[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Doesn't every player get shutdown if you game plan against them? Even Connor McDavid was shut down for the better part of 3 games vs the Jets and this is a guy who had nearly 2 ppg this season and who was playing with Leon Draisaitl.

I still don't get why it always falls on the shoulders of one player. He's one player out of 3 on the line? Like, if the entire line is shut down, why does the crux of the blame automatically fall on Gaudreau? or McDavid for that matter?

Maybe I'll never understand it, but I'm glad GMs tend to look at it differently. Their initial instinct is to find the stars more help, not trade the stars because they're pissed they couldn't get it done.

I'm of the similar mindset, I think Gaudreau does more than his share for the team on a shift by shift/nightly basis. He gets game planned, he gets the attention, he takes the double teams, he makes life easier on his line mates and thus helps elevate the players around him. It's a two way street though and they need to help him out as well and I don't think he gets equitable reciprocation. So I find it hard to ever really pin things all on him.

If anything, the Flames need more Gaudreaus, more Tkachuks. These are the play drivers that can conjure plays out of nothing and break games wide open. So, if your team is only counting on one or two guys in the end, doesn't even matter if you have the best in the world in McDavid and Draisaitl, you're still gonna fail because Stanley Cups go to the best teams, not the best players.

My thoughts exactly! Excellent post.