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Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW


avelanch

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Don't even start worrying about it until like after January. Right now he just needs to play his game, adapt to playing at this level and play smart, simple, physical hockey. The points will start to come if he does that.

He's already creating time and space for his team mates with his strength and speed while making no glaring defensive mistakes and having good possession etc numbers. I think having McCann come in and instantly putting up (very welcome) points is clouding a lot of people's expectations of what Virtanen 'should' be doing. But they're very different players with different skill sets and development paths. Jared doing much better than anticipated does not mean Jakes isn't doing as well as expected.

He's had at least one chance every game where I think he's going to pot his first

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While I thought Gaunce and Cracknell outplayed him, I'm excited to see Jake on the team and hope that he really takes advantage of this year and learns as much as he can. Hopefully with the pressure of making the team gone now, we'll see him get more comfortable and see him assert himself more on the ice. 

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Really?  He had a few good shots earlier on in the season but the only quality scoring chance I can really remember was that break away, and even then his legs and hands were moving to fast for his brain to react and he didn't even get a good shot off.

I haven't seen anything out of his play that shows me that I should expect a goal anytime soon.  Hope im wrong...which I probably am... which means he will probably score tonight.

You just know as soon as you make a comment like that it's going to come back and bite you in the butt.  

 

I'll try.  Horvat hasn't show me anything to think he will be getting his first hatty anytime soon.

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Great game by Jake tonight.  Scored what can be described as a "classic" Jake goal (based on his junior resume) and had several other grade A chances created by his speed and power driving the net.  For all the angst about his "low IQ" or "uncreative" game, this is a solid example of how effective a simple "North South" game can be when you have Jake's wheels, strength, and aggression.  Certainly he'll face better defences than Philasdelphia's tonight but it's a great start and certainly should give his confidence a big boost.

Love it!

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Great game by Jake tonight.  Scored what can be described as a "classic" Jake goal (based on his junior resume) and had several other grade A chances created by his speed and power driving the net.  For all the angst about his "low IQ" or "uncreative" game, this is a solid example of how effective a simple "North South" game can be when you have Jake's wheels, strength, and aggression.  Certainly he'll face better defences than Philasdelphia's tonight but it's a great start and certainly should give his confidence a big boost.

Love it!

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Clueless organization! All he brings is hitting! What a waste of 6th overall! 

:P

Because him making the team this year means that he's made it :rolleyes:

Yup, if Jared wasn't being SO impressive, everybody would be talking about how good Jake is looking and that it'll be a matter of time :lol:

Really?

 

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Because him making the team this year means that he's made it :rolleyes:

Really?

 

Man, is it a lot of work being consistently negative about a 19 year old kid who is going through the highs and lows of breaking into the NHL?

 

Like I get that this place can get ahead of itself in terms of hyping players and their last game is always a projection of the next 15 years in their career, but posts like yours are just as skewed in the other direction.  I mean what exactly is Jake doing or not doing that grinds your gears so bad?  He's learning the NHL game and finding ways to help the team without costing them points or games.  I think he's played fairly well and seems to be getting a bit more confident each game , culminating in a great game last night (and not just the goal either).

 

Yet after all that you still seem stuck in the negative, like you just can't get past the fact that he isn't the player you wanted them to draft.  It's too bad cause we're all enjoying seeing what this kid can do and become while you and a few others spend all your time grumbling about something that's in the past and can't be changed.

 

Ah well, to each their own I guess...

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Yeah well seems a lot of the haters gotta find another track to attack Jake's game cause he's not getting sent back to junior anymore.

Well short of him going on a bit of a miraculous tear here offensively, they'll likely still have his offensive production to whine about while continuing to ignore all the other things he's doing well.

Was nice to see him get the monkey off his back last night though. Hopefully now he'll start to loosen up a bit more and play a bit more 'comfortable' out there. This is what 'bringing him along slowly' is  about. Keep the offensive expectations pressure low and let him get comfortable and he'll start to realize he can play and contribute at this level.  

I mean just look at what the news of making the team seemed to do for his game. Removing that pressure had him playing arguably his best regular season game so far as a Canuck. Even without the goal.

The more comfortable he gets, the more confident he gets, the more he adapts, the better he's going to be. Just like Bo last year, all the fretting about ice time and offensive production for his first few games will be left in the rear view mirror.

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If he keeps doing what he has been, the offence will come. I'd like to see more of the carrying the puck down the wing and scoring in front of the net, but I'll take any and all of those ones he's bound to get in the garbage area around the net. There's still work to be done but he's on the right track early in his career.

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Like I get that this place can get ahead of itself in terms of hyping players and their last game is always a projection of the next 15 years in their career, but posts like yours are just as skewed in the other direction.  I mean what exactly is Jake doing or not doing that grinds your gears so bad?  He's learning the NHL game and finding ways to help the team without costing them points or games.  I think he's played fairly well and seems to be getting a bit more confident each game , culminating in a great game last night (and not just the goal either).

He's not Ehlers.

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