Post-Game Talk: 2022 End of Season Retrospective

[Svechhammer]

Alright, I did something similar to this at the end of the Regular Season, but now that the season has been done for a week, the exit interviews have wrapped up, and we've had a chance to really digest everything that happened, lets take a look back over the entire course of the year. And what better way to do that than to start a thread that mimics a meeting that everyone in the tech industry is absolutely accustomed to by now..... the Retrospective! Yaaaaay!

Topics are as follows:

1 - How are you feeling about the season as a whole?​

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2 - What are some of the highlights of the year? Any particular moments or players that stood out to you the most?​

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3 - What are the things that worked best for us this year that we should strive to replicate next year? Any particular strategies, styles, or particular players that really excelled?​

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4 - What are the things that absolutely did not work? Any strategies, styles or players that just didn't work out and we should be looking to change direction next year?​

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5 - What changes do you think we need to implement going into next season?​

My intention here is that I'll look into bumping this at the end of next year to help us benchmark where we are then vs where we were now. Could be an interesting look back in 13 months.

Click to read more...

 

[Derailed75]

So my opinion. Dont make while sale changes. We are close like really close, like cup favorite close. Yes we need a pure sniper but outside of that we replace the old guys Cole and Smith are probably both gone although we need someone like them to replace at least one grizzled vet type. Honestly they both played above themselves in the playoffs. Nino and Trotch are both gone although I would like them to keep Nino if they can fit it in the cap. In the Net im really happy with both Raanta and Freddy but Freddy missing the playoffs hurt, if Pyoter can fill the role and we can move Raantas cap for assets that would be ideal. Is Pyoter ready? Thays the question. Absolutely keep the core together and hope Staal has another go in his heart he is much more instrumental in the teams success than fans on here let on.

Being a Browns and Indians fan I have seen to many almost run where for various reason the team is changed too much to get over the hump and its much easier to fall back than make that next jump. No need to make the team worse. As bad as we all felt the Rangers series was we had a 2nd string goalie and hit a lot of pipe in that series against what should be the Venezia winner.

 

[Svechhammer]

Is Pyoter ready? Thays the question.

From what I saw in the playoffs, I don't think he is. Probably needs another half a season to full season with NA coaching and then he'll be ready. No big improvements needed, just a few fixable little things.

 

[Derailed75]

From what I saw in the playoffs, I don't think he is. Probably needs another half a season to full season with NA coaching and then he'll be ready. No big improvements needed, just a few fixable little things.

Can he get there with an offseason of coaching here?

Also add we need cap flexibility going into the trade deadline. Idk know of there was anyone available that could have given us the pure scorer we needed but we were hamstrung and could only make so many moves.

I think Dundon so badly wants to shed the whole cheap stereotype he was happy to be a cap team from the start and that gave no wiggle room.

I know the borgs MO is to make long term moves but at some point with the small roster the NHL has all those great prospects we have equal zero if we can't find a place for them so why keep them all?

 

[HisIceness]

1 - How are you feeling about the season as a whole?

Overall? Letdown to be blunt. Yes, they did break franchise records for wins/points and other things but IMO they started looking burned out right around the all-star break. However it wasn't until March that things went for a turn in the wrong direction and they lost games they should have won. They did "right the ship" right before the playoffs but man, this team could have broken the league record for wins had they put pedal to the medal all season instead of limping to the end.

Playoffs? Well, at least they beat Boston but that shouldn't have gone 7. In fact I'd argue if it wasn't for Rants early save on Hall, the Bruins win that game 7. Can you win a f***ing road game? Geez!

At this point for me, it's Cup or nothing. Breaking records is cool and all but that Stanley Cup calling Raleigh home again like in 2006 is what I ultimately want.

2 - What are some of the highlights of the year? Any particular moments or players that stood out to you the most?

The 9 game winning streak to start the season. The overall positive West coast road trip in November minus that stinker in Seattle. The 7 straight goals in Columbus on NYD. Winning all games in Boston and MSG (except playoffs).

I was impressed overall with the net-minding. Even Alex Lyon had a good showing in his brief time here. I'm sorry to Lafontaine but that was not a good showing, but I ain't mad at the young man, it is what it is. Hopefully Koch blossoms into something awesome.

I liked regular season TDA (playoff TDA not so much). Derek Stepan was a solid find for the 4th line and I wished he saw more action. I thought Fast had a good year. Jarvis appears to be the real deal.

3 - What are the things that worked best for us this year that we should strive to replicate next year? Any particular strategies, styles, or particular players that really excelled?

