Well, just finished season 2, and frustration is mounting. I think after this challenge i'm going to have to spend some time with the team going through every possible way of doing things to see what works and what doesn't. I thought I was decent with tactics, but I guess playing as the Flames makes it easy (although i won multiple cups with the Thrashers awhile ago...). I tried all sorts of things, but consistency, penalties, and special teams killed me. For some reason I couldn't get anyone to stop taking penalties, and led the league by a long shot (even without Koci, who I demoted to AHL, due to his inability to stay out of the box). There was some good and some bad this season, and it was a slight improvement from the first.
The Good
- Everyone but my checking line and a couple stragglers and a D-man (Liles = sucks, even in 5 games) had a positive +/-. (Not so good for the checking line, but that's a different story).
- The top line clicked much better, seemingly, although Stastny and Hejduk both lost 8 games to injury. Stastny's absence really killed me, I think I only won 2 of those games. Wolski led the way with 102 points, and Stastny and Hejduk had 91 and 87 respectively. Still seems like garbage looking at other people's stats, but comparatively, i'm happy.
- Second line provided some scoring finally. Comrie ended up with an above 7 rating and got some points, although not quite as much as I had hoped for, while remaining +11. Duchene had over 60 points and improved his +- from last year big time, as well as got a higher rating. Svatos was injured for almost 20 games, but still almost managed a point per game.
- Used Ryan Wilson on my third pairing and second once in awhile and his rating was over 7, very pleased with that, as Foote retired before the season started. I had originally put a late draft pick, Bidlevskki in, but he wasn't quite ready, so he is now doing well in the CHL.
- Hensick led the AHL in goals and points, with Haydar right behind him. Kitsyn, who I drafted in the first round, led rookies in scoring in the AHL. The top line really impressed me even if the rest of the team looked like a peewee team.
- Shattenkirk and Holos played very solidly on Lake Erie, did not disappoint being on the top line and on PP/PK.
- There are also a number of very high scoring defensemen in the system, but we'll see if they amount to anything, too often they dry up in the big leagues
The Bad
- Lots
- Inconsistency. I would win 3 in a row and think things were great, then lose a bunch, with no seeming rhyme or reason. I would outshoot, outhit, outscore, a good team one day, then lose brutally and get no shots while giving up 40 the next to a rubbish team. Gotta figure something out tactically.
- Liles is a waste of space, have to work him into next season's trade.
- I was hoping O'Reilly would be able to anchor the third line and play some special teams, but after 9 games and no points with a low 6 rating, I decided to send him back down to Erie. Not so bad was the fact that he scored 115 points in 46 games and is currently putting up 3 points per game in the playoffs. It would have been nice to see that in the NHL.
- Special teams were very likely the reason I did not make the playoffs and instead found myself 5 points out. After reading the special teams thread and trying things out, I have in most other games been able to keep my PP in the high teens and my PK in the high 80s to low 90s, which is enough to keep you in and win games usually. However, no matter who I put on the lines, no matter what combinations I used, no matter what I did from the thread, nothing clicked. PP less than 10% and I had the most opportunities in the league. PK less than 80% and I gave up the most PPs in the league. Very frustrating, not sure what the problem is, Wolski, Stastny, Duchene, Svatos, and Hejduk should pop in a few now and then.
Anyways, long post short, lots to work on but a few bright bits to work from.
Hopefully the AHL will be a good stepping stone for some guys in the year or couple to come...also have to find out why my tactics don't work and figure out what kind of FA/trade will benefit me the most...
](./images/smilies/wallbash.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
Lost 4 straight games versus Flames who later won the Stanley Cup.
. I can't get Stastny to play, but Willsie has my highest +/- 
) everyone gone for the big line and hoped to get 2nd line scoring? I usually try to get 2-3 balanced lines and count on the PP, but its not working 
