Friday Night Game Thread and Ugly Pictures

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Most of you probably won't see this until later tomorrow night or perhaps tomorrow... but I wanted to get a thread up for the game tonight and also make a comment about the game last night.

I just got finished watching the highlights of the game from the WHL website....

This is a team that simply doesn't care enough about not losing. It isn't that they aren't trying, they just appear to be indifferent to the outcome of the game. They "hope" they will win and they're going to try to win but they don't want to win as badly as the team across the ice wants to win.

Too many times you see Seattle players wandering around the low slot area without actually guarding ANYONE. They're just standing there taking up space. On one goal you can see THREE Seattle players surround ONE Kelowna player and the Rockets player wins the battle for the rebound and knocks the puck into the net.

Look... I'm not saying this team is supremely talented and wins are just a matter of caring more. This team isn't as short on talent as it has been in the past few years but they are still pretty short on talent. I'm also not saying I'm an expert... but when you get your tail kicked in 8-0 there really isn't much room for debate.

If/When this team brings passion and effort to he ice, they have a chance to win. Kelowna is a very good team but in this league, if you don't bring passion and effort, you get your ass whipped and that is what happened last night.

Want some depressing evidence. Check these out.

#1

Three Tbirds players in the deep end of the zone and none are close to two rebounders standing around Glover.

#2

Three more Tbirds "defenders" in the deep end of the zone and all have established outside position relative to the offensive player. Exactly opposite of what I'm absolutely positive they are being taught and told by the coaching staff. Inside position has to be established to keep offensive players away from rebounds and push them out of shooting lanes. Glover arguably should have had this shot but with the Kelowna traffic in front, even if he makes the initial save there is a great chance the rebound is slammed home.

#3

Here, Seattle has at least established inside position but they haven't bothered to mark the one player in the slot who had a chance to score. Wardley is to the left and he was marking the passer who has left the picture to the left so he is exempt from this one but the other two are standing in the slot not marking up on Carter Rigby in the slot.

#4

This one has two elements. Seattle is actually marking better but as things have gone lately they mark better and Glover doesn't make a save when they need it. That circle? That's the leak in the pads the puck slips through. Glover just has to get a better and quicker seal. BUT. We can't ignore the fact that Shea Theodore blindly and softly threw the puck up the middle of the slot as if he was setting up Heffley for the slapshot.

#5

This one is a little tough to see but the point is... Seattle actually outnumbers the Rockets 5-3 in bodies here and still manages to let the slot player get open for a pass and shot and score.

#6

Last one, because I have to leave to get down to tonight's game.  Here is perhaps the worst one. Swenson, Wolf and Elliot Theodore surround Rigby in the slot and Rigby wins the battle and gets off TWO rebound shots and the second one goes in.  I'm really kind of speechless about this one.

Let's hope things are a little better tonight.