He's right - but the dilemma I see is that calling out specific players for specific mistakes when everyone is making mistakes creates a situation of 'the pot calling the kettle black' and eventually a lot of finger-pointing in a perpetual blame game. Eichel, O'Reilly, Okposo and the others that like to criticize their own play in front of the media don't really accomplish anything in doing so, other than venting; each player can say they "need to be better....yada yada" but if they then aren't in the next game, what's the point? Nolan's comment that "This team hasn't been too successful over the years and it needs to change or it's going to be a long, long season and a few seasons to come if that's the way it is" is 100% right on the mark - but, if everyone is calling each other out for mistakes, it's hard to envision camaraderie building or the locker room becoming a tighter unit. It seems dissension would occur first and more individuals playing for themselves instead of their teammates.
That said, the tendency of teammates in sports to "stick up for each other" as a support system that strives for positivity and encouragement isn't working and can't be the fallback. It's baffling to me to see the roster more or less completely overhauled since the Rochester core era that became renowned for mediocrity yet the same issues of work ethic, accountability and resilience still are relevant. The core today definitely seems a better mix then so I can't get my mind around why it's such a mess now, even after all of the managerial and personnel changes.
One thing though that Harrington hit the nail on the head with is that, as the anointed face of the franchise and most talented player, Eichel has to be the first problem to fix. His work ethic has to change - he can say whatever he wants to the media about being annoyed and angry with the losing and break sticks in the locker room as much as he wants. Until he digs down himself and commits to full efforts on every shift he plays, rather than the spurts of energy followed by defeatist floating, this team is going nowhere. For all of the criticisms that Vanek and Afinogenov got respectively about floating through shifts or trying to deke around 3-4 guys, Eichel's been just as guilty of both tendencies. If an opponent is within reach, he'll forecheck but otherwise let up in pursuit 9 times out of 10 and defer to someone else picking up coverage. Granted, the roster isn't filled with many alternatives but the ploy of letting Eichel lead the rush up ice from his own zone typically results in a gauntlet at the opposing blueline that he rarely can stickhandle through or around - all the while with his teammates standing still waiting for the puck to cross the blueline.
I want to believe that Botterill / Housley will figure this out but there's also a sense that both are more passive, diplomatic personalities that won't exert tough love or strict discipline over the players.
