The Stars play the trap and we have been trapped. Our transition game sucks and defensively (and I've been saying this all year) we give up our blue line way too easily. Once the Stars enter our zone they use their speed and big bodies to cycle and our D is too slow for that.
While I'll cheer to the bitter end I think we are watching the last of our core play together. There will be a different face or two next season. I also believe that Coach Ward and his staff will be gone next year. I thought at one time they were the right guys, but the more I watch this series it reminds me of the Flames being rag-dolled by Colorado. Not good enough.
Agree 100%.....
The core has shown us who they are, and they aren't good enough. Period.
Should be an interesting off-season.
The part that annoys me is there are so many holes.
We aren't fast enough, we aren't big enough, we aren't talented enough, we don't really know what we have in the goaltending duo, coaches aren't good enough, Gio has plummeted to earth with no real true #1 stepping up to take his place, scoring continues to be an issue from our top-end players - I'm looking at you first-line guys, Jesus it's depressing.
We are what we have been for decades. Mediocre. Mediocre in every way possible.
There was a point when we thought we had a superstar in Johnny, but it's now apparent this is far from the case. HE's a super-skilled winger that, given room, can be amazing. Take that space away, and he's a giveaway machine. Worried about every little hit, slash, whack he gets.
I hope to god the Johnny Hockey experiment ends this offseason.
The problem is he's not getting us much in return. He needs to go to a big-bodied team that can shelter him in the manner he requires. He certainly isn't getting us a true #1 center we have needed for, well, ever. We will have to part with one of our young D's and some picks for that. Which exposes our lack of good players going forward.
I think we're in for many more years of being average.
Which, personally, I'm sick and tired of.