Player Discussion Ryan Spooner Part V

[SPLBRUIN]

Spooners definitely been more engaged in the offense since the coaching change. I'd like to see it on a more consistent basis. Regardless the fact that he's not paired with top line talent shouldn't excuse his inconsistencies over the past couple of seasons. Good players elevate the play of their line mates as much as they rely on their line mates to help their game.

You are really underestimating the Julien effect on Spooner's game, try and forget those days. It's a new era now with a coach now who believes in young creative talent like Spooner and is willing to live with some of his mistakes.

 

[AM Bruin]

You are really underestimating the Julien effect on Spooner's game, try and forget those days. It's a new era now with a coach now who believes in young creative talent like Spooner and is willing to live with some of his mistakes.

You can still see that his effectiveness on the PP hasn't changed so perhaps their's more to do with the change in coaches than I allow for. I've always been a Claude guy, he deserves the benefit of the doubt most times. I'd still like to see Spooner play consistently as well as he's shown he can play before I place him on the keeper side of the ledger as opposed to the Tradeable Asset side.

 

[BNHL]

I guess the game today is putting the faceoff stats to shame.

Classic. I saw one. Any others within 20 secs?

 

[BruinDust]

Classic. I saw one. Any others within 20 secs?

Didn't 3 of the 9 goals scored today come directly off won face-off plays?

 

[LSCII]

??

Well if you are only good offensively you will need someone to grind the puck out of d zone. If your are only good at defense, you will need a guy to help put the puck in the net. So yes a player capable of playing from one end to another is helpful.... with or without Julien, like it or not.

Sure, and they have several of those guys. But the insistence that all players be good at it is where it becomes problematic and impacts other areas of the game in a negative way.

 

[ChargersRookie]

People try too hard to right. If a player gets traded for 2 pucks and he if worth a dozen. They be pounded their chest about the player being traded.

I don't see Sweeney traded anybody other than Hayes and Belesky VP permitted of coarse.

Bruins need space to promote within or the majority have been wasting their breathe here. How quick we lose focus because of a wambam trade deadline.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

Yep, the days of Gretzky & Mario are long gone.

Are you comparing spooner or even Kessel to gretzky and mario?

Some guys are good enough the play revolves around them and they set the agenda

Orr didn't play defense like other guys did because he was that dman good... but you don't tell krug he can be orr because that's ridiculous. Krug needs to stay in a system and so does spooner

If your name is gretzky or orr you don't get told how to play

Really? We are comparing spooner to gretzky and lemieux? Was that your intention?

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

Sure, and they have several of those guys. But the insistence that all players be good at it is where it becomes problematic and impacts other areas of the game in a negative way.

I'll agree teams can cover for someone's weakness. Goons you to have a spot even though they couldn't play. Often an older player was kept around for leadership

But traditionally limited 1 dimensional players are hidden on a 4th line... and see the ice only at specific times of a game

When you start playing a Peter klima or Vladimir ruzikca on a regular shift very bad things happen

I'm not sure spooner is as bad as these guys were... but the game has changed and the responsibility to adhere to the system is greater today than it ever has been,

I see alot of fans Here that wish offensive creativity was allowed... but defensive coached systems beat offensive chaos. One single chunk in the armor results in breakdown. Almost all offense today is the result of breakdowns


A guy that can create offense without giving it up is supervaluable. One that gives it up better damn well hope he's creating more

 

[ODAAT]

Didn't 3 of the 9 goals scored today come directly off won face-off plays?

what`s your point?

 

[bob27]

Dallas scored one and Bruins two within 5 seconds of a face-off win.

 

[LSCII]

I'll agree teams can cover for someone's weakness. Goons you to have a spot even though they couldn't play. Often an older player was kept around for leadership

But traditionally limited 1 dimensional players are hidden on a 4th line... and see the ice only at specific times of a game

When you start playing a Peter klima or Vladimir ruzikca on a regular shift very bad things happen

I'm not sure spooner is as bad as these guys were... but the game has changed and the responsibility to adhere to the system is greater today than it ever has been,

I see alot of fans Here that wish offensive creativity was allowed... but defensive coached systems beat offensive chaos. One single chunk in the armor results in breakdown. Almost all offense today is the result of breakdowns


A guy that can create offense without giving it up is supervaluable. One that gives it up better damn well hope he's creating more

Absolutely. But with a guy like Spooner, you can pick your spots and live with his mistakes because of the benefits he provides offensively. I'd really like to see Spooner, Pasta, and Cehlarik together for a few shifts, just because I think it would be fun to see. I'm sure it would be a disaster defensively, but man, that would be a lot of excitement in the offensive zone.

 

[LSCII]

Dallas scored one and Bruins two within 5 seconds of a face-off win.

Yep, it happens. And remember, Dallas scored off of one despite losing a gross majority of the draws all game.

 

[DominicT]

Classic. I saw one. Any others within 20 secs?

I guess you missed the game then.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Are you comparing spooner or even Kessel to gretzky and mario?

Some guys are good enough the play revolves around them and they set the agenda

Orr didn't play defense like other guys did because he was that dman good... but you don't tell krug he can be orr because that's ridiculous. Krug needs to stay in a system and so does spooner

If your name is gretzky or orr you don't get told how to play

Really? We are comparing spooner to gretzky and lemieux? Was that your intention?

How did you get that impression? I didn't even mention Spooner or Kessel.

