BLITZ 07 TEAM REVIEW - ANAHEIM - A LEAGUE

[LA Robbie]

OK, I had a busy weekend, but now i'm back at work I have a lot more free time to do some more of these. lol

At Habs request, here is my review of his Mighty Ducks of Anaheim:

MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM - BLITZ 07 A LEAGUE

COACH: HABS

TEAM LINK: http://www.blitz94.com/draftab/rosterinfo.asp?team=ANH

TEAM OVERVIEW

After finishing in 5th place in the Blitz 06 A league the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by eventual Champions, Montreal.

Last season's offensively minded team has been set up in a similar mould for Blitz 07 but with some good improvements to the forward line and also in goal. This is evolution rather than revolution. Will it be enough to send the team further than last season, or will the failure to reinforce the defensive line see old failings return to haunt the Ducks?

With the firepower they've got they're going to be a handful for any opponent, and have to be considered a contender. A lot would appear to be rely on whether the Dmen can contain some of the A league's elite offence.

TEAM MAKE-UP

After a deadline deal that saw the exits of Chris Terreri and Andrei Lomakin the Ducks are left with just 4 players from last season: Big forward Esa Tikkanen and defensive trio Vachslav Fetisov, Kevin Lowe and Brian Glynn. Whilst Tikkanen is always highly sought after it's hard to imagine too many other coaches being too concerned about the others. In Lowe, Fetisov and Glynn they do have 3 huge hitters though, which ensures they won't lose the physical battle against the bigger forwards, but can they cope with elite skill? Lowe boasts 4/3 skating and 3 passing to go with his big checking, Fetisov 4 passing and 4 shot power makes him the most likely to help out on offense, but his 4/2 skating means he's going to be more comfortable manoeuvring to contain an offensive play that heading up the other end on a breakaway. Glynn's 3/3 skating and 2 passing looks a bit more average that the other 2 and he's probably going to be more useful on D than he will be in posession. They're all solid and dependable but short of being elite level Dmen. You also can't see too many points or important goals coming from this bunch, whereas other teams have a star defender who may be able to tip a few games during the season.

The fourth Dman for this season is Dimitri Yuskevich, another solidly skilled player with 3/3 skating and 3 passing, but he's a lightweight and can't check. Hard to see him doing much up the ice, and good use of the poke check will be needed on D. The defence looks solid, but it's lacking a Stevens or Iafrate to really make it look scary, and add some offensive punch.

Gone is Mike Gartner and his 138 points from Blitz 06, but Habs will be delighted to have aquired Jeremy Roenick in his place. Roenick has spent the past 6 seasons with Chicago, the past 5 of them with Zalex and during that time he's amassed huge points, scoring over 100 points in his last 4 seasons, and 95 the season before that. Indeed with 2.700 points per game in his Blitz career he's right up there with the very best in the league. He certainly looks a good improvement on Gartner, thanks mainly to his 5/5 shot compared to Gartner's 5/3. He should get those few extra goals that could make a difference over a season.

So Roenick will be supported by Tikkanen. His huge checking ability accompanied by 5/5 skating, 4 passing and a 4/2 shot makes him one of the few players who can be considered a genuinely elite forward, but with the ability to be a defensive force too. OK, the 2 accuracy lets him down, but that speed and passing ability makes him a great playmaker, able to bounce off the defensive challenges on a run towards goal, or dish off the important passes. With over 2.100 points a game he's always close to the 100 mark, and with almost a goal a game in his Blitz career his 2 shot accuracy isn't holding him back too much. His combination with Roenick looks frightening with Tikkanen making up for Roenick's lack of muscle, Roenick compensating for Tikkanen's shot accuracy. Both with awesome pace and skating ability.

The Ducks have pulled off a real coup to complete their forward line too - With their final activity of the draft last season's first choice goalie Chris Terreri was traded to Boston in return for Dale Hawerchuk, taking advantage of Boston's need for a reliable goalie. Hawerchuk's 5/4 skating, 5 stick handling & 5 passing make him another elite playmaker, probably fitting in on the left wing to set up Roenick & Tikkanen. As Roenick is a slight upgrade on Gartner, Hawerchuk seems a slight upgrade on Alexander Semak, who held his spot in last season's team. Hard to imagine a more potent front 3 than this! Hawerchuk's big weakness is of course that dire 1 shot accuracy, but he still gets a goal every other game through his Blitz career. If the Ducks can get his passing working to set up his team mates Roenick and Tikkanen are going to be the big beneficiaries.

After those front 3 the quality begins to drop off. Bobby Holik combines average skill with decent checking ability to provide a solid defensive option off the bench. The extra muscle he could offer in place of Hawerchuk could help Anaheim see out a close game. Kevin Miller is another forward with average skills, but unlike Holik he's lightweight. Likely to be used only in the event of an injury you would imagine.

In goal this season Kirk McLean provides an upgrade on Terreri, but he's not amongst the best. He'll be solid enough in the hands of a player with strong manual goal tending, and he continues the theme of slight upgrades on the Blitz 06 roster.

STARS

It's an allstar frontline with Roenick being this season's go-to guy, and the power of Tikkanen supporting him. Hawerchuk also has to be considered an elite playmaker with his quick skating and 5 passing. Just an awesome 3-some...........for those of you who enjoy an awesome 3-some now and then.

After those front 3 we're lacking for defensive stars here. Solid, dependable, but your guess is as good as mine as to who will make up Habs' prefered partnership this season.

WEAKNESSES

We've just said it. Who's the dominant force on D here? Don't get me wrong. They're all solid, and combined may add up to more than the sum of their parts, but there isn't a big presence there that you know is going to have a big influence on the game, and certainly no one who is likely to help out on offence on a regular basis throughout the season. It's a team that looks set up to try to outscore the opposition rather than shut up shop at the back. Will that leave them open to attack?

Aside from that you have to flag up the poor shot accuracy in this team after JR. Tikkanen has a 4/2 shot, Hawerchuk a 3/1 shot. That's pretty poor for a team that may have title ambitions. Even Bobby Holik & Kevin Miller are more consistent, both with 3/3 shooting but there's no way they're going to start games. Is this Anaheim's big Achilles heel? Should Roenick get injured, or if he's getting dominated by a heavier opponent, who's stepping up for this team?

PRE-SEASON PREDICTION - HIGH PLAYOFF QUALIFICATION

Despite the weaknesses mentioned above I really like this team. It has great balance with the size & power of Tikkanen & Holik on the forward line, and there's so much speed there! There's no doubt that on offence and in goal the team has been improved, whilst the standard of D has stayed the same. The Dmen are big, strong and solid, whilst not being exceptional, and if they prove to have enough ability to contain the best offensive lines it could make all the difference once we get to the playoffs.

Likewise, if Tikkanen & Hawerchuk can play their part in taking some of the goalscoring responsibilities to assist Roenick they're going to score goals for fun. Tikkanen's record suggests he can do it, Hawerchuk's is less conclusive. They'll need to step up because little assistance is going to come from the D line or the bench.

If the 3 front men can click this team could be a title contender for sure, but so much depends on how the Ducks cope with and handle their weaknesses to determine how far they go.

[smozoma]

I had a busy weekend, but now i'm back at work I have a lot more free time

wait.. what?

[LA Robbie]

wait.. what?

lol. That's good right?

[HABS]

roenick one man show

i might be starting yushkevich, under rated hitter and smart dman with fattassov

thanks for analysis