What the holy heck is wrong with Jochen Hecht this season? I don't even care about the goals but where did my responsible, hard-working defensive forward go? I'm completely befuddled.
Heather, I am at my wit's end with him. He looks terrible- hideous! I still feel kind of bad for Pominville, but Hecht? Bench him. Let's see what Max has got in the tank. That's how bad Hecht has looked. I think Max might be a better bet at this point.
Guys have crappy seasons. It is simplistic, but that is the reason why Hecht is struggling. Sometimes players are battling undisclosed injuries. But Hecht has been, in a word, a mess. Which is too bad. It really would help the Sabres if Hecht, Pominville and Max could all suddenly start being just average versions of themselves.
First I just have to say, in retrospect I wish I'd titled this entry "What the Hecht?!" Clearly, it's calling out for that.
Kate, any talk of starting Max over Jochen is INSANE... but dang, that's how bad he's playing.
Vanek's Hair, I'm sure that's probably what it is - just a guy having a bad year - but this is one of the worst bad years I've seen in my sports-watching days, I think. He's just a total shadow of himself at both ends of the ice. It bums me out because I really like Jochen and I was really pleased the Sabres made a committment to him.
I feel like Pominville is having a bad year, but Hecht needs to be shot from a cannon into the sun. There is something particularly disturbing about his defensive play that I'm not seeing in Pommers. He looks like he's not trying very hard and he's easily distracted. His hard working reliability was always Hecht's saving grace. No, we couldn't count on him to put up a ton of points, but we could stick him on the ice during a PK at the end of a game. Now, every time he's on the ice I'm cringing behind the hands over my eyes. He's a train wreck.
If it's a game of comparisons, there's NO WAY you could put Hecht on Pomminville's level - even if Pomminvile didn't score for 40 games he'd at least still be out there skating beyond the Junior B level, passing accurately, and spicing up his shot selection with the occasional one-timer, snap shot, ect... I live in fear that the next pancake backhander Hecht tries (same shot he uses either not to clear from the defensive zone or not to score from absurd angles along the half-wall) will send me into cardiac arrest or end with me getting tossed in jail for mayhem. Anyone out there still defending him is totally bananas. He was the happy bi-product of Pommers, Briere and Dumont for a few years. It's over. He makes Dave Snuggerud look like Mike Bossy. Total disgrace. And scary that Ruff doesn't recognize it. Knowing full well it's sacrilege, I must agree with the bold statement nearby this post that even Afinigenov, at this point, would be a sight for sore eyes. Sincerely, Committee for Building a Slow Boat to China for Jochen Hecht.
Anonymous, while I agree that Pommers has been better in comparison and I am hesitant to defend Jochen, who absolutely deserves a slow boat to China right about now, I think it's a little unfair to say his success rested entirely on Dumont, Briere and Pominville. He's played well without Dumont and he had one of his best seasons - definitely his best offensive season - last year without Briere. (Actually, based on last year I think you could argue that Briere's 5-on-5 success had a lot to do with Dumont and Hecht but that's another post altogether.) If his success last year was reliant on Pommers than they should be both be playing well again this year and they're not.
That said, like I said in earlier comments, I don't know what the explanation is. I hate when players hide injuries but I almost hope that's what's going on here because otherwise he looks washed up.
(I do feel like Jochen has always been one of Lindy's guys though which is probably part of the reason he's been slow to bench him. That's just my interpretation though.)
7 comments:
Heather, I am at my wit's end with him. He looks terrible- hideous! I still feel kind of bad for Pominville, but Hecht? Bench him. Let's see what Max has got in the tank. That's how bad Hecht has looked. I think Max might be a better bet at this point.
Guys have crappy seasons. It is simplistic, but that is the reason why Hecht is struggling. Sometimes players are battling undisclosed injuries. But Hecht has been, in a word, a mess. Which is too bad. It really would help the Sabres if Hecht, Pominville and Max could all suddenly start being just average versions of themselves.
First I just have to say, in retrospect I wish I'd titled this entry "What the Hecht?!" Clearly, it's calling out for that.
Kate, any talk of starting Max over Jochen is INSANE... but dang, that's how bad he's playing.
Vanek's Hair, I'm sure that's probably what it is - just a guy having a bad year - but this is one of the worst bad years I've seen in my sports-watching days, I think. He's just a total shadow of himself at both ends of the ice. It bums me out because I really like Jochen and I was really pleased the Sabres made a committment to him.
I feel like Pominville is having a bad year, but Hecht needs to be shot from a cannon into the sun. There is something particularly disturbing about his defensive play that I'm not seeing in Pommers. He looks like he's not trying very hard and he's easily distracted. His hard working reliability was always Hecht's saving grace. No, we couldn't count on him to put up a ton of points, but we could stick him on the ice during a PK at the end of a game. Now, every time he's on the ice I'm cringing behind the hands over my eyes. He's a train wreck.
If it's a game of comparisons, there's NO WAY you could put Hecht on Pomminville's level - even if Pomminvile didn't score for 40 games he'd at least still be out there skating beyond the Junior B level, passing accurately, and spicing up his shot selection with the occasional one-timer, snap shot, ect... I live in fear that the next pancake backhander Hecht tries (same shot he uses either not to clear from the defensive zone or not to score from absurd angles along the half-wall) will send me into cardiac arrest or end with me getting tossed in jail for mayhem. Anyone out there still defending him is totally bananas. He was the happy bi-product of Pommers, Briere and Dumont for a few years. It's over. He makes Dave Snuggerud look like Mike Bossy. Total disgrace. And scary that Ruff doesn't recognize it. Knowing full well it's sacrilege, I must agree with the bold statement nearby this post that even Afinigenov, at this point, would be a sight for sore eyes. Sincerely, Committee for Building a Slow Boat to China for Jochen Hecht.
Anonymous, while I agree that Pommers has been better in comparison and I am hesitant to defend Jochen, who absolutely deserves a slow boat to China right about now, I think it's a little unfair to say his success rested entirely on Dumont, Briere and Pominville. He's played well without Dumont and he had one of his best seasons - definitely his best offensive season - last year without Briere. (Actually, based on last year I think you could argue that Briere's 5-on-5 success had a lot to do with Dumont and Hecht but that's another post altogether.) If his success last year was reliant on Pommers than they should be both be playing well again this year and they're not.
That said, like I said in earlier comments, I don't know what the explanation is. I hate when players hide injuries but I almost hope that's what's going on here because otherwise he looks washed up.
(I do feel like Jochen has always been one of Lindy's guys though which is probably part of the reason he's been slow to bench him. That's just my interpretation though.)
*Whimper*
I'm going to my happy place...
Remember the good old days of last season when Hecht disclosed an injury for four months and still played well, finally scoring 20 goals
Post a Comment