AppleJack Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 barker was so shaky this game. Good thing that most of their shifts were with ballard/burrow/ebbett. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noheart Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I fixed it for you. Tanev played like he normally does. Barker was horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleJack Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Oh you guys All I was worried about was how weird his face is or ....isn't. I love Ballard, he works hard, always Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 NO NO & NO 4 million for a guy who can barely play forward? I dont think so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayRayDown Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I don't get this Ballard love. He's an ok defenceman but all this love for him as a forward? He seems to get outworked for every puck and seems to get hit really easily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallstreetamigo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I don't get this Ballard love. He's an ok defenceman but all this love for him as a forward? He seems to get outworked for every puck and seems to get hit really easily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I don't get this Ballard love. He's an ok defenceman but all this love for him as a forward? He seems to get outworked for every puck and seems to get hit really easily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnews Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 He must be having fun. He also makes one hell of a shutdown depth forward, who is also pretty damn good on the forecheck, can really handle himself on the boards, and it can't hurt always having a 7th blueliner in the lineup in the event of injury, misconducts, etc. Guy is versatile, and that was a pretty sweet dangle he put on the Yotes when he beat Smith on the backhand and was denied by the post - would have been too much to ask for him to convert that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallstreetamigo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thank you. I seriously don't it either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleJack Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Because switching on a dime from defence to forward and back at the NHL level is easy, right? Seriously, give the guy some credit for admirably filling in when the team needed him. I think people like him at forward because he is aggressive, willing to work hard to generate chances offensively, and has shown flashes of offensive creativity. The fact that he can play his game more at forward than he ever can at defence really says it all about the coaching of this team though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Because you don't understand just how hard it is to completely switch from defence to forward and actually look good doing it....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallstreetamigo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 He doesn't look good doing it. You can tell immediately he isn't geared for forward. yes he has filled in well and that is good. But 4 million for to keep him as forward? You're crazy man. He makes even Booth's 4 million look like a steal. I like Ballard but his time here is up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Systemaddict Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Ballard has always been capable of offensive flashes, but he's been a liability more times than not in his own end. A lot of people say it's the coaching staff not using him right - and maybe it is. But good players find a way to capitalize on their chances and hasn't. Personally, I feel much of it has to do with confidence, and each mistake he makes only piles on to his nerves. To that end - having him play forward is a bonus on a lot of fronts. Right now, because of injuries/illness - he's an asset to have at forward; he's fast, creative and understands the defensive end enough to be able to backcheck well. Furthermore, he's playing more. And without that noose around his neck that each mistake will bench him, his confidence can grow. I don't know if it'll be longer term, but I think the more he plays up the better it'll be in the long run until there's a better option. Right now, the teams winning, and there's not many better options than that. So I'd ride it out and let him play up there, and if/when the team makes a move or callup that betters the team on the front end, hopefully the playing time will help him when he moves back to defense. I also think that having a player that is on a forward line that can play D when needed (injury or penalty kills) is an asset you can ignore. Regardless of the hate for the guy, fans just want the team to do well. Right now it's helping and we're winning. So ride it out until it doesn't, or hope it continues and helps this guy get his head back to where it was years ago in Pheonix when he looked like a potential stud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewdog Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I don't know what to think of this. It's sort of working, but it feels ridiculous at the same time. He's paid like a 3rd/4th defensemen, but gets treated like a 7th/8th while fighting for a 5th/6th spot, and now he's a better option on the wing that anyone we have on the farm? I hope it ends up being a brilliant move, but I'm betting it ends up looking like more confused desperation. Does it boost his trade value to show that he can play every position? Should we put goalie pads on him next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksJay Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 As much as I like Ballard and think that he hasn't been given a fair shake in Vancouver, 4.2m on a 3rd or 4th line winger is too much IMO. If that's how AV is going to use him, he should be traded. Although I do agree that he is currently filling in nicely and it is great in a sense that he can change to playing defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo2337 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 The way he has been skating hard on the fore-check, and digging pucks out of the corners with lots of hard work, is exactly what I have been wanting to see from the rest of our forwards... they way we used to play. Maybe this will rub off on to the rest of the players and we can find that "A" game again. At the same time, maybe Ballard can gain some confidence and score a couple before he goes back to his regular spot. This is one of those AV experiments that worked, and nice to have in the back pocket for later. I'd still like to see us call up Jensen though instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistaaT Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Yeah - not buying into the love. Granted he may have outplayed some of the guys on the 4th line but overall he was pretty meh. Looks lost out there and far too often reverted back to being a defender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebass Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Yup, a $4.2M 4th liner. So anyone who think this will work out needs to think of the buisness end of things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownky Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Ballard is speedy and has great vision when it comes to passing. He isn't afraid to go to messy areas, and while he gets bumped off the puck a bit, if he can start to flex his offensive muscles on the wing, someone is going to cash in a lot of one-timers. I actually think with his speed, he'd be a good match for Kesler on the wing. Ballard seems to think Pass-first, which to Kesler is gold. But I don't break up the Hansen Schroeder Raymond line every game for awhile either, so what do I know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 Percent Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Tied with booth for points as a winger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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