The Red Army played a hard fought game tonight versus Stuffed Chrus. For long spouts of the game, the Comrades dictated the play and controlled the puck. At other times, the Comrades made ill advised plays and committed large gaffs. The end result? Another one goal loss in a game that should have been a win.
But let's not get down on them. We do that enough, and from the interviews gathered in the locker room this evening, they do that to each other enough. I don't want this to be a fluffy post filled with rainbows, but I would be remiss not to give credit where credit is due, identify some improvements, and tastefully point out things that need to change. In my past life, I was a teacher, and I understand while drilling someone about their shortcomings may have its short term benefits, in the long run it only breeds contempt. So this post will address each players performance tonight and point out three things:
1) Something the player is doing well
2) Something the player is improving at
3) Something the player needs to improve at
Think of it as good cop, good cop, bad cop...which is at least two times better than bad cop by my count.
First, the defense, in alphabetical order:
Breiterman, Ben
1) Ben is consistently a threat to score. It seems each game he is on the score sheet (he netted two goals tonight and a handful of assists) and his game in the defensive zone is equally impressive. He is as much shut down as he is top shelf.
2) Ben is becoming better at joining the rush, which he seems to be doing a lot more this season. In fact, a few times he has been spotted grinding the puck out behind the net in the offensive zone. His offensive game is creating a lot of three on two rushes.
3) But... stemming from #2, Ben's penchant for joining the rush is also leading to several two on one rushes the other way. A lot of this has to do with the offensemen reading the play and staying back, but most of it falls on Ben because as one of the more talented players on the rink, he needs to be one of the more vocal players to organize things.
Hoefer, Scott
1) Scott has continued to be the backbone of the defense. He seldom gets beat, he is vocal on the rink and on the bench, and he allows any other player paired with him to take chances. He is reliable.
2) Scott is also improving his offense while not letting it be a detriment to his defense. His release is becoming quicker and his shot harder. Him and Mark have executed a few give and go's the past few games and Scott is quickly becoming more confident in the offensive zone.
3) For as good as his defense is, it can be better. He plays well against north to south players, but when a player comes towards him and can toe drag, Hoefer can often be beat. He spoke to reporters about it tonight and thinks he can improve. The State of the Union may depend on how quick that learning curve is.
Kelley, Drew
1) Speed. Drew is the fastest player on the team, and in a division that just got injected with speed, Drew's role come playoff time is going to be increased. He can stay on guys that other Comrades just cannot.
2) Drew's defensive game used to consist of skating hard at someone and hoping to poke check. Now he can gauge a rushing offender, guide them towards the boards, and win the battle. His defensive game has grown by leaps and bounds.
3) Drew's offensive game however, seems, well, to be the Jekyll and Hyde of the Red Army. Last season, he was trigger happy when passes were available. Then he became a monster in the playoffs setting up Mark several times and chipping in with a few goals of his own. This season he seemed to regress back to his original habits of shooting when he should pass and passing when he should shoot. We know it's in him, we just want to see it.
Odell, Ryan
1) You know what you're going to get from Ryan: shots on net, a body to the front, and a physical presence. He is the meat and potatoes of the defensive corps and a proven winner; the kind of guy you want on your team in a season like this.
2) Though he still occasionally commits the dreaded "last man back who thinks he can dangle the world" faux pas, he has for the most part eliminated that from his game and become a breakout machine. Also, him and Mark have developed some chemistry this season that have resulted in a few highlight reel goals.
3) As I alluded to earlier, Ryan is a proven winner. When things are not going well though, like say... this season, Ryan can be tough on his teammates. He is a vocal leader, but when it comes to getting a message across, yelling is not always the best option.
The Offense:
Collis, Pete
1) Pete is probably the most underrated forward in the entire division. His speed, stick skills, and shot all catch teams off-guard. He was the biggest off season acquisition for the Red Army, and until tonight, he was also the good luck charm.
2) Pete is improving his offensive game by being more quick to pull the trigger. In past seasons, you couldn't pay him enough to shoot. This season, though he hasn't quite adopted the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality, he certainly has ditched the "pass first, then second, third, fourth, and fifth".
3) For all of Pete's offensive upside, he still seems to get snake bitten at the worst times. It's no secret that him and Mark will be providing most of the offense this season, and the way things are going, the anti-venom better arrive quickly.
Hand, Steve
1) The Captain has continued his solid play in the corners. His big body and deceptively good hands allow him to finagle loose pucks away from opposing players. If his vision improves a bit he could rack up some serious assists.
2) With his vision, it is progressing slowly, but progressing nonetheless. He is beginning to make passes through seams that he couldn't before. He still needs to show patience at times and more urgency at others, but that comes with experience.
3) The thing Steve will always be judged on (unfairly because he is bigger than most of the other offensive players) is his performance in front of the net. He still drags his feet, errr, skates, to go to the absolute front of the net, but when he does, results are immediate. He also needs to find a way to get that slap shot off without a tee, a caddy, and an afternoon off.
Hendricks, Mark
1) He is back to his old scoring ways, netting hat tricks in three consecutive games (13 goals) and is not shying away from the front of the net.
2) Mark is also improving his defensive game and showing more of a commitment to being back, though as evidenced tonight, he still has much room to improve.
3) If Mark is going to improve somewhere besides defense, it is going to be offense, and by that I mean burying more of his scoring chances. Yes, a four goal performance like tonight was nice, but as the headline indicates, it was not good enough. Three times Mark had golden opportunities to give the Comrades a two goal lead late in the third, and all three times, he missed. The result? A six point night in the stat sheet and a 0 point night in the standings.
Horton, Tony
1) Like Drew, Tony has speed. When you combine his size with his speed, he can be a handful for defenders. Tony has shown an ability to drive the net and when he does that, he creates opportunities for himself and everyone around him.
2) Tony's hands are also improving. He has shown an ability to stick handle through defenders and create chances on his own. His finishing touch is still a bit behind, but you figure if he keeps getting shots, the goals will start coming.
3) Like Ben, Tony needs to be more selective when choosing to exercise his newest found hobby. Trying to beat a defender one on one is a dangerous game. If you fail, you've taken yourself out of the play and the puck is going the other way. Often times if a pass is open, the pass should be made.
So there is the breakdown. Tomorrow, there will be a game recap to cover tonight's game more in depth, but tonight, sensing the locker room's general mood, I think this was higher on the priority list.
Keep your heads up Comrades. As the wise Bruce Boudreau once said, "The difference between a rut and a winning streak is only a couple of bounces."
1 comment:
Indeed.
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