GDT: Game 59: The Sticky Wicket at 2PM - Oilers @ Coyotes - FSAZ
- Thread starter SniperHF
- Start date
Nothing has changed, good goal tending and solid D trumps all. GAA is 1.0 last 4 games, thats how you win in the NHL (ask Tip)...
Bonsai Tree
Turning a new leaf
- Feb 2, 2014
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TheLegend
Megathread Gadfly
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
Imagine that kid is six foot one and weighs two hundred pounds. That's me.
TheLegend
Megathread Gadfly
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
On the idea that nothing much has changed.
Seems to me that something like what happened in the Sharks game never would have happened in November or even December when the team had that minor not outright garbage stretch.
The team was completely 100% spent by the 3rd period but there were still extra efforts on every clear, swarming in the corners to slow down the play, and forcing the Sharks to ice the puck over and over for the same reason. They lost all capability offensively at times in that game but didn't mope and kept themselves in it with a gutsy effort on 0 energy.
One game isn't the season but that never happens earlier this year. They give up or MAYBE hold on for a 3 on 3.
Seems to me that something like what happened in the Sharks game never would have happened in November or even December when the team had that minor not outright garbage stretch.
The team was completely 100% spent by the 3rd period but there were still extra efforts on every clear, swarming in the corners to slow down the play, and forcing the Sharks to ice the puck over and over for the same reason. They lost all capability offensively at times in that game but didn't mope and kept themselves in it with a gutsy effort on 0 energy.
One game isn't the season but that never happens earlier this year. They give up or MAYBE hold on for a 3 on 3.
Like many of the vets. I wonder why? Hope we stay the course here for next year. A couple of small tweaks and try it again.
My nothing has changed comment has to do with how you win games in the NHL, not the team. The team is playing better, our improvement has been on D and in net. If we hold the other team to one goal, we will win a lot of games even if we are outshot and outplayed, which we have been in several of these wins. I couldn't be happier that we are winning now because winning breeds confidence and more wins. I hope we crush it the rest of the way because it would set the tone for next year. it also makes it easier to evaluate players when we are winning, who contributes, who doesn't.
Name Nameless
Don't go more than 10 seconds back on challenges
- Apr 12, 2017
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I'm not so surprised Stepan - as a cohesion- guy- took some more time to find out how he could make a new team better. Also, I don't think he was that bad the first months as some others here seems to think. The first months were basically destroyed by bad goaltending and other injuries to the team.
Stepan was not good the first part of the year, but I agree, not as bad as most thought. Nobody took the bull by the horns and demanded accountability at the start of the year.
The million dollar question is what has caused the turn around. It wasnt cutting Duke (even though it may have helped) because this change in play has only occurred in the past couple weeks. Tocchet has mentioned how he has adjusted to what worked in Pittsburgh. This baffles me though. Why wouldnt you start the season this way? His "system" at the start of the year looked like Pittsburgh on PCP, because all of the touch passes, cherry picking and how deep the defense played. Maybe he was basing this system off of how he plays EA NHL on his PS4, and not what realistically could happen (hell maybe this how he presented it to Chyaka, playing each other online and RT explaining the system via his headset). Then there are the Richard Morin articles about him having really strong 1:1 conversations with struggling players as of late. One of the articles mentioned how he tried to seperate the human element a little more at the start of the year to be more of a head coach, but ultimately decided to start working with the players on a personal level. Has he just gotten through talking to everyone or something?
Either way the entire team looks great right now, especially the vets. What I would give to understand the sea change, and whatever happened better carry over to next season.
Raanta playing well and our all of our D playing is a big part of it. At the start of the year, OEL/Goose/Demers/Chychrun/Hammer looked like a pretty solid 5 D men, but injuries to Raanta/Hammer hurt us in a big way, they could never get that cohesion going. I think recently they are playing better as a group, limiting quality chances and Raanta has been good behind them too. It also seems like their is more puck support now from the forwards, so maybe Tocc has pulled back his wide open style he was preaching at the start of the year. I am glad it is working lately and hope it continues even though we have been outplayed in a number of games in which we still got points because of our D/Goalie.
I thought our D was terrible at the start of the year, and that includes OEL. Having the D healthy has helped a lot, and the D individually are playing much much better. The team looks to be playing better but if not for Raanta we wouldn't be on this winning streak. He has been lights out.
Hammer's a big part, really the glue on the backend. He's cleaned up a lot of Chych mistakes (types of mistakes you expect from 19 yr old Dmen), averaging 2.36 BS per game and makes the highly intelligent plays we haven't seen from the backend in a few years.
Hammer's a lot more than a carrot to get OEL to resign.....he's a solid player that makes the team better.
BUX7PHX
Registered User
- Jul 7, 2011
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That's what I am trying to understand as well. I am also not putting it past the players to try and do "too much" as well. All it takes is for one skater of the 5 on the ice to be getting themselves out of position and it can affect the entire landscape of how the team plays. But if it came down to having chats and simplifying things in the system, why not make that point #1 at the beginning of the season. Literally tell the team that we are playing this system and we are dumbing it down enough to where most everyone is on the same page through the first month of the season. Then expand on what is working and improve what is not working.
I think that the Duclair trade did clear up some behind-the-scenes stuff and some players may never be happy in a situation, regardless. Maybe he also didn't know the best way to deal with that, since, you know - when you are in Pittsburgh and have Crosby and Malkin available, it is really hard to have (potentially) unhappy players in the lineup.
