Housley critique
One thing I've noticed, game after game, and illustrated by a graph someone posted recently:
Every team we play against is successful keeping us to the perimeter when we're in the offensive zone, and forcing us to take low-percentage shots, and shots from the point that get blocked.
We win puck battles in the corners by sending 2 or all 3 of our forwards in to win the puck, then have no one in front of the net to pass to. Often, we still throw it in front, basically giving it back to the other team and allowing them and easy break-out, often leading to odd-man rushes unless our forwards haul ass.
These are just a couple things. Why does Housley keep having them do the same things, when the entire league has obviously caught on to how to limit our scoring? Is this a coaching failure? There seems to be no creativity.
One possible conclusion: our players are not strong enough on the puck to win puck battles in the corner or to get a stick on the puck when they park themselves in front of the net. Other teams seem to have much more success getting point-blank scoring chances, we we don't seem to be able to get a handle (possession/clean shot) from the same spots when we're in the offensive zone. Could this be chalked up to a basic lack of skill?
here's the graph I referenced, posted by Randall Flagg:
