When Marc Staal comes back, can McD or MDZ play the right side?
When Marc Staal comes back, he will be the first LD on the team and be paired with Girardi. Can either of McD or MDZ play the right side so they can be paired up?
I would prefer McD to do it. As the steadier player, I'd prefer to have him move and let MDZ continue playing great.
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I think either way we have to split up Staal and Girardi. Girardi has really proven himself and there's no sense having two bonafide shutdown number 1's on the same pair when we can spread the wealth.
If anything now you can afford to play Staal and Girardi fewer minutes with the improvement of MDZ and MCD. this is a GOOD thing. Guys get burnt out playing 25-30 minutes a night.
I'm not sold on putting Staal, with pretty much no game preperation, on the top pairing with Girardi.
In fact I'm not sure that he should be played on the top 4 for a few weeks.
McD - Girardi is working fine.
Additionally, I think it's time (when he's ready for it) we put Staal in his rightful place of a #2 defenceman. With the way that Del Zotto is playing, I'm thinking we give him that stay at home defensive partner that will allow his game to grow.
Del Zotto - Staal
McDonagh - Girardi
Erizon/Bickell/Sauer/Eminger/Woywitka
I like Staal, but he's no No 1 Defenceman and I think we need to take advantage of what he is and pair him up with the proper defenceman. Girardi is not the guy.
I'm not sold on putting Staal, with pretty much no game preperation, on the top pairing with Girardi.
In fact I'm not sure that he should be played on the top 4 for a few weeks.
McD - Girardi is working fine.
Additionally, I think it's time (when he's ready for it) we put Staal in his rightful place of a #2 defenceman. With the way that Del Zotto is playing, I'm thinking we give him that stay at home defensive partner that will allow his game to grow.
Del Zotto - Staal
McDonagh - Girardi
Erizon/Bickell/Sauer/Eminger/Woywitka
I like Staal, but he's no No 1 Defenceman and I think we need to take advantage of what he is and pair him up with the proper defenceman. Girardi is not the guy.
Spread the wealth. Best avenue to success
Miss a season after being FAR AND AWAY your teams best d-man over the course of your career and you're not a number 1 anymore.
Miss a season after being FAR AND AWAY your teams best d-man over the course of your career and you're not a number 1 anymore.
Yea I'm confused as well. I can understand not being ready yet for top pair minutes due to his PCS, but to say Staal isn't a #1 D-man, that's just crazy talk.
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Miss a season after being FAR AND AWAY your teams best d-man over the course of your career and you're not a number 1 anymore.
we're all spoiled with the way Girardi McD and MDZ have played...Staal is better than all of them which is going to give us one hell of a defense when he comes back.
Personally I'm in favor of
McD/Girardi
MDZ/Staal
Erixon/Sauer
Putting Staal with MDZ seems brilliant and can only help his development. Plus Staal has to get back inoto game shape anyway might as well have him transition over..he's good enough to play anywhere.
Another benefit to this - MDZ can be free to play an offensive game...last night there was that shift where he was behind the Islander net and really was part of the offense...was great to see those instincts take over and for him to have the confidence to let that happen. Reminded me of Leetch on that shift.
Miss a season after being FAR AND AWAY your teams best d-man over the course of your career and you're not a number 1 anymore.
Has nothing to do with being out.
I just never viewed him as a #1 defenceman.
He's played that role by default, but I do not believe he has the requisite offensive skills to be a legit #1 defenceman.
He's a glorified #2 defenceman here in NY simply because of our lack of a true #1.
If what we are seeing from Del Zotto is not a fluke, and he does maintain a solid defensive posture and continues to put up the offensive numbers he is putting up, I would prefer him at the #1 spot and have Staal supporting him as our #2 (exactly where he belongs).
This is not meant as a knock on Staal. He's an incredible talent in his own right, just not rounded enough for me to consider him a legit #1 guy.
Marc Staal is 100% a #1 defenseman. He had 29 points last season, playing half of it with a concussion, matching up against the other teams best players every night. He may not be flashy, like Subban, but if I had a choice of MDZ or Staal, I would choose Staal 100x out of 100.
yeah a 24 year old all-star who is widely regarded as one of the best shutdown defensemen in hockey isn't a true #1
a #1 defenseman doesn't have to have the offensive threat. defense is defense. every team in the league would kill for marc staal and there's only a handful of guys who anyone would possibly pick over him. there's a reason that guys like ovechkin and crosby have had limited success against the rangers compared to other teams (hint: his name's marc staal)
i think while you don't want to rush staal into big minutes, after he's conditioned you have to match him with girardi. give mcdonagh the rest, drop him down to the second line. he's still essentially a rookie (he played what, 40 games last year?) and he's being treated like a 6 year veteran.
staal // girardi
mcdonagh // sauer
del zotto // eminger/woywitka/stralman/erixon
mcdonagh will get a break by dropping to the second pairing, and girardi will get a break because when the defense is healthy they can actually play their 3rd pairing and give them decent minutes. i would expect a DZ/eminger pairing to actually play 15-20 minutes a night, you give mcdonagh and sauer 18-20 a night and then staal and girardi are down to around 20 per night. it automatically cuts down TOI for every player on the defense and keeps you fresh down the stretch
Can't take mins away from mdz. Kid can't go to the Third pair. He's scoring and playing great D he's gotta continue to get at least 20 a night. Put him with Staal
