Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
It is not at all uncommon, for pretty much every team ever, that, when on winning streaks, it's because their best players are on a roll. That's how it works.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines all struggled this year (other than Tkachuk). You can argue that is a lack of talent, but many of those players underperformed expectations. So it is pretty easy to argue systems/coaching as well.
The defense, as a group, was considered to be top 5 by almost everyone, and top 3 by many, heading into the season. They are sitting bottom third for production. Maybe they collectively lost their skill. Or maybe the systems sucked.
|
Actually, if you’re only winning games because of your one star player. Then you’re obviously relying too much on 1 guy. Look it up youself, this team has only won 6 games when Johnny Gaudreau doesn’t produce a point. 6 games! We’re at game 81 now. Much like every 1st line player in this league, Gaudreau can’t produce every game and when he doesn’t, we need other guys to step up and we didn’t get that enough this season.
You can argue systems all you want. But the same players I’m talking about had good/solid years under GG in 2016-17 and for myself personally, that’s all I was expecting. But when you have year to year regressions from important players like Backlund, Frolik, Brouwer, Stajan and etc, then it’s going to be tough to replicate the same success as the previous season.
Top 3 D? Seriously? Enough with the top defense crap. Have we not seen this before? I’ve honestly heard it 3 times in the last decade and it’s always resulted in the same thing, missing the playoffs. The season Bouwmeester signed here, when Dougie was acquired and now with Hamonic. Has this organization learned anything yet? These higher ups need to stop making the same damn mistakes over and over and over again because it’s tiresome at this point.