(frank) that kid. Laroache is an idiot
- KINGKENZO

Seems the players disagree, but I'm not gonna campaign for the guy. I just think the situation is fascinating.

Homer was a joke. Hextall inherited a flock of albatrosses and has been able to clean up Homers mess in half the time that was expected, not to mention picking up some nice draft picks along the way. Look what he got for Cobourn and Kimo. Hextall will really shine in a few years when he finally has cap space, picks and prospects to really build this team.
The writing was on the wall for me when Homer left and Hextall took over.

- all-pgh

I guess there was no orange shades left at the door when you came in? Kingkenzo... Baxter??? Need a refill on the shades

I hope he gets suspended. it will solve the problem of "who sits when Jake gets back" pretty easily
- funmaster18

I thought the same thing and feel like a terrible person because of it.

I hear the MLB Network was reporting the manager had to persuade the team to play today, that they were considering boycotting over the whole ordeal. Seems the GM doesn't have his finger on the pulse of the team fwiw
- BulliesPhan87

Idk, he was being paid 13 million dollars, and he hit .207 last year. Maybe the team wanted him to focus on working to earn his money, instead of him entertaining his son. Thought it was an interesting story, don't feel like arguing about it. IMO the team was well within their right.

it will be interesting to see who matches up with crosby and friends on saturday. It has always been Coots on Malkin and G on Crosby. Id expect some split but will be interesting to see if there is an actual matchup there
- YuenglingJagr

Coots hasn't matched Malkin since Lavy days actually. You can check the toi against if you want, but it's significantly more.

Idk, he was being paid 13 million dollars, and he hit .207 last year. Maybe the team wanted him to focus on working to earn his money, instead of him entertaining his son. Thought it was an interesting story, don't feel like arguing about it. IMO the team was well within their right.
- PLindbergh31

don't get me wrong, I'm not shedding any tears for the guy. I wonder if the players liked the kid that much, or if they felt the GM's, shall we say, "creative" way of clearing salary was underhanded.

Ken RosenthalVerified account
‏@Ken_Rosenthal
As @jeffpassan said, Sale was vocal in meeting between #WhiteSox players and Williams on LaRoche. 1/2

Ken RosenthalVerified account
‏@Ken_Rosenthal
Sale told Williams, unequivocally, to get out of the clubhouse and stay out, per a source. Williams acknowledges meeting was passionate. 2/2


What's the over/under one when we get bombarded with Trump's opinions on this?

I guess there was no orange shades left at the door when you came in? Kingkenzo... Baxter??? Need a refill on the shades
- Just5

Capitalize my name when you address me, flip-flop

and the numbers mean more than just a shot on a net. Where I think macdonald has helped is in his ability to move the puck up the ice and to the forwards (always been a strength) and he has looked good on the second PP.

he has strengths and weaknesses and from what I saw...last night was not his best game. he scored so everyone thinks he is amazing. It is not the case.

As I have said from the beginning...the teams success comes from balanced scoring, consistent forechecking, and owning the neutral zone. it is a complete team effort right now which is why they are able to win games without Giroux and Voracek. Earlier in the year that was impossible (i.e. coots)
- YuenglingJagr

I couldnt care less if he scores (which he did not, he got an assist). Where he was truly important was his actual defense. He made numerous great reads.. broke up a bunch of plays, and did a really great job at getting the puck out. The last shift of the game was sort of a synopsis of his game IMO. He also had a beautifully executed 1v1 defense against Shaw (?) where he transitioned from playing the puck to playing the body and allowed what could have been a dangerous chance to turn into a fizzled chance that drifted into a Neuvirth stoppage.

He was solid. Like it or not.

Capitalize my name when you address me, flip-flop
- KINGKENZO

It's sybil to you. Lower cased

It's sybil to you. Lower cased
- Just5

Good to see your balls finally dropped. Now hopefully, you move from cluelessness to enlightenment

That's fair, Clarke had the reigns for his "Whoops I forget" final draft. I just suspect Holmgren was calling the shots behind the scenes.
- Baxter27

He was in charge of the scouting staff and did a lot of the scouting hands on so it's no stretch at all to say that it was more Holmgrens pick. Still, Clarke did walk up there and almost say his name.

DOPS does what Dave don't.

Good to see your balls finally dropped. Now hopefully, you move from cluelessness to enlightenment
- KINGKENZO

oh snap

I couldnt care less if he scores (which he did not, he got an assist). Where he was truly important was his actual defense. He made numerous great reads.. broke up a bunch of plays, and did a really great job at getting the puck out. The last shift of the game was sort of a synopsis of his game IMO. He also had a beautifully executed 1v1 defense against Shaw (?) where he transitioned from playing the puck to playing the body and allowed what could have been a dangerous chance to turn into a fizzled chance that drifted into a Neuvirth stoppage.

He was solid. Like it or not.
- jak521

As Tomahawk said, by AMac standards he's doing OK. As a player, he's always been respectable in his own zone. Decent first pass out. Respectable enough in the o zone. I don't think he's particularly "good" at anything or has any one special skill -- he's mostly just OK all around skill wise.

