The serious injury of an important center brings to the surface the discussion about Roope Hintz’s results in 2024, writes Urheilu’s NHL reporter Tommi Seppälä.
Tommi Seppälä
Five goals in the previous nine games. Is the number one center in Dallas Roope Hintz28, machines finally starting? Early on Monday morning, Hintz, originally from Nokia, scored his second winning goal in six previous matches. This front-line leadership Tyler Seguin Dallas, who lost his middle lane to illness for months, has been missing Hintz for a long time.
Although the subject seems to have received little attention, the Finnish striker’s results have been in a sharp decline for a long time.
If we look purely at performance, which is of course expected from Hintz, who enjoys an annual salary of more than eight million, it has come down sharply in a couple of years. Hintz has been operating for four years back in the NHL with an average of more than a point per game, and he did the same two years ago.
For the current season, the average score is 0.63.
The trend of Hintz’s Yankee pier is in the same direction By Jason Robertsonwho was rudely left out of the US NHL’s four-nation tournament team. Two years ago, he scored a handsome 109 power points through an average of 1.33 per game. A year ago, Robertson’s average points per match was less than one, and now the reading is only 0.6.
The ending calendar year in particular has been difficult for Hintz. In the spring, Hintz didn’t seem to get any results at all, and the current fall hasn’t brought any improvement to the situation. From February to the present, Hintz’s GPA is 0.58. The reading on Dallas’ internal stock exchange entitles it to 10th place.
It is clear that much more should be brought to the table.
Syvädata says that Dallas’ goal expectations by five against five also clearly decreased when the Finn was on the ice. While in the years 2020-2024, Dallas controlled the expected goals by 57-59 percent during Hintz’s time, now the number falls below 52. Of course, the head still remains above the surface in this regard.
In the period 2020–2024, during Hintz’s tenure, Dallas took more than 60–percent of dangerous scoring chances, now 54–percent.
In four years, it has come down by almost 10 percent. Today’s reading is also good and on the winning side, but something has changed.
What?
The opponent has VHS in use
At least the change in the chain composition seems to have clearly changed the dynamics. Having finished his career Joe Pavelski the leg undoubtedly started to weigh last season, but Hintz and Robertson clearly seem to need a faija type back in the chain.
Over the course of three years, the trio beat a 5–5 game with a crushing +52 goal difference.
Together by Wyatt Johnston with the duo has a plus of one hit from the current autumn. Although last season it was Johnston or a rookie player who came in wonderfully Logan Stankoven seemed to be the best alternatives to Hintz and Robertson, who are known for their speed, due to their foot speed, in practice no joint play has been found.
On the other hand, Hintz’s personal shots and goal numbers are in line with previous years. This has actually baked 4.5 goals out of 6 hits.
But something is wrong with playing the chain.
That someone is often an opponent. For example, a few days ago, Vegas gave an excellent example of how to play against an elite direct attack chain. Only rarely did Hintz’s trio cross the central area in the way they wanted, i.e. at high speed. The strengths of Hintz’s chain are not in playing through the end.
The constant pressure on the Dallas defenders effectively froze the starting points for the attacks and the defensive play of the midfield took care of the rest.
And in reverse: When Calgary fell asleep for a moment early in the third period on Monday morning, the Chain unloaded the pressure and went on a 2-1 power play. Hintz thanked and put the match in the package.
Brand new gear to the eye
Hintz and its chains are now in a new situation.
The breakthrough to the NHL elite has been made and the status acquired, but through it the bar has been raised to a new height. Night after night, the opponent’s best forces, both in terms of offensive and defensive equipment, skate against it. It has become extremely difficult to make power with five against five, because it is with this chain that the identity and template has been exceptionally clear.
Hintzie should bring something new to the table soon. Simply pushing up, running out of the area and stretching the field doesn’t seem to work anymore – when the enemies have VHS equipment installed in the coach’s office. Attackers running away are less and less allowed to run through or have superior attacks. The job has become from time to time banging one’s head against the wall.
Dallas is saved by the depth of the material. Injured Seguin led the best chain of the fall team, where they were chilling on the sidelines Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. Powers have also come from the triple line. However, now that Seguin is gone for a long time, all eyes are turning more and more heavily on Hintz.
In terms of performance, you have to be able to hit a new gear. The gear that was in the eye a couple of years ago.
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