I'm not an Eller fan. I like the effort but he does make poor decisions with the puck. At both ends of the ice but especially entering the offensive zone.
We have a few players that make poor decisions trying to enter the offensive zone. And it's mostly our star players.
It probably doesn’t surprise anyone here that I’m an Eller fan, Kollie, but my good buddy, DC, is not an Eller fan either, LOL!
And no matter how many vodka shots I try to fill him up with, he doesn’t BUDGE!😂🤣😂
(Truth be told, I just get a kick out of him trying to say the word, “Euro-Trash”, when he’s a little “less than sober”, shall we say)!!😂🤣😂 Amazingly, somehow, we are never too drunk to “agree to disagree” about Lars Eller!!👍
(Just F’in with ya, DC)!!👍
No disagreement about some of our STAR players, with poor decision/performance, upon zone entry!
Agreed also, that it’s not really Ellers forte either.
I will say, though, that this year, the 3rd line, at least, has shown an awareness of their poorer zone entry skills, and have implemented a strategic change, as a compensation for it, by electing to frequently “dump and chase” more pucks into the zone, rather than to “skate them in”!
I have seen much more successful zone time, for our 3rd line as a result, as opposed to our cockier STARS, who continue a lot of “beating a dead horse”, with their speedier, AND SLOPPIER, attempts at zone entry!
Having said this, I still DO see Eller mess up zone entries, BUT, IMO, not so much during 5 v 5!
Rather, I see it during our PP, when, as being on the 2nd PP, Eller often times, inherits the role of bringing the puck up, AGAIN, only AFTER, our 1st PP, has PREDICTABLY, ran off 120-130 seconds, or more off of the clock, AND/OR our opponent has successfully sent the puck back up ice!
So in Ellers defense, he now has a very limited time for bringing up the puck, is also facing all new sets of fresh legs on opponents PK, so he’s put in a position to have to do a lot, with very little time!
Don’t get me wrong, Kollie, I’m not playing heavy violins for the fella, as we’re all aware, such is the life of a center, on the 2nd PP!😁
You’re correct that our overall Open ice puck handling, especially on zone entry, is nowhere near where it should be for our Capitals, and Ellers shooting skills also, are certainly not as accurate, as the stellar skills of our big shooters either!
Not only however, is his salary much less, relatively speaking, but it’s no mystery throughout the organization, that Eller is not getting a paycheck for his shooting accuracy!
Ellers lesser, raw, talent skills, we all know, is not the reason he’s been THE, solid third line center since he’s been here! I’m sure this is a no brainer for all fans!
His puck retrieval skills, especially below the goal line, are excellent, and once we are IN the zone, he plays a very good possession game!
He is, in my opinion, “in the right place, at the right time“, probably more often than any other skater on our team, when we are in the zone, and gets rewarded as such, probably more often than anyone else on our team!
The majority of his offensive signature is filled with hard-working, hustling, CLOSE IN, nook-and-cranny, type goals! He’s in those positions, for us, like no one else on the Caps, sans Oshie, maybe!
His style of play has ONLY lead to such LEGENDARY results as, the Anxiety Busting, overtime winning goal, in round 1 of the playoffs, against the Blue Jackets, allowing us to advance on to Pittsburgh, in our trek for the Stanley Cup!
Oh, and did I say LEGENDARY results? I forgot to mention the SAME TYPE of play style, that shot the WINNING GOAL, in game 5, in Vegas, FOR OUR ONLY STANLEY CUP!!
Additionally, he’s had quite a few more game winners, in that same style of play, SINCE winning the Cup, not that anyone is accusing him of digression in his skill set. He hasn’t!
His PK skills, which ARE stellar, are particularly even more important, NOW, for this crazy, penalty laden, Capitals team, than ever before! Both him and Haglin, have an excellent knack for not just shooting the puck back up ice on the PK, but RELIABLY demonstrating good puck awareness!
Although there is a lot of credit to go around for our PK, I believe those two are the MOST responsible for our third best PK rating, in the league this year!
With the embarrassing number of penalties we commit, this aspect has been more than a major value to our team this season!!
Another added PK perk is seen when BOTH Eller and Hags, using the marginal time and space available, where we witness, often, both Eller and Hags ability in running off precious time on the PK, by skating with a controlled pace, back down the ice, during the opponents PP, and getting the maximum time possible with their uncanny “keep away“ antics!!
They are REALLY good at it!
Having said all this, Kollie, I still get red-faced with anger at Eller for the extremely negative KNACK, he has for COMMITTING a penalty, at some of the worst times in a close game!
Initially, when I first saw this happening, I would cut Eller a little slack, saying to myself that because he’s a real hustler, he creates more opportunities to get in trouble! But in the last two seasons especially, that excuse doesn’t even come close to cutting it, AND, it is his WORST negative as a player in my opinion!
So, on balance, as a whole package, Eller is a solid keeper, as he adds so much more than he detracts from the team! And I’ll continue to buy the occasional throat lozenge, when I lose my voice over the timing of some of his stupid penalties!!😁😁
Rush
