Goal Scoring

[elementz]

I noticed something while watching games this season and looking at the stats but we desperately need more goals from our forwards. It's great that Dido is leading the way with 12 goals in 16 games, but Leduc is 2nd on the team with only 5 goals, that is a huge difference.

I belive we have the depth to put up the numbers, I just don't think the boys are producing as much as they can/should. We are pretty much into a quarter of the season and given the tight standings in our division, it is time to pick it up.

Here is our goal leaders

1. Dido - 12
2. Leduc - 5
3. Sparling/Hooper/Charland - 4
4. Howes*/Liske/Grant - 3
5. Anthony/Kirkpatrick/Gallant/Stoddard - 2
6. Gauthier/Sauve/Amyot/Despres - 1
7. Stich/McNeil/Thomas - 0

Gauthier scored in his 2nd game of the year, meaning he is on a 14 game goal scoring drout, but he is 2nd on the team in assists. Seems Liske only scores against Lewiston. Sparling should add to the offense since he is back. Picard and Howes should pick it up, these guys should be AT LEAST 30 goal scorers, they aren't even on pace for 20 goals.

Currently, we are tied for 14th in Goals For which is much too low imo. I would like to see us in top 8 at least. Good thing we are 2nd overall in Goals Against.

*Only including Sea Dogs goals

[bjindaho]

Leduc was working well with Picard, then was moved away from him, screwing up his line. Charland has finally started playing. Gauthier is making his linemates better, even if he is not putting pucks in the net. Our offense needs our power play to improve (and it has looked better lately), and for everybody to try hard. One of our biggest challenges is going to be who sits and who dresses (the balance between present contribution and future contribution).

[habh8er]

Really been surprised at the lack of goal scoring by a few of the guys, as a team we are tied for last in goals for with Moncton(east) at 52 and have allowed the least in the division at 46 so it looks like the defence and goaltending is doing their share in making this a winning team. The fact that Picard hasn't been scoring is a real surprise, he seems like he could stick handle in a phone booth and not allow anyone to take the puck from him.
Maybe now that Sparling is back the coaching staff will have a plan to get the goalscoring back on track. Seems like the lines were starting to get it together before the injury to #4, and maybe now that we have a full lineup there will be some flow and guys will start to work things out. We have to remember that Ryan had missed half of the games up 'till now (played in 7..got injured..then missed 7) so now that we have him back I hope we will turn a corner on scoring and start to fill the opposition net with pucks.
Seems like the power play has started to come alive and has improved to a whopping 14.4% from a dismal 8% after the Gatineau game...so things may have started to improve already. The experiment with 5 forwards on the power play got us a few goals, hopefully we don't have to go to those extremes any more.

[bois]

What's up with Picard Hooper anyhow? I am surprised he is putting up such ordinary numbers.. figured he'd be at least a PPG guy.. is he playing poorly? out of shape? what?

[elementz]

He is definately under achieveing. He has 9pts in 14 games and is a -8. For an ordinary player, those might be respectable stats, but not for a player of his calibre. His two linemates, Gauthier and Leduc have more points than him, granted they played a couple more games.

He hasn't really stood out too me at all, especially on the PP.

[habh8er]

bois said:

What's up with Picard Hooper anyhow? I am surprised he is putting up such ordinary numbers.. figured he'd be at least a PPG guy.. is he playing poorly? out of shape? what?

Don't know what the lack of scoring can be blamed on, maybe he hasn't found the right linemates yet, although after a dozen games that shouldn't be the issue. As far as his physical condition he looks to be in as good of shape as anyone else....plays a regular shift with time on the p.p. and looks to play hard on the ice....don't worry about him...I'm sure he'll be ok, sometimes quality is more important than quantity...and I'm sure we'll see some nice goals at key times in the not too distant future from Picard-Hooper and his linemates(whomever they may be, now that Sparling is back).

[Judas In My Mind]

Hooper also never had training camp and exhibition games so likely is just rounding into form now. I'd like to see Hooper, Howes and Anthony on the same line actually. Stick Anthony with the 2 20's. That would also let us reunite the Charland-Leduc-Gauthier line, which did pretty damn good for us in the second half last year.

The best thing for our team scoring though would be improving that powerplay.

[habh8er]

jrsuperstar said:

Hooper also never had training camp and exhibition games so likely is just rounding into form now. I'd like to see Hooper, Howes and Anthony on the same line actually. Stick Anthony with the 2 20's. That would also let us reunite the Charland-Leduc-Gauthier line, which did pretty damn good for us in the second half last year.

The best thing for our team scoring though would be improving that powerplay.

Those are the lines I had hoped to see last game..along with the Dido line and Stoddard with the "Hit Man" and "Hammer" against the scoring line of the opposition ;D.