The Team

[bikerboy]

i was listen to the game on radio moncton Vs bathurst , and they had a scout on the air in the sectond intermition , talking about the team and there players , and how many pleople were saying that PEI should be a force this year in the top 3 , the only thing that the scout said was wen you see PEI play there is too many single plays and players that thinks only about them self , wen they could start playing has a team you will see the Rockets in the top 3 .

find kinda harch but you guys aren t doing that great either what going on with the Rocket

[Stuck in a Loop...]

Morrison doesnt remember how to pass to anyone but Walker chances are morrison gots the shot or it will result in a turnover, same with Doyle playing for himself not the team, trying to do to much in his draft year!

[rocketlauncher]

Yeah, its pretty clear that there are problems in a lot of key areas.

Up front, there is a lot of selfish play, yes, thats true, but I see much deeper problems than that. One, there is no consistency in the lines from night to night which makes it hard for the players to develop a sense of comfort with where their teammates are. Also, despite having bonafide top 2 line players in Morrison, Kana, latal, Doyle, and Walker, we are missing that one real impact top 2 line player to make a strong 1-2 punch. The next concern is secondary scoring. I hate criticising players, because there are often uncontrollable reasons for them to be ineffective, but Cliche is just not getting it done. Hes a non factor every time hes on the ice. I also think that Schmidt is a non factor and I have concerns about his quickness. LaChaine should be able to contribute, as should Locke, but that has not been seen as of yet. They will never be 70 point guys, but we at least need an average of a goal per game from out third line. MacLean continues to get better and is an excellent fit for secondary scoring for the team even as a rookie. McKinley, IMO is proving that he can make a difference as an energy player on the 4th line of he gets a regular shift. Paynter is a heart and soul guy and has not received as much ice as he deserves to date. Wright is not ready to play regularly but he is working hard and doing whats asked of him and can be spotted in on occasion.

So having said all that, the forwards need to move the puck better, play with more desperation, and we should actively be looking to upgrade on Cliche and Schmidt.

On defense, we are placing a lot of stock in having 4 17 year olds as our problem but I also believe that it runs much deeper. Lessard is making a lot of mistakes, and because he plays so much, its really hurting us. Gervais has been the most solid of out D so far. Southorn is a talented young player, but its unfair to expect him to carry the defense as a 17 year old. Swit just does not fit. I have more confidence in all 4 17 year olds than I do in Swit. Main is a problem for us too. He is so effective as a forward that we lose out on a great pressure agitator when he has to play defense, but with Lessard struggling, he is needed to help the defense. Deighan takes too many bad penalties and has cost the team several power play goals against. That needs to be addressed. Other than that hes been steady. Malouin is a better player than last year, no question, but I worry about his decision making skills. Clow has excellent physical skills, makes very solid decisions out there, but needs to work on finsihing his hits and eliminating his man. Hes still not the thickest guy in the world and I know that hurts him, but I also think coming out of prep that he does not realize that he can be more physical and get away with it. At this point there is not an impact defenseman on our blueline. We need to address out vets, maybe trade one or two away for something a little better, and also play the kids because I know froma talent perspective they can become impact players if given a chance.

I don't blame the defense completely for our D zome problems, but more our defensive system. Forwards responsibility on thier own zone is as important as the D's, and I just don't think they are playing the right man quite often, causing confusion in the zone.

In goal, lets face it, we have not seen the LaFleur that we expected. The talent is there, but it needs to come out soon. Still too many soft goals. Gelinas should turn out to be a reasonable backup for the club.

Also.....did the Q change the rules about making a direct pass?? Way too much chipping the puck up when there are players wide open, and even when passes are made, I am amazed at how many miss their target. Its been horrific. On defense the only 2 D I have seen consisitently put the puck on the tape are Clow and Deighan, and isn't kind of ironic. They are the only 2 new D on the team this year which leads me to believe the others have been conditioned by the coaches to just chip the puck.

We also seem to have a real confidence problem. Some guys are playing with too much, namely Morrison, Doyle, Latal. Too much waiting for the puck to come to them and when they get it, a sense that they are going to do it all themsleves. Then, on the other side of the coin, we have guys like Paynter, Clow, Malouin and lafleur who appear afraid to play thier game because they don't want to face the consequences of a mistake.

In my opinion, most of this can be rectified by addressing the systems used and playing the whole bench, and imposing discipline on selfish play, but that all the coaches responsibility, and I think we are out of luck there.

I have ranted on a lot here about what my thoughts are. I know many of you feel the same way, and some disagree, but thats what I see. ...and I want to be clear that I do not dislike any of the players as a person, I just feel that we need to make some changes in a few players and in the coaching staff.

[North Shore]

Great analysis of the situation. I and I am sure most people on here would agree with your conclusion.

rocketlauncher said:

In my opinion, most of this can be rectified by addressing the systems used and playing the whole bench, and imposing discipline on selfish play, but that all the coaches responsibility, and I think we are out of luck there.

.... I just feel that we need to make some changes in a few players and in the coaching staff.

The big questions is when or if we will see this happen or is the team destined to become a cellar dweller this year.

[tman]

That is an excellent post rocketlauncher. I agree with everything you said. If the coaching situation gets addressed and the right players are added during the trading period I think this team can go somewhere this year. The star players definatley have to start playing as a team and stop trying to do it all themselves. Main was a great addition. I do like his energy on forward. He does look good on the blue line too.