X Reasons Weekends Are Too Short

by Robocop on Oct 24, 2011 8:05 AM CDT in Analysis/Reaction

What happened to lazy weekends? They used to take forever, now it feels like I just left work yesterday evening and I'm already back.

The Wings had a nice lazy weekend though, even after not playing for the week prior. They got their powerplay figured out against a downright BAD Columbus team, and then forgot everything else on Saturday against a not-so-downright-bad Capitals team. Though, that's kinda how Vancouver looked when they came into our building a couple ~~months~~ weeks ago. But they had played Philadelphia, not COLUMBUS!!!

Follow me after the jump for a combined weekend X Reasons.

I - So who else switched to MSU/Wisconsin at the end of the second?

II - Caught a bit during the pregame Friday regarding scheduling. Apparently, Ken Holland is at least partially to blame for the scheduling issues. They are trying to avoid scheduling conflicts with Mr. I's other sporting interest, so only give the league a handful of available home dates in October. Still doesn't explain why we couldn't play a road game earlier in the week, but it's not all the leagues fault.

III - Rule 43: Checking From Behind. There is no minor penalty for this, and I don't think Rick Nash's hit on Friday deserved 5 minutes, but his hit on Kronwall (?) was definitely pushing the grey area for checking from behind.

IV - Puck Luck. We had NONE on Saturday.

V - I'm really liking what Blashill has done with the power play. Took a little while for it start producing, but it seems to allow for a little bit more creativity out of the players.

VI - Was glad to see some feistiness from the Wings on Friday. Big Rig getting into an at least entertaining fight (and not pulling a Lilja in the process), Hudler standing up to Rick Nash and then Todd Bertuzzi taking exception to Kris Russell doing his best Matt Cooke impression. Bert was not impressed.

VII - The number of goals we gave up on Saturday. Absolutely unforgivable.

VIII - Was it just me, or did Conklin look like he was hurting on Saturday? Maybe it's just the way he reacts to goals he thinks he should have had, but on several of them it looked like he was gathering himself before getting up again.

IX - It's going to be a long season for ~~Chris Mason~~ Steve Mason. As a goalie myself, I feel sorry for him.

X - If we spend the season losing only every 6th game, I think I can live with that.

Next up: @Columbus, 7pm on ~~Friday~~ Tuesday. (Tuesday? Are we sure the schedulers got this one right?)

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Comments

V

I have to agree. His formations are incredibly weird and unlike anything I have seen before, but it seems to finally be starting to click, especially when we are willing to move out of them when there is a hole in the opponent’s defense.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 24, 2011 8:37 AM CDT reply actions

IX

Do you mean Chris Mason, the backup in Winnipeg, or Steve Mason, the starter in Columbus? I feel bad for both, honestly.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 24, 2011 8:38 AM CDT reply actions

About Number V

I do not like our power play especially that goofy 5 on 3 formation with 2 low attackers and 3 high as both the Capitals and Blue Jackets could read it well and defend against it. Only when the Wings used it as a decoy to crash the net did we score. They’re too predictable even with the weird plays.

by Idle Drifter on Oct 24, 2011 8:49 AM CDT reply actions

They've scored on 2 out of 3 of their 5v3s

Yeah, technically the one against CBJ was 5v4 but the penalized player hadn’t gotten back to the play yet. I will take it.

I hate Jonathon Ericsson.

by Brion on Oct 24, 2011 8:58 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

They could read it well

And yet only the Caps managed to completely stop it.

I especially like the fake shot on the cross pass. Hopefully gets a goalie dropping early while the puck is still changing angles. Just need to find a way to make the pass a little crisper.

I know it’s going to be tough for Lidstrom to pick up the puck coming through Zetterberg’s legs, but it just took too long to get all the way over to him for the shot.

The fake shot aspect aside, they were moving much more fluidly. The Kronner goal on Saturday was the result of this. Guys aren’t locked into staying in one area and shifting the umbrella back and forth across the points. Moving their feet created that goal more than any passing they’ve done in the last 15 years.

Dancing Datsyuk Decidedly Dazzles Dainty Defensemen

by Robocop on Oct 24, 2011 9:10 AM CDT up reply actions

If we could move the 2 low a little further out while keeping them in an attack position, we could really do some damage. Right now, our top 3 are so close to the net that they are suffocating the defense. They can’t go anywhere and leave few shooting lanes open as a result. If we could pull the outside defenders toward the boards, we could really open up the lanes for one timers.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 24, 2011 9:33 AM CDT up reply actions

That said

It has been incredibly effective thus far and if we can actually learn to shoot the damn puck on the 5-on-3s, it will be dangerous. I look at it as a WIP, though. No one has ever (as far as I am aware) played that formation in the NHL and it’s going to take some tweaking to get it right. Either way, I like that Blashill is thinking outside the box here. McCrimmon was never all that creative when it came to things like that.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 24, 2011 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions