Pre-Game Talk: Week of We Talkin' 'Bout Practice, Man...

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Who gets dropped for Landy? Kelly? Or an inevitable injury clears the way?

I would guess Kelly. Kivi is a possibility but it would be a surprise. Colton, while unlikely, is the only bottom 6 guy who doesn’t kill penalties and I wonder if he’s an option.

 

[dahrougem2]

Colton doesn't kill penalties and has been apparently dealing with something upper body related unless the Avs were taking the piss with that final week lol.

Won't be shocked if it is him coming out.

 

[Balthazar]

PKer or not, surely we can't healthy scratch Colton.

 

[sethro109]

Kelly has been great for us, but there's no way in hell a guy with 8 goals sould be in the lineup over Colton, Kivi, or LoC. We also have a ton of PKers on the roster already and don't need him there. Nuke, Kivi, LoC, JD2, Coyle, Lehky and we even saw Landy (although I doubt he PKs for us) play the PK for the eagles. That's more than enough for the playoffs.

 

[dahrougem2]

Kelly has been great for us, but there's no way in hell a guy with 8 goals sould be in the lineup over Colton, Kivi, or LoC. We also have a ton of PKers on the roster already and don't need him there. Nuke, Kivi, LoC, JD2, Coyle, Lehky and we even saw Landy (although I doubt he PKs for us) play the PK for the eagles. That's more than enough for the playoffs.

The argument against that, though, is you want your top guys like Nichushkin and Lehkonen to play 5v5 and PP. If you don't have to use them to kill, ideally you don't. Kelly in the lineup helps with that, Colton doesn't. Ross is strictly a 5v5 player.

 

[Avs_19]

I'm an idiot. Do you happen to know the last game we started with that? Would like to go back for a review if i can still catch a game.

I do remember Necas playing with Nate a lot when he first got here. I also remember them standing in the exact same spot a lot until Nate said f*** it, and started going to other spots on the ice. And that really opened things up on the PP at first.

I'm just not really remembering how they played together at even strength.

I'm not sure the last time they played together but they're very impressive if you look at the 5v5 stats for those three together.

https://www.naturalstattrick.com/li...cl&p1=8477492&p2=8480039&p3=8477476&p4=0&p5=0

NHL Lines Advanced Stats

An insane 66.2 xGF% at 5v5 together per Natural Stat Trick. Money Puck has them as the third best line in the NHL only behind Hagel-Cirelli-Kucherov and Hyman-Draisaitl-McDavid (min 200 minutes)

 

[CobraAcesS]

I'm an idiot. Do you happen to know the last game we started with that? Would like to go back for a review if i can still catch a game.

I do remember Necas playing with Nate a lot when he first got here. I also remember them standing in the exact same spot a lot until Nate said f*** it, and started going to other spots on the ice. And that really opened things up on the PP at first.

I'm just not really remembering how they played together at even strength.

That's because it looked like they were on a power play at 5v5.

First was Drouin Mack Necas, but eventually Lehhky was put there and that's when it got really ridiculous.

Problem is if that line didn't pop 3 goals ishh we lost.

 

[sethro109]

The argument against that, though, is you want your top guys like Nichushkin and Lehkonen to play 5v5 and PP. If you don't have to use them to kill, ideally you don't. Kelly in the lineup helps with that, Colton doesn't. Ross is strictly a 5v5 player.

There's no way in hell you don't play your best PKers regardless if they're on the PP or not. If Nuke or Lehky are the best options, then they should be PKing, even if Kelly is in the lineup. I also don't have Kelly being a better PKer than any of JD2, Nuke, LoC, Kivi or Coyle. We need the offense the other guys provide a lot more than we need another grinder. The only argument for him in the lineup over anyone is LoC, and I'm taking LoC 10 times out of 10.

 

[dahrougem2]

There's no way in hell you don't play your best PKers regardless if they're on the PP or not. If Nuke or Lehky are the best options, then they should be PKing, even if Kelly is in the lineup. I also don't have Kelly being a better PKer than any of JD2, Nuke, LoC, Kivi or Coyle. We need the offense the other guys provide a lot more than we need another grinder. The only argument for him in the lineup over anyone is LoC, and I'm taking LoC 10 times out of 10.

Again, you want your guys as fresh as possible playing the most meaningful minutes. Most of the game is played 5v5, not special teams.

You want your top guys playing those minutes as much as possible.

 

[Gumballhead]

Who gets dropped for Landy? Kelly? Or an inevitable injury clears the way?

I feel like Bednar loves Kelly too, had him
rocking the A in that last game.

 

[sethro109]

Again, you want your guys as fresh as possible playing the most meaningful minutes. Most of the game is played 5v5, not special teams.

You want your top guys playing those minutes as much as possible.

