He's been a very pleasant surprise based on how his multiple seasons in Vancouver went. If he keeps this up, then other than our blueline being expensive he won't be an issue.
The Erik "Gudzilla" Gudbranson Thread
- Thread starter Randy Butternubs
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He's been a very pleasant surprise based on how his multiple seasons in Vancouver went. If he keeps this up, then other than our blueline being expensive he won't be an issue.
Tables of Stats
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Do you prefer RealGud or Badbranson to Guddy? I can use those if you like.
The other thing is a lot of Gudbranson's issues are being covered up by better support from your forward group. The thing that kills the Canucks isn't always the play of our defensemen, but a few of our forwards just can't be counted on to make the simple play in the D zone. When you have a guy like Gudbranson, you need to let him make short passes and have somebody else exit the zone with the puck.
Would you rather be passing to a Canuck or a Penguin in that situation?
The other thing is, when you have less skill you need to press a bit more which creates chaotic plays. For a low IQ player who has positioning issues this will always make them look worse than they are. It's why smart but physically limited players like Beiga and Schenn look better than Gudbranson or a hypothetical Myers will on our team. I think it's likely that the Pens better structure as a whole will do a lot to make a serviceable bottom pairing defender out of Gudbranson's set of tools.
pokey10
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Jaded-Fan
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Anything but Guddy. Sounds like the name of a Cat or a Stripper.
As for covering, if that is what is going on, it has only been two games, that is coaching. Properly pairing and coaching him is part of it, and forwards should always support. If he is useful if properly used who cares if he is not the next Letang. People keep thinking that defense is entirely two guys. It is a team concept just as offense is not solely your three forwards. In fact lazy forwards, especially certain name star players, who did not care to support has been a hallmark of Pens' failures this year. If having the Cat Stripper back there makes them finally do their job I am glad that they got him.
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Tables of Stats
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I don't think a coach in the league could get more from the Canucks this season. When we're good we play a never quit high tempo game and hope Horvat, Boeser, and Pettersson can score the goals. When we're okay, we play hard and the top player's just can't carry the team. When we're bad. we look like what people expected us to look like at the start of this season. We need to basically play like every game is a playoff game to look competitive that can't happen over an 82 game season.
That leads to pressing and pressing leads to mistakes.
EightyOne
My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
- Nov 23, 2016
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After 2 games? The crow ain't cooked up yet....
ColePens
RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
We welcome all fans as we value hockey talk but if you are here to be confrontational... you will be removed from the thread.
Keep it civil. Agree to disagree.
Keep it civil. Agree to disagree.
Icarium
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If Gudbranson doesn't hit enough can we tell him "Hey, Guddy, don't be such a goodie-goodie!"?
Seriously, he hasn't noticeable so far which is pretty much all I want from a bottom pairing defenceman,
Seriously, he hasn't noticeable so far which is pretty much all I want from a bottom pairing defenceman,
First two games have been okay. Is 4th in CF% over those two games on 53.57%, only behind Crosby, Guentzel and McCann. Joint 4th best F% with 60.00, tied with Guentzel and Pettersson, Crosby and McCann ahead. Was a +3 last night, -1 on Friday with 1 assist thrown in. Decent start.
LittleSpoon
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- Jan 17, 2016
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Its not even caught. The number of players on this team who leave legacies that are quite different to their first 2 games - hell, sometimes their first season - is considerable. I mean, if 2 games told us everything, Pearson wouldn't even be in Vancouver as he'd be stapled to Geno's butt.
Dipsy Doodle
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Really though. People need to keep their heads.
I assume anyone who's making definitive statements about Gudbranson's phoenix-like rise from the ashes based on 2 games are like...12.
LittleSpoon
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No I be thirty. But it’s not Phoenix rising statements I’m making. I’m just pointing out how idiotic it is to judge a player before he even skates for your team. Fit and chemistry are different on every team for every player.
Jaded-Fan
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True enough.
However with defensemen it is different than goal scoring forwards. You are at your best when you are not noticed. A lucky bounce or two will not make your game, you either are doing the little simple things right or you are not. So far so good, but I doubt many are unrealistic about the dangers and past of Gudbranson.
SHOOTANDSCORE
Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
- Sep 25, 2005
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Yeah, I'd love to chow down on some crow. But it's 2 games. I haven't even started the appetizer yet. Though it's fun to point out his early success for a little ballbusting. We'll see where he is when the new team effect has worn off.
One thing that is promising is that his pairing looks like it's basically being used as a 1B pairing. It might help when he gets bumped down to the 3rd pairing with the minutes and quality of competition. It should help Petts too, assuming they stay together.
One thing that is promising is that his pairing looks like it's basically being used as a 1B pairing. It might help when he gets bumped down to the 3rd pairing with the minutes and quality of competition. It should help Petts too, assuming they stay together.
Dipsy Doodle
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It's not idiotic to look at a player's whole career and conclude that a defenseman with league-worst underlying numbers who's cracked 10 points once and makes 4+ mil for the next 2 years isn't a worthwhile investment because he can punch people.
LittleSpoon
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His whole career on exemplary teams of Florida and Vancouver. How could he not succeed?
I stand by my statement of idiotic to judge before a guy plays.
Dipsy Doodle
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His numbers weren't simply bad in a vacuum. They were bad relative to his teammates.
But we'll see. I'll happily eat crow if he bucks years of terrible play and manages to put it together here.
I mean it hss given me a shred of hope that he wont be horrid long term. It hasnt wxactly offset the 7 years of poop on his resume.
Gurglesons
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Yeah, I think the bad has been seen in glimpses so far.
I also am curious if this is another case of Pettersson’s mobility propping up a liability.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
He doesn't have 7 years of poop on his resume, he has 2 and a half years of poop on Vancouver.
The last 2 Ganesh are encouraging as a building point for Gudbranson. If he can get back to where he was in Florida, I like him as the bottom pair RD here. So far, he has done that in Pittsburgh. Get a strong 2nd pair LD and I think you're good with a Pettersson-Gudbranson bottom pair.
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