Mobiandi
Registered User
- Jan 17, 2015
- 21,038
- 17,467
This team doesn't play with enough mental fortitude to be a serious contender. But this is still roughly the same core as the 14-15 team that was able to manage all of those comebacks and beat up on the SC-winning Kings. Maybe they were able to perform like that because there was no pressure and are having trouble rising to the occassion now that the stakes are raised.
Management has also made an effort to seek out players that were part of winning teams to try to help pass on some of their knowledge to our young talent: Frolik, Brouwer, Versteeg, Jagr (although one can argue that this failed for the most part). We also added a big character guy in Hamonic and a guy who would do anything to help his team win in Tkachuk.
So I'm inclined to say that this coaching staff is hugely responsible for the issues we've been having on the mental side of the game. People can say that hockey players should be able to morivate themselves to play because of all the millions they earn but they're also kidding themselves if they think a coach's words (or lack thereof) don't play a big role too. As it's been stated before, Gulutzan is a great X's and O's guy but I don't think he has it in him to be more than an assistant coach at the NHL level. A team with all the character guys and leaders it purports to have shouldn't consistently be looking like a deer in headlights, especially at home.
Management has also made an effort to seek out players that were part of winning teams to try to help pass on some of their knowledge to our young talent: Frolik, Brouwer, Versteeg, Jagr (although one can argue that this failed for the most part). We also added a big character guy in Hamonic and a guy who would do anything to help his team win in Tkachuk.
So I'm inclined to say that this coaching staff is hugely responsible for the issues we've been having on the mental side of the game. People can say that hockey players should be able to morivate themselves to play because of all the millions they earn but they're also kidding themselves if they think a coach's words (or lack thereof) don't play a big role too. As it's been stated before, Gulutzan is a great X's and O's guy but I don't think he has it in him to be more than an assistant coach at the NHL level. A team with all the character guys and leaders it purports to have shouldn't consistently be looking like a deer in headlights, especially at home.
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