This and that: Dear Mr. Hoglander/Habs/Tkachuk

[yave1964]

A couple of games ago Hoglander, a little five fot nine player ran Forbort from the Jets, shoulder to the head, Forbort had his bell rung. Forbort is a 6 foot 4 going around 225 pound and a former first rounder who is established as a bottom four defender, rugged but clean. He cross checked the smaller Hoglander three times challenging him only to watch him skate away, then with a minute to go was sent out again on the ice when Hoglander was out there. He gave a shove, challenged him, a giant pile of bodies piled up with Hoglander skating away, literally standing and watching the scrum.

  Last night with the certainty that bad blood was going to be spilled between the two teams, Zach Mcewen a seldom used spare part for the Canucks challenged forbort and the two of them had a pretty good little scuffle between them. The camera panned to a grinning Hoglander who was smiling ear to ear and tapping his stick against the boards like a damn fool.

  Mr Hoglander, you started it, you were challneged twice and ran away then had someone else fight your battle for you. That stuff dont play in the NHL, keep that stuff up and eventually someone is going to catch you alone in a corner soemwhere without Tyler Myers or MacEwen standing by to protect you little rear when you act the fool. Hope you learned something but by the way you were grinning over your teammate fighting your fight I doubt it.

 

 I watched both the Habs losses closely over the weekend, studying where they are slipping and it is simple, the other teams breakout leaves the Habs flat footed and unable to transition back onto defense. Defenders are pinching in too tight in the offensive zone and are a step behind getting back allowing odd man rushes, the forwards arent coming to the rescue quick enough either. Price and Allen both faced way too many 2 on 1's and 2 on 2's as their transition back to defense is simply dreadful. It is kind of the price you pay to have both defenders pinching in, other teams have adjusted and Montreal has not figured it out.

 

  Speaking of last nights game, if I had to pay to watch one player play right now, it would not be McDavid or MacKinnon, it would be Brady Tkachuk. He scored a neat overtime winner when Montreal literally stood around letting him claim the puck behind the net and then fire a pass which went off a defenders skate right back to him again, nobody tried to touch him, Anderson stood five feet away waiting for a pass from a mate to attempt a breakout without once trying to play his man, and once receiving the puck uncontested the second time he buried it. But it was more than that, he finished checks all night, he fired the puck hard and accurately all night, he even blocked a few shots and filled in admirably in the dot when called upon. When he was on the ice he was a force from God and you knew where he was at all times. He has quickly become my favorite player in all of Hockey not named Dylan Larkin and I only rate Larkin higher because of a tad bit of homerism, lol. Watch the kid some night, he is barely legal to drink but when he is on the ice, the other team is a bit more hesitant, he owns the game out there and as his confidence grows so will his numbers. Simply elite talent.

Edited February 22, 2021 by yave1964

[J0e Th0rnton]

57 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

A couple of games ago Hoglander, a little five fot nine player ran Forbort from the Jets, shoulder to the head, Forbort had his bell rung. Forbort is a 6 foot 4 going around 225 pound and a former first rounder who is established as a bottom four defender, rugged but clean. He cross checked the smaller Hoglander three times challenging him only to watch him skate away, then with a minute to go was sent out again on the ice when Hoglander was out there. He gave a shove, challenged him, a giant pile of bodies piled up with Hoglander skating away, literally standing and watching the scrum.

  Last night with the certainty that bad blood was going to be spilled between the two teams, Zach Mcewen a seldom used spare part for the Canucks challenged forbort and the two of them had a pretty good little scuffle between them. The camera panned to a grinning Hoglander who was smiling ear to ear and tapping his stick against the boards like a damn fool.

  Mr Hoglander, you started it, you were challneged twice and ran away then had someone else fight your battle for you. That stuff dont play in the NHL, keep that stuff up and eventually someone is going to catch you alone in a corner soemwhere without Tyler Myers or MacEwen standing by to protect you little rear when you act the fool. Hope you learned something but by the way you were grinning over your teammate fighting your fight I doubt it.

 

 I watched both the Habs losses closely over the weekend, studying where they are slipping and it is simple, the other teams breakout leaves the Habs flat footed and unable to transition back onto defense. Defenders are pinching in too tight in the offensive zone and are a step behind getting back allowing odd man rushes, the forwards arent coming to the rescue quick enough either. Price and Allen both faced way too many 2 on 1's and 2 on 2's as their transition back to defense is simply dreadful. It is kind of the price you pay to have both defenders pinching in, other teams have adjusted and Montreal has not figured it out.

