Quote:
Originally Posted by hurtin_albertan
I've seen Glencross taking heat for that play a few times today, and while I understand the sentiment that he could have done more, his responsibility as a winger and the fourth guy into the play is definitely up high as opposed to down low. The way I saw it Stajan was there to cover up down low so Glencross tapped his stick on the ice to try to fool the Stars player into making an errant drop pass, and then curls out to the boards as he's anticipating Stajan getting to the puck and needing immediate help getting rid of it. In hindsight Stajan really should have been focused on tying up the forward who recieved the pass rather than trying to intercept it, as he didn't get enough of it and poked the puck right onto the Stars player's stick.
The alternative here is that Glencross comes right in on the forward along with Stajan which probably would have prevented that scoring chance, but then his point man is WIDE open should the puck make it back there. You often hear analysts talk about teams running around in their own zone becoming "puck focused", which is exactly what ensues most of the time when a winger goes this route - you've got both defensemen, the center, and a winger down low or in front of the net, and coverages become completely lost. If the point man becomes wide open and puts a shot in through the massive screen in front we would be blasting Glencross for abandoning his assignment.
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Incorrect - in that situation you leave the point open. So what if the puck gets back there for an open shot - better to give that shot up from distance than an easy tap in.
It was a typical play by Glencross which is what Flames forwards do this year - a street hockey play where you just wait for the defense to somehow get the puck back and throw it up to you for another offensive rush.
Other teams must love playing the Flames - almost every goal scored on them is an easy tap-in.
Remember how in 2006 in order to score on Calgary you basically needed to get a lucky point shot through that got tipped in front. Things have changed.