Kreider & Stepan Have To Start Playing Mean

[Ail]

That's not Stepan's game. He needs to be engaged emotionally, but suddenly becoming an overly physical player over night is not going to happen.

Kreider has potential to play with an edge, but he's still not going to have the snarl of Lucic.

 

[msv957]

Stepan has played mostly with super talent on his line basically his whole career starting with Gaborik and then Nash. Hopefully, Nash does get back in the lineup soon enough as it will help Stepan a lot.

Stepan is a good player but it seems he needs to have certain pieces on his line to make him an effective player. Stepan does not seem to be the guy who can make the others around him better on his line.

 

[JohnC]

Stepan does not seem to be the guy who can make the others around him better on his line.

It happened with every single player they played him with last year

 

[n8]

They aren't going to play that way unless they have guys that will have their backs. Same applies for any hockey player.

i agree. if you play mean, then you have to expect the other team to retaliate back, and if they have a giant goon (especially if your team does not) then you've just invited said goon to take liberties on your players. i remember playing in a pick up league and there was a sort of gentlemen's no-check rule in place cause no one wanted to get hurt. without checking, i tried to play physical still and use my body to my advantage, push other players out of the way but not in the deliver actual body checks way. one Russian guy on the other team took exception and proceeded to level me several times and eventually gave me a knee on knee. we yelled at each other but when i toned it down, it was over. That same psychology applies at the pro level. unless you have team toughness and someone who can stand up for you, you don't want to play "mean." At least not all the time. Again, no one wants to get injured. I think it's still possible to play smart and physical. I haven't seen Matt Cooke's game lately but i read an article on how he reformed his game after getting to big suspension strikes and being wary of a 3rd strike.

 

[bernmeister]

Kreider is not playing with a lack of intensity. It appears he is trying to be conscientious in his play without delaying his decision making.

This is a guy who used to just outplay the competition. On raw ability. He needs some NHL experience before anyone has a right to jump all over him.

Secondly, as to results, while Stepan is a big improvement, Miller is the one really fast C we have who is most complementary to feed each other's speed. Kreider-Miller-Fast. That is what I am waiting for. That could immediately be a 2nd line for us, with eventual 1st line potential.

Stepan is another story...