Quote:
Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug
Again, not defending the Oilers or Yakupov, but the fact that he scored goals after they were out of it, shouldn't be held against him. Couldn't you say the same thing for Baertschi?
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Not really, since no one has been making that comparison. Baertschi this year though is actually working his ass off in the neutral and defensive zones. He's playing a stronger game. Unlike Yakapov he's actually making strides and progressing on being a better NHL player.
Edmonton's problem is these kids never really had to work to be successful in junior, they were head and shoulders above everyone and could literally do what they want when they wanted, had everything given to them so they could succeed. They treat the NHL the same way. Only problem is, everyone in the NHL can play. Pro sports is more about about defense then offense... it's the old adage, offense wins games, defense wins championships.
These kids like playing with the puck, if they knew, or figured out that defensive hockey is more about getting the puck back then keeping it out of your net, maybe they'd work harder to get the puck back so they can play with it.