by The U on Thu Nov 14, 2013 10:42 am
1. Every NHL goalie looks great with no traffic in front. These "hot goalies" we keep running into are our own doing.
2. The third line has been a jumble of players but no matter who the three skaters are, they have no life or energy. They're just three guys. They look like three guys you pick to play together during an exhibition/preseason game. What is that line's role? Hitting, scoring, defense? Right now they have no identity. The other 3 lines at least have an identity.
3. Brandon Sutter continues to just be "a guy" IMO. He makes some smart plays and flashes some nice defense but he is not the defensive guru or shut-down guy that many pretend he is. Does he get the opponent's number 1 Center off his game with his gritty, feisty, tenacious defense? Does he go to the front of the net and offer a big body presence in the paint on offense? I don't want the guy traded away or benched but I just think he's a bit underwhelming.
4. What did Megna do to get scratched and then sent to WBS? Too fast? Too many goals? To much skill? D'Agostini has done nothing to push Megna to the box.
5. Rip the jersey numbers and names off the players backs and watch them play and a stranger would have a hard time picking out which defenseman is the "elite" $7 million dollar player. I like Letang but he needs to be playing at an All-Star level on most nights. Not happening right now. Whether you love him or hate him, he'll either play great and be a mainstay on this roster for a long time, or he'll be traded away at some point and bring back a King's Ransom. Either way, we benefit.
6. James Neal typically has a power forward/physical presence to his game. He has none of that right now due to his injury I'm assuming.
7. This team is obsessed with streaking into the opponents zone and then pulling up and waiting for a trailer. Maybe two or three times per game somebody will lower their shoulder and make a power move to the net. This is another example of everything being based on finesse and tic-tac-toe hockey. Everything has to go exactly as planned to score when you are a finesse team. You will rarely get garbage goals, lucky bounces, etc. Everyone offensive possession is one-and-done, no cycling, no net pressure.
8. The team is small and soft. I feel like just about every forward is 5'11. This team needs to add some size and grit to the bottom six.... not to fight, but to play a tough game. I'd put one on line 3 and I'd put one on line 4 in place of Craig Adams.
9. Time to jumble some lines. The top six forwards need a spark and the third line are zombies. The 4th line is fine but would be improved by swapping out Adams for a Glass/Vitale clone that maybe has more size.