Since 2004 this team has wilted under pressure continually. I don't consider the slow starts as the players not caring or not being ready to play as much as nervousness and lack of confidence. When I watch this team I see a team trying to execute a coach's system but I don't see a lot of confidence and "hate to lose" mentality. Very robotic and devoid of much in the way of emotion. In the case of this game it certainly didn't help that they were down 2-0 before they even broke a sweat. I don't want to be overly critical of Smith in his first game back but that loss is on him and him alone. You just can't let in 3 pedestrian goals on the first 7 shots when you are life and death in a playoff race. This team doesn't have an offense or style of play suited to playing from behind and at the halfway mark of the first period they were facing a mountain to climb which was just too much.
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