MMC
Global Moderator
I don’t mean to alarm anyone but this team is now 19th in the league and 3 points out of a playoff spot
Speculation: 2024-25 Roster thread
- Thread starter Leonardo87
- Start date
All Mighty
Registered User
Hazy brought up a good point after the game: the team has done a much better job at staying out of the box. Last year we lead the league averaging 4.02 times shorthanded per game (next closest was Florida at 3.55). This year we are 10th best at just 2.76.
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
I think this has something to do with the meetings they had over the summer with league officials. It hasn’t helped as much as should have with the power plays in favor but the refs seem a lot less jaundiced against the Ducks now.
Dr Johnny Fever
Eggplant and Teal
I’m guessing the statute of limitations just finally ran out on whatever set Bettman off those many years ago.
WhatTheDuck
9 - 20 - 8
Three way tie (with Seattle and NYI) for 17th in the league based on points percentage, all three teams being .500 at the moment. So really only half the leagues 32 teams are off to a better start as we reach the end of the first quarter of the year ...it's amazing what a little three game streak can do for the perception of our season haha
ZegrassyKnoll
Registered User
- Dec 2, 2016
- 564
- 936
With how our power plays look this season, maybe the refs are doing us a favor…
MMC
Global Moderator
It's why I find the hysteria less than 20 games into the season incredibly annoying, doesn't take much for the team to be in a completely different position
WhatTheDuck
9 - 20 - 8
Just mentioned it in the last game thread but our next stretch of five games are all against middling or struggling teams. Have the opportunity to stay hot but it sure will be gloomy if we don't
I do think though, that there is a difference between losing and not playing well. The Ducks were doing both. On almost every level, the Ducks were failing. My position from the start was patience until the comments from the players started to confirm what my eyes were telling me. At that point, now there's a real issue.
Personally, this three game stretch hasn't changed my perception of Cronin. The Ducks have shifted stylistically a bit but why wasn't the the plan from the start? Who initiated the change and where did the ideas come from? Is this an example of Cronin adapting to team needs or is it the players rejecting Cronin and doing there own thing?
The clearest thing in my mind is that the coaching staff was wrong from the start with their decisions. I'm glad they are adjusting but why were they so wrong? It's hard to trust them.
branmuffin17
Registered User
I wonder if what coaching staff was trying to do was a more intensive man on man...and that the players just couldn't do exactly what coaches were hoping they could do. It can be difficult staying on a single person when there's so much movement and there's a ton of discipline involved, and it makes you have to purely react in some ways, compared to being able to be more predictive with zone coverage. Maybe lightening the strat on that and allowing for a bit more flexibility just works better for the capability of our team.
If we talk about intensity of defensive coverage, zone D is the lightest, right? Maybe if we had enough skill + speed + size man on man would be dominant, but that's definitely not what our team has.
I can see the coaches wanting to try to make their systems work and giving it a go for a while...but can appreciate their willingness to change up once they were convinced it wasn't working the way they wanted to. Giving a full first year in that system, and using it early this year was a good length of time trying to make it work, without moving away too quickly. Change in personnel from last to this year is an argument to continue trying for a while.
Systems Analyst: Breaking down the best defensive strategies for playoffs
Which defensive zone systems win Stanley Cups, and which have had less playoff success? Justin Bourne, with help from Andrew Brewer, looks at recent trends, what it means for this year's playoffs, and which teams may be most vulnerable.
MCB
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 968
- 1,115
Before the season started I told myself to give the team until Thanksgiving (American) to make judgements, giving the team time to adjust and get comfortable. Well I realized before the win streak I was ready to throw in the towel, especially with Cronin, now I still want a different coach, but I wasn't giving this team the time to adjust with the new season.
Granted their play was horrible, but with this recent change in their system I feel like they are making me more comfortable. Against Chicago I would have been fine with a loss because the play was much better than it was before. I'm not a huge fan of charts and graphs and I don't have any proof, but I feel like they've improved with the eye test.
Granted their play was horrible, but with this recent change in their system I feel like they are making me more comfortable. Against Chicago I would have been fine with a loss because the play was much better than it was before. I'm not a huge fan of charts and graphs and I don't have any proof, but I feel like they've improved with the eye test.
SmokeyDuck
Registered User
Carlyle had us playing man to man when he got fired, and BM switched to zone when he took over and it was a noticeable improvement. Eakins I am pretty sure had us playing man on mas as well. I think Cronin started out man on man but we look to be playing zone now. You need good players for man on man defense to function.I wonder if what coaching staff was trying to do was a more intensive man on man...and that the players just couldn't do exactly what coaches were hoping they could do. It can be difficult staying on a single person when there's so much movement and there's a ton of discipline involved, and it makes you have to purely react in some ways, compared to being able to be more predictive with zone coverage. Maybe lightening the strat on that and allowing for a bit more flexibility just works better for the capability of our team.
If we talk about intensity of defensive coverage, zone D is the lightest, right? Maybe if we had enough skill + speed + size man on man would be dominant, but that's definitely not what our team has.
I can see the coaches wanting to try to make their systems work and giving it a go for a while...but can appreciate their willingness to change up once they were convinced it wasn't working the way they wanted to. Giving a full first year in that system, and using it early this year was a good length of time trying to make it work, without moving away too quickly. Change in personnel from last to this year is an argument to continue trying for a while.
Systems Analyst: Breaking down the best defensive strategies for playoffs
Which defensive zone systems win Stanley Cups, and which have had less playoff success? Justin Bourne, with help from Andrew Brewer, looks at recent trends, what it means for this year's playoffs, and which teams may be most vulnerable.www.sportsnet.ca
ZegrassyKnoll
Registered User
- Dec 2, 2016
- 564
- 936
You know thinking back over the recent streak. Really we’ve played 6 pretty solid games in a row.
Even the 5-2 loss to a hot hot Minnesota team we actually outshot them.
A 3-2 loss to one of the best teams in the league.
Four wins. None were perfect but all had very good stretches and moments to build on.
Maybe we have rushed to be mad? Maybe things are coming together? If we can start to score with our goalies every night who knows. It’s pretty early in the season and while I do not think Cronin is the answer maybe it’s still not all bad.
Even the 5-2 loss to a hot hot Minnesota team we actually outshot them.
A 3-2 loss to one of the best teams in the league.
Four wins. None were perfect but all had very good stretches and moments to build on.
Maybe we have rushed to be mad? Maybe things are coming together? If we can start to score with our goalies every night who knows. It’s pretty early in the season and while I do not think Cronin is the answer maybe it’s still not all bad.
Hopefully they aren’t having to skate in the Dzone quite as much now either. Early on it almost looked like they were just tired and didn’t have the legs to pressure. Our forecheck of late has looked really good.
