Postseason player reviews. Somewhat weighted towards salary/expectations and heavily weighted towards the importance of the games.
Benoit: A. He is a warrior who's never had anything handed to him. Plays each game like it could be his last. A hero on two key OT goals. Impossible not to like the guy. Cheap.
Knies: B+. I love the guy as much as anyone. I'm not sure he's our future captain and I'm not sure he's a real superstar. But the promise is there. Love his size, speed, and effort.
Nylander: B. Gotta love 15 points but there's a reason he's still -1. Nonetheless, he came through for us in key moments when we needed him. Contract will age poorly, but it hasn't yet.
Tanev: B. Was well on his way to an A but three shaky games have dogged him, he unfortunately may be breaking down. But an absolute culture setter.
Pacioretty: B. For a PTO player, how can you complain about what he has done? For a brief time in games that feel like months ago, he made beautiful music with Tavares and Nylander, and he plays a heavy game.
Stolarz: B. Absolutely nothing wrong with his regular season., Playoffs he was "good enough" but not really a game stealer. Getting injured hurts. Losing a goalie isn't the same as losing a forward or D - it hurts. Staying healthy is so important.
McCabe: B-. Performed adequately most of the time.
OEL: B-. Really was wrong about him, thought he was washed up, but he's a strong 3rd pairing PMD and way more physical and tough than I ever realized. Came up with big goals for us too.
Kampf: C+. In just one game I was sold. The guy looks like he's 14 but he has guts. And he really cared tonight and was making things happen.
Tavares: C+. Hate the contract. The player is pretty good. I don't think he could drive even a 2nd line but he makes it work with Nylander doing the heavy lifting and he can score on the PP.
Laughton: C. Could end up being a culture setting player for us. His results have really been a mixed bag but the effort is always there and he fights back when no one else does.
Lorentz: C. For a PTO player making minimum you can't complain about how he's performed.
Carlo: C. Started off really strong but has tailed off. Likely to thrive in a Berube system going forward, whatever it looks like otherwise.
Domi: C-. It's a real mixed bag for him. Key offensive plays. Grit and pushback. Bad defense. Stupid penalties.
Woll: D+. Was good for most of the season. Can't fault him for game 1. Could've been better in game 2. Game 3 was on him more than anyone else and game 4 was too little too late. Unfortunately game 3 is all we're gonna remember.
Rielly: D+. Talk about an ugly contract. He seems to score big playoff goals for us regularly but I wonder how we'd look if he wasn't playing such ghastly defense almost all the time.
Robertson: D+. Not built for playoffs. A lot of us thought we'd seen the last of him after his performance in the first 2 games. Takes bad penalties. His secondary offense is replaceable.
Holmberg: D+. Just zero offensive ability even if the effort is there and he showed signs of pushback a while back.
McMann: D. Has no idea how to find that extra gear. Seemed like the same fast skating, big, physical guy he's always been but was completely neutralized. One expected guys like Holmberg and Jarnkrok to be neutralized but he seemed like he could be an emerging Pacioretty style guy who had the jam to break through playoff defenses. A major disappointment.
Jarnkrok: D-. His injury broke him permanently I think. He's just another Holmberg now, after a decade of being a pretty above average NHL forward.
Marner: F. Can't be rid of this motherf***er fast enough. The only reason he's listed ahead of Matthews is because he at least has a motor and can carry the puck and give the impression that he might make something happen.
Matthews: F-. Makes nothing happen. Plays go to his stick to die. Absolutely worthless captain and the biggest fraud to ever cast his stink upon this team. Be gone.
