Is it time for the Nashville Predators to free Willy?
by Chris Burton on Apr 29, 2011 11:15 AM EDT
in Nashville Predators Analysis
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PrintDuring their first round series with the Anaheim Ducks, the Nashville Predators didn't make any lineup changes for any reason but injury, despite having multiple options available at the forward position.
After laying an egg at both ends of the ice last night against the Vancouver Canucks, however (which was arguably their worst performance of the playoffs), it may be time to take a look at some of the options lying in reserve - specifically second year forward Colin Wilson.
For much of last night, the Predators failed to generate anything at all offensively, and finished with just 20 shots on Roberto Luongo. Luongo's a Vezina Trophy finalist for a reason, and will rarely have trouble with such a light workload.
Despite all of his defensive faults, Colin Wilson has the ability to work magic in the offensive zone. He possesses basically everything you'd want in a power forward - size, strength, shot, stickhandling, and the ability to make the superb pass. He received limited time on ice in the regular season due to continually taking defensive zone siestas, yet still managed 16 goals and 18 assists.
The Nashville Predators have a glut of defensively responsible forwards. Nick Spaling, Jerred Smithson, Jordin Tootoo, Joel Ward, Martin Erat, David Legwand, Mike Fisher, and Sergei Kostitsyn are all more than capable of handling themselves defensively, so I wonder why, at this point, Barry Trotz is leaving one of his most dangerous weapons in the press box at a time when, against the league's best defensive team, goals will be at a premium.
Here's the bottom line: the Predators can afford to take Matt Halischuk out of the lineup. He hustles, certainly, but his true contributions are negligible at best. Colin Wilson's upside is far greater, and even in a limited role Willy has shown that he can change a game in an instant.
Wilson is very likely to be angered and motivated by playing 82 regular season games, then promptly being a healthy scratch for the postseason's first seven. That can only be a good thing.
What do you think? Is it time for Barry Trotz to pull the mothballs off the former first round pick and Hobey Baker finalist, or should the Predators continue with the lineup that got them this far?
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Free Willy. The name of a movie about a whale. We are playing a team with a whale as a mascot…. it only makes sense to get our Willy out (I immediately regret stating it that way)
I'm sent here by the chosen one
by Creeping Death on Apr 29, 2011 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
I’m not a big fan of the whole “free Willy” bit. Bad movie. However, I am always a fan of getting our Willy out.
Our Willy won’t do any good in the press box, that’s for sure.
I entered ten puns in a contest, hoping one of them would win. Sadly, no pun in ten did.
bad movie is an understatement! I don’t know what was more painful, watching the movie or realizing I paid to see it
I'm sent here by the chosen one
by Creeping Death on Apr 29, 2011 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I stand corrected
I like your idea of subbing Wilson for Halischuk. Geoffrion looked tough but I thought Halischuk was dogging it last night. He seemed behind the play or watching the play instead of making the play, but then again so did the rest of the forwards except Fish.
Wilson for Ward
Because Ward hasn’t won a one-on-one in the past 3 games at least. Wilson will fight for the puck and control his passes better.
As a Canuck fan...
…I didn’t want to mention this for fear of jinxing things, but I honestly did not understand at all why Wilson wasn’t playing. Doesn’t he have a chance to be one of the better offensive forwards on the team?
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
He falls asleep on defense sometimes. We sent him to defense school during the 1st round. No one has heard whether or not he has graduated.
{F!@# it guys, I got this- Pekka Rinne} -Marc Torrence-
"It felt like we were playing in Canada" -Mike Fisher
by Preds Fanatic on Apr 29, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I can't tell you how I know this....
….but I have insider information that Wilson has been scratched for “disciplinary reasons.”
I was hoping it was only gonna be for the first round. But apparently not.
On the other hand, how pathetic was Sullivan last night? He looked totally overmatched and his lack of physicality is a nuiscance. And he did ZERO on the PP. Not that he’s ever been good on the PP this year. I’d put Wilson in for Sullivan.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Apr 29, 2011 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
You have to wonder at what point driving a message to an individual has to take a backseat to dressing the best possible lineup. I’ve heard rumblings earlier this season that Willy hasn’t had enough focus on hockey, so this wouldn’t come as a total surprise.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter, or join our site on Facebook!
Trotz can be stubborn though....
….but Willy would have to be a preferable alternative to Sullivan in this series.
Only thing that complicates this is that 1) Trotz loves Sully and that 2) Sully scored twice against the Ducks. Problem with this is that we ain’t playing the Ducks anymore.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Apr 29, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
A great line from someone I was chatting with about last night's game
“They all looked like Colin Wilson out there.”
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter, or join our site on Facebook!
Wilson
If he can actually show some good work ethic like earlier this season, I am okay with it. Otherwise, he is a waste of a forward position. I just haven’t been too impressed with him during the second half of the season.
Harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad. It's like a carousel. You put the quarter in, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and around. Circular, circle. Feel it. Go with the flow.
You mean when he was playing 5 minutes a game on the 4th line?
