No need to tear the team apart, but we do need some tinkering...
First of all, we're 4 points away (With games in Columbus and St. Louis) from this being a successful road trip.
Secondly, this team has some issues, but they're minor. Asides from the system changes that need to be implemented, there's some personel changes that should take place as well. Specifically...
It's time to end the Sykora at C exerpiment and throw him onto LW. We're down Moreau, so we have the room on the left side now, and we've got the perfect center to play with Sykora and Hemsky in Horcoff. Horcoff can skate, is an under-rated playmaker, and the three of them would be a solid (not great, but solid) defensive line as well, it's time to end the experiment of giving the cherry minutes to two proven veterans, they're not exploiting them enough to warrant throwing Lupul and Stoll to the dogs.
So, there's the "first" line:
71-10-83
Moving on, 94 and 34 also have proven chemistry together and form two-thirds of a great outscoring line anyway you want to slice it. Throwing those two over the boards after the first line would be perfect - while the other team is trying to avoiding the Czechs, we can send out a line that'll hold the terriotorial edge before even introducing the center.... Marty Reasoner. I'm sure some will disagree, but the facts remain that Marty is a good playmaker (and we all know Fernando can shoot the puck), and three of them will combine into a line that we can trust at all times of the game and should hold a territorial edge on the other team game in and game out.
94-19-34
Now for the cherry minutes that we've seen given to the 71-83 combination thus far, Lupul takes the RW, Stollie takes the center spot, and Torres gets the LW. It's pretty much a "you guys have to all get your **** together at even strength" line, so we put all 3 of them together and make sure to line them up in the minutes where they're most likely to succeed, chemistry be damned. It's a kid line, but 14 and 16 have shown flashes of being players we can trust at even strength, and 15 has to take the step eventually, doens't he? Worst comes to worst here and this line just can't get it done, then we switch up 16 and 19. My preferance, actually, would be to see 14-16-15 play together at home, and 14-19-15 on the road, when it's more difficult to shelter them.
14-16-15
Finally, the fourth line. This leaves us with Thoresen (who's looking more and more like Rita right now and needs to find the energy level he had early), Winchester (who has really come on lately, and hopefully this just isn't the flash that I fear it is), Petersen (has been great) and the next speculated call up in Pouliot to round out the fourth line.
28-78/20-26
Moving on to the defense, it all starts with the top-pairing, rumor is that Shaggy is hurt, but I'm going to assume that he's 100% in the near future and as such can play like he was for us at the start of the season. Jason Smith is the unquestioned top-pairing D on this team, and despite a rough start, I think it's more a case of him trying to spread himself too thin more than anything. He's trying to be what he isn't, and once he settles into his normal self, we'll all be happy to have him playing like we all know he can once again.
29-21
The second pairing for a large part of the season has seen Ladislav Smid and Steve Staios play together. While this pairing has been successful, it's had problems as well. Jan Hejda has come in the last couple of games and looked like a legitimate top 4 defenseman. Given his experience, I think it's time to ride that talent. Staios is a big part of this team and isn't going anywhere, so it's time to combine the two of them into a second pairing that'll be more reliable and hopefully able to move the puck with some more efficiency as Smid won't be firing the puck to Staios every time he feels pressure. The two of them should form a very reliable second pairing.
25-24
Finally the third pairing, where I expect to take a little criticism, but basically Bergeron for the most part should be a mainstay there. He's had some problems, but the fact is that as far as bottom pairing defenseman go... you don't get much better than Bergeron. He can eat weak oppositon alive at Even Strength, as proven by his career numbers. That leaves one spot left.. this is the spot the two rookies fight for and flip through throughout the season and learn as the season progresses and they get their chances due to injuries and suspensions. Greene and Smid should split the remaining games down the middle, taking turns watching from the pressbox and not being thrown straight into the fire like they have been thus far, allowing for this team to be better for the present while straddling the line of development.
