GDT: Boston @ Carolina Sorta

[Ole Gil]

I'm convinced Rod should have the boys watch their game tape all morning for this series. See how badly they've played and despite it being close to winning. I know it'd make me mad....but some of these guys might be the type to just shurg....and if they are it makes me sad they could have that much talent and so little fire.

The circumstances are hard. This is an organization that prides itself on being family focused. By design, the roster is filled with guys who are going to take being in the bubble harder than most.

There's so much stuff they are dealing with, that we saw the #1 goalie of the #1 team just go home because he couldn't manufacture the intensity. Has that ever been an issue for anyone in a playoff series in NHL history? Just couldn't convince himself a Stanley cup playoff game wasn't a glorified scrimmage?

This will probably be the first time in NHL history, players are happy to get knocked out of the playoffs. Disappointed they didn't win still, but happy for it to be over and to go home.

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My point being, I don't think you shame them into playing harder. Rod is an honest coach. People say debbie downer, but it's not negative. it's honest. He's going to try and motivate them with positivity, and hopefully it works. But if it doesn't, that's okay, because this playoff setup is the antithesis of what the Canes are about as an organization.

 

[Ole Gil]

Something seems really, really off with Slavin. Not "off" in the sense of performance quality, but his physical movement and even the expressions on his face look like a different person than we've been watching the past several years.

This would make sense if he were playing through, and medicated for, some sort of mobility-related injury. If it's not that, then the other options are things I'd even less like to speculate about online

I thought some of the guys were sucking a lot more wind than usual. Coming off a 1 game preseason, and playing 4 in 6? with 12pm starts and 8 pm starts, and a guy like Slavin playing a lot of minutes...I wonder how many of them aren't up to their elite levels of conditioning.

Another possibility, is just sleep in general. If someone's having a hard time sleeping due to circumstances, I can imagine that having the same effect.

There's just so many different things that could be going on.

 

[hblueridgegal]

I'm convinced Rod should have the boys watch their game tape all morning for this series. See how badly they've played and despite it being close to winning. I know it'd make me mad....but some of these guys might be the type to just shurg....and if they are it makes me sad they could have that much talent and so little fire.

In one of his return to play pressers. he made note of the guys who returned to camp early vs the later/last minute returnees. So it seems he keeps score on a variety of things on and off the ice. I don’t blame the ones who wanted to stay away given the mess we are in.

Most of them look like they could use some sunshine and time outdoors for a Vitamin D boost. Rod especially. Teams advancing to the next round are getting field trips outside the bubble per Vegas’ Twitter.

 

[Negan4Coach]

I understand @Negan4Coach accepted the task.

I'm on it

 

[Lempo]

Good. Let us not forget: Cane is the brother man that comes to kill you, and Bruin is the sound of fart escaping with a chaser.

I'd ask @roboturner to confirm the latter point, but ya'll know how his membership on the HF seems to be a bit of a Schroedinger case.