Once again, HREBIK was incredible! He gives them a chance to win every game he's in. Those saves in OT were unreal. They had no business winning last night and for that matter he stole the game against the Pete's - both games that technically should have been easy wins. 2 of the youngest teams in the league. Add Owen Sound to that group.
This team is in serious trouble right now and I'm not overly confident that the ship can be righted at this point. They've traded away their top picks and barely play the young kids that are left. Imagine having Ellinas, Moses, and Vaughan mixed in with the talent they already had playing this year and going into next. It made zero sense to try to build around the 04 and 05 age group but what's done is done.
This team should have gone all in around the 06's with the amount of solid ones they had with 05s as the OA's. They could have done so without selling off their future. Unless things turn around they appear to have made some serious miscalculations with the moves they made. I hope I am wrong and all of this talent can figure things out.
They went for it a year too early IMO. Zero disrespect to the OA's we have now as they all have had excellent careers but the timing here just wasn't right. No matter what any team did with trades no one is likely going to beat London this year-Kitchener and Windsor both hit a year early and too many teams loaded up in the East. All of those teams save London are doing it with young kids on their rosters playing serious minutes and Marty refuses to give his young kids much more than 4th line and 3rd pairing minutes and traded the top picks away.
Underperforming vets and the staff's unwillingness to make adjustments throughout the games/losing streaks is sinking this team. No one is held accountable for their play and poor decisions. Coach's just keep running the same players out -sometimes they tinker with lines during games but its always the same 9 and 4-5 that get the majority of ice. I understand giving most of the ice to top 3 lines and top 2 pairings but when a team is struggling you have to make adjustments and look for some new looks. That may include sending some messages to some of their underperforming vets.
It was talked about months ago that sometimes there is too much talent and experience on rosters. Everyone on this top 9 and top 4 expects to be the guy and very few of them are stepping up and seizing the opportunity to lead this team.
There is zero chemistry right now with all of this 'skill', The players don't appear to be having any fun and more often then not lately any success they are having can be attributed to 2-3 players and the goalies.
I hope these boys can find a spark and start playing to the potential many of us see.