4th line with Glass and Moore. Also working with the PP. Fast sitting Zucc is also back, AV decides to sit Miller instead of Hayes. I like the idea of getting Malone in the line up. He brings that net presence and size this team is obviously lacking. Isles games also tend to get chippy, he'll help there. I would have put him in after getting pushed aroung by the Jackets but better late than never. Fast is fine for what he is, but we already have a few players like him. Good move shaking things up.
Good. Fast is not very good and shyt his pants when Hartnell hit Stempniak and he figured he might have to confront Hartnell
JT who is not a favorite of AV seems to be at the entrance of the doghouse already. Next time back in the line up is huge for him. As Yogi said "it's getting late early" For JT that is
No time for patience in this competitive sport. Produce or Out. Got to find who and what works quick....especially vs a much improved Islander* team. * Next year their home is Brooklyn, NY. An automatic Ramp UP for both organizations.
Kostka is awful. Wow. If McIlrath isn't better than this garbage then we might as well give up on him already. Our defense doesn't handle forehecks well. They get nervous, move the puck too quickly and fuck up. We continue to simply reach and poke for the puck instead of hitting the puck carrier. Unreal how physically inept this team is.
This team is a fucking joke. AV is now showing his true colors. Great offensive coach, shitty defensive coach. This is why he got relieved of duty in Vancouver. Can't just play offense you fucking moron. You need defense and a defensive system. The system can't simply be just offense. This was my concern with him last year, but we were more defensively sound last year. Obviously his poor coaching is showing through now. It's a shame because we will be stuck with his poor coaching and decision making for as long as we were stuck with Torts because he got us to a Cup final. Expect to see this for the next 2-3 seasons before they finally relieve him of duty here and will hopefully finally find a competent coach that realizes you need ALL phases of the game to win, and not just defense (Torts) or offense (AV).
Two dmen for the Rangers against one Islander in the corner and the Islanders player wins the puck. Laughable.
I'll just say a couple of quick things. 1. It is FOUR GAMES. We all need to settle down. There is a lot of season left to go. Let's play some hockey before we get all worked up. 2. With that being said, please don't keep talking about last season and the start. Just because we got on a magical run after a terrible start last season doesn't mean that is a good formula and it doesn't mean we will overcome it this season. We didn't lock up a playoff spot until late in the season. We didn't have home ice in the 2nd or 3rd or 4th rounds. So a terrible start is not a great recipe for success usually. So let's not fall back on well we did it last season... 3. To me anyone who wants to re-sign Staal for 5 years and over 5 mill per is crazy. The guy has ZERO offensive game. He is slow and quite honestly not even that physical. And before anyone mentions Girardi, who is better than Staal, and Klein you need to remember that is done. We cannot go backwards and undo those deals. I am looking forward. Girardi has a NTC, and makes less than what Staal would re-sign for I believe. And Klein is here, and we can trade him if we want, but he makes 2.9 per not 5.5 per. You don't solve a potential issue by compounding it and re-signing Staal to a bad over 5 mill per cap hit for 5 years or more deal. That would be a terrible move IMO.
4 games into the season, and they look BAD. But like last year they will get better. Having a physical presence has been a problem with this team for a long time, and they just don't seem to be able to address that. Columbus pushed them around, then Toronto and now the Islanders. Someone (or more) will be dealt for more defense. If you're having trouble putting the puck in the back of the net, then you better make it hard on the opposition. Right now, they scare no one.
Four games in, but concern NEEDS to be there as this team just isn't defensively sound, and we can't blame learning the system now. It's coaching. Look at AVs record in Vancouver. Guy had NO clue about defense. He's brought that philosophy here now.
And BTW...I like Malone a lot. He adds something we need. I would play him every game. And Kostka...wow...not an NHL player. He needs to be down tomorrow, and I bet he is.
I would love to be wrong, but this is AV's system guys. Look at his track record in Vancouver. He doesn't know what to do with defense and just wants small fast guys. He believes that speed equals skill and will guarantee success instead of realizing you need to be sound in all phases of the game. Look at the real successful teams the past several years. They've all been sound across the board. If we want to take that next step we need a coach (and a GM but Sather is going to die in that position and never give it up so might as well not complain about it) that realizes this.
I would love for you to be wrong like last season also. Considering it is 4 games, which I know is about 98% of the season right, I will lean towards you being wrong again.
