ReginKarlssonLehner
Let's Win It All
Lack of sustained consistent threats and disciplines is what killed this team this year.
Aside from leadership, there was no form of common ground in any facet of the game by the coaching staff imposed on the team/players.
For instance, Washington's PP revolves around setting up Ovechkin for a one-timer because it's extremely effective(when he does shoot it) and opens up other options. Same as Tampa with Stamkos and even Philly with Giroux and Kessel with Toronto, Subban with Montreal etc.........
Whenever there is any form of adversity, management, or whoever, would immediately mix things up as soon as something that was successful turned sour.
For instance, Ottawa had success with Turris on the right side of the PP early on the yea but the rotations of defenders(mainly Wiercioch and Gryba) changed the PP1 d tandem constantly hence nothing was properly established.
In the Olympics, Sweden's powerplay revolved around setting up Karlsson for a one-timer-- no matter how obvious it was, because it was a threat to score when he did shoot it, and it opened up other viable options if opposing penalty killers collapsed on Karlsson too early.
We've RARELY seen that this year and the few times Karlsson was placed in position to score, rather than set-up, he has delivered. Yes, Karlsson CAN pass it and set up plays like no other but his shot is a threat the team doesn't have from the back-end. Spezza, on the other hand, can do and match Karlsson's playmaking.
There was also the huge success, imo, of Zibanejad alongside Karlsson. Zibanejad has an absolute laser and it proved dividends for a while but unfortunately that's where Spezza usually plays so Zibanejad was moved to crease duty then off the PP since it THAT didn't work.
On the PK, the players seem to be improvising to what is going on rather than playing a fixed system and abiding to it no matter how chaotic the situation is. How many times have we seen the defenders left absolutely wide open to walk into a shot which goes in or is tipped in. Yet when the puck comes down low, the players(sens) don't even collapse and allow cross-crease chances. They have no idea what is going on, it's not just 1 player playing lost, imo.
Special teams has been atrocious. I can understand the coaching staff allowing the players to play to their best abilities but they need to set foundations of rules that they also have to work around, i.e. Karlsson is the shooter, Spezza is the playmaker etc...
Instead the guys try to improvise, which the other team easily reads, and we spend more time trying to get everyone on the same page in the neutral zone rather than in the offensive zone. This isn't just for special teams too, it's for 5on5 play as well. No one is on the same page.
As well as the handling of goalie situation. Anderson struggled early but Lehner thrived. Anderson though kept getting starts no matter how well Lehner did and eventually Anderson came around but it happened in the expense of Lehner's shatter of confidence from not playing in between long stretches of breaks. Look at how NYR handled it, they played Talbot ahead of LUNDQVISTTTTT until people were talking about goalie controversy but then when Talbot simmered down his play, they inserted Lundqvist and went from there. The starter became the starter again and the back-up gained valuable experience from being the starter when he was hot and was eased back into his role.
The only constant has been the Greening line and they've been one of the major problems. Poor Zack Smith, his offensive potential is becoming stagnated with those idiots on his wings.
So what explains this? Assistant Coaches not knowing wtf they are doing? Paul MacLean trying to give the entire team the Karlsson treatment(basically go out and play) and it backfired hard?
I honestly think it could be some of the players themselves that go against everything they learn in practice because it is in their nature to play a certain way. For instance, Spezza is a run and gun type player even though everyone on his line isn't, which messes up the entire shift. Or, Phillips simply has aged beyond ability to keep up and it slows down his d-partner which slows down the transition game which slows down the effectiveness of the forwards. Or, enigmatic 3rd line that is played 16+ minutes which removes added experience for younger players to prove themselves which is what made us so successful last year.
tl;dr:
The main reason we are not last in the NHL is because of spectacular talents like Spezza, Karlsson, Turris, Ryan. With that being said, the only reason we not in the playoffs is because we never used those players properly, or perhaps used others improperly.
WTF IS GOING ON, BROS. All I know is that there is no discipline or form of consistency you'd expect to find in an NHL team with such great top-end talent in all major positions. So where doth the blame lie!?!
