Strange things are afoot at Rogers Arena. Something is not right. This team has trouble making line changes, they look horribly sloppy, and their "superstar" goalie looks awful. They barely played as a full squad during the preseason and it shows. They are skating past pucks, not completing passes, and the worst was they were playing scared. Henrik was looking over his shoulder constantly, and stupid mistakes were the product.
One of the weirder things has been the ice-time some players are receiving. Tonight's game at Philly was the perfect example. Marco Sturm has about three minutes of ice time in the second period, then is on the PP in the third. How much sense does that make?! How about Keith Ballard in the playoffs last year? They give up A LOT for this guy and he can barely get ice time when it matters most.
I think Mike Gillis and Alain Vigneault are not on the same page. Gillis gives up an extraordinary talent to get a veteran Defenseman and Alain only plays him when there are injuries to lesser players. Gillis signs Marco Sturm in the off-season and Alain gives me three measly minutes in a period. I wonder if that PP time in the third was a call from "on high."
Management and Coaching is not syncing up at all. Gillis is bringing in guys Alain does not like, and some are at a premium. I think this would not be as prevalent if not for the mess going on with the Red Sox. This is by no means the same, or even half as close, but sloppy play means fundamentals aren't being stressed. Your "superstar" goalie is obviously not on his game. All signs are pointing to not everything being rosey in Canuck Nation.
