What happened to our relentless forcheck that made us so successful last year? It was there in the third but the first two periods it was dump with no chase. Yandle stuck out in the worst possible way. Tippett needs to drill "keep it simple" into his head. I'm really hoping Smith is just rusty because if he is going to play like this all season we're in trouble.
On a positive note, Doan was a monster. Hitting everything, forcing turnovers, creating chances and scoring. Boedker was really good as well, his speed is deadly.I'd really like to see Korpikoski slide in with Hanzal and Vrbata. Korpo has looked really good so far.
Tippett needs to drill "keep it simple" into all of our players heads. Too many players are trying for the clever play instead of the safe play. Probably cost us a win in Dallas, and maybe cost us a chance to push this game to OT.
I'm also not going to put it entirely on Smith - some of those goals he'd like to have back, but I believe he also stopped about 3 breakaway attempts. Two of Chicago's goals were lasers into the upper 90 degrees on both the right and left side. There are some pieces that he needs to shore up, for sure, but he has kept us competitive, too.
Now on to Yandle - we know he has talent. The issue for me has always been defensive play and progressing into a better player. He continues to make the same mistakes year after year. Blind passes to no one (the one in the 3rd right down the middle of the ice) do not usually go well. Trying to golf a bouncing puck on the ice in the first 5 minutes of the Dallas game. Yes, he makes some great plays - the assist to Doan was fantastic. But for every good play he makes, he gets caught out of position twice.
This isn't a "trying too hard" or a "justifying contract" thing. He has gotten better in some areas, but for the most part, I think that I'm spot on when I say that he acts with a sense of entitlement, as if though he doesn't have to work on certain pieces of his game and it will just come to him, supposedly. Or he will get the benefit of the doubt on calls. The 'A' is almost like the ring in Lord of the Rings. Everyone wants it, but once you have it, you determine your course, and when players use it as a symbol of power, not as a symbol of continuing to improve for the sake of others around you, it leads to this.
When we are winning, it is easy to hide that he doesn't play well, b/c winning cures all.