Are you trying to say that the PK isn't meaningful minutes? I would say that's more important than 5v5. Goal prevention should always be number two on a team's list of important things. Losing the series because we didn't want to put Nuke or Lehky on the PK would be an especially stupid reason. Especially when we can still ice a line of JD - MacK - Necas right after the PK and let them rest until they're good to go again. It's not like the players need a good 10 minutes of rest after a PK.

 

[dahrougem2]

Are you trying to say that the PK isn't meaningful minutes? I would say that's more important than 5v5. Goal prevention should always be number two on a team's list of important things. Losing the series because we didn't want to put Nuke or Lehky on the PK would be an especially stupid reason. Especially when we can still ice a line of JD - MacK - Necas right after the PK and let them rest until they're good to go again. It's not like the players need a good 10 minutes of rest after a PK.

How can you say PK is more important than 5v5 when basically 5/6 of the game is spent playing 5v5?

The best teams win because of 5v5, not because of special teams.

If you have bottom sixers who can't kill penalties, what good are they? Colton isn't better at 5v5 than anyone in the top six, and he doesn't kill penalties. Yet he can only be used 5v5 and the last like 15 seconds of PP2.

Kelly can kill penalties, and kill them well. He's been a big reason for when the PK has success this season. If Kelly can kill, it means 13/62 might not have to and can be fresh for their upcoming 5v5 shift.

 

[Foppa2118]

Again, you want your guys as fresh as possible playing the most meaningful minutes. Most of the game is played 5v5, not special teams.

You want your top guys playing those minutes as much as possible.

Yeah, I agree. I prefer the bottom six role players to play on the PK if they're good at it, and guys like Coyle, Drury, LOC, Kelly, and Kivi are good PKers.

Save the top six guys for the big 5v5 and PP minutes. The playoffs are a long war and guys like Val and Lehky play extremely hard minutes 5v5.

Bednar and other coaches tend to prefer this as well. He doesn't usually play guys like Val or Lehky on the PK, unless it's a big game, and they really need a big kill toward the end of a game or something.

 

[sethro109]

How can you say PK is more important than 5v5 when basically 5/6 of the game is spent playing 5v5?

The best teams win because of 5v5, not because of special teams.

If you have bottom sixers who can't kill penalties, what good are they? Colton isn't better at 5v5 than anyone in the top six, and he doesn't kill penalties. Yet he can only be used 5v5 and the last like 15 seconds of PP2.

Kelly can kill penalties, and kill them well. He's been a big reason for when the PK has success this season. If Kelly can kill, it means 13/62 might not have to and can be fresh for their upcoming 5v5 shift.

A guy with 8 goals this season isn't going to help us win more because he's the 6th best PKer on the team. A guy like Colton that has proven to step up and hit guys, while actually scoring absolutely will help us win games. There's a good reason why one make 4 million a year and the other is at league minimum.

And as you have pointed out, 5v5 is going to be the most time played. Which is exactly why I want RosCo playing instead of Kelly. When the rare PK happens, if for some reason JD2, Coyle, LoC, and Kivi can't kill, it'll be more than fine if Nuke or Lehky sub in for that short duration.

 

[dahrougem2]

A guy with 8 goals this season isn't going to help us win more because he's the 6th best PKer on the team. A guy like Colton that has proven to step up and hit guys, while actually scoring absolutely will help us win games. There's a good reason why one make 4 million a year and the other is at league minimum.

And as you have pointed out, 5v5 is going to be the most time played. Which is exactly why I want RosCo playing instead of Kelly. When the rare PK happens, if for some reason JD2, Coyle, LoC, and Kivi can't kill, it'll be more than fine if Nuke or Lehky sub in for that short duration.

You realize Parker Kelly and Ross Colton throw the exact same amount of hits per game?

Also, the fact that you're using Colton making 4M to justify this as if most people here don't actively complain about Colton being overpaid is a strange take.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

 

[sethro109]

You realize Parker Kelly and Ross Colton throw the exact same amount of hits per game?

Also, the fact that you're using Colton making 4M to justify this as if most people here don't actively complain about Colton being overpaid is a strange take.

When was the last time Kelly threw a big hit? I never said he wasn't physical, but Colton punishes guys. You want that for the playoffs.

Because he f***ing earned that. Over paid or not, what has PK earned? Being abandoned by the f***ing Sens of all teams? He rebounded here well, but trying to justify him in the lineup over Colton, when we already have 6 other good PKers is f***ing crazy.

 

[dahrougem2]

When was the last time Kelly threw a big hit? I never said he wasn't physical, but Colton punishes guys. You want that for the playoffs.

