Plain and simple, every game is an uphill battle. JJ is waiver-fodder. Schultz is probably worse. Petts ain't much better than that. I'd probably rather have Ruhwedel than any of those three, and I think it's clear as day Riikola should have a permanent spot in the lineup. It's bordering on absurdity now.
The bright side; We have the talent to overcome these issues if we get hot at the right time.
Our biggest problem can be boiled down to Sidney Crosby having been a plus player 5 times (and a minus player 8 times) in the 21 games since coming back from injury. Those five times were blow out wins against Minnesota, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Buffalo.
When Geno was played as the nr. 1 in Sid's absence he was a plus player 14 times in those 26 games and a minus player in 7.
We are leaning on Sid to play like Sid and he is not. Bright sparks in some games notwithstanding, he hasn't done that since a week or two before his surgery. So, I assume it has to be that he just can't for physical reasons. It makes no sense to say that Sid doesn't care, but he IS the one among all our C's who is most guilty of lazy or ill advised plays since coming back.
We must cut back on Sid's time and responsibilities until he is physically capable of being Sid.
As an aside, a major reason as to being able to handle life without Sid was that Blueger's line played top or top 6 opposition to a draw or better most every night. We have a terrible record since ZAR went down, and while I cannot bring myself to miss him much individually, it is obvious that we really miss having that line be effective in closing down opponents better players. For better or worse, ZAR was part of that line being what it was.
For emphasis... Teddy Blueger has been a minus player in 5 of the 9 games since ZAR went down and a plus player in 0. In this period he has 0 points. In the 10 games that went before he was a plus player 5 times and a minus player 1 time. He had 3 goals and 6 points. This speaks to the depth that has seemingly disappeared.
I do not at all buy that this is about our D, even if some D-men seemingly have regressed and Schultz has been pants for the majority since coming back. Our D looks bad again because the forwards have reverted to last seasons poor support, proneness to turning the puck over in transition and in HD areas - and what appears to be questionable effort on many nights.
Some of this is due to roster changes/lack of familiarity. But while cause and effect can be a tricky one, it just wasn't the case when Sid wasn't there except once in a blue moon on back to back nights. Is that on 87... not necessarily, but his team mates thinking everything is easy because he is back cannot be an explanation anymore or else we suggest the entire team is comprised of idiots as obviously everything has proven to be not easy.
I don't have any easy fix and anything the sort of demotes Sid is virtually unrealistic, but given results as they are, I would ideally start by saying that Geno must be played as the number 1, and that on ZAR's return, we must try to reinstate that line as one getting tough match/ups, leaving Sid to get closer to being himself against the also-rans. That also makes it easier to play him with Sheary.
Those saying plus/minus is meaningless and I am according too much meaning to relatively small sample sizes.... OK, I am not disagreeing all that much. But coincidence or not, can you honestly tell me that it doesn't fit what you have been watching?