Flames @ Leafs - Feb. 22nd, 7:00pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[Guilt Trip]

Are you disapponted with Hyman's production? I ask because there's really no difference between the two.
Hyman has 2 ESGs, including 1 empty net and 2 PPGs. He has 7 total ES points.
Mikheyev has 2 ESGs, doesn't play the power play and has 5 ES points. Mikheyev also didn't play with Marner and Matthews where 8 of Hyman's 10 points were from. The other 2 were in the first 2 games on the PP.
Mikheyev is our best defensive forward, PKer and he's generating chances almost every penalty kill. I don't know how long it takes to get over a cut tendon but if he keeps his strong defensive play up, it's a win for the Leafs. Hopefully he can start to bury these chances.

Considering he's coming off back-to-back 20+ goal seasons, I'd say yes, Hyman's current level of production is a bit disappointing. He's still on pace to roughly double Mikheyev's totals, though. That's partly due to his linemates, PP time, etc., but at the same time, his previous production earned him much of that time, as well as more benefit of the doubt than Mikheyev.

I would say it's mostly because of his linemates and PP time. His previous production is also the benefit of linemates and PP time. When Hyman is away from the big guns, he does very little offensively. I think Mikheyev has generated a lot more offence then Hyman so far. Last year Mik was 3rd, just behind Marner on the Leafs in ESP/60, not playing top 6 minutes for the majority of it. Hyman was 6th behind JT and Willy while playing a top 6 role all season. So I'm curious, why does Hyman get the benefit of the doubt and Mikheyev doesn't seeing their production is close this season and Mikheyev was better last year?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So I'm curious, why does Hyman get the benefit of the doubt and Mikheyev doesn't seeing their production is close this season and Mikheyev was better last year?

Hyman gets the benefit of the doubt because he has 4 seasons of NHL play behind him. We all pretty much know what he is by now. He's on pace for 45 points while getting bounced all around the line-up and playing in every single situation, is that not basically what's expected of him?

Mikheyev on the other hand came into this season as still kind of a question mark. He only had 39 games to his career and we really can't draw any concrete conclusions based on that small of a NHL sample size. The fact that offensively he's been so different this season makes those question marks even bigger. Is Mikheyev the guy who led the team in pts/60 last season and looked like a 50-point winger, or is he the guy who's consistently not cashing in on opportunities and might not even score at a 20-point pace this year? There's really no way anyone can answer that with any certainty right now.

 

[herman]

Hyman in the top-6 and Mikheyev in the bottom-6 also makes sense based on playstyle.

Hyman makes space and does the dirty work that frees up any of the Big 4 to make a scoreboard impact. They can safely use him and play around him, or bank something in off his butt. In the bottom-6, his skills are somewhat wasted with the diminished finishing talent.

Mikheyev generates more opportunities against lesser opposition to keep pucks in the safe areas (OZ) and it's not as big a deal that they don't go in. In the top-6, Mikheyev can get open and help but those long range wristers are turnovers when it could be Matthews or Nylander or Tavares shooting instead. I think he'd be a good complementary fit with Simmonds. Mikheyev can cover the speed gaps and Simmonds can tip in the muffins.

 

[bustaheims]

I would say it's mostly because of his linemates and PP time. His previous production is also the benefit of linemates and PP time. When Hyman is away from the big guns, he does very little offensively. I think Mikheyev has generated a lot more offence then Hyman so far. Last year Mik was 3rd, just behind Marner on the Leafs in ESP/60, not playing top 6 minutes for the majority of it. Hyman was 6th behind JT and Willy while playing a top 6 role all season. So I'm curious, why does Hyman get the benefit of the doubt and Mikheyev doesn't seeing their production is close this season and Mikheyev was better last year?

Last season was the first year Hyman got PP of note. He put up 21 goals and 41 points in 18/19 without a single point on the powerplay. The season before, 15 goals and 40 points, none on the PP. He gets the benefit of the doubt because he has a track record. Mikheyev doesn't - and, production is not directly correlated to ice-time. Mikheyev produced well in lesser minutes last season, but also against lesser competition. He's generated more chances this year when the team has been shorthanded. He hasn't done the same 5-on-5. In fact, only Kerfoot and Vesey have a worse 5-on-5 scoring chances for percentage. Hyman, on the other hand, has the 4th best and the highest percentage of high danger chances for.

Hyman is the better all-around player. Would it be nice if he was producing a bit more? Obviously, but to compare him to Mikheyev based purely on counting stats is disingenuous.

 

[herman]

Me, about once a year since 2015: oh wow I had no idea that's how you pronounce Kylington

Have you heard the proper pronunciation of Gyllenhaal?

Please no, my brain isn't ready for anything else on a Hutchinson night.

If it is ready now

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Tavares is really starting to get on my nerves.

17 points on the season is nice and all, but not once this year has he dominated a game.

His already average skating looks to be worse than it was.

It would be nice if he looked like an 11 million dollar player every few games.

Nylander has been utterly skewered again by the media and yet Jonny Taranna gets a free pass.

I thought Tavares was a beast early in the season when Matthews and Marner were off to a "slow start".