This is a good post, and while it's sort of a conspiracy theory kind of thing, it's certainly possible.
Are you still of the same opinion of Boychuk as you've been the last couple of years? Or is this post only referring to guys like Dalpe? Or both, either way...
Certainly not. My opinion regarding Boychuk remains the same in regards to his potential for long term success in this league, but I would have to be blind to not be of the opinion that his play qualified by saying only in this most recent call up, has been far superior than he has exhibited at any other point in his career. I have still seen a few things that I didn't like, mainly his passivity regarding physicality in both the delivery and receptive aspects, but he was doing a much better job of finding open ice and using his linemates in previous games and driving the net.
My worry with Boychuk has always been his mental approach to the game and if he has the smarts to maintain the style of game that makes him successful and that still remains. However, when he IS playing the style of game that makes him successful you would have to be a fool in order to not recognize that he represents an upgrade in terms of skill over the Dwyer, Tlusty, Larose, faction. I like it when Boychuk involves himself physically and asserts himself with the puck on his tape. By my observation, he has done that well enough to show his skill in the past few games and this most recent demotion seems to scream to Maurice, "if you're not going to play them right, you're not going to play them at all", as if there is some schism between Rutherford continually recalling these players to BE PLAYED and Maurice taking them and placing them on the 4th line. At the end of the day, the coaches have to play the players if they're going to get their opportunity. The GM can't make it happen. The GM can't hint enough to make a coach complicit with a demand that he's not willing to make.
It seems like this is JR's way of saying, "Okay, you want to live and die with the group you have then that's fine. We'll store these kids in Charlotte until you ultimately fail YOUR way and give them a fresh start with the next head coach who we already may be sending them to in the AHL". In essence, I don't think he's giving Maurice the excuse that some kind of overhead pressure prevented him from icing the lineup that he wanted to ice and that playing the kids was detrimental to his cause.
Am I the only one who notices Boychuk on his ass everytime he does get a shift? Seems like you can breathe on him and he falls.
I'm actually fine with this move. If they aren't going to give Boychuk or Dalpe time in the top 9, then there is absolutly no point in them being here. Might as well bring someone in who is more suited for a 4th line role.
RE: Dwyer. Could it be because he plays with Sutter who is responsible for shutting down a teams top line. Other teams top line is going to be on the ice for 18-20 mins a game and if Sutter's line is to be out there shutting them down, I can see why Dwyer is up there in ES time.
I agree with each of these points. Boychuk needs to learn to play with his head up or he's going to get his career ended early. I like the skill level he brings and he should certainly be playing in the top-6 if he's on the active roster, but he's still thiiiiiis far short of having the mental conditioning for the NHL. I hope he gets it worked out in Charlotte so he can have a better shot with the Canes in the post-Mo era.
In regard to Dwyer's ice time, you're spot on about it having to do with line combinations. Here's the ES time on ice chart from the Toronto game:
Skinner 15:55
Staal 16:10
Ruutu 13:58
Tlusty 13:16
Sutter 15:42
Dwyer 16:08
Ponikarovsky 9:53
Jokinen 11:45
LaRose 13:06
Boychuk 4:24
Brent 6:53
Stewart 5:47
Once you factor in the 4-on-4 time where one of the wingers is taken off, and just the general circumstances of guys getting caught in a long shift from time to time, the numbers pretty much even up. Seeing as how Kessel put in almost 19 minutes of ES ice time, you can kind of see why the Sutter line was our "second line" that night.
Certainly not. My opinion regarding Boychuk remains the same in regards to his potential for long term success in this league, but I would have to be blind to not be of the opinion that his play qualified by saying only in this most recent call up, has been far superior than he has exhibited at any other point in his career. I have still seen a few things that I didn't like, mainly his passivity regarding physicality in both the delivery and receptive aspects, but he was doing a much better job of finding open ice and using his linemates in previous games and driving the net.
