I think it's all mental. They looked so good playing as a team in the first 12 minutes and then they tried to do everything 1-on-1 after that. Some very lazy efforts out there on defense, mostly by the forwards. Why is it the healthier they get, the worse they play at home?
Legault is ready to go and was a healthy scratch.
How many times did the FORWARDS turn the puck over in the FW zone because they are trying to stickhandle? Curadeau for the fourth goal was horrendous. Truthfully, I give the fans credit for not booing them off the ice when it was 4-3 because the way they were playing it felt like a three-goal deficit. That was terrible. Hukalo misses a tip on a potential tying goal and then quits rather than go after the puck that is just sitting there. Varone waves at Bouchard with his stick as he goes by for the second goal instead of moving his legs. How many shots tonight came from a guy breaking into the clear in the zone, he winds up from 45 feet and just blasts instead of taking it to the net and trying to make something happen? Who paid the price tonight to make a play? How many 2-on-1s have we seen where the guy not carrying the puck just veers off to the corner instead of going to the net for a rebound? How many times did we see a forward figure skating back as Muskegon went up ice for a 3-on-2? They attacked the power play like one guy was supposed to beat a defender one-on-one and magically make things open up for everyone else.
I'm just happy for Randy and Tim that they didn't tape this game.
Komets President Michael Franke said during the game that the team has to make some moves. "This team just doesn't perform well at home. It has not performed well at home all season, and we're running out of time."
Coach Al Sims said afterward he doesn't think anyone will trade with Fort Wayne, anyway.
This is the healthiest they've been all season, and there was no difference. It might be easy to just blame the goaltender on this one, but that was a very poor effort by almost everyone.
