LSSU Lakers 2014-15

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

We have another recruit, Colin Saccoman, a 97 birth date D-man from Shattuck St Mary's.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=226456

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

So for those at the game, did the Lakers play that bad defensively, was it bad goaltending, or some of both?

[Neil Diamond]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

What a see-saw game that was. A little bit of everything, plus three Laker goalies.

Obviously the Lakers have a lot to work on defensively. It's like the entire team clenches up whenever the puck gets below the hash-marks. But the fortitude they showed in the third was impressive. And a little bit of hate now for the Nanooks should prove to make an interesting setting for tomorrow night's game.

And for the inveitable poster who comes on here and asks "were you even at the game??", the answer is yes, yes I was.

[DopeyBaker]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

So for those at the game, did the Lakers play that bad defensively, was it bad goaltending, or some of both?

I think you can add bad offense to that list, as well. The Lakers really struggled the 2nd period. They couldn't get the puck out of their own zone, even on the power play. Stringing together more than one pass was a rare event. The Lakers seemed a half-second behind on most plays.

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

It seemed like once Megariotis came in, the Lakers played much better.

[Neil Diamond]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

So for those at the game, did the Lakers play that bad defensively, was it bad goaltending, or some of both?

Hey Bill, didn't see your post before posting.

Aldridge struggle. He looked tentative. He would come out to challenge the shooter, his angle looked okay, but his movements were practically non-existent, almost like he was frozen. And I was really surprised how small he is.

Deifeil was put in a no-win situation. He was sent in as Alaska was basically using the Laker goalie for shooting practice. He made some key saves, the game could have easily been 8-2 while he still kept at at 5 for a while.

Margariotis, man he is even bigger than Deifeil. He looked okay. He wasn't challenged as much as the other two.

The goaltending, overall, was somewhere between mediocre and poor. The defense was closer to poor than mediocre. Add the two together, and it was an obstacle the Lakers couldn't overcome. Throw in the ever-struggling PP, and, well, the results speak for themselves.

Yet this team has impressive offensive jump at times. And they never quit. Some of their best shifts came when they were down three goals.

Lots and lots of work to do defensively. But this team is better than their record.

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

Offensively, the Lakers really need to get more scoring from Perfetto and Globke. Between them they have 4G and 4A in 13 games. Those two guys are capable of a lot better numbers than that.

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

There is just so much wrong with this team that you don't even know where to start to try and fix it .

[PerkyforPrez]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

It would be nice to see them settle on lines to get some chemistry and cohesion going. I knew it would be a bumpy road until coach gets his recruits in but I expected better results. The reason the lineup changes so much is dependent on practice and that's getting old.

[Neil Diamond]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

When Whitten was hired didn't I read here from some that he will need 2-3 years to get 'his team'; that this process is a marathon not a sprint?

Now we are 7 weeks into an approximately 130-week process and already things are "getting old"?

Guys, this year is basically one, long practice. It's the time to break old habits and develop new ones. Isn't any habit worth having worth the time to acquire it correctly?

This team can learn more from losing than winning at this point. Losing consistently doesn't allow bad habits and questionable work ethics to hide. Everything is exposed, warts and all. I'll take that over finding some golden horseshoe and somehow winning games they have no reason winning (which happens in sports occasionally, we all know that).

Right now Whitten and Co have Roque's players trying to learn Whitten's style and philosophy. This is a time that isn't particularly fair to either coach or player; but it's the reality of the current situation.

Laker fans are going to need to be patient, there is no other way around it.

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

I've only seen two games so far, when I was up for the NMU series. Although the Lakers lost both games, I liked the way they were skating at times. A lot more energy and uptempo than Lakers teams from recent years. The current players aren't where they need to be conditioning wise yet to play that style for a full game, although Whitten says they are making progress, but I like the direction he wants to take them. My hope for this season is that they can can play that style of hockey for larger stretches of a game as the season progresses and show improvement especially over the last half. And yes it is going take 2-3 years for Whitten to get in more of his style of recruits.

[DopeyBaker]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

Yet this team has impressive offensive jump at times.

They are averaging 1.58 goals per game.

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

Big win! Lakers are 3-2 in their last five games after starting 0-9 so improvement is showing.

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2014-15

Big win! Lakers are 3-2 in their last five games after starting 0-9 so improvement is showing.

Especially important because it gives them their first home win of the season. And I like the fact that they won the 3rd period both nights (plus the OT tonight).

[Neil Diamond]

They are averaging 1.58 goals per game.

Yes they are.

Now, care to explain to me how "impressive offensive jump at times" means they score a lot of goals?