Aside from leadership, there was no form of common ground in any facet of the game by the coaching staff imposed on the team/players.
For instance, Washington's PP revolves around setting up Ovechkin for a one-timer because it's extremely effective(when he does shoot it) and opens up other options. Same as Tampa with Stamkos and even Philly with Giroux and Kessel with Toronto, Subban with Montreal etc.........
Whenever there is any form of adversity, management, or whoever, would immediately mix things up as soon as something that was successful turned sour.
For instance, Ottawa had success with Turris on the right side of the PP early on the yea but the rotations of defenders(mainly Wiercioch and Gryba) changed the PP1 d tandem constantly hence nothing was properly established.
In the Olympics, Sweden's powerplay revolved around setting up Karlsson for a one-timer-- no matter how obvious it was, because it was a threat to score when he did shoot it, and it opened up other viable options if opposing penalty killers collapsed on Karlsson too early.
We've RARELY seen that this year and the few times Karlsson was placed in position to score, rather than set-up, he has delivered. Yes, Karlsson CAN pass it and set up plays like no other but his shot is a threat the team doesn't have from the back-end. Spezza, on the other hand, can do and match Karlsson's playmaking.
There was also the huge success, imo, of Zibanejad alongside Karlsson. Zibanejad has an absolute laser and it proved dividends for a while but unfortunately that's where Spezza usually plays so Zibanejad was moved to crease duty then off the PP since it THAT didn't work.
On the PK, the players seem to be improvising to what is going on rather than playing a fixed system and abiding to it no matter how chaotic the situation is. How many times have we seen the defenders left absolutely wide open to walk into a shot which goes in or is tipped in. Yet when the puck comes down low, the players(sens) don't even collapse and allow cross-crease chances. They have no idea what is going on, it's not just 1 player playing lost, imo.
Special teams has been atrocious. I can understand the coaching staff allowing the players to play to their best abilities but they need to set foundations of rules that they also have to work around, i.e. Karlsson is the shooter, Spezza is the playmaker etc...
Instead the guys try to improvise, which the other team easily reads, and we spend more time trying to get everyone on the same page in the neutral zone rather than in the offensive zone. This isn't just for special teams too, it's for 5on5 play as well. No one is on the same page.
As well as the handling of goalie situation. Anderson struggled early but Lehner thrived. Anderson though kept getting starts no matter how well Lehner did and eventually Anderson came around but it happened in the expense of Lehner's shatter of confidence from not playing in between long stretches of breaks. Look at how NYR handled it, they played Talbot ahead of LUNDQVISTTTTT until people were talking about goalie controversy but then when Talbot simmered down his play, they inserted Lundqvist and went from there. The starter became the starter again and the back-up gained valuable experience from being the starter when he was hot and was eased back into his role.
The only constant has been the Greening line and they've been one of the major problems. Poor Zack Smith, his offensive potential is becoming stagnated with those idiots on his wings.
So what explains this? Assistant Coaches not knowing wtf they are doing? Paul MacLean trying to give the entire team the Karlsson treatment(basically go out and play) and it backfired hard?
I honestly think it could be some of the players themselves that go against everything they learn in practice because it is in their nature to play a certain way. For instance, Spezza is a run and gun type player even though everyone on his line isn't, which messes up the entire shift. Or, Phillips simply has aged beyond ability to keep up and it slows down his d-partner which slows down the transition game which slows down the effectiveness of the forwards. Or, enigmatic 3rd line that is played 16+ minutes which removes added experience for younger players to prove themselves which is what made us so successful last year.
tl;dr:
The main reason we are not last in the NHL is because of spectacular talents like Spezza, Karlsson, Turris, Ryan. With that being said, the only reason we not in the playoffs is because we never used those players properly, or perhaps used others improperly.
WTF IS GOING ON, BROS. All I know is that there is no discipline or form of consistency you'd expect to find in an NHL team with such great top-end talent in all major positions. So where doth the blame lie!?!
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