Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
You don’t need to have a center who is a genius to make the decision that Johnny isn’t the go to puck carrier more often than not
All you need is to decide that the center will some of the time carry the puck down the middle with both wingers going north south up their respective sides. Toronto looked like they drew up some zone entries on a table hockey game, and several times used it to gain the zone with ease against Calgary
One thing I saw Calgary doing in a few early games with Sutter was also that the chaser was hitting the blue line with speed. If it was being dumped, the dumper has to put it in while they are onside. I saw them have to turn back and tag up a few times against Ottawa.
And they are clearly adjusting to Sutter. Last game was brutal to watch with so many picks rimmed around from the left side to the right D, couple with short shifts, the forwards not being traffic for point shots as their 30 seconds were up and they were headed to the bench. Awful timing
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I noticed in the Toronto games that Ritchie was getting the puck and dumping. The puck went from Monahan, who had retrieved the puck in the D zone, to Gaudreau who brought it out and hit Ritchie going up the RW, who then dumps it in. But that's F'd up because Gaudreau's not going to be effective chasing and Monahan was the deepest forward in the D zone, so he was not going to be getting there in time to dig it.
Gaudreau doesn't have to be funneled either. He too often consciously goes to the left boards when he doesn't have to. Nothing is stopping him from skating up the middle of the ice. And when he's funnelled he stops skating even when he dumps. No reason to stop and not help with the chase.