Andy Pred 48 337 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 Is it just me or is Kronner struggling to live up to his 1st round draft billing? Yes we are only 7 games into the season, but Babs has given him over 20 mins a game and our supposed succesor to Lids is pointless and a -3 rating. Hell the pain train has 2 helpers!! Maybe Babs should look at putting him with the C for a few games to try and get him going, I mean if you can't get some points playing with Lids then there's no hope. It may be just the thing Kronner needs to kick start his season, I'm feeling for him the longer he goes scoreless. 3 goals in 122 games ain't the output the top brass would be expecting from him. He may have to re-mold his game into a more "Markov" like style. The guy hits well and is a good skater so he should be able to adapt to that sort of role. I'm not sure the power's to be would want that thou. They have faith in him be giving him that long contract, but he has to start re-paying that faith and at the end of the day he will be judged by his output, and that has to start improving fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
55fan 5,133 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 I fully agree with putting him with "Big Nicky". He did well with him last season, and could really learn a lot from him about making smart plays. He has the physical elements; he just needs to get his head in the right place to where he can put pressure on the other team instead of himself. He's trying too hard for the big plays. He needs more of Lids' style and mental awareness of the game. Not that I'm saying he should be like Nick, just saying he should incorporate Nick's mental game into his physical game. Desite the fact that his progression has been slower than most of us had hoped, I still believe he can do it. Call me Pollyanna. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 Kronner should get paired with Lidstrom. As well as several other younger players who aren't performing up to snuff. We should go back to pairing them with experienced players to learn from, even though 3 of our 4 lines are working great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyoski 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 Agree. To this point he has been the biggest disappointment within the defense corps, especially considering he's making $3 mil/season. He'll make the occasional open ice hit but he looks out of position in the defensive zone and has coughed the puck up more than he should. Offensively he's getting chances but isn't putting his shots on the net. Still early enough in the season to give him a pass, but he's gotta start showing me more by the time we hit the 20-25 game mark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungGuns1340 1 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 I remember people making threads like this about Jiri Fisher. People loved him but they were always pissed off at him. Fischer had a great season in 02, then sucked ass, then the season he went down, he was playing like a Champ. Personally, sans the giveaways, I think Kronwalls been playing well. Hes passes are clicking more in the neutral and offensive zone, and his shots look more focused and harder, while his physical game had become pretty consistent. As far as Ive seen, every Dman we have is making ill-timed giveaways. I hear all this talk about Kronner and Lilja, yet I dont hear crap about Cheli, Nick or Raffi giving up the puck or getting beat, which theyve all pretty much done on a consistent basis so far. The problem with the Defense has everything to do with the pairings. The only pair that is suited is Lebda-Chelios. Shocker. They played together all last year. Undoubtedly, Rafalksi is used to running his pair, whereas, with Lidstrom, hes being the second-hand man. Thats a bad idea. Lilja and Kronwall, likewise, need to be on a pairing where theyre getting direction from a smarter (in Liljas case) and a more experienced (in Kronners case) defenseman. Lidstrom-Kronwall Rafallski-Lilja those pairings, IMO, would greatly stabilize the defense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Datsyukian Geek 2 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 One thing I like about Kronner is that he, unlike many Wings, is finishing his checks. I can always tell when Kronwall hits someone, because I can HEAR it over the radio... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
55fan 5,133 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 As far as Ive seen, every Dman we have is making ill-timed giveaways. I hear all this talk about Kronner and Lilja, yet I dont hear crap about Cheli, Nick or Raffi giving up the puck or getting beat, which theyve all pretty much done on a consistent basis so far. The problem with the Defense has everything to do with the pairings. The only pair that is suited is Lebda-Chelios. Shocker. They played together all last year. Undoubtedly, Rafalksi is used to running his pair, whereas, with Lidstrom, hes being the second-hand man. Thats a bad idea. Lilja and Kronwall, likewise, need to be on a pairing where theyre getting direction from a smarter (in Liljas case) and a more experienced (in Kronners case) defenseman. Lidstrom-Kronwall Rafallski-Lilja those pairings, IMO, would greatly stabilize the defense. You speak the truth and speak it well. I had not given a thought to Rafalski not being used to being a second banana. I had been focused on putting Nik and Nick together, but you make an excellent point for the Raf-Lilja pairing. The D has had a slow start this year. Maybe this is what it needs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 And before someone suggests that Lebda is better than Kronwall, Kronner plays the third most minutes among the defenseman, at over 20 a game. Lebda is on the ice for a less than 15. Lebda plays well in his role. That doesn't mean he'd hold up as the third defenseman. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toby91_ca 620 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 I think the fact that some refer to him as Nick Jr. is part of the problem. Expectations are simply too high. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lidstromrules16 7 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 he is the best hitter on our team, so yay for him Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Izzy24 44 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 he is the best hitter on our team, so yay for him What's to stop Chelios from being the best hitter in the league ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lidstromrules16 7 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 (edited) What's to stop Chelios from being the best hitter in the league ? I am guessing not much. Apparently Chelios is the only one who could stop Chelios from being the best hitter in the league. Edited October 17, 2007 by Lidstromrules16 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevkrause 1,247 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 He'll find his game, but I definitely think he should be paired with the likes of Chelios or Rafalski instead of Lilja... I still think the D corps should look like this: Lidstrom-Lilja Kronwall-Rafalski Ledba-Chelios Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut40 176 Report post Posted October 17, 2007 He'll find his game, but I definitely think he should be paired with the likes of Chelios or Rafalski instead of Lilja... I still think the D corps should look like this: Lidstrom-Lilja Kronwall-Rafalski Ledba-Chelios Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If Lilja screws up he's got Nick to cover him so his mistake isn't completely catostrafic. Rafalski can help Kronwall in that way too. Not that Kronwall's a bad defenceman or anything though. And Lebda could use the leadership and badasses(? is that even a word) of Cheli. I still can't believe we lost 6-3 do the Anaheim F words! That still pisses me off! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
