Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
I’m beginning to believe the only reason it “worked” is because he put Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk together - the best line in all of hockey. It was so good, that 2 of the 3 bailed on the organization.
Sutter is not running a meritocracy this season. Lucic went from the press box to the “top” line. Sutter really isn’t doing anything this year. He rolls 4 lines endlessly, even when the situation desperately requires something else.
I don’t think we have a lazy culture. Everyone on the team is working hard. The problem is that they’re being told to dig straight up.
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I’ve actually held this same belief for a long time now, dating all the way back to the 2021 shortened season. I still remember the marked shift I felt when Darryl played that trio for the first time, as if the team finally had a chance to win games. It’s hard to believe how much one great line can influence the overall impact of a game. But then again, we experienced it first hand when we saw McDavid-Draisaitl-Kane singlehandedly win the BoA last spring.
As much as I do like Sutter’s systems, realistically, coaching strategies can only take a team so far. I don’t think the overall difference in systems can overcome the overall difference in roster construction.