ignore every one else on the ice...its just easy to single out a single sequence as evidence that he's just not ready.
The problem isn't Slafkovky...its us lol.
So, last game, Slaf had multiple chances that he didn't bury and left the game scoreless. Last night wasn't as eventful a night offensively, but he got an assist on a simple play, and almost got another after setting up Dach.
To me, that sounds positive, as offensive players tend to find their way on the scoresheet even when they aren't directly driving the play some nights. I see this as a positive.
Overall, he's had a good camp. Definitely a step above all the other offensive prospects, and better than all the vets not names Anderson, Monahan, Caufield, Newhook, Suzuki.
That tells me he should at least start the season with the big club.
- Jan 18, 2022
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From your screen grab here.....Anderson's skate path and Slaf's are in blue. Their path to cutting off Matthews is in red. Which player do you think should have been making the play on Matthews? truthfully? Anderson should have never followed in behind Marner IMHO. There was no need to triple team him. And if you let the play run a little longer here, you will see yet another Hab trailing up closer to the centre of the ice cutting off anyone from the Leafs streaking behind Marner. Matthews was the only worry short handed here....This is not on Slaf.
- Jan 18, 2022
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Slaf at this moment should've covered the weak side and Anderson should've covered Mathews. It's not "on Slaf" because Mailloux should've told Slaf to cover the weak side but this is the Slafkovsky discussion thread and, wouldn't you know it, Slaf made a bad call here and it is discussed.
Yiiikes was right. It was a bad call by Slaf.
Just one call though, there will be many more opportunities in the future and hopefully he makes the right call in all of them to come.
They are pushing him to the top of the blue line....a low threat area on the ice. Marner makes a good pass. Slaf was right in his lane. Sometimes a player can still make a play, even when the defender is positionally sound.
Ezpz
No mad pls
- Apr 16, 2013
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No. He reminds me of a less skilled Andrei Kostitsyn at times with how slow he moves and thinks. At least he's ten times more handsome. That's the thing though, he does a normal cycle of the puck that leads to a secondary assist and you've got posters here screaming he's doing great. He gets a goal deflected off his butt and he's "shutting the haters up" or "try to discredit that!" type of comments. His shot selection isn't great. His shot accuracy isn't great. His speed isn't great. His backchecking isn't great. His pass selection isn't great. He was constantly passing the puck to the opposing team after Dach would consistently give him "touches", as management loves to say, every shift. What is his great skill? We all see Dach making errors but we all see Dach showing elite skill, great shot and pass selection, physical play, occasionally fantastic defensive plays and other things that make us believe there's more or even first line C potential.
I haven't seen Slaf do any of that in 40+ games of viewing now. Like he had one slapshot goal that was a quick release last year and that was it. I've seen zero flashes of elite skill. HIs puck handling is average at best. His shot has not shown to be that of a 40 goal scorer. One-on-one he doesn't seem great against goalies. I haven't seen any crazy playmaking thoughts, not even successful passes, but just attempts that show he's thinking of something amazing, the kind of thing we see Nick Suzuki literally do every game. He's been too easily knocked off the puck at times, but strong overall; to me this is his one strength that I think will define him as a player when he is more physically mature (He grew a lot as a teenager, I'll give him a pass on the strength for now). To me, his strengths are very similar to Lars Eller before Martin turned him into a checking center. Now Eller was one of my favourite players and I would love to have another one, but not from a first overall pick.
Now that doesn't mean Slaf is a bust, and I really don't like being called a Slaf hater for just stating what I am seeing with my eyes. I am not blindly hating on the guy because I want him to fail, he just has not impressed me yet. Dach really struggled in the NHL for three years, partially due to injury as he did look ready to breakout at 19 years old before the wrist thing. A bad rookie season is expected, but a bad sophomore season after a bad rookie season is a trend. There needs to be clear, marked improvement when you have the second worst first overall rookie season in history after Joe Thornton. For all we know a lot of Slaf's shortcomings have been adaptations to small ice, adding coaching advice into his game, not getting the chance to show his style at this level yet while he works on the basics, etc.. He clearly looks like he's thinking at times out there when he's taking 3-4 second pauses after dumping the puck, passing or taking a shot. He is clearly working on knowing where to be defensively at the NHL level, which may just be preoccupying every other aspect of his mind and game. When he is well informed about where he needs to be on the ice, he could very well start showing the things that we want to see from him. For now, he does not even look NHL ready, but there's no way he's going down. I would like to see him on the PP since he was drafted for his shot and size but I am not in charge of the PP.
Overall, I haven't seen the potential. That being said, even in our own wheelhouse Pacioretty showed nothing his first two years and ironically I think that is who Slaf is more likely to turn out as. He isn't super physical, but can hold the puck and force his way to the net. That was a huge part of Patches game until he headshot Letang. People accredit the Chara hit but he was still driving the net the following year, it was after hitting Letang that he became a p***y on the ice. Patches went from scoring 2 goals in the AHL to scoring 33 in the NHL in two years.
Mailloux is the one who is best positioned to scan the ice and see the oncoming threat...his read should have been.