My worry with Boychuk has always been his mental approach to the game and if he has the smarts to maintain the style of game that makes him successful and that still remains. However, when he IS playing the style of game that makes him successful you would have to be a fool in order to not recognize that he represents an upgrade in terms of skill over the Dwyer, Tlusty, Larose, faction. I like it when Boychuk involves himself physically and asserts himself with the puck on his tape. By my observation, he has done that well enough to show his skill in the past few games and this most recent demotion seems to scream to Maurice, "if you're not going to play them right, you're not going to play them at all", as if there is some schism between Rutherford continually recalling these players to BE PLAYED and Maurice taking them and placing them on the 4th line. At the end of the day, the coaches have to play the players if they're going to get their opportunity. The GM can't make it happen. The GM can't hint enough to make a coach complicit with a demand that he's not willing to make.
It seems like this is JR's way of saying, "Okay, you want to live and die with the group you have then that's fine. We'll store these kids in Charlotte until you ultimately fail YOUR way and give them a fresh start with the next head coach who we already may be sending them to in the AHL". In essence, I don't think he's giving Maurice the excuse that some kind of overhead pressure prevented him from icing the lineup that he wanted to ice and that playing the kids was detrimental to his cause.
Good post, just seeing if you'd come around. You clearly haven't.
Is it really JR who makes the decisions though. I know its his decision when he wants to put a current roster guy on the waiver wire to see if any GM will bite and take said player, but for day to day roster changes, i'm not positive he makes that decision.
From my understanding the coaching staff makes the roster decisions. If a call up is needed, the coach speaks with Daniels before making the decision on who to call up. JR just releases the information.
I just don't buy the conspiracy theory. If JR really wanted these guys getting top 6 minutes, he'll make damn sure they are. JR had no problems telling Lavi to play the vets during the last game of the year once they were healthy and to sit the kids. Only to end up losing that game against Florida and missing out on the playoffs once again.
Vagrant, you very well may have hit the nail right on the head here. I hadn't thought of it that way, and whether it be true or untrue, I enjoyed reading the angle to presented here. Well said and thought out.
I just wish if JR truly was doing this, and felt this way, then he'd have the stones to give Maurice the axe and get this show on the road the way he see's it should be. JR could easily let Maurice go and nobody in the hockey world, media or fans would be too shocked right now. But, maybe that'll be one more loss from now, who knows. I can only hope that this will be Maurice's last game behind the bench of the Hurricanes.
I just don't buy the conspiracy theory. If JR really wanted these guys getting top 6 minutes, he'll make damn sure they are. JR had no problems telling Lavi to play the vets during the last game of the year once they were healthy and to sit the kids. Only to end up losing that game against Florida and missing out on the playoffs once again.
Definitely true, but it's also very true that the dynamic between JR and Mo is VERY different from the one between JR and Lavi. Lavi always seemed to have a tendency to want to do things his way and that rubbed the wrong people the wrong way.
Haven't seen much from either Boychuk or Dalpe that justifies them getting Top 6 minutes. Part of it is the limited minutes they receive, but there's also the fact that they simply don't generate the offense needed to play that Top 6 role.
Yes, Boychuk was slightly more noticeable than he typically is against Buffalo. But that was one game out of the 13 he's been up here. He's averaged 8 and a half minutes per game and has 2 assists to show for it, one of which involved passing to the point and the other involved the puck deflecting off his skate. Even more damning is the 6 shots on goal he's managed to accumulate over 13 games. He's just not been good enough offensively to come anywhere near a Top 6 spot.
This move was a smart one, simply because Sutter not only fits the 3rd/4th line role better, he's been more noticeable playing on that line than both Dalpe and Boychuk have been
I just wish if JR truly was doing this, and felt this way, then he'd have the stones to give Maurice the axe and get this show on the road the way he see's it should be.
Agreed and Agreed.
do we have lines for tonight?
Philly coming off a loss to Winnipeg where they "didn't show up"... We better be on our game
