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Eichel: Poor Decisions in Offensive Zone?


nfreeman

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Here's a terrific piece from The Athletic about Jackie Boy:  https://theathletic.com/449782/2018/08/07/buffalo-sabres-jack-eichel-decision-making-improvements-2018-nhl-season/
 

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the Sabres were one of the worst teams in the league last season, as well as over the past three, at generating passing plays off of controlled entries. It’s one of the most dangerous opportunities to score and the Sabres simply aren’t making plays in this phase of the game to improve their scoring.

...

Sixty-three percent of [Eichel's] controlled entries last season resulted in him taking the shot rather than passing to a teammate, slightly higher than his “career” average of 55% given our data. Eichel is an exceptional talent and is also the player you generally want taking that shot in transition, but the numbers bear out that teams are better off passing in that situation.

...

Contrast his decision-making in transition with Scheifele (21%), Evgeni Malkin (19%), Sidney Crosby (38%), Evgeny Kuznetsov (41%), and Niklas Backstrom (33%). If Eichel is to establish himself as one of the premier centers in the league, there are some things he can learn from these players with regards to attacking in transition.

 

 

Discuss.

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Jack might have a trigger man now AND someone who can keep up with him. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.

I don't think it's as much his decision making as it has been his competitiveness and being expected to be the Savior of this team since being drafted. Yes, in reverse it could effect his decision making but maturity could change all that. Then add in Dahlin, Mitts and Skinner and it takes some of that pressure off him.

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I don't think he shot it because he didn't have a sniper on his line, I think he shot it because he knew if he passed it, he wouldn't get it back to shoot it. At least with Sheary and Reinhart on his line (hopefully), he can get the puck back, and in a better shooting position

9 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

I mean, if I were Jack and had ####### Zemgus Gurgleson on my wing for a length of time, I'd not bother passing either.

Exactly

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I’d be interested to see what Jack’s numbers were with Kane as his wingman vs other wingers. 

This also stat sounds like a player who thinks he has to do it all himself because he has no alternative. I’m also curious how this compares to centers whose primary job is goal scoring vs playmaking.

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Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

This also stat sounds like a player who thinks he has to do it all himself because he has no alternative.

That is the exact argument I used to explain Kane’s insistance on not passing.  He was so used to having to carry the freight that he couldn’t turn it off when he didn’t need to anymore.  Instead he gets labeled low IQ.

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32 minutes ago, Weave said:

What, noone wants to label the Tankfruit as a low hockey IQ player like the other puck hog on the team?

#maybehalfserious

 

27 minutes ago, Weave said:

That is the exact argument I used to explain Kane’s insistance on not passing.  He was so used to having to carry the freight that he couldn’t turn it off when he didn’t need to anymore.  Instead he gets labeled low IQ.

I think the question is a legit one.  Is Jack a more talented version of Kane?  Their shooting % are about the same. Lousy.  

I didn’t like Kane with Jack, because I knew (as did everyone else), that once Jack passed him the puck, Kane was never going to pass it back.  

However, I think Jack is different.  He is a gifted passer and he is so dangerous on the PP because he can beat someone with the pass or the shot.  His stats on the PP reflect this with 21 pp goals for his career with 44 PP assists.  This balance isn’t reflected 5 on 5 with 52 ES goals to 58 ES assists.  I hope Jack can find the balance between scorer vs playmaker.  It will be interesting to see how a line of Samson, Skinner and Jack divide the responsibilities. 

One other note, they said Jack numbers were worse this past season vs years prior.  Does that reflect Housley’s shoot first mentality or the terrible roster last season or some combination of the two?

What are Matthews numbers?

Edited by GASabresIUFAN
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38 minutes ago, Weave said:

What, noone wants to label the Tankfruit as a low hockey IQ player like the other puck hog on the team?

#maybehalfserious

Yo -- Tankfruit. That is the first I'm seeing it. Funny.

34 minutes ago, Weave said:

That is the exact argument I used to explain Kane’s insistance on not passing.  He was so used to having to carry the freight that he couldn’t turn it off when he didn’t need to anymore.  Instead he gets labeled low IQ.

Image result for that's racist gif

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27 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think the question is a legit one.  Is Jack a more talented version of Kane?  

I've watched them play. I can't say I see that question as legitimate.

That said, I acknowledge that you later say that Jack is different.

I think the overall topic here -- can Jack be smarter as he enters the zone -- is an interesting one. I would fully expect him to get better in this area, especially if he can find a solid winger pairing with whom he clicks.

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Eichel doesn't just skate down the wing and shoot from the bottom of the circle every time. Or shoot from other impossible angles at every given chance. Kane's lack of hockey IQ was noted not because of the amount of shots but of the selection of them and his manner in generating them

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If memory serves me correctly, I can think of several times where Eichel puts the puck right on the tape of a line-mate in a dangerous scoring area, only to have the recipient totally unprepared for it and/or unable to finish. They were brilliant passes that few players could make. If I were Eichel in that situation, I'd start shying away from passing, as well. With his talent, maybe he felt his best option was to just do it himself.

Edited by erickompositör72
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1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Yo -- Tankfruit. That is the first I'm seeing it. Funny.

Really?  I’ve been using that for several season now.

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

Eichel doesn't just skate down the wing and shoot from the bottom of the circle every time. Or shoot from other impossible angles at every given chance. Kane's lack of hockey IQ was noted not because of the amount of shots but of the selection of them and his manner in generating them

You say IQ, I say difference in skills.

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6 minutes ago, Weave said:

You say IQ, I say difference in skills.

absolutely. Kane is a real power-forward who can produce, which is an oft-sought rarity in the NHL. However, he needs the right system/line-mates to succeed. I don't think he had that here in Buffalo, and I think he has that now in SJ

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Ideally I'd like to surround Eichel with a finisher on one side, and more of a playmaker on the other. Eichel can both pass and shoot better or as good as anyone else on the roster, and a balanced line would help him harness his entire skill set. If a team decides to take away the passing lanes, he can let it rip (and has someone actually getting him the puck), or if it's a game where he's finding it difficult to get quality shots off, he can find the open man (who's actually likely to put the puck in the net). 

Skinner should get a shot as that finisher, and I think we are looking at either Reinhart or Okposo on the other wing. Both of whom's greatest offensive strength would be their set-up skills (certainly Reinhart has shown an ability to finish in close as well, same for KO).

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8 hours ago, Weave said:

That is the exact argument I used to explain Kane’s insistance on not passing.  He was so used to having to carry the freight that he couldn’t turn it off when he didn’t need to anymore.  Instead he gets labeled low IQ.

And, as stated often, really don't believe Kane's issue was IQ but rather vision.  His peripheral vision appears to be that of an owl.  Unfortunately he doesn't seem able to rotate his head 330 degrees nor even 30 degrees at times.

He's not going to pass to someone if he doesn't know they're there.

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