Post-Game Talk: Vegas I guess

[will1066]

He is implying here that it was Igor.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Leadership is definitely an issue on this team. We have no alpha dog, and it shows.

And this isn't really a criticism of 93/20/8. You need leaders who keep an even keel. But, you also need someone who is going to get pissed and hold their fellow players accountable. Most of the time, that guy is your captain. It can't all come from the coach. Trouba seems to flash that every once in a while, but he's really not that guy. I think Laf could be that guy, but he's still years away from inheriting the team with the current roster composition.

You see it with all the cup winning teams. They can take a punch, be down multiple goals, and you just know they're not going down without a serious fight. This team is the exact opposite. One goal goes in, and you just know they're mentally done. No one is there on the bench from leadership snapping them the f*** out of it.

 

[IchabodCrane]

We have a Miller, ZK, Shesty problem.

Also…. A locker room that seems passive at best (see above)

 

[Tob]

Jeff Gorton is a major chump. We blew it up when we had all Americans who lived and breathed hockey like McDonagh and Stepan who would sign $800K deals to play for as long as they can, hair or no hair. Now we have Meeka zibanechud who isn't sure if he wants to be a DJ or play hockey. No chance this guy signs 1 year $2M deals to keep playing. 2 years into big money, he's already checked out.

 

[IchabodCrane]

Leadership is definitely an issue on this team. We have no alpha dog, and it shows.

And this isn't really a criticism of 93/20/8. You need leaders who keep an even keel. But, you also need someone who is going to get pissed and hold their fellow players accountable. Most of the time, that guy is your captain. It can't all come from the coach. Trouba seems to flash that every once in a while, but he's really not that guy. I think Laf could be that guy, but he's still years away from inheriting the team with the current roster composition.

You see it with all the cup winning teams. They can take a punch, be down multiple goals, and you just know they're not going down without a serious fight. This team is the exact opposite. One goal goes in, and you just know they're mentally done. No one is there on the bench from leadership snapping them the f*** out of it.

Agreed. But I would saybit IS a 93 20 23 problem. When 3/4 of your “leadership” are passive plant eating dudes…. You get games like this and , worse, playoffs like last year.

 

[McRanger92]

Jeff Gorton is a major chump. We blew it up when we had all Americans who lived and breathed hockey like McDonagh and Stepan who would sign $800K deals to play for as long as they can, hair or no hair. Now we have Meeka zibanechud who isn't sure if he wants to be a DJ or play hockey. No chance this guy signs 1 year $2M deals to keep playing. 2 years into big money, he's already checked out.

Don Cherry approves of this take...and so does McRanger92!

 

[duhmetreE]

This is so true. It was so good to watch them PLAY RIGHT FOR ONCE in the beginning of the year. Now it's back to the same stupid s***. What is it??

We arguably have a dumb/lazy team that needs to practice a lot to build better habits and be held accountable.

Haven't had many hard practice days with our schedule makeup. Goaltending becoming inconsistent and allowing many 'weak goals' exacerbates the issue even more

 

[Mike in Houston]

He is implying here that it was Igor.

Of course the one time we came out guns blazing we still shit our pants.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I love Kreider more than anyone but lately it seems like he's going through one of his stretches where he's moving at half speed and gliding around when he should be moving his feet and being weirdly soft on pucks.

The whole team honestly looks like they're fighting it, everything is off. Trouba and Miller have been an abject disaster for (at minimum) months at this point and I'm not willing to say that one of them is dragging down the other - they both look really bad.

Team right now is basically an automatic loss when they give up the first goal. It's night and day them playing with a lead vs playing from behind. Vally's stats about Igor being basically the worst goalie in the league when trailing definitely corroborates the eye test there. Igor is a mental case lately. He crumbles when he gives up a goal or two. That first goal was so deflating because we were dominating and then Vegas gets one pretty innocuous chance and a shot that has no business being a goal goes through Igor and in. And now the Rangers are trailing, don't get another shot on goal the rest of the period. That can't happen.

Also lol at Mika's quotes saying he thought they played well.

 

[romba]

When other teams cycle on us, the chances inevitably are slot chances or net front chances. When we cycle, our chances are often more to the sides of the net from mid distance.

YES. Our D zone coverage leaks slot chances off the cycle and we barely muster a point shot or two after 1 min of continuous zone time. Our goalie stops some of the big slot chances against, but then lets in a low % sharp angle one so not really helpful from that end either.

 

[LionsHeart]

Jeff Gorton is a major chump. We blew it up when we had all Americans who lived and breathed hockey like McDonagh and Stepan who would sign $800K deals to play for as long as they can, hair or no hair. Now we have Meeka zibanechud who isn't sure if he wants to be a DJ or play hockey. No chance this guy signs 1 year $2M deals to keep playing. 2 years into big money, he's already checked out.

I think committing to a rebuild was the right thing to do, but I completely agree about thinking about what we moved on from.

Those guys may not have been as skilled as guys like Zibanejad, but they played hard every night and left it all on the ice and paid the price to win hockey games.

In the words of our Captain, “it’s a hard game and it’s meant to be played hard.” Maybe he and the rest of the team should take those words to heart.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Agreed. But I would saybit IS a 93 20 23 problem. When 3/4 of your “leadership” are passive plant eating dudes…. You get games like this and , worse, playoffs like last year.

I don't think they are the problem. Their style would be fine under a different captain. We want players comfortable being who they are and providing their own brand of leadership. Management is the one who assembles the roster. The player we need for leadership isn't on the roster at the moment. Maybe Laf grows into that guy, but he's not it currently.