What he is bad at is neutral zone defense. He's quite possibly one of the worst in the NHL at that. NZ play is where the greatest battle lies in hockey. If you can suffocate a team through it, it can be brutal. And a defenseman has more control over the NZ than any other area of the ice. His timidity and passiveness are infuriating in and of themself and because he just repeats it over and over. It can't be corrected with him. That's hockey sense.

AMac probably had a better game the previous night than last night imo. He was not good by my eye, even if he made a few stellar plays. That's not just advanced stats. That's the eye test. I dare someone to watch the tape on his game last night. He was allowing forwards clear entry even when it was 4v1 and mid line change. Like I said, he's been overall playing ok: not a killer and not a boon.

ouch this leroche thing is tough

man I love watchning Brayden Schenn now
who would have thought trading vinny and L Schenn would spark this team

He's playing OK by Andrew MacDonald standards, and that's all they really need from him at the moment. It's a noticeable drop off from where MDZ was before he got hurt, but we all know AMac is not capable of hitting/maintaining that kind of level anyway.

TL;DR, AMac isn't dragging them down... yet.
- Tomahawk

MacDonald's CF% and GF% with Ghost are better than the numbers MDZ put up with Ghost before he got hurt. MacDonald also has 2 PP Points in 18 minutes while MDZ managed one in his 74 PP minutes this season.

I can't really explain why but the best possession dman by far on this team is Gudas. To be clear, I don't think best possession dman = best dman.

Adam LaRoche's kid was only in school during the winter. During fall and spring his kid would not be enrolled in an actual school and would travel with him. I think that's poopty parenting tbh.

MacDonald's CF% and GF% with Ghost are better than the numbers MDZ put up with Ghost before he got hurt. MacDonald also has 2 PP Points in 18 minutes while MDZ managed one in his 74 PP minutes this season.

I can't really explain why but the best possession dman by far on this team is Gudas. To be clear, I don't think best possession dman = best dman.
- Feanor

Gudas loves to pass for controlled exits and entries. It's why people sometimes complain he holds the puck too long and loses it. He's really trying to make skilled passes -- and he's quite effective at it actually. He's also very good defending through the NZ. He loves to take shots too. He really understands how to play Hak's system. That's probably why.

Gudas loves to pass for controlled exits and entries. It's why people sometimes complain he holds the puck too long and loses it. He's really trying to make skilled passes -- and he's quite effective at it actually. He's also very good defending through the NZ. He loves to take shots too. He really understands how to play Hak's system. That's probably why.
- Mononoke

That's a nice summary of why he's good, but for him to be the best on team is unexpected, right?

That's a nice summary of why he's good, but for him to be the best on team is unexpected, right?
- Feanor

He was a pretty decent possession dman in Tampa, wasn't he?

MacDonald's CF% and GF% with Ghost are better than the numbers MDZ put up with Ghost before he got hurt. MacDonald also has 2 PP Points in 18 minutes while MDZ managed one in his 74 PP minutes this season.
- Feanor

PP #s. I actually don't think MDZ is any better at it than AMac, but Coots had only 3 points I think on the PP too. Gagner 2. And I think they've looked good individually. Second unit numbers are just awful and making judgment difficult.

As for the AMac-Ghost thing. His raw advanced stats can get murky because his call up has coincided with the team playing some of the best possession hockey all season. And yes, that's coincidence and a product of his teammates. His numbers have been in a vacuum decent, but a lot of that is because the team is doing great. Relative to them, it's pretty par for the course for him. And no one can convince me taking out maybe the best advanced stats d man in MDZ and the best advanced stats forward in Voracek and putting in one of the worst stats d men in AMac is why they've achieved stats success. And fwiw NZ tracking shows opponents are purposefully targeting his side of the ice and he's bleeding controlled entries. Just looking at raw Corsi with him is deceptive imo. Comparing his stats to the Flyers of months before is apples and oranges.

He was a pretty decent possession dman in Tampa, wasn't he?
- Tomahawk

Yes. But he was awful at suppression, excellent at generation. Perhaps he's improved defensively is what I'd reckon. Combined with the same surprisingly good offensive instincts.

There's an interesting poll on HFB of what players you would protect for a potential 2017 expansion draft. For the forwards the core five of G, Jake, Coots, Simmer and Schenn are all at 100%. Then there's a three way race between Laughton, Raffl and Cousins for the final two spots with Laughton (somewhat surprisingly in my view) comfortably in the lead.

On defense MDZ, Gudas, and Ghost are the runaway leaders. Hagg is 4th, getting votes from people who aren't sure if MDZ is going to be extended by then.

In goal Mason has most of the votes, but Stolarz is ahead of Neuvirth.

He was a pretty decent possession dman in Tampa, wasn't he?
- Tomahawk

In 13-14 which was his previous best season, he was near the bottom in Tampa. So I think being at the top in Philly counts as surprising, especially after the long knee injury rehab, and a few healthy scratches in October.

http://stats.hockeyanalys...p=1&sort=PCT&sortdir=DESC