herman
Well-known member
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:I think he's better defensively because he's better offensively, Komarov is an absolute black hole when it comes to getting out of his own zone. He's in the sixth percentile league-wide, that is terrible.
I'd need to dig up the numbers, but I'm fairly certain Soshnikov was one of the best PKers on the team last year too.
I hear what you're saying though re veteran getting the benefit and having to overcome Babcock's veteran biases.
It's becoming tougher though to give Babs the benefit of the doubt, we've all been arguing about the bottom of the lineup on both offense and defense for over a year and when he finally listened to the conventional wisdom, the team started to play much better.
I know he's one of the top coaches in the world, but watching Polak wet the bed most nights while guys like Carrick, Borgman, Sosh and Leivo get the shaft is extremely grating.
A lot of people don't put that much weight on fourth lines and third pair decisions, but when they are playing almost 20% of your even strength time, it's a massive issue, much like a backup goalie is a more important position than most give credit.
I hear you. I was advocating for all this last year when Polak was re-signed and griping about Martin, etc. and pulling out Dom's Extra 2% article. Remember when you got mad at me for whining about the Martin deal? ;D
Funny thing about
is that Babcock is employing conventional NHL coach wisdom with leaning on the veterans. Earlier in the season, I argued that he knew they weren't great, but they made their plays to the best of their (lesser) abilities. During the December slump, Babcock said something to the effect of, "my wife could tell me what's wrong, but the hard part is figuring out what's right". I took this to mean, "yeah I know Polak is trash, but he's the best option in the system for the role I believe the team needs to succeed".It's becoming tougher though to give Babs the benefit of the doubt, we've all been arguing about the bottom of the lineup on both offense and defense for over a year and when he finally listened to the conventional wisdom, the team started to play much better.
Honestly, I can also see why Babcock doesn't always feel safe with Carrick, Leivo, Corrado, etc. on the ice. They have definite flaws (otherwise they wouldn't be in this position). There are young players they prioritized insulating and growing on the NHL level (the big 3, Rielly, Zaitsev), and there are young players who are designated subs who are in a contract pinch.