Lack of Scoring in Slot

[moore00 3]

Now for full disclosure, I posted an article on this last night. I was putting together a chart, which eventually became a joke, of where everyone was scoring. I noticed one thing, that we don't have anyone who scores in the slot anymore. Here's the chart.

Seriously, who is a threat from the middle of the ice? Johan can score from there, but really, who else on the Wings? Last year, we had Hossa, Hudler and Sammy (yeah, damnit, I have to admit, I miss the ridiculous, random shots of his that went in...) who could snipe from that area.

This year? All of the goals are either ridiculously pretty or Mike Recci ugly. I haven't seen too many skate down the Wing, cut to the middle and snipe goals from this squad. Now I do think that Williams has the potential to bring a little more of this type of scoring to the table, but Fancy Filppula isn't a shooter. It really makes me realize that maybe we shoulda gave a minimum contract to Shanny after all. This was his meal ticket for his entire career and could still pull it off last season. Just thinking out loud.

Here's a link to the full article, including the ridiculous chart.

http://www.nightmareonhelmstreet.com/2009-...cember/red.html

Any thoughts?

Edited December 8, 2009 by moore00

[Z and D for the C 712]

LOL, that graph is great. Sadly I think there is a lot of truth in that.

[Opie 308]

I believe if you look back to last year the slot scoring was coming from Hossa and Mule.

Other than Z right now, I do not believe the Wings have a player with the shot for a slot player right now. Hudler had a sneaky wrister and that might have been helpful, but he didn't have the body to get in the slot.

Also if you look at a lot of the D played against the Wings, the slot is usually a pig pile of Homer and 3 opposing team players. Another reason why a lot of Ralf's tip-able shots are not making it to guys in front of the net.

To me it appears that the last couple of years instead of beating the Wings up some teams have gone to clogging the slot on them instead, especially during the PP!

[hooon 1,089]

I think Bert was expected to go to the net and score some goals, seems that's how most of his went in last year. Unfortunately, this is not at all what he's doing now. The chances he does get come from down low.

I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to get Fil back. Not to score from the slot, but he will give this team a ton of life. Franzen is our slot scorer, and it'll be a while before he comes back sadly.

[dat's sick 1,002]

I haven't seen too many skate down the Wing, cut to the middle and snipe goals from this squad.

One of the few times Datsyuk has looked like himself this year:

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He can do those kinds of things when he wants to. Zetterberg can score from the slot too. Franzen when he gets back. Cleary sometimes, maybe Leino if he gets some confidence.

You have a point that we haven't seen enough of it this year though. But we haven't seen enough goals, period, this year.

Funny chart btw

[Guest Lidstromboli]

the whole rink should be highlighted for the Brett Lebda Suck Zone

oh damn, didn't see the note at the top

stupid me

Edited December 8, 2009 by Lidstromboli

[finalfilppula 2]

well done.

[dat's sick 1,002]

the whole rink should be highlighted for the Brett Lebda Suck Zone

It is

[Guest Lidstromboli]

yeah see edit

[Shaman 713]

you forgot my personal favorite 'Lebda pinch in area, loses the puck anc causes odd man rush'

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

That's pretty hilarious.

We haven't had slot scoring since Fedorov, Hull and Shanny left. Nobody on our current team can shoot like those guys could.

[esteef 2,679]

They've been trying the poor man's slot shot lately, which is get somebody in the slot area and have him tip a shot/pass toward the net.

[Jake Ryan 1]

Unfortunately, you could highlight the whole perimeter and call it the "95% of the Red Wings shots into the opposing goalie's chest zone". I don't know why Babcock doesn't tell his players to keep the shots hard and low while crashing the net. That's the style that works now. Colorado scored 4 goals last night that all were of that variety. The Wings seem hell bent on making two great passes to get it to 40 feet away from the goalie on the wing, and then firing it into the goalie's chest with a weak wrist shot. And if they win the face off, same thing. puck back to defenseman, and then right into the goalie's chest again.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

gotta go to the top of the circles and take a lousy shot that deflects off the defenseman's stick and out of play

[Johnny Law 15]

The talented wings (dats, Z, Clear, Mule, Flip, Hudler etc.) lived off the cross seam pass, I wish I had video of the last two season's games but trust me they lived off cross seam stuff, particularly on the PP.

This year they simply aren't converting, most of the time the pass doesn't even get there. Datsyuk I think has had the hardest time adjusting to this, my guess is that the surrounding guys are not as good at getting open as Hossa/Huddler.

[Guest zackmorris]

Graphic is WIN.

[moore00 3]

The talented wings (dats, Z, Clear, Mule, Flip, Hudler etc.) lived off the cross seam pass, I wish I had video of the last two season's games but trust me they lived off cross seam stuff, particularly on the PP.

This year they simply aren't converting, most of the time the pass doesn't even get there. Datsyuk I think has had the hardest time adjusting to this, my guess is that the surrounding guys are not as good at getting open as Hossa/Huddler.

Agree totally, that is kinda my point is that we aren't seeing any of those goals this year.

[VM1138 1,921]

Eaves COULD be that guy if given the chance and time. He's got a really underrated shot.

[AtomicPunk 296]

The problem is that we have a lot of "perimeter" players on this team. Not many of them are willing to take the puck to the net.

I remember a quote from Brendan Shanahan as he was nearing the end here in Detroit, and he openly said that he changed the way he played because he was thinking about life after hockey and didn't want to get hurt. That's when he started the curl at the face off dot when he came into the zone with the puck instead of driving to the net with the puck on his stick.

[moore00 3]

I find that hard to believe.

Agreed.