My point was that in the 80s most of the high scoring centers were not very responsible defensely, taking their lead from Gretzky & Mario who barely played any. That doesn't fly in the current NHL.

Sorry if my post was vague, I'm blaming it on age. And today is my 64th birthday so I already feel even vaguer.

 

[neelynugs]

I guess you missed the game then.

the idea that faceoffs don't matter is hilarious. i mean, a faceoff at center ice generally means nothing. but a lot of the others? uhhh yeah.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

what`s your point?

I guess one game is more important than seasons' worth of data telling us faceoffs aren't as important as we thought they were. I mean, if this one game is supposed to stick out, how about arguably the most important goal a Bruin has scored since Orr.



Off a faceoff loss.

 

[toasterjam]

just a repost of what I thought of Spooner as of late.

Spooner looks to have found his game/confidence, so happy for him. I was rooting for him earlier on this season when lots here were ready to dump him for whatever.

Him and Clode didnt work, which was clear to everyone.

He is a great 3rd line weapon and PP specialist and that's where he is at in this stage of development and maybe being a top 6 guy isnt in the cards. It's ok, developing into a 40-50 point 3rd line PP guy is GOOD. You need all kinds of players to win. That would be a great pick for a second round guy.

I see the Peverley-Spooner kinda comparison. Nifty, good hands, skills, depth offense.
Spooner is faster
Peverley better at D and all around higher hockey IQ/more versatile which who knows could come into Spooner's game with more experience.

Either way, it's good to play to Spooner's actual strengths in hockey and not stress about making him be the next Jay Pandolfo. Spooner isnt a defensive ace, it's OK though. Spooner isnt good at faceoffs. OK so work around those weaknesses and try to maximize the positives in his game and make it so Spooner's faceoff ability doesnt matter as much within the game after he goes out there and gets a big PP goal. Try and make the positives in his game have more of an impact than his shortcomings.

I do hope Spooner continues to develop and get better with the defensive side of things and faceoffs. It is possible to improve those areas, cause I really love his skillset.

I still don't see him as a major liability, this last stretch of games I did see him make some real good backchecks/defensive plays...hell he even went into more dangerous areas and didnt shy away from the hits. He needs to improve in a lot of areas, consistency too..he is a young guy and I see the real potential there.

 

[PlayMakers]

I guess one game is more important than seasons' worth of data telling us faceoffs aren't as important as we thought they were. I mean, if this one game is supposed to stick out, how about arguably the most important goal a Bruin has scored since Orr.

www.youtube....

Off a faceoff loss.

That's actually a face off WIN.

Wins and losses are determined by possession, not who wins it backwards.

 

[LSCII]

the idea that faceoffs don't matter is hilarious. i mean, a faceoff at center ice generally means nothing. but a lot of the others? uhhh yeah.

It's not that they're meaningless. It's simply the gross over exaggeration on face off winning percentage by some folks here that's ridiculous. They use it as a way to deride a guy even if he plays well. This nonsense that Spooner can't play center here that started under Claude and has been perpetuated by so many people on this site based singularly on FW% that it's borderline insane.

 

[PlayMakers]

Didn't 3 of the 9 goals scored today come directly off won face-off plays?

Yes.

And for the Bruins, there have been at least 4 on this road trip alone, including TWO game winners.

Again, I'd wager they easily have 16 goals on the season off face-off plays. That's 10% of their offense or about 20 goals over the course of a season. How can that not have value?

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

That's actually a face off WIN.

Wins and losses are determined by possession, not who wins it backwards.

That's a win because Marchand outhustled everyone. Not because our center beat their center. If we're talking about the importance of faceoffs in a Spooner thread, aren't we talking about the center on the draw?

 

[BruinDust]

Yes.

And for the Bruins, there have been at least 4 on this road trip alone, including TWO game winners.

Again, I'd wager they easily have 16 goals on the season off face-off plays. That's 10% of their offense or about 20 goals over the course of a season. How can that not have value?

Exactly.

It's preposterous to believe that because some bad teams have the higher face-off win %, that it proves winning or losing a face-off doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

 

[BRUINS since 1995]

Sure, and they have several of those guys. But the insistence that all players be good at it is where it becomes problematic and impacts other areas of the game in a negative way.

I totally agree with you.. but that being said... in what having different talent on a team removes the importance of being good at faceoff. No harm to Spooner, which under Cassidy is playing way better and and brings a line that can produce offensively on the bottom six... in fact promoting Spooner by diminishing faceoff is not elevating the importance of Spooner on this team with what he is actually bringing... offensive on the bootom six.

 

[mmk]

Like to see him playing, but I still just don't see the future for him here. I want to see his succeed, but I imagine he's going to be trade bait either on Wednesday or this off-season.

Easy to see his future here. He's a faster, less defensively/faceoff capable rich peverley. He can step in as a 2nd line center in a pinch (e.g., when 46 went down last year with an injury and spoons surprised us all by elevating his game when given the reins) and I think he can be a dynamic winger, especially if given some talent to play with like 37 and 63.

Hopefully we can lock him up for about $3.5 mil or less.

 

[BRUINS since 1995]

Dallas scored one and Bruins two within 5 seconds of a face-off win.

Winning facoff is not only about goal, it is also about puck possession and momentum. all details count. I agree that a team doesn't have to be build with four stud centers at faceoffs ...