Comparables to other top teams in the league. These heat maps do not include today's games. We hear a lot about the Wings getting goalied, but are they just lacking true finishers in front of the net? You can't just plop big bodies in front of the net, its a skill set that includes tight puck handling and elevating shots all while getting hit. Not really something the team has on the roster. Majority of their shots are coming from the point or above the dots. When they are getting shots from close to the net, they aren't finishing them.
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I mean, the Habs, Stars, and Hawks are also perimeter shooters, and their finishing is insane.
100%, the Wing’s are the only team in the league that doesn’t fight for the net front presence in either the offensive zone or defensive zone.
You see it every game, our guys get manhandled for even daring to step near the opposition goalie whereas opposition players can just go right in front of our goalie and hang around there even after the whistle is blown.
They’re not a perimeter offense lol. They have trouble getting the puck into high danger areas this season. Teams seem to have covered Larkin in the slot more and the team depends on slot shots. They’re not trying to play from the perimeter, over the past 3 teams are playing Lalonde defense against us. As long as it’s not high danger it won’t go in and we don’t punish. You’re right that some net front presence would help but we don’t have the personnel for that largely
What I’m seeing is our inability to get the the center of the ice and generate/finish high danger, grade A chances, which very much aligns with the eye test of late.
Hard skill is one of the rarest things to find. The hope is MBN and Genborg can be that type of guy. JVR was an attempt at a stop gap but he’s well past his prime.
We have no grit, no backbone, no leadership.
We don’t have enough skill to generate consistent high danger chances. So often we miss the prime slot passes and they’re either late, off the mark, or given to a player that can’t finish. This will continue to be our issue but hopefully the youth infusion will improve it as the season goes on.
I think part of it is teams don’t respect our defenses ability to create anything or get quality shots up. Obviously that’s still more perimeter play, but when you have to respect it, it forces teams to open up more. Just focus on smothering our forwards and you have largely neutered our offense
I MISS HOMER!!!
yeah I’m that old
We’re also not screening the goalie at all.
I simply Don’t have any faith in this team. Nothings changed.
I just wish we had someone with a release like Bedard, his shot is incredible. Not even at his level, just someone who likes to shoot in general.
Montreal’s graphs make me so angry lol
Idk what the analytics say but eye test wise? Yes. Too many soft players not a relentless forecheck and really how many greasy net front scrum goals do we score vs allow? This team is soft.
I know fights don’t directly mean team toughness but legit they’ve been last in the nhl in fights every season essentially for the last 8-10 years. They don’t mix it up or “impose” on anybody
Allegedly that’s what JVR was supposed to be but it appears he’s too old and broken down to be doing that anymore.
Colorado out there shooting everything and it all goes in
100%. How are they going to get that? I’m not sure.
What’s actually kinda funny is net-front is the only plus skill Rasmussen even possesses.
What offense?
Right now we’re too soft and play the perimeter. Too many guys aren’t willing to go to the net… and fight to stay there. I thought MBN was going to be one of those kind of guys and Finnie, too. Every team will let you take shots from the edges and the blue line. Looking at those charts just bears out what our eyes are telling us. We don’t get in the slot and shoot from the slot. That’s where the money is.
Instead we go back to the age old “Red Wing Way” of passing it around the perimeter and either take a low probability shot or turn over the puck because of a bad pass. You can go back 8-10 years to watch video and see the team doing the same thing.
We need guys who are “willing” to get gritty and hang around the net. Yeah, you’re gonna get pounded on… so pound back. It’s a man’s game in the NHL and we’re still thinking and playing as little boys.