Six games is a small sample size, but I'm really worried about this team under Guluckson. I was skeptical when he was hired, but have faith in Nill. So far, that faith is being sorely tested. It's easy to be an assistant coach directing the best power play in the league when you have two of the best five, and arguably the best three, players in the world. But how do you coach less skilled players?
Yeah...the 3 game losing streak was the very first thing that I thought of. They simply never lost 3 games in a row during the 3 years that Pete coached this team.
There are long stretches of games in which opponents have a much easier time with their breakouts and entries than the Stars do. This also shouldn't be happening on a team this loaded with top end talent, even if they were missing a few players tonight.
Another ugly loss. Sometimes you lose because the goalie steals the game, or because the hockey Gods just have it in for you today. None of these three losses were that. This was bad hockey. And we saw long stretches of bad hockey even in the games that they won. Again, we just didn't see these long stretches during the previous 3 seasons.
The Stars looked like for most of the game like they were trying out new sticks, or accidentally were playing with the wrong curve. Typically the bouncing of the puck at AAC can be blamed on the normally bad ice… or they forgot to freeze them… but Columbus’ passes somehow went tape to tape…
The Stars puck control has been horrible.
PS… please put Rant and Robo on a line with Johnston… then at least we’ll have 1 dangerous line… they sure clicked on the PP!
2. It is starting to maybe be not be "too early" into the season to worry? I'm not sure the Stars have looked like the better team for any stretch other than the start of their season opener.
3. This could have been 4 or 5-0 after one period if not for Jake Oettinger.
4. This was my first look at the Victory + intermission coverage which I've heard isn't quite Emmy Award-level. My question: Whose cubicle do Brien Rhea and Brett Severyn use in the basement of the Rooms-To-Go warehouse while filming this mess? It's a good thing the audio is so sketchy otherwise you'd hear the beeping of the late-night delivery trucks backing up at the shipping/receiving dock directly behind their cardboard backdrop.
5. The Stars seemed to find a faint heartbeat in the second largely powered by the power play. Tyler Seguin scored on a nice tip in the slot (bless his hard-working ass) but I am unsure if the Erne/Bastian/Seguin line comprise the offensive droids we're looking for.
6. Save us Obi Wan Kenobi (Matt Duchene) you're our only hope.
7. Is it too early to talk about the coach not having a legitimate strategy about who this team is?
8. That third period…umm, Woof!
9. I am trying to think of positives here...really! I guess the ice at American Airlines Center looked slightly slippery tonight?
10. Okay, no more negatives. It's not all bad, people. I happily received a second intermission email from Brien Rhea telling me my factory-ordered, king-size futon had arrived at the Rooms-To-Go headquarters. I'll take that as a Victory +.
Re: #4. That set is a great little podcast studio. Podcasts aren’t supposed to be on TV though. At least someone figured out how to tune those Shure mics away from the “we’re in the bottom of a tin can” setting.
It's definitely harder to brush things under the rug with this all happening at the beginning of the season, we have no proof of concept to point to of them playing well under Gulutzan or a system that has been working and being assured it's just a fluke. It also doesn't help how everyone else in the central seems to be playing pretty well to start the year 😬, guess its a good thing that pick is top 10 protected! (probably too early to be talking like that yet lol)
To the comment above that they never lost 3 games in a row in the PBD era is false. Last season they lost 7 in a row heading into the playoffs and everyone thought Dallas was doomed.
Do you think this team gets up for Columbus like they do with Colorado, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas? I don’t and the team is clearly working out kinks with some players struggling. Miro hasn’t looked like his awesome self and Blackwell has looked uncharacteristically undependable the last few games but again think that’s probably more on learning a new system. I think everyone needs to chill and enjoy the development of this new system.
as a result of multiple years of playoff success, it's hard to get too upset about how poor the team looks before Halloween. I feel like historically good teams have had similar patches. I trust the roster and staff to work it out.
Six games is a small sample size, but I'm really worried about this team under Guluckson. I was skeptical when he was hired, but have faith in Nill. So far, that faith is being sorely tested. It's easy to be an assistant coach directing the best power play in the league when you have two of the best five, and arguably the best three, players in the world. But how do you coach less skilled players?
