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Hockey East - The Off Season

Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Jacques- I kind of get what you're saying (let's face it- no one actually understands all of what you say), but it was pretty evident to anyone who watched JVR at UNH that he didn't always give it 100%. You definitely saw flashes of brilliance and it was clear that he had the talent to be great, but he didn't bring that every shift. I remember some of the games I watched him, I just thought to myself that he wasn't backchecking very much and wasn't being as aggressive as he could be offensively. Warsofsky was like that these past two seasons, too. Obviously Warsofsky isn't as talented as JVR, but it's the same idea- you know it's there; he just doesn't always show it.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Awesome news for Wilson. Strange that he couldn't crack the lineup until now. I guess he was in the same boat as Seguin with the B's in that he was about the 9th or 10th best forward and they didn't feel like he could play a 4th line grinder role in the playoffs.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

RockTheWhit said:
Awesome news for Wilson. Strange that he couldn't crack the lineup until now. I guess he was in the same boat as Seguin with the B's in that he was about the 9th or 10th best forward and they didn't feel like he could play a 4th line grinder role in the playoffs.
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it was odd that he was in the lineup through the end of the season then got taken out for the playoffs.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

slurpees said:
it was odd that he was in the lineup through the end of the season then got taken out for the playoffs.
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Well with 4 points in his last 20games after 30 in his fist 60, the coaches probably were looking for someone with a bit better scoring record. Not to mention he was in the line up but was playing 6-7-8 min a game. It's not like he was playing 17 min / game and then got taken out.

Just saying...I don't think it was all that surprising.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Federal League said:
I remember some of the games I watched him, I just thought to myself that he wasn't backchecking very much and wasn't being as aggressive as he could be offensively.
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Couple tings.

I tink eet a style ting not a lazy ting. He seemed to liking to float around da playe waiting to jump on loose puck et off to zee races. Et why not, e good at eet et it fun. Et eet work pour heem he whole life. sure he beeg mais he fast wif good ands aussi, non? so why get ung ups wif udder playeurs who cant skating wif you anyway.

Backchecking maybe I can give you, mais I dowting many coache evure bench heem pour not backchecking, I saying dat cuz dey probly not stupide.

Bottoms line, e put up betteur dan a pointe a game in HE when e was 18 et 19 year olde - dat take some efforte night in et night out.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Gainzo said:
Pretty good showing in the NHL playoffs by former Hockey East players. If I'm not mistaken James van Riemsdyk (UNH) is leading playoff scorers with 7 goals, while Tim Thomas (UVM) and Dwayne Roloson (UML), are playing great in net.

Did I miss any other Hockey East guys who are playing well?

Edit: Totally forgot about Martin St. Louis (UVM). Hope jcarter isn't offended lol
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Teddy Purcell, Bret Clark, Mike Lundin, All Umaine, all Tampa
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Federal League said:
Not any more. He'll be in the lineup tonight for the injured Steve Sullivan, who will likely miss at least the rest of this round.
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I just got back from Vancouver and went to Game 2 while there. I saw him on the ice during warmups, got a few pics, then never saw him on the ice. If he's going to be a healthy scratch, why dress? When he came off the ice for warmups, did the coach tell him "Go change, you're not playing"? I would think it would be very strange to be dressed and sit on the bench the whole game and not play a second.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Scarlet said:
I just got back from Vancouver and went to Game 2 while there. I saw him on the ice during warmups, got a few pics, then never saw him on the ice. If he's going to be a healthy scratch, why dress? When he came off the ice for warmups, did the coach tell him "Go change, you're not playing"? I would think it would be very strange to be dressed and sit on the bench the whole game and not play a second.
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A lot of teams do that in the playoffs just in case someone happens to go down during warmups. Seguin and Hnidy have been on the ice for warmups for all the B's playoff games, but they've been healthy scratches every night (excepting Hnidy in the last game).
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Scarlet said:
I just got back from Vancouver and went to Game 2 while there. I saw him on the ice during warmups, got a few pics, then never saw him on the ice. If he's going to be a healthy scratch, why dress? When he came off the ice for warmups, did the coach tell him "Go change, you're not playing"? I would think it would be very strange to be dressed and sit on the bench the whole game and not play a second.
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According to the box score Wilson had nearly 13:34 min of ice time?
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau said:
Couple tings.

I tink eet a style ting not a lazy ting. He seemed to liking to float around da playe waiting to jump on loose puck et off to zee races. Et why not, e good at eet et it fun. Et eet work pour heem he whole life. sure he beeg mais he fast wif good ands aussi, non? so why get ung ups wif udder playeurs who cant skating wif you anyway.

Backchecking maybe I can give you, mais I dowting many coache evure bench heem pour not backchecking, I saying dat cuz dey probly not stupide.

Bottoms line, e put up betteur dan a pointe a game in HE when e was 18 et 19 year olde - dat take some efforte night in et night out.
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Actually the biggest "lazy" things he did from where I sit was the lack of body contact and the periods of "floating". Rarely hit anything along the boards, rarely saw the drive to the next you are seeing now. He would do it once in a great while so it was part of his game but it wasn't a consistent effort.

