Quote:
Originally Posted by Machiavelli
Indeed, why?
I think we would all agree there was an expectation that Brouwer would be providing some leadership on this team, and I don't think he has held up that end of the deal. It's been pretty clear to me that not enough players have shown the will to do whatever it takes to win. Giordano, Brouwer, and most of the other vets have simply failed in this area.
Not much separates teams in this parous version of the NHL. Going through the motions doesn't cut it.
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I think some of this has to do with poor coaching. We no longer seem to have a merit system. If certain players are not performing they should be sitting. Too many players on the Flames are being given nights off. I think good coaches nip this in the bud early while raising overall expectations. This was done early in the season when Wideman got benched but
since then they let a lot of players slide and dictate the level of play.
I think if coaches sit players who coast while rewarding players that perform it will raise the respect among the players. Coaches need to separate the leaders and the wannbe's. Unfortunately these coaches still don't seem to grasp the importance of building a team identity and creating a team that plays a certain way every night not just one week to the next or one day to the next. I pin a lot of this lack of effort on the players however it is within the coaches grasp to manage those individual efforts.