GDT: GDT #24 New York Islanders vs San Jose Sharks | December 5th | 7:30 PM | F/5-4 OTL

[periferal]

Just finished watching the game, then came here to see if Lambert has been fired yet. It's time.

These blown leads and blown games is more than a trend and he hasn't figured out a way to stop it from happening. It's time to go after you blow a 4-1 third period lead to the worst team in the NHL.

How does this idiot still have a job?

Whatever the reason I know it's not Lou's fault.

 

[doublechili]

Yeah, it's kind of bizarre. I'd guess (and it's purely a guess) that the idea is to pressure the opposition into a mistake quickly to counter attack and limit their zone time. Great in theory but what's actually happening is the timing is off for whatever reason, a fumble here or a weird bounce there, and then it's a disaster.

I'm looking back at the goals from last night right now. Hertl's first goal is a very stereotypical for this team right now. Reilly is defending the puck carrier and flies by him behind the net as the carrier stops behind the goal line and throws the puck out towards the crease. Mayfield is nearby, and Horvat is above him, with only one Sharks player in the frame. Mayfield has a tough time handling the puck at the near post and tries to flip it into the corner. Now there are two Sharks players on the near side post with Mayfield right there and Horvat about three feet further away but still in fine position. Reilly and I think Barzal are both in frame still with no other Sharks player around. Mayfield and Horvat go below the goal line on the near side, Barzal goes to the faceoff dot and swings towards the wall for a breakout pass, while Reilly is on the far post. San Jose was able to retrieve the puck behind the net and dish it out into the high slot for a wide open shot from Hertl. When the pass is made a fifth Islanders, presumably Lee, is in the frame on the far side interior hash mark. So that's 5 Islanders players at or below the hash marks, only two Sharks players that deep, and nobody is covering the most valuable part of the ice. It's like Lee and Barzal are both anticipating the breakout even though the puck was never cleanly handled or retrieved. Reilly looks like he's expecting the puck carrier to go behind the net and he's going to cut them off. Instead, it's in the back of the net. That's just piss poor communication or coverage. 5 Islanders can't be that low and not covering anything of value.

The second goal was a deflection off a Pulock turnover in a bad spot, while the next two were extra attacker situations so a bit harder to dissect, though the second one of those is oddly similar to the first goal.

Puck goes below the goal line, the puck carrier is covered by Horvat, Romanov has Hertl and angles him off behind the net. The puck carrier goes from the corner towards the back of the net, Mayfield inexplicably charges in trying to cut off the pass from the puck carrier to Hertl, even though Romanov has Hertl covered on the back post already and Horvat is covering the puck carrier and not allowing him to get the puck to the slot. The puck carrier pulls up and reverses the puck. At the time of the reception of this pass there are two Islanders below the goal line covering the same player, both wingers (Holmstrom and Lee) are in the frame, and Romanov is leaving the back post to take the puck carrier who is attacking the net since both of his defensive partners are out of position behind the goal line. They're scored on because Romanov had to leave his position back post and Hertl gets the tap in. There are 5 Islanders in the frame and only 3 Sharks, but there's still a goal against. Some might blame Lee for just staring at Hertl and not rushing to him but that's a very difficult position to be in as a winger, especially down a man already. It is not his fault for the breakdown, it's Mayfield trying to double that puck carrier behind the net that causes the issue. If he just stayed where he was he would've been in perfect position to defend the first pass that reversed play towards the near wall.

I put the loss on coaching, but I agree that Mayfield made some bad plays. I forgot which goal at the end, but he even made a soft clear (trying to avoid an icing, I guess) that the point man kept in and then they scored. Just ice it, reset and try to win the faceoff - don't basically pass it to their point man.

Mayfield is a guy who benefits from playing in a structured defensive system. He's far from the only one on the roster. There are too many square pegs trying to fit into round holes right now. The team looks confused and not confident.

 

[BelovedIsles]

A lot of hot takes. Weed through that and the consensus is: Lane has got to go.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I haven't posted yet on this... It has taken me a bit to process what we saw the other night.

I actually saw that PP goal from Pulock and thought, "Yes, now we won't blow that 2-goal lead here in the third."

The utter failure that continues to take place over the final 15 minutes of any given game just leaves me absolutely dumbstruck. And with just about every goal against, you can look at a replay and see how something, usually an incorrect positioning decision, occurs 2-7 seconds before the goal against. You can see it coming.

I don't know what the guys are thinking in that locker room or if they have the pride to simply look in the mirror or at each other and say, "I will not allow myself to become somebody's bitch like this. I simply will not allow it to happen. I have too much pride in myself and in this group to allow it. It will only be done over my dead body."

I mean, at some point, it all comes down to that. Simply choosing not to be the other team's bitch.

