I really hope we see 3 legit lines. Matchups could produce nightmares if the young guys really find their groove.
I think Cronin’s system is to blame more than the players. Killorn - Carlsson - Terry is a bad line for dump and chase. Carlsson is bad and usually doesn’t try at retrieval, Killorn is too slow to be the retrieval, and Terry will try but isn’t physically built for it. None of the three routinely go to the net front (which is what I was pointing out is a team wide malady, Vatrano scored twice when Zegras kept feeding the front of the net and creating turnovers until Vatrano finally got it and started going there). Carlsson and Killorn also suck at proper support of whoever is battling in the corner - they neither support appropriately nor block the likely passing lanes of the battle is lost.
Good example of learning the wrong lessons from vets. He tries to be too much like Terry at times when earlier in his career, he would attempt to fly by defenses but he was also pretty adept at spacing work by positioning his body to keep defenders from getting right up in his face. Not consistently but there were flashes to what Getzlaf would commonly do with his size and reach. Getzlaf didn't really go for the hero puck move of trying to bull (forward at the net) and deke through multiple defenders too often and instead relied on spacing awareness, deception and reach to rove the outside to make good passes and draw defenders out of position. (I know it's a lazy comparison given who my second team is, but Jack Eichel is really effective at this in the modern era)
I think they hero puck because they get tired of the constant dump and chase turnovers. Leo just tries to go through the whole team, Terry will circle the offensive zone waiting for someone to go somewhere dangerous, while they instead just stand about in non-dangerous areas.
I feel like they’re being coached to support in the corners and then…that’s it. Even on the PP it’s almost never that the guys standing to the side of the net try to take it to the front of the net, they just look for the pass to Killorn out front.Yup, that goal last night should be burned into Leo’s head. He gives the puck to Fowler to carry, then gets set up in the middle to receive a great set up from Killorn.
Normally They don’t get into the positions and stay on the parameter causing Terry to try and cycle more only for no play to be made so he loses it.
Then with Zegras and his line, Zegras loves going behind the net to set up….or do the Michigan. Lol. But Z is going to throw the puck in front of the net, someone needs to be there. Vatrano scored twice because of it. Well……Binnington scored the first goal.
I feel our players are allergic to getting in those dangerous areas, are they afraid to get hit?
