Quick look at Sunday's games......currently watching the Nucks/Oilers and Yotes/Hawks so I wont be touching on them til tmrw.
Buff/Philly - Flyers are really lacking on D. Small and no big physical presence. Flyers miss Briere on the PP. Not enough driving the net....something I have been accustomed to watching the Flyers. The Sabres have a really nice combination of youth and veterans to go with their skill and added toughness. Buffalo is going to be a very tough team to play against this year. Their defense is mobile and has some very nice size on the back end that has the oppositions forwards thinking about things when they cross that blueline. I am telling you, that means alot!
Pens/Rangers - Pitt has soooo much balance with their forward group. Heck Crosby has yet to score and the Pens have netted 9 so far in 2 games. Rangers are having a ton of problems in their defensive zone. Mistakes and really horrible gap control by their defense. Overall, NYR as I said yesterday.....have a target on their back and they need to pay attention to detail much better! Pens need some size though on the back end, if there is one thing they are missing is some size. Teams with big forwards will cause their D problems.
Sharks/Flames - This game went just like I thought it would. The Sharks depth up the middle was far tooooo much for Calgary while the Flames have no center ice play.....none! Stajan, Backlund, Begin and Norak.....that is what the Flames are sending over the boards to play at center. Sharks are loaded with talented vets. Guys like Havlat, Clowe and Pavelski fly under the radar when all hear about is Couture, Thornton and Marleau. Sharks defense is very balanced too.....love Dan Boyle quarterbacking things on the PP.
Wild/Stars - Man can Minny still put you to sleep when they want too. What a snoozefest of a game that was. Dallas got sucked into the Wild's gameplan and with their age they had a hard time breaking the trap. But the Stars back up goalie Nilstorp was extremely solid and that has to bode well for Dallas.
Buff/Philly - Flyers are really lacking on D. Small and no big physical presence. Flyers miss Briere on the PP. Not enough driving the net....something I have been accustomed to watching the Flyers. The Sabres have a really nice combination of youth and veterans to go with their skill and added toughness. Buffalo is going to be a very tough team to play against this year. Their defense is mobile and has some very nice size on the back end that has the oppositions forwards thinking about things when they cross that blueline. I am telling you, that means alot!
Pens/Rangers - Pitt has soooo much balance with their forward group. Heck Crosby has yet to score and the Pens have netted 9 so far in 2 games. Rangers are having a ton of problems in their defensive zone. Mistakes and really horrible gap control by their defense. Overall, NYR as I said yesterday.....have a target on their back and they need to pay attention to detail much better! Pens need some size though on the back end, if there is one thing they are missing is some size. Teams with big forwards will cause their D problems.
Sharks/Flames - This game went just like I thought it would. The Sharks depth up the middle was far tooooo much for Calgary while the Flames have no center ice play.....none! Stajan, Backlund, Begin and Norak.....that is what the Flames are sending over the boards to play at center. Sharks are loaded with talented vets. Guys like Havlat, Clowe and Pavelski fly under the radar when all hear about is Couture, Thornton and Marleau. Sharks defense is very balanced too.....love Dan Boyle quarterbacking things on the PP.
Wild/Stars - Man can Minny still put you to sleep when they want too. What a snoozefest of a game that was. Dallas got sucked into the Wild's gameplan and with their age they had a hard time breaking the trap. But the Stars back up goalie Nilstorp was extremely solid and that has to bode well for Dallas.