The point I'm trying to get across is: I'm not laying this at leadership's feet. What was Trouba supposed to do, decline the captaincy? He's doing what he can, but he's not a fiery enough presence on his own to give the team the kick in the ass they need at times. If one or more of 93/20/10/23 could provide some of that, maybe it would be fine. But that's not their style either. Just like any other aspect of building a roster (size, speed, offense, defense, etc.), leadership important as well.

 

[effen]

YES. Our D zone coverage leaks slot chances off the cycle and we barely muster a point shot or two after 1 min of continuous zone time. Our goalie stops some of the big slot chances against, but then lets in a low % sharp angle one so not really helpful from that end either.

It's because they're weenies who don't take and own space. Buzzing on the boards as 5 Vegas players camped the slot in their structure and just stared at them skating to nowhere.

It's the same in any sport, f*** it's the same in checkers. Take the middle, own the middle, win. They don't.

It's not like this is a new concept, they know all the cliches, when push comes to shove they drift to the boards. gg.

 

[zlev]

the team is lost in it's own end and not just the defensemen. we have like two good defensive forwards. the personnel isn't good enough. Fox cant carry everyone.

also lol, Trouba's coverage on Roy on the 2nd goal was hilarious. a big traffic cone would've worked better. at this point i cant tell if it's more that he sucks or more that he's just lazy. first goal was a stinker on Igor, but he was hung out to dry on the 2nd goal. the game went south from there.

 

[will1066]

I don't think they are the problem. Their style would be fine under a different captain. We want players comfortable being who they are and providing their own brand of leadership. Management is the one who assembles the roster. The player we need for leadership isn't on the roster at the moment. Maybe Laf grows into that guy, but he's not it currently.

The point I'm trying to get across is: I'm not laying this at leadership's feet. What was Trouba supposed to do, decline the captaincy? He's doing what he can, but he's not a fiery enough presence on his own to give the team the kick in the ass they need at times. If one or more of 93/20/10/23 could provide some of that, maybe it would be fine. But that's not their style either. Just like any other aspect of building a roster (size, speed, offense, defense, etc.), leadership important as well.

We're all negative right now, maybe except for that reijo poster and the unbreakable puckluck, but we're actually ruining Laf before he even gets to lead the next core. He will have become our next big finesse player, looking rinkwide to pass before he even skates up ice, influenced by Panarin.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Logan Thompson, a name that came out of a WB teen angst drama, is the latest jabroni to goalie this team

Let's face it. I could goalie this team. Give me pads and equipment.

 

[Captain Lindy]

It’s not just Igor. The whole team is pathetic mentally. Mika can’t be separated from Kreider. Fox can’t be separated from Lindgren. Miller needs mental health days. It’s just insane.

I know, right! Back in the day, players knew you better have a VERY f***ING GOOD reason for missing games. Maybe it's the new generation, but it is pathetic to see professionals act so weak.

 

[Tob]

I know, right! Back in the day, players knew you better have a VERY f***ING GOOD reason for missing games. Maybe it's the new generation, but it is pathetic to see professionals act so weak.

Ikr, my grandma died while I was in 8th grade and I never missed a class or a shit.

 

[yrrebbor]

Guess this is why everyone was saying, "Don't get penisy" early in the season!

 

[Captain Lindy]

I could see quick taking the net from Igor early in the playoffs and not giving it back for a run. And then it’s ugly in the offseason on what happens because obviously it won’t be quick here more than maybe another year. He’s not great either but he’s streaky and a clutch guy.

Igor is getting lazy. He’s living far off that vezina season cruising to that paycheck but he doesn’t look anything like the guy in Russia the guy in Hartford or the guy from that season. He can’t even play the puck like he used to. I don’t know what this is but this isn’t who he was when he got here. This guy should be top five in goals saved above expected every year minimum.

 

[NYRfan85]

I think Quick needs to play more games until Igor gets his shit together. Maybe that'll send a message to the team.

 

[bouds]

We keep running it back with the same group plus/minus a couple of players and folks here expect some massive improvement just because we changed coaches. In game adjustments? Be serious, it’s roster adjustment more than anything.

This is the first season with suspect goaltending, but certain folks dead focused on the the goalie when things go bad for the last 10 years, as if goaltending is the reason they haven’t succeeded.

 

[ArPanet]

We're all negative right now, maybe except for that reijo poster and the unbreakable puckluck, but we're actually ruining Laf before he even gets to lead the next core. He will have become our next big finesse player, looking rinkwide to pass before he even skates up ice, influenced by Panarin.

Or he will be the next JT Miller after he’s traded.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

We keep running it back with the same group plus/minus a couple of players and folks here expect some massive improvement just because we changed coaches. In game adjustments? Be serious, it’s roster adjustment more than anything.

This is the first season with suspect goaltending, but certain folks dead focused on the the goalie when things go bad for the last 10 years, as if goaltending is the reason they haven’t succeeded.

They change coaches but perpetually hire the same person, the only difference being the hair and a few software updates here or there. They haven’t changed their defense pairs or wasteland bottom 6 theory in 5 years

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

We keep running it back with the same group plus/minus a couple of players and folks here expect some massive improvement just because we changed coaches. In game adjustments? Be serious, it’s roster adjustment more than anything.

This is the first season with suspect goaltending, but certain folks dead focused on the the goalie when things go bad for the last 10 years, as if goaltending is the reason they haven’t succeeded.

what has Laviolette done though? The team played differently for like a month but now they're back to their same old bullshit.

Maybe he could at least TRY something new? Like breaking up the horrendous d-pairings or the equally horrendous Zib- Kreider combination? Cycling the RW on that line is not enough. f***ing do something bro. Now is the time to be tinkering.