Send a message with a healthy scratch?

[Raccoon Jesus]

I thought Kovalchuk was giving effort out there, but you can look busy and be ineffective at the same time. I am probably not the right person to ask this question, because I wasn't in favor of signing him in the first place.

He does absolutely suck and float on defense.

He hits on the forecheck, but that's about it.

But it's also stupid to waste his talents. Other teams put primarily offensive d-men in offensive situations, why would it be so hard to do the same with Kovy?

 

[Bandit]

I mean, he's not even getting out there on the powerplay to use his one-timer, which was allegedly the whole god damn reason we got him in the first place. They haven't even tried it after the first week or two of the season, and even then they couldn't even get it set up.

 

[mrkolice]

He does absolutely suck and float on defense.

He hits on the forecheck, but that's about it.

But it's also stupid to waste his talents. Other teams put primarily offensive d-men in offensive situations, why would it be so hard to do the same with Kovy?

yes, but how to use his talents if he suxx in defence and his production is minus 13 +/-?

 

[bouncesonly]

Did Kopitar read this thread prior to the game?

 

[mrkolice]

summary: so here we have the best scorer in the team but the team defense falls apart when he's on ice. what do you do?

 

[YP44]

summary: so here we have the best scorer in the team but the team defense falls apart when he's on ice. what do you do?

Issue is WD rolls for lines instead of using Advanced stats. I would put him with Carter and Toffoli and use that line in Offensive zone starts. If it was time for that line to play and they had a defensive zone faceoff I would sub Kovalchuk out with say Clifford. Than when puck comes out clifford changes for Kovalchuk at first chance.

This type of line juggling is what new age coaches are doing and something I would like to see.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

yes, but how to use his talents if he suxx in defence and his production is minus 13 +/-?

I mean he's already been cut to 6 minutes a game. Why not play him on the PP? If not, why have him in the lineup other than to embarrass him?

If your goal is to make him 'prove' himself worthy, then wouldn't you put him out there in the third period to protect a lead?

It's nonsensical usage.

 

[mrkolice]

I mean he's already been cut to 6 minutes a game. Why not play him on the PP? If not, why have him in the lineup other than to embarrass him?

If your goal is to make him 'prove' himself worthy, then wouldn't you put him out there in the third period to protect a lead?

It's nonsensical usage.

yes, probably it's not performance related, what happened in the last game. i did some quick basic stats, before & after, and true, his points numbers dropped massively with a new coach, but so did his toi & the quality of his linemates. on the other hand his +/- per game remained somehow stable.

yikes, yet another explosive situation.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I'd vote to healthy scratch Desjardins and call up Sheldon Keefe to coach the next game. TIA.

 

[mrkolice]

Issue is WD rolls for lines instead of using Advanced stats. I would put him with Carter and Toffoli and use that line in Offensive zone starts. If it was time for that line to play and they had a defensive zone faceoff I would sub Kovalchuk out with say Clifford. Than when puck comes out clifford changes for Kovalchuk at first chance.

This type of line juggling is what new age coaches are doing and something I would like to see.

we've been warned by canucks fans, somehow between those lines. he's got some very rigid ways of doing it. with carter i didn't like it. but with kempe it wasn't that bad.