This is unbearable to watch. A coaching change is absolutely necessary, including the assistant coaches. The system this team plays is terrible, and NOTHING is changing.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results .... proves this coaching staff is insane. Some examples:
1. They play too close to the goalie/hash marks in their own end, giving the opposing team too much space and allowing them to do as they wish, dominating zone time.
2. Not sure what happened to the commitment to a hard forecheck from the beginning of the season. Guess they thought that wasn't needed anymore since they were 9-3-3 at that point.
3. The penalty kill also plays too pensive and does not force enough.
4. The idea of having 3 guys play a triangle on the penalty kill and let the forth guy run around at the point looks awful and is ineffective.
5. Who in their right mind would continue, game after game, to use Josefson on the power play??? "He's great at the half wall" my ass, enough of this crap. There is NO offensive instinct in this kid. I like his work ethic, play him in penalty kill (not with current system), and 4th line. Whatever. Just STOP expecting any offensive output from him. Enough. Please.
6. Seeing Josefson, Kalinin, and Bennett on the power play is like saying to the opposing team "We don't really want to score on this power play. Here's hoping you don't pot a shortie! Cheers!"
7. Kalinin, Josefson, Zacha and Bennett combined have 1 more goal than Wood, yet Wood isn't worth a look on the Power Play? Do these coaches really watch game film like they claim to? The fact that the system is being overhauled completely at this stage says that the coaches don't know what to look for on game film. Maybe these systems worked in minor hockey, or lesser pro levels, they DO NOT work at the NHL level.
8. Whoever came up with the idea of that drop pass in the neutral zone on a power play needs to be fired with cause and with no pay effective yesterday. This horse crap play is the worst idea I may have ever seen getting continual usage by this team. Ok, maybe the continual play of absolutely non-offensive options may top this... I don't know. We have fast skaters, skate the damn puck into the zone already!
9. Attention John Hynes, in the NHL you are allowed to change your goalie at any point during a stoppage in the game. When you keep getting smoked it might be helpful to show the whole world you are paying attention and care, changing your goalie is one way to do this!
10. I have watched every game for years, and have been a fan since 1982. This is the worst 2 month stretch I can ever remember because it looks hopeless. Maybe I am having an anger memory block, I don't recall the Johnny Mac days being anywhere close to this bad. Yes we lost a lot, I don't remember constantly and continually getting hammered. This is embarrassing.
Something has to change. Trying to convince the players to stick to some system that doesn't work at the NHL level isn't going to happen.
I was in California for the Ducks and Kings games.... they played really well vs the Ducks even though they lost. The Kings game was money not well spent on my part. They were horrendous and have been ever since (minus the one game they shutout the Rangers). They should have lost on Thursday. They should have lost the Leafs game, the Nashville game, any of the other wins they may have had that I can't remember since the Cali trip.
Something has to change. As a loyal fan I now only laugh when the opposition scores rather than get pissed off like I used to, that's a bad sign. Ok time to take a breathe and get over it.....
