Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bozek
When I hear talk about toughness, I think of Don Cherry’s belligerence, but I agree that toughness is a that ability to fight through checks, and take a hit, but keep on ticking. For most of the season I saw the Flames doing that, but not as consistently in the last month or so. But our top line lacked something beyond toughness for the last part of the season as well as the playoffs. And in the playoffs, I still think it was more the Avs’ speed and skill that won the puck battles along the boards in the Flames’ end, and left our defence unsure of themselves, rather than the hitting.
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This core played 4 series together. Won once versus a terrible team that was very soft and had a bad coach.
The other series were blowouts.
Anaheim and Colorado played us tough. We had no answer.
This team has plenty of skill and speed. But very little grit.
No mystery to me why they get dummied by bigger teams.
And again, it's not about roughing and hitting. It's about ability to out muscle a guy in a fight for the puck. Monahan last night had that one play where he just simply lost a 50-50 battle because the other guy was stronger. Mid ice battle for a loose puck. We don't win those.
Our top line is the softest in the nhl. And they were supposedly one of the best in the NHL. So why are we ignoring their lack of grit and questioning their speed and skill? We know they can play fast and skillfully. Has anyone seen them play tough?
Our 4th line has 3 guys with 10+G on the year. That's one of the most productive 4th lines right? Are we really gonna question their skill and ignore that 2 of those guys are some of the smallest and softest players in the NHL?
Our second line has a PPG player and Backs who is good as well. But again, outside of Tkachuk, these guys can't win a board battle or go to the net with ease.
This team is super soft and no amount of skill will make up for it. Johnny is one of the best wingers in the league. But he can't win a board battle with a 6'3 D man. A guy like Maroon could though. A much less skilled player.playoffs is about winning battles. A good team needs a combination of both, skill and grit. We have skill, but no grit.