Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Don't get me wrong, here: I believe that this team struggles with harnessing and using their emotion on the ice, and I think this is what Treliving is getting at—that the emotions the players already experience can be used to help them win more often and consistently.
What I take issue with is this idea that some players are "okay with losing."
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Well, he said "emotional level." Which suggests it isn't high enough, rather than that it isn't harnessed in the right way.
I don't think players are okay with losing. I do think a lot of players - especially skilled players - think the only way they can contribute to winning is to score. Which is why they only sporadically exert as much energy without the puck and on the backcheck as they do when they have the puck.
But for teams to become really successful, their star players have to learn to care as much about their play without the puck as they care about scoring. Some players get this from day one. Some don't when they start in the league, but eventually they get it. Some never do.
The most famous instance of a player needing to learn to play the right way was Steve Yzerman. When Scotty Bowman came onboard as the coach of the Red Wings, he told Yzerman that despite his elite offensive production, he would have to change his game if the Wings wanted to take the next step. Yzerman balked. Bowman came close to trading him. Very close. Then Yzerman buckled down and the rest is history.
Something similar has to happen with the Flames core if they're to take the next step. Gaudreau, Monahan, Hamilton have to learn what it takes to win consistently in the NHL. They have to learn that the team will never take the next step if they remain one-dimensional players.