[djsFlames]

What's odd is i've always been on your side of the fence. Typically stubbornly optimistic, I've never lost belief that the team could do it over the past 3 years even, I always felt that they could raise their play a little more and a little more, until they broke into the top 8 again.

This is the first time in a decade with the tipping point being this last week of lackluster and disappointing play that I've honestly put up my hands and said "nope, they're toast" which is very uncharacteristic of me. And there's some strong arguments for why I shouldn't think so. Kipper's possibly the biggest piece of the team and without him, the GA shouldn't be surprising. But at the same time, I'm not even sure if Jarome will break his goal slump in a big way before the season is done. We can't rely on secondary guys like Hudler and Stempniak to score every night, enough to compensate for his lack of contribution offensively.

I mean a 6-7 game win/point streak would put them right into the top 8, but I just don't see the consistency, or more specifically consistency of effort and desire to win from these guys that a streak would require. I've learned a lesson that you can sign as many past 30, 40 goal scorers, big time defenders, or european all-stars as you want, but if those guys aren't the type that just Despise losing, and wear their hearts on their sleeves night after night, then you're simply not going to get that 'elite' level play out of them often enough, that they were supposedly going to bring in the first place.

A guy like Kane for example (as much as I am not a personal fan) made it clear that he wants to make his name in the league starting this year, that he wants to be spoken of in the same breath as the Crosbys, Malkins and Girouxs of the world, and he's gone out and put in 110% every night since the season started. Toews also is a guy who hates to lose and has expressed that about last season, and wanted to turn it around this year. And well, look what that team has done. That's passion right there. And in the games where they did struggle, (against us) they still rallied and found a way to win. That means not hanging your head and throwing in the towel when you've still got a chance, any chance, to steal points. This team could really take some notes on what those guys are doing, because while I believe we do have the Ability and Tools in our room to make some great things happen, we certainly have too many mental issues happening here, and a questionable level of commitment to winning.

I'd love to see them sort those issues out in time, whatever it takes to do it, becasue I'm a big fan of a lot of our guys and want to see them succeed, but if they can't come in and put forth the needed effort and the passion each night whether it's against the Canucks or Blues, or Minnesota on a sunday afternoon, it simply does not matter. You've got show the same level of play. Killer instinct, and no mercy. God knows how many times we've been embarrassed despite teams having the option to 'play down' to our level on a bad night, but instead kept pushing.

Backlund and Baetschi are huge for this team and I think we are sorely missing what they bring, but there is still more than enough talent with this crop that they should be doing Miles better than what they are. They need to start believing in that.

One can hope, but my optimism has taken a big hit so far this season. They are welcome to go out and restore it with some consistent, solid play, though. Any day now..