The three minutes of PP time stood out like a sore thumb reading the boxscore. But I get this staff definitely has 'different' ideas about how to run a PP (exhibit A: Schlemko on the point) and to be honest the PP's actually done well statistically to this point so it's hard to criticize it.
We have a Power play goal in like 4 games in a row now or something like that and percentage wise we are still top 10 in the league.
So something is working, but maybe it's because there is more talent then past couple of years and not the set up. Then again we have scored some pretty tic-tac-toe goals on it this year and they have involved Schlemko. Not saying we can't tweek it to make it better and obviously the lack of goals on the 5 on 3 is a complete failure.
We lost this game 5 on 5 though. Didn't have their legs again. Second game in a row now. Offensively the play through the neutral zone was bad from the start. Just poor passing between zones. Broken plays leading to dump and chases and little to or no real scoring chances or some time.
Last game the ice played more of w factor but we still weren't breaking out crisply like we did before the road trip.
The defensive zone coverage was weird having so much overcommitment to one side. Hall and Drastali are to fast and skilled to be able to have the one defender be able to cut across in time and that's a lot of defensive work to ask a forward to do.
Maybe it works on most other teams but those two took advantage of it multiple times tonight. Might need to adjust if this is happening a lot or if this was a tonight thing.
Kinky was not solid again. I mean yes there were coverage issues but his positioning was questionable multiple times tonight and he was fighting it a bit. I feel safe in saying Cory stops one or two of the goals tonight on sound positioning alone (and his defense would of owed him drinks). He had some puck handling mistakes too that easily could of ended up in the net. Right now I don't feel confident in him but we have Cory so it's not that big a deal.
I honestly never want to hear Kinky over Cory stuff again. Kinky is solid usually but Cory is just light years better. Some are just way to quick to yell softy or try and take him down for I don't know what reason.
Camm was the worst on the ice tonight. Maybe he was still sick or something because he was out to lunch. Worst game of the year by him. Like uncharistically bad.
I have no idea what to do with JJ. He does almost everything else right but damn he can't score. Tlusty and Tootoo aren't really helping, but he has to put some points up.
Demoting him isn't the answer though because he plays a solid game in almost every other aspect. He is good defensively. He is a good PKer. Putting someone like Kennedy at 3C over him would be a gigantic mistake since Kennedy isn't really even a center. That's knee jerk crap. Down the line we have more centers that will come up and push JJ into a 4C role but right now we don't have anyone who can do that on the main roster. I don't think Elias should play center. Not sure he has enough in the tank.
We do need some extra scoring but we can't be looking to our 4th line to be winning us games. Need more from the top 6 and we really need more from the blue line. Only guy getting pucks on net needs to be Schlemko. Severson has some apples but the rest need to get more pucks on net.
Unmm positives? Penalty kill looks good. Light years better then the beginning of the year.
Final point. The refs were putrid tonight. Awful ticky tack calls against and no call on Lars getting boarded was horse ****. We had PP time to win this game so it's not about that really. It's about Lars could of got seriously hurt there and there was no call. That is what is annoying.
