GDT: Game 5: Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings, 5pm PT

[TheGoodShepard1]

I'd like cronin to publicly crack down on effort rather than physical mistakes.

Not mutually exclusive though, because I agree that he should start benching Mac for his lazy stick penalties (quite frankly, other than the Utah game, his play has earned him a trip to the press box as a healthy scratch for a night)

 

[Fairwinds]

To me it feels like the Ducks lack confidence in the system. They don’t trust their teammates to be where they are suppose to be. They end up thinking rather than reacting. That makes you play slower. If you put a puck where someone is suppose to be and they aren’t there, the next time maybe you hesitate to just put it there and make a “safe” play instead. This is exasterbated when playing better teams that pressure the puck relentlessly. It’s just constant panic mode with the puck and that screws up timing for guys away from the puck and they end up stagnant.

 

[Goose of Reason]

The issue I have with the coaching staff is that they are trying to mold players into their system (my opinion, I could be wrong) instead of creating a system that matches the strengths of the players we have.

The dump and chase just doesn't work with this forward group. We aren't particularly heavy or particularly fast, so you are relying on great positioning for the system to be effective. We aren't good at that!

Our defensive core should be more aggressive in the offensive zone, but either because the players are worried or the coaching staff is hedging, they play very conservatively.

Everything is so passive all over the ice, and again, it can be difficult to tell if that is by design or lack of confidence.

This is the single biggest thing, and if Cronin is Verbeek's guy then it displays a fundamental disconnect between what he is assembling and what he actually wants to assemble. It feels like Eakins being a players coach made Verbeek think they needed someone to ride these guys, when in reality whether or not you have an old school hard-nosed attitude or a modern "work with them, not at them" one, none of that has any bearing on the actual X's and O's of getting a team to play hockey at an NHL level which is now looking like year 6 of failing to achieve that.

Or, the flu bug could be hitting us worse than we know and in a week's time this will all look like a massive overreaction.

 

[Deuce22]

I do wonder how much of this is because of how otherworldly awful we were defensively two years ago. Now we are merely poor both defensively and offensively trying to shove a bunch of kids into a conservative system.

Ideally, with a forward core of zegras, terry, carlsson, Mac, and Gauthier, we fill the other spots with guys who can defend and hunt pucks. Mcginn is actually good at this, so maybe that trade isn't as stupid as we thought.

Killorn and strome though, can't f***ing move. Vatrano is a feisty sniper who is really bad at possession and defense. You could insulate him on a better roster that we don't have.

I just think verbeek meant well in trying to invest in vet presences, but swung at the wrong types of players. Our entire bottom six needs to change, in my opinion, for this roster to work.

It would be very funny if the key to unlocking our potential does indeed lay with guys like gaucher, myatovic, and lopina (kidding!).

Need guys that threaten opposing D on the forecheck and create turnovers. McGinn and Leason are two of our best forecheckers but are 4th liners. Skill guys need the puck in the offensive zone, can’t be spending the game in their own zone defending.

 

[JAHV]

His comments make sense in context. For one, he's not wrong, and second, he made a big deal about being too hard on him last year. Lacombe knows what he did and doesn't need a public flogging for it.

This is exactly right. Everyone got upset over the way Zegras was treated last year. Now you want LaCombe treated the same way? It sounds like Cronin examined the way he disciplined guys last year and made some changes. That's growth.

This comes down to people being infatuated with Zegras. Who was awful last night, by the way. The Ducks had ZERO scoring chances at 5-on-5 when he was on the ice. They gave up 11. And that second goal the Kings scored was because Zegras got lazy or distracted on a neutral zone pass, allowed it to bounce off his stick to the Kings, which then meant the Kings got to dump the puck back in and set up their forecheck. LaCombe absolutely made a bonehead turnover, but Zegras was the impetus.

I know this won't be popular because Zegras is godlike among most Ducks fans. And he's had some very good games this year that gave me confidence he'd get back to being a positive player. But he was probably the worst player not named Johnston on the ice last night. Either him or McTavish.

 

[LuGBuG]

I went to the Peggy's cove lighthouse and crash site. Have you been to Mckelvie's on water street? It's fantastic.

I was but it was a while ago. We have a lot of great restaurants downtown especially seafood.

