Johnny Gaudreau gets cheeeeeky with it

[elvis15]

I never said it wasn't a good play by Gaudreau, but it was played pretty poorly by Borowiecki as well. Borowiecki has to know that if he's going to chase behind the net he'd better do more than swipe his stick at the puck and hope to get it. If Gaudreau goes to the open side and Borowiecki is caught behind him, then he was always going to get beat, but to let him switch direction (and back again, and once more) after making the move to behind the net is something he has to block off as an option.

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

When Gretzky was setup in his office, he did so with the defence wanting to get back there and check him, but he would just exit the other side and feed the open player (or just go over the net!). If he was stuck behind the net in that limited space with a defencemen he would have a much harder time to be stationary and do his thing.

Same here with Gaudreau, where he starts off with space but Borowiecki goes behind and Gaudreau tries to cut back on him. It left Borowiecki chasing him (a step behind each time) when Boroweicki should have angled more to the body rather than just reaching for the puck.

Clearly, looking to plaster him into the boards with a big hit is as much chasing as what he's doing lunging with the stick, but by trying to take time away from Gaudreau by going behind the net, Borowiecki needed to angle his approach to take away space as well. Getting a glove on him to push him off balance and away from the puck is enough in this situation.

And I assume you would make this decision in the .25 secs Borowiecki had to react... Come on guys it's a good play especially since he does in if such speed and it's like he knows whats the defence was going to do before it happened. IF Borowiecki would have played if differently Gaudreau would have done something different. (IE wheel out from behind the net)

This.  Let's go over the play.  When Borowiecki went behind the net, he expected to chase out Gaudreau.  Nobody should be going for the body at that point because you don't want to risk being a lone defenceman behind the net.  He is chasing the puck as he should be... maybe go for a stick lift from behind or something.

And then when Gaudreau cuts back, do you HONESTLY think anyone can react that fast from chasing the puck to playing the body?  Borowiecki's body's going the wrong way, he has no momentum and is flat-footed at that point.

Look at it from a shootout perspective.  If the skater is deking back and forth really quickly, the goalie always has the option to go for the flying pokecheck.  Nobody is stupid enough to say that's the best play every time.  Again, I think this boils down to the very strange group of Gaudreau haters (he is quiet and there's nothing to hate him for) trying to downplay this.

[Shift-4]

He is the enemy so I hate him easily but damn is he a treat to watch.
Even better watching him live.  

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

I never said it wasn't a good play by Gaudreau, but it was played pretty poorly by Borowiecki as well. Borowiecki has to know that if he's going to chase behind the net he'd better do more than swipe his stick at the puck and hope to get it. If Gaudreau goes to the open side and Borowiecki is caught behind him, then he was always going to get beat, but to let him switch direction (and back again, and once more) after making the move to behind the net is something he has to block off as an option.

Get rid of your bias goggles.  Henrik Sedin also loves to set up behind the net and loves to bait the d-man, but we have NEVER talked about the d-man who fell for the bait.  Never.  There is NO defenceman who commits behind the net in that situation with the intention of hitting the player.  That is a stupid play that'll get you benched.

If Borowiecki wanted to get physical, he was going to have to punch Gaudreau or go for a cross-check.  Stupid.

[Alflives]

he irks the hell out of me. cocky little guy. Did you see him hacking at Cowens leg after he got manhandled like a little kid? 

then mr pull ups Bennett comes charging in and hit the Ottawa guy and refused to drops the gloves. 

 

I think you meant to type "like a little [girl]". 

[AlphaHoneyBadger]

Play the body

[elvis15]

This.  Let's go over the play.  When Borowiecki went behind the net, he expected to chase out Gaudreau.  Nobody should be going for the body at that point because you don't want to risk being a lone defenceman behind the net.  He is chasing the puck as he should be... maybe go for a stick lift from behind or something.

And then when Gaudreau cuts back, do you HONESTLY think anyone can react that fast from chasing the puck to playing the body?  Borowiecki's body's going the wrong way, he has no momentum and is flat-footed at that point.

Look at it from a shootout perspective.  If the skater is deking back and forth really quickly, the goalie always has the option to go for the flying pokecheck.  Nobody is stupid enough to say that's the best play every time.  Again, I think this boils down to the very strange group of Gaudreau haters (he is quiet and there's nothing to hate him for) trying to downplay this.

I'm not expecting him to be in perfect position when Gaudreau cuts back, only that a better angle would have brought him closer to him and given Gaudreau less space to make that cut back. It might allow him to get a hand in his chest and control him, eventually pinning him to the boards perhaps. Clearly reaching for the puck as he did wasn't working, and continuing to do so had no effect whatsoever.

The goalie example is terrible; would a goalie play the body and leave the puck? No, but Borowiecki has the option of one or the other and chooses poorly. This isn't about Gaudreau hate (at least not for me), but rather that it was a poor play on Borowiecki's part.

Get rid of your bias goggles.  Henrik Sedin also loves to set up behind the net and loves to bait the d-man, but we have NEVER talked about the d-man who fell for the bait.  Never.  There is NO defenceman who commits behind the net in that situation with the intention of hitting the player.  That is a stupid play that'll get you benched.

If Borowiecki wanted to get physical, he was going to have to punch Gaudreau or go for a cross-check.  Stupid.

So, no one ever has talked about that? Seems you have a complete and accurate memory of all the posts on CDC (and maybe radio, TV and general conversation as well?) to be able to make that claim. I'd be willing to say, as Canucks fans, we're more likely to focus on Henrik doing well than another team's defender doing poorly - but what if the situation was reversed? What if that was Gaudreau making that move on Sbisa? Or Weber? They get their fair share of hate (even when it's not warranted) so you can bet people would be pointing out just how useless they looked much as Borowiecki did on that play.

I don't recommend going behind the net as a defenceman and trying to chase down the player solely so you can hit them, but if you can't get to the puck you'd better damn sure try and have a play with the body if he cuts back on you. Otherwise why bother going behind the net?