Byrddog
Lifer
- Nov 23, 2007
- 7,534
- 845
QUOTE=nashpreds;59485527]I think the problem is that there is no forecheck....ever
The only guys that have really put any pressure on the opposing D lately have been Wilson and Clune. Other than that everybody's just standing around waiting for the other team to break the puck out and bring it back to Rinne.
It would also be nice to see somebody throw a hit once in a while, I think the absence of Tootoo has effected this team more than anybody realizes
Also, they need to stop icing the damn puck, its starting to piss me off.[/QUOTE]
You hit one of the major problems on the head the Forecheck just seems to have disappeared. More and more the forwards have become too defensivly minded. Its hard to create a sustained attack with two forwards laying back to prevent the other team breaking out in an odd man situation. That seems exactly what they are doing far too often. Of course there are situations that require this, maybe the poor ability to pass the puck effectivly in the offensive zone is the real cause.
The offense has really never been effective gaining the blue line and has defered to the dump and chase and now they do not have the speed to do this as effective as in the past. When the team lost to the Sharks in there second playoff appearence it was made clear that the team needed the ability to gind in the corners. Poile signed players to fit that role this with a solid defense created a team that was built for low scoring games. Just enough offense to win close games or pick up points in the regulation tie. This is where the team is now short of being able to score enough on most nights to win outright, Get to OT pick up the single point and try for the second in OT or the shootout. It would be hard to argue otherwise with the results of these first 12 games.
The defense and goaltending combined this year is the best in the league. The offense is the worst in the league stat wise. Wilson and Erat lead the team with 7 points each. And those numbers are really nothing to be excited about but they lead the team.
Now there are a number of people on this board that think SOG means nothing ok SOG means nothing. Lets consider PIN (pucks in net) you can't subjectivley explain that away. Preds have 22 goals or 1.83 per game last in the league these numbers were taken from the stats page of NHL.com goals for. Poile would be hard pressed to find a trading partner to move any of the forwards other than Wilson or Horni. In fact there is not one forward on this team that could play 1st line on any other NHL team right now.
To be satisfied where the team is right now would be great if the offense was competitive. They can't continue to keep pace averaging less than two goals a game. And if you ramove the 6 goal game they had the number look more bleak. Its not my assertion that they need to score 3 each night but they will need 3 each night in half the games to be competitive over the long haul. The season if 1/4 done and the schedule is friendly for the next little while. But the underling measure of offense is going to be there even in games they do win. To make the playoffs its going to take 22 more wins out of the last 36 look at the schedule and see if you can find them.
The only guys that have really put any pressure on the opposing D lately have been Wilson and Clune. Other than that everybody's just standing around waiting for the other team to break the puck out and bring it back to Rinne.
It would also be nice to see somebody throw a hit once in a while, I think the absence of Tootoo has effected this team more than anybody realizes
Also, they need to stop icing the damn puck, its starting to piss me off.[/QUOTE]
You hit one of the major problems on the head the Forecheck just seems to have disappeared. More and more the forwards have become too defensivly minded. Its hard to create a sustained attack with two forwards laying back to prevent the other team breaking out in an odd man situation. That seems exactly what they are doing far too often. Of course there are situations that require this, maybe the poor ability to pass the puck effectivly in the offensive zone is the real cause.
The offense has really never been effective gaining the blue line and has defered to the dump and chase and now they do not have the speed to do this as effective as in the past. When the team lost to the Sharks in there second playoff appearence it was made clear that the team needed the ability to gind in the corners. Poile signed players to fit that role this with a solid defense created a team that was built for low scoring games. Just enough offense to win close games or pick up points in the regulation tie. This is where the team is now short of being able to score enough on most nights to win outright, Get to OT pick up the single point and try for the second in OT or the shootout. It would be hard to argue otherwise with the results of these first 12 games.
The defense and goaltending combined this year is the best in the league. The offense is the worst in the league stat wise. Wilson and Erat lead the team with 7 points each. And those numbers are really nothing to be excited about but they lead the team.
Now there are a number of people on this board that think SOG means nothing ok SOG means nothing. Lets consider PIN (pucks in net) you can't subjectivley explain that away. Preds have 22 goals or 1.83 per game last in the league these numbers were taken from the stats page of NHL.com goals for. Poile would be hard pressed to find a trading partner to move any of the forwards other than Wilson or Horni. In fact there is not one forward on this team that could play 1st line on any other NHL team right now.
To be satisfied where the team is right now would be great if the offense was competitive. They can't continue to keep pace averaging less than two goals a game. And if you ramove the 6 goal game they had the number look more bleak. Its not my assertion that they need to score 3 each night but they will need 3 each night in half the games to be competitive over the long haul. The season if 1/4 done and the schedule is friendly for the next little while. But the underling measure of offense is going to be there even in games they do win. To make the playoffs its going to take 22 more wins out of the last 36 look at the schedule and see if you can find them.