The PK was on fire. But geez lets stay out the damn box for a change! The PP did it's job in the regular season I suppose but it needs work overall. Continuing to limit the opposition chances but also need to find a way to limit their high-danger chances that we seem to give up a lot in those games that end up being a killer.

4 - What are the things that absolutely did not work? Any strategies, styles or players that just didn't work out and we should be looking to change direction next year?

Please, please please please. No. More. First. Line. Martinook. I do not get it and I will never get it. Way too many times I saw this man flub prime scoring chances, he doesn't have that skillset.

I would like to see more finish on the breakaways/ odd-man rushes. I feel like this team struggles with that.

This team also needs to find ways to do what the 05-06 team did and that's find ways to win games down 2 goals. I think this team got too used to scoring first and then clamping down on defense, when they got scored on first it was bad news.

5 - What changes do you think we need to implement going into next season?

Work on the Power Play (it failed this team in the playoffs). Limit the dumb penalties. Work on late game/EN scenarios.

Going to need to find a 20-30 goal scorer that can offset losing Nino/Tro if they both leave.

I would like for this team to not curl up like a ball when adversity strikes. If someone gets hurt like Jarvis did, send a f***ing message.

If we're rolling with Necas next season, hope he gets better because that was, not what I was hoping.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

1 - How are you feeling about the season as a whole? good season overall. I feel like we haven’t taken the right step, internally, to make us more of a contender. Disappointing end to lay an egg at home though

2 - What are some of the highlights of the year? Any particular moments or players that stood out to you the most? the biggest highlight was the off-season when everyone swore we were going to suck. The Slavin and Turbo goalie moments would be the other.

3 - What are the things that worked best for us this year that we should strive to replicate next year? Any particular strategies, styles, or particular players that really excelled? our system worked for being defensively sound.

4 - What are the things that absolutely did not work? Any strategies, styles or players that just didn't work out and we should be looking to change direction next year?
This has to be our PP after we adjusted a third time and teams stopped it. Have to get guys with good one timers or get guys that are willing to get greasy goals.

5 - What changes do you think we need to implement going into next season?
I would take a little more offensive risk, put guys in between the dots, and less Aho and such on the PK.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Alright, I did something similar to this at the end of the Regular Season, but now that the season has been done for a week, the exit interviews have wrapped up, and we've had a chance to really digest everything that happened, lets take a look back over the entire course of the year. And what better way to do that than to start a thread that mimics a meeting that everyone in the tech industry is absolutely accustomed to by now..... the Retrospective! Yaaaaay!

Topics are as follows:

1 - How are you feeling about the season as a whole?​

​

2 - What are some of the highlights of the year? Any particular moments or players that stood out to you the most?​

​

3 - What are the things that worked best for us this year that we should strive to replicate next year? Any particular strategies, styles, or particular players that really excelled?​

​

4 - What are the things that absolutely did not work? Any strategies, styles or players that just didn't work out and we should be looking to change direction next year?​

​

5 - What changes do you think we need to implement going into next season?​

My intention here is that I'll look into bumping this at the end of next year to help us benchmark where we are then vs where we were now. Could be an interesting look back in 13 months.

I FEEL THIRSTY FOR VENGEANCE.

TAKING VENGEANCE AGAINST BRUINS.

TAKING VENGEANCE.

being pathetic at the worst possible time of the season

I’d say… WE NEED TO TAKE MORE VENGEANCE.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Jauhaa mylly murhesia,
tuottaa tuskan taikinata.
Jauhaa mylly murhesia,
nostattavi vahinkoja…

 

[Svechhammer]

1 - How are you feeling about the season as a whole?

Disappointed at how it ended. Great start to the regular season, but the flatlining toward the end and the wet fart of a playoff run (especially our efforts on the road) pose a lot of questions going forward. Overall, 4 months of great hockey that quickly unraveled as the stakes ramped up.

2 - What are some of the highlights of the year? Any particular moments or players that stood out to you the most?

Jarvis is the real deal. I remember telling my family during the preseason to keep an eye on him, that he just looked that much better than everyone else, and I'm glad that played out like it did. Hope he's able to get back and healthy and bulk up a little this year. He has all the pieces to be a superstar in this league by the end of the decade.

As for a moment, the comeback over Columbus. That came out of nowhere.

3 - What are the things that worked best for us this year that we should strive to replicate next year? Any particular strategies, styles, or particular players that really excelled?

Our situation in goal should be satisfied for a while. Freddie is the big frame calming presence in net that we've needed for a while. Just have to be more careful with his usage going forward. Raanta is a great backup, and would be a great 1a or 1b on any other team, but he's one of those guys who eventually will break down with more ice time. We were forced to lean on him too much in the playoffs, and it eventually broke him. I hope he recovers well, we'll need him next year.

