Soderblom, Rasmussen, Chiarot, Edvinsson should all be at the top of this list… the only one with size keeping up with two rookies and a sophomore is Mo and even he needs to step it up based on his hits per 60
Big guys need to set the tone so the skill guys can do their job. We should not be relying on rookies to do so (although I appreciate it from them)
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I give Chiarot a pass. He plays pretty physical. The rest of them though are pretty glaring. If you’re not gonna contribute offense, then you better hit someone.
🥊 respect has to be taught!
Bigger they are, harder they fall or something
MBN isn’t scoring but I’ll be damned if he’s not putting effort in every shift. He’ll be a good one.
How the fuck is Finnie not only good, but basically dominant?
Set the tone boys!!
I’ve watched Ras avoid hitting a guy with the puck so many times. I’m not sure how you don’t just staple a defender to the boards every time you have the opportunity. Reminds me of that quote from Game of Thrones, when the dude looks at Hodor and says “if I were your size I’d be king of the fucking world”.
Soderblom looked so good last year when he decided to start using his body to bully other guys. I wonder if an injury made him gun shy or something. We know he can be that guy.
Yeah, I made a comment in the Rasmussen crosscheck post about this. Our defense, aside from Mo, plays like Charmin tissue. I know Chiarot will clear the crease, but he also needs to make players think twice before going into a corner with him. We need a banger on the blue line and I don’t see one anywhere in the system, unfortunately.
Chiarot is doing alright honestly, yes he could do more but I’m not gonna shit on em. Everybody else below him though, they aren’t doing enough.
Where is Kronwall to coach them. Does he come to North America?
Ras could be cut immediately and I wouldn’t bat an eye. He is unskilled and soft. Terrible combo
Edvinsson I am ok with because he is still learning positioning and picking his spots for hits and thats a lot more relevant as a D man, the wingers should be hitting alot more
I think we should also be taking TOI into account.
Leave Ras and Soda in the press box until they decide to start using their bodies. If that doesn’t do it, either send them down or trade them for future considerations. Just get rid of them.
That could explain the team’s Jekyll and Hyde nature. Do they hit at home and take it easy on the road?
Why don’t the big tree ever throw their body around? MBN as a first year NA pro is kicking some serious ass and the other three are just doing what? That stat line is pretty wild…
Ras and soda are two gigantic pussies, I’m convinced they are afraid of having to deal with people coming after them if they lay hits. It’s unfortunate because our fourth line could be a wrecking machine but they are softer than baby shit
Chiarots always been hit and miss. I don’t think he’s bad, blocking shots and he’s in line with Mo for this stat.
Soda has limited time and Ed is tied with him. That’s weird.
We could be such a heavy team, but they all play like they’re in no-check pee wee.
Because Ras is a skill player
/s
Let em know you’re there boys.
Hitting is not everything when it comes to defense. Yvor stick work is honestly way more important.
I think Ed’s positioning is suspect when anticipating how a rush is developing, or his ability/timing to adjust to a play at NHL speed at least. He avoids hitting people so he doesn’t take himself out of the play, and he definitely struggles to get his shoulders lower than an opponent’s and use leverage to knock them off balance. Kronwall went into hits like a loaded spring and really had that ‘puck may get through but skater is fucked’ philosophy when hitting.
Idk if he has good chemistry with ASP either. Ed and Johanson looked like they were a pair with a lot of potential last season, and I think Ed played more passionately with Johanson.
As my coach used to say, nobody likes a big guy who doesn’t hit.
Send Ras to the moon!!!
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Too bad we couldn’t have got Bert back as part of the Mrazek trade with Chicago.
I’m torn on this, as a defensemen, hitting is a big part of wearing down your opponent physically but can absolutely cause you to be out of position with how fast the forwards are. Lidstrom hardly ever threw checks and nobody complained about his game.
I really think you’re starting to see a shift where it’s the forwards that are becoming more physical with the hits. Taking yourself out of the play while also taking the defensemen down can help create more space and improve your zone advantage. If you do the same in the defensive zone, it benefits the opposing team.
Still, overall I agree with the sentiment, if you aren’t going to hit, you better be playing physical elsewhere in your game. That should be the minimum requirement.
Its never gonna happen unless Steve finally brings someone in lmao these guys aren’t just magically gonna become enforcers when we exclusively draft Swedish players who are notorious for being soft and not playing physically
The amount Mo hits is fine, we dont need to hit just for the sake of it
I would like to see some more physical play from Ed but it doesn’t bug me too mucb when he uses his positioning and reach effectively (which he doesn’t always do but usually does)
Ras and Soda need to plau bigger though. Hits dont do it justice, theyre both just too easy to win battles with and take the puck off of. That’s a bigger issue to me from big forwards like them
They are such pussies. When I say this, I’m referring to Ras, Soda and Ed. They could out the league on alert not to fuck with the wings. Instead they just got their ass best 7-3 and a dude broke his stick over one of their backs.. no one did anything.
Soderblom is a finesse forward. A 6’8 finesse forward. Can’t put a square peg through a round hole.
TLDR: I got side tracked with an adhd tangent on why forwards should check more than defensemen.
I would like to see Edvinsson up his hits a bit, but in general defensemen will not and should not throw the body as much as forwards. There are definitely times that taking the body is absolutely the right move, but generally it’s a higher risk move than making a play with your stick. When you deliver a hit (especially a big hit) you’re taking yourself out of the play whether you succeed or not. Success basically means you take an opponent out of the play too, ideally for longer than you’re out of the play. Generally, but not always, this also results in a loose puck.
There are far too many variables to evaluate every possible situation, but some generalities that make me say forwards are more often in a position where laying the body is the right decision. Some examples:
Checking while skating backwards is significantly more risky than when skating forward because you generally have to give up your momentum when you commit to the hit, and thus when you miss it’s disastrous. Related, it’s more difficult to get a big hit because you have little to no momentum of your own, so you depend on using the other person’s momentum against them through good timing and advantage (think Kronwall). But if the other person has enough momentum for you to lay a big hit, then it will be all the worse when you miss.
Another factor is the numbers game. There are 3 forwards and 2 defensemen. The team with the puck gets to be proactive in trying to put the puck where it’s advantageous for them. Back checking forwards help, but (especially depending on scheme) may not be as close to provide puck support as the offensive team is. So it’s usually not too hard for the attacking team to achieve local numerical superiority. And since after a hit the puck is often left unattended, the team with an extra player in the area has a clear advantage to come away with control.
Also, fewer players in the play tends to favor offense. There are fewer sticks and bodies that can block passes/shots (intentionally or inadvertently). You see more goals at 3v3 than 5v5. A 2 on 1 is more dangerous than a 3 on 2. It’s easier to score on a power play than when you pull the goalie etc.
Finally, if you make a high risk play in the offensive zone and it pays off, you probably got a goal. If it fails, the opponent still has to go the length of the ice before they can score. In the defensive zone it’s the opposite. If the gamble succeeds, you have possession and need to go the length of the ice to score, if it fails you give the opponent a more immediate opportunity to score.
Exactly
fucking love Finnie
Soda never really had many hits last season. I’m not sure why though. Sometimes you use the “young guy growing into his body and learning how to hit” excuse. But, hes 24 now and should know how to hit guys comfortably without taking penalties.