A huge problem in 2011/12 was our chronic system failure in the third period. We lost a ton of games in the third as our scoring dried up and the opponent's scoring woke up.
This year, our overall scoring is much better, but we're still noticeably weaker in the third period. In the Habs' first ten games of 2013, here's our scoring breakdown:
1st Period - 11 GF / 5 GA (Wow!)
2nd Period - 13 GF / 9 GA (Solid)
3rd Period - 6 GF / 9 GA (uh-oh...)
So what do you see as the reason behind this? IMO, this is the weakness of having smaller defensemen. The opposing team comes on strong late in the game, crashes the net more, and we don't have the size and strength to counter the aggressive forechecking. Our D can neutralize plays and transition quickly, but a full-on physical attack is where we're weak. Last night, even without White's penalty we had lost momentum and were being outplayed.
If we're going to blow a game, chances are it'll be in period-three. Any opinions on why?
This year, our overall scoring is much better, but we're still noticeably weaker in the third period. In the Habs' first ten games of 2013, here's our scoring breakdown:
1st Period - 11 GF / 5 GA (Wow!)
2nd Period - 13 GF / 9 GA (Solid)
3rd Period - 6 GF / 9 GA (uh-oh...)
So what do you see as the reason behind this? IMO, this is the weakness of having smaller defensemen. The opposing team comes on strong late in the game, crashes the net more, and we don't have the size and strength to counter the aggressive forechecking. Our D can neutralize plays and transition quickly, but a full-on physical attack is where we're weak. Last night, even without White's penalty we had lost momentum and were being outplayed.
If we're going to blow a game, chances are it'll be in period-three. Any opinions on why?