Dom Brown stinks
- TobyFlenderson

Welcome to reality

they're all transplants, so they arrive there with east coast grumpy baggage.
- nails

there was a couple blokes from florida who loved arguing with him too... archon orsomething then another one i think had a lindros jersey for a prof. pic... as hockeybuzz turns

Yeah, we were cracking up at the teacher's brain and the bus driver's. It was really good. We saw the minions and my kids love them, but I thought Inside Out was a better movie.
- Jsaquella

Haven't seen Minions.
I tell them they are Minions every day. they get mad and now don't want to see the movie.

Your first point is incorrect. The list of Flyers that had a better CF% with MacDonald than without him in 13-14 (minimum 40 minutes):

Emery, Lecavalier, Streit, Hall, Rinaldo

And to talk about this year, here's the list of Flyers that had a better CF% with MacDonald than without him in 14-15.

Mason, Simmonds, Couturier, Read, Umberger, Lecavalier, Colaiacovo, Streit, Laughton, Coburn
- Feanor

My bad! I misspoke. I meant to say in that first post that besides Hall and Boulton all players performed better without AMac than he did without them. It was just kind of funny to look at and mostly a testament to him being overmatched and not a great possession player at the same time.

I want to be really really clear before we go down this rabbit hole (I mentioned this in an early post): it was just funny to look at and I'm not trying to use that as the end all be all of AMac questioning. There's value in it, but that value is determined by contextual stuff. For example, for 14-15 season, look at Coot's o zone starts without AMac compared to with. Just bc a player plays apart from another doesn't mean the objective quality of those minutes remains intact for either. I really just posted that as a bait tbh. As I've indicated, I am basing my opinion on a lot more.

Now about AMac this year: he wasn't a trainwreck like in that season before or the others with the Isles. He was asked less and certainly did more than with the Isles. He was put into a better situation than being absurdly asked to play number one defense on the Isles. My point and only point isn't to disparage AMac as a player in a vacuum. He's not without redeemable qualities. Skill wise he's sort of a jack of all trades where aside from gap control he isn't particularly bad or particularly good in any area (his skating I'd call decent-good to be fair). I just wanted to address that he was used as a sheltered 4-5 and wasn't spectacular in that role either. He was OK. We all want more than OK. All I'm trying to get at is an assessment of what he is and the season he has had, and if there is in fact more or rather a significant more. I hope you understand that!

It's a great site.

I totally agree with you about how well Colaiacovo did, even taking into account his limited and very sheltered minutes. And also about how MDZ was given quite difficult assignments. But I also have to agree with MJL that it's misleading to just given MacDonald's rank in Corsi Rel without giving the actual numbers, because the gap between him and Schultz and Grossmann is way bigger than the gap between him and the guys above him (apart from Colaiacovo).


- Feanor

That is representative of how analytics are misused to fit an agenda or bias.

Welcome to reality
- PhillySportsGuy

Excited for Nola Day?!

there was a couple blokes from florida who loved arguing with him too... archon orsomething then another one i think had a lindros jersey for a prof. pic... as hockeybuzz turns
- JoeRussomanno

Well, there was the corona swilling, bucket on the head, former juvenile delinquent, luckiest man in the world guy from FL that can't be named he is so banned that may have had some serious discussions.

Haven't seen Minions.
I tell them they are Minions every day. they get mad and now don't want to see the movie.
- nails

It's funny, a bit contrived, but still funny. If they liked them in the Despicable Me movies, they'll like the new one.

Excited for Nola Day?!
- TobyFlenderson

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.

I used to have this one over my bed back in the 70s


- mayorofangrytown

loved her

she was on my wall too

Dom Brown stinks
- TobyFlenderson

he hurts my existence.

Anybody see Panotch's idea about how to lose Vinny, on PST?

http://youtu.be/B3oooMOXMUk

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.
- PhillySportsGuy

If they listened to when he was drafted it was often said he wasn't a future #1 but a solid 2 or 3 type starting pitcher.

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.
- PhillySportsGuy

unfortunately hes gonna have to be with this organization

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.
- PhillySportsGuy

delete

My bad! I misspoke. I meant to say in that first post that besides Hall and Boulton all players performed better without AMac than he did without them. It was just kind of funny to look at and mostly a testament to him being overmatched and not a great possession player at the same time.

