He's right there on the doorstep and I think he's had a long conversation with Jimmy (Corsi) about that. The way he fills the net is very Miller and Biron-like. We point to the level of compete that Ryan Miller has, where he never gives up on a shot, and that's where Michael Leighton has to go. |
I can't remember the last entry (into the offensive zone) where he had a step on a guy and drove to the net. There's been too much one-on-one. For him it's more about finding the help, putting the puck there, and getting it back. He needs to compete for the puck, take the body when he has to, then make himself available to get the puck back. |
I don't see enough desperation. |
I thought we were well on our way on the weekend. |
I was quite impressed at that training camp. He caught your eye every time he's out there on the ice. He made things happen. |
If one element isn't there, it makes for a tough night. We need all people going at once, and there can't be any letdowns. We have nowhere to go but up at this point. |
If we had done this 20 games ago, we wouldn't be in this predicament. This was a heck of a weekend and these guys deserve a lot of credit. They're sticking together like glue. Mess with one, mess with all of them. |
It just seemed like we had to work a lot harder for our goals (by Brandon Smith and Jiri Novotny) and their goals came too easy. |
It takes the heart right out of guys when you don't get that big save. |
It was a big lift for sure, a sense of relief that he can come out there and do the job and get a goal like that. He also added work on killing penalties and setting up some power plays. That's his leadership and it's been sorely missed but we know it'll get better from here. |
It was not a conventional win but certainly one we can remember. Guys stuck together. |
It's difficult enough in this league to get the lead, but you have to do the necessary work to protect it. |
Just when you think you have it under control and that they won't pull that off again, they pulled it off. It's a very crafty team. It comes down to being aware in the lane and being on top of people, not so much on the long end but the short end, and not allowing that pass. If you give a guy like that room to make that play, that's the risk. |
Like any young player, there was a period of inconsistency. He can be average and then he can be Clarke MacArthur. Average isn't good enough, but he possesses the ability to be above average. |
Our leadership has to step forward, and not just by being vocal in the room. |