RHL16 Midseason Report
Record: 13-17-3
Standings: 5th in Calder Division, 9th in Howe Conference, 17th overall Overall
Team performance: C-
One thing that is clear after 1/2 of the season is the Eagles are not a contender. The unit has shown glimpses of what they could do, especially early on, but it was always followed by a stretch as a pretender.
Case in point: the team was 12-9-2 just after the quarter point and was challenging YDP for the division lead and crucial top-2 conference ranking. Theodore was showing he was a top 5 tender in the RHL, the team was scoring by committee, and was defenseively stubborn.
The injury-riddled lineup that saw one game where only 8 forwards dressed was healing. We were entering a home-and-home against the expansion MON, hoping to nab 4 pts and put even more pressure on YDP. That didn't happen. We lost both games by 3-1 scores and the squad has been reeling since. Those 2 losses started a 8-game winless skid in which fans saw a side of the Eagles they wished they hadn't. The team couldn't score (9 GF in 8 GP) nor keep the puck out of its own net (34 GA). A toxic mix that will destroy any chance at success.
It took an OT win at home against the happless COU to break the streak, which was followed by another loss to a team we were directly behind.
So where are the Eagles now?
There's still plenty of games left to climb back into the race. Thanks to some inconsistent play from the division-leading YDP, we are only 13 pts out of first and the coveted division crown which would allow the team to avoid a matchup against any of the big 3 (FUN, ROV, SOC) in the 2nd round.
But the free fall has taken the squad to the edge of the cliff. 8 pts behind the cut line for the 1st round bye and holding on to one of the last playoff spots by 4 pts. What needs to change?
Consistency: it's been an issue all year. No one can predict exactly what's going to happen in a given game, but I have no sense whatsoever what team will come to play. I've been shut-out twice by the last-place SPA and lost twice to the MON. Theodore has been great in one game, and dismal in the next.
Scoring: The top players are not scoring like they should. The only player on pace for 20 goals is Parrish. Smyth, MeEachern, Arnott, Bell, Comrie are not. Heck, a defenseman (Bergeron) has the same number or more than all these forwards. No one seems to be able to find chemistry with anyone.
What will happen the rest of RHL16?
Part of me says that the Eagles have enough talent to climb back into contention for a 1st round bye. There's more than enough cap space to add some talent down the stretch... but for what gain? 13 pts is probably too much to catch the YDP for the division, especially with the SEL, CRY and FRE playing so well ahead of me. Let's say we do grab the #5 or #6 seed--it means a 2nd round match against either the ROV, FUN or SOC. A difficult series to win, to say the least.
The other part of me says to blow things up and look towards next year when a lot of my younger guys take another step forward. Hmm... decision time.
Standings: 5th in Calder Division, 9th in Howe Conference, 17th overall Overall
Team performance: C-
One thing that is clear after 1/2 of the season is the Eagles are not a contender. The unit has shown glimpses of what they could do, especially early on, but it was always followed by a stretch as a pretender.
Case in point: the team was 12-9-2 just after the quarter point and was challenging YDP for the division lead and crucial top-2 conference ranking. Theodore was showing he was a top 5 tender in the RHL, the team was scoring by committee, and was defenseively stubborn.
The injury-riddled lineup that saw one game where only 8 forwards dressed was healing. We were entering a home-and-home against the expansion MON, hoping to nab 4 pts and put even more pressure on YDP. That didn't happen. We lost both games by 3-1 scores and the squad has been reeling since. Those 2 losses started a 8-game winless skid in which fans saw a side of the Eagles they wished they hadn't. The team couldn't score (9 GF in 8 GP) nor keep the puck out of its own net (34 GA). A toxic mix that will destroy any chance at success.
It took an OT win at home against the happless COU to break the streak, which was followed by another loss to a team we were directly behind.
So where are the Eagles now?
There's still plenty of games left to climb back into the race. Thanks to some inconsistent play from the division-leading YDP, we are only 13 pts out of first and the coveted division crown which would allow the team to avoid a matchup against any of the big 3 (FUN, ROV, SOC) in the 2nd round.
But the free fall has taken the squad to the edge of the cliff. 8 pts behind the cut line for the 1st round bye and holding on to one of the last playoff spots by 4 pts. What needs to change?
Consistency: it's been an issue all year. No one can predict exactly what's going to happen in a given game, but I have no sense whatsoever what team will come to play. I've been shut-out twice by the last-place SPA and lost twice to the MON. Theodore has been great in one game, and dismal in the next.
Scoring: The top players are not scoring like they should. The only player on pace for 20 goals is Parrish. Smyth, MeEachern, Arnott, Bell, Comrie are not. Heck, a defenseman (Bergeron) has the same number or more than all these forwards. No one seems to be able to find chemistry with anyone.
What will happen the rest of RHL16?
Part of me says that the Eagles have enough talent to climb back into contention for a 1st round bye. There's more than enough cap space to add some talent down the stretch... but for what gain? 13 pts is probably too much to catch the YDP for the division, especially with the SEL, CRY and FRE playing so well ahead of me. Let's say we do grab the #5 or #6 seed--it means a 2nd round match against either the ROV, FUN or SOC. A difficult series to win, to say the least.
The other part of me says to blow things up and look towards next year when a lot of my younger guys take another step forward. Hmm... decision time.
posted by Chris - Eagles at
9:45 p.m.
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