Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: White Injured, Prospects in Action, Quick Hits

Fist!!!

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: White Injured, Prospects in Action, Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

I know the White injury isn't the end of the season, however more grit has been removed from the ice. This team could be seriously lacking physical play, like TOR lacking.

Simmonds, Schenns, Coburn, Grossman, Rinaldo, Rosehill.

Simmonds and B Schenn are too valuable to break a hand over a fight, L Schenn is fine, Coburn brings it sometimes but not consistently and the last three guys I have been looking to get off the roster (Grossman only due to cap commitment to the D). This appears to be an issue to me, especially up front. No wonder the team was interested in Ott. I can see why.

I know the White injury isn't the end of the season, however more grit has been removed from the ice. This team could be seriously lacking physical play, like TOR lacking.

Simmonds, Schenns, Coburn, Grossman, Rinaldo, Rosehill.

Simmonds and B Schenn are too valuable to break a hand over a fight, L Schenn is fine, Coburn brings it sometimes but not consistently and the last three guys I have been looking to get off the roster (Grossman only due to cap commitment to the D). This appears to be an issue to me, especially up front. No wonder the team was interested in Ott. I can see why.
- coffee junkie

Maybe this gives Laughton a better chance of making the team. I think players such as Couturier, Giroux, and Raffl also have grit to their game.

I know the White injury isn't the end of the season, however more grit has been removed from the ice.
- coffee junkie

You're assuming White was going to make the team in the first place.

Grit is overrated. Skill is much more important.

Bill,

Fess up, was the "insistent caller" you? Haha. Kidding aside, nice read (other than the Ryan White news) for an August Friday.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: White Injured, Prospects in Action, Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

Bit of Doug Sulliman trivia:
When the Flyers picked up Sulliman, they chose to waive long time dman Brad Marsh to clear a roster spot.

The loss of White is no big deal to me. Assuming Giroux, Voracek, Simmonds, Couturier, Schenn, Read, VLC, Umberger, and Raffl/Akeson are our top 9 forwards, that still leaves Akeson/Raffl, Bellemare, Laughton and/or Rinaldo to make up the 4th line.

This team could be seriously lacking physical play, like TOR lacking.
- coffee junkie

Yeah, lack of truculence is definitely what's been keeping the Leafs down.



Maybe they'll send us Colton Orr and David Clarkson... god knows this sorry pack of figure skaters could use the help.

Yeah, lack of truculence is definitely what's been keeping the Leafs down.



Maybe they'll send us Colton Orr and David Clarkson... god knows this sorry pack of figure skaters could use the help.
- Tomahawk

I'm holding out for Domi and Tiger Williams!

I'm holding out for Domi and Tiger Williams!
- BiggE

Knowing that softie Hextall, it'll probably be Max instead of Tie.

Knowing that softie Hextall, it'll probably be Max instead of Tie.
- Tomahawk

Yup, just the other day Kent Nilsson was saying that Hextall slashes like a little girl!

Grit is overrated. Skill is much more important.
- Feanor

...said Alexandre Daigle, Pat Falloon, Pavel Brendl and Nikolay Zherdev in unison .

You're assuming White was going to make the team in the first place.

Grit is overrated. Skill is much more important.
- Feanor

Hang your head.

There are only so many minutes in a game. The top 2 lines play close to 40 minutes. The third and fourth lines need specialties such as faceoffs, PK and yes, even intimidation.

Look at the majority of Cup winners. They have grit.

Longest...offseason...ever

Yeah, lack of truculence is definitely what's been keeping the Leafs down.



Maybe they'll send us Colton Orr and David Clarkson... god knows this sorry pack of figure skaters could use the help.
- Tomahawk

I knew this comment was coming. TOR is softer then a Viagra commercial IMHO. I don't want their players, I want us to have some more grit. Do you not agree we could use more in the top 9?

Hang your head.

There are only so many minutes in a game. The top 2 lines play close to 40 minutes. The third and fourth lines need specialties such as faceoffs, PK and yes, even intimidation.

Look at the majority of Cup winners. They have grit.
- acd513

Cup winners don't roll out a 4th line of Rinaldo-Hall-Rosehill.

The Flyers have plenty of grit without White, Rinaldo or Rosehill in the everyday lineup.

Hang your head.

There are only so many minutes in a game. The top 2 lines play close to 40 minutes. The third and fourth lines need specialties such as faceoffs, PK and yes, even intimidation.

Look at the majority of Cup winners. They have grit.
- acd513

Seems to me you can have the best of both worlds like many of the western conference powers have

You're assuming White was going to make the team in the first place.

Grit is overrated. Skill is much more important.
- Feanor

This is a pretty controversial comment. The Flyers organization since they proclaimed they would not be pushed around again disagree. Do I disagree? I think you need a mix and I just don't see it on the current team. Just MHO.

Cup winners don't roll out a 4th line of Rinaldo-Hall-Rosehill.

The Flyers have plenty of grit without White, Rinaldo or Rosehill in the everyday lineup.
- Feanor

AHHHHH. I see where we are not on the same page. I agree White was not going to make the top 9 have more grit. And for me, this is where we need it. That is why I said I don't think White's injury will make or break us but that I have concerns that the grit is lacking. I should have added- in the top 9. I too do not want a bunch of head punchers on the 4th line but players like Hartnell that play top 6 and rough it up are priceless IMHO and we could use more of it.

This is a pretty controversial comment. The Flyers organization since they proclaimed they would not be pushed around again disagree. Do I disagree? I think you need a mix and I just don't see it on the current team. Just MHO.
- coffee junkie

Yeah, the Flyers really made all the right moves after getting pushed around by the Bruins in 2011.

Somehow the smaller, less gritty Canadiens knocked the big, bad Bruins out of the playoffs. And you know who didn't play in any playoff games for Montreal? Ryan White.

Do you not agree we could use more in the top 9?
- coffee junkie

Not at all.

Edit: subtract Hartsy and Downie's PIM's and the team is still easily inside the 'top'-10, with over 1000 on the season. To put that in perspective, the least 'gritty' teams are in the 600's.

...said Alexandre Daigle, Pat Falloon, Pavel Brendl and Nikolay Zherdev in unison .
- bmeltzer

A player with zero grit can be totally useless, sure.

But with players like Akeson or Raffl who are not nearly as gritty as Rinaldo, their skill level with the puck means the team is not constantly being outshot and outscored when they are on the ice. Not to mention all the penalties Rinaldo grits out.

A player with zero grit can be totally useless, sure.

But with players like Akeson or Raffl who are not nearly as gritty as Rinaldo, their skill level with the puck means the team is not constantly being outshot and outscored when they are on the ice. Not to mention all the penalties Rinaldo grits out.
- Feanor

I personally think that Raffl plays with plenty of grit.

A player with zero grit can be totally useless, sure.
- Feanor

Not to mention, those guys Bill listed didn't fizzle due to lack of grit... it was mostly lack of hard work/teamwork that did them in.

There's a yearly trophy that goes out to the guy who plays the game the cleanest for pete's sake, and it's not exactly won by the most useless ballerina.

You're assuming White was going to make the team in the first place.

Grit is overrated. Skill is much more important.
- Feanor

You couldn't be more wrong. Every player on a team has his role. I wouldn't exactly call Simmonds, Hartnell or Knuble skilled guys. They're just willing to do the things you don't want a skilled guy to do or can't do.