Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
I really don't mind the entries. It works almost every time, and if that ain't broken, don't try and fix it. IMO the issue is with the speed and crispness of their passes. They don't whip it to each other to create an open chance. They don't get to rebounds in time (how many were just poked away in Edmonton?). They don't get it to the high slot where Monahan should be. They don't get it to the back door, where Tkachuk should be. It's mainly the fault of the perimeter guys - Gaudreau, Gio, Backlund.
|
Totally agreed that this is the issue.
Outside of Gaudreau at the absolute peak of his game, you can't beat a defense in one pass. The good PPs fire the puck around to change the angles and the passing lanes, and capitalize when the PKers don't react correctly, or quickly enough.
There are so many options we don't regularly take advantage of:
- Have Tkachuk move out to the corner to receive a pass
- Have the wing (Gaudreau/Backlund) without the puck go to the net for a backdoor pass
- Have Giordano slide over to the right faceoff circle for a one-timer
- Move Monahan more to the high slot to open up a shot, and create space for a cross-seam pass
- Rotate Tkachuk, Monahan, and Backlund: have Tkachuk move away from the net and receive a pass, Monahan goes to the crease, and Backlund goes to the slot
I think the other theme here is movement. Once we get all 5 guys into their spots, we don't move around a lot. Slow puck movement + stationary attackers is the easiest combo to defend against. Just a little bit of rotation and swapping places would go a long way.