Dotchin shouldn't have been out there against that line either. Or Kunitz-Paquette-Cally. They were dragracing us. It was brutal. We looked like a slow team last night. Smh.
I agree about Boston's defensive structure, and it's been an issue for years. Some coaches have an answer for Coop's system, to the point that we end up looking inept. I think our players know it too. Last night they were going through the motions by the end of the game. They know when what they're being asked to do isn't working. It felt a lot like the past two years.
Anyone who's watched this team for more than just a few games here and there knows that the way they're playing right now isn't anything close to the level at which they're capable of playing. The only question mark is whether or not they find a way turn it around. Maybe they don't, but you seem to be suggesting that they won't because they can't, which isn't entirely accurate.
Fair enough. For what it's worth, I agree that Vasy masked problems all year, but I think it's more a case of his play allowing the team to get lazy in front of him. But even that's not really anything new. It was kind of the same with Bishop. And at the end of the day, every Cup pretty much comes down to goaltending. If Rask wets himself Boston will get bounced early too. But Vasy's been one of the best goaltenders in the league all year long, so I like to think we still stand as good a chance as anyone else. It's just a matter of whether or not the team wants to do what they know they have to do. We'll see.
I agree. But it feels like that's being done to us as opposed to us doing it to ourselves. Teams are conceding the perimeter and concentrating on walling off the net. And, yeah, we don't want to put in the work. It kind of feels like teams have our system and tendencies completely pegged.
I call it reality. It's harsh sometimes but I prefer to deal with things that way. Last night? This team hasn't played to its potential since new years.
Yeah I want him there over Dotchin because Dotchin sucks. Thought I had perfectly crystallized that earlier?
You were clearly watching a different game. Dotchin had multiple unforced give aways early and was getting abused by anyone with a pulse. He doesn't skate or react fast enough for a game like last night. He's the best of what's available, I'll give him that, but he was bad even by his own standards.
Everything stemmed from his lack of speed. He had nowhere to hide. He got to every loose puck a beat slow, and he was moving the puck a beat slow. He was on his limit so his passes were rushed and inaccurate, which was slowing Hedman down, and screwing our rush, because by the time he narrowly escaped the forecheck and moved the puck Boston was already set up along the blue line. And because he was with Hedman he was out there with Kuch and Stammer, and his play was impacting what they were able to do. A game like last night is simply too fast for him. That's what I was seeing.
