This team has frustrated me all year, but they stayed above the .500 mark and in the mix. They frustrate me because they can be better and win, as opposed to not being able to reach the bar altogether. And this lends a lot of credence to the team and what I believe they might achieve.
What I don't like:
- The attitude for home games; sitting back too often; letting the home fans down more than they might/should have. Was it the dark sweaters? They have finally brought it to the somewhat respectable .500 level. This must improve...and not next year.
- Losing some of that zing on the power-play. Nuff said. Overall, it's been too good to beat up. However, it would be nice to have that going for the play-offs.
What I like:
+ That this team has been able to consistently score. They've been one of the best offensive teams all year long.
+ They've got a lot of guys who can score; is spread out really well. Compare their lineup to other teams offensively, and the B's are hard to criticise.
+ The move(s) they did not make and the ones they made at the trade deadline. OK, the team was generous with the draft picks, but Stemphouse and Liles aren't slugs. And they might have been a few of the best moves the team might have made...a 1st line RW and a top-4 D-man without subtracting players. And they have all of their top picks, prospects et al. This team has turned right around with the presence of two veterans; one at each needed position. It was almost as if the team was still enduring a Milan Lucic and Dougey Hamilton hangover. Give the team some credit for leaving the proverbial door/position open for some of their prospects. What great opportunities.
+ Having 4 lines, again. I really like Ferraro and would love to see Connolly blossom. And has anyone else noticed how difficult it is to watch/listen to a (recent) B's game and not take not of Noel Acciari's play? Even if he's not scoring, he seems to find ways to chip in.
+ Claude Julien
Where do I think this is all going? Right now, the B's have as good a shot as any other team, besides WAS. But they played them pretty well last time. Perhaps, someone else will knock WAS out? We'll see. And they have a lot of pieces in place for the future. If some of these prospects can blossom, the team will really excel. For this year's run, we have a team that can score. Say anything you want about this team, but they can score. And that's exciting. Teams that can also play defense are positioned well. This team got off to a horrible defensive start. It was ugly! Ergo, the defensive stats were affected by such a poor performance in the short-term. Offensively, our lines score more than most teams- check the stats for yourselves. Marchand will hit 35 any game now; Bergy is closing in on 30, and so it Louie. Having 3 30-goal guys is huge. Now, ad a few 20-goal scorers and a couple at 15. Not many teams have that. Even WAS stats are a bit deceptive with Ovechkin getting so many by himself. The bottom line: the B's can score. Can Rask get hot AND can the team play well defensively? Yes. Will they? Your call.