I remember someone criticizing Brent Sutter for the style of play he implemented, and he shrugged and said "Well, if you don't have the horses..." and honestly I'm not sure if that's the case here now or not.
It feels like the team does/should have. Lindholm, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, Dube, Backlund, Johnny Hockey, Monahan... I mean, these are okay pieces, no?
But something's strange. Chucky looks slow and lost. Gio is maybe on the upturn but he hasn't been at NHL pace really very often this year. Monahan looks a year older and slower. Seen him make a few slick plays (that flip to Gaudreau was unbelievable touch) but getting somewhere first and winning a board battle? Nah.
That's why Lucic and Mangiapane stand out so much on this team. The fight in the corner like hell. Need more of it. Need more Lindholm effort and fire.
There's a chance... just a chance mind you, that Ward is a better hockey coach than each and every one of us. And that the team just isn't good enough to do much with, because a bunch of guys are comfy.
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