Gonz Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 This may be the reason why Ballard has been scratched: http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2013/03/05/chris-tanevs-promotion-has-come-at-the-cost-of-keith-ballard/ Basically, it says Ballards game has been too simplified relying on his partner to bring the pucks out of the defensive zone and his coverage is too narrow minded. Maybe this is what AV meant when he thought the team would have a better chance of winning with the lineup he selected. Your thoughts after reading this article? Bs or not bs? The writer seems to be unbiased and its a really detailed description on Ballards play that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Doesn't matter, as it's been well-covered in the other thread and he's dressed tonight. Late to the party, i'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opmac Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Keith Ballard can move the puck and we've seen it in the past. Tape to tape from the defensive zone to the neutral zone up the middle. Or carrying the puck from behind his net, up the ice, through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. Except the coaches discourage him doing this out of fear he will cough up the puck throwing it up the middle. Now we're criticizing him for doing what his coaches are telling him to do (make the safe play by banking it off the glass or giving it to your partner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 It's kinda unfair. It was Edlers sluggush play that lead to Phoenix making it 3-1. He first gave the puck away followed by totally missing out the check on the player who blew by him, (it wouldn't have happened if Edler went for the hit), instead he embarrased Edler by skating pass him, made the pass, Schneider lets in a softy on the 4-2 goal, Dan Hamhius decides to ring it along to the boards with no supporting Canucks player there, but awaiting was a Phoenix player who was reading the play like a Hawk, the puck came to him, and scored the empty net goal. How bout 2 weeks ago against Dallas? Edler was out there for the game tying goal, on top of that, the game winning goal. Both times, terrible coverage. For a fan myself, what I find unfair is that Beiska was a giveaway machine during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Yet A.V kept on playing him. While for some reason Ballard one screw up, hes done for the night, he will get benched, and if he is lucky enough he wont get scratched. Unfair. I think its best we trade him if he's only going to play bottom minutes. Keith Ballard can move the puck and we've seen it in the past. Tape to tape from the defensive zone to the neutral zone up the middle. Or carrying the puck from behind his net, up the ice, through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. Except the coaches discourage him doing this out of fear he will cough up the puck throwing it up the middle. Now we're criticizing him for doing what his coaches are telling him to do (make the safe play by banking it off the glass or giving it to your partner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Karlsson Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Keith Ballard can move the puck and we've seen it in the past. Tape to tape from the defensive zone to the neutral zone up the middle. Or carrying the puck from behind his net, up the ice, through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. Except the coaches discourage him doing this out of fear he will cough up the puck throwing it up the middle. Now we're criticizing him for doing what his coaches are telling him to do (make the safe play by banking it off the glass or giving it to your partner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrible.dee Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I am a HUGE Ballard fan, but I do agree with the assessment of his play. He was acquired for his puck moving skills, but time and time again I see him decline to either make the break out pass or skate the puck out of the zone. It's really quite odd actually. His coverage down low has always sucked, so no surprise there. Ballard needs to play to his strengths, and start playing a more offensively aggressive high risk game. Basically, he needs to start playing like Erhoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry_Wilkins Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Thanks for the link. Of course, the "Ballard can do no wrong" camp, even those who may grudgingly concede a bit to the analysis from PITB, will say it's because AV has shattered Ballard's confidence. He's such a fragile soul, don't you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 For me this is key point (from AV's press conference today). Keith is always matched up against third and fourth liners and the last couple of games, his performance had slipped,” explained the coach. “It shouldn't have been a surprise to him that he got sat out. He had been told three out of the last four games weren't what we wanted and we decided to make a change for the benefit of the team. Now he's getting another opportunity tonight.” Sorry for being repetitive, as I have made this point several times. For a guy playing mainly against bottom six players on the other team, having 1 pt in 19 games and a plus/minus of 0 is not good enough, especially for a D who is smaller than average and contributes very little to the physical game. For a cap hit of over 4 million this is big problem. Ballard is not terrible, but obviously his acquisition was a mistake and at this stage it is reasonable to Barker and/or Alberts a shot, at least occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry_Wilkins Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 For me this is key point (from AV's press conference today). Keith is always matched up against third and fourth liners and the last couple of games, his performance had