OK, so it is the middle of the night, and I've neither been drinking or watching the game. Can't sleep -- whatever the kids brought home is now making a nice home for itself in my upper chest. Whatever. But here's something I maybe figured out.The Senators are described as "an aggressive team". In practice, one of the things this means is that the defense players are more willing to pinch into the offensive zone in an attempt to make a play or keep a play alive. The consequence of this is that whenever the opposition gets a hold of the puck while the D is pinching, there is frequently one (or two) fewer defense players to, you know, defend and give the goalie some assistance.
So that means a couple of things.
First, you'd better have a major league goalie or two, because odd-man or worse rushes are going to be a fact of life.
Second, this aggression needs to pay off with more goals, because even a major league goalie is going to give up some goals on odd-man or worse rushes.
Right now the Senators appear to have neither consequence in hand. The offensive defense players are leaving the goalies hanging in the wind. This means that everyone scrambles back to help whomever is being hung out to dry, and the scrambles in the defensive zone can be downright scary. When LeClaire is there, the result can be highlight reel stuff. When he's merely just better than any of us, the result is "yet another momentum sapping soft goal" or other such media blather.
That's it.
It is clear to me that this team needs more offense, and that they are trying hard to get it. What isn't clear is why they seem to be sticking to a philosophy that doesn't work when you can't put pucks in the opposition's net.
But that's why I'm here and not running a hockey team.
