OMG67
Registered User
- Sep 1, 2013
- 12,707
- 8,473
Idk if Zito would have finished the season if in Ottawa, but that would have been the right choice imo.
There were a lot of choices available to Boyd. Originally we mostly felt the two centres and D-Man (OA upgrades) was necessary to give us an opportunity. But that only gave us a chance in a large pack. A few of us felt we needed a winger and 2nd D-Man as well.
It is tough to honestly see how accurate this is because the team has departed from the style of play that made them successful. Playing as they are playing now, I am not certain it makes a difference what they added. The team is completely lost right now. They are caught is some sort of situation where they feel the need to fight back on everything. Their focus is gone. Their discipline is gone.
This team is a mess. Guys like Foster, Pinelli, and Stonehouse are playing very undisciplined hockey. They have been unable to control their emotions. They are trying to prove they are capable physically but they aren’t. They need to focus on playing their best between the whistles not after them.
From a coaching perspective, constantly having Smyth out there for the PK with an awful PK is astonishing. Separating Pinelli and Kressler is idiotic. It hasn’t worked.
They need a prototypical 3rd line that can simply smother the line they are playing agaisnt. Load up the top two lines.
Pinelli - Kressler - Gerrior
Foster - Gardiner - Stonehouse
Barlas - Maillet - Horner
If you need to conserve a bit of energy, sub in some of the 4th liners to spell off the top 9 here and there when the right situation arises.
They acquired Mayer to be a leader. Run him out there 30 minutes per game. You cannot do that with Smyth beside him. Throw Marrelli beside him. Put Mews and Mayich together for the other 30 minutes. Smyth and Sirman can sub into those pairs when it makes sense.
I don’t think Cameron will do any of that. He will keep doing the same stupid shit that is resulting in frustration on the ice. I think it is that frustration that is getting them out of sync and out of their minds.