No top liners gettin proper in game action to get sync'd.
AHL lineups night after night, no mainstays truly getting used to the new system.
Not 1 game with an almost starting lineup, hence getting crushed and looking real bad vs Vancouver.
Not 1 game with our top 4 D playing together, how can we tell if they will in fact control the flow of the new system...?
....
Now, first 10 games will be some players getting back to game speed.
Players getting used to each other at game speed and learning to read line-mates new tendencies with the new system.
First 20 games will be sorting out the bottom 3 D as they are going to look like a liability. (Wideman still trying to backhand everything out of his own zone and batting at pucks that he should just be letting go by, essentially trying to do too much while actually not doing anything at all)
April 15 2017- 5 points or so out and missing the playoffs and wondering where it all went wrong..?
Well, just look at pre-season, and first 10 games.
The new system, not playing a starting lineup enough in pre-season, not having our proper starting line-up at all through the pre-season, will all add up to the same distraction and result as the 3 headed goalie monster last year.
Sorry for the Debbie downer post, but I'm really struggling to see how this team comes out and actually competes right from the get go.
I hope I'm wrong on all accounts.
|