The team saw Howard last season and now they think: we don’t have to hustle so much, this guy could’ve won a Vezina with the Detroit Red Griffins.

All and all, poor effort by all parts, including coaching. And sophomore slump my ass, it’s a slump, fuch has many years he has under his belt. It was completely unrealistic to expect Jim to play like he did last year.

From one rambling fan to another, I’m very glad you didn’t delete this. 🙂

As far as the type of Dmen we have, that’s interesting, too and I only sort of agree with your assessment of our guys. Of course Rafi and Lidas are the skill and positioning types, I agree 100% there. And Stuart and Salei are the physical types. Stuart almost always plays the body (to a fault sometimes), blocks shots, knows his role, etc.

Rig is… confused, let’s be honest. He doesn’t know what type of defensemen he is. (Does he even know he’s a defensemen?) I think he knows he’s supposed to be physical, but I think he would LIKE to rely on skill and positioning (which he doesn’t. have.)

And Kronwall likes to make those big open ice hits, but I don’t think of him as much of a physical guy either, I think of him like a hybrid. I also think he’s getting much better at his positioning.

After reading JJ’s comment, especially this bit- “Under the current system, they are supposed to be using their physicality to break up cycles, they’re simply not doing it.” I thought I might have a guess?

Maybe because Rig and Kronner aren’t 100% sold on the system? Maybe if Nik Jr really DOES wanna be like Nick Sr… he’s trying to play more like Lidas and not how Babs wants him, leading to that stagnant d-man in front of the net issue? And like I said, Big Rig is just confused. Thank goodness he seems to have either grown half a brains’ worth of sense, or he’s at least listening to the coaches part time, because he’s not as awful as he was, but he’s still clearly confused.

The last game (an atrocity for 2 periods and a mediocre effort for the third) the problem seemed to be more with lazy, lack of trying. If guys got out of position, they weren’t hustling to get back, weren’t fighting for the puck. They were getting beaten 100% on effort. I think that’s a whole team thing, not just a D thing. A forward’s not doing his job, so the defenseman tries to compensate, then everything falls apart. They were really sloppy the last 3 games, I think injuries are a bit of it, but mental fatigue is the most of it.

The D and the goalie get the brunt of the blame, when really, it’s everyone contributing to the suckfest. OMG. Comment so long and disjointed and sucky. I almost deleted it without posting but I can’t bear to waste that much effort. haha.

On behind-the-net plays, D-men are never supposed to get directly behind the twine, instead passing that responsibility off again to the center while he posts at the corner of the net. On the Carcillo goal, Ericsson did not take the back corner of the net as he was supposed to. Instead, he was posted in front where Filppula should have moved into and lost his man. Of course, Kronwall was screening Howard and Hudler is not supposed to let that shot get through in the first place.

Then again, the goal that Howard gave up to Hartnell was soft. The woes here are a mixture of a loss of focus on getting pressure on guys and the goaltending giving up too many soft goals.

It’s Babcock’s job to make sure their feet are always moving and that the “keeping the guy to the outside” mentality means “forcing the guy into the boards and holding him there with the puck until your teammate comes to bail you out.