Preds and playoffs

[fromthetop2]

Also trends I am noticing that have me disturbed. . .

 

Detroit, definitely, has us figured out. They pressure our defensemen, who will make a lazy or a sloppy pass and BANG- they grab the puck and shoot. I don't know the percentages, but every mistake the Preds D makes seems to result in a Detroit score.

 

Secondly, we will allow two players to set up often right on the goal mouth and are very vulnerable to the back door pass or rebound. We aren't moving anyone out or protecting our backside. Never!

 

Thirdly, our goal tending right now is just a little above "average." Not good, not great, just a little better than average. Osgood stoned us the other night, Kiprusoff was playing hot, and Roloson looked great. Only once in the last two weeks can you say our goalies outplayed their counterparts. That won't get it done in the playoffs.

 

I'm not being totally gloom and doom- maybe some players back will make it better this week- but I do feel uneasy going into the playoffs. As Barry Melrose said, "Nashville is the type of team that should not care WHO they face in the playoffs- it's the other team that should be wary about playing Nashville." Sorry Barry, I know it SHOULD be that way- but I don't sense that is the case. I think other teams think they can beat us now in a seven game series- ESPECIALLY Detroit.

[fromthetop2]

Well it is now the last week of the season and Nashville has frittered away all its momentum. The only thing they have to show for the last few weeks is two victories over a poor Edmonton team. Three straight losses to Detroit, a loss Saturday to the Stars. . . what is going on????

[dandy82]

QUOTE(fromthetop2 @ Apr 2 2007 - 01:07 PM) 826428267[/snapback]Well it is now the last week of the season and Nashville has frittered away all its momentum. The only thing they have to show for the last few weeks is two victories over a poor Edmonton team. Three straight losses to Detroit, a loss Saturday to the Stars. . . what is going on????

 

 

 

The loss of Erat was huge, imo.... We have no one as consistant bringing the puck into the offensive zone, especially on the PP.....We cannot, or will not push anyone out of our goal mouth and if you hit one of our stars???? No one on the other team faces a similiar fate.... teams understand they can push us around.

 

We are at low ebb right now, that is for sure....And we face the fate of either dallas or san Jose in the first round...Melrose has been a big Pred supporter, but we simply have not beat a playoff caliber team in a while... And every team on our side appear to be 100 point+ teams...So the teams with the hot hand will win.

 

If Sully and Hartnell do not get to play a couple of games before the playoffs then I don't know what help they will be. The puck movement on the PP is pitiful and once a team gets the puck in our zone??? They keep it there....

 

This aggravates me.... Detriot, Dallas and San Jose have figured out where we pass the puck as we come out of our zone... It is the same pass every time.... To the side, to a dman and NOBODY in the middle...They are allowed to skate up, we dump along the boards and our only option is to dump it in....We never seem to get the puck to the middle of the ice where we have options.... No, we allow the other team to use the boards as a 6th player....Now, the other teams, they flood our middle ice easily.... Because they have figured out what we will do... We put immediate pressure on the puck, but if the dman eludes him, whick happens almost every play, they whip the pass to the side and immediately to our OPEN middle of the ice, and into the zone.... So easy.... basically because playoff teams handle the puck well and our pressure becomes ineffective. Columbus can't, St Louis can't, chitago can't handle the pressure...But Dallas can, Detroit can and San Jose can.... We become so predictable, we will give up shots because of it and with so so goaltending it becomes a recipe to defeat.... We used to invite the teams in and had the confidence to get the puck and counter, but we simply do not do that now.... So we get tired, dump the puck for the change and live thru the same senario again and again...To the tune of 22 goals in something like 14 games.

 

 

I'm hoping that Trotz is playing possum a little and a new strategy emerges in the playoffs and we get back to using our speed...But something tells me it will not happen, teams will stack 5 people between the blue and red line, forcing us to dump the puck.... I wish we would take on the defensive philospohy right now...create turnovers and get the game at a fever pace, where we play well....But we are playing the other teams game now.

[fromthetop2]

100% right- I'm listening to Plaster right now and they are bar-b-queing the Preds. Trotz, as he says will be to blame if they collapse in the playoffs. Willie is defending him and using the now worn-out excuse of it being due to injuries. That doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I think, as well, it is the style of play we've fallen into. They need to reexamine their attacks, their plans, their approach and understand HOW the other teams are playing us and change some things up.

It is getting really sickening to see team after team clog us up and exploit us.

 

Frankly, I don't think they've got some master plan hidden under wraps. If they do, they're really looking for the home run ball to get them out of a jam.

Volkun's brain lapses are annoying. Waiting for him to stand on his head could be a long wait. /mad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad.gif" />

[dandy82]

QUOTE(fromthetop2 @ Apr 2 2007 - 03:58 PM) 826428367[/snapback]100% right- I'm listening to Plaster right now and they are bar-b-queing the Preds. Trotz, as he says will be to blame if they collapse in the playoffs. Willie is defending him and using the now worn-out excuse of it being due to injuries. That doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I think, as well, it is the style of play we've fallen into. They need to reexamine their attacks, their plans, their approach and understand HOW the other teams are playing us and change some things up.

