GDT: Game 40: 12/28/17 Toronto Matthews @ Arizona Coyotes - 7pm - FSAZ

[BUX7PHX]

Our vets are the ones that are not "mentally tough". It started from the first game of the year.

It isn't just the vets. It is everyone, and some of the younger players may be feeding off of a lack of mental toughness from a vet or two. Also, when have Hjalmarsson, Stepan, or others who are "new" additions ever been on something like this? Most of the time, the teams they were on were winning or within the cusp of the playoffs. No one has any idea what to do except the proverbial "push forward."

 

[Bonsai Tree]

This was unrested team against rested team. The rested team will normally win that. I wonder if someone got any statistics on it, but I really believe it.

I go back to my long held belief that "It's not that we lost, it's how we lost". Continuing boneheaded mental mistakes.

 

[CC96]

Duke fight, lol. Pretty lame slap fight though.



@CC96 we haven't had a good Stepan insult in awhile, where ya at?

Sorry, I passed out last night after going into a near diabetic coma after stuffing my face with stadium poutine and nachos. Learned the technique from someone we all might know.

 

[ParisSaintGermain]

Just watched the official site snippet of RT post-game interview. So according to him it all comes down to mental toughness and a couple of individual mistakes. Not wrong in a nutshell, i guess...

He is not asked for or does not provide any hint of solutions aside for changing players on 5 and 3, implicitly blaming the players it feels like.

Game 40 of his 328 games contract... this could be a tough long stretch for someone - so far - removed of any ideas, self criticism for him and his staff.

Tocchet looks like a decent guy, and honestly I have been all for rooting for him. But the lack of fire, the lack of ideas witnessed and some decisions until now are getting me very preoccupied.

I hope someday someone will ask Chayka why he gave him a 4 year contract straight away, particularly following an tough experience with a coach who was under a long contract. This is puzzling.

 

[Name Nameless]

Just watched the official site snippet of RT post-game interview. So according to him it all comes down to mental toughness and a couple of individual mistakes. Not wrong in a nutshell, i guess...

He is not asked for or does not provide any hint of solutions aside for changing players on 5 and 3, implicitly blaming the players it feels like.

Game 40 of his 328 games contract... this could be a tough long stretch for someone - so far - removed of any ideas, self criticism for him and his staff.

Tocchet looks like a decent guy, and honestly I have been all for rooting for him. But the lack of fire, the lack of ideas witnessed and some decisions until now are getting me very preoccupied.

I hope someday someone will ask Chayka why he gave him a 4 year contract straight away, particularly following an tough experience with a coach who was under a long contract. This is puzzling.

I still think you are wrong in blaming the coach. The game gets ruined by bad giveaways. How could the coach stop Stepan from giving away the puck, leading to the first goal? That kind of ruined it already.

 

[PerpetualTankYear]

Didn't watch last night, but I'm just stopping by to say that the OP for this GDT is the saddest thing I've ever seen.

Would like to add one that sticks out:

When your 3rd overall pick isn't seen as a "top 6 forward"

The guy who we got for the last top 6 center in franchise history didn't actually turn out to be the second coming of Erik Karlsson.

 

[ParisSaintGermain]

I still think you are wrong in blaming the coach. The game gets ruined by bad giveaways. How could the coach stop Stepan from giving away the puck, leading to the first goal? That kind of ruined it already.

Every vets are making mistakes, some uncharacteristic. It is unusual and worrying, absolutely agree with that.

However it is absolutely up to the coaching staff to find and work out solutions. It is absolutely up to the coaching staff to restore self confidence in this group of players.

A situation like the current 5 on 3 issue has to be coachable. To say that its current longlasting failure is only based on players not able to make short passes is bizarre (that's what RT said in his press conference).

 

[Name Nameless]

Didn't watch last night, but I'm just stopping by to say that the OP for this GDT is the saddest thing I've ever seen.

Would like to add one that sticks out:

When your 3rd overall pick isn't seen as a "top 6 forward"

[...]

Strome has been passed by the next guys, you have to go down to the Lada-guy at 12 to find a so far less successfull start. But "bust" is such a harsh word. You don't call a guy a bust when he is 20, and he rules (or so people seems to say her) in AHL. (Edit- you didn't either. Must have been someone else. ;-))

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

Martinook looked and sounded really frustrated. I don't blame him, it's been like that for fans too.

Hearing Tocchet say "I don't have an answer for you" during his post game press conference is not something I like to hear from a head coach and someone the players need to help lead them. He didn't appoint a captain.. so he has to help guide these guys as a leader in the locker room. It's not exactly confidence inspiring when the guy supposedly leading the team says he doesn't know what happened. Not that I'm 100% blaming him... just don't like how that comes off.

Watching Duke fight was interesting to me. Does Tocchet like or dislike that? Does that cause a paradox in the sticky thinking? lol. But I had the thought pass through my brain that Duke must be frustrated. Perhaps just projecting that based on the rumors, etc. But I like the life and effort at least. He didn't slump over and get walked on.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Strome has been passed by the next guys, you have to go down to the Lada-guy at 12 to find a so far less successfull start. But "bust" is such a harsh word. You don't call a guy a bust when he is 20, and he rules (or so people seems to say her) in AHL. (Edit- you didn't either. Must have been someone else. ;-))

That would be me.

Bust.

3rd pick of a very deep draft, slotted in to become our true first line center. Tears it up at the AHL but can't process or skate fast enough to be a first line center in the NHL. Bust.

 

[Name Nameless]

That would be me.

Bust.

3rd pick of a very deep draft, slotted in to become our true first line center. Tears it up at the AHL but can't process or skate fast enough to be a first line center in the NHL. Bust.

Early. He hasn't had that much time in the NHL to adjust. Being good in the A is normally a good plan. He wouldn't be the first to just take a little more time than everybody thought.

I haven't seen him with the Roadrunners so I just go with the optimism of giving a man some more time. I just say that to qualify my summing up: You know, I normally don't actually care so much about being right, but this time I hope that would be me, and so not you. ;-)

 

[RemoAZ]

I gave up and went to bed. Missed the Duclair fight. Was it just a frustration thing or did it look like he actually gave a shit?

 

[MIGs Dog]

I gave up and went to bed. Missed the Duclair fight. Was it just a frustration thing or did it look like he actually gave a ****?

Both players dropped their gloves and hugged for a brief period. Only assessed roughing minors if that tells you anything.

 

[cobra427]

I still think you are wrong in blaming the coach. The game gets ruined by bad giveaways. How could the coach stop Stepan from giving away the puck, leading to the first goal? That kind of ruined it already.

If you take one specific instance, like the Stepan turnover, you can't blame the coach. But, collectively, this group is not playing well together. Also, exactly zero full time roster players from last year are having a better year this year then last year. Many are worse, some far worse. I think it is a coaching/system problem, Tocc is getting less with more.

It also seems like teams take us lightly in the first period sometimes, then they snap out of it. Against the Capitals, they took us lightly, same with the Avs after they killed us a few nights earlier. Toronto didn't take us lightly. This is part of why we look good sometimes and not others, just depends on the other teams work ethic not ours.