Player Discussion Pavel Zacha

[DKH]

You can kind of see why the Devils weren't even going to qualify him. He's skilled, good for the 82 but like many players they just aren't made for the play-offs. No knock, takes a special breed, but he wilts.

He was really good in both game 7’s

He belongs on the wing

99% of people are flawed / I’ve only met a handful of people in my life who are perfect and they were all women

I see a good hockey player here

I like him at wing where he played a lot with Krejci here

If they let DeBrusk go it’s probably because he’s going to LW

Oh and dogs and cats are perfect

 

[LouJersey]

He was really good in both game 7’s

He belongs on the wing

99% of people are flawed / I’ve only met a handful of people in my life who are perfect and they were all women

I see a good hockey player here

I like him at wing where he played a lot with Krejci here

If they let DeBrusk go it’s probably because he’s going to LW

Oh and dogs and cats are perfect

Yeah def put him on wing but can you rely on him over the course of the series? Like Jake you can. Zacha gives a lot of uneven performances. Counting on him to produce in a top 6 role could get you fired

 

[CDJ]

Zacha +2, Debrusk -5 in the playoffs is certainly interesting

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Zacha +2, Debrusk -5 in the playoffs is certainly interesting

Shows you again that +/- is a deeply flawed stat

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

You can kind of see why the Devils weren't even going to qualify him. He's skilled, good for the 82 but like many players they just aren't made for the play-offs. No knock, takes a special breed, but he wilts.

I think a lot of guys in the league look at being an NHL player as strictly a job. They are naturally gifted enough to be a pro athlete, and they obviously put in the work off the ice on top of that to stay at the pro level.

They want to win, but they don't hate to lose. So they don't have that extra urgency gear that kicks in when the games matter most.

Seems like Zacha may fall into that category. Decent complementary piece in my opinion if you had the depth to stash him on the third line, or on a 2nd line where hes the 3rd best player on it.

 

[UncleRico]

IMO people should ease off Zacha. He and Coyle were playing above their lines all season and did great.

Our biggest hole going into the year was #1 & 2 Centers. Nobody in their right mind questioned that. Any one surprised that that hole wouldn’t be an issue in the playoffs needs to check their expectations.

Zacha was fine in my book. Not a great playoff but look around the team and the League. Shit $11M Marner? Now that’s a guy not showing up when counts. 2/3 line winger not carrying the load as #2 Center in playoff war time????? Expections not equaling reality in my book.

Idk I’ve been saying all year the bruins needed a #1 center and I got a ton of push back all year to at zacha was that guy until his playoff performance and now people have backed off that position.

There’s definitely a significant group of people who either do or did think he was a viable #1 center.

 

[Number8]

Idk I’ve been saying all year the bruins needed a #1 center and I got a ton of push back all year to at zacha was that guy until his playoff performance and now people have backed off that position.

There’s definitely a significant group of people who either do or did think he was a viable #1 center.

Zacha and Coyle did admirably — and you no doubt ran across people who said they both did a hell of a job for the team in that role. Can include myself in that group because, IMO, it’s absolutely true.

However, it’s probably best to not pay too much attention to anyone who seriously argued that Zacha is anything close to a #1 Center beyond the stopgap role he and Charlie Coyle were put in. And that’s no slagging off PZ or CC either. Just a reflection of reality. For the whole season they played the “next man up” role with guts.

 

[Dellstrom]

Had his moments but not a fantastic playoff run for him. Hard not to like a guy who's given you 57-59 points and 21 goals for both seasons he's been here. Signed to a pretty nice contract for that production.

Would love to see us get a center for him and Pasta. I miss the Czech line with Krejci. He stepped up and shouldn't be criticized for not being something that he clearly isn't, but glad to have him on the team. Put him in a spot to succeed and a big part of your top-6 is taken care of.

 

[whatsbruin]

I think a lot of guys in the league look at being an NHL player as strictly a job. They are naturally gifted enough to be a pro athlete, and they obviously put in the work off the ice on top of that to stay at the pro level.

They want to win, but they don't hate to lose. So they don't have that extra urgency gear that kicks in when the games matter most.

Seems like Zacha may fall into that category. Decent complementary piece in my opinion if you had the depth to stash him on the third line, or on a 2nd line where hes the 3rd best player on it.

I think this is a great explanation/description, and agree.

 

[Hookslide]

I think a lot of guys in the league look at being an NHL player as strictly a job. They are naturally gifted enough to be a pro athlete, and they obviously put in the work off the ice on top of that to stay at the pro level.

They want to win, but they don't hate to lose. So they don't have that extra urgency gear that kicks in when the games matter most.