It is getting really sickening to see team after team clog us up and exploit us.

 

Frankly, I don't think they've got some master plan hidden under wraps. If they do, they're really looking for the home run ball to get them out of a jam.

Volkun's brain lapses are annoying. Waiting for him to stand on his head could be a long wait. /mad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad.gif" />

 

 

 

 

Of course, I'm sitting here watching the Blues beat the Stars after two..... between the Basketball game...Trotz is, or needs to be gone if the Preds vanish in the playoffs. I agree with style of play.... Dump and chase is all we do... Center should be our strength now with Foppa, Arnott and leggy...But no, not now.... teams are beginning to gang up on our top two lines because line 3 is non existant. I believe Trotz needs to move Fids( or Smithson) to center the grind line, let them get back to playing with energy and qiut sticking Tootoo or Fids up on the top 2 lines... It is a waste. Let the grinders do what they do best...When you break them up, they do not perform.

 

 

Allow Foppa center Kariya and Rads, Arnott with Dumont and Abid, leggy with what is left and to give Foppa a break at times and allow the grind line of Smithson, Tootoo and Hordi do their damage... Harts comes back, put him on the 3rd line and in front of the goal on the PP...

 

 

We are gonna get Dallas or San Jose...... It appears....

[dandy82]

Well, another "what if" game for the Preds last nite against the Slackhawks.... 5 posts dinged, bad turnovers for our dmen, stuff you expect at the beginning of the year, not the end.

 

 

Our strategy to bring the puck into the opposition offensive zone is just pitiful... That is all I can say....We are a team built around transition and if we are not creating it then we are lost on the ice.

 

 

Fromthetop, if you watched the game, did you see what I saw.... Bring the puck from behind the goal, forewards stationed close to the offensive blue line, by the boards, along with the centerman (for some reason)...First pass has to be to the off dman, then his only choice, if pressured, is to throw it up the boards towards a forward....resulting in the dump in... arghh.... I hate it....

 

Occasionally, a dman takes the puck and attempts to enter the offensive zone....as the rest of the team watches, out of place...arghh.... again....Well, Ill be there Thursday nite, hoping we change our attack.... Glad to see Nichol back and hopefully Harts will play thursday....

[fromthetop2]

It's like I'm watching reruns every time. On a football spin, it's like first down, run off tackle. Second down run off to the other side, third down pass, then punt. How can you not figure it out. And guess what, another defensive turnover of the BRAIN-DEAD variety, this time courtesy of Mr. Hamhuis.

And what the heck happened to Mason in overtime? 3 goals????

 

We dump pucks down the ice like it was when the Devils were playing the zone trap. What is going on here? Just like you said Dandy, it is virtually the same attack time and time again. Now I am not sophisticated enough to tell if even Chicago has caught on to what we are doing, and is modeling their attack after what the Wings, Sharks, Stars, Ducks, Wild, do to us. At this point it is a toss-up whether or not we beat the Blues-who we have owned this season, dispite Mr. Hitchcock behind the bench.

 

What I am getting REAL tired of hearing is anyone of the following phrases:

"We'll get it turned around soon."

"We've just got to work together."

"We've just got to learn to do (insert any word) better."

"Just one of those things."

"Next time."

 

ARRGGHHH! They've had almost 82 games to get it worked out, ironed out, or fine-tuned. Playoffs is about showing what you've got, adapting to the other team's strategy changes, changing up your strategy. It is not the time to FIGURE OUT what you are doing or making BASIC plays.

 

Smelling more and more like one and down- AND A VERY P.O'D FAN BASE!!!!!!!

[dandy82]

QUOTE(fromthetop2 @ Apr 4 2007 - 05:51 PM) 826430097[/snapback]It's like I'm watching reruns every time. On a football spin, it's like first down, run off tackle. Second down run off to the other side, third down pass, then punt. How can you not figure it out. And guess what, another defensive turnover of the BRAIN-DEAD variety, this time courtesy of Mr. Hamhuis.

And what the heck happened to Mason in overtime? 3 goals????

 

We dump pucks down the ice like it was when the Devils were playing the zone trap. What is going on here? Just like you said Dandy, it is virtually the same attack time and time again. Now I am not sophisticated enough to tell if even Chicago has caught on to what we are doing, and is modeling their attack after what the Wings, Sharks, Stars, Ducks, Wild, do to us. At this point it is a toss-up whether or not we beat the Blues-who we have owned this season, dispite Mr. Hitchcock behind the bench.

 

What I am getting REAL tired of hearing is anyone of the following phrases:

"We'll get it turned around soon."

"We've just got to work together."

"We've just got to learn to do (insert any word) better."

"Just one of those things."

"Next time."

 

ARRGGHHH! They've had almost 82 games to get it worked out, ironed out, or fine-tuned. Playoffs is about showing what you've got, adapting to the other team's strategy changes, changing up your strategy. It is not the time to FIGURE OUT what you are doing or making BASIC plays.

 

Smelling more and more like one and down- AND A VERY P.O'D FAN BASE!!!!!!!

