What the heck happened there? Huska take a too many men penalty with a minute left and then they score on an empty net on the PP to make it 4-2. Bring back Scorch or prepare for a 0-76 season.
The puck possession game just wasn't there outside of the first period and short spurts in the third.
Something's got to be done about this defense though. Juggle pairings or something until something clicks because they've been dreadful. The offense is there (despite the goal totals). Things are working when they've got the puck. They're getting chances and it's just a matter of time before all that fire power starts to show itself.
It's the defensive game that's ugly and is being exploited. With Yonkman and Stevensen, you've got a slow, lumbering veteran and an ECHL-calibre defender. You've got Sieloff with a grand total of three professional games. Kulak and Culkin are both very young and need to be somewhat protected. So far this year Cundari's been bad as many times as he's been good. Ramage has just been... there. Wotherspoon, while it was just his first game in a long long time, has been and will be a stud.
This is where you start missing guys like Derek Smith and Chad Billins - guys who can take the brunt of the work until the young guys figure things out, like what happened with Wotherspoon last year.
/end rant.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Pierre "Monster" McGuire For This Useful Post:
What the heck happened there? Huska take a too many men penalty with a minute left and then they score on an empty net on the PP to make it 4-2. Bring back Scorch or prepare for a 0-76 season.
The puck possession game just wasn't there outside of the first period and short spurts in the third.
Something's got to be done about this defense though. Juggle pairings or something until something clicks because they've been dreadful. The offense is there (despite the goal totals). Things are working when they've got the puck. They're getting chances and it's just a matter of time before all that fire power starts to show itself.
It's the defensive game that's ugly and is being exploited. With Yonkman and Stevensen, you've got a slow, lumbering veteran and an ECHL-calibre defender. You've got Sieloff with a grand total of three professional games. Kulak and Culkin are both very young and need to be somewhat protected. So far this year Cundari's been bad as many times as he's been good. Ramage has just been... there. Wotherspoon, while it was just his first game in a long long time, has been and will be a stud.
This is where you start missing guys like Derek Smith and Chad Billins - guys who can take the brunt of the work until the young guys figure things out, like what happened with Wotherspoon last year.
/end rant.
I don't think it all falls on the D. The game fell apart at the end and the forwards are as much to blame. As for the D pairings, IMO, the 1st paring should be Cundari and Wootherspoon. They are the only 2 not afraid to play the game and seem to be the most skilled. 2nd pairing could be Acolatse and possibly Kulak. The 3rd pairing would be a mix of Culkin, Yonkman or Sieloff. As for the forwards, look at the cycling down low, they are sustaining little puck possession time. Far as I know there were some injuries from the game but not sure who it was.
The Following User Says Thank You to Lobsterfreak For This Useful Post:
The goaltending has also been poor. When you have 3 D-men that are terrible (Yonkman, Cundari, and Stevensen) that won't help much. There's only so much that Kulak, Sieloff and Wotherspoon can do.
The Addy Flames could use Potter in the worst way.
__________________ Fireside Chat - The #1 Flames Fan Podcast - FiresideChat.ca
The goaltending has also been poor. When you have 3 D-men that are terrible (Yonkman, Cundari, and Stevensen) that won't help much. There's only so much that Kulak, Sieloff and Wotherspoon can do.
The Addy Flames could use Potter in the worst way.
PM said it right, they just need some better combinations on D. The 3 you say are terrible Dmen were the most physical and if not for some of their hits and aggressiveness last night, the team would have gotten slapped harder than a rented mule, by a very physical Rockford team. In a 60 minute game, all D will make a mistake or have a lapse here and there. As well, the goaltender for the Flames was excellent last night.