Kamal Miller

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

20 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

It's not even like with Gretzky in the 80s where it was clear the guys he was carrying to 50 goal seasons were plumbers.

My young Edmonton-area self has issues with this.  Pretty sure Kurri, Anderson and Messier were the only guys to get 50 goals with Gretzky in the 80s.  All are not in the plumber's Hall of Fame but the hockey one and won a Cup without the Great One. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[RS]

On 7/25/2023 at 11:32 PM, Unnamed Trialist said:

Really, the left CB then? I was watching a highlight and there is an Atlanta attack where he's on the right, that is what confused me, right here.

 

Miami has a Kamal twin on the team in midfielder Dixon Arroyo. He wears a wrap on his left wrist like Miller and has No. 3 on his back (Kamal wears No. 31).

On close-ups it's easy to tell them apart but on wide shots they are easily confused.

[InglewoodJack]

1 hour ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

My young Edmonton-area self has issues with this.  Pretty sure Kurri, Anderson and Messier were the only guys to get 50 goals with Gretzky in the 80s.  All are not in the plumber's Hall of Fame but the hockey one and won a Cup without the Great One. 

Mixed up my teams- I was referring mostly to Bernie Nichols who had a 150 point season in LA with Gretzky. I know there are other examples of some Oilers who had a marked drop from when they played with Gretzky Vs when he left. 

[SthMelbRed]

9 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Mixed up my teams- I was referring mostly to Bernie Nichols who had a 150 point season in LA with Gretzky. I know there are other examples of some Oilers who had a marked drop from when they played with Gretzky Vs when he left. 

I'm going to guess that you weren't actually around to watch hockey in the '80s/early '90s. Gretzky played on stacked Oilers teams. He didn't need to elevate shit players to star status based entirely on his assists. As already pointed out, the Oilers' other 50-goal men were legitimate stars in their own right. Even Bernie Nicholls, who never played on the same line as Gretzky, but shared PP time with him, was an all-star before Gretzky rolled into town.

The man you're actually thinking of is Mario Lemieux. He actually took guys who could barely skate and turned them into 50- or even 60-goal men.

[Bison44]

I think you are actually thinking of Bernie Federko....bouncing pucks into the net off Wayne Babych and doing his best to make "hands of stone" Brian Sutter a 50 goal scorer (not quite).  

[BearcatSA]

11 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Mixed up my teams- I was referring mostly to Bernie Nichols who had a 150 point season in LA with Gretzky. I know there are other examples of some Oilers who had a marked drop from when they played with Gretzky Vs when he left. 

Perhaps you were thinking of BJ MacDonald and Brett Callighen?

[An Observer]

13 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Mixed up my teams- I was referring mostly to Bernie Nichols who had a 150 point season in LA with Gretzky. I know there are other examples of some Oilers who had a marked drop from when they played with Gretzky Vs when he left. 

Nichols was a pretty prolific scorer before Gretzky arrived for the Kings.  He had a Gretzky bounce for sure but it wasn't like he was scrub.

[InglewoodJack]

10 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

 

The man you're actually thinking of is Mario Lemieux. He actually took guys who could barely skate and turned them into 50- or even 60-goal men.

He was one too. His parents were family friends of ours through my dad's aunt and uncle. I grew up with a bunch of his signed stuff- I think his folks never left Ville Emard.

[VinceA]

14 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

I'm going to guess that you weren't actually around to watch hockey in the '80s/early '90s. Gretzky played on stacked Oilers teams. He didn't need to elevate shit players to star status based entirely on his assists. As already pointed out, the Oilers' other 50-goal men were legitimate stars in their own right. Even Bernie Nicholls, who never played on the same line as Gretzky, but shared PP time with him, was an all-star before Gretzky rolled into town.

The man you're actually thinking of is Mario Lemieux. He actually took guys who could barely skate and turned them into 50- or even 60-goal men.

Reminds me also of when Thornton joined the Sharks and turned Cheechoo into a Rocket Richard winner.

Granted part of the reason he only had that one season (and a respectable follow up) was that major injury that turned out to be career altering.

[PegCityCam]

Kamal a pylon on Dallas' second.

[InglewoodJack]

Scored a nice goal in penalties 

[kacbru]

18 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Scored a nice goal in penalties 

Obligatory why wasn't Kamal designated to take penalties in the World Cup comment...

[PegCityCam]

18 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Scored a nice goal in penalties 

Yeah he's played well after my pylon comment. Made a really nice, potential goal-saving tackle on Ferriera at one point. What a fucking game for real.

[dsi]

On 8/3/2023 at 10:44 PM, BearcatSA said:

Perhaps you were thinking of BJ MacDonald and Brett Callighen?

I was also thinking of BJ MacDonald (who helped coin the term “even a fire hydrant could score with Gretzky”) and Mike Krushelnyski’s lone season playing on Gretzky’s line which resulted in 43 goals.  EDIT: Regarding Mario Lemieux, he turned Warren Young and Rob Brown into goal machines for one season.
 

5 hours ago, PegCityCam said:

Kamal a pylon on Dallas' second.

Yeah that was disappointing to see; he gave up after he got walked, thinking the other two guys could cover for him afterward.

Edited August 7, 2023 by dsi

[PastPros]

The change in formation to a back three really highlighted what he could do to help a team in need of a goal... marauding forward, opening things up for others, etc.

