The Zuccarello Appreciation Thread (Videos inside)

[member 116805]

midget is way too slow, no separation.
Going around the defender and goal tonight to pass it to Staal was just luck. It was all Kreider

 

[Idlerlee]

midget is way too slow, no separation.
Going around the defender and goal tonight to pass it to Staal was just luck. It was all Kreider

That goal wouldnt have happened without Carter scoring. Its all on him

 

[broadwayblue]

midget is way too slow, no separation.
Going around the defender and goal tonight to pass it to Staal was just luck. It was all Kreider

All luck?

 

[NickyFotiu]

No pun intended, but I have short changed Zuccs this season most recently.

I have made the comment than when he's not providing points, he's not providing anything.

He's playing some very inspired hockey the last 2-3 weeks and when I am wrong, I have no issues admitting it.

Love the compete level from the kid. The points are great, but he's playing both sides of the puck with a tenacious attitude and smarts.

He's been a HUGE addition to Kreider and vice versa.

Great to see

Nice to have you come around to Mats. When he and the team were not producing we were all frustrated.

 

[member 116805]

All luck?

Yeah he must have hit a clean piece of ice going around that defender.
Lucky 10th point in a row I guess

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Another excellent game from Zuccs. He and Kreider have been showing excellent chemistry

 

[aufheben]

I love watching a line that has both talent and chemistry . Very fun, and more importantly effective. Size (and lack of ), speed, IQ, passing, craftiness.

Zucc is a crafty mother-****er.

 

[Placid]

I must admit to finding it absolutely hilarious that his last two penalties were both for roughing.

Smallest guy on the ice (i am assuming), yet he'll jump up and bite you in the kneecap if you are not careful

 

[North Star]

Sometimes - when he's not biting kneecaps he jumps even higher to hug people.

 

[Glennsoe]

Zuke proves that it's not about the size of the dog in the fight but rather how much fight the dog brings to the fight..

 

[Pistachio]

I like how Zucc trusts kreiders speed. You can see him dump pucks in Kreiders lane where he has to beat the defender there. That's why you keep lines together. Knowledge of how your linemates play makes for much better hockey.

 

[Trxjw]

Gotta hand it to the guy. He's improved everywhere he needed to (and is actually able to) improve. Certainly can't teach him to be taller, but he's faster, far better defensively, and is doing all the right things on the ice.

Very happy to see him playing this well.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Im here to say that Zuccarello is playing extremely well.

Unlike the vast majority of regular posters in this thread who didn't have the stones to admit when the opposite was true.

 

[Idlerlee]

Im here to say that Zuccarello is playing extremely well.

Unlike the vast majority of regular posters in this thread who didn't have the stones to admit when the opposite was true.

You deserve some respect for saying that.

Its a early christmas miracle :p

I'm mostly happy he's not being turned into a joke considering his obvious weight disadvantage

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Im here to say that Zuccarello is playing extremely well.

Unlike the vast majority of regular posters in this thread who didn't have the stones to admit when the opposite was true.

That's nice.

All I've been saying from the start is I need to see more (evidently that makes me a hater). It still remains to be seen if he can hold up over the wear and tear of a full season, but he has certainly made the team better.

 

[Ola]

Chris Kreider = Per-Åge Skrøder
Derek Stepan = Nik Sundström

Hm not all that unsimular...

Zucc played his best hockey in the SEL with Skrøder and Sundström. Those two's play in the SEL are defeinitely somewhat compareable to Kreider and Sundström. Skrøder is a bit bigger and more of a goalscorer thn Kreider, but not quite as fast. Sundström is the typical smart somewhat offensively skilled center just like Stepan.

 

[Raspewtin]

Have to be honest, Zucc and Kreider are carrying that line and Stepan is riding shotgun IMO. He's got the best pure offensive talent on the team, and with Kreider flanking him he has a lot more room. I love his compete level, he drove Marty bat **** last night. There's really nothing bad to say about his play lately.

