10 Games In

After any season begins, it is natural to evaluate where you are after 10 games. It is a nice round number after all. Before we look at this year, let's look back at last year for some perspective.

We finished 28 out of 30 teams, everyone knows that. We didn't start off particularly well, everyone knows that. Ten games in last year we had four points. Lots of blow outs, and not a whole lot of heart. The thing is, after that ten game mark we started to play much better, and racked up a few wins along the way.

OK, back to this year. Ten games in we have six points. Only a two point improvement over probably our worst stretch of games. Not what we were all hoping for. Looking at things this way, our old friend Debbie Downer would project nothing but more doom and gloom, and she would project we have some guy named Tavares playing for us next year. I choose not to be so pessimistic.

It gets frustrating losing so much. Trust me, I've been here for everything. Let's look at the positives first shall we?

• The play of Bryan Little: The biggest weakness everyone saw going in was secondary scoring. Little has proved he can put the puck in the net and take the next step in his NHL career.


• Kari Lehtonen: Very solid. This year is make or break for Kari and his future with the Thrash. At some point you need to commit to him this year and sign him long term.


• John Anderson's attitude: How can you not like this guy? I'm very comfortable in the fact that we signed the right guy.


• Todd White: People were all over this guy last year. Quite frankly, I never understood it. He wasn't too far off from what I thought he would do. The messageboarders were wanting him to be something he isn't. Keep in mind the messageboarders wouldn't know a good hockey player if he smacked them right in the face (See Big Greg deVries).


• We try: The guys play hard. Most of that has to do with Anderson. All I want is to see them skate hard and stick up for each other. Neither one of these things require talent. Sadly, we didn't do this last year (See Bobby Holik).

OK, now lets look at what our friend Rawhide would call the un-good:

• Six points: We need to find a way to win games instead of finding a way to lose them.


• Shots on goal against: Hopefully this will improve throughout the season as players get used to each other and their coach.


• Lack of primary scoring: Good for Bryan Little to show he can be our secondary scorer; problem is he has the most goals so far. Calling our Czar. Come in Czar. Kovy will end up with his goals, but he needs to find a way to single handedly win us a game while we are in a slump. Not pull the shenanigans that he did in the Philly game.


• No Captain: I had a post about this a while back. YOU NEED A CAPTAIN! When you have lost five games in a row, there has to be one guy people in the room look to, not five or six. Good teams have good captains. Bad teams either rotate their captain or they don't have one. Just saying. Who should it be? I can't make that call from the outside. Thought it should be the Czar, but after outbursts like the Philly game I'm not so sure.
  

Those are just a few things that jump out at me. Can't wait for the game tonight. Our schedule does get much better in November than we had in October. We really need to find a way to get FOUR points this weekend. We are on the verge of digging a hole we can't get out of.

So, while the rest of the state gets ready to watch them Dawgs and Gators today, your ole pal Big Shooter is looking forward to watching the 3:00 Oilers game and then the Thrashers at 7:00. For the life of me I don't know why everyone else doesn't get it!

For The Blueland Chronicle, I'm Big Shooter