Koochie is the future. Needs a little more coaching in the minors to clean up a few small things we saw late in the year and playoffs (needs to play at the edge of the crease more, game needs to slow down a bit for him) but you can tell he's going to be really good for us down the line. His play could extend our contention window to the end of the decade and beyond if he reaches his potential, which I believe he will.

4 - What are the things that absolutely did not work? Any strategies, styles or players that just didn't work out and we should be looking to change direction next year?

The Power Play is a legit problem at this point. We finished the year something like a pathetic 9 for 90 on the Power Play and that just isn't good enough. You can't win if you don't make teams pay for taking liberties with your players.

5 - What changes do you think we need to implement going into next season?

1 - Take less penalties. Its so bad that we need to get rid of our worst offenders (Tro, Cole) and make a direct effort to clean it up. We bleed penalties during the regular season and it eventually impacts our play in the playoffs. This must be changed.

2 - Need shooters. We have too many passers, not enough scorers. We desperately need one or two snipers who can create their own shot. Our downfall in the playoffs has been that we just can't create offense when the cross ice pass is taken away. We need someone who isn't scared of shooting and can hit a corner without missing the net.

3 - Need to get a little tougher, and possibly bring in a big bodied player who is willing to play over the edge. Past 4 years we've been completely taken out of our game by teams just throwing the body at us and taking away our will to compete. This year it was Trouba and everything he did in that series. Its so consistent that its predictable now. We can't win if we're soft. And I don't care that our hit numbers were up there, when Trouba was running our guys we didn't come to their defense. We played as if we were mentally defeated. That's a recipe for a loss in any playoff series.

4 - New Power Play coach. Whatever we were trying to implement this year didn't work. Not only did it not work but it became a significant weakness by the time the playoffs hit. Eventually, you have to admit a failure in strategy and go a different direction. This offseason needs to be that moment with our power play.

 

[moses malone 12]

From what I saw in the playoffs, I don't think he is. Probably needs another half a season to full season with NA coaching and then he'll be ready. No big improvements needed, just a few fixable little things.

agreed. he's a future number 1 IMO. Looks like his glove hand and/or blocker hand are slow or slightly out of position. shooters were aiming high on him with some success. Fixable.

 

[Chrispy]

1) Feel good about the season as a whole. I was concerned about Andersen/Raanta, about a downgrade from Hamilton, and about not being able to upgrade the top 6 as we were hoping in the offseason. 2 of the 3 turned out to not be issues most of the season, and even the top 6 was scoring well most of the season.

And while the game 7 vs the Rangers was disappointing, vanquishing the Bruins was a major step for this team and may result in a transition period for a franchise that has long tormented this team. That's a good thing.

2) Highlights for me were Jarvis exploding onto the scene and Slavin taking the next step in demonstrating he's a complete #1 D with 33 ES points in 79 games.

3) I think finding a 3LW to keep the cycle line with Staal and Fast intact will be a key, whether Nino re-signs and maybe moves up to the top 6 or leaves. The forecheck worked well all season and the PK looked fantastic, to the point the team was less concerned about penalties than they should have been. But the PK style should be maintained with fewer penalties.

4) What didn't work? 4th line players in the top 6, whether Martinook, Lorentz, Kotkaniemi on the wing. I won't put Domi in there as he was dumped on the 4th line almost as a necessity, although he didn't show much outside of game 7 vs Boston. That alone was worth the price. Failing to make adjustments in sending out lines in road games in the playoffs was a failure. I don't know if changing the lines would have helped, but just sending over the same lines for full shifts certainly didn't.

5) Changes? I'd like to see a top 4 defensive D who can be paired with Skjei (reunite Slavin-Pesce) or Slavin to let Slavin show off more of the offensive acumen we saw this year. That would give TDA the chance to feast more on lower pairings as he did early on and focus more on PP time.

Top 6 forward improvement is a must, or at least a sniper wing who can help on the PP. If they can't land a top tier player, I am not opposed to trying Kessel or Hoffman for cheap to see if they can help the PP. Give them limited minutes on a lower line in advantageous situations along with Kotkaniemi and maybe Necas and see what happens.

Figure Necas out. I don't think they will get the value they need to for him, so get him on the ice or in a room and fix the issues he has. Get him enjoying himself and trying things with less fear again. He's going to turn the puck over on occasion, but he looked afraid to in 2022.

 

[Borsig]

From what I saw in the playoffs, I don't think he is. Probably needs another half a season to full season with NA coaching and then he'll be ready. No big improvements needed, just a few fixable little things.

NO. He is not.