Our system

[Delthefunky]

Aside from the inability to execute right now, for whatever reason, I think other teams are content to just clog up the slot and crease and wait for us to pass into a turnover. Right now we're not creating enough chances, let alone burrying them. This is masked a bit on the road, since we can score more off the rush as the other team presses.

To me, we shouldn't just have one system, we should be dynamic and able adapt as the opposition plays us differently game to game or period to period.

Two problems to me right now is that our breakout is too predictable and static, and once in their zone we make poor decisions and plays.

I'd like to see the team stretch their breakout a little more. I don't mean to go all Hartley, just something that keeps the other team honest. At times even invite the other team further into our zone, as long as we keep a strong defensive shape. Right now we're trying to break them up at our blueline, but our D is strong and between Gio, Hamilton and Hamonic we can battle more in the corners too. Since the other team is in our zone, this frees up the neutral zone more once we break their play up. Right now our D get the puck and then pass back and forth giving the other team time to get back and invite us into a wall which we're forced to try and penetrate. At times we should have a forward who can anticipate a turnover in our zone and make a rush up ice.

On top of that, once we gain control of their zone, keep possession and be patient. We're not a full crash and bang team, but we have some good playmakers. I know everyone is just saying "shoot more", but to me we're just forcing passes that aren't there. If the other team is just going to give us the perimeter, we should take it and just wait to draw them out of position, then make the pass into the slot or to one of our D-men. Right now we're losing puck battles down low, and in the slot. This also involves our D shooting more and that is a strength.


I know that this isn't the only issue, im just trying to think of solutions instead of blaming the players or the coaches -- i'm a bit frustrated with a lot of things surrounding the team. This is just something that I'm seeing. To me it fits our forwards better, because for the most part (in theory) they're defensively minded and have good hockey sense. It also suits our D more because they should be strong and smart enough to keep play to the outside and win puck battles, along with contributing in the O-zone.