Great recap.
Howden
I wouldn’t be too harsh on Howden. He is a good player but he is a player that doesn’t really fit into the NHL of today perfectly, the game out there is just so fast and the puck is moving so fast, and it’s not surprising that he needs a little time to find ways to get involved and contribute deeper into camp. It’s not that Howden isn’t good in those areas, it’s just that the general level out there in those fields are tremendously high.
When you listen to Clarke when he describes Howden he always emphasizes attitude and physical attributes as well as Howden’s strong overall game. There is a reason for that. To make it to the NHL you always have to beat out a number of very good hockey players. In this context you must separate yourself from the competition. And when looking at the spec for a NHL job and compare Howden’s fact sheet with other guys around him he faces stiff competition.
I’ve put this sloppy before, but in the above context Howden’s usp must be that he — in relation to the competition — can provide more size, the tremendous character he has, and more of everything that you are spoon fed as a hockey player growing up in Western Canada. I am not saying that he must become a Wayne Simmonds type or any kind of old fashioned PF. But we have seen how many lines on this team have come together when not being completely without any kind of size and physical ability.
I think it’s when Howden finds ways to provide something on the NHL level that really compliments what his linemates may not have an abundance of that he can really come in and become a difference maker. With that I am referring to him more being able to do what Pouliot did for Brass and Zucc, and I am not like referring to that Howden must become Milan Lucic II.
The PK
I still hope that it can find a higher overall level when more or less two squads become one and more focus is put into it going into the season.
The natural pecking order when building a team is definitely to leave the special teams to after when you have put time into the fundamental break outs and checking schemes. And it’s also very personel driven and it takes experience, we have a young squad and when split into two it’s short on capable hands...
On being terrible
The worst I’ve ever seen this team is the what, first 2-3 weeks of the regular season under AV. Right? It felt like we would lose every game 8-0.
Being terrible isn’t necessarily a bad thing for this organization and it could certainly be in the cards for this year. Quinn is trying to install some very interesting things to this organization though, I hope that he continues to do just that even if the results are really terrible early. Because no matter if your ideas are good or bad — every change to a NHL team takes TIME to implement. It’s not a matter of weeks or months to install a way to play, you have a shorter period where you obviously just inform the players what to do. But then you will improve in areas the more time you put into it. And in this context we are talking about years.
Shatty
I liked Shatty’s jump out there and that is more important for me than him losing some pucks in his first game in what 3/4 of a year.
The key for Shatty is to be able to maintain that jump over the entire season and not lose a step when you start to get the bruises and wears and tears during the toughest periods of the season.
