Letsgodevils is right, our star forwards have a lot of pressure on them, not only by the fans, but by the opposing defense. Our powerplay was really a 4v4, because Rachunek and Martin didn't score enough, therefore the defense only had to worry about our forwards. If we can get an elite d-man, we can open up the defense, and force them to play all five men.
Our offense was similar to the Nets, pre-Jason Collins trade.
This season showed how important players like Neidermayer and Rafalski are. If we force defenders to play the blue line, there is a lot more room opened up in front, and players like Zubrus can really shine. I know he got hurt, but Sheldon Souray could've really helped us. He's got one of the hardest shots in hockey, and he can put the puck in the net, and he would've attracted attention away from Elias, Gionta, and Parise.
I knew we were doomed late February after the trade deadline. We were top 5 in all defensive categories and in the bottom 10 in all offensive categories and Lou got us another d-man who can't score. I know defense wins championships, but our defense really relies on whether or not Marty has a good game, not who we have in front of him. If we added someone who score, then we would've had insurance for Marty, just in case he did have a bad game, which is what happened in a couple of games in the playoffs.
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