New York Islanders: Okposo Finding Offensive Groove

[CREW99AW]

I love how Okposo is playing the last month and I credit the Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo line for being a major reason, the isles are making the playoff push, but I disagree with the writer that the efforts been there all season.
Are Okposo slow starts a confidence issue or bad conditioning?


http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=664801
Okposo Finding Offensive Groove
Right wing Kyle Okposo has come on strong late in the season, pushing the Islanders into the driver's seat of a tight playoff race
Monday, 04.08.2013 / 3:21 PM / News
The effort and energy have been there all season for Kyle Okposo, who’s embraced his physical, grinding role as a power forward on the Islanders top shut-down unit. After an admittedly slow start statistically to the 2012-13 season, the Islanders right winger has turned things around with points in seven of his last 12 games.

Okposo says he hasn’t made any radical changes to his game to account for his production, but in recent weeks his hard-nosed style has worn on opponents, causing turnovers and generating opportunities for his line to strike.

 

[Poliz24]

I feel like there are 2 ways you can look at his start. 1. Shortened season this year, so he probably was just working out and trying to stay in shape BUT I don't think he might have been in GAME shape 2. I also think continuity could have been ruined for a week long training camp at the beginning of the year.

 

[the sweetener]

I think Nielsen should get some credit for it as well. I think he makes his lines better. Neither Okposo or Bailey were playing that well until they were centered by Franny.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I think he has conditioning issues. I've never seen a player labor so hard on the way to the bench for a line change.

 

[RMimagery]

I think he has conditioning issues. I've never seen a player labor so hard on the way to the bench for a line change.

Could be but he really motors out there and hustle isn't a problem with him a la Boyes.

He must be in much better shape now than at the start of the season. He's even throwing checks which I always wondered why that was lacking as he has a solid build and skates well.

Whatever the case just keep hoping he plays like this. I want him to make team usa next year and he has a lot of competition. But first...

 

[CREW99AW]

I think he has conditioning issues. I've never seen a player labor so hard on the way to the bench for a line change.

Okposo's started every one of his pro seasons slowly, except 1.
Of you know you are a slow starter, shouldn't you try to avoid those slow starts?

When I see his play now and compare it to the firsts 5-6 weeks, I can't help wonder why he can't play this way out the gate.

 

[Seph]

I think he has conditioning issues. I've never seen a player labor so hard on the way to the bench for a line change.

I have been thinking this too. He looks so much stronger and more energetic out there than he did in the first half of the season, and this trend has been ongoing for him. It really makes one question his offseason regimen, or if he even has one. Would not surprise me if he has always been the kind of guy who at lower levels got by on natural athleticism, and picked up some bad habits which just won't fly in the NHL.

Someone needs to make sure he starts training harder in the offseason, because if he could play like this for a while season, it'd be a massive benefit to the team.

 

[Hyphistos]

Okposo's started every one of his pro seasons slowly, except 1.
Of you know you are a slow starter, shouldn't you try to avoid those slow starts?

When I see his play now and compare it to the firsts 5-6 weeks, I can't help wonder why he can't play this way out the gate.

I think a responsible player should work on this. Grabner for example is also known as a notorious slow starter, yet was the best player at the beginning of the season. I'm not saying that Grabner is a role model in this regard at all (quite the opposite, I still think he relies too much on his natural strengths while working not enough on his weaknesses) as it was an additional motivation for him to play for his home town during lockout. But nevertheless it worked. So especially with this lockout season there would have been ways to work on this, by simply playing somewhere. Okposo decided not to do this, so I blame him for this. I have not enough hockey knowledge if there are ways to work especially on this issue during normal seasons, but I would guess so.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Could be but he really motors out there and hustle isn't a problem with him a la Boyes.

Tons of players hustle hard out there, but he just seems to get gassed pretty quick and labors the last third of the shift. I notice it with him much more than I do other players. It hasn't been as much an issue the last few weeks, but the first half of the season I saw it happen quite a bit.

 

[RMimagery]

Tons of players hustle hard out there, but he just seems to get gassed pretty quick and labors the last third of the shift. I notice it with him much more than I do other players. It hasn't been as much an issue the last few weeks, but the first half of the season I saw it happen quite a bit.

Totally agree with that.

It'll be interesting to see how next season begins for him.