The team needs a fresh start.

Offense is talented. Depth scoring is not the problem at the moment and shouldn't be an issue for this team in the regular season. In the post-season is when you need reliable depth scoring. With 97 and 29 you should have enough fire power when they perform as they did last regular season.

Defense was not elite last year and now falls off a cliff. The question is why? Is it simply not enough effort? Maybe it's the new defensive system that the players don't seem to understand (including the offensive players).

Goalkeeping is mind-bendingly bad this year. But I have to say that if goalie tandems are equally performing bad, there is usually a problem with the defense. I believe that this is the case. The difference between Campbell/Skinner and Hellebuyck or Shesterkin or Sorokin or Saros is that the latter play behind a generally solid defense.

It's a pity that Woodcroft identified the problem of last year but unfortunately his actions to improve backfired.

For me the solution is easy. Fire Woodcroft, even though I like him, to send a message and hope that the next coach establishes a game based on strong defensive prowess combined with inspired offense.

Haha. What a game against the Sharks.

On the first goal of the Sharks you can see what happens if players don't understand what they are doing defensively. Holloway and Drai not up to speed with this coverage system. Skinner is who he is. He will only save the obvious ones, when he is performing normally. The goals today weren't his fault imo.

97 and 29 seem to lose confidence. 97 wants to force the goals but cannot make it happen. Drai, my favorite player and fellow German, seems off. Out-shooting is a good start, but shooting for the sake of shooting won't make a difference if the shots are not placed well. Badly placed shots only increase confidence of opposing goalies. This is basically what happened almost every game this season.

I feel that there is a lack of grit. The Ritchies can deliver grit. In some phases of a game or the season you need players who go where it hurts and let the opposition feel that they will do what it takes. I miss that from this team. Looking at the roster I cannot point to many who can deliver that and a team that wants to win usually needs more than 3-4 players of that character.