Well, there IS a difference. The difference is during the regular season, a guy repeatedly cross-checks Matthews as the puck comes near and they generally take a penalty. In the playoffs they generally don't.
EXACTLY. We have a bunch of non-mobile D and a coach who wants 6 puck movers, but rather than realize he doesn't have 6 puck movers and has to adjust the defensive strategy according, chooses to play as if the non-mobile D ARE puck movers... Which means they give up a f***ton of odd-man rushes as guys get repeatedly caught pinching.
Were we missing Nylander? Did somebody knock one of the Bruins top dmen out of the last game like Bunts knocked Cernak out? Is Swayman playing poorly like Vasi was. Is MacAvoy playing injured like Hedman was? Are we playing this game at SBA?
The only way you know to move the puck to the forwards is via pinching?
Considering you're one of the first posters to scream about Leaf excuses, man that's a HUGE list of excuses for Tampa falling on their faces last year...
I mean the original post is still kind of right… if your team is flawed defensively and mobility wise you have to make up for it in other ways, even if that means playing more defensively and boring. You can’t be making mistakes and giving up chances in the playoffs, especially if your goaltending is an issue as well. If it was me I’d even go to the extreme and not allow any defenders to pinch at all unless it’s 100% you’re getting there first with seconds to spare. You have to make up for your flaws in other ways, I’d much rather have someone playing back and in position then giving up odd man rushes all game. It’s easier to win games down by one than it is being down by 3 or 4.
Its 2 good teams. One is fully healthy the other isnt. The one with good health has the advantage
The emergence of the Roberts-McCauley-Mogilny line was legendary.
So if no one’s buying into the system and it’s not working out and we don’t have what’s required to do it then why keep doing it?
I know it because I have common sense… You don’t crucify your goalie after one game especially when majority of the goals aren’t really his fault.
Mind games, keep the teams guessing. It's just like Nylander being in a top 6 jersey for the morning skate, to not taking line rushes, to then taking line rushes in a drill afterwards for Robertson place. No one wants to tip their hand.
I am not disputing that he has something ailing him. I am disputing the fact that players play through things all the time, and ours in this situation is not.
They've adapted their breakouts pretty noticeably with less movement, less activation, fewer options and less skating. It's rare to see this D do anything beyond a reverse and up or throw it immediately back the direction it came.
