SectionNDeserter
12-18-2008, 08:45 AM
We have reached pretty much the midpoint of the season, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the players, and the team in general.
Some positives;
Our defense looks far more organized in its own end, and for the most part is getting the puck up ice to the forwards on a regular basis. I credit a lot of this to the addition of Kivisto, Kot's return to health, shipping Scarborough off and Petrovic's poise with the puck.
Our offense, and the team in general is far more entertaining to watch--even in a loss. They have been a very strong team out of the gate in most games this season.
Our powerplay looks far more structured, and stronger than it did last season. Yes, I know that isn't saying much, but it is a positive!
The team as a whole seems a lot more disciplined than it has in previous years. They seem to be taking fewer penalties, and they are definitely taking fewer STUPID penalties.
In direct contrast to last season, I see a lot more of the guys improving in various areas of their games. And not just the younger guys either. Guys like Egener and Wray have become significantly better on the ice over last season.
Unlike last season, everything I have heard about the players off-ice this season has been very positive thus far.
Some negatives;
The penalty kill - It has gotten a little better since the start of the season, but it has been dreadful throughout the season. The only bright spot here is that they don't seem to be taking tons of penalties. I have never been a big fan of the passive box formation, and I am even less excited about it now, after watching it used so ineffectively.
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries - Particularly to our blueline. This was supposed to be a big year for Weller, and injuries have kept him and others out of the lineup for significant periods of time.
Faceoffs - I don't know if it is a stat that is kept track of, but I would wager that we have won about 5% of our faceoffs this season, and 1% of them cleanly. With the new rules regarding where the faceoffs are after a penalty, this has become such a crucial skill. This is something they really need to address before the trade deadline.
Our '89s - They are serviceable but unspectacular, not a dominant player among them, and half of them are fairly one-dimensional players. The team at the moment is being carried by our '88s, '90s and '91s, while the '89s have really had up and down seasons. This is looking to be a very sketchy group of potential overage players for next season. The fact that they are auditioning new '89s from the AJHL speaks volumes of this. I think we will probably shed a few of them by the time the trade deadline rolls around.
I will follow this up later with my thoughts on the players, leading up to the trade deadline.
Some positives;
Our defense looks far more organized in its own end, and for the most part is getting the puck up ice to the forwards on a regular basis. I credit a lot of this to the addition of Kivisto, Kot's return to health, shipping Scarborough off and Petrovic's poise with the puck.
Our offense, and the team in general is far more entertaining to watch--even in a loss. They have been a very strong team out of the gate in most games this season.
Our powerplay looks far more structured, and stronger than it did last season. Yes, I know that isn't saying much, but it is a positive!
The team as a whole seems a lot more disciplined than it has in previous years. They seem to be taking fewer penalties, and they are definitely taking fewer STUPID penalties.
In direct contrast to last season, I see a lot more of the guys improving in various areas of their games. And not just the younger guys either. Guys like Egener and Wray have become significantly better on the ice over last season.
Unlike last season, everything I have heard about the players off-ice this season has been very positive thus far.
Some negatives;
The penalty kill - It has gotten a little better since the start of the season, but it has been dreadful throughout the season. The only bright spot here is that they don't seem to be taking tons of penalties. I have never been a big fan of the passive box formation, and I am even less excited about it now, after watching it used so ineffectively.
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries - Particularly to our blueline. This was supposed to be a big year for Weller, and injuries have kept him and others out of the lineup for significant periods of time.
Faceoffs - I don't know if it is a stat that is kept track of, but I would wager that we have won about 5% of our faceoffs this season, and 1% of them cleanly. With the new rules regarding where the faceoffs are after a penalty, this has become such a crucial skill. This is something they really need to address before the trade deadline.
Our '89s - They are serviceable but unspectacular, not a dominant player among them, and half of them are fairly one-dimensional players. The team at the moment is being carried by our '88s, '90s and '91s, while the '89s have really had up and down seasons. This is looking to be a very sketchy group of potential overage players for next season. The fact that they are auditioning new '89s from the AJHL speaks volumes of this. I think we will probably shed a few of them by the time the trade deadline rolls around.
I will follow this up later with my thoughts on the players, leading up to the trade deadline.