Ares2420

First I would like to say thank you! I agree with your assessments of Elliot. I am in no way detracting the fact that Elliot is flat out inconsistent and sub-par as a starting goaltender let alone a back up. A goalie should be able to weather the storm and prevent those back breaking goals. I also believe Elliot could have made that first save. However, the TEAM can not keep giving up 3 on 1 odd man rushs. When you have a team that passes and shoots well that odd man rush will result in a goal more often than not. That was a full speed uncontested 3 on 1 rush that was not played well by the loan defense-man. As far as the second goal another turn over with an odd man rush. Player number one takes a shot in the slot that goes off the heal of his stick (possibly even hitting the flyers defense-man's stick) and bounces to wide open player number 2 at the side of the net for a quasi one timer goal. How is that completely one Elliot? He read the shot and was in position to make the save but instead the sharks get a goal of a lucky bounce. Where was the defense? Why cant the flyers pass/control the puck from their own zone? For the first 5 minutes the flyers fore-checked well and carried the play. Prior to and after those 2 goals Elliot made some big saves to keep the flyers in it but no one else on the flyers so called team was playing defense. Passing, zone clearing and back-checking was severely lacking. Last year the team had a bad habit of giving up after one goal even if they were leading 3-1. They lack heart. They lack physical play and grit. The players cant give up that easily. They lack fire and tend to play lazily. Like you said, "the good thing is that it is only the third game". They can easily fix these issues but someone has to light a fire under there asses.

What I saw was an undisciplined team (if you could call it a team). They lack any cohesion and the ability to play team defense. I do not know how anyone can blame Elliott for all those goals. That defense left him out to dry for the 1st period. This so called team lacks heart, composure and cohesion. Either the coaching needs to change, or the style of play, or the players. Maybe its all three. You have had pretty much the same core players and the same problems for 3 coaches now. These players simply do not mesh well together. Someone or something needs to light a fire under their lazy asses. I still have hope they can wake up and make the changes that are needed.