slipped,” explained the coach. “It shouldn't have been a surprise to him that he got sat out. He had been told three out of the last four games weren't what we wanted and we decided to make a change for the benefit of the team. Now he's getting another opportunity tonight.” Sorry for being repetitive, as I have made this point several times. For a guy playing mainly against bottom six players on the other team, having 1 pt in 19 games and a plus/minus of 0 is not good enough, especially for a D who is smaller than average and contributes very little to the physical game. For a cap hit of over 4 million this is big problem. Ballard is not terrible, but obviously his acquisition was a mistake and at this stage it is reasonable to Barker and/or Alberts a shot, at least occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WL Canuck Fan Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I agree with your assessment. Further, it's interesting that AV told Ballard what the coaching staff wanted out of him, and that in 3 of the last 4 games, he hadn't provided it. This destroys the (always) ridiculous argument from AV whiners that the coach never talks to the players or makes it clear what their responsibilities are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 No,what CDC wants to see is consistency and not what is viewed as hypocrisy. We want that out of the referees and we want that out of the GM,coach and the players. As noted in the often inconsistent,high risk play of Bieksa and Eddie ,there are no demotions or scoldings and certainly no benchings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonz Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Actually AV does it on the rare occasion. Remember the comment Kesler needs to utilize his linemates more? Maybe bc Kesler seems like a grumpy person so AV is scared of the one to one lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinch16 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 The problem has never been that Vigneault has not articulated to the players what he wants, the problem is CDC expects Vigneault to articulate it to THEM. There is often here an expectation of transparency that is borderline ridiculous. No coach is going to go on national TV and start throwing players under the bus, ie "Henrik had a crap night in the faceoff circle tonight, he needs to pick it up or he can expect to play on the second line", or "Kesler has been a puck hog of late and needs to use his wingers more effectively, if not he's gonna have Lappy in the middle and Weise on the other side of him." or "Hamhuis was put with Edler to babysit him, and he's not doing a very good job of that so I think I'll pair him with Tanev next game to wake him up". But somehow we expect all that info to be shared with us. Sorry fellas, ain't gonna happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 The coach and GM should never,ever call out their players in public,yet Mikey and Alain seem to enjoy the art of deflection: Keith is always matched up against third and fourth liners and the last couple of games, his performance had slipped,” explained the coach. “It shouldn't have been a surprise to him that he got sat out. He had been told three out of the last four games weren't what we wanted and we decided to make a change for the benefit of the team. Now he's getting another opportunity tonight.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck73_3 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 No,what CDC wants to see is consistency and not what is viewed as hypocrisy. We want that out of the referees and we want that out of the GM,coach and the players. As noted in the often inconsistent,high risk play of Bieksa and Eddie ,there are no demotions or scoldings and certainly no benchings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 The coach and GM should never,ever call out their players in public,yet Mikey and Alain seem to enjoy the art of deflection: Keith is always matched up against third and fourth liners and the last couple of games, his performance had slipped,” explained the coach. “It shouldn't have been a surprise to him that he got sat out. He had been told three out of the last four games weren't what we wanted and we decided to make a change for the benefit of the team. Now he's getting another opportunity tonight.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I know that Bieksa and Eddie have struggled this year and they are not called out in public and neither do they lose ice time. How's that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicNuckleHead09 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 No,what CDC wants to see is consistency and not what is viewed as hypocrisy. We want that out of the referees and we want that out of the GM,coach and the players. As noted in the often inconsistent,high risk play of Bieksa and Eddie ,there are no demotions or scoldings and certainly no benchings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Big difference making mistakes against the 1st and 2nd line, or when you are trying to generate offense. Why would you bench the leading scorer for defense?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck73_3 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I would say Ballard is as skilled as Bieksa is.Why not put Kevin on the third line duty playing with guys that see ice time once every 20 games and see how he does? Why do public scoldings have to ever occur to any player? Should that not be an internal matter that is handled within the club? The point is this club's leaders(read management) should not be deflecting criticism of their performances onto their players backs in the public realm. AV and Gillis make a lot of questionable moves.When is the last time you heard a player call either of them out in public? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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