Quote:
Originally Posted by taxbuster
In one respect it's actually rather simple: shot location.
Per an earlier post I made...when a good shot is made from the blue line at something close to 100 mph it traverses the 64' in something like half a second. Most are probably somewhat slower than that...so let's say .75 sec.
That is more than ample time for an NHL goalie to set, move, position, track and stop a puck from a clear shot. Even a blazing shot at 100 mph gives him just under a half second to set. That's pretty doable by today's goalies.
All those long shots get soaked up most of the time, or deflected...and that slows the puck too...more time.
The more shots taken from there, the less likely a goal will be scored.
There was, on the Fan960 on some holiday a discussion about how boxes and movement were formed by COL in the last playoff and how subbing one guy in and out on the PP, or even 5-on-5 allowed them to shoot from closer in, creating less time for goalies and D-men to adjust. Flames don't really do that. It's always back to Raz to play pitch and catch with Lindy. Not a recipe for PP success or even strength opportunities.
Are there other issues? Sure...lack of physical play too often, bad starts, crappy 'tending...this list is long this year.
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Personally, I think all this low vs high quality shot talk has been overstated a bit. Does Darryl emphasis a lot of point shots, sure. But is it that reason this team has struggled to score? I don’t think so. I mean, last year’s #6 ranked offense played in the exact same system with the exact same tactics and strategies. So why did these tactics work last year, but this year hasn’t? Is it the tactics or is it the players?
For me, it’s the players. Sure, point shots are low quality shots that have a low percentage of going in. But it’s probably akin to that of a dman ringing the puck around the boards instead. Both plays effectively ease the pressure and direct it elsewhere. If the 5 guys do their jobs and check properly, then it really shouldn’t matter whether it’s a point shot or a ring around or even a puck flip. The team should be able to still retain possession, read and make plays.
Last year’s 1st line was brilliant in this regard. They played under the very same tactics, but they were successful not only because they checked effectively, but they also took advantage of the chaos that ensued to find seams and openings to create dangerous chances from the slot. This team lacks that kind of ability. They don’t have the types of players with the vision, skill and awareness to make quick reads and execute pinpoint plays.