Now, when you have a guy in goal who came into this season as one of the top 3-5 goalies in hockey and a tandem widely considered among the top 3 (listed as 2nd best by The Hockey News), what we're seeing could happen every now and again, but it can't be happening this regularly. It can't be a regular occurance.

When you're among the best at your craft, this can't be taking place with this kind of regularity.

I love Sorokin as much as the next guy, but something is wrong.

And this just hurts to see:

 

[MJF]

Puck goes below the goal line, the puck carrier is covered by Horvat, Romanov has Hertl and angles him off behind the net. The puck carrier goes from the corner towards the back of the net, Mayfield inexplicably charges in trying to cut off the pass from the puck carrier to Hertl, even though Romanov has Hertl covered on the back post already and Horvat is covering the puck carrier and not allowing him to get the puck to the slot. The puck carrier pulls up and reverses the puck. At the time of the reception of this pass there are two Islanders below the goal line covering the same player, both wingers (Holmstrom and Lee) are in the frame, and Romanov is leaving the back post to take the puck carrier who is attacking the net since both of his defensive partners are out of position behind the goal line. They're scored on because Romanov had to leave his position back post and Hertl gets the tap in. There are 5 Islanders in the frame and only 3 Sharks, but there's still a goal against. Some might blame Lee for just staring at Hertl and not rushing to him but that's a very difficult position to be in as a winger, especially down a man already. It is not his fault for the breakdown, it's Mayfield trying to double that puck carrier behind the net that causes the issue. If he just stayed where he was he would've been in perfect position to defend the first pass that reversed play towards the near wall.

I think it's fair to say that the player most negatively affected by Trotz's departure has been Scott Mayfield.

 

[leeroggy]

I haven't posted yet on this... It has taken me a bit to process what we saw the other night.

I actually saw that PP goal from Pulock and thought, "Yes, now we won't blow that 2-goal lead here in the third."

The utter failure that continues to take place over the final 15 minutes of any given game just leaves me absolutely dumbstruck. And with just about every goal against, you can look at a replay and see how something, usually an incorrect positioning decision, occurs 2-7 seconds before the goal against. You can see it coming.

I don't know what the guys are thinking in that locker room or if they have the pride to simply look in the mirror or at each other and say, "I will not allow myself to become somebody's bitch like this. I simply will not allow it to happen. I have too much pride in myself and in this group to allow it. It will only be done over my dead body."

I mean, at some point, it all comes down to that. Simply choosing not to be the other team's bitch.

Now, when you have a guy in goal who came into this season as one of the top 3-5 goalies in hockey and a tandem widely considered among the top 3 (listed as 2nd best by The Hockey News), what we're seeing could happen every now and again, but it can't be happening this regularly. It can't be a regular occurance.

When you're among the best at your craft, this can't be taking place with this kind of regularity.

I love Sorokin as much as the next guy, but something is wrong.

And this just hurts to see: View attachment 779115

Chapin, now you've done it . . .

Just destroyed the entire fan base's narrative in one post. Good job!

Heaven forbid.

Truth can be a real bitch at times.

 

[duster19]

Dobson +7 and Pelech + 6

Bolduc is an anchor. What was Pulocks +\- before playing with Bolduc?

No idea. But I have seen Pulock pull a lot of pucks out of the net in the 3rd period playing with Romanov. Bolduc hasn’t been good but he’s not the reason for blown leads. They were doing it well before he even played. And he certainly doesn’t get a lot of third period ice time.

Sorokin numbers with the lead are brutal.

 

[Throttle]

I haven't posted yet on this... It has taken me a bit to process what we saw the other night.

I actually saw that PP goal from Pulock and thought, "Yes, now we won't blow that 2-goal lead here in the third."

The utter failure that continues to take place over the final 15 minutes of any given game just leaves me absolutely dumbstruck. And with just about every goal against, you can look at a replay and see how something, usually an incorrect positioning decision, occurs 2-7 seconds before the goal against. You can see it coming.

I don't know what the guys are thinking in that locker room or if they have the pride to simply look in the mirror or at each other and say, "I will not allow myself to become somebody's bitch like this. I simply will not allow it to happen. I have too much pride in myself and in this group to allow it. It will only be done over my dead body."

I mean, at some point, it all comes down to that. Simply choosing not to be the other team's bitch.

Now, when you have a guy in goal who came into this season as one of the top 3-5 goalies in hockey and a tandem widely considered among the top 3 (listed as 2nd best by The Hockey News), what we're seeing could happen every now and again, but it can't be happening this regularly. It can't be a regular occurance.

When you're among the best at your craft, this can't be taking place with this kind of regularity.

I love Sorokin as much as the next guy, but something is wrong.

And this just hurts to see: View attachment 779115

Again, that’s Tommy Salo-like.