Talk about Capitals hockey & more! > Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion
BEAR for the volcano?
Mickstix:
--- Quote from: ArJunaZ on Thursday October 25, 2018, 05:24:27 PM Eastern ---I think we (we here on the board) need Bura. If he was gone we would have no one left on the team to bitch and moan about.
:wackysmile:
--- End quote ---
LoL.. If Oshie doesn't start doing something other than shootout and en goals, he's gonna end up on my short list!! :wackysmile:
PUCKNRUSH:
I mean, it is certainly possible to simultaneously want Bura tossed, yet in the interim, while he’s still skating in games, have HOPE for him to turn it around!
I say HOPE, because I’m a Caps FAN. The phrase I didn’t use was EXPECT him to turn it around.
Anyone who has known someone close, who has suffered from drug addiction, knows all too well of the numerous reassurances given by the addict, that “THIS TIME” they feel better, promising results and blah, blah, blah.
Of course we feel sad for the person, but after a few times of wanting to believe the best, it doesn’t happen, there is a relapse, then another, and another!
We hope they stop their downward spiral, but do we actually EXPECT them to, when they pull the old “THIS TIME” again! Of course not! There’s got to be some proof in the pudding!!
This is where Bura is with me. Don’t want to hear words from him, at this point, anymore!! SHOW ME!!
Rush
4 Caps:
I thought Bura had a good game last night against the Oilers. He was hustling and making things happen. Unfortunately he was about the only one who was putting forth the effort.
BlackIce:
--- Quote from: 4 Caps on Friday October 26, 2018, 12:56:52 PM Eastern ---I thought Bura had a good game last night against the Oilers. He was hustling and making things happen. Unfortunately he was about the only one who was putting forth the effort.
--- End quote ---
In the games I have gone to this season so far I have not been disappointed in Bura. He has been hustling. His back checking looks better. He has been TRYING to create things. But as has pretty consistently been the case throughout his career so far, what he does, doesn't seem to produce anything, and I really can't figure out why that is.
In playing style, Burakovsky is part Backstrom, part Kuznetsov. He reminds me of Backstrom in the way he competes for the puck along the boards. He doesn't try to dig it out or muscle it away from anyone -- he depends more on guile and anticipation to intercept the puck when an opponent tries to move it out, just as Backstrom does. And he is a high mid-ice cycler when he has the puck, just as Kuznetsov is (as opposed to an along-the-boards cycler).
If I had to guess reasons why Bura isn't producing, (1) He is on a line with Eller, who is not a great passing center, and now Connolly, who is a sniper in his own right and depends on others to get him the puck in advantageous positions and circumstances. I suspect Bura does a lot of solo stuff because he realizes he isn't going to get a lot of help from either of those guys getting him the puck where he can do damage; and (2) For all the Backstrom-like and Kuzy-like skills he has, he hasn't been a center (though he was briefly tried as one early in his career), and in some ways he isn't a winger either, because he tends to use more ice and draw more attention than a wing does. He's a kind of 'tweeter, and add that to the fact that he ISN'T as good as Backstrom or Kuzy in the skill set he shares with them and you get ...... relatively little.
He strikes me as the kind of guy who will never really blossom here, but could eventually find his way to a place where he does fit and is put in a position that makes best use of his skills and blossoms at least somewhat as a result. Or maybe there's another even simpler explanation: He's still only 23, isn't he? Some guys just don't figure it out until their mid-20's. Maybe he's one of those.
4 Caps:
According to reports from the Caps practice today Burakovsky was on a line with Backstrom and Oshie and Vrana was on the first line with Kuzy and Ovi. Interesting, I am looking forward to seeing how those lines look tomorrow against Calgary. Stephenson is on a line with Eller and Connelly and Smith-Pelly is back on the 4th line with Dowd and Jaskin. Also Bowey is in for Djoos.
Playing with Backstrom and Oshie, Burakovsky should get plenty of opportunities to score. I am hoping he makes the most of it. Also Vrana’s speed should open things up for Kuzy and Ovi and that could be a dynamite line. Hopefully it won’t be too much of a defensive liability.
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