CupsOverCash
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2009
- 16,353
- 7,092
I guess I just refuse to believe that a team will say "Hey. Playoffs look like they're on lock down. Let's just trash it up for the last 3 months of the season"
If they'd continued their high level of play through March and were playing how they were now, I would totally agree that they were just mailing it in until the playoffs.
I don't remember what game it was...maybe Ottawa? When Vasy got scored on and he literally just laid face down on the ice after it. That's not a guy that is just coasting until the playoffs. That's a guy who's confidence is completely destroyed. Someone else here said it..this is a kid in his first season as a #1 in the NHL and Cooper rode him like a 10 year vet. On one hand that speaks to how well Vasy played in the first half but on the other hand you know he's gotta be tired and worn out.
Tampa got better every month from Oct-Dec. At home in Jan is where things really started to go back. Their GPG took a big drop (between 1-2 GPG less than they had through Dec) and they started bleeding goals (over 4 GA per game at home in Jan). Jan was also the first month that they allowed more goals over the month than they scored.
Things improved in Feb at home but got worse on the road. March is just a cluster.
I don't think this is a discussion if they haven't been trending down for almost 3 months at this point.
But you recognize how they played early and how they play now. I think the effort level is dropped a bit. I mean it clearly has dropped when you look at this team now vs early in the year. As for Vasi, Im sure he is tired but look at him too. He looked like Hasek at times early in the year, I havent seen that since December/January. I dont think the players say they should trash it up but they clearly arent putting in the same amount of effort. In this league taking your foot off the gas a little can lead to disaster. But the team could actually afford to do it. Now its catching up to them but they still are in the playoffs. If they actually are the team that played early then I like our chances against anybody but if we see more of the same in the playoffs then I would agree with you. Ive just seen this all before. I remember seeing the same conversations about how this team doesnt give a shit before the playoffs. Then when the playoffs came boom we played a totally different game. Structured, D was on its game, forwards were skating, Bishop was shutting things down. Also Im not saying I agree with it, Ive just seen this happen before.