Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasi
Last year he was willing to let the Gaudreau line play a different style because while it was not dump and chase it did a very good job of puck control and limiting chances again. No one in the team is getting that same leeway this year. And has shown above the team was absolutely reliant on that since the other three lines were dead neutral in goal differential.
|
I don’t think the top line was afforded the ability to play different, they just happened to have skilled players who could do different that others couldn’t dream of doing. Gaudreau and Tkachuk for instance, who on this team right now has the poise and ability to break down defensive structures and draw double teams like these 2 could, no one. These were special players doing special things each night and the opposition had the unenviable task of trying to contain them both of them every shift.
Based on what I saw, they also played Darryl’s checking style to a T last year. They were easily the best checking line I’ve ever personally seen, hence their absolutely absurd even strength goal differential. They defined the “give them nothing, but take everything from them” mentality. They checked really well in all 3 zones and turned every opportunity into a counter attack.
It’s just different this year though, no one line on this team can go full Matrix on the opposition, so they have to score the more conventional way, work hard, lots of pucks to the net, traffic, crowd the crease, greasy goals and etc etc. There’s no doubt it’s the harder way to score which is why this team is having a helluva time doing so despite constantly outworking and outshooting their opponents.
As you said, the team was very reliant on the top line last season, he also knew it, so why would Darryl take that away? Because he wants to score less? No, it’s more so the players needing to dump and chase because they have no other choice. After-all, it takes a lot of ability to score on the rush and the 2 best guys at that are now gone.