I think it's a combination of a few things. Obviously in AV's system, with the emphasis on breakouts and speed transition, the defenseman are on an island more often and have less forward suppport. I think for the most part they've done a great job adjusting, especially guys like Girardi and Staal who played defensive-minded hockey for years under Torts and Renney.
When Talbot was a spot-starter, it seemed like the gameplan was slightly changed. There was more emphasis on the defensive zone. More forward support. The transition game wasn't as fast. That's why he was a spot-starter: AV carefully chose matchups where they could play that way yet still have a chance to win the game.
Now that Talbot is a full-time starter, AV can't play the defensive-minded game against every team we play. He doesnt have a roster that's built to play it against the better teams. It seems like he thinks we have a better chance to out-score the other team than we do to win a 2-1 game with Talbot in net. And I agree.
Look, when you play the system AV plays, the defenseman are always going to get exposed now and then. It's the tradeoff you make when you play an offensive game. But we have a solid group of defenseman who make the play more often than not, and when they don't we have Hank back there to come up big. Talbot doesn't come up big in these fast, offensive games, and that's why the d play all of a sudden seems shaky. I honestly don't think they're playing worse, I think it just seems like it because Talbot isn't making the stops he needs to.
