Oilers @ Leafs - Jan. 6th, 7:00pm - TSN4, TSN 1050
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
Zee said:Zee said:
Look at all those Leafs coming back, who is Rielly expecting McDavid to pass it to? Even if there's another Oiler trailing at the bottom of the screen, the pass wouldn't have been all that dangerous, you stay with McDavid on that play.
There is an Oiler defenseman crossing the blueline just off the edge of that screencap and he had an open lane to the net. Once that d-man pulled up at the line/Holl got there, Rielly shifted to gap up on McDavid who proceeded to inside-out him.
Strangelove
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
You can repeatedly appeal to McDavid being good or great or the best player in history. But in the actual hockey play that's being discussed, Morgan Rielly was caught flat-footed and then decided to guess where the puck was headed based on a head fake rather than keeping himself in front of McDavid's body. That's not how to effectively play a one-on-one.
In other words, the fact that McDavid is "currently the best hockey player on the planet" does not imply that Rielly defended that play well. He didn't.
Zee said:
The speed at which McDavid pull that move makes it virtually unstoppable, yes. The only way that gets stopped is with a either large degree of luck or by Rielly taking a penalty. I guess he could have tried just tripping or tackling him but that's not really Rielly's MO.
herman
Well-known member
Complaining about Rielly's play here is a bit like other teams complaining about their players when Auston Matthews rips one through several legs/sticks and by a goalie's ear, off the crossbar and in.
These players work specifically on patterns that succeed more often than not even if the defense plays it perfectly.
The real miscue is the turnover in the OZ that leads to this breakdown.
These players work specifically on patterns that succeed more often than not even if the defense plays it perfectly.
The real miscue is the turnover in the OZ that leads to this breakdown.
You know what, Hutch should have had that. If he had just come out of his crease a little more and challenged McDavid there would have been nothing to shoot at.
bustaheims
Active member
Strangelove said:
Watch the play a little closer. It was more than just a head fake. McDavid takes a stride towards the inside, which Rielly follows in order to keep himself in front of McDavid. McDavid then uses his strength and skill to push the other way, and blow past Rielly. Without being able to see into the future, Rielly did all he could based on the situation he was in. Does Rielly have defensive deficiencies? Sure, but he's not at fault on that one.
Zee said:
I do think he could've played it better in retrospect, but look at that play in quick motion and think of how many times you've played sports and got beat off a quick couple of fakes. Now times that by about a million. I don't think Rielly just "let" him get to the puck uncontested as much as he made a great play to GET to the net uncontested.
Like I said in an earlier post if Rielly does something else McDavid will react accordingly. He backs off too quickly he cuts to the right, he tries to take the body he'd sidestep, do you think McDavid wil just "let" Rielly play him well? Maybe the team shouldn't have been caught in a 1v1 situation with McDavid in the first place.
McDavid did 3 crucial things, within the span of literally three seconds, that completely handcuffed Rielly on this play:
1) He came into the zone with some speed, and then slowed up almost stopping. This is why Rielly, who literally just jumped onto the ice BTW, is caught flat footed. He can't skate toward McDavid at this point because that's a recipe for disaster, and he can't start skating backwards because that just gives McDavid more room to move. The clock at this point says 8:38 and I don't really see how Rielly could have played this better.
2) He sells the pass to a teammate at the other end of the boards. I don't even really think this messed Rielly up as much as others do. He doesn't overreact to the pass, he doesn't give McDavid anymore space to the inside of the ice, he keeps his eyes on McDavid the entire time. But mentally he has to give some respect to a potential pass. Even still, he's playing McDavid body on body and stick on stick and protecting the inside of the ice. The clock at this point says 8:37 and I don't really see how Rielly could have played this better.
3) Remember when I said McDavid slowed down? Well he makes his second speed change in as many seconds and goes from 0 to 60 this time as well as probably anyone in the history of the NHL could. Rielly at this point is screwed. He has his stick on the wrong side of McDavid, he's flat footed, and he's skating backwards against the best skater/player in the league who just turned on his jets. You can say he looks like an idiot there but McDavid forced Rielly into all 3 of those positions because a second ago that was the best way to defend the situation in front of him. Then McDavid just went in for the kill. This happens at 8:36. Again, he hit the blueline at 8:38.
There's no other hockey player with the combination of smarts, skill, and speed who could have pulled all that off in 3 seconds.
1) He came into the zone with some speed, and then slowed up almost stopping. This is why Rielly, who literally just jumped onto the ice BTW, is caught flat footed. He can't skate toward McDavid at this point because that's a recipe for disaster, and he can't start skating backwards because that just gives McDavid more room to move. The clock at this point says 8:38 and I don't really see how Rielly could have played this better.
2) He sells the pass to a teammate at the other end of the boards. I don't even really think this messed Rielly up as much as others do. He doesn't overreact to the pass, he doesn't give McDavid anymore space to the inside of the ice, he keeps his eyes on McDavid the entire time. But mentally he has to give some respect to a potential pass. Even still, he's playing McDavid body on body and stick on stick and protecting the inside of the ice. The clock at this point says 8:37 and I don't really see how Rielly could have played this better.
3) Remember when I said McDavid slowed down? Well he makes his second speed change in as many seconds and goes from 0 to 60 this time as well as probably anyone in the history of the NHL could. Rielly at this point is screwed. He has his stick on the wrong side of McDavid, he's flat footed, and he's skating backwards against the best skater/player in the league who just turned on his jets. You can say he looks like an idiot there but McDavid forced Rielly into all 3 of those positions because a second ago that was the best way to defend the situation in front of him. Then McDavid just went in for the kill. This happens at 8:36. Again, he hit the blueline at 8:38.
There's no other hockey player with the combination of smarts, skill, and speed who could have pulled all that off in 3 seconds.
I suppose Rielly could have played that better or perhaps done something rash (like charging at McDavid before he made his move) and gotten lucky, but...this is not a play that I'm going to get on his case for. That inside fake/outside move combination was incredibly quick and would have made many defencemen look stupid.
Maybe Hutch should have just charged out of his crease at that point and tried to force McDavid wide or something - there were 2 other Leafs who were about to arrive to provide support.
Just an amazing play by McDavid, that's what I take away from it.
Maybe Hutch should have just charged out of his crease at that point and tried to force McDavid wide or something - there were 2 other Leafs who were about to arrive to provide support.
Just an amazing play by McDavid, that's what I take away from it.
ZBBM
Active member
That move by McDavid was unstoppable. By any defenseman. By even Nazem "The Eraser" Kadri. It was simply an amazing athletic play by the best player in the world.
Left out of the discussion is the fact he topped it off with a devastating move on Hutchinson at top speed, a move that some other top players can make ? but he tacked in on, seemingly effortlessly, on top of undressing Rielly.
McDavid wrecked us. Simple as that. It had to happen eventually and now it has. It won't be the last time.
Left out of the discussion is the fact he topped it off with a devastating move on Hutchinson at top speed, a move that some other top players can make ? but he tacked in on, seemingly effortlessly, on top of undressing Rielly.
McDavid wrecked us. Simple as that. It had to happen eventually and now it has. It won't be the last time.
Highlander
Active member
Conner McGoatherman said: