These thread prove one major thing to me. People need to chill the **** out. DD sucks! then he scores and looks good right now. Has cole retired? Then he scores.
It's a special season with special circumstances. People need to relax and give realistic time for people to find their game.
Does it mean certain individuals are meeting expectations? No, but relax and be patient. The team is winning so it isn't the end of the world.
I don't understand this man. Last night, he had good moments. He drew penalty, and had the occasional 2 on 1.
The fact that he executed poorly on that 2 on 1 is meaningless; execution comes with ease. He'll get it together, at least for THAT aspect of his play.
No, what puzzles me is the fact that on many occasions, I've seen him stop skating and try the easy play. WTF Cole?! You are a speedy/power forward hybrid. You should be the man buzzling and rushing at all time.
Let me tell you a summary of your job: if you explode, you provoke things on the ice. If you don't explode, you don't provoke anything.
Do u remember Cole hitting/checking someone? Been a longggggg time.
He had a very solid check last night just after getting the penalty (but before the whistle blew).
His passing along the board certainly is adequate. He keeps deep-zone possession alive, which certainly is a good thing - although I believe a big part of his success to be because of Desharnais's superhuman puck thieving ability (the man can take and pass the puck while being crushed by a 6'4" defenseman, for **** sake).
No, Cole's problem. Is that he is clueless in the circle-level offensive zone. Can't make any worthwhile pass to defensemen, and not willing to rush the crease with the puck to provoke anything. So he ends up shooting a weak thing or send it down low for DD or Patch to battle it back again.
Cole's only success so far was from someone else's play and effort. He has been opportune in front of the net, but hasn't created anything when he holds the puck.
When you are in that kind of state of mind, it's tough to come back to what was the reality before. An old guy that enjoyed the lockout too much, that had his part of injuries and just not interested in paying the price anymore. Let's hope somehow he can regain that flame he had last year, somehow, I don't believe it. Not for this year. Remains to see if he'll gain it back on a longer year for next year or if it's going downhill from this moment.
When you are in that kind of state of mind, it's tough to come back to what was the reality before. An old guy that enjoyed the lockout too much, that had his part of injuries and just not interested in paying the price anymore. Let's hope somehow he can regain that flame he had last year, somehow, I don't believe it. Not for this year. Remains to see if he'll gain it back on a longer year for next year or if it's going downhill from this moment.
Spoke about Cole with my bro-in-law, and we pretty much came up with this as well. Staff and MB have to talk to him, because he looks disinterested on the ice. It's sad to see his game be that bad.
Between benching White or Cole next game against Toronto, I'm seriously struggling to single out one player. Maybe scratch both, put Eller on the first line insert Kaberle or Weber as a 7th defenseman... I don't know who I am annoyed with most to be honest.
Guaranteed there will be a Cole Appreciation Thread in the not too distant future.
I hope so, because that will mean he is playing good. This team could really use some production from that line. But right now we have Edmonton Oilers Erik Cole.
DD's struggles haven't helped Cole for sure, but he will get going, the whole line is starting to gel again...patience guys, we are 6-3-1 after 10 games, and guys like Cole haven't got it going yet...if he gets a goal vs the Leafs saturday and helps us win, things will be rosy...sort of...
Last night he had 9 hits , the most on the habs. He might have lost the speed, but at least it shows some effort.
I think it was 6 (of 20 total credited to the Habs), but point still remains. Always fun when people can't see what they don't want to, when they don't want to, and then post about it.
We got a centre, considered to be a "brilliant playmaker" with 2 passes in 10 games. (Both passes in PP).
We got two snipers/powerforwards considered to be goals scorer on the team....with a combine 2 goals so far. Gallagher got the double of that all by himself playing 5 minutes less per games (2 minutes less in PP).
And i'm hearing....let's wait, it's kind of normal??
Playing 16 minutes a games with a whooping 3m30 in PP?
Last 3 games, they got the best powerplay time.
Top minutes every last 3 games. (Even Plekanec's line got the less amount of time, even if they produced better than anybody else)
What did they do....only one passe from Pacioretty on a 5 on 3.
The whole line is not working.
Not only Cole.
Cole played like 30 secondes with Galchenyuk and Gallagher and scored.
It's true you don't see him go as hard on the wings.....but still, he create time and space with his 25 hits. Cole is sniper.
Pacioretty still got 6 passes in 6 games, but Pacioretty is a sniper.
We got a centre, considered to be a "brilliant playmaker" with 2 passes in 10 games. (Both passes in PP).
We got two snipers/powerforwards considered to be goals scorer on the team....with a combine 2 goals so far. Gallagher got the double of that all by himself playing 5 minutes less per games (2 minutes less in PP).
And i'm hearing....let's wait, it's kind of normal??
Playing 16 minutes a games with a whooping 3m30 in PP?
Last 3 games, they got the best powerplay time.
Top minutes every last 3 games. (Even Plekanec's line got the less amount of time, even if they produced better than anybody else)
What did they do....only one passe from Pacioretty on a 5 on 3.
The whole line is not working.
Not only Cole.
Cole played like 30 secondes with Galchenyuk and Gallagher and scored.
It's true you don't see him go as hard on the wings.....but still, he create time and space with his 25 hits. Cole is sniper.
Pacioretty still got 6 passes in 6 games, but Pacioretty is a sniper.
Who's job to feed those snipers?
Eller played well lately....
It's a good point, actually. Four of MaxPac's 6 assists have something in common: Andrei Markov on the powerplay. And the one goal that Cole and Desharnais both got points for was actually a Desharnais goal from both wingers. The puck really doesn't seem to be distributed through that line the way it "should", or the way we'd expect if DD was a) on top of his game, or b) as good as his biggest supporters would have us believe. MaxPac and Cole basically seem to be on solo mission after solo mission out there, with DD rarely catching up to the play, or not getting open offensively to receive a pass when either guy gets pressured so he can redistribute the puck.
As for your last line there, it's interesting to note that in limited play between Cole and Pacioretty last year, that line was technically more productive at even strength than having DD between them (3.3 goals per EV min with Eller vs. 2.8 goals per EV min with DD - 5.3 goals per EV min with Plekanec between them, btw). I've been thinking that they should have a longer look at this possibility for a while now, but then what do you do with DD? He handcuffs possible line juggling more than any other "top 6" player I can think of.
It's early, but he has not looked into the games IMO. Almost like he's just going through the motions, like his head isn't in it
With him being as vocal as he was during the lockout, it's hard for me not to revert to thinking he should have spent less time making "Puck Gary" hats, and more time getting ready for the season