Seems like Zacha may fall into that category. Decent complementary piece in my opinion if you had the depth to stash him on the third line, or on a 2nd line where hes the 3rd best player on it.

I disagree with everything you said, I want Zacha on my team, his contract 60points, 200 ft game, age, sorry I am all in with this guy. I would like to see him work on his shot accuracy , because he has a great shot, and maybe he is a wing and not a center, but he stepped up and did the job this season and to me that counts for something.

 

[TD Charlie]

I'm fine with Zacha, as long as he isn't being relied upon to carry the torch long term in the top 6. Water finds it's level, and it sure as hell did with him and Coyle...at the worst possible time

 

[Bmessy]

4.75 is still great value. There was nowhere to hide for him this year and it caught up to him. He wasn't irredeemable but definitely wasn't a difference maker we need for playoffs. Add a 1C and upgrade and to the bottom 6 and that rising tide should lift all ships.

It's kind of interesting to think how in the regular season he benefitted by being thrust into a top line role. He had a career year. But when the playoff grind hit, that role was now a problem. Makes me appreciate guys who step up come playoff time, like DeBrusk, even more.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

I disagree with everything you said

That just lets me know I'm on the right track.

 

[Hookslide]

That just lets me know I'm on the right track.

That just lets me know that I am the only one telling the truth, you just can't handle the truth..........My Jack Nicholson impression.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

That just lets me know that I am the only one telling the truth, you just can't handle the truth..........My Jack Nicholson impression.

“Enjoy your clams c***suckers”

My best jack nicholson impression

 

[TD Charlie]

I disagree with everything you said, I want Zacha on my team, his contract 60points, 200 ft game, age, sorry I am all in with this guy. I would like to see him work on his shot accuracy , because he has a great shot, and maybe he is a wing and not a center, but he stepped up and did the job this season and to me that counts for something.

He did the job until the team REALLY needed him to do the job, where he then lost said job to Morgan Geekie.

 

[DKH]

Shows you again that +/- is a deeply flawed stat

Empty net goals buried these guys

 

[DKH]

I disagree with everything you said, I want Zacha on my team, his contract 60points, 200 ft game, age, sorry I am all in with this guy. I would like to see him work on his shot accuracy , because he has a great shot, and maybe he is a wing and not a center, but he stepped up and did the job this season and to me that counts for something.

I agree here

Should be a wing - Lou told me the day they got him he’s better at wing

Had to see for self but yes

We know Coyle is a center - second line fits him very well to moi

Poitras is a center but is a green banana with hints of yellow

The hope is he hits sooner and strength and improved skating (not much but even 5% quickness or speed would be valuable)

You have Geekie Frederic Boqvist Merkulov Beecher - plenty of centers bottom 6

Zacha at LW makes sense

 

[Fenway]

Pavel Zacha scores the winning goal as Czechia eliminates the United States

 

[Mamrd]

Sweet.

 

[EverettMike]

Pavel Zacha scores the winning goal as Czechia eliminates the United States

And I thought I couldn't possibly hate him anymore than I already do.

 

[Bradely]

I think a lot of guys in the league look at being an NHL player as strictly a job. They are naturally gifted enough to be a pro athlete, and they obviously put in the work off the ice on top of that to stay at the pro level.

They want to win, but they don't hate to lose. So they don't have that extra urgency gear that kicks in when the games matter most.

Seems like Zacha may fall into that category. Decent complementary piece in my opinion if you had the depth to stash him on the third line, or on a 2nd line where hes the 3rd best player on it.

I think this could really nail it for me.

 

[Patdud]

Pavel Zacha scores the winning goal as Czechia eliminates the United States

must not appreciate the garden's USA chants

 

[BruinDust]

You know, for a guy who supposedly can't play center, I'd argue the numbers don't reflect that at all.

He spent 66% of his time at EV centering a combination of Pastrnak plus one of Marchand/Heinen/Debrusk/Geekie/JVR. Another 4% centering JVR + Debrusk.

In that 70% EV time (roughly 750 minutes) his line was a combined +26. Keep in mind the Bruins team as a whole finished the season +43 in goal differential. Heinen-Zacha- Pasta as a line played 187 minutes together EV and finish a whopping +13.

I'm not saying he's a 1st line center, or that he's the answer to anything, or that he can't play some LW at times, or that I wouldn't deal him depending on the circumstances.

But this is a useful, versatile player in the prime of his career with a reasonable cap hit for what he brings. Hopefully if he's still here next year (I would suspect he is), he'll get lighter use during the season on hopefully a deeper and faster forward group, and have more gas in the tank come playoff time.

 

[Over the volcano]

For a guy who can't score goals in the playoffs he now has the only two goals for two teams in his last two games in two different tournaments in two different countries.