Okay, frustrations now calmed, a couple of things I noticed (outside of the obvious like Kreider being phenomenal again, Nash looking pretty good his first game back, Brassard playing well, etc.):
1) Stepan, after being somewhat invisible the last couple of games (and boning that one pass that should have sprung Zucc), seemed to find something in the second half of the third period. I don't want to put too much importance on only half a period, but that's the best I've seen him look in quite a few games (despite the success of his line). Hopefully he's got "it" again.
2) Someone else pointed it out, but I just don't think Girardi is a great fit for this system. He's still a rock when he's focusing on defending the other team in his own zone, but he just doesn't look comfortable in transition or possessing the puck.
3) I think it's become in vogue to bash Moore. I thought he looked good (especially for a 3rd pairing defenseman) and showed some of what we all really liked last year and in the preseason.
4) Richards has looked pretty bad for a while now and it's gone mostly unremarked. That said, he was better tonight.
5) Well, we've seen the major hole in Falk's game. For the most part, he's looked pretty good and, when he can read the play, he generally can keep up pretty well once he gets going. But, when he's forced to react and get back, he's just slow as molasses. His speed is okay for his size, but his acceleration is for ****. I swear, he looked like Wile E. Coyote on the goal against as he tried to stop and get going back the other way. Still, he's the perfect 7th guy. Big, tough, can play both sides - he just has that one major flaw that will probably always keep him from being a top 6 player.
