Quote:
Originally Posted by dave4
Totally agree that booing for the sake of booing, like at the start of a game, is bad. But when Malik makes stupid passes, takes lazy penalties and doesn't hustle, the booing is totally warranted.
And speaking of passes, at least the d-men who get it out along the boards get it out. The risk/reward ratio for Malik's cross ice passes in his own zone is not good. He's given up way too many odd-man scoring rushes for the other team. If he were able to complete that pass most of the time it would be a good pass. Too many players read that pass and they're off to the races. And it's not like Malik's passes in his own zone are springing our players in for a breakaway. The best-case scenarios with the passes in his own zone are still that we just get it out of the zone.
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This is a understandable misstake that many fans make.
But to ask Malik to play simple, boards out passes, with Jagr and Co just because he makes a few misstakes trying to play constructive,
is exactly like asking Nylander not to play defense because he aren't good at it. Playing with Jagr its just not on the map.
But its
understandable that people thinks otherwise, since guys like Jagr are pretty special and the conditions have changed dramatically in this aspect with the new rules. Before it were practiacally impossivle to be constructive through the neutral zone. And if you lifted the puck out, it were really easy to stop stand up on your own blueline since you could slash and hook all you wanted. Now its the other way around. Getting through the neutral zone is pretty easy. Getting a puck back that you have lifted out of your own end is really hard. Though study these aspects and you will see just how much better it is to play constructive out of your own end compared to lifting the puck out.
Malik connects with a huge majority of his passes, of the around 30 passes very few acutally results in scoring chances against. He plays constructive 90% of the time, and makes the right decisions, showing of really good timming and hockey sense. Dooing that 90% of the time aren't great or even good, but its better then Pöck who probably lands at 25-30%, or Tyutin at 50%. Thoose guys plays it simple far to often, and Jagr and Co aren't about to win many battles in the attacking zone, so thoose simple passes more often then not will results in scoring chances and penaltys against. Its simple math.
Its have been so obvious though the past 1.5 seasons that Roszival and Malik contributes allot to the 1st line, whenever Jagr is out there with other D's, like Tyutin-Ward/Kaspar or Poti/Struds, there is a significant negative affect.
Looking at the +/- the risk reward ratio for Maliks contructive game
is defenitly positive.
He could do it allot better, no doubt about it. First of all, he could make less misstakes, kind of explains itself. But if he were
faster gooing backwards the need for having Straka with Jagr wouldn't have been nearly as strong, and Prucha could be played there with much more success for example.
Honestly his big misstakes don't concern me that much. They seldom results in great scoring chances the other way, more often then not Maliks just screws up a transition play, which a easy pass results in 99% of the time anyway.
Whats concerns me the most is his speed and agility on defense. Straka's work covering up for him can't be overvalued... Playing with Nylander and Jagr ought to be a perfect spot for a young kid to establish himself. I want to see Staal in Maliks position next season without a doubt.
There is defenitly a really strong, and unfound, desire at MSG to find a whipping boy on this team (Just see Kevin Weekes were booed before he even had played a single game for this team...). To say that Steve Rucchin in someway performed better then Malik are here right now just don't add up. Everyone got there own preference, and its a free world, but I don't like the booing of Malik. And I defenitly think it is hurting the team allot. Just look at the home/away record for this team. A little support on home ice instead wouldn't hurt at this point.