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 Skookum Jim
Messages: 6158
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
6 Cups
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| Mike wrote on Wed, 08 December 2021 04:35 |
Our vaunted special teams are coming back down to earth and we are being exposed. Our 5-5 play is no good. Take off McDrai and it is historically bad. Another sub .850 performance by Koskinen.
I understand we’re still missing key players on D, but this is not really a big surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.
1) we need a new coach. Not sure it would help, but I doubt it would hurt.
2) we need a goalie
3) something needs to happen with the bottom 6. Most of the guys seem skilled enough. Not sure what the issue is.
Edit to add: Don't look now, but we are now in 3rd place in the division, 4th in the conference, and only 4 points up on the last wild card.
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IMHO..
I don't want a new coach, that allows too many future excuses, other than the top 4 or 5 players, I don't see a lot of desire or commitment, some of the poor performance is attributable to physical talent, lack of size, speed, skill.. but mostly to me it seems for too many guys its just lack of intensity and hockey IQ.
I think the D will get better when they get Ceci and Keith back, and Nemo and/or Broberg replace 6 and KooKoo, plus moving 22 down to 3rd pair.
But.. those support forwards need to contribute way more if we are going to compete with the top franchises.
18, 97, 29 all AAA first class
93 contributes 5v5, PP, PK (but still can't put pucks in the net!) Playing with LD, he needs to convert more those AAA chances he gets for this team to go anywhere.
13 works hard, forechecks, fast, big body, net front presence, back checks well (for this team to win more games, he needs a better 5v5 conversion rate for all the AAA chances McD drops for him)
56 .. good speed, good forecheck, steals pucks, good hands.. but due to size, and more importantly strength, gets erased far too easily to enable sustained pressure in the O-zone. There's other guys in the NHL the same height as 56, but way way stronger, kid needs some protein shakes and a gym pass.
44 ? has the tools, but forgets the tool box way too often, seems more mental.. concussion effects?
37, I think he's been putting in the effort consistently, but not getting the pay off, he's a quality NHL 3rd line player, he can help drive a line. But he's been playing with guys like 44, 71, and 10 all year, which aren't really NHL 3rd line level. I think he'd get decent production with a better quality center and RW.
10 had a good pre-season, and early games.. looks like a mess right now, barely 4th line level at the moment, never mind 3rd.
71 is getting better, more comfortable, testing his range in the NHL, but not a driver of a line yet, too many w i d e turns without the puck, needs more straight lines, not enough stops and starts.
Rest of the forwards?? whatev's..
8 looks done like KD dinner. Wheels on the wagon not turning over at NHL pace.
70 Sceviour looks decent enough on the 4th, good speed, engages physically, usually minimal errors.
Perilini will be down in the Bake, maybe he needs some AHL reality therapy. At least he gets more ice time down there, maybe figure out if he really wants to play hockey for a living, maybe get his real estate license during his spare time.
Shore, decent on the PK, good forecheck, usually provides shifts with minimal error.
16.. kid tries really hard, puts in the effort, decent skill, and puck IQ, but his past injury problems to his core have left his speed as a disadvantage.
That's it for now..
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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