 

  Speaking of last nights game, if I had to pay to watch one player play right now, it would not be McDavid or MacKinnon, it would be Brady Tkachuk. He scored a neat overtime winner when Montreal literally stood around letting him claim the puck behind the net and then fire a pass which went off a defenders skate right back to him again, nobody tried to touch him, Anderson stood five feet away waiting for a pass from a mate to attempt a breakout without once trying to play his man, and once receiving the puck uncontested the second time he buried it. But it was more than that, he finished checks all night, he fired the puck hard and accurately all night, he even blocked a few shots and filled in admirably in the dot when called upon. When he was on the ice he was a force from God and you knew where he was at all times. He has quickly become my favorite player in all of Hockey not named Dylan Larkin and I only rate Larkin higher because of a tad bit of homerism, lol. Watch the kid some night, he is barely legal to drink but when he is on the ice, the other team is a bit more hesitant, he owns the game out there and as his confidence grows so will his numbers. Simply elite talent.

I can tell you exactly where the Habs are slipping. We are past the 15 game mark lol. They always slip around now

[J0e Th0rnton]

5 hours ago, yave1964 said:

A couple of games ago Hoglander, a little five fot nine player ran Forbort from the Jets, shoulder to the head, Forbort had his bell rung. Forbort is a 6 foot 4 going around 225 pound and a former first rounder who is established as a bottom four defender, rugged but clean. He cross checked the smaller Hoglander three times challenging him only to watch him skate away, then with a minute to go was sent out again on the ice when Hoglander was out there. He gave a shove, challenged him, a giant pile of bodies piled up with Hoglander skating away, literally standing and watching the scrum.

  Last night with the certainty that bad blood was going to be spilled between the two teams, Zach Mcewen a seldom used spare part for the Canucks challenged forbort and the two of them had a pretty good little scuffle between them. The camera panned to a grinning Hoglander who was smiling ear to ear and tapping his stick against the boards like a damn fool.

  Mr Hoglander, you started it, you were challneged twice and ran away then had someone else fight your battle for you. That stuff dont play in the NHL, keep that stuff up and eventually someone is going to catch you alone in a corner soemwhere without Tyler Myers or MacEwen standing by to protect you little rear when you act the fool. Hope you learned something but by the way you were grinning over your teammate fighting your fight I doubt it.

 

 I watched both the Habs losses closely over the weekend, studying where they are slipping and it is simple, the other teams breakout leaves the Habs flat footed and unable to transition back onto defense. Defenders are pinching in too tight in the offensive zone and are a step behind getting back allowing odd man rushes, the forwards arent coming to the rescue quick enough either. Price and Allen both faced way too many 2 on 1's and 2 on 2's as their transition back to defense is simply dreadful. It is kind of the price you pay to have both defenders pinching in, other teams have adjusted and Montreal has not figured it out.

 

  Speaking of last nights game, if I had to pay to watch one player play right now, it would not be McDavid or MacKinnon, it would be Brady Tkachuk. He scored a neat overtime winner when Montreal literally stood around letting him claim the puck behind the net and then fire a pass which went off a defenders skate right back to him again, nobody tried to touch him, Anderson stood five feet away waiting for a pass from a mate to attempt a breakout without once trying to play his man, and once receiving the puck uncontested the second time he buried it. But it was more than that, he finished checks all night, he fired the puck hard and accurately all night, he even blocked a few shots and filled in admirably in the dot when called upon. When he was on the ice he was a force from God and you knew where he was at all times. He has quickly become my favorite player in all of Hockey not named Dylan Larkin and I only rate Larkin higher because of a tad bit of homerism, lol. Watch the kid some night, he is barely legal to drink but when he is on the ice, the other team is a bit more hesitant, he owns the game out there and as his confidence grows so will his numbers. Simply elite talent.

Also gotta disagree on watching Tkachuk over McDavid. 

 

McDavid near single handedly stomped a mud hole in Calgary's arse last night. 37 points in 20 games and just a pure joy on skates

[yave1964]

5 minutes ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Also gotta disagree on watching Tkachuk over McDavid. 

 

McDavid near single handedly stomped a mud hole in Calgary's arse last night. 37 points in 20 games and just a pure joy on skates

Oh I know, Mcdavids combo of speed, power and vision is simply unique in the game today and he is a joy to watch, no doubt, I have always been a fan of the heavy game, the 200 foot players, the Brendan Shanahan type of power forwards and that is what I see in Tkachuk. In the days when hitting and even playing the body is becoming a lost art he is a breath of fresh air to an old timer like me who loves the that aspect of the game. Just for clarification.