In Detroit, he fought for the position of the first defender. Just when it looked like he had won the role, Moritz Seider took it away from him. After arriving in Vancouver, it was clear that the number one defensive player was Quinn Hughes. But Filip Hronka apparently doesn’t mind. He had a great start to the new season after his injury.
In the opening doubleheader with Edmonton, Vancouver beat one of the favorites of the Western Conference 8:1 and 4:3. Filip Hronek (pictured) he started mainly on Connor McDavid. Not only did he defend him (McDavid scored only on the power play), he also left an attractive double duel with a balance of +5!
That was the most in the NHL at the time.
Since McDavid entered the NHL in 2015, only Alex Pietrangelo has managed five plus points in the first two games of the season against Edmonton on October 8 and 15, 2015. And McDavid was, with all due respect, a rookie, not scoring in either of those games.
If someone thought it was a coincidence from Hronko, the following weeks will prove them wrong. Cech starts in the first defensive pairing with Quinn Hughes. And the coach definitely doesn’t shorten his stay on the ice, but rather lengthens it. The native of Hradec Králové is currently the Canucks’ most underutilized player.
On average, the twenty-five-year-old Czech plays 24:27 min. per game, Hughes 24-20. Hughes is getting more time on the power play, Hronek is taking the ice more at five-on-five and on the fade (2:54 per night).
No other Vancouver player is playing over 21 minutes.
Happy to play together
The idea of pairing two offensive backs was undeniably bold, but so far it’s working out great. Vancouver has won six of its opening nine games of the season and enters second place in the West 16 on Wednesday.
Canadian Sportsnet named the Hronek-Hughes duo the best defensive duo in the NHL at the end of October. Until Tuesday’s game with Nashville, they hadn’t been on the ice for a goal conceded from a five-on-five game. Hughes is continuously the best in the NHL with +11 points, Hronek is fifth with +8. The goals for and against statistics from the five-on-five game offer nothing but the classic +/-. Hughes again at the top of the NHL, Czech fifth.
“Hronek didn’t garner much attention during his four-plus seasons in Detroit, but his partnership with Hughes thrust him into the spotlight,” writes Sportsnet.
Hughes is the most dominant player in the NHL with three and a quarter minutes of puck possession per game. He and Hronek complement each other very well, both have a good passing game. Cech probably has more defensive duties, he is praised, for example, for collecting bounced pucks in his own zone. But his points account is not lacking either. With 8 saves (0+8), he is fifth in team productivity.
“I probably haven’t played with as good a hockey player as him,” Hughes told reporters in October. “He’s really smart, handles the puck well, reads the game very well. He can defend. He can skate. They might want to split us up, but for now I’m happy that we’re playing together.”
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