Echo the statements about the game. Fun to watch. I am really enjoying this tournament.

Edited August 7, 2023 by PastPros

[InglewoodJack]

9 hours ago, PegCityCam said:

Yeah he's played well after my pylon comment. Made a really nice, potential goal-saving tackle on Ferriera at one point. What a fucking game for real.

It’s fine. Garber put the call in on that second goal, Kamal had to quit on it, it’s part of his Miami contract to make the game closer and set up the Messi showstopper at the end of the game. Understanding this, he had a fantastic game.

Edited August 7, 2023 by InglewoodJack

[Kent]

Apologies to Kamal.

Looks like people are forgetting that Craig Simpson scored 56 goals in 87-88 (13 in Pittsburgh, 43 with Edmonton), so that's another Oilers 50 goal scorer while Gretzky was there (I don't know if they were linemates, but that was his only season with Gretzky as a teammate and he never got within 20 goals of that season's total again in his career). That's the only Oiler 50 goal scorer that was missed though.

As for Lemieux teammates, Rob Brown came close with 49 goals in only 68 games in 88-89, but as for actual 50 goal seasons Kevin Stevens had 54 and 55 in 91-92 and 92-93. For 60 goal seasons, there was Jagr in 95-96 (plus Jagr had another 50 goal season with Lemieux in 2000-2001), I wouldn't call him a plumber. Stevens you could make the argument though.

But yes, Kurri and Messier were great players (never scored 50 without Gretzky, but still great players). Anderson is a lot closer to plumber than hall of famer in his post Gretzky career, but he did have 1 30-goal season after Gretzky was traded.

[GasPed]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

Apologies to Kamal.

Looks like people are forgetting that Craig Simpson scored 56 goals in 87-88 (13 in Pittsburgh, 43 with Edmonton), so that's another Oilers 50 goal scorer while Gretzky was there (I don't know if they were linemates, but that was his only season with Gretzky as a teammate and he never got within 20 goals of that season's total again in his career). That's the only Oiler 50 goal scorer that was missed though.

Apologies to Kamal, but as I recall Simpson played mainly on a line with Messier and Anderson that year.  What that means with respect to the greatness of Gretzky, Lemieux, Messi or Kamal Miller himself is not clear to me, but thought I'd share that anyhow.

[InglewoodJack]

Yeah but did Gretzky ever have a winger as talented as Taylor? Don't think the great one ever had such a magician on his line. A guy who could score worldies with his eyes closed.

[SoccMan]

53 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Yeah but did Gretzky ever have a winger as talented as Taylor? Don't think the great one ever had such a magician on his line. A guy who could score worldies with his eyes closed.

All kidding aside if Taylor was Canadian from his performances the last few games we would all be calling for Herdman to call him up for Canada’s next game and start debating which top club in Europe’s top 5 league he should go to .

[InglewoodJack]

14 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

All kidding aside if Taylor was Canadian from his performances the last few games we would all be calling for Herdman to call him up for Canada’s next game and start debating which top club in Europe’s top 5 league he should go to .

100%. He looks really good, and he was already a finnish international before this, just funny that he looks like he could slot into a top team in a top league tomorrow. Regardless of Messi, he’s still a very good player, now he just looks world class. 

[CanadaFan123]

32 minutes ago, SoccMan said:

All kidding aside if Taylor was Canadian from his performances the last few games we would all be calling for Herdman to call him up for Canada’s next game and start debating which top club in Europe’s top 5 league he should go to .

Meh. He’s had a good few games but for example: Choiniere is 5 years younger and has had a better season. If Choiniere was playing with Messi I’m sure he’d be next level too.

Edited August 11, 2023 by CanadaFan123

[InglewoodJack]

46 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Meh. He’s had a good few games but for example: Choiniere is 5 years younger and has had a better season. If Choiniere was playing with Messi I’m sure he’d be next level too.

Man, now I’m gonna have to think about this all day. Would love to see this pairing. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

Anyone watching Kamal at Inter Miami these days? I am really wondering how he combines with Busquets and Alba, if he is on synch, raising his game. I think it is an amazing opportunity for him, but depends a bit what they ask of him.

I mean, if they play the Barça style that is a classic back two, the fullbacks up high, the DM come back to split the CBs if needed, the CBs have to be positioned properly to play out with the keeper, to be ready to give and receive the back pass from Busi, quick to open up high and wide to the LB, all those things in the modern game (and maybe a bit cliché by now) that those guys worked to perfection.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist

[PastPros]

On 8/12/2023 at 3:13 AM, Unnamed Trialist said:

Anyone watching Kamal at Inter Miami these days? I am really wondering how he combines with Busquets and Alba, if he is on synch, raising his game. I think it is an amazing opportunity for him, but depends a bit what they ask of him.

I mean, if they play the Barça style that is a classic back two, the fullbacks up high, the DM come back to split the CBs if needed, the CBs have to be positioned properly to play out with the keeper, to be ready to give and receive the back pass from Busi, quick to open up high and wide to the LB, all those things in the modern game (and maybe a bit cliché by now) that those guys worked to perfection.

Generally he has been fine with 2 CBs - but tonight he has given the ball away easily at least three times (moving forward unnecessarily > bad pass/pass that puts mid under pressure > scrambles to get back into position), but has not been punished yet.

To me, he looked best when they switched to back 3 in last game (playing LCB).

Definitely room for improvement.