 

[70sSanO]

You say they look lost, I say they look scared/timid, which is on the players IMO. Every one of them has to dust off the puck before moving it somewhere else. And by the time they feel comfortable with the puck on their stick, there is pressure on them so they have to dump it around the boards or to a player that isn’t in a great position to receive it. They all seem too afraid to be the one to make a play with the puck and they don’t want to be the reason the puck gets turned over, so they shove it onto someone else.

I agree completely with this. But what are they afraid of? There should be no fear of failing on this team.

It's not like they are going to lose a playoff spot, much less a playoff game. This team should be about execution first and learning from that. This applies to everything in life. You never succeed from a position of fear. No one does.

From surfing/mountain biking perspective. Being tentative can end up with a really poor outcome; not just losing a puck.

John

 

[shach1]

I was but it was a while ago. We have a lot of great restaurants downtown especially seafood.

in the summer of 2018 and 2024, We went with a group of 25rvs to the Maritimes. NS NB NL PEI. From June to August. My favorite trip ever.

 

[Mr Rogers]

As a car lover, the Ducks feel to me like a team with a nice engine but an awful transmission. There is no flow to their game, they have no way of utilizing the talent they do have, which is pretty substantial IMO. Everything's been pretty choppy so far, the few segments of play they have found flow, they've looked really good.

To me the most noticeable thing has been the lack of speed for whatever reason that Cronin pointed out, It's really odd.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I have an unpleasant feeling that McTavish will become the biggest blemish on Madden's drafting record. I just don't see how he'll become anything deserving his draft spot.

He has a shot, but he doesn't use it. He has a frame, but he's not aware enough to use that to generate offense. He's not a good enough passer or a good enough skater. That's not a top six player unless he really starts developing by leaps and bounds. They're counting on him becoming a ROR type player, but I'm not sure he has it in him.

I was surprised that Mac wasn't centering Vatrano and Strome this season since they hit it off very well last season until Mac hit his injuries. He was a ppg player with Vatrano-Strome in Mac's first 20 games. Mac was also a ppg player for 9 games with LW Vatrano and RW Terry (6 gms)/Leason (3 gms).

During the pre-season, he's been put with different wingers that ended up with Fabbri and Z. We see that Terry with Vatrano-Strome look good. It's possible that the top-6 lines need to find better fits.

Two things about Mac underperforming: 1) he's not being utilized correctly on the PP as they took him off the half wall and negated his big shot and 2) I think he's stuck in his head and his body isn't following what his mind is seeing. You can see him trying to process what's going on in the D-zone and pointing out who's got who. As for the offensive side, I guess Fabbri and Z aren't dump&chase guys like Vatrano and Strome.

It's just five games into the season. While I would have liked Mac to come out like gangbusters, aside from Terry, no one really has popped. Remember Terry didn't pop until his D+7 season. I'm hoping for the best for Mac b/c it makes the Ducks look better. But if the whole team is slogging, then maybe it's system.

I recall someone pointed out that playing D&C as well as playing man-defense wears players physically as they're always in a constant push both ways. Z was a 60 point producer under Eakins for two seasons, but for the past two seasons, it seems like Z's offense has been coached out of him.

Ducks
Season	Game Set	ES GF	ES GA	ES GD
2022-23	Season	169​	250​	-81​
2023-24	Season	150​	199​	-49​

It's crazy to see that Cronin had more top-6 offensive weapons and a far better defense, but the ES scoring was worse. Is it the players or the system that's bad? I think it's the system.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I can't react to them all but man, all the criticisms of Cronin are definitely deserved. Lots of good comments here by many..

I have an unpleasant feeling that McTavish will become the biggest blemish on Madden's drafting record. I just don't see how he'll become anything deserving his draft spot.

He has a shot, but he doesn't use it. He has a frame, but he's not aware enough to use that to generate offense. He's not a good enough passer or a good enough skater. That's not a top six player unless he really starts developing by leaps and bounds. They're counting on him becoming a ROR type player, but I'm not sure he has it in him.

It’s funny you bring this up.

Granted, I watch the game on TV, but McTavish looks so ‘small’ out there compared to his pre draft hype was meant to be this power-forward(esque) player that could drive the play. I feel like he’s gets pushed around way too often and he’s more or less a one trick pony - all shot, nothing else

Well when that team has no respect for what the coach is trying to teach. You get this clusterf***. That's what's going on. The players are not buying into his methods. And PV is to proud of himself to admit as f***ing mistake was made hiring Cronin

Don't worry, today they will have a 45 minute psychological lesson by Cronin first before he sends them on his way to bag-skate.

