No pulling punches.
Many similarities to October 2013, where the club could only score on the Matt Moulson-led powerplay, but were frankly terrible at five on five, a team when pressured collapses in their own defensive zone, and could not keep the puck out of their own net, with the opposition getting three goals every game.
For this group to have any chance this team must play defense and allow goals as it did in April 2013.
And this is a very small team. Snow did nothing in that area bringing in smaller forwards, who take big hits.
Of course Greg Cronin replaces Brent Thompson, and the penalty kill looks just as it did a year ago at it's worst.
Halak is even more mistake prone than Nabokov with a lot of holes in his game, he's also faster laterally. To write his play has been spotty would be generous.
The only true surprise is a defense scoring miles above their career resumes, which is overdue to catch up with them same as the 2013-14 October powerplay did come November.
Those excuse-me shots going in from a twenty three point defender in Boychuk cannot be expected to find the net.
Jack Capuano seems to love extending time for a fourth line that simply eats minutes and produces nothing whether it's Clutterbuck or Colin McDonald.
His team is mostly working hard or doing the best they seem capable of doing. The San Jose game was the only thing close to a full sixty-minute effort, and that took winning a skills competition.
Nielsen's back to being the non-scorer he's been the majority of his career on a team with Kulemin, who is no scorer, then you bring in Conacher, who aside from a home opener tap-in has produced what again?
Write what you want about Vanek but losing his 44 points in 47 games is huge for Tavares/Okposo.
Strome's getting his point a game but does little at five on five to be noticed over sixty minutes, Nelson's done well with point shots hitting him, he cannot be a no-show player.
For this to have any hope of working these players must produce five on five goals.
Without Bailey this team is win less at home.
When Tavares and Okposo are not scoring, who can be counted on to produce?
This team is again proving it's not capable of sustaining any sustained forecheck on offense most games.
The usual words from management to Tavares down the line, about being ready to win now, improved performance seem like only words.
I did not see it before the season, do not see it now. It's going to take a major surprise to avoid a free fall with the schedule they have as players are getting hurt here to their career trends.
Nick Leddy's skating alone is a huge upgrade, and he can score.
No folks, after Anders Lee there is no-one to call up.
They are out of offensive prospect depth and Snow is out of draft picks to trade for a few years.
The waiver wire is not bringing them a first line, twenty goal forward.
And of course the NHL's worst fan base is only good for showing up to the home opener and never on weeknights unless the game is at Msg.
11,000 announced that's really like 6,000 with 3,000 of that kids under sixteen as the tickets cannot be given away despite the increased payroll.
Sure Wang and his new owners cannot wait to get out of the Barclay's deal to back to a renovated Coliseum to play in front of this many unsold seats on Ticketmaster vs Toronto for people who will not go under any circumstances since 1989?
What excuse is going to be used this time, since 1989 I have read them all.
My thoughts are Wang ask Dolan to black out any home game unless ticket sales are over 10,000 two days in advance, and sell the +2 road games to WOR (whatever ch9 is these days) so more people can see them.
If it were my team that number would be 14,000.
This is how people started attending games in the seventies before home games were televised. If I could not attend I listened on the radio. My loss.
Of course Boychuck wants to play his career in front of thousands of empty seats and will resign. Tavares and Okposo are likely counting the days to UFA.
That's why this team is far worse at home than on the road.
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| The Long Island Fan Base Proves Again Since 1989 It's Not Capable Of Supporting An NHL Team Even With No Obstructed Seats, A Higher Payroll, & Low Ticket Prices. |
Meanwhile Kate Murray approval is coming on time?
And of course you have the Islanders Plainview operations defiantly doing their Long Island Mantra to the bitter end, and Mr Yormark (via Chicago's Tom O'Grady) is doing the Brooklyn Mantra all pulling in different directions who cannot figure out this is a New York team which even teams in New Jersey understand to sell more tickets.
Is it really that hard to figure this out here?
Is there footage of the gang of four becoming minority owners, a press conference is really needed 10/22 for this?
Charles Wang is the majority owner, beyond being interested in his comments and if Mr Ledecky's former gm (George McPhee) is lurking as Snow's successor, what is there to really see?
If Ledecky and Malikin ever were to purchase the Barclay's center as majority owners they would own the iron-clad agreement which means the team can be moved like Atlanta.
Folks asked what I think, there it is.