Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Agreed.
But here's the thing: these guys are NHLers, they know how to play. When one guy is struggling, they are having a bad game or are in a slump. But when an entire team is struggling, for 20 games, and they are all constantly making bad decisions, I see a team that is thinking too much and/or is trying to do what they're being told to do, instead of just playing.
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Or they just lack focus and drive. Or they haven’t bought in and they should.
Any system works, if it’s done well. And to do it well, you are right, it has to be second nature. IMO Ward’s flaw isn’t a system, it’s his ability to get players to commit to one. And he’s the latest of 4 coaches, including Hartley, to have that issue with the same guys. They could use a new coach. But they also need a jolt of reality - a coach isn’t a fix-all, they need to shoulder some responsibility. It’s too bad training camp was short, because Ward as a new coach could have used a lot more drill time.
This isn’t a problem unique to this group. Hell, the Cup winning team had to shed some talented guys who wouldn’t buy in. And there were guys who thought Johnson’s technics were goofy, but they didn’t them anyway.