GDT: Game 4: Islanders @ Sharks, 7:30pm

[hohosaregood]

Guys have to realize they need to play the FULL 60 minutes. This includes shooting, backchecking, skating hard on every shift, playing to the best of your abilities. I love Lebanc's improvement this year, but he scores early and becomes invisible in periods 2 and 3. Pavs' frustration was good to see because he will end his slump and go on a tear shortly (Crossing fingers). Alot of other guys are invisible for 3 full periods (Braun is the big one). Earth to Couture?? The Islanders blocked alot of shots and Greiss was the difference. We are paying Jumbo 6.5 M this final year to float on the ice?? Alot of boneheaded passes from our D in our own end are killing us.

One of my bigger problems with the top 6 vets right now is that they don't skate it deep into the zone right now. What I've noticed with guys like Hertl and Labanc is that they take the effort to try and skate it past the defender in the blue zone. Pavs, Couture, Thornton don't seem to do that with consistency right now.

 

[Lebanezer]

Too many guys are playing way too slow right now. Clearly the addition of Ryan and Heed on the back end has helped the breakouts tremendously, but other guys need to speed up. Also, and I know the Sharks were losing, but I didn't expect to see Heed playing more than Braun at any point this season. The amount of time that Ryan and Heed are getting gives me some hope that the coaching staff recognizes that we need more multi-dimensional defenseman. I thought that Braun and Vlasic looked slow and ineffective.

 

[Negatively Positive]

It was nice to see Heed as the extra attacker with the empty net. It means they respect his offensive ability. They also trusted Ryan to hold the lead late against Buffalo.

 

[Alwalys]

So far every interview I've heard with Burns has had some kind of exasperation or disdain in it. And he is playing to that standard. I don't like it.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

So far every interview I've heard with Burns has had some kind of exasperation or disdain in it. And he is playing to that standard. I don't like it.

Could be just frustration. It has been a terrible start for him as well as the team.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

One of my bigger problems with the top 6 vets right now is that they don't skate it deep into the zone right now. What I've noticed with guys like Hertl and Labanc is that they take the effort to try and skate it past the defender in the blue zone. Pavs, Couture, Thornton don't seem to do that with consistency right now.

I agree pretty much but there's going to be some inherent flaws with this roster that just won't be solved by letting it play out. I just don't see Pavs turning it on unless Thornton and/or Burns return to their more beastly form. He is completely dependent on them to produce because he doesn't manufacture offense on his own anymore. I just don't see Burns repeating what he did last year just because teams are adjusting to him and there isn't enough talent up front right now to warrant other teams drifting away from Burns. Teams know he is the catalyst and the rest of the team is pretty much average when it comes to offense right now. I just don't see Couture and Hertl working out long term together. They're too slow and Boedker is not enough of a gamebreaker nor is he enough of a puck hog and playmaker to maximize what Hertl and Couture can do. And that 3rd line is not going to match up well on most nights against other teams with Tierney centering it. Tierney and Donskoi can control play pretty well together but neither have really been doing anything with it once they get it other than the game against Buffalo.

I think Thornton can get better but it may take a while. I don't think his knee is as good as he may say it is. There's just no way. He may not get into form until New Year's given the kind of injury he suffered.

I do like our blue line as it is right now with Martin out. When he's ready, I wouldn't mind swapping him and Dillon regularly and keeping Ryan and Heed in the lineup. However, I can see DeBoer benching Heed for DeMelo relatively soon. Heed has done pretty well for his inexperience but there's enough mistakes in there where they may think a swap makes sense. I wouldn't agree with it given what Heed's benefits are but I can see them doing it anyway. Ryan also looked a little shaky in the last game but since they don't have any other options there, he'll get a chance to work it out and I think he will.