Blinksportsnews247Even Stanley Cup contenders like the Boston Bruins are finding themselves “overwhelmed” in the closing minutes of games they believed they had clinched the two points in thanks to this new generation of more offensive-minded NHL teams.
This season, the Boston Bruins have lost eleven third-period leads as they struggle to adjust to life without veteran centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. It’s clear that the Bruins want to stop their third-period slump, but they’re not the only club losing badly in the last minute of play. This season, in the NHL, teams vying for the Stanley Cup, both excellent and poor, are finding it difficult to maintain two-, three-, or even four-goal leads in the third period.
“I believe that the four lines have the most skill that they have ever had, and if you give them opportunities, they will score more goals and they won’t stop pressing,” Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said in response to a question regarding the new issue that is afflicting teams all over the league.
The current Jack Adams Award winner believes that another aspect is the necessity to teach hitting and physicality to rookies entering the NHL these days.
Montgomery stated rather plainly, “I also think conversely, there’s not as many people who know how to check in the league.” We occasionally get overwhelmed, and Colorado is no different. Younger players in the league are typically recruited primarily on their attacking ability, and they need to learn how to check. The top teams have all been overpowered.
I believe that the teams that have let up seven goals in a game or squandered leads are to blame; I’m not sure what the situation is with the other teams. I don’t know if it’s the goalie or the structure; all that matters to me are the Bruins, but I am aware that it’s a problem across the league.
When asked the same subject, experienced center Charlie Coyle of the Boston Bruins had similar thoughts to those of Montgomery.
“I suppose the way all this skill is coming in is slowly changing in the game; it’s not like it was years ago,” Coyle remarked. “Even in the past, when you used to clutch and hold things, you let it go. Now that everything is called, that’s your standard, and I believe you can get caught up in that to the point where you’re really just playing talent,
Always remember to finish players. You’re too preoccupied with sticking the puck through, but there are slick individuals who can hop about and create moves under your sticks.
So, perhaps that’s it. To be honest, I need to give it some thought, but we’ve emphasized the need to experiment with it more. Play through players and finish players, particularly in our own zone, to prevent players from stepping around you after a play is made. This will keep players outside and make it more difficult for them to reach our net and enter our home.
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