The Anaheim Geese are close to the top of their season-long homestand throughout which they’ve gone 1-4 and scored 11 targets. Their most up-to-date loss – a 3-2 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights (Nov. 13) – was typical Geese this season in that they suffered mightily from expensive turnovers, a nonexistent and nonthreatening offensive recreation, and a large hole in puck possession.
A scarcity of outcomes over the primary 30 days of the season is troubling and the place the Geese go from right here, or how they enhance, is a critical query with out a definitive reply. Let’s take a look at what has gone flawed thus far and attempt to level out one or two issues which have gone proper.
The Geese Don’t Have a ‘High Six’ Proper Now
Many who watch or cowl the Geese, me included, anticipated this offense, significantly the presumptive high six forwards, to offer this group an opportunity to win video games through the use of their mixture of creativity, grit, and ability to persistently produce. The exact reverse has been true.
Associated: Geese’ Backside-Ranked Offense by the Numbers
Trevor Zegras is a shell of himself. Whether or not it’s the system, gamers adjusting to him, or one thing else, he simply merely is now not his inventive and playmaking self. Skating was by no means his very best quality, however that didn’t matter as a result of he used his puckhandling, adept passing, and hockey IQ to face out. He has hardly exhibited any of that by means of 15 video games.
Whereas it’s true that an offensive scheme performs a think about a participant’s potential to provide, it shouldn’t be wholly accountable for an entire lack of manufacturing, power, or need to be a frontrunner on the offensive finish, prefer it appears to be for Zegras. He has three factors (one was an empty-net aim) this season. He’s not changing the possibilities he does get to attain both, and is off to a worse begin in 2024-25 than he was in 2023-24, when he got here in bodily compromised by a shortened coaching camp. I posited that his renewed well being, offensive creativity, and playmaking potential made him a candidate to be a level per recreation participant this season in Anaheim. How terrible is that prediction trying like proper now?
Equally, Mason McTavish has been disappointing. He hasn’t cleaned up his self-discipline (leads the Geese in penalty minutes) or improved within the faceoff circle. Don’t let his stats idiot you – his two targets have come within the ultimate seconds of play in video games that have been already determined, identical with Frank Vatrano, who scored an empty-net aim early within the season and one aim with 12 seconds left within the loss to Vegas. These two have been probably the most constant Geese final season when wholesome. Vatrano competes exhausting and places pucks on internet, however McTavish isn’t profitable battles or taking part in with the bounce that one would possibly count on out of a 21-year-old participant that might be in line for a giant payday this summer season if he places up good numbers. To make issues worse, he’s sat out two straight video games with an upper-body harm. Alex Killorn, one other participant fortunate sufficient to be gifted high six ahead minutes, has two targets, one in every of which is an empty netter.
Think about this for a second – the surprising record of gamers which have as many or extra targets than the gamers I simply talked about: Brock McGinn, Isac Lundestrom, Robby Fabbri, Olen Zellweger, Ryan Strome, and Pavel Mintyukov. For a group that went into the season with the expectation that it will be led by its younger playmakers, the precise reverse has been true. It has resulted in new line mixtures (at even power and on the ability play) practically each recreation in a determined try and get anybody going.
Not even head coach Greg Cronin, who applied the system that this group performs, is aware of easy methods to deal with their offensive struggles. He preaches all the best issues – excessive compete, two-way play, shot quantity over shot high quality – nevertheless it’s not working. This group’s creativity is suppressed, they’ll’t maintain possession, and so they not often get the shot quantity that he preaches about. Granted, in a league of sturdy, massive, and bodily grownup males, a younger group like this isn’t going to select groups aside with offense, however this assault is so dangerous plainly Cronin could be higher off turning these younger gamers unfastened and stepping into monitor meets than remaining with the established order. It will no less than be extra enjoyable to look at.
Particular Groups Are an Eye-Sore
A scarcity of success on particular groups was an Achilles heel for the Geese final season and continues to be the case this season. They personal the NHL’s second-worst energy play share (PP%) at 11.8% and fourth-worst penalty kill share (PK%) at 70.7%. Whereas it’s not particular groups associated, in addition they rank final in faceoff win share (FOW%) at 42.7%. All three figures are painstakingly dangerous.
Cronin has talked about many occasions {that a} energy play experiences ebbs and flows, and that it might create offensive momentum and confidence even when it doesn’t rating. He mentioned it as lately as Wednesday (Nov. 13), following the Vegas defeat. However when have we seen that? As a rule, the Geese energy play items look misplaced, out of sync, and doesn’t really generate momentum. It’s an exquisite sentiment by Cronin, however at a sure level you must care about changing energy play probabilities. Merely stating {that a} energy play course corrects itself over the course of a season just isn’t an advisable method to your group’s energy play woes, particularly when it’s this poor. It wants to begin scoring instantly.
Terry, Carlsson, Dostal, Zellweger Are the Lone Brilliant Spots
No group, irrespective of how dangerous it’s taking part in, is with out its brilliant spots or causes for optimism. The Geese aren’t any completely different as they’ve a handful of gamers in every part of the sport which have carried out admirably within the early going.
Offensively, it’s Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson. Each of them have tailed off barely after a terrific begin, however each have been offensive drivers with their velocity and talent to create performs and scoring probabilities both for themselves or others. They co-lead the Geese in targets this season with 5 apiece, which accounts for 30% of the group’s complete targets thus far. If the Geese stand any probability this season, Terry and Carlsson won’t solely have to stick with it but additionally get much-needed assist from their teammates.
Defensively, Zellweger has separated himself from his fellow younger blueliners. His 4 factors (two targets, two assists) aren’t dramatically higher than the others, however he has performed with poise and power all season lengthy. He doesn’t take any shifts off, is at all times trying up ice, and might actually zip the puck round. He’ll solely get higher with time, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him emerge because the greatest younger defenseman of the bunch by seasons finish.
Lastly, Lukas Dostal has been excellent in internet, dealing with 12 of the Geese’ first 14 video games whereas John Gibson recovered from an emergency appendectomy. He led the NHL in a number of goaltending classes in October, however he too has regressed after a sequence of 4 straight outings the place he has surrendered no less than three targets. Usually, he has stood tall within the face of relentless offensive stress from his opposition, providing some optimism that the post-Gibson period in Anaheim’s crease is brilliant.
Assist Must Come From Inside
The previous sports activities mantra of “your greatest gamers have to be your greatest gamers” is completely acceptable right here. This hasn’t been the case thus far, nevertheless it’s not too late for Zegras, McTavish, and the others to show it round. In the event that they don’t, then the Geese will dig themselves into an insurmountable gap and normal supervisor (GM) Pat Verbeek’s expectation that this group play aggressive, playoff-like hockey as quickly as this season will begin to appear like one of many worst assessments of a group by its GM in a very long time.
This unit of gamers is best than this, and they need to need higher. Hopefully their play begins to replicate it. Their subsequent probability to start righting the ship is tonight towards a beatable opponent within the Detroit Purple Wings. Puck drop is 7 PM PST at Honda Heart.
