From: kim@guppy.uucp (Isaac Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Lightning dethrone Kings (TB vs. LA 1/6)
Date: 7 Jan 93 21:34:40 GMT
Organization: UC San Diego
NNTP-Posting-Host: guppy.ucsd.edu

In article <2B4C68C8.23056@news.service.uci.edu> assist@orion.oac.uci.edu (ASSIST Coordination Site) writes:
>
>In article <1993Jan7.102556.8912@cs.ucf.edu> wilson@cs.ucf.edu (tom wilson)
>writes:
>
>>The stars for the game were: 1-Bradley, 2-Donnelly, and 3-Crossman. LA's woes
>>still continue. The hopeful quick-fix of Gretzky's return didn't work, but I'm
>>sure he didn't feel at ease in his first game back. He did assist on both
>>power-play goals.
>
>I just want to add that the Kings really did not play a bad game.  Their
>defense looked much better than it has the past few weeks.  

I disagree.  Their team defense was awful.  I think the Paul Coffey 
"4th forward" mentality is beginning to rub off a little too much on 
Blake, Zhitnik, and Sydor.  All of these guys are carrying the puck 
DEEP into the offensive zone way too much.  Add to this the forwards 
not covering for the on rushing defenseman, and with a quick turnover,
you have just another 2-1 going the other way.  When the Kings were
successful early in the season, coach Melrose had the whole team playing
defense (even had the forwards backchecking).  They would try to win
the 2-1 type low scoring games and were fairly successful.  For some reason, 
coach Melrose has decided to change the style of play and now to try to win 
by outgunning teams 7-6.  This has resulted in the Kings falling on their
face.  The forwards are no longer coming back as hard as they used too,
and the result is just too many quality scoring chances for the other team.      

>I place
>100% of the blame on Kelly Hrudey for absolutely horrendous goaltending.
>On the first 2-on-1, defenseman Darryl Sydor did everything right --   
>he created a block so the puck could not be passed between the 2 
>Lightning players (so Hrudey knew who the shot would be coming from) 
>and left a clear line of vision for Hrudey to see the shot coming in.

Well, I would put 71% of the blame on Hrudey.  He seemed to be very
unsure of the defenseman being able to cut off the pass across on the
2-on-1, so he was sitting pretty deep in the crease at the time of
Bradley's shot.  The other time Hrudey came way out to cut off the angle,
the Tampa player faked and went around him.  He had no angle so he went
behind the net and centered it off McSorely's skate into the net.  
"Marty, Marty, Marty"

>Hrudey still COMPLETELY MISSED IT!  This happened at least two other  
>times in the game where Tampa Bay scored and Hrudey seemed unable
>to fend off even the weakest, straightest shots by the opponent.  

Geez Kris, imagine an NHL goalie completely missing a bullet from 
Bradley into the top left corner.  Do you think Stauber or Goverte
have ever been beaten cleanly by an NHL sniper?  Some of those NHL
players can shoot the puck pretty hard and fast and accurate.  Hrudey 
could have played the angle a little better, but you can't blame 
everything on him.  Some of the goals were just poor team defense,
especially Bradley's second goal on a 4-on-3 situation.  Sydor was the
defenseman low on the inverted triangle.  TB had two forwards low in 
front of Hrudey.  As Sydor went to crosscheck one the TB forward,
he left Bradley all alone at the side of the net.  The TB defenseman
fed him cross ice, Bradley almost shanked the shot, but got enough 
on it to get it into the net.  You couldn't blame Hrudey on that one.

>I think it is time that Melrose gives some of his rookie goaltenders
>some more ice time (they certainly cannot do any worse than Hrudey
>has the last few weeks :-( 

I think Melrose needs to go back to the tight-checking style of play
rather than the open-ice, free-wheeling, run-and-gun style of play.

>However, to give Tampa Bay credit due, they played a fantastic defensive
>game. There was no denying they kept the Kings tied up for most of the
>game and I only wish we had Bergeron in our net for that game 
>instead of Hrudey!

Bergeron seemed to go down early an awful lot.  (Tom, is this his normal
style of play?)  Tampa did play a great team defensive game.
I think the Kings would be better off not switching goalies, but
switching team defense philosophies.      
   
>Well, back to my depression -- the realization that the team I 
>root for is absolutely pathetic -- (sigh) :-(
>
>
>Kris
>kris@fs2.assist.uci.edu

Isaac (kim@bull.ucsd.edu)