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 Leia
Messages: 337
Registered: May 2003
Location: England
No Cups
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| Adam wrote on Sun, 08 December 2019 23:25 |
| Leia wrote on Sun, 08 December 2019 23:22 |
I can understand the reasoning, and I can't say in a similar situation I wouldn't do the same thing, but Tippett has to move away from McD and Drai as the only go to solution this team has. It was clear through the game that neither were particularly playing well and luck wasn't favouring either of them.
So why not send out the second unit first in OT, why did he persist with the first PP unit for so long when it wasn't working? We bemoan our secondary scoring, but if the primary scorers are having a off day, then give the others a chance, how must it feel to be stuck watching them two struggle as they did tonight, knowing that no matter what you won't get a chance.
I've seen Tippett do this a few times now and as I say I can see why he does it as all it takes is a bit of fortune for the top two guys, but I feel it hurts the team when it's clear it isn't going right for them. He'd bench someone off the other lines for the performance that Drai and McD put in tonight, and I'm not suggesting he goes that far, but reduce the shifts, let someone lead the team if they are playing well.
Apart from that moan, we blew this game in the first period, didn't really recover and once Drai had hit the post in the third you knew what was going to happen. I was just happy it went to OT, rather than them scoring with say 20 seconds to go which what would have happened a year or so ago.
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Worth mentioning - I thought McDavid was decent. Had some great chances, including that cross-bar. His linemates struggled to hit him with passes, but I didn't think 97 was the problem this game. I thought Kassian and Draisaitl both had tough games.
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He wasn't as bad as he was the other week, after he and Drai had done the whole of the 5 mins of OT. However, you know it's not his game when passes go astray and the PP looks like it has for the past few years. His control of the puck was a bit loose as well. Here's the thing, when they have a poor game they look ordinary, and on the same level as everyone and games when that happens are few and far between thankfully. However, my plea isn't about them two, it's about the coach having the courage to run with other players when it isn't going for them two. It cost us tonight as it has before.
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
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