GDT: Preseason - Game 4 - Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings, 7pm PT

[FiveHoleTickler]

Our starting goalie got domed and puked.

f*** the preseason.

 

[Kalv]

I did not saw the game but I noticed that Gaucher and Vaaks were -3, while Helleson was -4

 

[Quack Shot]

So I missed the game, but sounds like Gibson got hit and then puked? They’re saying he’s fine? I kinda doubt that

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Defense has been poor in every game so far, which we expected. The system, from what I can tell, is supposed to be aggressive NZ challenges and then pouncing on turnovers, immediate headman passes, maybe a brief cycle and then getting it to the net. "Hunting the puck," right?

That seems ok at creating offense, I imagine it'll be better once they stop doing full practices on game days. The roster really seems to struggle fighting through tight checking. Need momentum attacking to generate speed to outrun/go around back checkers but they haven't managed to do that much. You get games like last night where the players are just running at puck carriers and getting beat by passes, and then constantly turning pucks over when they can't outrun forecheckers. Tough to watch.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I’m jealous you guys have that Laferriere kid. He’s better than any forward prospect we have, excluding Carlsson. Do you think he could usurp Kaliyev on the big club?

He's golden, and could. It's hard to ever know what TM is thinking though. So many decisions that make sense...just don't happen, haha. But to his credit, it'll be a tougher decision to make this year (for once), with several guys fighting for bottom six spots, including Kaliyev, Turcotte, Laferriere, Akil Thomas, Fagemo, with incumbents Grundstrom, Lizotte, Lewis, Anderson-Dolan and several needing waivers because the Kings stupidly didn't handle them before. That being said the ones that have showed up the best so far have been Laferriere, Turcotte, and Thomas.

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

I view preseason as less about evaluating team systems and more about individual player performance

Even then it’s less about “who is going to make the team” and more about “99% of these guys aren’t going to make the team, let’s see if they’ve improved on what we asked them to last year and see what they need to work on this year.”

 

[Ducks DVM]

I view preseason as less about evaluating team systems and more about individual player performance

Even then it’s less about “who is going to make the team” and more about “99% of these guys aren’t going to make the team, let’s see if they’ve improved on what we asked them to last year and see what they need to work on this year.”

The players don’t have set/routine linemates, roles, or opportunities, are given a full AM workout on game days, and 100% of them are learning brand new systems. It’s not surprising in the least when they don’t have any chemistry on the ice, or have a firm grasp on what they’re supposed to be doing. It also makes zero sense to get worked up about what a team consisting of Jones, Leason, and a bunch of Gulls means to how the season will go.

I mean, the defensive is still terrible, so one would assume it will go poorly, but that’s got nothing to do with the preseason games.

 

[Goose of Reason]

Defense has been poor in every game so far, which we expected. The system, from what I can tell, is supposed to be aggressive NZ challenges and then pouncing on turnovers, immediate headman passes, maybe a brief cycle and then getting it to the net. "Hunting the puck," right?

That seems ok at creating offense, I imagine it'll be better once they stop doing full practices on game days. The roster really seems to struggle fighting through tight checking. Need momentum attacking to generate speed to outrun/go around back checkers but they haven't managed to do that much. You get games like last night where the players are just running at puck carriers and getting beat by passes, and then constantly turning pucks over when they can't outrun forecheckers. Tough to watch.

Funny enough, I feel like a lot of this describes Eakins system as well except he focused more on off the rush offense than setting up cycles. But quick headman passes and aggressive defensemen are both exactly Eakins hallmarks. I haven't watched enough to really get a feel for how much man to man vs zone defense we do when the puck's in our end. Just interesting given how much praise Cronin gets for defensive systems.

 

[KelVarnsen]

I did not saw the game but I noticed that Gaucher and Vaaks were -3, while Helleson was -4

I’ve been super disappointed in Vaaks so far. And I just don’t hunk Helleson is very good.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Funny enough, I feel like a lot of this describes Eakins system as well except he focused more on off the rush offense than setting up cycles. But quick headman passes and aggressive defensemen are both exactly Eakins hallmarks. I haven't watched enough to really get a feel for how much man to man vs zone defense we do when the puck's in our end. Just interesting given how much praise Cronin gets for defensive systems.

I haven't seen them play strict man on man. Like, they don't get lost in rotation at all really, even in this preseason proto-state for the system. They get beat a lot but they seem to know who they're supposed to be covering, anyway.

 

[AngelDuck]

I need to see a lot more (at least half a season)to judge Cronin but so far we look very choppy at times. To be expected that there will be a learning curve

 

[Leonardo87]

I didn’t watch the entire game. But LaCombe looked very good for what I saw and the Vaak - Helleson pair was brutal.

Did I get that right?

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

I didn’t watch the entire game. But LaCombe looked very good for what I saw and the Vaak - Helleson pair was brutal.

Did I get that right?

Everyone was brutal in the D zone. LaCombe did a very good job in transition and especially on the attack.