Great article on Nathan Gerbe

[Aussie Joe 0]

On the ice, Gerbe stands tall

I remember watching this kid play in the last frozen four series. He has amazing speed and an uncanny looking stride. He actually looks like he is running on ice.

I wonder, with Buffalo playing so well, how long until he's given a shot at the NHL?

[RadioGaGa 162]

On the ice, Gerbe stands tall

I wonder, with Buffalo playing so well, how long until he's given a shot at the NHL?

The Sabres playing well affords them the luxury of not having of rush young players into the lineup. Let him play in the AHL...no need to add to the pressure right now.

[mgoblue 0]

The highlight of my not-so-illustrious hockey career remains the time Gerbe came to one of our optional holiday practices to skate with his brother, who was an assistant coach on my high school team, and I somehow managed to take the puck off his stick and go down on a breakaway in a scrimmage.

He looked fast out there with BC, sure. But you should try lining up against him - WOW.

[greech 4]

Nate is fast as hell. Chris Collins is the only other kid in my mind that's ever had that kind of breakaway speed at BC in the last 15 years.

[LkptTiger 1]

I got the opportunity to skate with Gerbe and a couple of other younger NHL/AHL guys who were in the area a few times before camp started. He's small, but he's fucking solid and his goddamn feet never stop moving.

[Aussie Joe 0]

...and his goddamn feet never stop moving.

One of the secrets of hockey I try and teach kids all the time, Tiger.

[LkptTiger 1]

There is a difference between "active feet" and what this guy has. He's got some of the quickest feet I've ever been on the ice with, and they're always moving 100mph. Where other guys might be gliding into coverage or slowing down to buy some time with the puck, Nate was always full-throttle - without ever taking himself out of position or over committing or getting caught off-balance. He's a terrific skater...with a very good head on his shoulders.

[themooseisloose 0]

I had the chance to meet him when he came to our year end high school hockey banquet 2 years ago. He's a great guy and he's built like a tank. I now have the privillage to watch him play in Portland. :D

[Aussie Joe 0]

There is a difference between "active feet" and what this guy has. He's got some of the quickest feet I've ever been on the ice with, and they're always moving 100mph. Where other guys might be gliding into coverage or slowing down to buy some time with the puck, Nate was always full-throttle - without ever taking himself out of position or over committing or getting caught off-balance. He's a terrific skater...with a very good head on his shoulders.

I guess in my mind one creates the other, but thats a different thread. ;)

[LkptTiger 1]

I'm not sure I follow. It sounds like you want your players to move for the sake of moving. At any level (or at least any level I've ever played...from Mini Mite to Junior A - or even any level I've watched/studied; which includes the NHL), there is usually going to be a degree of relatively "stationary" work (dropping to take the guy coming late, shuffling/gliding to take away passing lanes, supporting the puck, finding "dead spots"...etc.) that actually "forces" a player to slow himself down. Keep your feet moving too much while trying to take away a pass, you'll usually just end-up out of position, probably leaving someone open in a dangerous spot in the process. Keep your feet moving too much while trying to get yourself into some open ice on the forecheck, you'll usually either end-up in coverage or crowding the puck. I've played in or watched a hockey game that was 60 minutes of back-and-forth rushes.

Keeping your feet churning 100% of the time is a sure way to take yourself out of the danger/disruptive areas. It's just about impossible to go an entire shift in a full-out sprint without over committing to the puck or leaving a man open or taking a bad line...but Nate has come as close as I've ever seen to doing just that without making a single mistake.

[Powerfibers 8]

Gerbe looked good in the preseason games I went too. He was not afraid to bang with the big boys to my surprise.

However, I do not see him in the line up anytime soon. The Sabres are too deep at forward and they develop players as well as any team in the league. They do this slowly and with a purpose.

If he did not come up with Gaustad, Hecht, and Connolly out, he ain't coming anytime soon. My guess would be the next guy up would be Mancari or Gragnini again. He will play for Portland until at least the spring if not next year (or two) just kike Vanek, Roy, and Stafford.

[Aussie Joe 0]

I'm not sure I follow. It sounds like you want your players to move for the sake of moving. At any level (or at least any level I've ever played...from Mini Mite to Junior A - or even any level I've watched/studied; which includes the NHL), there is usually going to be a degree of relatively "stationary" work (dropping to take the guy coming late, shuffling/gliding to take away passing lanes, supporting the puck, finding "dead spots"...etc.) that actually "forces" a player to slow himself down. Keep your feet moving too much while trying to take away a pass, you'll usually just end-up out of position, probably leaving someone open in a dangerous spot in the process. Keep your feet moving too much while trying to get yourself into some open ice on the forecheck, you'll usually either end-up in coverage or crowding the puck. I've played in or watched a hockey game that was 60 minutes of back-and-forth rushes.

Keeping your feet churning 100% of the time is a sure way to take yourself out of the danger/disruptive areas. It's just about impossible to go an entire shift in a full-out sprint without over committing to the puck or leaving a man open or taking a bad line...but Nate has come as close as I've ever seen to doing just that without making a single mistake.

You're over analysing the term Tiger and in that missing out on the true meaning behind it. Its not all about physically moving 100% of the time, its about a few things in the one term. "Keep your feet moving" really means your feet should be ready and moving either with the puck or into the right position. Where the puck will be, or where you should be depending on the situation. Its as much about keeping your feet moving mentally as it is to have the right mind set in order to do so physically. To mentally be diligent enough to keep backchecking, helping out with the play or moving into place generally is the precursor to the action. We have to get the habits in place mentally before we do physically, as sometimes people forget with all that is going on in a game.

For Eg: One of the biggest issues I see in juniors is that when they stop, they take time both mentally and physically to get back into the play. Versus if they pushed themselves some more they wouldn't need so much effort in the first place to get back into the play. Obviously its not applicable to every situation but if used in a very wide spread fashion within the game. You can see the difference in the kids that do versus the kids that do not.

Im not trying to get into a pissing match and say mine is bigger then yours. Just explaining myself thats all.