There was a lot to be impressed about with tonight’s game in Tampa Bay. There was also a lot that I need to discuss to negate all the good, so bear with me, because I am seriously displeased.
First, the good….
The Jackets badly outshot the Lightning, and dominated most of the game. Their offensive presence was strong, and their passing seemed to be good when the correct players were on the ice. It was evident that their attention to Hitch after two periods of play was high, as I am assuming he told them to take more shots, and they absolutely came out firing in the third period, getting almost 10 shots in the first 4 minutes.
Unfortunately, that is all the good I can muster.
Now, the bad….
First off, let’s get right to the thick of it. Coaching. I have a few examples, so again bear with me, as Hitchcock is clearly a fan favorite in Columbus. He is simply putting the wrong players on the ice at the wrong time. Huselius had an absolutely horrific game, failing on pass after pass, and putting very little effort into his game, and yet he found himself out on both the powerplay, AND the overtime. Same goes for Tyutin, who spent the entire overtime on the ice, which spanned around three minutes. That is simply not strong coaching.
Secondly, I have a bone to pick with one of our ‘best’ players. Huselius was considered a highly sought after scorer when we picked him up, and he has done nothing but let me down this year. He is playing with easily one of the most dynamic players in the league, and yet somehow he has been lackluster and lazy on the ice. His turnover ratio is getting more than absurd, and his attitude on the ice makes it seem like he is simply going through the motions.
Bottom line here, is that games are not one by individuals, they are won by an entire team working as a cohesive unit. Bombing on the powerplay, and watching top players cough up the puck time and time again without any sort of repercussion can only work against the production of this unit. I would like to see some accountability by line one after tonight. I want to see Hitch call them out and call himself out by suggesting that no one really brought their appropriate game tonight. Sure, they dominated for most of the game, but does that really benefit the result? No, it absolutely does not.
Their next game is at home on Thursday against a big team. I am ready to see a rejuvenated team, and I hope you are as well fans!
Carry the Flag.
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