I’m about ready to say this season is a loss, and hope for a top 5 pick…. We’re not going to be attractive to free agents until our young guys start producing, and they arnt going to with Cronin at the helm

I haven't checked that thread out fully, but the gist is it's not a strong draft class as years before right?

 

[lwvs84]

Restructure the lines a little, maybe something like:

Gauthier Carlsson McTavish (assuming Cutter is starting up with Carlsson
Fabbri Zegras Vatrano (gets Z into the middle, seems to worth week with Fabbri and gives him another shooting option)
Killorn Strome Terry (Strome has played well with lesser competition, maybe Killorn can too?)
Or swap Vatrano and Mac to have a vet on each line.

Even giving them the benefit of the doubt and maybe the flu bug is going through the team, the Carlsson line seems disjointed. Cutter and Killorn aren't #2 options on a top line right now, maybe having Mac up there gets him going and pushes Cutter down to being the #3 forward on that line. Zegras moves back to the middle and gets a couple of vets to work with.

Defense, maybe send Zellweger down?
Minty Dumoulin
Fowler Luneau
LaCombe Gudas

LaCombe was bad last night, but also his first regular season game after the flu. Let's see where he is in a week or so. If Luneau is better served in the AHL too, Vaak can play with Gudas and Fowler with LaCombe

 

[Frosted Tips]

Pathetic

 

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848469914841190888

 

[Hey234]

To me, I think there's an expectation issue here. The Ducks are a mostly young team with clear issues: youth need more experience and no top end vets. PV wanted to correct this issue by getting a top 4 defenseman and top 6 forward. Fabbri and Dumoulin are awesome additions but they don't fit those categories. They essentially stayed neutral. Their record seems appropriate.

The only opportunity for this team to be better is if the players show up. Terry is doing this. So is Minty and Dostal. But unless they all show up, it doesn't matter the coach and it doesn't matter the structure. The players have to skate hard, communicate, and battle.

It is the coaches job to motivate them, but to what extent? As a teacher, I can only do so much. At some point, the student has to step up and do the work. The players have to do better before we can even accurately judge the coaching, training, etc...

 

[70sSanO]

I guess if the only part Cronin was really frustrated with was the third period, then our PP is right on schedule.

John

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I guess if the only part Cronin was really frustrated with was the third period, then our PP is right on schedule.

John

Also the lack of SOG's, abysmal faceoffs, letting up on the Kings in the 2nd period.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

To me, I think there's an expectation issue here. The Ducks are a mostly young team with clear issues: youth need more experience and no top end vets. PV wanted to correct this issue by getting a top 4 defenseman and top 6 forward. Fabbri and Dumoulin are awesome additions but they don't fit those categories. They essentially stayed neutral. Their record seems appropriate.

The only opportunity for this team to be better is if the players show up. Terry is doing this. So is Minty and Dostal. But unless they all show up, it doesn't matter the coach and it doesn't matter the structure. The players have to skate hard, communicate, and battle.

It is the coaches job to motivate them, but to what extent? As a teacher, I can only do so much. At some point, the student has to step up and do the work. The players have to do better before we can even accurately judge the coaching, training, etc...

Coaching matters. Z was a 60 point player under a different coach for two consecutive seasons and now feels more like 4th liner Sam Steel. Maybe trying to fit a square peg into a round hole in year 2 of the structure might point to the structure and coaching.

It's kinda like a teacher telling his students to "do better". What if the instruction isn't great or they're following the instruction and that is the result of the not so great instruction? Maybe what instructional method that worked in junior high (AHL) doesn't work at the high school level (NHL)?

There's also chemistry involved with offense. Last year, it was the Vatrano-Mac-Strome line. This year, it's the Vatrano-Strome-Terry line. I guess putting high-end talent with Vatrano and Strome helps them become more productive.

 

[la patineuse]

Glad I missed this game. I worry that this team is both poorly constructed and poorly coached which will make for a prolonged rebuild and restart of another rebuild.

 

[Frosted Tips]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848469914841190888

Well, it's not like the Kings were generating much either during those first 2 periods. It wasn't good, but it wasn't that much worse from the opponent. Or is my memory already wiping out this game? What was really frustrating before the 3rd period though, was the rotten PP. They're lucky to get 1 shot through on a 2 minute man-advantage and here we are dreaming about goals...