Quote:
Originally Posted by vera1964
Hey, I am also a Rangers fan, but recently hanging around Flyers boards to get the feeling of how Zherdev is doing, and also insert my 2 cents on the subject. I am also trying to watch their games (not been easy, believe me) whenever they are on MSG or Versus. So, here is my take...
They signed him to score 25 goals, and they will get it. They don't really need anything else from him.
They play him about 10 min a game, w/o any significant PP time. Of those he usually plays about 5 min with our good friends Betts and Shelley (4th line), who don't really know what offensive hockey is. The remaining 5 min he usually plays with local "superstars" Carter, who never passes and always shoots (usually wide) and Giroux, who is a fine player, but the problem is he is a puck posession guy, like Zherdev is, so all plays go through Giroux. Zherdev in this combo, I figure, is supposed to play a pure goal scorer, without the puck, which is obviously not who he is.
On top of this, Flyers style of play is mostly dump-in and forcheck, which again, is not where Zherdev is at his best.
Given all this, I am surprized he has managed 9 goals this far, which is quite an outstanding pace considering his TOI and lack of PP time. He has almost no assists due to total lack of chemistry with his linemates (always changing). This has never happened to him before (he has always been an awsome playmaker), so I assume this is Flyer's fault. OTOH, again, they probably just don't need this from him.
Does he disappear at times? Of coarse he does -- Zherdev is Zherdev. But I think his effort this year is much much higher than we've seen before. I don't think even many Flyers fans complain about his effort. Risky individual plays are criticized the most, I guess.
Also I think his reaction to benching/scratching/punishment of any sort is much more mature now than before. He actually picks up his game after this -- totally different than what we've used to see.
Overall, I think he is doing what he can. It's not much, but probably enough for them to keep him till the end of the season. It's not enough for him to put in kind of stats that will grant him a good contract, so I guess we'll see at least one more highly motivated year from him. Probably not with the Flyers -- this wouldn't make sence. I am hoping Caps (instead of Semin) or something like this, where he could play his kind of hockey with his linemates being on the same page.
And yes, let's beat them in a week. Let's go Rangers  |
He doesn't get the ice time he deserves because he doesn't commit to the system. If he wanted to he could play the Flyer's style of play he chooses not to.
I do however agree he has a natural scoring touch and the fact that he has 9 goals playing mostly on the 4th line with a touch or 2 on the 1C line, is pretty outstanding although lately he has played with G and Carter a lot more which only bodes well for him if he starts to build chemistry with his linemates.
The last bolded part really is what gets me though he was benched and scratched cuz he ran to Holmgrem to whine he wasn't getting enough ice time. Sure maybe he isn't given the amount of opportunity he's used to. But at the same time the only 2 teams that hes played for in the NHL he was on the first line and relied upon to score the majority of goals on this team he has to earn his time and not buying into the system or doing what Lavi tells him to do is not doing him any favors. Going to the GM of the team to complain rather then talking man to man with the coach is an even bigger hit. But I think he will work his way out and get more comfortable with G and Carter near the end of the year heading into the playoffs