GDT: Game 11: Ottawa Senators Vs Vegas Golden Knights | 5:00PM | Score Lots Of Goals Edition
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Nevada Jones
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VegasKnightlife
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- Aug 20, 2017
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Speaking of, I just checked and Vegas currently has the worst shooting percentage in the NHL at 6.3%
I mean...considering the worst SH% last year was 7.7% (Buffalo), you'd think that's due to improve. I mean it HAS to, right?
Didn't want to make a separate thread for this but at the 11 game mark I have to vent about a couple things. I know this team is suffering from some injuries, but there's a couple hings that have been on my mind.
1.) Vegas' inability to deal with collapse defense.
Yes, this is on the heels of a team record setting 52 SOG performance. Putting aside the league low shooting percentage, is just how much Vegas seems to think that just shooting or passing through a parked bus defense will result in tangible results. Yes, they broke through with some very high danger chances that Anderson stonewalled, but with how bad Ottawa was tonight, Vegas could have realistically hit 60-70 SOG tonight. I'm struggling to find the total shots attempted for the night but I would guess that at worst it was around 85 but probably closer to 90. Ottawa wasn't doing anything special to stifle chances. They just took positioning in front of the net in a four man collapse with one guy leaving the collapse to chase the puck carrier until it moved then right back into the collapse set up. Typically an NHL team will either do this or play man defense. Vegas was so fast last year that teams were always suckered into playing man defense, and the way we'd attack on the rush it led to many open passing lanes. That isn't flying anymore. Teams are being forced to play collapse defense on us. And the thing is, they tried it last year too. The answer we had then was to cycle around the perimeter hard, maybe have guy cut through the collapse and drop the puck off for the defender, or cycle around the boards and behind the net in an effort to break the defense's collapse set up and start chasing the puck more. That isn't Vegas' answer this year. This year, they set up a 2-3 or 3-2 umbrella and stay pretty stationary and try to force the puck through. We're 1/8th of the way into the season and either the players or the coach doesn't realize this isn't working. It's not working on the powerplay and it's not working 5 on 5. This team has the 8th best SF/g in the league but if most of the shots are low danger, then it results in a league worst shooting percentage. I know the temptation is to try for that cross ice one-time play, but Vegas isn't forcing those passing lanes open the way they used to. It's maddening to watch.
2.) John Merrill seriously sucks.
I feel I need to call special attention to this. The defense without Schmidt hasn't been perfect. Luckily for the Knights, with the forwards still coming down to help the defense, they're the second best shot suppressing team in the league. But with scoring relatively low, Fleury needs to keep the GA at 2 or under to win games at the moment. And that's not always gonna happen. And the D as a whole, from a defensive only perspective has been relatively meh to weak. Theodore has been okay in this regard, McNabb has been okay, Miller has been pretty meh, Engelland too, Holden has had his bright moments but has also had some really terrible ones. But of the regulars, Merrill has been atrocious. For every 1 competent defensive play he makes, he makes 5 bad ones. Tonight, on the third goal you can see just what a deer in headlights the guy is. He doesn't even realize the goal scorer is open on the wing until after the shot has already been taken. I remember seeing one replay angle of the goal where even after I knew the goal was scored my gut instinct watching Merrill not even steal one glance to his left my head was screaming "how do you not know he's there?!?" All the times Washington burned us with passes to an open winger, you'd think all our defenders would keep themselves aware of where all 5 attackers are at all times. Nope. Not Merrill. He gets beat often, he makes bad passes, he only seems to be aware of what's going on 1/4th of the time if that. And despite all this, for some inexplicable reason, Gallant trusts him. At this point, Jake Bischoff could not be much worse than this guy. When Schmidt comes back, I hope to never see him again. I cringe every damn time I see #15.
1.) Vegas' inability to deal with collapse defense.
Yes, this is on the heels of a team record setting 52 SOG performance. Putting aside the league low shooting percentage, is just how much Vegas seems to think that just shooting or passing through a parked bus defense will result in tangible results. Yes, they broke through with some very high danger chances that Anderson stonewalled, but with how bad Ottawa was tonight, Vegas could have realistically hit 60-70 SOG tonight. I'm struggling to find the total shots attempted for the night but I would guess that at worst it was around 85 but probably closer to 90. Ottawa wasn't doing anything special to stifle chances. They just took positioning in front of the net in a four man collapse with one guy leaving the collapse to chase the puck carrier until it moved then right back into the collapse set up. Typically an NHL team will either do this or play man defense. Vegas was so fast last year that teams were always suckered into playing man defense, and the way we'd attack on the rush it led to many open passing lanes. That isn't flying anymore. Teams are being forced to play collapse defense on us. And the thing is, they tried it last year too. The answer we had then was to cycle around the perimeter hard, maybe have guy cut through the collapse and drop the puck off for the defender, or cycle around the boards and behind the net in an effort to break the defense's collapse set up and start chasing the puck more. That isn't Vegas' answer this year. This year, they set up a 2-3 or 3-2 umbrella and stay pretty stationary and try to force the puck through. We're 1/8th of the way into the season and either the players or the coach doesn't realize this isn't working. It's not working on the powerplay and it's not working 5 on 5. This team has the 8th best SF/g in the league but if most of the shots are low danger, then it results in a league worst shooting percentage. I know the temptation is to try for that cross ice one-time play, but Vegas isn't forcing those passing lanes open the way they used to. It's maddening to watch.
2.) John Merrill seriously sucks.
I feel I need to call special attention to this. The defense without Schmidt hasn't been perfect. Luckily for the Knights, with the forwards still coming down to help the defense, they're the second best shot suppressing team in the league. But with scoring relatively low, Fleury needs to keep the GA at 2 or under to win games at the moment. And that's not always gonna happen. And the D as a whole, from a defensive only perspective has been relatively meh to weak. Theodore has been okay in this regard, McNabb has been okay, Miller has been pretty meh, Engelland too, Holden has had his bright moments but has also had some really terrible ones. But of the regulars, Merrill has been atrocious. For every 1 competent defensive play he makes, he makes 5 bad ones. Tonight, on the third goal you can see just what a deer in headlights the guy is. He doesn't even realize the goal scorer is open on the wing until after the shot has already been taken. I remember seeing one replay angle of the goal where even after I knew the goal was scored my gut instinct watching Merrill not even steal one glance to his left my head was screaming "how do you not know he's there?!?" All the times Washington burned us with passes to an open winger, you'd think all our defenders would keep themselves aware of where all 5 attackers are at all times. Nope. Not Merrill. He gets beat often, he makes bad passes, he only seems to be aware of what's going on 1/4th of the time if that. And despite all this, for some inexplicable reason, Gallant trusts him. At this point, Jake Bischoff could not be much worse than this guy. When Schmidt comes back, I hope to never see him again. I cringe every damn time I see #15.
LadyStanley
Registered User
GKG18
Expansion Fan
Han, you make some good points and I strongly agree with the first one. I hate to say this out loud, but we miss having Perron with his puck handling skills out there. When he had the puck, his vision was superior, things just tended to spread out when he carried it and I just don't see that with anyone this season. There are too many forced passes and not enough O zone control. And I replayed a lot of possessions where they just parked 4 in front. Pretty simple. But turk knows this. The only way to work around it is to work around it.
And Merril... yeah, but he stuck up for Eakin...
And Merril... yeah, but he stuck up for Eakin...
I'm glad Merrill did that but he really needs to improve if he wants to cut it in the NHL.
Nevada Jones
I like hockey.
