The Bumper Boards

+5


Maybe time we start coming around on this guy? The stats are there, and the boneheaded plays / screened shots are way fewer this year...

...for a very impressive +23 on the half-way or so mark. I don't think even the Schultz apologists would have expected that.

Can you say "Norris?"

Best D-man on this team right now.

Schultz has been a pleasant suprise this year, playing some good hockey. His mistakes lately are few and far between. And I thought the whole team looked good tonight.

Poti has really stepped up his game lately too, as has Erskine.

Poti's jumping into the play more, which is good...only d-man who's really been invisible the last few games is ShaMo...Pothier's been solid since his return, and erskine has thrived with him...

Sarge is now SECOND in the league in +/- with +23. 1 Behind Ovie who has +24.

I'm still looking at the stats in disbelieve.

I thought Mo was good tonight, saw him break up some chances, win battles in the corner and get some shots from the blueline. He never really has "great" games, but he doesn't really have "bad" ones either...sometimes "invisable" is a good thing

55 made at least one boneheaded play tonight. He made a blind pass from the boards to the middle of the ice that was intercepted and almost lead to an Atlanta goal. If nothing else Schultz is consistent from game to game. His trade value has to be high though with those impressive +/- numbers.

The verdict on Schultz will come playoff time. Not being at least a little bit physical will not fly in the playoffs. Schultz has to prove he will not get eaten alive in the playoffs.

Time to prove he can hold his own this spring and not get injured or dubinsky-nized.

What I meant, basically...does nothing good to stand out, but doesn't fuck up enough to stand out, either...

Shouldn't be too much of a surprise that he's near the top. Actually, he has been near the top for a good while this season. His +- numbers have been his (positive) calling card for a while, hence all the "Jaspers" Rink hubbub.

Good for him for having a plus-5 tonight, but in an 8-1 game it was bound to happen to one Cap or another. But he has been better and I have given him that much this year, even if I did call him ugly in the GDT.

He has played noticeably better this year, IMO.

There is a lot of hate because he was thrown into the NHL instead of getting the time he needed to develop at the lower level (not his fault, but he was very out of place). Hopefully he will continue to improve.

He didn't make it past the first game last post-season.
We'll see how long he lasts this year.

So did Emminger, who didn't get nearly as much ice time.

I think he has played better this year, but I have seen him get undressed a few times as well, like noticeably undressed.

Anyway watching Hawks/Wild right now and the Wild have a d-man named Schultz as well and he wears #55.

atta boy sarge

Ovie for the Selke!!!

if memory serves he did actually get a couple Selke votes a couple years ago

Maybe some people already had. Glad you picked up on it though.



Solid logic. We need to play great defense so let's trade Schultz.

Anyway, good to see Sarge doing well. Funny thing. Bruce had faith in him and it's paying off. The whiners and bitchers were wrong. Imagine that.

Except the "whiners" and "bitchers" had plenty to actually criticize the guy about. Please don't act like Schultz was even a marginal player based on his performance before this season. Now, he's more physical (still not even close to what it should based on his frame IMO), better positioning on a consistent basis, and better outlet passes basically sum up his improved play. All of that was NOT present last year.

Eminger had plenty of time to develop in lower leagues. He played 17 games as a Cap in 02-03 before being returned to juniors, split the season between the Caps and Pirates in 03-04 and had the entire season in Portland in 04-05. The problem was his work ethic and the Tim Army system of not developing prospects. Seriously, that guy fucked us out of 3-4 years worth of prospects. It's a good thing Semin went back to Russia or he'd have probably have been a bust as well.

He was decent last year and you could see some improvement. This year he has really stepped it up.

I have always stood up for the guy. Defensemen take longer to mature. It wasn't his fault he got thrown into the NHL immediately.

Some people are just looking to whine, bitch and complain and are never happy.

Just watch the next time Schultz has a major gaffe. You know, like all defensemen have from time to time. The assholes will be out of the woodwork like termites. Guaranteed.

+1. The "supporters" saw this coming for a year now, the "whiners" couldn't. The "whiners" will continue to bring up the three to four bad games he will have throughout the rest of the season, while the "supporters" will continue to enjoy the 34-35 good to great games he has during that same span.