It’s really disappointing to watch this team trip over their own feet again.
We obviously have - and have had - the talent and depth (when healthy) to accomplish more.
They tuned out Quinn and played their own way. Quinn got fired, Gallant comes in, gets immediate results (ECF) but they tuned him out within 2 years and reverted to playing their own hockey. Gallant gets fired, Laviolette comes in, gets immediate results (first in the NHL at the mid-way mark) and then the team starts tuning him out and reverting to playing their own hockey.
It’s a big problem. Let’s look:
Panarin has been part of the problem in the past but is also the best player on the team and bringing it this year.
Fox is the backbone of the team.
KK, Laf, Cullye, Schneider, Miller, etc. are either too new to the roster or too young to be the ones setting the culture. They’re learning from the guys above them.
Trochek is pretty new to the team and plays a hustle game. Lindgren may be a black hole but he’s also all heart. Trouba is basically ditto, even if he makes us pull our hair out.
Bonino, Pitlick, Wheeler, Gus, etc. are brand new - they have no impact on the culture.
So… that leaves the butt buddies, 93 & 20.
Kreider has evolved into a great complimentary top line winger but it’s pretty evident at this point that Mika and Kreids shouldn’t be a part of any leadership group. In my opinion, they’re the ones who set the tone for this team, and the tone they have consistently set when left to their own devices has been soft and milquetoast. Mika, in particular (and I’ve been a big supporter over the years) is just an absolute disappointment.
He’s registered 1001 career hits in 800 career games (averaging like 90-100 per year, with fluctuation). This year he is on pace for 26.
Now hits mean nothing to me as a counting stat and can even be detrimental and take you out of the play, but it’s not the totals that bother me. He has gradually gotten softer and softer and is now such a wimpy, fly-by stick check, “can’t spell intensity” head case, I can’t stand him. He went from an absolute two way work horse throwing 120 hits, getting in on the forecheck with intensity, disrupting plays all over and creating chances to a “can barely be bothered to waive his stick weakly as he skates past the puck carrier and floats around pretending to be prime Ovie on the PP”. It’s infuriating.