Jump to content

Can Rinaldo be a Regular on the PK?


hf101

  

12 members have voted

  1. 1. Will Rinaldo be better on the PK than Powe?



Recommended Posts

Laviolette and Phantoms coach Terry Murray have a mission in mind for Rinaldo and that is to teach him to become an disciplined penalty killer.

“We didn’t use him there last season because it was at the end of the season,” said Laviolette, who was observing the opening of the Phantoms training camp Saturday at Skate Zone.

“But we do see Zac hopefully, expanding into that role. This is an opportunity for him [with Phantoms] to show what he can do.”

Rinaldo says he had a lot of experience on the PK in the OHL.

Murray and Laviolette talked about Rinaldo during a game of golf last week in South Jersey. You can get a lot accomplished on a golf course.

“Zac has a lot of NHL games under him,” Murray said. “This is a good opportunity for him to come and build on his NHL game in the American Hockey League and get into critical situations.

“Get on the ice in penalty kill. Get on the ice on the power play. I can push the envelope here. I can get him ready for those situations in the NHL. Use him with the Phantoms in those critical moments in the game.”

http://www.csnphilly...1171&feedID=695

It appears to me as if they are planning for Rinaldo to be the next "Darroll Powe". So do you think he will become a regular on the PK? Can he be Powe's replacement?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. You have to have speed and tenacity to be a premium PK guy and he has that.

I didn`t know he killed in Jr, but not surprised to learn that.

The penalty kill also often provides great opportunities for hits, believe it or not. Players on the PP are not doing the normal things, they slow down etc, leave themselves vulnerable to big hits. A succesful PK can turn the momentum of a game.You have to take your spots, and Zac is still learning the control thing, but he`s earned the chance to try.

Long-term, I could see him with Cooter. Or Schenn. Maybe Talbot in the short term.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

He has the wheels, and has a pretty decent feel for the game, I think he could be an excellent pker . He probably needs to make the off season Matt Cooke style repudiation of his past goonery or something equally stupid for the refs to let him play hockey though and that's a bit of a downer.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know his reputation from junior's was Downie-esque , but I have seen him play smart , hard , hockey for much of his NHL stint. Discipline or lack there of has had it's part for making him a liability, but to me many maybe a third of his minutes came from his rep as opposed to his play. Any big hit that was remotely questionable saw him heading to the box, whereas another player might have been given the benefit of the doubt. Zac has far better hands than you'd expect of a guy having that type of reputation. I like his game 1000x more than that disgrace Carcillo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. You have to have speed and tenacity to be a premium PK guy and he has that.

I didn`t know he killed in Jr, but not surprised to learn that.

The penalty kill also often provides great opportunities for hits, believe it or not. Players on the PP are not doing the normal things, they slow down etc, leave themselves vulnerable to big hits. A succesful PK can turn the momentum of a game.You have to take your spots, and Zac is still learning the control thing, but he`s earned the chance to try.

Long-term, I could see him with Cooter. Or Schenn. Maybe Talbot in the short term.

I suppose the thing will be .... great players draw you in with the opportunity to hit them. Then they dish the puck past you to the now wide open man because your PK is out of position trying to make that hit. Will he know when to commit and when not to? Will he become a liability BECAUSE he's looking for that big hit? That's where you will see if he's truly smart or just looking for fan approval.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's where you will see if he's truly smart or just looking for fan approval.

Yeah, for sure, is he smart enough to not get carried awayÉ Hard to say at this point.

If by fan approval, you mean getting the fans pumped which, in turn, can help shift momentum, then I`m actually ok with players looking for that. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can see Zac as a pk guy, like others have said, has the tenacity and speed. I still think we are only scratching the surface on Welly's pk talents. He will start to shine this coming year. With Coots, Talbot, Schenn, and Welly we are pretty set on the pk for the foreseeable future. Interested to see what Zac has to offer and I'm sure Ried would be great on the pk with his wheels also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, for sure, is he smart enough to not get carried awayÉ Hard to say at this point.

If by fan approval, you mean getting the fans pumped which, in turn, can help shift momentum, then I`m actually ok with players looking for that. :)

Yeah that's great IF the hits are good and DON'T result in goals scored against because he takes himself out of position. A 5 on 4 is bad enough, but he chases a pointman to the boards for a hit and now you have a 4 on 3 in the center of the offensive zone. That usually means bad things for the penalty killers. That's the kind of hit I would worry about were I a Flyers fan. He takes himself out of the play and the goal is scored against as a result.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my vote was yes. I also agree with what most are saying about both sides of the coin really though. If he is out there with the mentality of delivering the big hit all the time then yeah, he will struggle to keep himself in the play. Outside of that, the only OTHER thing that concerns me is his rep with the refs. I thought he had way too many call go against him for plays that I believed others wouldn't get called for. I can't see too many of those happening on the PK though so it wouldn't be that much of an issue. He has the speed and agility. He has decent hands as well so being able to get in there, seperate the player from the puck and then move it ahead/out should be something he can dial into

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the kind of hit I would worry about were I a Flyers fan. He takes himself out of the play and the goal is scored against as a result.

Agreed. Unless he kills or maims the other player, in which case it might be worth it :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...