1. Marner alone - it's OK to double team with Slafkovsky
2. Matthews is coming - let Slafkovsky take Marner and hang back to protect the middle of the ice.
Again...Mailloux has the play in front him...that's HIS read.
Slafkovsky is hunting the puck carrier, that was the appropriate read.
In either scenario, this was a breakdown by all 5 players on the ice...but again, I guess cause there was only one 1st overall pick on the ice for the Habs, all the other 4 get cancelled out.
Whenever Slafkovsky is on the ice, y'all just black everything else out I swear lol
- Jan 18, 2022
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I'm looking forward to other hockey takes from you this season. This is very interesting.
Captain Mountain
Formerly Captain Wolverine
- Jun 6, 2010
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Especially since Ylonen, Gallagher and especially Anderson were bigger issues on the play. Montreal had the numbers to defend effectively, it was a one on 3, but the rest of the unit were flat-footed and Anderson decided to cut behind Marner for some reason. It was a broken play.
And again, its ****ing pre-season. Not everyone is competing hard. The team is also still figuring out units. The coaching staff having 3 right shot wingers and one left shot winger out there isn't ideal. The play develops differently if you swap Ylonen or Gallagher with someone who has actually trained to defend the center of the ice, like Newhook or Monahan or Dach.
I'd tell everyone on the ice that they need to do a better job of communicating.
It's a 5 man breakdown...there were 4 Leafs players on the ice.
If someone Matthews ended up alone in front, it's the responsibility of all 5 Habs player on the ice.
Not just Slafkovsky exclusively - even if he was picked 1st overall.
What is interesting about my perspective here? Ill avoid any personal attack on you on this, but I fail to see how anyone can argue with my perspective here. Ill repeat it, to make sure I have not been mistaken.
- this play labelled "yiikes" by Notpro was not Slaf's fault.
- Slaf could have possibly been scanning here to see Matthews streaking from the Leafs zone, and may have been able to disrupt the scoring chance
- Slaf SHOULD not have had to scan here at all, as he was doing what he is supposed to do positionally and taking the man he had the entire time.
- This defensive lapse is on Anderson first and Gally second.
- Mailloux facing up the ice is in better position to see the threats coming, and could have either stepped over to take Matthews or, directed Slaf to do that.
- Mailloux shouldn't have to do either of those things, as again.....Anderson and Gally both dropped the ball here.
- A minor teaching point for Slaf is to keep that head on a swivel, in case one of your teammates f***s up.
Arguments that this is a sliver of evidence that Slaf is not ready, are both disingenuous and wrong. It is a bad take.
Go ahead and find my "takes". If I am wrong about anything I am happy to have a laugh and admit it. Most know I am here for the laughs anyways.
Jaynki
Registered User
- Feb 3, 2014
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Imma summarise it.
It was a bad look for everyone involved.
Abnormal for vet like Gallagher and Anderson.
Mailloux and Slaf have to be better too.
There is no point in focusing solely on mistakes like this.
We all saw Slaf having good offensive chances and display of his talent. We also all saw confusion, hesitation and whiffing.
Do we expect perfection or do we expect improvement?
Im fine as long as we see more of the former and less of the latter. Inchworm improvement.
It was a bad look for everyone involved.
Abnormal for vet like Gallagher and Anderson.
Mailloux and Slaf have to be better too.
There is no point in focusing solely on mistakes like this.
We all saw Slaf having good offensive chances and display of his talent. We also all saw confusion, hesitation and whiffing.
Do we expect perfection or do we expect improvement?
Im fine as long as we see more of the former and less of the latter. Inchworm improvement.
What is this ''should not have to scan''? There is never a situation in hockey where you are not supposed to scan, except when you have just scanned.
Mailloux should have pointed. Telling your young players that they shouldn't have to do these things is not good, I would wager. Not only is it wrong, because they should be doing these things, it contributes to a culture that lacks accountability. ''You shouldn't have to'' yeah well this is the NHL. You do. Do it, or guys like Matthews will eat you alive.
I love how I never heard this board refer to the notion of "scanning" until WTK used it to criticize a play by Mailloux in the Buffalo game, now it gets employed as some sort of litmus test as to the readiness of a prospect.
I'm not sure how Slaf is supposed to scan the play behind him when he's literally on the back check in a one-on-one foot race with Marner. Scanning in this situation may literally cause Slaf to lose the race.
Watching the sequence again, Mailloux should be the one directing Slaf to back off.
It's bad reads from 4 players: Mailloux doesn't direct, Slaf doesn't know to back off and cover the dead ice, Anderson attacks a player that already has two players defending against, and Gallagher is doing nothing.
Yet, here we are micro analyzing the decision on one player on one play. It's a little sickening.
Semantics. I clearly stated that it is a small teaching moment for Slaf here. Perhaps better stated, scanning or not shouldn't have had to make a difference here. It was on Anderson and Gally first to be on that trailing man. Yes, he should always be scanning and aware of where his teammates are, but it shouldn't have been required in this case, if other players were doing their job.
Just a lil check. Just a lil gander up ice, like you're about to cross the street Juraj.
Mailloux should be reading and directing, too, of course.
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