Quote:
Originally Posted by neo45
James Neal's situation is that he didn't come into camp at the proper shape and mental state for the game, end of story. My concern always going in was the effect of back to back Cup finals losses, that wears on somebody physically, mentally and is a killer for confidence, and it SHOWED!
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I think this is a big thing, and a reason I think a bounce back from Neal is a little more likely than not. 3 cities in 3 years (now 4 in 4) with 'short' off-seasons...I can definitely see how that might have caught up with Neal this year.
As for locker room troubles, neither Nashville nor Vegas seemed to have had issues reaching the finals with Neal. Sometimes things just don't click, but that sort of thing is usually a two way street. With only 1 year of regular season success over the past few years, this team is in a bit of a glass house in terms of casting stones at this particular 'new guy'