 

 

 

You are exactly correct...When coming out of our zone, we do the same thing, every time...Chicago caught on quickly,sent someone to the puck and we passed it to the other dman...as predictable as you can get...With no where to go, he slings it up the boards....We dump it in....

 

 

I don't want to blame Trotz, but the team philospohy is his... I liked what we did bringing the puck in the zone on the first power play,,,,, We lined up and 5 guys went at the offensive blue line at once and we passed the puck into the zone..... And we took some shots, but you can tell there is no flow, everything is forced.

 

I believe the players, well, the seasoned players, understand our system is flawed.....When we were at full strength, able to create turnovers and counterattack, we were fine and scored... But now, somewhat depleted, we need a different system to score and win. Fids, Abid, Nickol, Tootoo are all playing hard, but will not create like Harts, Erat, Sully... Plus, to defend us, you could not throw out your best dmen on our top line because we were rolling 3 good, strong lines...We are not anymore... We are easier to defend....

 

What gripes me, though, is TROTZ not putting his best guys together on the top two lines.... He started with Kariya, Foppa and Fids.... Then Dumont, Arnott and Rads..Then at times he sticks Tootoo on the top line... Arghhh.....

 

I want to see Foppa, Kariya and Rads, then Dumont, Arnott and Abid....And if Harts can play, stick him in Abids place... Sprinkle in some Leggy...Trotz did play those lines some, but he changes them way to much...There is no magic combo when your offensive philosophy is dump and chase... And Trotz needs to put Tootoo, Smithson and Hordi back together and let them do what they do best... create havoc....

[fromthetop2]

Hitchcock and his boys will give us trouble tonight, I predict. Their style since he took over has given us fits.

 

Hartnell should skate tonight, right? I heard Sully is skating; when will he be really ready? It is starting to sound just like last year for him.

Volkun will be in goal. Prediction: If he posts a win, Trotz will go with him for the playoffs. If he stinks it up and Mason does the job Saturday, Mason gets the nod.

 

I can't make the game tonight, so yell for me.

BTW, what did you do to get the Politics board shut down? You and ELA come to blows?

[dandy82]

QUOTE(fromthetop2 @ Apr 5 2007 - 09:11 AM) 826430512[/snapback]Hitchcock and his boys will give us trouble tonight, I predict. Their style since he took over has given us fits.

 

Hartnell should skate tonight, right? I heard Sully is skating; when will he be really ready? It is starting to sound just like last year for him.

Volkun will be in goal. Prediction: If he posts a win, Trotz will go with him for the playoffs. If he stinks it up and Mason does the job Saturday, Mason gets the nod.

 

I can't make the game tonight, so yell for me.

BTW, what did you do to get the Politics board shut down? You and ELA come to blows?

 

 

 

Harts is supposed to skate tonight.... I don't believe we will see Sully at all. I think he is done. I love Sully, but it may be time to look into a trade. I believe he has a disc issue and when it flares up it is a problem. Remember last year in the playoffs??? He had the same issue. He did not skate well at all and you could tell he was in pain... If we could get by with him playing on the PP then get him ready....Because our PP is pitiful right now. Other than that, I don't think he can help us. I was surprised to see Mason in goal Tuesday nite.... Here we have Mason, signed for a year as an insurance policy.... told he would be gone after this year because TV has the long term contract, so to me, it does not make sense to play Mason, since he is gonna be gone. But there he is..in net... HHMMMMM..... The offseason could be interesting...especially if Mason is offered a contract, because TV makes great trade bait.... I dunno....

 

 

So, are your seats better than mine???? LOL....Are you not in 112???? Who has your tics???? LOL

 

As far as the political boards... I do not want to post something that will get anyone in hot water or me in trouble, but it seems that the conversation had gotten heated and we have some really sensitive posters who cry to the Coach at every opportunity...Get real paranoid that every thread was a personal attack on them. Then others were jumping in as if they were Knights in shining armor, protecting the poor, the weak the huddled masses....I was receiving PM's from some of the whiners, threatening me to stop..... LOL,,,, Sorry, that is like chumming the water... I was perfectly satisfied with using the PM feature to speak to them, but a couple of the cowards posted nasty stuff to me thru PM, then put me on block...LOL.....I will not mention names, but they know who they are....

 

I have always told everyone that I use sarcasm an I'm harsh....It is not for the weak kneed at times....But I also realize that this is not a forum of everything goes and I have always accepted any punishment handed to me without a wimper... (and I have been in "timeout") I will never complain because I understand the venue, I understand the rules and I understand I like to play on the edge. Some like to visit the edge, but if their feelings got hurt they whined like children.... Or, and you will appreciate this, the whined like Chris Chelios....

 

I have probably posted too much now..... I want the political boards opened as soon as possible as it is interesting, informative and, to me, fun.... A word has never given me a black eye, a bloody nose or a broken jaw....or hurt feelings...

 

If it helps to get the board opened, I'll take full responsibility in the situation we have today....

[wingman10]

Preds win!

[fromthetop2]

Need some break down on the game, as I was at a previous engagement.

 

MUCH, MUCH, needed victory. Do the same at Colorado and I'll feel better. Mason in goal for that one?

 

Good to see Harts back on the ice.