2/5-47
In goal, we're set. Rolo has been Rolo for most of the season, and there's no real reason to believe he won't be for the duration of this season and Juice is a proven backup.
The PK has been great thus far, even with the absence of Ethan Moreau. I love the up-tempo style they're playing on the PK, and it's paying dividends as they're currently ranked 4th in the league.
The picture on the PP however, isn't nearly as pretty.
The first change that should be made to the PP - Smid, Bergeron and Staios are permanently banned from the first unit unless we're protecting a lead late in the third. No ifs, ands or buts. Tjarnqvist and Hejda are unproven there, but we may as well assume they suck too.
The second change isn't in personnel, it's in the system. There's no reason a group that consists of Hemsky, Sykora, Smyth, Stoll and Lupul can't fire the puck around. Absolutely none. And for spurts they've done it, however they've had problems setting up inside the zone. The main reason for this? The entire PP is built around a Stoll one-timer.
Stoll has a great shot, I'd never say he doesn't, but we need more diversity. More importantly, the players need to just play on the PP. The puck should be moving around, and so should feet. They need to work on their puck retrieval skills so that they can gain the zone, out-number the opposing team to regain the puck, and then work it around. That's all they need to do, and the PP will be on fire.
If they have trouble moving the puck around, subbing in Horcoff for Lupul is an option, as is subbing in Pisani for Lupul. The pointment, Smyth and Hemsky should remain constants on this PP for the duration of the season baring a trade to bring in an elite PP qb.
On that note, by the trade deadline, Vishnovsky should be Lowe's #1 target.
That is all. Right now this team is gripping their sticks too tightly and they need to get some momentum going. They're not in a hole by any means yet, and they're easily talented enough to win the division, the question is a matter of desire and putting together consistent efforts while utilizing their skills. There's no need to fire anyone (though I wouldn't complain if Simpson were to disapear...), there's no need to strip anyone of the captaincy and there's no reason for a major trade. We don't need to panic, we just need to be patient and find our identity as a team.
GOILERS!
Secondly, this team has some issues, but they're minor. Asides from the system changes that need to be implemented, there's some personel changes that should take place as well. Specifically...
It's time to end the Sykora at C exerpiment and throw him onto LW. We're down Moreau, so we have the room on the left side now, and we've got the perfect center to play with Sykora and Hemsky in Horcoff. Horcoff can skate, is an under-rated playmaker, and the three of them would be a solid (not great, but solid) defensive line as well, it's time to end the experiment of giving the cherry minutes to two proven veterans, they're not exploiting them enough to warrant throwing Lupul and Stoll to the dogs.
So, there's the "first" line:
71-10-83
Moving on, 94 and 34 also have proven chemistry together and form two-thirds of a great outscoring line anyway you want to slice it. Throwing those two over the boards after the first line would be perfect - while the other team is trying to avoiding the Czechs, we can send out a line that'll hold the terriotorial edge before even introducing the center.... Marty Reasoner. I'm sure some will disagree, but the facts remain that Marty is a good playmaker (and we all know Fernando can shoot the puck), and three of them will combine into a line that we can trust at all times of the game and should hold a territorial edge on the other team game in and game out.
94-19-34
Now for the cherry minutes that we've seen given to the 71-83 combination thus far, Lupul takes the RW, Stollie takes the center spot, and Torres gets the LW. It's pretty much a "you guys have to all get your **** together at even strength" line, so we put all 3 of them together and make sure to line them up in the minutes where they're most likely to succeed, chemistry be damned. It's a kid line, but 14 and 16 have shown flashes of being players we can trust at even strength, and 15 has to take the step eventually, doens't he? Worst comes to worst here and this line just can't get it done, then we switch up 16 and 19. My preferance, actually, would be to see 14-16-15 play together at home, and 14-19-15 on the road, when it's more difficult to shelter them.
14-16-15
Finally, the fourth line. This leaves us with Thoresen (who's looking more and more like Rita right now and needs to find the energy level he had early), Winchester (who has really come on lately, and hopefully this just isn't the flash that I fear it is), Petersen (has been great) and the next speculated call up in Pouliot to round out the fourth line.
28-78/20-26
Moving on to the defense, it all starts with the top-pairing, rumor is that Shaggy is hurt, but I'm going to assume that he's 100% in the near future and as such can play like he was for us at the start of the season. Jason Smith is the unquestioned top-pairing D on this team, and despite a rough start, I think it's more a case of him trying to spread himself too thin more than anything. He's trying to be what he isn't, and once he settles into his normal self, we'll all be happy to have him playing like we all know he can once again.
29-21
The second pairing for a large part of the season has seen Ladislav Smid and Steve Staios play together. While this pairing has been successful, it's had problems as well. Jan Hejda has come in the last couple of games and looked like a legitimate top 4 defenseman. Given his experience, I think it's time to ride that talent. Staios is a big part of this team and isn't going anywhere, so it's time to combine the two of them into a second pairing that'll be more reliable and hopefully able to move the puck with some more efficiency as Smid won't be firing the puck to Staios every time he feels pressure. The two of them should form a very reliable second pairing.
25-24
Finally the third pairing, where I expect to take a little criticism, but basically Bergeron for the most part should be a mainstay there. He's had some problems, but the fact is that as far as bottom pairing defenseman go... you don't get much better than Bergeron. He can eat weak oppositon alive at Even Strength, as proven by his career numbers. That leaves one spot left.. this is the spot the two rookies fight for and flip through throughout the season and learn as the season progresses and they get their chances due to injuries and suspensions. Greene and Smid should split the remaining games down the middle, taking turns watching from the pressbox and not being thrown straight into the fire like they have been thus far, allowing for this team to be better for the present while straddling the line of development.
2/5-47
In goal, we're set. Rolo has been Rolo for most of the season, and there's no real reason to believe he won't be for the duration of this season and Juice is a proven backup.
The PK has been great thus far, even with the absence of Ethan Moreau. I love the up-tempo style they're playing on the PK, and it's paying dividends as they're currently ranked 4th in the league.
The picture on the PP however, isn't nearly as pretty.
The first change that should be made to the PP - Smid, Bergeron and Staios are permanently banned from the first unit unless we're protecting a lead late in the third. No ifs, ands or buts. Tjarnqvist and Hejda are unproven there, but we may as well assume they suck too.
The second change isn't in personnel, it's in the system. There's no reason a group that consists of Hemsky, Sykora, Smyth, Stoll and Lupul can't fire the puck around. Absolutely none. And for spurts they've done it, however they've had problems setting up inside the zone. The main reason for this? The entire PP is built around a Stoll one-timer.
Stoll has a great shot, I'd never say he doesn't, but we need more diversity. More importantly, the players need to just play on the PP. The puck should be moving around, and so should feet. They need to work on their puck retrieval skills so that they can gain the zone, out-number the opposing team to regain the puck, and then work it around. That's all they need to do, and the PP will be on fire.
If they have trouble moving the puck around, subbing in Horcoff for Lupul is an option, as is subbing in Pisani for Lupul. The pointment, Smyth and Hemsky should remain constants on this PP for the duration of the season baring a trade to bring in an elite PP qb.
On that note, by the trade deadline, Vishnovsky should be Lowe's #1 target.
That is all. Right now this team is gripping their sticks too tightly and they need to get some momentum going. They're not in a hole by any means yet, and they're easily talented enough to win the division, the question is a matter of desire and putting together consistent efforts while utilizing their skills. There's no need to fire anyone (though I wouldn't complain if Simpson were to disapear...), there's no need to strip anyone of the captaincy and there's no reason for a major trade. We don't need to panic, we just need to be patient and find our identity as a team.
GOILERS!
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