One minute of analysis is all it takes to see how to fix that team.
With McDavid and Draisaitl, they are elite on the PP, and they have a good chance of winning the special teams battle, most nights. So all they have to do is make 5 on 5 a non-event. Just play low event, low scoring hockey, 5 on 5, and they are in good shape. Those 2 aren't putting up many points 5 on 5 anyway, and they are getting scored on too much because they coast, in order to save their energy for offensive chances. So reduce their ice-time, convince them to back-check (LOL), utilize (and engage) the bench more, and they would be better 5 on 5. Then let them do their thing on the PP.
This is all obvious to a 10 year old. And yet here we are, in McDavid's 8th season, and they haven't made one inch of progress on how to manage the team.
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