Talent is just as important as that leadership......you really can't win one without the other.
What team in the NHL has won a cup on pure talent alone??
Why has Washington faultered year in, year out?
Why has Russia fallen short so many times even though their talent pool is supreme?? Geez, some tournaments they finish 7th and they have the most talent of all!!
Euh no. Talent is incomparably more important.
Every team has leadership. It's bullshit. The Pens did not beat the Preds because they have more leadership. Detroit, Chicago, LA did not own their opponents because their leaders were better at getting up and saying cliche inspiring words.
Stop watching disney movies.
Washington has faultered because....It is f***ing difficult to make it to the Finals.
Russia has fallen short because their opponents are better or had a better game plan. It's really that simple.
Canada was eliminated too, with the likes of Gretzky, Sakic, etc on it, oh oh...I guess they took a leadership break that year. No disney movie out including a sexy speech that year perhaps..
One year Yzerman is a questionable leader in Detroit. Just doesn't have it. Oops. That changes the following year. Alfredsson, terrible leader in Ottawa, just can't lead them where they have to be, until he does. I guess they drank some leadership fruit juice before the season and it turned them into better leaders...
Ya, sure, it is important to have experienced, mature and passionate players on the team. Every team in the NHL has that.
The difference between us being at the bottom and TB at the top, is not f***ing leadership. Come on man. Don't be silly.
Talent has always been and will always be, by far, the driving force of winning. After talent, there is luck. After luck, there is strategy. After that...maybe you can start talking about leadership.