Yes it's lazy, however keep in mind that the average fan will see it just like that. People are stupid. It's been 7 years since the Stanley Cup finals.
I'm not all that upset about the outcome of last year's free agency considering how they overachieved last year. I get that players are going to choose to do what's best for them even though they might be offered stupid money.
But this year has been underwhelming since the 6-0 beatdown of the Capitals. The goaltending, player hockey intelligence, and the defense have been atrocious.
It's nice to see Cory regain some semblance of his old self, but I don't think he'll ever be his old self with Hynes running his nonexistent defensive structure. Cory needs defenses to snuff out the cross ice pass because he may be the least athletic goalie in the league. MBW has had a nice showing, but it's not a large enough sample size. Kinkaid was a beast in the stretch run last year, but turned back into a pumpkin.
I still think coaching is a huge problem on this team. The run last year hid a lot of warts. I think Kowalsky is a disaster. I've NEVER been a fan of Nasreddine. What does Mike Grier do? And I keep hearing what a great teacher Hynes is. I don't see it. Players make the same mistakes EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and few are held accountable. There is no way Pavel Zacha should EVER bring the puck up from behind his own net through the crease. Defenders don't put their sticks in the lanes. Forwards don't do it either. Gap control has been an issue most of the year. Guys are trying to block shots halfway between the shooter and the goalie. These are not mistakes seasoned vets should be making. Then again, why the hell do they continue to run man-to-man defense when it doesn't work. I was no Pete DeBoer fan, but he looks like Scotty Bowman next to Hynes.
Keeping this coaching staff in tact is not an option. Something has to be done here. I'm a pessimist because I think Shero, in the name of {{{stability}}}, will stick to Hynes despite the fact it may cost him another job.
Of all of the call-ups we've seen so far this year, the only one who looks like a keeper is Agostino. Unfortunately, 26 year olds are what they are. He's another Pittsburgh castoff who makes a good first impression but sucks. Maybe McLeod or Gignac pan out? I don't think they're second line potential. Shero's draft picks better make a leap next year because if they don't, this is going to take a lot longer to rebuild than 2 more years.