As a coach I’m always looking for areas we can improve to become a better team. This year, from week to week, there have been different points of emphasis for improvement. Against Peoria we struggled with our puck movement. We didn’t get back on pucks quickly enough and our communication could have been better on the ice. We need to do a better job of being outlets for each other and moving our feet.

If we can control the puck by making better decisions, support and passes, we’ll stand a better chance of controlling the game than if we just dump the puck out and turn the puck over. Also we could have done a better job of controlling middle ice by better positioning.

I felt that for about half the game we controlled the puck and controlled the game. But if we’re going to be successful we need to do that for a full three periods on a nightly basis. We were chasing the puck for parts of the game. When we are playing this way, we are not creating offensive chances or drawing penalties. We only had two power plays against Peoria. In previous games we have had anywhere from four to seven chances.

On the positive side we have been consistently out shooting our opponents this season. It is always a good thing when you get more shots on goal than your opponent. The more pucks we can get heading toward the net the better off we’re going to be. We want bodies going hard to the net creating deflections and rebounds opportunities. We need to create more quality scoring chances and limit our opponents. Traffic at the net is the key because sometimes you run into hot goal tenders and that can certainly play a role in the outcome of a game. But we have to keep creating quality scoring opportunities and that comes from puck movement and playing as a cohesive unit.

As I’ve written in the past. The guys come out and work hard and compete every day. We are always working to get better. And that’s the approach you like to see and need to have to be a successful hockey team.