 

[Glennsoe]

Found at another messageboard;

Throughout the game last night, Mats Zuccarello was around Marty Brodeur and the two seemed to engage in a few altercations.

Brodeur shoved Zuccarello in the second period and as Zuccarello was preparing to charge back, he was put in a head lock by Marek Zidlickly. Zuccarello and Zidlicky were called for roughing penalties.

After the game, Zucarello said that there was nothing to to their battles and told the NY Post that it was just “heat of the moment” and two competitive guys battling. “No big deal.”

He added that those kinds of things happen in heated rivalry games like this.

Brodeur said last night “he’s the only guy I can take on.”

Pete DeBoer said “I saw Zuccarello stick him two or three times and he better hope that Marty doesn’t get upset.

 

[Zucc36]

IMO Zucc´s assist yesterday was one of his best plays of the season. Pure class. Uses skill and speed to fly past the Devils player and not least his body to stay in front of the defender when going around the net. And even if it´s an open ice pass to Staal, he puts the puck precisely where he needs to. Staal said in the intermission interview that the pass was so good he could have closed his eyes and shot the puck. Very good play by Kreider on the goal too.

He is also a big part of the second goal, even if he don´t get the assist. He screens Brodeur on the shot.

10 points in his 10 games after the scratch. Impressive.

 

[Cake or Death]

Im here to say that Zuccarello is playing extremely well.

Unlike the vast majority of regular posters in this thread who didn't have the stones to admit when the opposite was true.

Some of us watch international play, saw him lead the SHL/SEL in scoring and win the league MVP, and wanted to see the guy at some point play under a legit NHL caliber coach. Torts did some things well, to be fair, but his lack of grasp on the fundamentals and tactics of today's game will become glaringly apparent this season when Vancouver misses the playoffs.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Im here to say that Zuccarello is playing extremely well.

Unlike the vast majority of regular posters in this thread who didn't have the stones to admit when the opposite was true.

Big props for giving him credit!

But to your second point, as someone who has been very high on Zucc from the start, I readily admitted that he was awful to start the year. Hell, I even wrote an article about it.

My verdict at the time was that he was perhaps slightly misused, but that the onus was on him to prove that he deserved a better role. After the scratch he did just that. He played his first game back on the 4th line, but quickly earned himself more ice time through his good play.

That's how you do it. You don't just get a prominent role handed to you, you have to earn it.

 

[JimL]

Early in the season, this writer opined how long the New York Rangers should have patience with Mats Zuccarello, and it appears that the Blueshirts took the right course of action with their Norwegian winger.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...g-most-of-second-chance-under-alain-vigneault

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Some of us watch international play, saw him lead the SHL/SEL in scoring and win the league MVP, and wanted to see the guy at some point play under a legit NHL caliber coach. Torts did some things well, to be fair, but his lack of grasp on the fundamentals and tactics of today's game will become glaringly apparent this season when Vancouver misses the playoffs.

Calling Tortorella less than an NHL-caliber coach is idiotic.

I bet Vancouver finishes with a better record than the Rangers, in a tougher conference. Care to take the wager?

 

[RGY]

Calling Tortorella less than an NHL-caliber coach is idiotic.

I bet Vancouver finishes with a better record than the Rangers, in a tougher conference. Care to take the wager?

While I absolutely do not agree with that poster's feelings regarding Torts, I would take that wager because it definitely is a tougher conference.

 

[Jim Morrison]

Chris Kreider = Per-Åge Skrøder
Derek Stepan = Nik Sundström

Hm not all that unsimular...

Zucc played his best hockey in the SEL with Skrøder and Sundström. Those two's play in the SEL are defeinitely somewhat compareable to Kreider and Sundström. Skrøder is a bit bigger and more of a goalscorer thn Kreider, but not quite as fast. Sundström is the typical smart somewhat offensively skilled center just like Stepan.

Uhm, Kreider is definitely bigger than Skrøder.