You know, looking at the series and how things went it gets you thinking about what happened toward the end of the season and the compounding problems it caused, and the few bright spots it let shine:
- Fleury was a much bigger loss than expected, not because of his talent level, but more for who was behind him in waiting. Really hurt to lose him, hurt even more in the way we lost him, and having someone you can really trust to eat at least 15 a night in the playoffs is huge.
- Duclair really left a bad taste in the mouth. 2 points and a -3 for a player that was the needed depth scoring this team leaned on down the stretch. There is a lack of killer instinct from him and it showed in a big way, especially as the games against FLA got heavier - he was glued to the bench. While this team needs depth scoring, it needs it for the entirety of the season.
- Jeannot, I don't know what else needs to be said but we go from 5 picks and extending him for 2.3? 2.5? only to see him play 10, 8, 10, and 7 minutes in the Florida series including sitting him for a game. He did nothing to move the needle or give you the impression we're "hard to play against". He can't skate, he can't seem to make any plays, he had two opportunities coming down the slot last night that went straight through him. Waste of a roster spot. At least Patty, Perry and whoever could give you a good banger shift, generate a few shots, and keep depth on the other team gasping for air.
- Lilleberg/Crozier/Chaffee - actually very impressed by the 3 of them. They had some big tasks taking on a very deep Panthers team and they got abused in spots as 3 kids are going to against a deep team of vets, but overall I think they played very well and really give you something to look forward to with them.
- They still need to find someone that can split work with Vasy. They've were in such a bad spot at the start of the year that they once again ran the brakes off of him. He didn't even get rehab starts, they threw him straight into the crease and it showed for the first month. Its also very clearly the MO of all these teams to throw junk on net from a distance and without anyone willing to do some real shot blocking and not give up open lanes to throw pucks by, it'll continue to be a problem.
- I really wish I knew where Perbix went wrong and when he turned into a pillow.
2023-24 NHL players who are currently active in the league
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They might be a "dime a dozen" but they certainly don't cost a dime.
(Dumb dead wing fans)
