Capitals vs. Leafs - Nov. 28th, 5:00pm - TSN4
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
Guru Tugginmypuddah
Well-known member
I'm not arguing that Nylander is not lazy. I'm saying that expecting Nylander to be other than what he is, is the same as yelling at Robertson why doesn't he score 40 goals a year.
herman
Well-known member
I don’t mind the criticism of Nylander. It’s warranted when it’s warranted. He asks his coaches to hold him accountable, so when they do, he responds. Of all the stars in this era, he’s the one that has continued to steadily improve offensively and defensively YoY.
I get that people want him to have more of a defensive conscience (because that would make him in the upper echelon of elite), but the game is a balancing act of figuring out when to take risks and push through for offense, and when to sag back to absorb incoming attacks. Defense is moralized by the media (and coaches) because it’s all that most players and coaches can actually control.
Outside of the first overall picks on the team, it takes about 3-5 players to put up 40. Goals are what teams pay for because of the salary cap and he has more than made good on his cap hits. His skillset makes a teammates’ defensive effort count (make a block to spring b-way Billy, baby). He is linemate agnostic (they played him with Kampf and Holmberg and Engvall and he made it work more than anyone had right to expect without complaint), feeds tap ins as often as he finishes plays himself, and has played wherever and whenever coach wanted him to. They took him off PP1, made him PK for a bit, and no one threatened the team through the media about it.
Last I checked, the game is about scoring more than the other team, not trying to make sure nothing happens.
By the by, Mogilny was one of my favourite Leafs lol. I have a type.
I get that people want him to have more of a defensive conscience (because that would make him in the upper echelon of elite), but the game is a balancing act of figuring out when to take risks and push through for offense, and when to sag back to absorb incoming attacks. Defense is moralized by the media (and coaches) because it’s all that most players and coaches can actually control.
Outside of the first overall picks on the team, it takes about 3-5 players to put up 40. Goals are what teams pay for because of the salary cap and he has more than made good on his cap hits. His skillset makes a teammates’ defensive effort count (make a block to spring b-way Billy, baby). He is linemate agnostic (they played him with Kampf and Holmberg and Engvall and he made it work more than anyone had right to expect without complaint), feeds tap ins as often as he finishes plays himself, and has played wherever and whenever coach wanted him to. They took him off PP1, made him PK for a bit, and no one threatened the team through the media about it.
Last I checked, the game is about scoring more than the other team, not trying to make sure nothing happens.
By the by, Mogilny was one of my favourite Leafs lol. I have a type.
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At the outset, no. But Berube didn't do that at the outset.
A coach tries a number of things as Berube did to motivate a player, Nylander in this case, to change his ways. As the player continues to not do as his coach asks, the coach tries other things. So the coach ramps up. Eventually, the coach gets to where they are now.
It is not all about Nylander. It is about the team.
How can the team operate well with two different standards: one set of standards for most of the forwards who have to block shots, hit, backcheck, etc and another for an enigma who floats and can blow off all the bruising effort. All members of the team should be grabbing an oar in both ends of the ice. Matthews does. Tavares does. Why not Nylander?