I figure he was about 75-80% of what he could have been if he played the body. So 100 points not 74. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't give up the 74 or not had him at UNH.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

JB said:
Actually the biggest "lazy" things he did from where I sit was the lack of body contact and the periods of "floating". Rarely hit anything along the boards, rarely saw the drive to the next you are seeing now. He would do it once in a great while so it was part of his game but it wasn't a consistent effort.

I figure he was about 75-80% of what he could have been if he played the body. So 100 points not 74. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't give up the 74 or not had him at UNH.
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You knew he had the talent to play any style it's just he went to a organization..(Flyers)..that pushed the right buttons to get him to play to where he is now...he's part of the Flyers youth...just IF the Flyers talk goalies in trades you know that the other teams will want JVR as part of the package.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

The argument that JvR, while at UNH, knew all along how to be a power forward (e.g., body checking on the boards; battling to gain position in and around the crease) and was simply lazy has one major flaw. JvR's 18 and 19-year-old body did not have the weight, muscle and endurance to be a power forward. To say that he occasionally threw body checks and went hard to the net and therefore, he knew how to be a power forward misses the point. Every youngster who plays pee wee hockey "knows" how to throw a body check and push people around in the crease. The ones who make it to college and play that style have the body strength to do it and often don't have the same level of skills that JvR demonstrated all the time (e.g., passing, skating, wrist shots, anticipating the flow of the play, etc.).

JvR had to go through his rookie season in the NHL to realize he needed to build up his strength and endurance in order to survive and possibly excel as a professional. Remember that early in his first season, he was knocked around pretty hard and missed several games with concussion symptoms. It was this realization plus, no doubt, the directives provided by the coaches and management of the Flyers, which lead to JvR becoming a bigger, stronger and tougher player. It took him almost a season and a half in the NHL to develop his strength and demonstrate his newly developed skills as a power forward.
 
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Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

C-H-C said:
The argument that JvR, while at UNH, knew all along how to be a power forward (e.g., body checking on the boards; battling to gain position in and around the crease) and was simply lazy has one major flaw. JvR's 18 and 19-year-old body did not have the weight, muscle and endurance to be a power forward. To say that he occasionally threw body checks and went hard to the net and therefore, he knew how to be a power forward misses the point. Every youngster who plays pee wee hockey "knows" how to throw a body check and push people around in the crease. The ones who make it to college and play that style have the body strength to do it and often don't have the same level of skills that JvR demonstrated all the time (e.g., passing, skating, wrist shots, anticipating the flow of the play, etc.).

JvR had to go through his rookie season in the NHL to realize he needed to build up his strength and endurance in order to survive and possibly excel as a professional. Remember that early in his first season, he was knocked around pretty hard and missed several games with concussion symptoms. It was this realization plus, no doubt, the directives provided by the coaches and management of the Flyers, which lead to JvR becoming a bigger, stronger and tougher player. It took him almost a season and a half in the NHL to develop his strength and demonstrate his newly developed skills as a power forward.
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You are assuming that a NCAA power forward steps right in a plays power forward at the NHL.

I hold he had enough size while at UNH he could have played NCAA power forward. I also believe most NCAA power forward still need to develop strength once at the next level.

I personally think his "lazy" play (you could call it soft instead if you like) was an extremely smart business decision. I don't doubt how smart he is, he knew exactly what he was doing by staying in College and not going to juniors like the Flyers wanted.
 
Re: Hockey East - The Off Season

JB said:
You are assuming that a NCAA power forward steps right in a plays power forward at the NHL.

I hold he had enough size while at UNH he could have played NCAA power forward. I also believe most NCAA power forward still need to develop strength once at the next level.

I personally think his "lazy" play (you could call it soft instead if you like) was an extremely smart business decision. I don't doubt how smart he is, he knew exactly what he was doing by staying in College and not going to juniors like the Flyers wanted.
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What I actually assume is that top prospects who play the power forward style in the NCAA attempt to play the same style in their rookie season in the NHL. Brandon Yip comes to mind. It goes without saying that college power forwards continue to build up their strength and endurance when they enter the pros. JvR, on the other hand, had not built up the body strength or endurance necessary to play the power forward game in college so he didn't attempt it during his rookie season.

I'll agree to disagree. I'm not bitter about JvR's play at UNH. I don't think he was a lazy, soft, calculating businessman on skates. I enjoyed watching him play and realized that he consistently displayed skills that I've rarely seen from a player wearing a UNH uniform. Judging from posts on this thread and the UNH thread, many UNH fans tend to agree. JvR is the second 1st round draft pick to ever play for UNH (the other being Norm Lacombe in 1981). I would prefer not to wait another 27 years to see another one come along. I don't see what is to be gained by disparaging JvR's performance two years after he left UNH.
 
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