Quote:
Originally Posted by Tron_fdc
I get the whole "correlation, causation" argument, but there is NO DOUBT in my mind (never has been) that the slide coincides with the return of Stajan, Raymond and Colbourne. Stats guys can throw whatever stat out they want, but you can't quantify intangibles and chemistry. Teams feed off guys who work their ass off in every facet of the game, which is what those kids were all doing, regardless of what they brought to the scoresheet.
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The slide has nothing to do with effort. Young players often play like their hair is on fire for their first 10-20 games in the NHL. You can't expect that temporary boost to last. The grind of a long season starts to set in, the adrenaline wears off, and they come back to earth.
Jooris has come back to earth. Granlund has come back to earth. The effects of overplaying the top-4 D are now being felt. Opposing teams have wised up to the Flames defence activating on every rush. And yes, unsustainable shooting percentages have come back down.