I want to be really really clear before we go down this rabbit hole (I mentioned this in an early post): it was just funny to look at and I'm not trying to use that as the end all be all of AMac questioning. There's value in it, but that value is determined by contextual stuff. For example, for 14-15 season, look at Coot's o zone starts without AMac compared to with. Just bc a player plays apart from another doesn't mean the objective quality of those minutes remains intact for either. I really just posted that as a bait tbh. As I've indicated, I am basing my opinion on a lot more.

Now about AMac this year: he wasn't a trainwreck like in that season before or the others with the Isles. He was asked less and certainly did more than with the Isles. He was put into a better situation than being absurdly asked to play number one defense on the Isles. My point and only point isn't to disparage AMac as a player in a vacuum. He's not without redeemable qualities. Skill wise he's sort of a jack of all trades where aside from gap control he isn't particularly bad or particularly good in any area (his skating I'd call decent-good to be fair). I just wanted to address that he was used as a sheltered 4-5 and wasn't spectacular in that role either. He was OK. We all want more than OK. All I'm trying to get at is an assessment of what he is and the season he has had, and if there is in fact more or rather a significant more. I hope you understand that!
- Mononoke

The biggest problem is that everything you offer in terms of MacDonald as a player is analytic based. We can argue their value to the cows come home, but either way, there is no way they should be that big of a percentage of the pie in player evaluations. Ron Hextall said they rely on analytics for about 5-10% of the picture to quantify it, and they certainly aren't using the same data that the fans have access to.
A defenseman cannot play 20 minutes a night and be sheltered. That is a complete fallacy. Defense is a very hard position to play, even for 3rd pair low minute defenseman, which MacDonald certainly is not.
I think last year, MacDonald was solid defensively, and with the puck in his own end. Where he came up short, was on the offensive side of the puck. He did not use his skating ability, which is pretty good, or the puck skills that he possesses, to contribute more to the offensive game and shot generation. Berube benched for a few games to try and get that message across.
I don't think it's easy to transform from the role he played for how many seasons, which is as a defensive defenseman, to being more aggressive offensively, as more of a 2 way mobile puck moving defenseman, which he is far better suited for. Based on what I hear about how Hakstol wants to play, which conceptually isn't different from what Berube wanted, he is able to get MacDonald to better use his skill set, and play a more well rounded game, rather than a conservative, stay at home defensive style, that he's been miscast in.

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think the main reason they're calling him up is to get him some big league innings. I read that they're going to shut him down when he gets to a certain inning count, and if he was a September recall, he'd probably have surpassed that number.

As far as the future, he could be a real solid number 3 starter. I'm interested to see him. I think the next recall may well be Altherr if they manage to deal Revere, and I'd like to see that kid get a few ABs

Tempered expectations. He doesn't really have the stuff to be a future #1. I hope people realize that and don't expect a future ace.
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm of the same mind. I don't think he'll ever be an ace. His control is damn good and his curve ball is above average, though. Hopefully he'll be a solid 2-3 for the next contending team. Whenever that may be.

Anybody see Panotch's idea about how to lose Vinny, on PST?

http://youtu.be/B3oooMOXMUk
- isaiah520

Pannacio is out of his mind. That's a ridiculous idea.

Anybody see Panotch's idea about how to lose Vinny, on PST?

http://youtu.be/B3oooMOXMUk
- isaiah520

Oh yeah, spend time developing a guy who might be able to assume some of Couturier's defensive role just to lose Vinny...who you can simply buy out and be rid of next summer.

unfortunately hes gonna have to be with this organization
- stayinthefnnet

When they pick first in 11 months they can grab an ace

If they listened to when he was drafted it was often said he wasn't a future #1 but a solid 2 or 3 type starting pitcher.
- ob18

In all honesty, the next #1 isn't even in the system yet

Feanor, I will not defend Grossmann in terms of possession. He was and has been for some time brutal. But AMac doesn't do himself any favors either in that regard. If he could just manage his neutral zone gaps better, he could legit turn things around big time. But sometimes it's just tough to impossible to coach something out of a player by that age. Maybe Hakstol does. Maybe not. Man, I hope so. He's always done well with Streit though from a possession standpoint. That'd be something I'd explore.

I base a lot of stuff on http://www.behindthenet.ca/index.php

Very easy to move around on that site and it measures a lot. I encourage anyone to explore either site.

unfortunately hes gonna have to be with this organization
- stayinthefnnet

They're rich. If he becomes a solid #2 and the rest of the rotation fills out, they can just sign an ace. Seems like there's always aces available in FA now.

Anybody see Panotch's idea about how to lose Vinny, on PST?

http://youtu.be/B3oooMOXMUk
- isaiah520

I'd do it for a highish 2nd round pick