Because he f***ing earned that. Over paid or not, what has PK earned? Being abandoned by the f***ing Sens of all teams? He rebounded here well, but trying to justify him in the lineup over Colton, when we already have 6 other good PKers is f***ing crazy.

Are you seriously trying to use the money they make as justification here? Should we be holding the money and waivers status against Joel Kiviranta, too, while we're at it?

 

[sethro109]

Are you seriously trying to use the money they make as justification here? Should we be holding the money and waivers status against Joel Kiviranta, too, while we're at it?

No, but we should look at goals and points. If Kelly had the edge over any of LoC, Kivi or Colton I could see an argument, but he has that over none of them. And ignoring the money GMs are willing to pay guys in the past basically ignores their past accolades. Which Colton has and Kelly does not. Scratching the guy that has played well in the playoffs and has 29 points in 61 games, basically a .5 point a game player for a guy that has 19 points in 80 as beyond absurd.

 

[dahrougem2]

No, but we should look at goals and points. If Kelly had the edge over any of LoC, Kivi or Colton I could see an argument, but he has that over none of them. And ignoring the money GMs are willing to pay guys in the past basically ignores their past accolades. Which Colton has and Kelly does not. Scratching the guy that has played well in the playoffs and has 29 points in 61 games, basically a .5 point a game player for a guy that has 19 points in 80 as beyond absurd.

Sure, so let's take a 9.5M Darnell Nurse or 8M Patrik Laine or *insert overpaid player X* and use their past as reason to play them.

Parker Kelly hits just as much as Colton, has found great chemistry on the 4th line, and is a better penalty killer.

If the choice is between the two, I know I'd be sitting Colton.

 

[sethro109]

Sure, so let's take a 9.5M Darnell Nurse or 8M Patrik Laine or *insert overpaid player X* and use their past as reason to play them.

Parker Kelly hits just as much as Colton, has found great chemistry on the 4th line, and is a better penalty killer.

If the choice is between the two, I know I'd be sitting Colton.

Colton isn't nearly as over paid as Nurse, come on now. Colton was brought in here to play 3C and that didn't work out, but not acknowledging the success that the roaring 20s line had when they were all healthy, is just ignoring history. He got paid as a 3C, but ended up being a 3W. That's not the worst thing, and I do think we should move on from him in the offseason, but he's still better than Kelly.

You can't win without scoring goals. We already have 6 PKers on the team, and we absolutely need more depth scoring. And as I stated before, there's a vast difference between a Parker Kelly hit and a Ross Colton hit. I really hope Bednar doesn't agree with your sentiment.

 

[dahrougem2]

Colton isn't nearly as over paid as Nurse, come on now. Colton was brought in here to play 3C and that didn't work out, but not acknowledging the success that the roaring 20s line had when they were all healthy, is just ignoring history. He got paid as a 3C, but ended up being a 3W. That's not the worst thing, and I do think we should move on from him in the offseason, but he's still better than Kelly.

You can't win without scoring goals. We already have 6 PKers on the team, and we absolutely need more depth scoring. And as I stated before, there's a vast difference between a Parker Kelly hit and a Ross Colton hit. I really hope Bednar doesn't agree with your sentiment.

How is there a difference in hits? They measuring them on a scale? Colton isn't knocking dudes into next week that's for sure.

You keep mentioning we already have 6 PKers. The whole purpose of having Kelly is to not have to use two of those six and instead save them for 5v5.

Colton doesn't help there. Kelly does.

I really hope Bednar does agree.

 

[Avs_19]

That doesn't sound too promising but I'd also be surprised if a warrior like Lindgren wasn't out there. Type of guy who would bandage himself up with hockey tape if he had to. We shall see.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

That doesn't sound too promising but I'd also be surprised if a warrior like Lindgren wasn't out there. Type of guy who would bandage himself up with hockey tape if he had to. We shall see.

Apparently Girard-Manson are practicing well and without any limitations, playing as a pairing in practice.

We could use them as the second pairing and keep Lindgren’s 5v5 minutes down on the third pairing with Malinski. It’s the PK where Lindgren is really required.

 

[sethro109]

How is there a difference in hits? They measuring them on a scale? Colton isn't knocking dudes into next week that's for sure.

You keep mentioning we already have 6 PKers. The whole purpose of having Kelly is to not have to use two of those six and instead save them for 5v5.

Colton doesn't help there. Kelly does.

I really hope Bednar does agree.

You're telling me that Kelly hits guys as hard as Colton does, really?

And I'm telling you that taking out a .5 point a game player for a redundant amount of PKers isn't going to help us win games. The playoffs already have a very low amount of penalties as is. The amount of time Nuke and Lehky get on the PK will be low as is. That's even assuming Bednar saves them for that, which I don't see him doing with Nuke. Bednar is absolutely going to have Nuke PK no matter who is in the lineup.