Hockey Thoughts While the Games are On March 2nd
I watched the highlights from the Devils @ Avalanche game. Wow, that was some bad defense last night. Some of that could be chalked up to the new players on the ice. Some of it could be written off as the defense had a bad night. Some of it lands on the shoulder of the Avs young goalie. There are times the goalie needs to bail out the defense and that didn’t happen enough on the plays that ended up as goals. As much as that is true, the defensive breakdowns by the Avalanche were too many for the offense to make up for and the Avs lost the game 7-5. One bad game happens. This can be written off as a hangover game after beating the Golden Knights. The next game is against the division leader, no room for bad games there. The only troubling thought is the fact that an Eastern Conference team can add this feather to their cap. Does that feather become a problem in the playoffs? It would have to be a Cup Finals to be a problem and that is too far off to consider, but, the thought is there.
I’m watching the Sabers and Bruins as I write this and the Bruins are playing more of the same I saw in their last game. Steady hockey, never getting into trouble. On the odd occasion they do get into trouble, the goal is there to be the ultimate backstop. The difference this time is the goalie is Swayman and he looks just as solid as Ullmark. Boston is really good at picking their spots to attack. they have the offensive talent but they are quite happy to take what the other team brings to the ice and counterattack. The difference is, their counterattack will stay in the zone or get a dangerous shot.
Moving to the Toronto @ Calgary game and the Maple Leafs move the puck differently on the power play. It’s kind of refreshing. Of course, as soon as I say that, they give up a short-handed goal. I will take the blame for that. The Maple Leafs are another team I’ve not watched many of their games this year. The team has made a lot of trades. They look like a different team. They have a different kind of player. If I was a fan of the team, I would feel like getting passed the first round was a real idea this season. However, the almost inevitable meeting with Tampa Bay in the first round leaves no room for comfort.
Speaking of inevitable, the Maple Leafs are on the road to scoring a goal before the period is over. This team is very confident on offense and they have yet to get stuck in the neutral zone. Even in the defensive zone, the Flames haven’t looked dangerous outside of a post shot and….well….their goal. Again, I’m sorry Leafs fans. As the game settles into a rhythm for the last few minutes, I just want to take the time to say I don’t like the playoff format. It feels like a penalty to score that many points over the course of the season and be “rewarded” by a matchup with the Lightning.
Doing a little scoreboard watching and I see Boston has won 7-1 and Dallas is tied with Chicago 2-2 in the 2nd period. Boston feels like they can be ignored until the end of the season. Two games have shown me all I need to see. You need extraordinary play to beat their steady style. They are a veteran team that made the finals. If I was among their fans, I would be in full 2022 Avalanche mode, “stay healthy, get healthy, and call me when it’s the playoffs”. The team is good enough to get the wins they need to stay where they are in the standings.
That’s it for today. Enjoy the games you happen to be watching and I’ll catch you next time.
