Edzo must GO....

With all the high powered scorers and speed we have we still play like the
New Jersey Devil of the 90's.

I think much of this goes deeper than just Edzo, no I'm sure it goes deeper
than Edzo....

We need a speed D man to carry the mail that the forwards won't. Just like
in football bringing a running back thru the open hole is what the D gives
us.

I can't stand to see the forwards just standing around. I lost count of how
many times a forward in their zone was pressured with no outlet available
because the other forwards came over to help him. Several time I witnessed
1 Islander and 3 pens bunched against the wall leaving 4 Islanders against 2
Pens. This is not how you do it.

Dumping the puck is not the way you play the game anymore.

Mario looked slow because on his 2 breakaways there was no one around to
pass to, no one crashing the net. So Mario shifts down and still no one is
able to get to the net.

The Crosby & Christianson Combo looks like a winner but they need a guy like
Malone (healthy scratch?) to add beef to the front of the net. That line
should draw plenty of penalties.

Mario, The Recin' Ball & La Claire should be the #2 Line. But you need D
that are will to jump into the play when this line is on. Most teams will
shadow Mario so you need that extra D to come in and spoil the play.
Jackman or Gonchar I don't care who, maybe Whitney, someone with speed and
finishing power. This game was made for a guy like Paul Coffey.

Sure this line will give up some short handed chances but they will also get
a lot of shots on goal.

The other major change is for the D to take the Body not the Puck. Stand
the guys up at the Red Line or the Blue Line, don't head back too soon to
play D when the puck changes hands. Stand by their Blue Line a second or
two longer and charge the puck in their zone. Too many times the puck was
up for grabs and our D were back at our Blue Line waiting for the other team
to come at them.

You must attack, attack, attack in this new NHL.

I hope Edzo can get these guys going or we may see the AHL coach Michel
Therrien behind the bench. By the way Michel Therrien coached the Canadians
a few years back to a losing record. But they really had nothing but
injuries that year.

Sorry Edzo but the writing is on the wall.

Chris.

POS Bundles.com Sales Department wrote:
> With all the high powered scorers and speed we have we still play like the
> New Jersey Devil of the 90's.
>
> I think much of this goes deeper than just Edzo, no I'm sure it goes deeper
> than Edzo....
>

you're right it goes deeper than edzo, BUT the one thing (in my mind
anyway) that a coach must do is have his team ready to play with
maximum effort every game. this is one the biggest problems for this
team-- and it is a problem that falls right on the veterans. the third
and fourth line youngsters are playing with some good energy and
effort, but they don't have the skills (yet?) to convert those efforts
into goals.

> We need a speed D man to carry the mail that the forwards won't. Just like
> in football bringing a running back thru the open hole is what the D gives
> us.
>
> I can't stand to see the forwards just standing around. I lost count of how
> many times a forward in their zone was pressured with no outlet available
> because the other forwards came over to help him. Several time I witnessed
> 1 Islander and 3 pens bunched against the wall leaving 4 Islanders against 2
> Pens. This is not how you do it.
>
> Dumping the puck is not the way you play the game anymore.
>

i don't get the football analogy. which D-man do you propose should
carry the puck into the zone? it was painful watching odelein try and
carry the puck in (esp. on the PP). a crisp breakout pass might be
better. dumping the puck isn't totally dead (although i agree with you
for the most part), but the key is you have to work along the boards to
get possession-- something that the pens don't/won't do-- and
pittsburgh is often outworked and outnumbered as you point out.

> Mario looked slow because on his 2 breakaways there was no one around to
> pass to, no one crashing the net. So Mario shifts down and still no one is
> able to get to the net.
>
> The Crosby & Christianson Combo looks like a winner but they need a guy like
> Malone (healthy scratch?) to add beef to the front of the net. That line
> should draw plenty of penalties.
>

yes, these two were really clicking on a line together last night.
christensen is one of my favorite players on this club . . .

> Mario, The Recin' Ball & La Claire should be the #2 Line. But you need D
> that are will to jump into the play when this line is on. Most teams will
> shadow Mario so you need that extra D to come in and spoil the play.
> Jackman or Gonchar I don't care who, maybe Whitney, someone with speed and
> finishing power. This game was made for a guy like Paul Coffey.
>
> Sure this line will give up some short handed chances but they will also get
> a lot of shots on goal.
>

i totally disagree with you on this one. the leClair--mario--recchi
line has looked dreadful this year-- all of the oldest players, and two
of the slowest (lemieux and leClair), on the same line seems like a bad
combo to me; besides when mario and sid were on a line together w/
recchi and the #2 line was malone--christensen--palffy, with a solid #3
thumper line of leClair--pirjeta--koltsov, the pens were scoring 4, 5,
and 6 goals a game. now they're scoring 1 or 2. lame.

> The other major change is for the D to take the Body not the Puck. Stand
> the guys up at the Red Line or the Blue Line, don't head back too soon to
> play D when the puck changes hands. Stand by their Blue Line a second or
> two longer and charge the puck in their zone. Too many times the puck was
> up for grabs and our D were back at our Blue Line waiting for the other team
> to come at them.
>
> You must attack, attack, attack in this new NHL.
>

amen. "attack, attack, attack."


> I hope Edzo can get these guys going or we may see the AHL coach Michel
> Therrien behind the bench. By the way Michel Therrien coached the Canadians
> a few years back to a losing record. But they really had nothing but
> injuries that year.
>
> Sorry Edzo but the writing is on the wall.
>
> Chris.

some good points here IMO.

one of my biggest edzo gripes is the total lack of consistency--
consistency of effort that his team gives, and consistency of line
combinations. whatever line combos he chooses, he needs to stick with
them a while so the players can gel and develop chemistry. sure, you
need to shake them up every once in a while, but there is no continuity
on this team.