Yeah, he wasn’t very impressive during that span and still was within earshot of leading the team in goals.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Apr 29, 2011 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
WIIIIIIILLLLLLLSSSSSOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
As 70s glam band Sweet said-
Up town, down town
Little Willy, Willy drives them wild with his run-around style
Inside, outside
Willy sends them silly with his star-shine shimmy shuffle smile
Mama done chase Willy down through the hall
But laugh, Willy laugh, he don’t care at all
Hey down, stay down, stay down, down
‘Cause little Willy, Willy won’t go home
But you can’t push Willy round
Willy won’t go, try tellin’ everybody but, oh no
Little Willy, Willy won’t go home
Click for Video CAUTION: GLAMMY
So, my tactic with conservation of apex predators is to get people excited and take them to where they live.
~Steve Irwin
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
The guy in red...
looks like Neil Diamond and George Harrison had a kid.
by HardCorePredFan316 on Apr 29, 2011 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Careful, this might start a Ballroom Blitz! :D
by Grizzledbear on Apr 29, 2011 11:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Wow
I would rate that right up there with Coldplay and the PetShop Boys.
"I had all my own teeth and I wanted to keep it that way." - Tom Glavine
All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity.
Gordie Howe
Little Willy, with much glee,
put arsenic in Hamuis’ tea.
Now, he thinks it’s such a sight
to see him glowing, late at night.
So, my tactic with conservation of apex predators is to get people excited and take them to where they live.
~Steve Irwin
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
Nice Haiku.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Apr 29, 2011 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Little Willy, with a shout,
gouged Luongo’s eyeballs out,
jumped on them and made them pop
’til Trotzy said "WILLY STOP!
So, my tactic with conservation of apex predators is to get people excited and take them to where they live.
~Steve Irwin
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
by cisar on Apr 29, 2011 1:47 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
He should play
As terrible as the whole team was outside of Pekka, why not let him play? Send a message to someone else on the team, or all of the guys for that matter. Wilson has his pros and cons, but if you put him in it may help motivate some of the other guys. Given the right situation and linemates he could be very successful, but Trotz has to be willing to give him a shot. 4th line minutes won’t mean anything.
When the team play is mediocre at best, Trotzy has generally made changes in the line up. Sweeping changes may not be necessary but we Wilson does deserve a chance to contribute. I also think that Dumont should also be given a slot. Does he not have experience playing in the second round? Have the Preds been dressing the full line up or doing that traditional leave one slot open? Now is the time to fill all the slots and use the full compliment of players available.
Wilson for Ward
How many times do we have to watch Ward pass up another decent shooting chance for a one in a million cross ice pass. It’s not working! Also, Ward has had a very difficult time clearing the puck during penalty kills. Shake it up! And I would also put JP back in for a game. Leave Halischuk in, he’s hustling at least. Go Preds!
Colin Wilson Fan
I know his play slacked in the 2nd half of the season, but he got moved around as much or more than anyone and he’s still a youngster(21, I think?). Also, I’m thinking he didn’t go through the usual “come up through the minors and learn the Predator Way” that EVERY other Pred draftee did. We got to win now, but isn’t this kid one of players we are counting on? He was 6th in points; 3rd in scoring %(forwards), Look at the entire season; he helped us get in the playoffs, didn’t he?
I trust our coach to no end, and there may be something going on that’s not for public consumption, but I’ve missed Wilson near the end of the regular season when his time was reduced to nothing, as well as the playoffs. I’d really like to see him out there and not just 2-3 minutes a game.
I agree. The second half was rough, but I miss seeing him out there. Put him with some defensive offense (Fisher, perhaps? Trotz was switching things up willy-nilly last game anyway, so why not…) who can save his butt if he falls asleep, but will also be great offensive role models who can help Willy up his game.
I'd like to see Wilson play, but.......
I doubt Trotz will do so. Plus it difficult to expect someone to sit out for about 2 weeks now and be put right into the heat of a playoff game. This is why I didn’t like sitting him in the first place, but we did win a series, so it’s hard to argue with that.
by Grizzledbear on Apr 29, 2011 10:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Time to allow Dumont and Wilson to play. It is a no brainer, imo. What are the 4th line guys playing? 6-8 minutes? At least Dumont and Wilson have upside offensive potential and if they can’t play defense against the other teams 3rd/4th liners then they don’t need to be on the team.
Our 4th line isn’t being used to shut down anyone…..So lets at least put guys out there who know how to score.
Plus it difficult to expect someone to sit out for about 2 weeks now and be put right into the heat of a playoff game.
They did it with Sullivan and he had sat out much longer. I wasn’t a fan of that move either but it worked out against the Ducks. The mind of Mensa, er, Trotz………….
The truth is neither libelous nor slanderous.
Reason and logic instead of hope and faith.
by shoot the puck on Apr 30, 2011 12:32 PM EDT reply actions
Well, some would argue that Sully hasn’t played that well since being put back in the lineup, but he did score a couple of goals, so I’d certainly take that from Wilson if he were put back in. My point is that Wilson would be more valuable to us right now if he had been playing the whole time rather than sitting in the press box for the past 2 weeks. That’s also why I doubt you see him back in the lineup anytime soon.
by Grizzledbear on Apr 30, 2011 2:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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