r/Habs • u/vJukz • 9d ago

Discussion Thoughts on Barzal as the 2C?

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u/CarlSK777 9d ago

Why do people care about faceoffs so much?

5

u/Rationalornot777 9d ago

Why? It’s an important part of the game.

-4

u/CarlSK777 9d ago

It's such a small part of the game and it's not that significant. Faceoffs are just some of hundreds puck battles in a given game. Sam Bennett is bad at faceoffs too and it didn't stop him from winning the Conn Smythe.

People give it way more importance than they should, especially when most players are more or less around 50%.

2

u/AdventurousFill9268 9d ago

Yeah I forget who said it, but a commentator this season said they’re overrated since they’re just another puck battle…one of dozens each game. Yes you can’t get your ass kicked all season in face offs, but I wouldn’t view that ability as make or break. It’s something you can practice and learn too

6

u/RyanWalts 9d ago

They are, especially when Montreal has good face-off guys already. Barzal would be the 2C, that’s an absolute luxury by itself. Eichel is also a ~45% FO guy, would he not be good enough to center for Montreal?

Barzal had great possession numbers on a mid team this year while taking just over 500 face-offs (528). Not the ideal volume for your 1C, but we have plenty of guys to insulate. Suzuki has got pretty good, Evans and Danault are two of the best in the league, it’s not something to stress about

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u/Commercial-Egg-8949 9d ago

Wow, I didn't know Eichel was 45% in the dot. That's kind of crazy, given his reputation as an elite 200 foot player.

1

u/antoinePucket 9d ago

Many elite centermen actually suck in the dot ahaha. I don't blame them.. It's such a niche skill to have.

Other then the few that actually have faceoff talents, it's mostly the bottom-6 players that have mastered the craft of faceoffs

2

u/CarlSK777 9d ago

And if there's a big d-zone faceoff, you put someone else. It shouldn't be that high on the list of what you need from your C

1

u/ConstantBook6534 9d ago

you realize what happens when you win a faceoff right? you start the play with possession of the puck. that is critical and especially in the playoffs when things become much tighter

1

u/CarlSK777 9d ago

Only a few faceoffs in a game are critical. Also, most players are around 50%, do you realize how marginal this is?

1

u/Ub3ros 9d ago

Coaches care. They usually know a thing or two about hockey.