Yeah...the 3 game losing streak was the very first thing that I thought of. They simply never lost 3 games in a row during the 3 years that Pete coached this team.
There are long stretches of games in which opponents have a much easier time with their breakouts and entries than the Stars do. This also shouldn't be happening on a team this loaded with top end talent, even if they were missing a few players tonight.
Another ugly loss. Sometimes you lose because the goalie steals the game, or because the hockey Gods just have it in for you today. None of these three losses were that. This was bad hockey. And we saw long stretches of bad hockey even in the games that they won. Again, we just didn't see these long stretches during the previous 3 seasons.
The Stars looked like for most of the game like they were trying out new sticks, or accidentally were playing with the wrong curve. Typically the bouncing of the puck at AAC can be blamed on the normally bad ice… or they forgot to freeze them… but Columbus’ passes somehow went tape to tape…
The Stars puck control has been horrible.
PS… please put Rant and Robo on a line with Johnston… then at least we’ll have 1 dangerous line… they sure clicked on the PP!
10 R.R. Blue Jackets - Stars
1. That first period...umm, woof.
2. It is starting to maybe be not be "too early" into the season to worry? I'm not sure the Stars have looked like the better team for any stretch other than the start of their season opener.
3. This could have been 4 or 5-0 after one period if not for Jake Oettinger.
4. This was my first look at the Victory + intermission coverage which I've heard isn't quite Emmy Award-level. My question: Whose cubicle do Brien Rhea and Brett Severyn use in the basement of the Rooms-To-Go warehouse while filming this mess? It's a good thing the audio is so sketchy otherwise you'd hear the beeping of the late-night delivery trucks backing up at the shipping/receiving dock directly behind their cardboard backdrop.
5. The Stars seemed to find a faint heartbeat in the second largely powered by the power play. Tyler Seguin scored on a nice tip in the slot (bless his hard-working ass) but I am unsure if the Erne/Bastian/Seguin line comprise the offensive droids we're looking for.
6. Save us Obi Wan Kenobi (Matt Duchene) you're our only hope.
7. Is it too early to talk about the coach not having a legitimate strategy about who this team is?
8. That third period…umm, Woof!
9. I am trying to think of positives here...really! I guess the ice at American Airlines Center looked slightly slippery tonight?
10. Okay, no more negatives. It's not all bad, people. I happily received a second intermission email from Brien Rhea telling me my factory-ordered, king-size futon had arrived at the Rooms-To-Go headquarters. I'll take that as a Victory +.
At least the ice wasn't sandy. I hate sand.
Re: #4. That set is a great little podcast studio. Podcasts aren’t supposed to be on TV though. At least someone figured out how to tune those Shure mics away from the “we’re in the bottom of a tin can” setting.
It's definitely harder to brush things under the rug with this all happening at the beginning of the season, we have no proof of concept to point to of them playing well under Gulutzan or a system that has been working and being assured it's just a fluke. It also doesn't help how everyone else in the central seems to be playing pretty well to start the year 😬, guess its a good thing that pick is top 10 protected! (probably too early to be talking like that yet lol)
To the comment above that they never lost 3 games in a row in the PBD era is false. Last season they lost 7 in a row heading into the playoffs and everyone thought Dallas was doomed.
Do you think this team gets up for Columbus like they do with Colorado, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas? I don’t and the team is clearly working out kinks with some players struggling. Miro hasn’t looked like his awesome self and Blackwell has looked uncharacteristically undependable the last few games but again think that’s probably more on learning a new system. I think everyone needs to chill and enjoy the development of this new system.
Nailed it
as a result of multiple years of playoff success, it's hard to get too upset about how poor the team looks before Halloween. I feel like historically good teams have had similar patches. I trust the roster and staff to work it out.
I have seen calls for Johnston and Rantanen to be paired-up. They say Hintz and Seguin performed well together when Pavelski was out previously.
I don’t think switching-up lines is the solution to whatever problem they prioritize however.