Miele's skating and puck possession has been impressive. Shinnimin needs to take a breath and get over the fact that he's a pro hockey player. He's better than what we are seeing.
Lane, Martinook, Brown, Arnold, Samuellson, etc. Sensing a trend on what we look for?
a number of hard working (Dave Tippet style) plays by our guys. really can see how they want to build a system where guys can step right up into a role at the NHL level. We have a plan!
Caps seem like they gave up after the softie. They were dominating the 2nd before that, but Johnson made some great saves. Gormley broke up some good plays. Lane has taken two dumb penalties.
Pirates, Johnson make it back-to-back shutouts against IceCaps By Chris Roy Published: 3rd November 2012
Quote:
PORTLAND – The Portland Pirates opened its 20th Anniversary season at the Cumberland County Civic Center in rather impressive fashion.
Chad Johnson stopped all 31 shots for his second shutout of the season, leading the Pirates past the St. John’s IceCaps, 3-0, before a sellout crowd of 6,736.
I am a season ticket holder and have watched every road game online and I can say confidently that Rundblad is by far the worst dman on the team after Goncharov.
Guy undoubtedly has some offensive skill and often makes great breakout passes, but his defense is atrocious. I feel like every time he is on the ice there is an odd-man rush or partial breakaway for the other team as a forward scrambles back to cover for Rundblad.
I am a season ticket holder and have watched every road game online and I can say confidently that Rundblad is by far the worst dman on the team after Goncharov.
Guy undoubtedly has some offensive skill and often makes great breakout passes, but his defense is atrocious. I feel like every time he is on the ice there is an odd-man rush or partial breakaway for the other team as a forward scrambles back to cover for Rundblad.
Been to every home game, and Rundblad and Goncharov are a real close tossup for worst dman on the team. Only thing Rundblad has is at time shows offensive flair that often turns into a odd-man rushes down our end. Goncharov is just bad, and his time is limited in north America before he rushes off to the khl.
It speaks volumes when you look at unknown player Mark Louis when he is un-drafted and picked up from St. Francis Xavier as a enforcer on emergency call-up last year, has surpassed both of those top draft picks in reliably and controlling his own end.
U guys got to be kidding. I guess we have to agree to disagree.
There's a reason Rundblad was traded for less than what most expected. Also plenty of reasons as to why he has been stuck in the AHL. At this point, his 5th forward shenanigans don't have a place in the NHL much less a Tippett coached Coyotes team. Why not convert him to forward? He's obviously got great offensive mojo. Probably the best in the organization of anyone not named Yandle or OEL.
Someone needs to sit him down and explain that there's no future, both in the NHL and big paychecks, for someone who can't play a baseline level of defense.
The season is eight games old. Let's give him another month before we start writing off his NHL future. He is putting up a point per game as a defenseman, afterall.
Still, we can't ignore the fact that the Coyotes are Dave Tippett's team and that the franchise has a wealth of talented young defensemen. If Rundblad doesn't appear to he fitting in quite as well as we might've hoped, maybe they trade him to a team with poor blueline prospect depth, and a log jam of talented forwards. Maybe to Tampa for Namestnikov or to Vancouver for Jensen or Gaunce. Maybe to Philly for Laughton or to Florida for Shore or Bjugstad. There may be a fit somewhere, is my point.
I actually view Rundblad as a positive work in process.
He's a thoroughbred playing on a team that is largely devoid of skill. Name a forward on the Pirates that has upside beyond that of a 3rd liner at this point? We are a team of role players up front. What does that mean? How many breakaway passes go unfinished? How many tape to tape passes are juggled on the receiving end? How many rebounds are not put into a gaping cage? Hell, how many players outside of Andy Miele can actually carry the puck and make a play to gain the offensive zone? Our offensive schema is very predictable. How many goals against (the -18 last year) came because Rundblad was on the ice with an open net because the team needed him on the ice if they wanted a shot at even tieing the game.
Rundblad is never going to be OEL defensively. I buy the Zubov comparison though. Rundblad is developing nicely. He has a higher level or two yet but he has time to get there. This is a player worth getting excited about.
