There's at least a bit of blame to go with Peters' system, given how generally poorly the Canes have been executing the pinch - pass to the middle, rush approach. How many games have our D-men (sometimes forwards) fail on a pass in the defensive zone, giving it right up to an opponent in front of the net? I think Faulk had 2 against VGK that I recall. The other truth is that the Canes are not an exceptionally skilled team, soup to nuts. Many guys have "a" skill - a shot, speed, good stick, good skating. How many of them have 2 or 3 of those skills at the same time? Aho? We know where he is, counting red and green m&ms and reciting fairy tales in german for a few more days/weeks. Who's left?
Skinner can skate as long as he doesn't touch the puck at the same time. His shot is okay but he floats around the outside.
Staal is a great defensive center and decent linemate, but has zero touch.
Williams grinds hard and handles the puck decently, but even he won't do much more than that.
Nordstrom, McGinn, PDG, all love to skate really fast, and then turn the puck over or lose it on the boards.
Lindholm is trying, there may be hope for him.
Stempniak was off for almost a year, but is a good playmaker for Skinner (see his notes above)
I'm always struck and the gap in quality of stick-to-stick passes, laser-sharp puck cycling, airing on passes, all the little things that make a team better and give any goalie a bit more confidence and comfort with a team's "rhythm"
We just don't have the quality we need yet. We can get it (Mr. Dundon) but it's not here this year. We have a game where they tease with what could be, and then throw up a stinker (revert to the norm?) that shows what this team truly is.
